Wizards’ Will Riley Signs Rookie Scale Contract
Will Riley has signed his rookie scale contract with the Wizards, according to NBA.com’s transaction log.
Riley was selected 21st in the 2025 draft by the Jazz as part of a deal that sent him to the Wizards along with the second-round pick that became Jamir Watkins and two future second-rounders.
A 6’8″ forward, Riley averaged 12.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 2.2 assists while posting .432/.326/.724 shooting splits to claim the honor of Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year for Illinois.
After impressing out of the gate, Riley slowed down in the middle of the season before putting together a strong close to the year. He averaged 16.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 3.3 assists in his final 13 games, including conference tournaments, before posting 22 points and four rebounds in Illinois’ March Madness opening win against Xavier, though he struggled in the Round of 32 loss to Kentucky.
Tre Johnson, the team’s No. 6 overall pick, also signed his rookie scale contract earlier this weekend, so this deal locks up both of the Wizards’ first-round picks ahead of Summer League.
As our breakdown of this year’s rookie scale shows, Riley is expected to earn $3.5MM in the first year of his deal and $17.2MM total over the course of his rookie deal.
International Notes: Valanciunas, Ibaka, Nwora, Neto
While there’s still no resolution on his NBA contract situation, Jonas Valanciunas appears to be moving forward with his reported plan to sign with the EuroLeague club Panathinaikos. According to Antonis Stroggylakis of Eurohoops, Valanciunas arrived in Athens on Friday with the intent of undergoing a physical and finalizing the terms of a lucrative three-year deal.
However, Valanciunas remains under contract in the NBA and will be traded from Sacramento to Denver once the July moratorium ends. Reports have indicated that the Nuggets have long had interest in Valanciunas and envisioned a major role for him on their 2025/26 roster, so they’re hoping to convince him to honor his NBA contract.
Still, with all signs pointing to Valanciunas desiring a return to Europe, it certainly seems as if he and his new NBA team are headed for buyout discussions. In that scenario, the Nuggets would likely require him to give up most – if not all – of the $10.4MM guaranteed salary he’s owed next season. That would give Denver some spending flexibility to return to free agency or the trade market in search of a new backup center for Nikola Jokic.
We have more from around the world of international hoops:
- Three-time NBA All-Defensive first-teamer Serge Ibaka is leaving Real Madrid, the Spanish team announced on Wednesday. The 35-year-old big man averaged 6.5 points and 3.3 rebounds in 12.0 minutes per night during EuroLeague play for the eventual Liga ACB champions. This was Ibaka’s first year with Real Madrid after playing the previous season with Bayern Munich. It has now been more than two years since he was last on an NBA roster.
- Veteran wing Jordan Nwora is leaving Anadolu Efes, the Turkish club announced (via Twitter). Nwora, who played four seasons in the NBA, primarily with the Bucks and Pacers, has agreed to a deal with Crvena Zvezda out of Belgrade, Serbia, per a Eurohoops report (via Twitter).
- Free agent guard Raul Neto has signed with San Pablo Burgos for the upcoming season, the team announced. The 33-year-old Neto, who appeared in 435 regular season NBA games from 2015-23, played limited minutes in 2024/25 with Barcelona. San Pablo Burgos competes in Spain’s Primera FEB, which is the country’s second division league.
- Sergio Scariolo has agreed to return to Real Madrid as their head coach, according to Eurohoops.net. The Italian coach, who won an NBA title as an assistant for the 2018/19 Raptors, has spent most of his career in the EuroLeague. He had a previous tenure with Real Madrid from 1999-2002, and has been coaching Virtus Bologna for the past three seasons. Scariolo, who has four EuroBasket championships and a pair of Olympic medals to his name, has agreed to a three-year deal with Real Madrid and will officially join the club after coaching the Spanish national team one last time at this year’s EuroBasket tournament.
Knicks Notes: Brown, Exum, Ayton, Nori
Mike Brown has verbally agreed to a deal to become the head coach of the Knicks, according to Sam Amick of the Athletic (via Twitter), who adds that Brown is expected to officially sign his contract early next week.
In a look at what the two-time Coach of the Year will bring to the Knicks, ESPN’s Chris Herring points to a willingness to change up the rotation if he doesn’t like what he’s seeing. This marks a clear change from former head coach Tom Thibodeau, who had a reputation for being notoriously slow to change a lineup that don’t seem to be working.
Herring also believes that Brown’s time with the Kings, including a season in which they broke the league’s offensive efficiency record, bodes well for his work with a Knicks team that has clearly oriented itself around creating the most lethal offense possible.
According to Fred Katz of the Athletic, Brown’s greatest gift might be his ability to evolve as a coach. The offensive system he brought to Sacramento was entirely different from the one his teams in Cleveland deployed. Brown possesses a mind for detail, Katz writes, but he loves to bring in outside ideas and influences, whether that means relying on assistant coaches or taking parts of sets he has seen others run.
The Knicks are banking on the idea that his various experiences throughout his coaching journey can culminate in the ultimate success in New York.
We have more from the Knicks:
- Dante Exum was considering the Knicks before eventually agreeing to re-sign with the Mavericks, writes SNY’s Ian Begley. That interest, along with their previously reported check-in on Ben Simmons, would indicate the Knicks might be looking for one more guard to fill out the roster. It also suggests they’re looking for a defensive-minded player to complement their two offensive-facing additions in Jordan Clarkson and Guerschon Yabusele.
- According to Begley, some within the Knicks’ decision-making group viewed Deandre Ayton as a potentially good fit next to Karl-Anthony Towns, prior to Ayton agreeing to sign with the Lakers. Begley confirms ESPN’s reporting that feedback on Ayton coming out of Portland was encouraging, and adds that the Knicks were told good things about his leadership with the younger players on the Blazers. However, New York had no path to matching or exceeding the Lakers’ two-year, $16.6MM offer.
- Within the same story, Begley notes that the Knicks were impressed by Timberwolves assistant coach Micah Nori‘s interview for the team’s head coaching vacancy, especially his thoughts on player production and workloads. The Knicks primarily considered candidates with previous head coaching experience, with Nori serving as the lone exception.
- In case you missed it, Yabusele spoke about what appealed to him about the Knicks and why he accepted their contract offer.
Guerschon Yabusele Talks Knicks Deal, Sixers’ Offer
The Knicks didn’t have a lot of financial flexibility coming into the 2025 offseason but will still manage to come away with a pair of players who figure to play rotation minutes in Jordan Clarkson and Guerschon Yabusele.
Yabusele had been linked to the Nuggets, Spurs, and Bucks before ultimately agreeing to a two-year, $11.7MM deal with New York. Speaking during an interview with SKWEEK TV about his decision-making process, Yabusele said part of the appeal came from what he saw when he faced the Knicks last season as a member of the Sixers.
“It’s a couple of teams that we play against, and I was looking at them, like, ‘Oh my God, this team plays good together. They’re a good team. I can tell it’s a good group of guys, there’s no bad guys, there’s no problems,'” Yabusele said (Twitter video link). “And I was looking at them like, ‘Oh my God, this could be like a good chance and opportunity to play there.'”
Beyond the cohesiveness, Yabusele spoke about feeling that the fit was the right one.
“I feel like their team, it really [matches] my DNA, I would say, to fight, to play hard, to be the underdogs, to go and fight every night,” he added.
Yabusele came to Philadelphia last season after spending the previous five years in Europe. Playing for the injury-riddled Sixers, he averaged 11.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game while making 50.1% of his shots from the field (38.0% of his three-pointers) and starting 43 of his 70 outings.
The 6’8″ forward proved to be a bright spot in an otherwise disappointing season and was open to returning to the 76ers. However, he revealed in his SKWEEK TV interview that the offer he received from Philadelphia wasn’t as competitive as what he might have expected.
“I didn’t really have any issues over there… I was like, ‘Okay, if they want to re-sign me, and then they give me something good, I will come back for sure. And if they want me to leave, then I will leave,'” Yabusele said (Twitter video link). “But they almost didn’t make, really, like an offer. They did, but it was really, really, low, to be really transparent… so I feel like, ‘Oh my god, you guys don’t really want me to stay.'”
The Sixers, who only held Non-Bird rights on Yabusele, could theoretically have dipped into their mid-level exception like New York did to make him an offer. However, their ability to re-sign the Frenchman was impacted by their negotiations with restricted free agent Quentin Grimes — if Grimes gets a significant raise, Philadelphia’s team salary could be in second-apron territory, compromising their ability to use any portion of that MLE.
Despite what he considered to be a low-ball offer, Yabusele emphasized his gratitude to the Sixers for giving him his second chance at playing in the NBA.
“I will always be thankful to be able to be part of their franchise,” he said. “Me and my family [are] really happy about everything they did for us.”
Yabusele will now go to a Knicks team with a new head coach and championship aspirations, where his versatile offensive game should complement New York’s incumbent big men.
Kel’el Ware Looking To Reward Heat For Belief In Him
After an encouraging rookie season with the Heat, Kel’el Ware‘s name popped up in trade speculation this summer in connection with Miami’s pursuit of former Suns star Kevin Durant. Ultimately, the Heat decided to make Ware off limits in any potential deal for Durant, which was believed to be one key reason why Phoenix preferred Houston’s offer to Miami’s.
Ware is now determined to make good on that show of confidence from the team that drafted him, writes Anthony Chiang for the Miami Herald. The soon-to-be second-year center understands the responsibility that comes from such a decision, and is working to put himself in the best possible position to reward Miami’s belief in him.
“It made me feel the Heat wanted me and they want to see how far I can get in the future and see how my development goes,” he said. “That makes me want to show them what I can do and how far I can go. … They see the potential in me and they see what I can be. So my main goal is to just sort of repay that they didn’t make a mistake.”
Ware averaged 9.3 points and 7.9 rebounds per game for the Heat as a rookie after being selected with the 15th pick in the 2024 draft. After starting the season as a backup, he eventually moved into the starting lineup alongside longtime star big man Bam Adebayo and made 40 starts for the club between the regular season and playoffs. In that role, he averaged 10.7 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per night.
He has spent much of his offseason looking to add muscle and continue sharpening his skill set. Coming into the 2025 Summer League, Ware has one goal: to dominate.
“There are specifics that we’re trying to get into him,” said Heat assistant and Summer League head coach Eric Glass. “We always want to see him grow. There are leadership aspects. But he just needs to take the next step. He has all the capability in the world to go out and dominate games and practices, and that’s what we’re looking for from him.”
Ware echoed the sentiment.
“My goals for the offseason and in the summer league is to show that I added more to my game, that I’ve gotten strong in the weight room,” he said. “Just showing that I can be a force out there and be dominant.”
Ware’s Summer League will tip off on Saturday, July 5, at 3:30 pm Central time against the Spurs at this year’s California Classic. If all goes according to plan for him and the Heat, the 21-year-old will quickly become one of the annual “too good for Summer League” players and wrap up his summer well before the Las Vegas Summer League comes to a close later this month.
Free Agency Rumors: Monk, Pistons, Westbrook, Yabusele, Clippers
The Pistons may be pursuing a trade for Kings guard Malik Monk, reports Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (via Twitter). Dennis Schröder is expected to sign with Sacramento and could get there via a sign-and-trade deal that sends Monk to Detroit.
With Schröder expected to join the Kings and Malik Beasley‘s NBA future up in the air due to a gambling-related investigation, the Pistons have been scouring the trade and free agency markets for ball-handling, scoring, and shooting. The club already agreed to sign Caris LeVert and also has interest in free agent sharpshooter Duncan Robinson, as Fischer confirms (Twitter link).
Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal reports (via Twitter) that the Kings have been shopping Monk in the hopes of finding point guard help, and previously made an offer to the Hawks for Kobe Bufkin and Georges Niang, which Atlanta declined.
We have more free agent rumors from around the league:
- The Knicks are unlikely to pursue Russell Westbrook with one of their remaining guard spots, according to Stefan Bondy of the New York Post (via Twitter). It had previously been reported that there was mutual interest between the two sides, but with Jordan Clarkson set to sign with New York after clearing waivers, the pathway to playing time for Westbrook would be limited.
- Sixers big man Guerschon Yabusele appears increasingly unlikely to remain in Philadelphia, reports Tony Jones of the Athletic (via Twitter). The skilled French forward had a strong season in his return to the NBA after six years in the EuroLeague. He is expected to be pursued by the Spurs, per Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News (Twitter link), while Jones adds (via Twitter) that the Nuggets are another team to keep an eye on.
- Jones also reports (via Twitter) that the Sixers have been trying to trade center Andre Drummond and his $5MM expiring salary, though it’s unclear whether that would change the team’s outlook for Yabusele.
- Neither Amir Coffey nor Ben Simmons seems likely to return to the Clippers, according to Law Murray of The Athletic, who suggests they could probably get better offers elsewhere. Simmons is seeking a deal worth more than the veteran’s minimum, Murray notes.
Free Agent Rumors: Kings, Schröder, Horford, More
Finding a point guard was a top priority for the Kings when free agency opened on Monday. According to NBA insider Chris Haynes (Twitter link), the team arranged meetings via Zoom with both Dennis Schröder and Russell Westbrook.
Sacramento was also planning to meet with Malcolm Brogdon, sources tell Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Twitter link), who notes that the Wizards would be willing to accommodate a sign-and-trade deal involving Brogdon.
The Kings may end up adding more than one point guard, with Schröder looking like a lock to be one of them. Reports leading up to free agency indicated the two sides would likely agree to a two-year deal worth the full non-taxpayer mid-level exception, and Fred Katz of The Athletic (Twitter link) has since reported that Schröder will reach an agreement to sign with Sacramento.
Here are a few more free agent rumors from around the NBA:
- Al Horford is commanding a lot of attention, reports HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto (via Twitter). Scotto says that the Warriors, Knicks, Nuggets, Lakers, and Cavaliers have all expressed interest in luring Horford away from the Celtics since free agency opened, but Boston is also interested in retaining him, especially after losing Luke Kornet earlier in the day to the Spurs.
- After agreeing to sign Tyus Jones to be the team’s backup point guard, Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press hears that reserve big man Moritz Wagner is expected to return to the Magic (Twitter link). Orlando declined its team option on Wagner over the weekend, but retained his Bird rights. Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel echoes Reynolds’ report (via Twitter), saying that expects Wagner to re-sign with the Magic.
- The Warriors feel good about their chances of re-signing restricted free agent forward Jonathan Kuminga, according to ESPN’s Marc Spears (Twitter video link). Spears says the money Kuminga and his representatives are looking for does not seem to be on the market this summer, which could result in him remaining in Golden State.
Jordan Clarkson Signs With Knicks
July 7: Clarkson has officially signed with the Knicks, according to the NBA’s transaction log.
June 30: Jordan Clarkson will sign with the Knicks after he clears waivers, reports NBA insider Chris Haynes (via Twitter).
The Knicks had been expected to target Clarkson since news broke that he would be waived by the Jazz, writes Steve Popper of Newsday Sports (Twitter link). The veteran guard agreed to a buyout with Utah and was officially waived earlier today.
Ian Begley of SNY (Twitter link) confirms Popper’s report, saying that Clarkson had been considered a priority signing for the Knicks. Stefan Bondy of the New York Post reported (via Twitter) that the deal would likely be for the veteran’s minimum, around $3.6MM.
Clarkson averaged 16.2 points and 3.7 assists per game for the Jazz last season while shooting 36.2% from three. He played a career-low 37 games, with his season impacted both by injuries and by Utah’s tanking efforts.
The 2021 Sixth Man of the Year has been in Utah for over five years, with his best statistical season occurring in 2022/23, when he averaged 20.8 points, 4.4 assists, and 4.0 rebounds per contest. While he holds a career average of 2.9 assists per game, he became a better play-maker with the Jazz, whose point guard rotation was up-and-down during his tenure. He has averaged 4.5 assists to 2.7 turnovers over his last three seasons.
Clarkson brings a much-needed dose of ball-handling off the bench to the Knicks, whose reliance on star point guard Jalen Brunson at times left the team vulnerable to intense ball-pressure. A capable shot-creator, Clarkson will pair with fifth-year guard Miles McBride to firm up the Knicks’ depth as they look to build on last year’s Eastern Conference Finals run.
Magic Sign Tyus Jones To One-Year Deal
July 6: The Magic have officially signed Jones, the team announced in a press release (Twitter link).
“We are excited to welcome Tyus to the Orlando Magic family,” president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman said in a statement. “He is the ultimate pro, who will bring to our team a blend of IQ, play-making, and shooting. Known for his character and leadership, Tyus will be a tremendous mentor to our young core.”
June 30: The Magic have agreed to a one-year, $7MM deal with free agent point guard Tyus Jones, Shams Charania reports for ESPN (Twitter link).
Yossi Gozlan of the Third Apron notes (via Twitter) that if the Magic intend to stay under the luxury tax, they will need to shed salary elsewhere.
As ESPN’s Bobby Marks tweets, Jones’ contract will come out of Orlando’s non-taxpayer mid-level exception, which will hard-cap the Magic at the first apron.
Jones played for the Suns last season, averaging 10.2 points and 5.3 assists while shooting 41.4% from three and 89.5% from the free throw line. He spent time as both a starter and a reserve for Phoenix as it searched for answers with an ill-balanced roster.
The 29-year-old Jones joins a rapidly improving Magic team as the backup point guard, bringing stability and depth to the backcourt rotation. He also reunites with former Grizzlies teammate Desmond Bane, having spent three seasons together in Memphis.
Jones provides injury insurance for Jalen Suggs, who has played 53 games or fewer in three of his four NBA seasons. A high-level shooter and decision-maker, Jones can slot into the starting lineup when needed and work as an off-ball player alongside star ball-handlers Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner.
Celtics Sign Luka Garza To Two-Year Contract
July 7: The Celtics’ deal with Garza is now being listed as official in NBA.com’s transaction log.
June 30: The Celtics have agreed to a two-year deal with center Luka Garza, reports ESPN’s Shams Charania (Twitter link). Keith Smith of Spotrac confirms (via Twitter) that the deal is a minimum-salary contract, which would come in around $5.3MM across those two seasons.
The 26-year-old Garza is entering his fifth season in the league. He began his career in Detroit before spending the past three seasons with the Timberwolves, with whom he averaged 4.5 points and 1.6 rebounds in 6.3 minutes per night in 92 total games.
Jon Krawcyznski of The Athletic tweets that the Celtics have had an eye on Garza for a while, having previously inquired about his availability.
After losing Kristaps Porzingis to the Hawks and Luke Kornet to the Spurs, and with Al Horford drawing significant interest around the NBA, the Celtics find their frontcourt rotation very thin, with just Xavier Tillman and Neemias Queta under contract.
Garza has never averaged more than 8.7 minutes per game, but he brings size, scoring and energy to a team that is looking to remain competitive as Jayson Tatum recovers from his ruptured Achilles.