Nuggets Sign Bruce Brown To One-Year Deal
July 9: Brown has officially signed with the Nuggets, according to a press release from the team.
June 30: The Nuggets have agreed to a deal to bring Bruce Brown back to Denver on a one-year deal, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania (Twitter link).
Sam Amick of The Athletic reports (via Twitter) that the deal will be worth the veteran’s minimum.
Since leaving the Nuggets as a free agent in 2023, Brown has spent time with the Pacers, Raptors, and Pelicans. He averaged 8.3 points and 4.0 rebounds per game in 2024/25 over 41 games split between Toronto and New Orleans before being held out of action down the stretch with a right knee injury.
The versatile 6’4″ wing spent time with the Pistons and Nets before his first stint in Denver, which culminated in him playing a key role off the bench for the championship team in 2022/23. After averaging 12 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.1 steals per game in the playoffs that year, Brown left the team for a two-year, $45MM offer from the Pacers that Denver didn’t have the ability to match.
Brown now returns to a Denver team that is making aggressive moves to position itself for another title run, including trading longtime starter Michael Porter Jr. and a first-round pick for Cameron Johnson.
Lakers Sign Adou Thiero To Three-Year Contract
The Lakers have signed Adou Thiero to a standard contract, the team confirmed today. in a press release.
According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link), it’s a three-year, $5.95MM deal for Thiero, which means he received the rookie minimum. The deal, signed using the second-round pick exception, is fully guaranteed for two seasons, with a third-year team option.
Thiero was the 36th pick in the 2025 draft and was selected by the Lakers after they traded the 45th pick and cash to the Timberwolves to move up. That agreement was incorporated into the massive seven-team trade that sent Kevin Durant from the Suns to the Rockets.
Thiero spent one year with Arkansas after playing his first two seasons with Kentucky. He averaged 15.1 points and 5.8 rebounds per game with the Razorbacks while proving himself to be a high-level, versatile wing defender and an elite athlete. The perimeter jumper is a work in progress, as Thiero holds a career three-point percentage of 28.4%, but he provides the Lakers with some needed defensive depth on the wing in the wake of Dorian Finney-Smith‘s exit.
Thiero will not play with the Lakers during Summer League as he continues his recovery from a knee injury he suffered during the college season, according to Khobi Price of the Orange County Register.
And-Ones: Dybantsa, Porzingis, Oturu, Bryant, Summer League
A.J. Dybantsa was named MVP of the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup after the U.S. team beat Germany 109-76 to take home the gold medal, writes Tobias Bass of The Athletic. Both the U.S. and Germany were undefeated heading into the game.
Dybantsa, the BYU commit who is considered a strong bet to challenge for the No. 1 pick in the 2026 draft, averaged 14.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.1 steals per game during the tournament. He shot 50% from the field and 84% from the free-throw line on 50 attempts, though he struggled from outside, connecting on just 2-of-18 three-pointers.
Dybantsa was also named to the U19 World Cup All-Star team alongside teammate Mikel Brown Jr., who had a strong tournament run. The 6’4″ Brown, who has committed to Louisville for next season, led Team USA in points and assists with 14.9 and 6.1, respectively, while shooting 47.6% from three and posting a nearly three-to-one assist-to-turnover ratio.
We have more from around the world of basketball:
- Kristaps Porzingis is listed on the Latvian national team’s extended roster for the 2025 EuroBasket tournament, according to Eurohoops.net. He is expected to join the team after visiting with the Hawks following his trade from the Celtics. Porzingis struggled with an illness during the 2025 playoffs, but will look to bounce back with his first international competition since 2017. “We will adjust [workloads] to the health and fitness level of each player to help them be in the best possible shape as EuroBasket2025 approaches,” said head coach Luca Banchi.
- Israeli basketball team Hapoel Tel Aviv has announced the signings of Elijah Bryant (via Twitter) and Daniel Oturu (via Twitter). Bryant played one year in the NBA, winning a championship with the 2021 Bucks while averaging 4.5 minutes over 11 games during the team’s playoff run. Oturu had brief stints with the Clippers and Raptors, and has been playing overseas since the 2023/24 season.
- The NBA will count end-of-period heaves as team shot attempts, rather than individual player shot attempts, during Summer League, the league announced (via Twitter). This follows testing with the G League in the 2024/25 season. Three criteria must be met for this to apply: the play must originate in the backcourt, the missed shot must be attempted from at least 36 feet from the basket, and it must be attempted within the final three seconds of the first three periods in the game. This move is intended to incentivize players to shoot heaves without regard for how they might harm their shooting percentage.
Atlantic Notes: Lillard, Yabusele, Whitehead, Hetzel
Damian Lillard has a big decision ahead of him after unexpectedly finding himself on the free agent market while recovering from a ruptured Achilles. One of the teams that the soon-to-be 35-year-old is reportedly considering is the Celtics, who, like Lillard, find themselves in a surprisingly uncertain position for next season.
According to Ashish Mathur of Dallas Hoops Journal, Lillard’s time with Team USA could prove an important piece of his search for a new squad. Lillard and Celtics’ star Jayson Tatum, who is also recovering from a torn Achilles, grew close when they played together for the 2020 Olympic team.
Signing with the Celtics would give Tatum a companion in his rehabilitation process, while setting the team up for a deep 2026/27 playoff run once its star wing recovers. Given the team’s efforts to shed salary this summer, Lillard could represent a lower-cost acquisition with major playoff upside, depending on how he recovers from the injury.
We have more notes from around the Atlantic division:
- The Sixers let reserve Guerschon Yabusele go to the Knicks this summer, reportedly declining to offer a competitive contract to the French forward who played a key bench role last season. According to Keith Pompey of The Inquirer, this isn’t the first time the Sixers have declined to retain players considered to be important bench pieces. He points to Philadelphia allowing Jalen McDaniels and Georges Niang to walk in the summer of 2023, which was viewed as a mistake by fans at the time, but ultimately proved to be the correct move. President Daryl Morey is not known as overly sentimental when it comes to role players, but Pompey questions whether that approach might prove to be a mistake this time, especially with the uncertain health of Joel Embiid.
- Dariq Whitehead is not suiting up for the Nets at Summer League this year. Brian Lewis of the New York Post expressed surprise (via Twitter) about that decision, considering the difficulty Whitehead has had trying to bounce back from the injuries that have impeded his development over the last few years. Whitehead has only played 22 games with the Nets in his first two seasons, averaging 5.7 points and 1.5 rebounds while shooting 44.6% from three last season.
- The Nets‘ Summer League team will be coached by assistant coach Steve Hetzel, Lewis reports (via Twitter). This will be Hetzel’s second season as an assistant with the Nets, following a three-year stint as an assistant coach with Portland.
Bradley Beal Actively Exploring Options In Anticipation Of Buyout
Bradley Beal is actively exploring options with other teams around the NBA ahead of a possible buyout from the Suns, Marc Stein of The Stein Line reports (via Twitter). Stein adds that Beal is expected to have a number of suitors if and when he hits unrestricted free agency.
The Suns have struggled to find a trade partner for Beal, given both the no-trade clause included in his contract and his high cap hit. As a free agent, however, he would represent one of the top talents on the market.
Fred Katz of The Athletic confirms that there is mutual optimism between Beal and the Suns that they will be able to reach terms on a buyout.
[RELATED: Resolution On Bradley Beal Expected Soon]
In order for the Suns to exercise the stretch provision on the two years and $110.8MM left on Beal’s contract, he would have to give back roughly $13.9MM in order to meet league rules prohibiting a team from exceeding 15% of the salary cap in stretched money. Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports (Twitter link) expects that to happen, citing a source who believes a buyout agreement is “imminent.”
Beal averaged 17.0 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.1 steals per game last season while shooting 49.7% from the field, 38.6% on three-pointers, and 80.3% from the free throw line while splitting time between the starting lineup and sixth man role, a lineup decision that ultimately proved unable to turn the Suns’ disappointing season around.
While the Heat and Bucks have been cited as team with interest in Beal, he’ll likely have several more suitors beyond those two teams.
Northwest Notes: Holmes, Alexander-Walker, Hansen, Johnson
While much of the offseason discussion about the Nuggets‘ big man situation revolved around Jonas Valanciunas and whether he’ll stay with the team after he’s officially traded from Sacramento to Denver, the club is also set to receive some frontcourt health in the return of DaRon Holmes II, the 22nd pick in the 2024 draft.
Holmes missed the entirety of his rookie year after rupturing his Achilles in his 2024 Summer League debut, but he’s now healed and ready to make an imprint on the Nuggets’ roster.
“I think being in the weight room, adding some muscle to my game, and just learning our system, learning our plays, I’m feeling more confident knowing what I need to do now,” he said to Katy Winge of Altitude TV (Twitter video link). “And my passing game, I think, has gotten a lot better.”
Holmes also spoke about his ability to slide between frontcourt positions as needed.
“Anywhere they put me, I’ll be comfortable playing,” he said. “I spent a lot of the summertime playing the five, now I’m going to get back to playing the four. So I think I’ll be playing both... I trust the coaching staff, I trust this team, organization, so I’m excited to get out there.”
After adding Bruce Brown and Tim Hardaway Jr., who will join incumbents like Peyton Watson and Julian Strawther, the Nuggets’ bench is taking shape, but there is still room for Holmes to carve out a role for himself.
We have more news from the Northwest division:
- Nickeil Alexander-Walker was a true success story for the Timberwolves, writes The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski. Included as a throw-in from the Mike Conley trade, Alexander-Walker quickly righted the ship of his career, which was veering into rocky journeyman territory, and became a fan favorite and defensive stalwart for the back-to-back Western Conference finalists. While Alexander-Walker is headed to the Hawks, his fourth team in seven seasons, Krawczynski writes that he’s doing so in a very different light, as one of the Wolves’ greatest development stories, and a truly introspective, thoughtful basketball player who will be missed in the Twin Cities.
- Yang Hansen is facing probably the steepest learning curve of anyone from the 2025 draft, but the Trail Blazers‘ big man out of China has hit the ground running in the practices ahead of his first Summer League, writes Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report (Substack link). “He was impressive, but there are also things he’s going to learn really quickly,” said Blazers Summer League head coach Ronnie Burrell. “He’s expected to have some struggles and also have some success. But he looked good today.” Burrell has been most impressed with Hansen’s ability to navigate the culture shock. “This is all new to him, the language, the culture. And he handles it amazingly,” Burrell said, as reported by Aaron Fentress of Oregon Live. “The kid has maturity, and he’s got character, and he’s picking up things fast.”
- After being traded from the Nets to the Nuggets, Cam Johnson is ready to do what he always has done best: work. Bennett Durando of the Denver Post writes that beyond his lethal three-point shooting and cerebral approach to the game, it’s the diligence that stands out as Johnson’s superpower. “The reason he’s in the NBA is because the guy works,” his high school coach Mike Rodriguez said. “Not because of his size. Not because of his shooting. I mean, that man works.” While the work got him to where he is, it’s his instincts and mind for the game that make him such a tantalizing fit in Denver. “We weren’t really a set-heavy team, so we liked to play fast and run secondary break,” UNC assistant coach Brad Frederick said. “A lot of what he got in terms of open shots was just because he was able to kind of create his own looks and because he was able to run the floor so well. We could pitch it ahead to him for shots.” That ability to read the game should make him a perfect fit next to Nikola Jokic.
Jamir Watkins Signs Two-Way Deal With Wizards
Jamir Watkins has signed a two-way contract with the Wizards, per NBA.com’s transaction log.
Watkins was drafted 43rd overall by the Jazz last month as part of a deal that sent him to Washington along with Will Riley and two future second-round picks in exchange for the ability for the Jazz to draft Walter Clayton Jr.
Watkins played two years at VCU before transferring to Florida State for his final two seasons. In his time with the Seminoles, Watkins averaged 17.0 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.6 steals per game and shot 33% from three.
Between his defensive production in college and his size at 6’6″ with a 6’11” wingspan, Watkins has the chance to be an impactful defender with enough scoring and ball-handling to offer interesting upside on a two-way deal.
The Wizards had previously announced the signings of No. 6 overall pick Tre Johnson and No. 21 overall pick Riley. Now all three of the team’s draft-day selections are officially under contract for next season.
As for the team’s two-way slots, Watkins and Jaylen Martin occupy two of them, with a two-way qualifying offer still on the table for Tristan Vukcevic.
Suns Waive Daeqwon Plowden
The Suns have waived Daeqwon Plowden, according to NBA.com’s transaction log.
Plowden came to Phoenix in the record-setting seven-team deal headlined by Kevin Durant being sent to the Rockets. Prior to that, the 26-year-old shooting guard played six games for the Hawks last year, mostly in the final days of the 2024/25 season, averaging 7.2 points and 1.8 rebounds while shooting 52.9% from three.
The Hawks, who also sent Clint Capela to the Rockets in a sign-and-trade, received David Roddy, a second-round pick swap in 2031, and cash from the Rockets as part of the massive deal.
Plowden will hit unrestricted free agency upon clearing waivers on Tuesday, unless someone claims him.
The Suns now have a pair of open two-way slots next to undrafted rookie CJ Huntley.
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.