Jaren Jackson Jr. Undergoes Procedure On Turf Toe
July 2: As expected, Jackson has undergone a procedure to repair the turf toe injury in his right foot, the Grizzlies announced on Wednesday (Twitter link). According to the team, he’ll be reevaluated in approximately 12 weeks. That will be just a few days before training camps get underway.
July 1: Just over 24 hours after word broke that the Grizzlies and Jaren Jackson Jr. had agreed to a long-term deal that will pay him $240MM over the next five seasons, the team offered a more sobering update on its star big man.
According to the Grizzlies (Twitter link), Jackson sustained a turf toe injury in his right foot while participating in a “live basketball run offsite.” After evaluation, it was determined that the injured will require a procedure to address.
The Grizzlies haven’t yet provided a recovery timeline for Jackson, indicating that they’ll share another update once he has had the procedure. However, the recovery process from a turf toe procedure is measured in months, not weeks. Ajay Mitchell of the Thunder, for instance, missed more than three months after having a turf toe sprain addressed in January.
The hope in Memphis will be that Jackson is ready to go for training camp, or at least the start of the season, but the team certainly won’t rush the process.With a new mega-deal in hand and fresh off his second All-Star season, Jackson will be a crucial part of the Grizzlies’ postseason aspirations in 2025/26.
The 25-year-old averaged 22.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.5 blocks, and 1.2 steals in 29.8 minutes per game this past season, recording a shooting line of .488/.375/.781. In addition to his All-Star berth, he earned a spot on the All-Defensive second team.
Jackson is the second member of the Grizzlies’ frontcourt to undergo a procedure since the end of the season. Center Zach Edey is expected to miss the start of the 2025/26 campaign after undergoing ankle surgery in June.
Second-Round Pick Exception Details For 2025/26
As we first outlined in 2023 when it was introduced as a new addition to the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement, the second-round pick exception allows NBA teams to sign their second-round picks to standard contracts without requiring cap room or another exception (such as the mid-level) to do so.
Like the rookie scale exception, the second-round pick exception isn’t limited to a single use. It can be deployed as many times as needed in a given league year.
The second-round exception can be used to sign a player to either a three-year contract that includes a third-year team option or a four-year contract that features a fourth-year team option.
Teams have made good use of the new exception over the past couple years, with nearly every second-round pick who gets a standard contracts now being signed using the second-round exception.
The values of the second-round pick exception change every year along with the NBA’s minimum salary scale, so with this year’s second-rounders starting to sign, it’s worth updating the numbers to ensure they’re accurate for 2025/26
Here are the details for ’25/26:
Three-year deal
- The first year can be worth up to the minimum salary for a player with one year of NBA experience.
- The second and third years are worth the second- and third-year minimum salaries for a rookie.
- The third year is a team option.
As our chart of minimum salaries shows, in 2025/26, the maximum three-year salary for a contract with this structure would be about $6.7MM. Here’s the year-by-year breakdown (option year in italics):
| Year | Salary |
|---|---|
| 2025/26 | $2,048,494 |
| 2026/27 | $2,150,917 |
| 2027/28 | $2,525,901 |
| Total | $6,725,312 |
While the second- and third-year salaries will remain static in any three-year contract signed using the second-round exception, the first season can be as low as the rookie minimum ($1,272,870). A three-year deal that starts at that minimum amount would be worth a total of $5,949,688.
Four-year deal
- The first year can be worth up to the minimum salary for a player with two years of NBA experience.
- The second year can be worth up to the second-year minimum salary for a player with one year of experience.
- The third and fourth years are worth the third- and fourth-year minimum salaries for a rookie.
- The fourth year is a team option.
In 2025/26, the maximum four-year salary for a contract with this structure would be nearly $10MM. Here’s what it looks like from year to year (option year in italics):
| Year | Salary |
|---|---|
| 2025/26 | $2,296,274 |
| 2026/27 | $2,411,090 |
| 2027/28 | $2,525,901 |
| 2028/29 | $2,735,698 |
| Total | $9,968,963 |
As with the first year of the three-year deal, the first two seasons of the four-year contract don’t necessarily have to start this high. They could be as low as $1,272,870 for year one and $2,150,917 for year two, for a four-year total of $8,685,386.
In any deal that uses this four-year contract structure, the salary increase between the first and second season can’t exceed 5% if the second season is above the minimum. For instance, a team wouldn’t be permitted to negotiate a contract that starts at the rookie minimum ($1,272,870) and jumps to $2,300,000 in year two, even though that second-year salary comes in below the maximum allowed.
Players who are signed using the second-round pick exception don’t count against a team’s cap between July 1 and July 30 of their first season.
That rule allows teams to preserve all the cap room they need until July 31 without having to worry about their second-rounders cutting into it, as well as positioning those players to sign their first NBA contracts before taking part in Summer League games.
Rookie Scale Salaries For 2025 NBA First-Round Picks
With the NBA’s salary cap set at $154,647,000 for the 2025/26 league year, the rookie scale has been set as well. The rookie scale locks in the value of contracts for first-round picks.
In each NBA league year, rookie scale amounts are assigned to each first-round slot, from No. 1 through No. 30. Teams can sign their first-rounders to as little as 80% of that rookie scale amount, or up to 120% of that figure.
While that rule theoretically affords teams some flexibility, first-round picks almost always sign contracts worth 120% of their rookie scale amount, and unsigned first-rounders have a cap hold worth 120% of their rookie scale amount.
Listed below are the salary figures that represent 120% of the rookie scale amounts for 2025’s first-round picks. If a first-round pick signs a rookie scale contract in 2025/26, it will be for the amount below, unless he accepts a deal worth less than the maximum allowable 120% (in which case, we’ll update these numbers).
These salary figures will only apply if the player signs in 2025/26. If a player doesn’t sign an NBA contract this year, his rookie contract will look a little different in future seasons.
Rookie scale contracts are guaranteed for the first two years, with team options on the third and fourth years.
Here’s the 2025 breakdown:
| No. |
2025/26 | 2026/27 | 2027/28 | 2028/29 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $13,825,920 | $14,517,480 | $15,208,680 | $19,178,145 | $62,730,225 |
| 2 | $12,370,320 | $12,989,040 | $13,607,760 | $17,172,993 | $56,140,113 |
| 3 | $11,108,880 | $11,663,880 | $12,219,840 | $15,445,878 | $50,438,478 |
| 4 | $10,015,680 | $10,516,560 | $11,017,560 | $13,937,213 | $45,487,013 |
| 5 | $9,069,840 | $9,523,080 | $9,976,560 | $12,640,302 | $41,209,782 |
| 6 | $8,237,640 | $8,649,600 | $9,061,680 | $11,490,210 | $37,439,130 |
| 7 | $7,520,040 | $7,896,240 | $8,271,960 | $10,505,389 | $34,193,629 |
| 8 | $6,889,200 | $7,233,720 | $7,578,240 | $9,639,521 | $31,340,681 |
| 9 | $6,332,520 | $6,649,560 | $6,966,000 | $8,874,684 | $28,822,764 |
| 10 | $6,016,080 | $6,316,680 | $6,617,160 | $8,436,879 | $27,386,799 |
| 11 | $5,715,120 | $6,001,080 | $6,286,920 | $8,342,743 | $26,345,863 |
| 12 | $5,429,520 | $5,701,200 | $5,972,760 | $8,230,463 | $25,333,943 |
| 13 | $5,157,960 | $5,416,080 | $5,673,840 | $8,107,917 | $24,355,797 |
| 14 | $4,900,320 | $5,145,360 | $5,390,640 | $7,983,538 | $23,419,858 |
| 15 | $4,655,040 | $4,887,720 | $5,120,400 | $7,849,573 | $22,512,733 |
| 16 | $4,422,360 | $4,643,520 | $4,864,920 | $7,462,787 | $21,393,587 |
| 17 | $4,201,080 | $4,411,200 | $4,621,200 | $7,098,163 | $20,331,643 |
| 18 | $3,991,320 | $4,190,520 | $4,390,320 | $6,752,312 | $19,324,472 |
| 19 | $3,811,560 | $4,002,000 | $4,193,040 | $6,457,282 | $18,463,882 |
| 20 | $3,658,800 | $3,841,680 | $4,024,440 | $6,205,686 | $17,730,606 |
| 21 | $3,512,520 | $3,688,320 | $3,864,000 | $6,155,352 | $17,220,192 |
| 22 | $3,372,240 | $3,540,600 | $3,709,320 | $6,101,831 | $16,723,991 |
| 23 | $3,237,480 | $3,399,480 | $3,560,880 | $6,042,813 | $16,240,653 |
| 24 | $3,108,120 | $3,263,400 | $3,418,800 | $5,979,481 | $15,769,801 |
| 25 | $2,983,320 | $3,132,360 | $3,282,000 | $5,910,882 | $15,308,562 |
| 26 | $2,884,560 | $3,028,560 | $3,172,920 | $5,720,775 | $14,806,815 |
| 27 | $2,801,280 | $2,941,440 | $3,081,840 | $5,559,639 | $14,384,199 |
| 28 | $2,783,880 | $2,923,560 | $3,062,640 | $5,528,065 | $14,298,145 |
| 29 | $2,763,960 | $2,902,080 | $3,040,320 | $5,487,778 | $14,194,138 |
| 30 | $2,743,800 | $2,880,960 | $3,018,480 | $5,448,356 | $14,091,596 |
2025’s first-round picks:
- Cooper Flagg (Mavericks)
- Dylan Harper (Spurs)
- VJ Edgecombe (Sixers)
- Kon Knueppel (Hornets)
- Ace Bailey (Jazz)
- Tre Johnson (Wizards)
- Jeremiah Fears (Pelicans)
- Egor Demin (Nets)
- Collin Murray-Boyles (Raptors)
- Khaman Maluach (Suns)
- Cedric Coward (Grizzlies)
- Noa Essengue (Bulls)
- Derik Queen (Pelicans)
- Carter Bryant (Spurs)
- Thomas Sorber (Thunder)
- Yang Hansen (Trail Blazers)
- Joan Beringer (Timberwolves)
- Walter Clayton (Jazz)
- Nolan Traore (Nets)
- Kasparas Jakucionis (Heat)
- Will Riley (Wizards)
- Drake Powell (Nets)
- Asa Newell (Hawks)
- Nique Clifford (Kings)
- Jase Richardson (Magic)
- Ben Saraf (Nets)
- Danny Wolf (Nets)
- Hugo Gonzalez (Celtics)
- Liam McNeeley (Hornets)
- Yanic Konan Niederhauser (Clippers)
Checking In On Top Remaining NBA Free Agents
The NBA’s free agent period officially opened less than 40 hours ago, but the list of this year’s top available players has already been pretty picked clean, with 35 of the players from our list of 2025’s top 50 free agents having already agreed to terms with a team.
Here are the players from our list remain available:
- Josh Giddey, G, (Bulls RFA)
- Jonathan Kuminga, F, (Warriors RFA)
- Cam Thomas, G, (Nets RFA)
- Quentin Grimes, G, (Sixers RFA)
- Deandre Ayton, C (waivers)
- Chris Paul, G
- Russell Westbrook, G
- Al Horford, C
- Malcolm Brogdon, G
- Moritz Wagner, F/C
- Chris Boucher, F/C
- De’Anthony Melton, G
- Amir Coffey, G/F
- Precious Achiuwa, F/C
- Ryan Rollins, G
While four of our top 10 free agents are still on the board, all four are restricted, which means it may take some time for their situations to play out. Sign-and-trades are always a possibility, but few clubs are in position to make an aggressive play for any of these restricted free agents, as Brian Windhorst of ESPN pointed out during a TV appearance on Tuesday evening (Twitter video link).
“If this isn’t the worst market for restricted free agents in the last generation, I don’t want to see it,” Windhorst said. “There’s just no money out there for cap space, and sign-and-trades are very tough to pull off…with restricted free agents, because the team that has the rights isn’t motivated to play ball.”
There have essentially been no rumors linking Giddey, Thomas, or Grimes to any rival suitors since free agency began, so there’s still a widespread expectation that those three players will ultimately end up returning to their current teams.
That may happen with Kuminga too, but there has certainly been more chatter about alternative landing spots for the Warriors forward. Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link) checked in on Kuminga’s market late on Tuesday night, suggesting that the Heat, Bulls, Pelicans, and Kings are still being monitored as teams to watch for the 22-year-old, despite an apparent absence of traction on any of those fronts so far.
According to Fischer, Miami has also been linked to potential forward trade targets like DeMar DeRozan and John Collins; Chicago still has Giddey’s own restricted free agency to resolve, and Golden State appears to have “moved away” from past trade interest in Nikola Vucevic; New Orleans doesn’t have an obvious path to make a realistic offer for Kuminga; and while Sacramento would have interest in sending out Malik Monk as part of a sign-and-trade, no momentum has developed there.
With those top four RFAs in limbo for the time being, Ayton – who will clear waivers at 4:00 pm Central time on Wednesday – may be the most intriguing option on the board. According to Fischer, a number of front offices around the NBA expect the former No. 1 overall pick to end up with the Lakers, but the Pacers have also shown interest, as did the Bucks before they agreed to a surprising deal with Myles Turner. Indiana, notably, is the team that signed Ayton to a maximum-salary offer sheet in free agency three years ago, and the same decision-makers are still running that front office.
Paul and Westbrook are two of the most accomplished NBA point guards of the last two decades. Paul is known to want to play close to his home in Los Angeles, so while the Bucks are among the teams that have expressed interest in him, per Chris Haynes on NBA TV (Twitter video link), a team like the Clippers or Suns may be a more realistic landing spot. Haynes adds that he thought Westbrook would land with the Kings, but as long as Monk remains on Sacramento’s roster, that looks like a long shot.
It’s worth noting there’s one big name who was not on our pre-free-agency top 50 because he has only become available since then: Damian Lillard.
The Bucks haven’t officially waived Lillard yet, but he’s expected to reach the open market in the near future, and according to Eric Nehm, Sam Amick, and Joe Vardon of The Athletic, many teams – including the Lakers, Celtics, and Warriors – have reached out and registered interest in signing him even while he recovers from his Achilles tear.
Still, Jamal Collier of ESPN hears that there’s no guarantee that Lillard will sign anywhere for the 2025/26 season, which he’ll likely miss most or all of. He’s reportedly expected to remain based in Portland while doing his rehab work.
Among the other names in the back half of our top 50, Horford is the most intriguing. He has been linked to several teams, including – most consistently – Golden State. The Warriors are still a leading contender to land the veteran big man, per Fischer.
Finally, we should mention Malik Beasley, who ranked 15th on our initial top-50 list before word broke that he was under investigation for gambling allegations. Beasley was reportedly discussing a three-year, $42MM deal with Detroit prior to that news, but it’s hard to imagine any team signing him until that legal situation is resolved, which is why we took him off our list entirely. Since that investigation was reported, a pair of follow-up reports have detailed Beasley’s financial issues, though it’s crucial to note that he doesn’t currently face any charges.
All of the free agent deals agreed upon so far can be found within our 2025 free agent tracker. The full list of free agents still available can be found right here (or here, if you prefer to sort by team rather than by position/type).
NBA 2025 Free Agency: July 1 Recap
After a number of this year’s top free agents came off the board on Monday or in the days leading up to June 30, the Bucks nearly singlehandedly made sure there was still plenty of NBA news to talk about on Tuesday.
Milwaukee agreed to terms on two-year deals with big man Jericho Sims and veteran wing Gary Harris. They also agreed to a deal that will send Pat Connaughton to the Hornets.
But the main event for the Bucks was reaching a four-year, $107MM contract agreement with Myles Turner, the starting center for the division-rival Pacers for the past decade. After the deal between Turner and the Bucks was reported, we spent about 10 minutes wondering how the over-the-cap club was going to pull off the move before another bombshell dropped: Milwaukee was waiving injured star Damian Lillard with two years left on his contract and stretching the $112.6MM owed to him across the next five seasons in order to help create the cap room necessary to sign Turner.
It’s a shocking move that will allow the Bucks to land one of the summer’s top free agents in the short term while potentially creating major cap-related complications in the long term.
Given that the front office is dead-set on building a contender around Giannis Antetokounmpo, it wasn’t ideal that one report referred to the two-time MVP as “not pleased” about Lillard being waived just over two months after tearing his Achilles.
But Lillard, at least, didn’t seem to mind, with another report describing him as “elated” to get to have control over his future while still getting paid by the Bucks.
Here are several more of the major headlines from July 1, along with links to our stories:
Free agent deals
- Duncan Robinson, Pistons agree to three-year, $48MM contract to be completed as a sign-and-trade deal sending Simone Fontecchio to Heat (story)
- Dennis Schröder, Kings agree to three-year, $45MM contract (story).
- Tre Mann, Hornets agree to three-year, $24MM contract (story).
- Guerschon Yabusele, Knicks agree to two-year, $11.7MM contract (story).
- Sandro Mamukelashvili, Raptors agree to two-year, minimum-salary contract (story).
- Josh Minott, Celtics agree to two-year, minimum-salary contract (story)
- Eric Gordon, Sixers finalize one-year, minimum-salary contract (story).
- Tim Hardaway Jr., Nuggets agree to one-year, minimum-salary contract (story).
- Larry Nance Jr., Cavaliers agree to one-year, minimum-salary contract (story).
Other top headlines
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Thunder agree to four-year, super-max extension (story).
- Jakob Poeltl, Raptors agree to extension that will add $84MM over three new years after 2026/27 opt-in (story).
- Grizzlies‘ Jaren Jackson Jr. to undergo procedure on turf toe (story).
- Mike Brown reportedly considered frontrunner for Knicks‘ head coaching job (story).
- Kings to trade Jonas Valanciunas to Nuggets for Dario Saric (story).
- Clippers to waive Drew Eubanks, who will sign with Kings (story).
- Mavericks expected to sign head coach Jason Kidd to contract extension before season (story).
- Nuggets to hire J.J. Barea as assistant coach (story).
Free Agency Notes: Turner, Lillard, Kuminga, Clarkson, Beasley
According to Gregg Doyel of The Indianapolis Star (subscription required), the Pacers offered up to $95MM over four years for Myles Turner before he agreed to sign with the Bucks. Earlier reporting suggested Indiana didn’t go above roughly $60MM over three years.
Doyel shares that tidbit within a column defending the Pacers and castigating Turner’s camp for referring to Indiana’s “aversion to the tax” in leaks to ESPN, portraying the four-year, $95MM bid as a strong offer. Given the slant of the piece, it’s worth taking the report with a grain of salt.
Even if the Pacers did get up to $95MM, that offer would have come in quite a bit below the $107MM deal Turner is getting in Milwaukee and would also fall well short of the going rate for quality starting centers in recent years — Jarrett Allen and Jakob Poeltl have gotten $30MM and $28MM annually on their most recent extensions, for example. Even Naz Reid, who has been a reserve in recent years, received $25MM per year over the weekend.
Here are a few more notes and rumors related to free agency:
- During a TV appearance on ESPN (Twitter video link), Marc J. Spears of Andscape says star point guard Damian Lillard intends to rehab his Achilles tear in Portland to be close to his family, whether or not he signs with a team in the near future. Spears also says that at least 10 clubs – including the Warriors (Twitter link via Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN) – have touched base with Lillard since word of his release broke, and adds that there’s “speculation” the 34-year-old could be back around the All-Star break. Given that Lillard just sustained the injury in late April, that timeline feels a little aggressive to me, but it sounds like he might aim to make it back before the end of the 2025/26 season.
- There’s very little money available on the open market for this summer’s top restricted free agents, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst stated during a TV appearance (Twitter video link). Windhorst went on to say that it might be in the Warriors‘ and Jonathan Kuminga‘s best interests to work out a deal and possibly revisit the trade market down the road. K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network (Twitter video link) says he hasn’t heard “any traction” about a sign-and-trade deal to the Bulls, who have been rumored as a potential suitor for Kuminga.
- As first reported by Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Twitter link), veteran guard Jordan Clarkson gave up the exact amount of his minimum salary (roughly $3.6MM) when he agreed to a buyout with the Jazz, Hoops Rumors has confirmed. That will reduce his cap hit on Utah’s books from about $14.3MM to roughly $10.7MM, and he’ll make up the difference when he signs his new contract with the Knicks.
- In another troubling report on free agent sharpshooter Malik Beasley, who is under federal investigation for gambling allegations, Robert Snell of The Detroit News takes a deep dive into court records that paint a picture of Beasley’s financial issues in recent years. According to Snell, Beasley owed debts to his landlord, barber, and dentist, and pledged his current and future NBA contracts as collateral last August when he signed a deal with a Florida firm for a bridge loan.
Raptors Waive Jared Rhoden
The Raptors have waived guard Jared Rhoden, according to NBA.com’s official transaction log. He had been on a two-way contract.
Rhoden, who also spent time with the Hornets in 2024/25, appeared in 10 games as a Raptor, averaging 11.4 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in 21.5 minutes per night, with a shooting line of .506/.324/.880.
The 6’5″ guard bumped up those averages to 19.0 PPG, 6.9 RPG, and 3.4 APG in 31.4 MPG on .507/.393/.648 shooting in 26 regular season outings for the Raptors 905, Toronto’s G League affiliate.
However, Rhoden has spent the past few months in recovery mode, having undergone surgery in April to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder. The Raptors announced at the time that his recovery timeline would likely be about four to six months, so he won’t be able to play in Summer League, but could catch on with a team for training camp.
Toronto now has a pair of players on two-way contracts, with carryover Ulrich Chomche joined by undrafted rookie Chucky Hepburn, who finalized his deal earlier today. The team still has one two-way slot available.
Clippers Waive Drew Eubanks, Who Will Sign With Kings
The Clippers are waiving big man Drew Eubanks, whose $4.75MM salary for the coming season is non-guaranteed, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link). Eubanks has been officially placed on waivers, per NBA.com’s transaction log.
According to Charania, Eubanks intends to sign a one-year contract with the Kings once he clears waivers.
Eubanks, 28, opened the 2024/25 season with the Jazz and appeared in 37 games for the club, averaging 5.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.2 assists in 15.4 minutes per contest.
His playing time dropped off after being sent to the Clippers in a deadline deal — the 6’10” center averaged just 2.7 PPG and 2.4 RPG in 7.4 MPG across 24 appearances in Los Angeles and only saw garbage-time action in the playoffs for the Clippers.
Based on his nearly nonexistent role in L.A., Eubanks was always expected to be waived this offseason rather than seeing his $4.75MM salary become guaranteed.
As Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets, the Clippers now have a pair of roster spots open and are projected to operate about $5MM below the tax line and $12.5MM below the first tax apron. If they fill out their roster with a pair of minimum-salary players, they’ll remain out of tax territory, notes cap expert Yossi Gozlan (Twitter link).
As for the Kings, they’ll add some frontcourt depth after having agreed to trade backup center Jonas Valanciunas to Denver. I’d expect Eubanks’ new deal to be worth his minimum salary. A one-year, minimum deal would pay him about $3.08MM while carrying a $2.3MM cap hit for Sacramento.
FA Rumors: Rollins, Kings, Westbrook, Robinson, Pistons, Lakers, Horford
The Bucks are rescinding their qualifying offer to free agent guard Ryan Rollins, reports NBA insider Chris Haynes (Twitter link). Rollins opened the new league year as a restricted free agent, but this decision will make him unrestricted.
The move is probably more about maximizing the Bucks’ cap room than an indication the team no longer has no interest in retaining Rollins. Milwaukee is making a series of moves in order to open up the space necessary to sign Myles Turner to a four-year, $107MM contract.
Still, it means that the Bucks will no longer have the right of first refusal on Rollins, so he could sign outright with a new team without Milwaukee having a chance to match.
Rollins had a bit of a breakout season in 2024/25, registering averages of 6.2 points, 1.9 assists, and 1.9 rebounds in 14.6 minutes per game, along with a shooting line of .487/.408/.800. He had only made 25 appearances across two NBA seasons prior to ’24/25.
We have several more items of interest relating to free agency:
- After reportedly discussing a deal with the Pistons, the Kings won’t be sending out Malik Monk as part of their Dennis Schröder addition, according to Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Twitter links). Schröder could still be acquired via sign-and-trade, since Sacramento has a trade exception large enough to accommodate his three-year, $45MM deal, but it sounds like he may end up just going into the team’s non-taxpayer mid-level exception.
- With Monk staying in Sacramento, the Kings are less likely to sign free agent point guard Russell Westbrook, Stein adds (via Twitter).
- After opting out of his contract on Sunday, free agent forward Duncan Robinson appears unlikely to return to the Heat, multiple league sources tell Anthony Chiang and Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Miami is exploring sign-and-trade opportunities and the Pistons are among the interested teams, an Eastern Conference source tells the authors. Robinson is the franchise leader for most made three-pointers, but his playing time declined this season and the Heat may consider it too costly to bring him back. A contract agreement with Davion Mitchell gives Miami $173.8MM committed to 14 players for next season, about $14MM away from the luxury tax. Chiang and Jackson suggest the team might re-sign free agent Alec Burks to fill Robinson’s role as a three-point specialist.
- Signing Deandre Ayton once he clears waivers remains a possibility, but the Lakers are also exploring other options in free agency and trades, according to Dan Woike of The Athletic (Twitter link). Sources tell Sam Amick of The Athletic (Twitter link) that Al Horford is getting “serious consideration” from both the Lakers and Warriors.
Arthur Hill contributed to this story.
Latest On Knicks’ Head Coaching Search
2:29 pm: The Knicks have been telling potential free agent targets that they’re nearing a resolution in their coaching search, per Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Twitter link).
8:54 am: Mike Brown‘s second interview for the Knicks‘ head coaching vacancy will take place on Tuesday, according to Ian Begley of SNY.tv, who reports (via Twitter) that team owner James Dolan will be part of that meeting.
As Begley observes, it’s common for a team’s owner to sit in on interviews during the late stages of a head coaching search, so Dolan’s involvement may suggest the Knicks are getting close to making a decision.
NBA insider Marc Stein (Twitter link) confirms that the Knicks’ interest in hiring Brown has “intensified,” though Begley cautions that it remains possible that other candidates could come in for second interviews. In particular, the club is considering bringing back Pelicans assistant James Borrego and Timberwolves assistant Micah Nori for second meetings, reports James L. Edwards III of The Athletic.
One scenario that has emerged as a possibility, according to Stein, is Borrego joining the Knicks as Brown’s top assistant if the former Kings head coach gets the job. As Begley notes (via Twitter), there would be some hurdles to clear in that scenario, since Borrego is already under contract as the associate head coach in New Orleans.
Outside of Brown, Borrego, and Nori, the only other candidate confirmed to have interviewed for the job was former Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins. The Knicks haven’t ruled out the possibility of interviewing him a second time, tweets Steve Popper of Newsday.
Interestingly, Jeremiah Donati, the athletic director at the University of South Carolina, confirmed that the Knicks reached out to the Gamecocks’ women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley to touch base about their head coaching position, per Talia Goodman of On3 Sports (Twitter link). That development was first reported by Knicks Fan TV (Substack link).
It’s unclear if Staley had a formal interview for the job, writes Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. According to Edwards, she isn’t considered a finalist for the Knicks’ position, even though she “impressed” in their conversation.