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Author: Luke Adams

Pre-FA Rumors: LeBron, Ayton, Knicks, Kennard, Rozier

By | at June 30, 2025 4:27 pm

Despite the fact that Rich Paul‘s statement accompanying LeBron James‘ opt-in on Sunday raised eyebrows around the NBA, that doesn’t mean that there are any active trade talks involving the Lakers star, NBA insider Chris Haynes said during an appearance on NBA TV (Twitter video link).

“(Paul) told me there have been no trade discussions, there have been no trade talks with the Lakers,” Haynes said. “People have been speculating on certain teams that he might be interested in. I’m told all that talk is false. There has been no trade talks.

“… He clearly opted in and he wants to win. He believes the Lakers have what it takes to maximize Luka (Doncic)‘s timeline, but also maximize and prioritize his timeline.”

While trade speculation has run rampant since Paul asserted that James will be closely monitoring the Lakers’ offseason moves, it hasn’t been uncommon over the years for LeBron to publicly or privately put pressure on his teams to upgrade their respective rosters — he never requested a trade in any of those instances. This may simply be a case of him making sure Los Angeles does all it can to build a roster capable of contending in what could be James’ final NBA season.

With free agency set to officially open at the top of the hour, here are a few rumors – about free agents and other topics – from around the NBA:

  • During his NBA TV spot (Twitter video link), Haynes also said that there’s a “strong possibility” of Deandre Ayton joining the Lakers in free agency. The former No. 1 overall pick gave up $10MM in his buyout agreement with the Trail Blazers, according to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Twitter link).
  • After previous reports indicated that Russell Westbrook and Jordan Clarkson are expected to be among the guards on the Knicks‘ radar in free agency, Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter link) says the team’s interest in Westbrook is mutual, while Steve Popper of Newsday (Twitter link) says the same of Clarkson.
  • In addition to confirming several previously reported teams who have interest in sharpshooter Luke Kennard – including Denver, Atlanta, Houston, and New York – Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link) adds the Clippers, Trail Blazers, and Pistons to the list of suitors for the 29-year-old. Scotto also reiterates, as he reported earlier, that Kennard isn’t expected to return to Memphis.
  • During a discussion on The Pat McAfee Show about the federal probe into Malik Beasley for gambling allegations, ESPN’s Shams Charania suggested that Heat guard Terry Rozier may be out of the woods in regard to a similar investigation into him. “Terry Rozier, as of right now, has been cleared,” Charania said. “… There’s really nothing active, as of right now, with him.” Since Charania mentioned this in passing rather than explicitly reporting it, we should probably take it with a grain of salt rather than treating it as a formal update, but it sounds like it could be a promising development for Rozier.
4 comments Detroit Pistons Los Angeles Clippers Los Angeles Lakers Miami Heat New York Knicks Portland Trail Blazers

Stein/Fischer’s Latest: Jerome, Kennard, Capela, Lakers, Bulls, More

By | at June 30, 2025 2:42 pm

In their latest round-up of scuttlebutt ahead of the start of free agency on Monday, Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link) reiterate or confirm a few of the rumors that have been percolating in recent days, writing that Dennis Schröder appears to be on track to join the Kings on a two-year deal worth the non-taxpayer mid-level exception, while D’Angelo Russell is widely expected to join the Mavericks on a two-year deal that utilizes the taxpayer mid-level.

Stein and Fischer also stress that the Grizzlies are increasingly regarded as the favorites to land free agent guard Ty Jerome, with rival teams expecting him to sign for a deal in the neighborhood of $9-10MM annually (Twitter link).

Additionally, Stein and Fischer confirm that the Rockets are now eyeing Luke Kennard in addition to Dorian Finney-Smith. Besides Houston, the Hawks and Nuggets are considered potential suitors for Kennard, one of the league’s best outside shooters, according to The Stein Line duo.

Here are a few more fresh pieces of intel from Stein and Fischer:

  • The Clippers are viewed as a viable candidate to land free agent center Clint Capela. Los Angeles is known to be in the market for an Ivica Zubac backup, with Drew Eubanks not expected to return.
  • If the Lakers end up losing Finney-Smith in free agency, they’re expected to express interest in another talented perimeter defender, De’Anthony Melton, Stein and Fischer report. Dan Woike of The Athletic (Twitter link) has also heard that there’s mutual interest between Melton and the Lakers. The veteran guard signed for the full non-taxpayer mid-level a year ago, but seems unlikely to land another deal in that range after missing nearly the entire season with a torn ACL.
  • There’s a “strong expectation” that free agent point guard Tre Jones will remain with the Bulls, Stein and Fischer say. K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network previously reported that the odds of a reunion between the two sides were rising following the team’s Lonzo Ball trade.
  • The Bucks are working on potential Pat Connaughton trade scenarios and have a couple possible pathways to a deal, per Stein and Fischer. Milwaukee would likely have to attach a sweetener to move Connaughton, but perhaps could acquire a player in return who would upgrade the rotation.
  • The Wizards have been gauging the trade market for a pair of veterans on expiring contracts, guard Marcus Smart and big man Kelly Olynyk, Stein and Fischer write. Olynyk technically isn’t even a Wizard yet, as the deal sending him from New Orleans to Washington will become official after the July moratorium — it sounds like there’s a chance he’s flipped to another team.
  • DeMarre Carroll and former Wizards assistant Brian Randle are expected to have two of the front-of-bench spots on Jordan Ott‘s coaching staff, but the new Suns coach is still seeking a lead assistant who has previous head coaching experience, according to Stein and Fischer.
7 comments Atlanta Hawks Chicago Bulls Dallas Mavericks Denver Nuggets Houston Rockets Los Angeles Clippers Los Angeles Lakers Memphis Grizzlies Milwaukee Bucks Phoenix Suns Sacramento Kings Washington Wizards

Warriors Rumors: Kuminga, Horford, Free Agency

By | at June 30, 2025 2:12 pm

Although there have been a few conversations between the two sides, the Warriors and restricted free agent forward Jonathan Kuminga ahead of the official start of free agency on Monday evening, there’s no real traction toward an agreement, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic.

Jake Fischer and Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Substack link) have published a similar report, writing that Kuminga’s free agency may be a “slow-moving process,” with no immediate resolution expected in the coming hours.

Although the Warriors will have the right of first refusal on Kuminga, giving them the ability to match any offer sheet he signs with another team, the 22-year-old will explore his options in free agency, with the Heat and Bulls still looking like the most likely suitors, league sources tell Slater.

Fischer and Stein also mention Miami and Chicago while also identifying the Kings and Pelicans as two possible teams to watch for Kuminga in sign-and-trade scenarios. While the Warriors are willing to help facilitate a sign-and-trade deal that sends Kuminga elsewhere, that scenario would have to “outweigh the benefits” of simply re-signing Kuminga themselves in order for them to move forward with it, per Fischer and Stein.

Here’s more out of Golden State:

  • Veteran Celtics center Al Horford is expected to be a top target for the Warriors, league sources tell Fischer and Stein. Slater has heard similar rumblings, writing that “many in the league continue to link” Horford to Golden State. The team’s spending flexibility will hinge in large part on how the Kuminga situation resolves, but the Warriors should have some form of mid-level exception available.
  • Generally speaking, a stretch center is a top priority for the Warriors, team sources tell Slater. The club will be “on the recruiting trail” when free agency opens on Monday, Slater adds.
86 comments Boston Celtics Chicago Bulls Golden State Warriors Miami Heat New Orleans Pelicans Sacramento Kings

Clippers Re-Sign Nicolas Batum

By | at June 30, 2025 1:02 pm

July 6: Batum is officially back under contract with the Clippers, per NBA.com’s transaction log.

June 30: The Clippers and veteran forward Nicolas Batum have agreed to terms on a new two-year deal after he opted out of his previous contract on Sunday, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).

According to Charania, the deal will be worth $11.5MM and will feature a second-year team option as well as a trade kicker.

Batum, 36, doesn’t score much anymore, having averaged just 4.0 points in 17.5 minutes per game across 78 appearances for the Clippers in 2024/25. However, the 6’8″ forward contributes in many other ways. He’s a versatile defender who can knock down three-pointers (43.3% this past season) and is a trusted locker-room leader in Los Angeles, where he has spent most of the past five seasons.

Batum said during an interview in May that next season will likely be he last, but this contract leaves the door open to the possibility of him extending his career an additional year beyond 2025/26.

The Clippers will be using their Non-Bird rights to re-sign Batum, which allows for a 20% raise above last season’s salary. Assuming the club goes all the way up to the Non-Bird max, that would result in a $5,601,600 salary for 2025/26 and a $5,881,680 team option for ’26/27.

The Clippers now have a projected team salary of $179MM for next season, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link). That means they’ll have the ability to use most or all of the non-taxpayer mid-level exception ($14.1MM) while staying below the first tax apron ($195.9MM).

0 comments Los Angeles Clippers Newsstand Transactions

2025 NBA Free Agency Primer

By | at June 30, 2025 12:28 pm

While teams have been permitted to negotiate with their own free agents since the day after the end of the NBA Finals, the league’s 2025 free agency period officially begins on Monday at 5:00 pm Central time. Several contract agreements have been reported during the last week or two, but that number will significantly increase beginning on Monday evening.

Here are several links to prepare you for one of the most eventful days on the NBA’s offseason calendar:

3 comments Hoops Rumors Originals

Nets To Re-Sign Day’Ron Sharpe To Two-Year Contract

By | at June 30, 2025 11:48 am

The Nets and free agent center Day’Ron Sharpe are in agreement on a two-year contract worth $12MM, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). The second year of the deal will be a team option.

Sharpe has played a relatively modest rotation role and has battled some health issues since being selected 29th overall in the 2021 draft. In total, he has appeared in 191 games (14 starts) for the Nets across his four professional seasons.

The 23-year-old enjoyed a career year in 2024/25, averaging 7.9 points and 6.6 rebounds in 18.1 minutes per night. Sharpe had one of the NBA’s best offensive rebounding rates and had very strong on/off-court numbers. A Nets team that finished the season with a 26-56 record and a -7.3 net rating outscored its opponents by 2.1 points per 100 possessions when Sharpe was playing, which was – by far – the best mark of any rotation player who finished the season on Brooklyn’s roster.

Based on Sharpe’s promising numbers and his age, I had speculated that an eight-figure annual salary might be within reach for the big man, so the Nets did well to bring him back for a total of $12MM over two years. Another Nets free agent, Ziaire Williams, agreed to identical terms earlier today.

Although Sharpe had been eligible for restricted free agency, the Nets opted not to give him a qualifying offer over the weekend, so he’ll enter the new league year as an unrestricted FA. That was mostly a procedural move in order to maximize Brooklyn’s cap flexibility, since the team still had interest in retaining him, as this new agreement confirms.

Accounting for Williams’ and Sharpe’s tentative deals and Cam Thomas‘ cap hold, the Nets project to have roughly $37MM in cap room available, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks. That number could increase if the team uses its $8.8MM room exception to re-sign either Williams or Sharpe.

1 comment Brooklyn Nets Newsstand Transactions

Suns Re-Sign Collin Gillespie

By | at June 30, 2025 11:41 am

July 2: Gillespie’s deal is now official, per NBA.com’s transaction log. The fact that it was signed during the July moratorium signals that it is, as expected, a minimum-salary contract.

“Collin earned this opportunity with his work ethic, toughness, and the way he competes every single day,” Suns general manager Brian Gregory said within a press release confirming the signing. “He brings a gritty edge and a high-energy presence that lifts everyone around him. He plays with heart, battles on every possession, and is the kind of guy you want in your organization.”

June 30: Restricted free agent point guard Collin Gillespie has agreed to a guaranteed one-year contract to return to the Suns, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).

The lack of financial details in Charania’s report suggests it’ll probably be a minimum-salary deal for Gillespie, though that hasn’t been confirmed.

Even if it is worth the minimum, that will represent a substantial pay increase for the 26-year-old, who has played on three consecutive one-year, two-way contracts since entering the NBA as an undrafted free agent out of Villanova in 2022.

After spending two seasons in Denver, Gillespie joined the Suns last summer and enjoyed his best season as a pro. He averaged 5.9 points, 2.4 assists, and 2.4 rebounds in 14.0 minutes per game across 33 appearances (nine starts) and made 43.3% of his three-point tries.

Phoenix made Gillespie a restricted free agent over the weekend by tendering him a qualifying offer that would have been the equivalent of another one-year, two-way contract. Many two-way free agents end up simply accepting that QO, but Gillespie’s solid play in 2024/25 gave his representatives the leverage to negotiate a fully guaranteed standard deal and a spot on the Suns’ 15-man roster.

A one-year, minimum-salary contract would pay Gillespie a projected $2.38MM while counting against the cap for just under $2.3MM.

3 comments Phoenix Suns Transactions

Jazz Waiving Johnny Juzang

By | at June 30, 2025 10:46 am

The Jazz are placing guard/forward Johnny Juzang on waivers, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).

A decision was due today on Juzang, whose $2.84MM salary for the 2025/26 season would have become fully guaranteed if he hadn’t been cut by the end of the day, as our tracker of early guarantee dates shows. Now, Utah won’t be on the hook for any of that money.

Waiving Juzang will also help with the Jazz’s roster crunch. Entering the day, the team had 11 players on guaranteed contracts for ’25/26 and four on non-guaranteed deals, plus incoming first-round picks Ace Bailey and Walter Clayton Jr.

After playing sparingly in his first two NBA seasons, Juzang took on a more prominent role with the Jazz in 2024/25, averaging 8.9 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.1 assists in 19.8 minutes per game across 64 outings (18 starts). The 24-year-old posted a respectable shooting line of .429/.376/.849.

Juzang had signed a four-year, $11.4MM contract with Utah last summer, but only the first season was guaranteed. According to Charania, the former UCLA standout is expected to draw interest from teams. He’ll clear waivers on Wednesday if no club places a claim.

27 comments Transactions Utah Jazz

Cam Whitmore Has Drawn Trade Interest From Bulls, Nuggets

By | at June 30, 2025 10:22 am

The Bulls and Nuggets are among the teams that have registered some level of interest in Rockets forward Cam Whitmore, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

Kelly Iko of The Athletic reported last week that Houston had been engaged in trade discussions involving Whitmore. He’ll earn $3.54MM in 2025/26 with a team option for ’26/27 worth $5.46MM.

Whitmore, who will turn 21 next Tuesday, has seen limited playing time during his first two NBA seasons and has been unable to establish himself as a regular part of the Rockets’ crowded rotation. The former No. 20 overall pick appeared in 51 games this past season, averaging 9.4 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 16.2 minutes per night with .444/.355/.750 shooting numbers. He was out of the rotation completely in the playoffs, making just three brief appearances.

According to Scotto, Whitmore was nearly sent from Houston to Phoenix in the Kevin Durant trade, but the Suns opted for additional second-round draft compensation instead.

The Bulls appear to be keeping an eye out for a forward who can score, having been also linked to Warriors restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga earlier this offseason. While Isaac Okoro – who is more of a defensive specialist – doesn’t really fit that bill, it’s worth noting that Scotto says the Bulls’ interest in Whitmore predated their deal to acquire Okoro, so it’s unclear whether Chicago’s interest in a forward – and Whitmore specifically – persists.

The Nuggets, meanwhile, are looking to supplement a talented starting lineup with reliable depth options. While their pathways to upgrades via trades or free agency are limited, Whitmore’s salary is modest enough that he would be a realistic target.

13 comments Chicago Bulls Denver Nuggets Houston Rockets Phoenix Suns

2025 NBA Qualifying Offer Recap

By | at June 30, 2025 9:45 am

Players eligible for restricted free agency don’t become restricted free agents by default. In order for a team to make a player a restricted free agent, it must extend a qualifying offer to him. The qualifying offer, which is essentially just a one-year contract offer, varies in amount depending on a player’s previous contract status.

A qualifying offer is designed to give a player’s current team the right of first refusal. Because the qualifying offer acts as the first formal contract offer a free agent receives, his team then has the option to match any offer sheet the player signs with another club. If a player doesn’t receive a qualifying offer, he becomes an unrestricted free agent and is free to sign with any team — his previous club is given no formal opportunity to match.

You can read more about qualifying offers here.

Listed below are the details on which players did and didn’t receive qualifying offers this summer. Our list is based on various reports and team announcements leading up to the June 29 deadline, along with confirmation from RealGM’s official NBA transactions log.

It’s possible that one or two qualifying offers slipped through the cracks and will be reported later today before free agency officially gets underway — if so, we’ll update this list.

For now though, this is what the qualifying offer landscape looks like. The players who received QOs will be restricted free agents, while the players who didn’t will be unrestricted. We’ve updated our free agents lists by position and by team to reflect the changes.

Received qualifying offers:

Players on standard contracts:

Note: Qualifying offers marked with an asterisk (*) are based on a projected $154,647,000 salary cap and would increase or decrease if the cap comes in higher or lower than that.

Players on two-way contracts:

Note: Qualifying offers for two-way players are one-year, two-way contracts with a guarantee of approximately $85K unless otherwise indicated.

Did not receive qualifying offers:

Players on standard contracts:

Players on two-way contracts:

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