And-Ones: LeBron, Amazon, Local Broadcasts, Top FAs
Lakers forward LeBron James, who recently starred in an ad for Amazon Prime and has been doing a press tour ahead of the company’s Prime Day promotion next month, could end up joining Prime Video’s coverage of the NBA following the end of his playing career, sources tell Michael McCarthy of Front Office Sports.
According to McCarthy, ABC/ESPN and NBC would also almost certainly have interest in James if he wants to get into broadcasting, but LeBron’s growing business relationship with Amazon could give Prime the upper hand. The four-time MVP has previously criticized ESPN’s and TNT’s coverage of the NBA for being too negative, but spoke glowingly about his expectations for Amazon in an interview with Tony Maglio of The Hollywood Reporter.
“(Prime Video’s team of analysts) has so much knowledge and (so many) people that know the game and appreciate the game and talk about the game in such a positive manner,” James said. “So, I think Amazon Prime Video, they’re gonna do a great job showcasing our sport; (the talent) love(s) our sport. Great intellect, great commentary, great insight — I really look forward to that. And like I said, those guys that they have signed up for it, they’re gonna do great things.”
James’ former teammate Dwyane Wade and podcast partner Steve Nash are among the Amazon Prime analysts he singled out for praise, along with Dirk Nowitzki and Candace Parker.
In that interview with Maglio, James was also asked about his stance that he’s unlikely to play in the 2028 Olympics for Team USA — he made it clear his position on that subject hasn’t changed.
“Me being able to support Team USA for the rest of my life — that’s for sure. But me actually going on and playing, I don’t see it happening,” James said. “I’ve given everything that I have, and I will always be appreciative and loyal and dedicated to Team USA and USA Basketball.”
We have more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Although the NBA reached 11-year media rights deals with Disney (ABC/ESPN), Amazon, and NBC that will go into effect later this year for national broadcasts, the outlook for game broadcasts in local markets is murkier. Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic explores that subject, noting that the NBA has considered the idea of introducing a local version of League Pass, though that likely wouldn’t happen until 2026/27 at the earliest.
- Keith Smith of Spotrac has published his list of this year’s top 50 NBA free agents, while Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report has projected possible contracts and landing spots for 30 of the best players on the market. John Hollinger of The Athletic, meanwhile, wraps up his look at the 2025 free agent class by focusing on the top power forwards and centers. Our own top-50 free agent list will be published on Monday, after the NBA Finals conclude.
- ESPN’s Brian Windhorst takes a look at five storylines and 12 players who could shape the 2025 NBA offseason, starting with the Kevin Durant trade sweepstakes and what happens with Giannis Antetokounmpo in Milwaukee.
Bucks’ Pat Connaughton Opts In For 2025/26
Bucks guard/forward Pat Connaughton has picked up his 2025/26 player option, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link). The move locks in Connaughton’s salary of $9,423,869 for next season and puts him on track to reach unrestricted free agency in 2026.
Connaughton’s option decision comes as no surprise. He played a key role on Milwaukee’s championship team in 2020/21 and had a career year in ’21/22, when he averaged 9.9 points per game on .458/.395/.833 shooting, but his playing time and his production have dropped off significantly since then.
This past season, the 32-year-old wing averaged just 5.3 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 1.7 assists in 14.7 minutes per game across 41 outings. His 32.1% three-point percentage was his worst mark since his rookie year in 2015/16.
Since Connaughton wasn’t going to receive a starting salary of $9.4MM if he had become a free agent, it makes sense for him to take the guaranteed money by exercising his option.
Now, the decision on Connaughton’s future is back in the Bucks’ hands. He’ll likely be a trade candidate on that $9.4MM expiring contract as Milwaukee looks to reshape its roster and remain in the playoff picture while Damian Lillard recovers from an Achilles tear. Given his drop-off in minutes and effectiveness, Connaughton won’t have any trade value on his own, but his deal could be used for salary-matching purposes.
As our player option tracker shows, Connaughton is one of three Bucks players with an option decision to make this month. Bobby Portis ($13.45MM) and Kevin Porter Jr. ($2.55MM) are viewed as good bets to opt out in search of more lucrative multiyear deals.
Poll: Who Will Win Game 7 Of NBA Finals?
For the first time since 2016, there will be a Game 7 in the NBA Finals.
The last time an NBA Finals went the distance, Cleveland completed a comeback from a 3-1 series deficit against the 73-win Warriors, with a LeBron James chase-down block and a Kyrie Irving three-pointer in the final two minutes of Game 7 helping to seal the first championship in Cavaliers franchise history.
While there’s certainly no guarantee that Sunday’s Game 7 between the Thunder and Pacers will be as dramatic as that one from nine years ago, the two teams have put on an impressive show so far in this year’s Finals, starting with a Tyrese Haliburton game-winning shot with 0.3 seconds left in Game 1 to give the Pacers the upset victory.
The series has been back and forth since then — after falling behind 1-0 and 2-1, the Thunder won Games 4 and 5 and – with Haliburton battling a calf strain – appeared to be on the verge of their first championship since the team relocated to Oklahoma City.
But with their backs against the wall in front of a supportive home crowd in Indianapolis, the Pacers responded by racing out to a 22-point lead by the half of Game 6, then expanded that lead to 30 points by the end of the third quarter. The home fans didn’t exactly have to sweat out a close finish in the fourth.
As resilient as the Pacers have been all postseason, they’ll enter Game 7 as the solid underdogs. BetOnline.ag currently has Oklahoma City listed a 7.5-point favorite.
The Thunder’s regular season success is one big reason why that betting line is where it is. Oklahoma City submitted one of the best seasons in NBA history, with a 68-14 record and a +12.7 net rating. The Pacers also finished strong after getting off to a 10-15 start, but they had more losses by the 25-game mark than OKC did all year.
Home-court advantage in Game 7 is another significant factor to consider. The Thunder had an NBA-best 35-6 home record during the regular season and have gone 10-2 at Paycom Center during the playoffs.
While one of those two postseason home losses came to the Pacers, the Thunder have played far better basketball in Oklahoma City than in Indiana over the course of this series, with averages of 117.7 points and 10.7 per turnovers in their three home games, compared to 103.0 points and 18.7 turnovers per contest on the road.
Still, the Pacers have been excellent away from home over the course of the playoffs, winning seven of 11 games outside of Indiana, and their role players haven’t performed significantly better at Gainbridge Fieldhouse than elsewhere. In the Finals, Aaron Nesmith has knocked down 55.0% of his three-pointers on the road, while Obi Toppin has hit 38.9%. T.J. McConnell has put up 12.7 PPG and 4.7 APG on .630/.750/1.000 shooting in his three Finals road games.
Most importantly, even though his health was a major question mark entering Game 6, Haliburton was able to suit up on Thursday and will do so again on Sunday. The Pacers star said on Saturday that he’s still sore and is getting around-the-clock treatment, but not having to play in the fourth quarter on Thursday helped him and he’ll be good to go on Sunday (Twitter link via Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star).
Ahead of Sunday’s big game, we want to know what you think.
Do you expect the Thunder, led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, and Chet Holmgren, to win the first of what they hope will be multiple championships? Or do you expect Haliburton, Pascal Siakam, Myles Turner, and the upstart Pacers to pull off yet another upset and earn the franchise its first NBA title?
Vote in our poll, then head to the comment section below to share your predictions!
Who will win Game 7?
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Oklahoma City Thunder 54% (550)
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Indiana Pacers 46% (474)
Total votes: 1,024
Hoops Rumors’ 2025 NBA Offseason Previews By Team
In advance of the NBA’s 2025 draft and free agent period, Hoops Rumors has been previewing the coming offseason for all 30 teams, looking at their salary cap situations and the roster decisions they’ll have to make this summer.
Our Offseason Preview articles are linked below, sorted by conference and division. While a Trade Rumors Front Office subscription is required to read most of them, our Jazz preview is open to all.
Eastern Conference
Atlantic
Central
Southeast
Western Conference
Northwest
Pacific
Southwest
Southwest Notes: KCP, Grizzlies, Mavericks, Weaver
Former Magic wing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope said in the latest episode of his Dawg Talk Podcast (YouTube link) that he got a heads-up he would be traded to the Grizzlies before the agreement was reported last Sunday, so he wasn’t caught off guard when the news broke on social media. And while it took him a little time to wrap his head around the idea of changing teams again just one year after signing with Orlando, the 32-year-old is enthusiastic about what he’ll be able to bring to his new club in Memphis.
“The more I talked about it, the more I got excited,” Caldwell-Pope said, singling out Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Zach Edey as new teammates he’s looking forward to playing with. “A lot of the guys over there I know and I’m going to enjoy playing with. Seeing them, playing against them and the style that they have, I think it fits right into my game.”
Caldwell-Pope had a down year with the Magic in 2024/25, scoring just 8.7 points per game with a 34.2% mark on three-point attempts — both marks were well below his career averages. However, he knocked down 40.3% of his outside shots in the five seasons before ’24/25 and won a pair of titles during that stretch, so he’ll bring championship experience to a Grizzlies team that has won just a single playoff series during the Morant/Jackson era.
Here’s more from around the Southwest:
- Having acquired this year’s No. 16 overall pick in their deal with Orlando, the Grizzlies took a closer look on Friday at a prospect who could be a target in that spot, bringing in Georgia’s Asa Newell for a pre-draft workout, per Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal (Twitter link). Earl Timberlake (Bryant), Jahmyl Telfort (Butler), Jordan Gainey (Tennessee), and Obinna Anochili-Killen (Marshall) also participated in the session, Cole notes.
- According to Grant Afseth of RG.org, a number of agents who represent point guards in this year’s free agent class have said they’re eyeing the Mavericks. With Kyrie Irving expected to miss a portion of next season while recovering from ACL surgery, those player reps view Dallas as a good spot for their clients to “build value and contribute to a playoff-caliber roster,” Afseth writes. Chris Paul and Malcolm Brogdon are among the free agent point guards who have been linked to the Mavs, while Jrue Holiday and Lonzo Ball have been cited as possible trade options.
- New Pelicans head of basketball operations Joe Dumars tells Rod Walker of NOLA.com that he wasn’t disappointed when the club’s first-round pick slipped to No. 7 on lottery night, since he’s confident New Orleans will still get a good player at that spot. As Walker details, one reason why Dumars isn’t worried is because he trusts the scouting ability of new senior VP of basketball operations Troy Weaver. “Troy has a unique skill set,” Dumars said. “His ability to identify talent in this league is elite. He has a long track record of being able to identify players at an elite level.”
2025 NBA Offseason Preview: New York Knicks
After winning 50 regular season games in 2023/24 for the first time in over a decade, the Knicks came within one win of advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals last spring before injuries caught up to them.
Rather than running it back and seeing if a healthier version of that roster could make a deeper playoff run, the front office took an aggressive approach to the 2024 offseason, parting with five first-round picks in a trade for Mikal Bridges, then sending a pair of starters - Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo - and another first-round selection to Minnesota in a blockbuster trade that landed Karl-Anthony Towns in New York.
Those weren't the first major roster moves the Knicks made under president of basketball operations Leon Rose. New York made a nine-figure free agent investment in a pre-All-Star Jalen Brunson in 2022 that was viewed as a risk at the time. There was also a mid-season trade in 2023/24 for OG Anunoby that required the team to give up a pair of former first-round picks -- one was a former No. 3 overall pick (RJ Barrett) and one had just been a Sixth Man of the Year runner-up (Immanuel Quickley).
But the deals for Bridges and Towns represented all-in moves for the Knicks, who had stockpiled extra draft assets over the years, biding their time as they waited for the right opportunity to cash them in. The hope was that adding Bridges and Towns to a core led by Brunson and Anunoby, who both signed long-term contracts in 2024, would be enough to push the club to another level.
And you can make a case that's exactly what happened. The regular season was up and down, as Bridges took some time to adjust to his new team and New York - facing a restrictive hard cap after completing mega-deals - struggled to find effective depth to complement its talented starting lineup. But the Knicks won more games (51) than they had a year earlier, then beat the Pistons in the first round of the playoffs before upsetting the defending champion Celtics in round two.
Yes, Boston lost Jayson Tatum to a season-ending Achilles injury, but the Knicks already had a 2-1 lead and were on their way to winning Game 4 when that injury occurred. Their series victory over the Celtics wasn't a fluke. Unfortunately for the Knicks, their first Eastern Conference Finals appearance in 25 years ended in disappointment, as they couldn't recover from a pair of tough home losses to open the series and fell to the Pacers in six games.
Despite a pretty successful postseason run that included an unexpected second-round win, the Knicks decided a change was necessary after the conference finals loss and parted ways with head coach Tom Thibodeau. It was a somewhat controversial move -- while Thibodeau has faced plenty of criticism for relying too heavily on his top players and not using his bench enough, he helped change the culture in New York, where the club had posted seven consecutive sub-.500 seasons prior to his arrival.
The first order of business for the Knicks this summer is to hire Thibodeau's replacement. After that, they'll have to decide whether the roster needs another facelift or whether they'll move forward with the core they established last summer, betting on that group's ability to take another step forward under a new head coach and perhaps with some tweaks around the edges.
The Knicks' Offseason Plan
The Knicks' head coaching search has been unorthodox so far, to say the least. Rather than compiling the usual list of former NBA head coaches, current assistants, and perhaps some candidates from the college ranks, the Knicks sought permission to speak to at least five head coaches already employed by NBA teams.
Jarrett Culver Signs With Japanese Team
Former NBA lottery pick Jarrett Culver has signed with the Sendai 89ers of the B. League, the top basketball league in Japan, according to the agency RBA Showcase (Twitter link).
Culver was selected with the sixth overall pick in the 2019 draft out of Texas Tech and appeared in 97 games with the Timberwolves in his first two NBA seasons. He was subsequently traded to Memphis ahead of his third year and signed a two-way contract with Atlanta for year four.
Culver appeared in a total of 144 NBA regular season games for those three teams from 2019-23, averaging 6.5 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 1.2 assists in 17.2 minutes per contest, with a .401/.276/.509 shooting line. The 6’6″ swingman had good length for a wing and showed promise defensively in college, but never developed into a reliable rotation player at the NBA level.
The 26-year-old signed an Exhibit 10 contract with Orlando last fall and spent the 2024/25 season with the Osceola Magic in the G League, averaging 13.5 PPG, 5.4 RPG, and 2.5 APG on .441/.330/.663 in 49 total appearances.
Reporting earlier this month had indicated that Culver was nearing a deal with the 89ers. This will be his first time playing for a team overseas.
Draft Notes: Centers, Luis, Sleepers, Flagg, Richardson, Gonzalez
Ahead of next week’s draft, David Aldridge of The Athletic talked to several college coaches and NBA executives and scouts about the top big men in the 2025 draft class, including Khaman Maluach, Derik Queen, Collin Murray-Boyles, and Thomas Sorber, among others. Interestingly, one of the college head coaches who spoke to Aldridge believes Maluach has “the biggest upside of anybody” in this year’s draft.
“He’s huge. And he’s long. He’s a good athlete. And I think he has natural defensive instincts,” that coach said of the Duke center. “He shoots the ball better than I think, maybe, he was able to show this year. He’s a live body. He’s enthusiastic about playing. It seems he loves the process, is not afraid of it. He’s competitive. He’s not afraid. He’s ready to mix it up if he needs to. His length, size and athleticism, and then when you add those other things, I think the only thing that could stop him is injury.”
Meanwhile, multiple college assistant coaches questioned what sort of players Queen will match up with defensively at the NBA level.
“I don’t worry about him at all on offense. But I don’t think he can guard fives. I don’t think he’s great in pick-and-roll defense, and I don’t think he can move well enough laterally to guard Giannis (Antetokounmpo) and Michael Porter Jr., these scorers,” one of those assistants said. “Can he guard (Mikal) Bridges? Can he guard Josh Hart? Can he guard Stew (Isaiah Stewart), the next tier of guys who aren’t the primary offensive option, but they know how to cut, how to go to the glass?”
We have more on the 2025 NBA draft:
- Speaking to Cyro Asseo de Choch of HoopsHype, St. John’s standout RJ Luis Jr. – a second-team All-American in 2025 – discusses his breakout junior year, what he can bring to an NBA team, and why he believes he can be “even better” in the NBA than he was at the college level.
- CJ Moore of The Athletic surveyed college basketball coaches to get their thoughts on some of this year’s second-round prospects and to have them identify some deeper sleepers who might find their way onto NBA rosters as undrafted free agents. Houston guard LJ Cryer, St. John’s wing Aaron Scott, Butler wing Jahmyl Telfort, Missouri guard Caleb Grill, and San Francisco guard Marcus Williams earned mentions as sleepers.
- Applying his stats-based model to some of this year’s top prospects, Kevin Pelton of ESPN finds that Kon Knueppel (No. 2) and Noa Essengue (No. 5) are among the players whom that model likes a little more than draft experts do, while Ace Bailey (No. 22) and Tre Johnson (No. 24) are among those who don’t fare nearly as well. Interestingly, Pelton notes that his projection for Cooper Flagg is the third-best in his overall database, which dates back to 2005, behind only Zion Williamson and Luka Doncic.
- With green room invitations sent out to a total of 24 prospects for next week’s draft, the only players in ESPN’s top 25 who didn’t get invites are Jase Richardson (No. 18) and Hugo Gonzalez (No. 22), notes Jonathan Givony of ESPN. Gonzalez is still playing in the Spanish League postseason.
Hornets’ Josh Green Undergoes Shoulder Surgery
Hornets wing Josh Green has undergone surgery to address instability in his left shoulder, the team announced today in a press release.
While the Hornets state that Green is expected to make a full recovery, they didn’t provide any sort of recovery timeline, simply stating that he’ll be out indefinitely, with updates to be provided as appropriate. Training camps will get underway in a little over four months — it’s unclear if the former Arizona Wildcat will be ready to go by that point.
Green, 24, was sent from Dallas to Charlotte in last summer’s six-team mega-deal that also saw Klay Thompson go from the Warriors to the Mavericks while Golden State acquired Kyle Anderson and Buddy Hield.
In his first season as a Hornet, Green appeared in a career-high 68 games, starting 67 of them. He averaged 7.4 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.6 assists in 27.8 minutes per contest, with a shooting line of .428/.391/.681.
Green remains under contract with the Hornets for two more seasons and is owed approximately $28.3MM during that time. Assuming he returns to Charlotte rather than being traded this offseason, he figures to play a rotation role again in 2025/26 once he’s healthy, but won’t be assured of reclaiming his spot in the starting five.
Trade Rumors: Kings, Holiday, Young, Wizards, Celtics, Wolves
Asked during a radio appearance on Sactown Sports 1140 (YouTube link) this week about the Kings‘ offseason plans and whether new general manager Scott Perry might make drastic changes to the roster, Sam Amick of The Athletic said Sacramento is exploring “a lot” of possibilities.
“I don’t know how much they’re going to overhaul the roster,” Amick said (hat tip to Brian Robb of MassLive.com). “But I think they are looking at big stuff, I think they’re looking at small stuff. The point guard pursuit is very real. I don’t know where they will land on that front. It’s kind of an ‘If only Jrue Holiday was five years younger’-type thing. I think that type of option has been considered and explored, but is imperfect because of his age.
“If you go younger, a lot of Trae Young rumors. My understanding is that there’s not interest there unless it came attached to a bunch of first-round picks.”
While Holiday has been one of the NBA’s best two-way players for years, the Celtics veteran is entering his age-35 season and is owed $104.4MM over the next three years. Young, meanwhile, is one of the NBA’s top play-makers but isn’t a great defender and lacks positional size. The Hawks guard is owed $46MM in 2025/26 and could become an unrestricted free agent a year from now if he declines a player option worth nearly $49MM.
Here are a few more trade-related notes and rumors from around the NBA:
- The Wizards have explored trading up from No. 6 in the hopes of landing a long-term point guard like Dylan Harper or Jeremiah Fears and have been willing to part with “surprising names” in their conversations about the second overall pick, reports Grant Afseth of RG.org. However, those efforts have been rebuffed, with the Spurs still considered likely to hang onto that No. 2 pick. As Afseth explains, stabilizing the point guard position has become a priority for the rebuilding Wizards, who have also done extensive due diligence on point guard prospects who may be on the board at No. 18.
- Appearing on The Pat McAfee Show on Thursday (Twitter video link), ESPN’s Shams Charania reiterated that it will be very difficult to convince the Celtics to move either Jaylen Brown or Derrick White this summer. “I’m sure teams are throwing crazy offers for guys like Jaylen Brown and Derrick White, but it’ll take a pretty insurmountable package to get those guys out of Boston,” Charania said.
- While the Timberwolves are reportedly hoping Suns forward Kevin Durant warms to the idea of playing in Minnesota, current Wolves star Anthony Edwards isn’t actively recruiting his former Olympic teammate, ESPN’s Marc J. Spears and Brian Windhorst said on NBA Today this week (YouTube link; hat tip to RealGM).