Sixers Sign, Waive Marcus Bagley
4:35 pm: The Sixers have waived Bagley, per Tony Jones of The Athletic (Twitter link). Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer notes (via Twitter) that Bagley is expected to join the Sixers’ G League affiliate, the Delaware Blue Coats.
As noted below, this move will allow Bagley to earn a bonus of up to $85,300 if he stays with the Blue Coats for at least 60 days.
11:56 am: The Sixers have signed forward Marcus Bagley to a training camp contract, tweets Paul Garcia of The Spot Up Shot.
Bagley, the younger brother of former No. 2 overall pick Marvin Bagley III, has been a fixture within the Sixers’ organization since going undrafted out of Arizona State in 2023. He has appeared in a total of 54 games for the Delaware Blue Coats, Philadelphia’s G League affiliate, over the past two seasons and was called up to the NBA near the end of the 2024/25 season on a pair of 10-day deals.
Bagley averaged 9.3 points and 7.1 rebounds in 26.2 minutes per game over the course of 34 G League outings last season, posting a shooting line of .423/.303/.725. In 10 appearances for the 76ers in March and April, he put up 6.7 points and 7.0 rebounds in 25.3 minutes per night, though he shot just 39.1% from the floor and 15.6% on three-pointers.
While we don’t the exact terms of his deal, Bagley almost certainly signed an Exhibit 10 contract, which will make him eligible for a bonus worth up to $85,300 if he’s waived by Philadelphia and then spends at least 60 days this season with the Blue Coats.
The Sixers now once again have a full 21-man roster, though the team continues to shuffle players with non-guaranteed contracts on and off the squad and will need to create an opening for Quentin Grimes once his restricted free agency is resolved.
L.A. Notes: Redick, Lakers, Clippers, Kawhi Investigation
The contract extension the Lakers gave J.J. Redick after his first season on the job is a two-year deal, ESPN’s Shams Charania said during an appearance on NBA Today (YouTube link). When Redick was hired by the Lakers in 2024, he received a four-year contract, so he’s now locked up for five seasons, through 2029/30.
Charania also reported that Redick will make $45MM over the course of the next five seasons. His original four-year contract was said to be worth approximately $32MM. We don’t know the exact year-to-year structure of that original deal, but it likely didn’t have more than about $25MM left on it after year one, which suggests Redick’s extension is in the neighborhood of $10MM per year, a step up from the $8MM annual salary he received on his initial agreement.
Here’s more on the NBA’s two Los Angeles teams:
- Law Murray of The Athletic takes a look at the changes the Lakers‘ roster has undergone since last season, noting that Redick has yet to confirm his starting five for the upcoming season. “I haven’t spent much time thinking about the starting lineup yet, but I feel there are seven to eight starting-caliber players on the roster,” Redick said. “We will know the official starters once the training camp starts.”
- Khobi Price of The Orange County Register identifies five Lakers-related storylines to monitor during training camp, including who will round out the starting lineup and who will emerge as the team’s primary backup center. Janis Carr of The Orange County Register conducts a similar exercise for the Clippers, with Bradley Beal‘s role and Chris Paul‘s return to L.A. among the storylines she believes are worth monitoring.
- Of course, the biggest Clippers-related storyline these days is the NBA’s investigation into possible salary cap circumvention involving Kawhi Leonard. While team owner Steve Ballmer has been interviewed about the subject, Leonard has yet to address it all. As Murray writes for The Athletic, that’s about to change with media day around the corner
- In a pair of in-depth stories for The Athletic, Joe Vardon surveys league sources and sponsors to get a sense of how Leonard’s “endorsement” deal with Aspiration compares to other arrangements about the NBA, while Dan Woike, Sam Amick, and Mike Vorkunov take a deep dive into what we know about Dennis Robertson, aka Uncle Dennis, who is a central figure in the league’s investigation into Leonard and the Clippers.
Eastern Notes: C. White, Porzingis, Knicks, Anthony, Magic
Despite modest projections from experts and outside observers, Coby White believes the Bulls have a chance to be “really good” in 2025/26, he tells Marc J. Spears of Andscape. Besides being positive about his team’s outlook, the 25-year-old guard has set a personal goal as he enters his seventh NBA season.
“I want to win and I want to become that All-Star-caliber player,” White said. “That’s the next step for me in my personal game. I’ve had two really good seasons, averaging 20 (points per game) or whatever. The next part is for us to take that leap as a team, and that’s to win and get out of this little play-in (tournament) stage that we are in, take my game to the next level and become an All-Star.”
White is entering the final year of his current contract and will make $12.9MM in 2025/26. Because starting salaries in veteran contract extensions are limited to a percentage of the player’s previous salary (or the average league-wide salary), White has let the Bulls know he doesn’t plan on signing a new deal before reaching free agency in 2026, per Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times.
Cowley believes it would be in both teams’ best interest for the Bulls and Rockets to work out a trade involving White in the wake of Fred VanVleet‘s ACL tear — Cowley suggests a package of Reed Sheppard and Tari Eason. However, White told Spears that he remains very open to the idea of continuing his career in Chicago, even if he doesn’t sign a new contract until he becomes an unrestricted free agent next summer.
“I love being in Chicago. I love the front office. I love my teammates. I love the staff,” White said. “I built a great relationship with coach Billy Donovan. And for me, if it is meant to be (to) stay a Chicago Bull, then I can’t ask for nothing else.”
Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:
- Hawks general manager Onsi Saleh said on Friday that the team feels good about where Kristaps Porzingis‘ health stands after he was plagued by post-viral syndrome during the final months of the 2024/25 season. “We’re super confident in Kristaps’ health, and him playing a healthy season,” Saleh said (Twitter link via Malik Brown of ClutchPoints). “We wouldn’t have made the trade if we didn’t think that. There was no hesitation there from us. We felt comfortable doing that at the time. We feel great about it now, and we’re excited for him to play a bunch of games this season.”
- James L. Edwards III of The Athletic takes a closer look at Mike Brown‘s plan to better maximize Knicks stars Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns on offense, which includes using Brunson off the ball more often and moving Towns around to different areas of the floor.
- New Bucks guard Cole Anthony said this week that he’s “super excited” to be in Milwaukee and that the change of scenery feels like a “breath of fresh air” after his playing time declined in Orlando in recent years, as Eric Nehm of The Athletic relays. “Obviously, I loved my time (with the Magic), but this feels like, for me, a stepping stone in my career,” Anthony said. “I just want to come in and help the team win in whichever way I can. I think they’re going to ask me to do what I can do, which is score, pass the ball, guard, whatever, but I’m just really happy to be a part of this team, specifically because it’s been great being here these past couple weeks and being with these guys. The energy is high. There’s a real professional vibe around everybody, and everybody has a chip on their shoulder.”
- Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (subscription required) runs through four key questions facing the Magic ahead of the 2025/26 season, including when Jalen Suggs and Moritz Wagner will be ready to play, what the bench rotation will look like, and who will fill the club’s open two-way contract slot.
Celtics Sign Wendell Moore Jr. To Exhibit 10 Contract
The Celtics filled their 21-man preseason roster ahead of training camp by signing free agent guard/forward Wendell Moore Jr. to an Exhibit 10 contract, according to Noa Dalzell of CelticsBlog (Twitter link).
The 26th overall pick in the 2022 draft, Moore spent two seasons in Minnesota before being traded to Detroit during the 2024 offseason. He started last season with the Pistons, was waived at the trade deadline in February, then joined the Hornets on a two-way contract about a week later, finishing the season in Charlotte.
Moore, who turned 24 earlier this month, has played sparingly at the NBA level during his first three professional seasons, appearing in 90 games and logging just 8.1 minutes per night. He saw more action in Charlotte at the end of last season than he ever had before, averaging 5.4 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.2 assists in 17.5 minutes per game across 16 outings off the bench.
There may not be a path to a regular season roster spot for Moore with the Celtics, who are carrying 14 players on standard contracts and three on two-way deals. Boston is unlikely to carry a 15th man into opening night due to the luxury tax implications, so Moore’s best chance to make the team would be to have his Exhibit 10 contract converted into a two-way deal. That would require the Celtics to cut one of their current two-way players.
[RELATED: Wendell Moore Jr. Makes Case For NBA Roster Spot]
If Moore is instead waived before the season begins, he’d be a candidate to report to the G League and join the Maine Celtics. If he were to spend at least 60 days with Boston’s NBAGL affiliate, he could earn a bonus worth up to $85,300 on top of his base G League salary.
Hornets Sign, Waive Jaylen Sims
September 27: The Hornets have waived Sims, the team’s PR department tweets.
September 26: The Hornets have signed free agent guard Jaylen Sims, the team announced today (via Twitter). Charlotte had an open spot on its 21-man preseason roster after waiving Nick Smith Jr. on Thursday.
While the team didn’t reveal any details about the deal, it’s almost certainly an Exhibit 10 contract. Sims has made a habit of signing Exhibit 10 deals with the Hornets over the years, having also done so in September of 2022, 2023, and 2024.
Sims, a Charlotte native who went undrafted out of UNC Wilmington, has spent most of his first three professional seasons playing for the Greensboro Swarm, the Hornets’ G League affiliate. However, the 6’6″ shooting guard made his first NBA appearances this past April while on a 10-day deal with Charlotte, averaging 7.0 points and 2.0 assists in 18.7 minutes per game across six outings.
Prior to his NBA call-up, Sims enjoyed his most productive G League season. In 49 games for the Swarm, he averaged 19.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 2.7 assists in 32.9 minutes per game, with a shooting line of .441/.375/.837. The 26-year-old also played a key role in July for the Hornets’ Summer League team that won the Las Vegas championship, averaging 14.2 PPG, 3.7 RPG, and 1.8 APG on .551/.438/.800 shooting in six appearances.
While Sims would be eligible to have his Exhibit 10 contract converted into a two-way deal prior to the regular season, he’s more likely to be waived and report back to the Swarm for another season. In that scenario, he’d be eligible for a bonus worth up to $85,300 (on top of his standard G League salary) if he spends at least 60 days with Greensboro.
Latest On Quentin Grimes
Sixers restricted free agent Quentin Grimes was “disappointed” not to receive a formal contract offer from the team until this week after he spent nearly three months on the market, writes Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.
While a report on Thursday indicated that Philadelphia offered Grimes a four-year, $39MM deal, agent David Bauman explained to Scotto that that concept was “loosely pitched” by the team. That structure would essentially start with Grimes’ $8.74MM qualifying offer and would include 8% annual raises from there.
Bauman, conversely, proposed scenarios in which Grimes’ salary would start in the neighborhood of $17-21MM, with some flexibility for the team in the later years of the deal, per Scotto.
The only formal offer the 76ers have made is a one-year deal that would be worth more than Grimes’ qualifying offer but would require him to waive his implicit no-trade clause, Scotto continues. For Grimes and his camp to accept that offer, the salary would likely have to be above the non-taxpayer mid-level exception ($14.1MM) and approach $19MM, sources tell HoopsHype. However, Philadelphia’s proposal was only “slightly” above the QO amount.
As Scotto points out, a salary in that $14-19MM range would allow the Sixers to remain below the second tax apron and would give Grimes a more favorable starting point if he’s traded during the 2025/26 season. In that scenario, his new team would only have his Non-Bird rights, which allow for an offer worth up to 120% of the player’s previous salary. A 20% raise on a salary between $14-19MM could work for Grimes in 2026, whereas a 20% raise on his $8.74MM qualifying offer likely wouldn’t be sufficient.
At this point, a longer-term contract remains unlikely due to the large gap between the two sides’ proposals, according to Scotto, who confirms that Bauman has asked the 76ers about potentially moving back the October 1 deadline for Grimes to accept his qualifying offer. The two sides could agree to push back that deadline as late as March 1, though presumably Bauman is seeking a shorter-term solution.
If the Sixers don’t offer a more lucrative one-year deal or increase their multiyear offer, Grimes is expected to strongly consider signing the qualifying offer, league sources tell Scotto. If Grimes goes that route and spends the entire 2025/26 season in Philadelphia, the team would still have his Bird rights next summer, so the two sides could attempt to work out a new deal at that point, though the former first-round pick would be unrestricted.
Central Notes: Pacers, Giannis, Giddey, Bulls, Pistons
The Pacers won’t have their star point guard and team leader Tyrese Haliburton available at all in 2025/26 while he recovers from an Achilles tear. However, that doesn’t mean the team views the coming season as a “gap year,” as Dustin Dopirak writes for The Indianapolis Star.
“I don’t think that’s ever been what we’ve been about,” general manager Chad Buchanan told reporters on Thursday. “With Mr. (Herb) Simon as our owner, it’s always been about trying to compete and trying to win. Some years are going to be more challenging than others. Obviously, we’re down Tyrese and that will make some challenges. But we’re not looking at this as a year to try and get through. We’d never wish away a season.”
The Pacers are widely expected to take a step backward without Haliburton after making the Eastern Conference Finals in 2024 and NBA Finals in 2025. Oddsmakers view them as more likely to miss the playoffs than to make it. While Buchanan acknowledged that playing without Haliburton will likely affect Indiana’s style, slowing down the pace of the offense, he pointed out that most of the rest of the roster (with the notable exception of center Myles Turner) is returning and that those players have exhibited a tendency to defy expectations.
“This team has shown that they come together when people kinda doubt them,” Buchanan said. “I think they feel and they sense and they hear the doubt about this season for us. We’re still going to have a lot of the same identity. We still have a lot of the same core pieces on this team. The traits that those guys bring, what our coaches bring, are still there. I wouldn’t put a limit on anything this year.”
Here’s more from around the Central:
- Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, in an interview with Sport24, said he could envision himself playing for a European club later in his career if the timing and conditions were right, as Eurohoops relays. Antetokounmpo also suggested he’s probably not the only European star who feels that way. “Of course it can happen,” he said. “If you told (Nikola) Jokic that he would earn roughly the same money and be back home in Serbia, he would do it. For me, I think a lot about my body. The money is very different, and not just the money – the whole organization is completely different. You’ve been to the NBA, you’ve seen how things work. But every year when I play for the national team, I always end up saying the same thing.”
- Josh Giddey‘s new four-year contract with the Bulls is worth exactly $100MM, is fully guaranteed (with no incentives or options), and features annual cap hits of $25MM, Hoops Rumors has confirmed. The flat structure of the deal means it will be worth a smaller percentage of the salary cap in future seasons, allowing Chicago to maximize its flexibility down the road.
- The Bulls announced a series of promotions and additions within their basketball opreations department, including naming Faizan Hasnany as their executive director of basketball strategy and analytics.
- Longtime Pistons scout Durand “Speedy” Walker has earned a promotion and will serve as the president of basketball operations of the Motor City Cruise, the team’s G League affiliate, according to a press release. Walker has more than 18 years of experience in the organization.
NBA 2025 Offseason Check-In: Phoenix Suns
Hoops Rumors is checking in on the 2025 offseason for all 30 NBA teams, recapping the summer’s free agent signings, trades, draft picks, departures, and more. We’ll take a look at each team’s offseason moves and consider what might still be coming before the regular season begins. Today, we’re focusing on the Phoenix Suns.
Free agent signings
Collin Gillespie: One year, minimum salary. Re-signed using minimum salary exception.- Nigel Hayes-Davis: One year, minimum salary. Signed using minimum salary exception.
- Jared Butler: One year, minimum salary. Non-guaranteed (Exhibit 9). Signed using minimum salary exception.
- Damion Baugh: One year, minimum salary. Non-guaranteed (Exhibit 10). Signed using minimum salary exception.
- David Duke Jr.: One year, minimum salary. Non-guaranteed (Exhibit 10). Signed using minimum salary exception.
- Tyrese Samuel: One year, minimum salary. Non-guaranteed (Exhibit 10). Signed using minimum salary exception.
- Alex Schumacher: One year, minimum salary. Non-guaranteed (Exhibit 10). Signed using minimum salary exception.
- Note: Schumacher has since been waived.
- Jaden Shackelford: One year, minimum salary. Non-guaranteed (Exhibit 10). Signed using minimum salary exception.
- Note: Shackelford has since been waived.
Trades
- Acquired Mark Williams and their own 2029 second-round pick from the Hornets in exchange for Vasilije Micic, the draft rights to Liam McNeeley (No. 29 pick), and either the Timberwolves’ (top-five protected), Cavaliers’, or Jazz’s 2029 first-round pick (whichever is least favorable).
- Note: The Suns had traded the Hornets their 2029 second-round pick in a previous deal.
- Acquired Jalen Green (from Rockets), Dillon Brooks (from Rockets), Daeqwon Plowden (two-way; from Hawks), the draft rights to Khaman Maluach (No. 10 pick; from Rockets), the draft rights to Rasheer Fleming (No. 31 pick; from Timberwolves), the draft rights to Koby Brea (No. 41 pick; from Warriors), and either the Thunder’s, Mavericks’, or Sixers’ 2026 second-round (whichever is second-most favorable; from Rockets) in a seven-team trade in exchange for Kevin Durant (to Rockets), the draft rights to Alex Toohey (No. 52 pick; to Warriors), either the Warriors’ or Nuggets’ 2026 second-round pick (whichever is least favorable; to Timberwolves), and either the Suns’ or Rockets’ 2032 second-round pick (whichever is most favorable; to Timberwolves).
- Note: Plowden was subsequently waived.
Draft picks
- 1-10: Khaman Maluach
- Signed to rookie scale contract (four years, $27,386,799).
- 2-31: Rasheer Fleming
- Signed to four-year, $8,685,386 contract. First three years guaranteed. Fourth-year team option.
- 2-41: Koby Brea
- Signed to two-way contract.
Two-way signings
- Koby Brea
- One year, $85,300 partial guarantee (will increase to $318,218 at start of regular season).
- CJ Huntley
- Two years, $85,300 partial guarantee (will increase to $318,218 at start of regular season); second year non-guaranteed (will increase to maximum two-way protection amount on July 10 and to 50% at start of regular season).
- Isaiah Livers
- One year, $85,300 partial guarantee (will increase to $318,218 at start of regular season).
Departed/unsigned free agents
- Bol Bol (unsigned)
- Jalen Bridges (Celtics)
- Tyus Jones (Magic)
- Damion Lee (Ironi Ness Ziona)
- Monte Morris (unsigned)
- Mason Plumlee (Hornets)
- TyTy Washington Jr. (Clippers)
Other roster moves
- Signed Devin Booker to a two-year, $88,762,440 veteran contract extension that begins in 2028/29. Projected value of $145,760,888. Includes second-year player option.
- Bought out and stretched Bradley Beal (gave up $13,879,830 of $110,794,880 total guaranteed salary).
- Claimed Jordan Goodwin off waivers from the Lakers.
- Waived Cody Martin (non-guaranteed contract).
Salary cap situation
- Operating over the cap ($154.6MM) and above the luxury tax line ($187.9MM).
- Carrying approximately $187.9MM in salary.
- No hard cap.
- Full non-taxpayer mid-level exception ($14,104,000) available.
- Full bi-annual exception ($5,134,000) available.
- Three traded player exceptions available (largest worth $3,628,720).
The offseason so far
The Suns fell short of expectations in 2023/24, their first season with Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal on the roster together, earning the No. 6 seed in the Western Conference and getting swept out of the first round of the playoffs by the Timberwolves.
But that 49-win season actually looked pretty good in retrospect when compared to the all-out disaster that was ’24/25. Phoenix went just 36-46 last season and entered the offseason as the only NBA team that didn’t make the playoffs, didn’t make the play-in tournament, and didn’t control a lottery pick. The Suns were also the only club that made both a front office and head coaching change this spring, hiring Brian Gregory to replace general manager James Jones and Jordan Ott to replace coach Mike Budenholzer.
Injuries were a recurring problem for the Suns’ “big three,” as Durant missed 20 games in 2024/25 while Beal was sidelined for 29. But the team wasn’t good even when all three players were healthy and available — Durant, Booker, and Beal had a -4.1 net rating during the 667 minutes they shared the court last season. It simply wasn’t the right fit.
That meant the Suns headed into the summer with major decisions to make on all three players. They ended up taking a different route with each one of them, with Booker as the lone keeper. Not only did the Suns hang onto the star guard, but they gave him a maximum-salary contract extension, despite the fact that he still had three years left on his current deal. The new two-year contract will start in 2028/29 and projects to be worth well over $70MM annually, with a player option in ’29/30.
It seemed like an unnecessarily early commitment for the Suns to make, especially on the heels of a dysfunctional season in which Booker’s three-point percentage dipped to 33.2%, one of the worst marks of his career. But with speculation swirling about whether it would be in the organization’s best interests to kick-start a full rebuild, the front office was determined to show it was serious about its stance against trading Booker. With the extension, the Suns made it clear they’re all-in on the four-time All-Star.
Durant, on the other hand, was one of the offseason’s most obvious trade candidates after the Suns initially opened discussions on the star forward prior to February’s deadline. The fact that Phoenix ultimately agreed to terms to send Durant to Houston didn’t come as a real surprise, though the eventual structure of the blockbuster – which expanded to include seven teams in total – was unique.
That transaction combined several separate trade agreements into a single deal, but the Suns’ haul for Durant was ultimately headlined by a handful of pieces: fifth-year guard Jalen Green, veteran wing and professional nuisance Dillon Brooks, and the draft rights to three rookies, led by No. 10 overall pick Khaman Maluach.
In retrospect, the Suns’ decision to trade Mikal Bridges, Cameron Johnson, Jae Crowder, and four unprotected first-round picks (plus a swap) for Durant at the 2023 deadline looks like a mistake. They were unable to recoup that same sort of value when they flipped him two-and-a-half years later.
But as great as Durant is, he’s entering his age-37 season and is on an expiring contract, so the Suns could’ve done a lot worse this time around. Green has averaged over 20 points per game through his first four NBA seasons and is still just 23 years old; Brooks remains one of the league’s most effective and irritating defenders; and Maluach has a chance to become the team’s long-term answer in the middle. It’s not hard to imagine a scenario in which the 2027 Rockets feel a similar regret to the 2025 Suns about the package they gave up for Durant.
One thing the Durant deal didn’t do was save the Suns money, which was a problem, since the club had the NBA’s highest payroll in 2024/25, far above the second tax apron. With a retooled roster and no more short-term championship aspirations, Phoenix wasn’t interested in maintaining such a high team salary again and took an extreme measure to address the issue, reaching a buyout agreement with Beal and waiving and stretching the two years and $97MM still left on his contract.
Rather than carrying a cap hit of $54.7MM, Beal now counts for just $19.4MM in 2025/26, a reduction of more than $35MM that nearly moved the Suns out of luxury tax territory altogether. The downside? That $19.4MM in dead money will apply to the team’s cap for each of the next five seasons, through 2029/30, putting a major dent in the front office’s flexibility going forward.
While the Bucks took a similar path with Damian Lillard, Milwaukee used the stretch provision in order to create the cap room necessary to sign Myles Turner. The Suns didn’t have a follow-up move lined up after stretching Beal, which was mostly about saving money. Phoenix does have much more room to maneuver in the short term, but the club has yet to actually take advantage of that newfound flexibility.
Although the Suns’ most significant offseason moves revolved around those three stars, they were active on other fronts too. Notably, they struck a draft-day deal to acquire center Mark Williams from the Hornets in exchange for this year’s No. 29 pick and a future first-rounder. That’s not necessarily an overpay for a 23-year-old center coming off a season in which he averaged 15 points and 10 rebounds, but the timing was a little odd, given that news of the deal broke right around the time the Suns drafted Maluach.
The rookie out of Duke, who turned 19 earlier this month, probably isn’t far enough along in his developmental process to play a major role immediately. Still, it’s hard to believe the Suns view Williams as simply a stop-gap solution at center until Maluach is ready — teams don’t give up multiple first-round picks for players if they don’t envision them as part of their future, and Williams is due to be paid this year or next (he’s currently eligible for a rookie scale extension). It will be interesting to see how the Suns manage their center position going forward.
Outside of Williams and the players they acquired in the Durant mega-deal, the Suns focused on filling out their roster with minimum-salary players. That group includes Collin Gillespie, who got a promotion from his two-way deal to a standard roster spot, and Nigel Hayes-Davis, whom the Suns brought back from Europe for his first NBA contract since he was waived by Sacramento in July 2018.
It also includes Rasheer Fleming, a rookie who was targeted by several teams heading into the second day of the draft before the Suns won the mini-sweepstakes for him by making a trade for the No. 31 overall pick. Getting younger, more athletic, and better defensively was a goal for Phoenix this summer, and drafting Fleming reflected that approach — the former Saint Joseph’s forward has a 7’5″ wingspan and averaged an impressive 1.5 blocks and 1.4 steals per game as a junior last season.
Up next
Because he’s a free agent signing whose minimum-salary contract is subject to tax variance, Hayes-Davis counts a little more for tax purposes than he does against the salary cap, but even after taking that into account, the Suns are barely over the tax line — their 14 players on standard contracts put them into the tax by less than $300K.
That number would increase if Phoenix decides to carry a 15th man into the regular season. For now though, it looks like the team will probably leave an open spot on its regular season roster, with Jordan Goodwin ($200K partial guarantee) and Jared Butler (non-guaranteed Exhibit 9 contract) vying to be the 14th man alongside the team’s 13 players on fully guaranteed deals.
Goodwin’s contract structure may give him the slight edge, though the difference in marginal and the Suns should be able to duck the tax later in the season (if that’s a priority) regardless of which guard they hang onto.
Assuming the Suns keep their 13 players on guaranteed contracts, their three players on two-way deals, and one of Goodwin or Butler, the only other major preseason decisions will likely involve contract extensions. Williams, backup center Nick Richards, and Brooks are all eligible to sign new deals.
Of those three players, Williams is the most likely to get something done before opening night. Richards will remain extension-eligible all season long and probably doesn’t have a long-term future in Phoenix anyway after the club added Williams and Maluach. Brooks, meanwhile, still has two years left on his current contract, so there’s no rush to work out a new agreement with him prior to the 2026 offseason.
Williams, however, would become a restricted free agent next summer if he’s not extended this year. It’s possible the Suns are OK with that outcome. The big man has yet to play a game for his new team, and restricted free agency has favored teams over players this offseason. Still, if wouldn’t be a surprise if Williams and the Suns find a compromise both sides can live with next month. As noted above, teams typically don’t give up multiple first-round picks for players who aren’t in their long-term plans, so it’s safe to assume Phoenix would like to work out a new deal with the former Hornet sooner or later.
Northwest Notes: Bailey, Blazers, Thunder, Nuggets
Jazz rookie Ace Bailey has decided to part ways with manager Omar Cooper and is seeking new representation, reports Tony Jones of The Athletic. League sources tell Jones that Bailey and his camp have interviewed potential reps but haven’t yet made a decision on who they’ll hire.
Cooper made waves during the pre-draft process by discouraging Bailey from visiting with or working out for any teams with picks in the top five. The widespread belief, as Jones writes, was that Cooper was trying to steer his client to the Wizards at No. 6, but Utah ultimately drafted him one spot before that.
Cooper is the father of guard Sharife Cooper, who signed a two-way contract with Washington last week.
Here are a few more items of interest form around the Northwest:
- RAJ Sports, a company run by the Bhatal family that reportedly made a bid to buy the Trail Blazers, has filed a lawsuit against the Cherng family, which joined Tom Dundon‘s prospective Blazers ownership group earlier this month. Jason Quick and Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic have the details on the suit, which was first reported by Law360.com. RAJ Sports is claiming that the Cherngs – who own Panda Express – breached an exclusivity agreement and has asked a judge to stop them from buying a stake in the Blazers.
- Justin Martinez of The Oklahoman passes along some highlights from Sam Presti‘s preseason press conference following a Thunder offseason highlighted by continuity. Presti preached patience when it comes to Nikola Topic‘s integration into the rotation, expressed confidence that Chet Holmgren will “only be better,” and said rookie big man Thomas Sorber was “playing great” before suffering a season-ending ACL tear. “It’s a really tough situation, but he’s got the right mindset. He’s got great natural energy,” Presti said of the 15th overall pick. “He’s going to get something out of this year, 100 percent, and I think it’ll position him well going into next season. But it’s certainly disappointing.”
- Bennett Durando of The Denver Post (subscription required) explores what the Nuggets‘ depth chart might look like in 2025/26. While the starters – Jamal Murray, Christian Braun, Cameron Johnson, Aaron Gordon, and Nikola Jokic – seem pretty clear, there could be some spots up for grabs on the second unit, including at point guard, where Bruce Brown projects to be Murray’s backup, and at the forward spots.
- The Oklahoma City Blue and Grand Rapids Gold – the Thunder‘s and Nuggets‘ G League affiliates, respectively – completed a trade sending the returning rights to Justyn Hamilton to the Gold in exchange for the returning rights to Andrew Funk and a 2026 second-round pick, tweets Rylan Stiles of SI.com. The deal could be a precursor to Hamilton signing an Exhibit 10 contract with Denver and/or Funk signing one with Oklahoma City.
Southeast Notes: Bane, D. Smith, Hawks, Wizards, Hornets
New Magic swingman Desmond Bane feels good about how he’ll fit alongside star forwards Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, telling Mark Medina of Sportskeeda.com that he thinks his skill set “complements those guys very well” and will help “open up the floor for them to attack and do their thing.” Bane also pointed to Orlando’s roster versatility when asked why he’s confident about the team’s ability to be a contender in 2025/26.
“I think we can play so many different lineups,” he told Medina. “We have so many different handlers. We have so many different screeners. We have guys that can get baskets one-on-one when the game slows down and you get into crunch time. So we really have a lot of tools on this roster.
“It’s always easy to talk this highly at this time of the year. But once you get into December, some guys are playing well, some guys aren’t, some guys are in the rotation, some guys aren’t. That’s when teams really have a choice to come together or split. So we have a long way to go. It’s a long journey. But we got good people in the building and people that work hard and care. So I think that gives us a chance. That’s all you can ask for.”
Bane will be playing for a new team for the first time since entering the NBA in 2020 — he spent his first five professional seasons with the Grizzlies, who traded him to Orlando in June. Speaking to Medina, the 27-year-old made it clear he harbors no ill will toward his former team for ending their relationship over the summer.
“I’m rooting for Memphis 80 games out of the year,” Bane said. “I hope they do well. I got a lot of guys out of there that are up for contracts and things like that. So I want it to work out for them and that they get everything that they deserve. So I’m looking forward toward seeing how they do, and hoping for the best of them. There’s no bad blood at all.”
We have more from around the Southeast:
- Heat guard Dru Smith, who tore his Achilles last December, has resumed five-on-five work, a league source tells Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel (subscription required). Smith re-signed with Miami this summer on a three-year, minimum-salary deal, though only the first season is guaranteed.
- The Hawks put out a press release this week announcing several hires and promotions in their basketball operations department. Most notably, Brittni Donaldson has moved from an assistant coaching role to the front office as Atlanta’s director of basketball development, methodology, and integration, while Mychel Thompson (Klay Thompson‘s brother) has been hired as a pro scout.
- While Wizards general manager Will Dawkins assured fans on Wednesday that the front office has a “very clear vision” for its rebuild, he offered few specifics about the plan to turn the team from one of the league’s worst into a legitimate contender, writes Josh Robbins of The Athletic. With that in mind, Robbins reads between the lines of Dawkins’ comments in an effort to highlight the primary components of the Wizards’ approach to rebuilding, including casting a wide net for young talent, maintaining financial flexibility, and doing a good job scouting their own players.
- In a mailbag for The Charlotte Observer (subscription required), Rod Boone explains why he views Collin Sexton and Mason Plumlee as strong candidates to start for the Hornets and evaluates whether an in-season Miles Bridges trade is likely, among other topics.