Mavericks Waive, Stretch Olivier-Maxence Prosper
9:00 pm: Prosper has been officially waived, according to NBA.com’s transaction log.
3:50 pm: The Mavericks are waiving former first-round pick Olivier-Maxence Prosper and using the stretch provision on his $3MM cap hit, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).
According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link), the 6’8″ forward is expected to draw interest as an unrestricted free agent when he hits the open market in a couple days.
Dallas was reportedly trying to trade Prosper ahead of the 4:00 pm CT deadline to use the stretch provision. However, the Mavs were said to be reluctant to part with one of their two remaining second-rounders to shed Prosper’s salary, and instead will stretch it over three years, with annual cap hits of about $1MM through 2027/28.
The Mavericks will automatically decline their $5.3MM team option on Prosper for ’26/27 by releasing him.
Dallas needed to open up room under the second tax apron — at which the team is hard-capped — to re-sign Dante Exum, whose minimum-salary contract can now be finalized after being agreed to on July 2. Exum will essentially replace Prosper as the 15th standard contract on the team’s roster.
The 24th overall pick in the 2023 draft, Prosper has played a very limited role during his first two years in Dallas, averaging 3.5 points and 2.2 rebounds in 10.0 minutes per game across 92 regular season outings, with a .396/.260/.658 shooting line.
Prosper, who is from Montreal, also played 25 G League games with the Texas Legends as a rookie in 2023/24. The 23-year-old averaged 18.3 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 2.0 APG and 0.9 SPG on .498/.418/.762 shooting.
Bulls’ Nikola Vucevic Discusses Karnisovas, Future
Speaking to Lukas Katilius of BasketNews.com ahead of Montenegro’s 27-point loss to Lithuania at EuroBasket 2025, a game in which he recorded 20 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, two steals and a block, Bulls center Nikola Vucevic said he has a strong relationship with head of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas.
Vucevic has been the subject of trade rumors for several months, including speculation in late July about a potential mid-season buyout if Chicago is unable to eventually find a deal it likes.
“It has been very good. We have good communication,” Vucevic said of his relationship with Karnisovas. “He has always been pretty open with me. Even just a couple of weeks ago, when the buyout news came out, he actually texted me to tell me not to worry about it and not to read into it.
“I have known AK for a long time. When I did my pre-draft workout, he was with Houston and took me out to dinner for an interview. So I have known him for a very long time.”
Vucevic, who turns 35 years old in October, is on an expiring $21.48MM contract. He defended Karnisovas’ tenure, saying he liked a lot of the moves the front office has made over the years, but noted the previous iteration of the team battled injuries (Lonzo Ball, among others) and the Bulls weren’t sure how to pivot until they decided to turn to “slightly younger players.”
Vucevic said earlier this month he has “almost no doubt” that he’ll open the season with the Bulls and told BasketNews he was very open to staying in Chicago, though he acknowledged that wasn’t necessarily in his control.
“Yes, of course. I mean, it has been good for me there,” Vucevic said. “We will see—I have one more year left with them, so we will see what happens if I stay or if something changes. But yeah, obviously, I would love to win in Chicago.”
While he isn’t the most nimble defender or a great rim protector, Vucevic’s per-game production has been quite consistent over his Bulls tenure and he has also been durable. The two-time All-Star had one of his most efficient offensive seasons in 2024/25, averaging 18.5 points, 10.1 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game with a shooting line of .530/.402/.805 in 73 regular season appearances (31.2 MPG).
Nets Waive Tosan Evbuomwan
8:00 pm: The move is official, per NBA.com’s transaction log.
2:18 pm: The Nets are waiving Tosan Evbuomwan, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). The former Princeton star had been on a two-way contract with Brooklyn.
A 6’8″ combo forward from England, Evbuomwan went undrafted in 2023 following a standout college career with the Tigers. He signed a two-year two-way deal with the Nets on January 1.
In 28 games with Brooklyn last season, the 24-year-old averaged 9.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 0.9 steals in 23.8 minutes per contest. Evbuomwan’s shooting slash line was .427/.312/.753.
Brian Lewis of The New York Post believes waiving Evbuomwan may be a precursor to a potential trade for the Nets (Twitter link). Two-way deals are non-guaranteed and don’t impact a team’s salary cap, plus the Nets already have a two-way opening, but Lewis is certainly a plugged-in reporter.
Evbuomwan started 2023/24 — his rookie season — in the NBA G League with the Pistons’ affiliate, later inking a 10-day deal with Memphis and 10-day and two-way contracts with Detroit. He appeared in 17 NBA games with the two clubs (21.6 MPG), averaging 5.9 PPG and 3.5 RPG on .507/.375/.680 shooting.
After being cut from his two-way deal by the Pistons last October, Evbuomwan signed an Exhibit 10 deal with the Clippers to secure a G League bonus, which he achieved by spending 60-plus days with the San Diego Clippers. He landed with the Nets a couple months later.
In 31 NBAGL games (33.1 MPG) with the San Diego Clippers and Long Island Nets in ’24/25, Evbuomwan averaged 19.1 PPG, 7.2 RPG and 2.6 APG on .501/.354/.766 shooting.
Former Villanova Coach Kyle Neptune Joining Hornets’ Staff
Former Fordham and Villanova head coach Kyle Neptune has agreed to become an assistant coach on Charles Lee‘s staff with the Hornets, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (via Twitter).
Neptune, who played four years of college basketball at Lehigh, was an administrative intern/video coordinator for Villanova from 2008-10. He got his assistant coaching job with Niagara from 2010-13, then rejoined the Wildcats, serving as an assistant under former Villanova coach Jay Wright for eight years.
Neptune was hired as Fordham’s head coach in 2021 and spent one season with the Rams, compiling a 16-16 record, before taking over the reins at Villanova when Wright retired in 2022. The 40-year-old was dismissed in March following a disappointing three-year tenure in which the Wildcats went 54-47 and failed to make the NCAA tournament each season.
While Neptune hasn’t had much success as a head coach to this point, a handful of years ago he was viewed as a rising star in the industry, making “40 Under 40” lists at both ESPN and The Athletic in 2020. Villanova won two NCAA championships and averaged 29 wins per season during Neptune’s eight-year run as an assistant and made the Final Four in 2009 during his initial stint with the university.
As Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer tweets, the Hornets had an opening on their coaching staff after Chris Jent was hired away by the Knicks to be the top assistant under Mike Brown.
Veteran Nuggets Executive Martynas Pocius Joining Real Madrid
Veteran Nuggets executive Martynas Pocius is leaving the NBA to become a deputy general manager for Spanish powerhouse Real Madrid, reports Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.com.
Pocius has spent the past eight years working in Denver’s front office, most recently holding the title of assistant director of pro personnel, Urbonas writes. The 39-year-old has also served as a Nuggets scout both in the NBA and around the globe.
Pocius played college basketball for — and graduated from — Duke and competed in the EuroLeague for several years prior to retiring in 2017, as Kendra Andrews wrote for The Athletic in 2020. Pocius, who was a guard, played for Zalgiris Kaunas in his native Lithuania as well as Real Madrid and Galatasaray (Turkey).
“Since I played at Duke, I had seven surgeries,” Pocius told Andrews. “It took a toll on my body and I was in this cycle of getting injured, having surgery, trying rehab, all to come back and then have it happen all over again … I was reaching a point where I wasn’t enjoying basketball as much as I used to. I was a gym rat and I loved the gym, and it wasn’t fun being there anymore.”
Pocius also won a pair of medals — a bronze at the 2010 World Cup and a silver at EuroBasket 2013 — with the Lithuanian national team, Urbonas notes.
Pocius will be working alongside former Real Madrid backcourt mate Sergio Rodriguez in running the team’s front office. Rodriguez, a former NBA first-round pick, retired as a player last year.
It’s worth noting that Pocius got his start with the Nuggets due to his connection to childhood friend Tommy Balcetis. According to Andrews, while they were both attending Balcetis’ wedding, former head of basketball operations Tim Connelly offered Pocius a job if he decided to retire, something he wound up doing a year later.
The Nuggets decided not to retain Balcetis in June after the team’s former assistant GM had spent 12 years with the organization.
Thunder Make Changes To Coaching Staff
Thunder assistant coach Daniel Dixon has been named head coach of the Oklahoma City Blue, the G League team announced today (Twitter link via Clemente Almanza of Thunder Wire).
As Almanza writes in a full story, Dixon has been with the Thunder organization for the past three years and was previously a video coordinator in Charlotte.
Dixon was initially hired as a Blue assistant before being promoted to a Thunder assistant in 2024/25. He has spent time as head coach of the Summer League squads in both Salt Lake City and Las Vegas.
In a related move, the Thunder are promoting former Blue head coach Kameron Woods to be an assistant on Mark Daigneault‘s staff.
Woods has been the Blue’s head coach for the past three seasons, including winning an NBAGL title in 2024. He has been with the Thunder for seven years. Woods has also served as the lead coach during Summer League action, Almanza notes.
Fischer’s Latest: Beasley, Warriors, Brogdon, Highsmith, More
The status of free agent wing Malik Beasley is somewhat murky at the moment, writes Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link).
While Beasley’s lawyers told ESPN their client is no longer the “target” of a federal gambling probe, a subsequent report said he was still a “subject” and could still face legal challenges. Beasley is also expected to be investigated by the NBA, Fischer reports.
According to Fischer, the Cavaliers, Knicks, Timberwolves and Pistons are the main teams to touch base with Beasley’s camp in the hope that he’ll eventually be able to play in 2025/26. However, Fischer hears none of those teams have actually discussed signing Beasley with his future seemingly still up in the air.
If Beasley is ultimately cleared of any legal wrongdoing and by the NBA, the 28-year-old will be seeking more than the veteran’s minimum on his next contract, sources tell Fischer. It’s worth noting that of the four suitors, Detroit — his incumbent team — can offer Beasley the highest starting salary ($7.2MM). Cleveland and New York would be limited to minimum-salary deals, while Minnesota could offer a little above the minimum.
Here are a few more rumors from Fischer’s latest story:
- Jonathan Kuminga‘s uncertain contract status has had a ripple effect on several free agents still on the market, Fischer notes, including Malcolm Brogdon. Fischer says the Warriors are expected to sign Al Horford, De’Anthony Melton, Gary Payton II and No. 56 overall pick Will Richard once Kuminga’s situation is resolved and have expressed a level of interest in Brogdon as well. The Knicks and Timberwolves have also been keeping an eye on Brogdon, Fischer adds.
- While Fischer’s breakdown of prospective Warriors signees includes Richard, he doesn’t mention No. 52 overall pick Alex Toohey at all. That could point to the Australian wing ending up on a two-way contract or as a draft-and-stash prospect rather than being a candidate for the 15-man roster.
- Fischer hears that the Timberwolves are “actively trying to work through the financial details” in a new contract for Bones Hyland. That suggests Hyland, who is no longer eligible for a two-way deal, may receive a non-guaranteed or partially guaranteed contract.
- The Heat are still trying to trade Terry Rozier but there’s “scant” interest in the veteran guard, who is also being investigated as part of a federal gambling probe. Miami is also believed to be interested in a buyout, Fischer reports, though nothing is imminent on that front.
- Fischer expects new Nets forward Haywood Highsmith to be back on the trade block at some point. Brooklyn has “no plans” to be competitive in 2025/26 and will continue to look to stockpile assets in trades, Fischer adds. The Nets recently acquired Highsmith, who is recovering from knee surgery, from Miami along with a second-round pick. Assuming he’s back to full health, Highsmith should have a chance to rebuild his trade value, and his expiring $5.6MM contract would fit into a team’s mid-level exception.
Kings Rumors: Kuminga, Westbrook, Carter
In an offseason discussion with his colleagues Fred Katz and Marcus Thompson II, Sam Amick of The Athletic states that the Kings have been the “most serious” sign-and-trade suitor for Warriors restricted free agent forward Jonathan Kuminga this summer.
According to Amick, Sacramento has been “resisting the urge” to make “smaller” trades this offseason because the front office has placed a higher priority on trying to acquire Kuminga. Elaborating further, Amick hears the Kings are more likely to sign Russell Westbrook if they know they can’t land Kuminga.
The Kings aren’t expected to sign Westbrook, with whom they’ve been linked throughout the summer, unless they can create a roster opening in the backcourt, Amick notes. Several other reporters have said similarly for several weeks, including Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link), whose latest story was released after The Athletic’s.
Sources tell Fischer the Kings “continue to covet” Westbrook, who played for Denver last season. While Sacramento is reportedly no longer actively shopping Malik Monk, people around the league think second-year guard Devin Carter may still be moved, according to Fischer, who observes that the former Providence star was drafted by former GM Monte McNair.
Carter has reportedly been offered to Golden State in sign-and-trade talks for Kuminga, though the Warriors aren’t believed to have interest in that proposal.
Carter, the 13th overall pick of last year’s draft, was limited to 36 games as a rookie due to a shoulder injury. He was dominant in five G League games with the Stockton Kings (26.6 points, 9.4 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 2.0 steals, 1.2 blocks on .517/.380/.733 shooting) but didn’t make a major impact in his limited NBA run in 2024/25 (3.8 PPG, 2.1 RPG, 1.1 APG on .370/.295/.591 shooting in 11.0 MPG).
Kuminga’s latest Instagram post has the young restricted free agent projecting confidence despite the lengthy contract standoff with Golden State, a situation Amick calls “borderline contentious.” Amick says he wouldn’t be surprised if Kuminga ultimately signs his $8MM qualifying offer instead of accepting the Warriors’ two-year, $45MM deal, which is guaranteed for $21.75MM (2026/27 is a team option).
However, as Amick writes, neither side will really start to feel pressure until mid-September, with training camp and the Oct. 1 deadline to sign a qualifying offer just a couple weeks away at that point.
Mavs’ Jaden Hardy On Trade Block?
Following up on his report yesterday with colleague Marc Stein, Jake Fischer reiterates in his latest story for The Stein Line (Substack link) that the Mavericks are actively exploring ways to bring back Dante Exum. Dallas’ primary focus on that front, Fischer writes, has been trying to trade former first-round pick Olivier-Maxence Prosper.
However, Prosper isn’t the only player Dallas is open to moving. According to Fischer, Jaden Hardy is another candidate to be sent out in a deal, and resolution on the trade front is expected by tomorrow evening.
The reason for that specific timeline is because of the Friday 4:00pm CT deadline for waiving and stretching players — multiple sources have told Fischer the Mavs might be forced to go that route, as they’re reluctant to part with either of their two remaining second-round picks to shed salary and create a roster spot.
Fischer doesn’t state it outright, but Prosper figures be the main candidate to be stretched, as his $3MM contract for 2025/26 could be treated as expiring if his $5.3 team option for ’26/27 is declined. That would spread his $3MM cap hit across three seasons at approximately $1MM per year, opening up an extra $2MM in room below the 2025/26 second tax apron.
Dallas reached an agreement to re-sign Exum to a one-year deal way back in July 2, but the transaction still hasn’t been officially finalized. That’s because the Mavericks’ team salary for apron purposes currently sits at approximately $206.2MM, which is about $1.6MM below the second apron ($207,824,000).
The Mavericks hard-capped themselves at the second apron by using the taxpayer mid-level exception to sign D’Angelo Russell last month. That means their team salary can’t surpass $207,824,000 at any point for the rest of the 2025/26 league year. A minimum-salary deal for Exum would carry a $2,296,274 cap hit.
Hardy, 23, was the 37th pick of the 2022 draft after spending one season with the now-defunct G League Ignite. He inked a three-year, $18MM extension with Dallas last October — that deal begins in ’25/26 and includes a flat $6MM per year structure, with a team option in ’27/28.
The 6’4″ shooting guard made 57 appearances for the Mavs last season, averaging 8.7 points, 1.6 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.4 turnovers in 15.7 minutes per game. His shooting line was .435/.386/.698.
The Mavs are currently carrying 15 players on guaranteed or partially guaranteed contracts for ’25/26, so moving off Prosper, Hardy or another player is also necessary to open up a spot for Exum on their projected 15-man regular season roster.
Pacers’ Tyrese Haliburton Discusses Injury Recovery
Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton offered a brief update on his injury recovery in a session with reporters on Saturday, according to Field Level Media (story via Reuters). The two-time All-Star is recovering from a torn Achilles tendon, which he suffered in Game 7 of the NBA Finals.
“I’m walking now in my boot,” Haliburton said. “Getting closer to walking full time in my shoe. So, that’s exciting for me. It’s kind of like a new benchmark, a new achievement for me. … Just being able to walk, it’s like the small wins right now. Just taking it a day at a time. I have good days, bad days.”
The 25-year-old said he’s trying not to be impatient with the recovery process since he knows he’ll miss the entire 2025/26 season.
“I obviously want to be good tomorrow but I know it takes time,” Haliburton said. “The team has already ruled me out for the year, so I’m in no rush. It’s just about getting 100 percent, not necessarily as fast as I can, but getting 100 percent is important. I don’t want to come back and be 85, 90 percent. I want to be able to come back at 100, so I’m just taking my time through that.”
Haliburton also said he and Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark have been supporting each other as they both battle injuries, writes Joshua Heron of The Indianapolis Star (subscriber link). The No. 1 overall pick of the 2024 WNBA draft has missed the Fever’s past 14 games with a groin injury and has battled soft-tissue issues throughout the season.
“It sucks that she’s been hurt for as long as she has. But just for us to be able to communicate even in our recovery, we lift at the same time, so it’s just us two in the weight room,” Haliburton told reporters. “We spend a lot of time together. It’s good to have each other to lean on in a time like right now.”