Raptors Release Colin Castleton
The Raptors have waived big man Colin Castleton, the team announced in a press release.
Castleton, who went undrafted out of Florida in 2023, spent his rookie season on a two-way contract with the Lakers, who waived him last October, a few days before the 2024/25 campaign began.
Shortly after being cut by L.A., the 25-year-old caught on with the Grizzlies, again signing a two-way deal. Memphis released him in January.
After spending a few months in the G League, Castleton inked a pair of 10-day deals with Toronto in March before joining the 76ers on a 10-day pact in early April. The Raptors re-signed him to a two-year standard contract on the final day of the regular season.
Castleton’s minimum salary for 2025/26 was non-guaranteed, so the Raptors won’t incur a cap charge by waiving him.
In 26 total appearances for Memphis, Philadelphia and Toronto last season, Castleton averaged 4.7 points and 4.7 rebounds in 16.6 minutes per game.
As Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca tweets, Castleton didn’t play well for the Raptors during Summer League action, averaging 2.6 PPG and 4.0 RPG in 11.5 MPG over five contests in Las Vegas. He shot just 33.3% from the field and struggled with turnovers (1.8 per game).
Castleton’s NBAGL rights are currently controlled by the Magic, notes Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter link).
The Raptors now have 16 players on their standard roster, including 14 players on guaranteed deals, plus A.J. Lawson on a non-guaranteed contract and David Roddy on an Exhibit 10 deal for training camp. All three of their two-way spots are filled, as our tracker shows.
Free Agent Notes: Thomas, Jazz, Kings, Westbrook, Boston
Reports have indicated there’s a significant gap in contract negotiations between restricted free agent guard Cam Thomas and the Nets, his incumbent team. As Grant Afseth of FastbreakJournal.com writes, Thomas doesn’t appear to have much leverage, with so few teams having the ability to sign him to an offer sheet that might give Brooklyn pause.
“He’s a talented scorer, but he’s kind of stuck in the middle right now. He wants star money, but a lot of teams see him more like a microwave scorer off the bench,” a veteran scout for a team who made last year’s playoffs told FastbreakJournal.com. “That disparity is what’s keeping him on the market.”
Echoing reporting from Jake Fischer, Afseth also states that Thomas seems “increasingly likely” to sign his $6MM qualifying offer, which would give him an implied no-trade clause and a chance to hit unrestricted free agency in 2026.
Here are a few more free agent items of interest:
- League sources tell Afseth that the Jazz, who could theoretically make a run at a top restricted free agent using their $26.6MM trade exception, don’t appear to be interested in Thomas. However, rival teams believe Utah might be intrigued by another RFA who offers more versatility and defense. “If Utah uses that cap space, it’ll be for someone like Quentin Grimes, someone who can knock down threes and guard multiple positions, but still can create off the dribble,” an Eastern Conference executive told FastbreakJournal.com. “He’s also shown flashes as a scorer and play-maker in Philly. He’s shown he can grow into a more complete player in the right system. That’s a different type of bet than what you’re making on Thomas.” The Jazz wouldn’t be able to complete an offer sheet using a trade exception, but could make a sign-and-trade deal.
- According to Matt George of ABC 10 Sacramento (Twitter link), the Kings and veteran guard Russell Westbrook continue to have mutual interest. However, George has heard that Sacramento would probably need to trade either Devin Carter or Malik Monk to make room in the backcourt for Westbrook, who remains an unrestricted free agent after declining his 2025/26 player option in June. The nine-time All-Star suited up for Denver last season.
- Free agent wing Brandon Boston Jr. is in “advanced talks” with Greek EuroLeague club Panathinaikos, per Spurs reporter Dusty Garza (Twitter link; hat tip to Sportando). The 23-year-old guard/forward is coming off a solid season with New Orleans in which he averaged 10.7 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.3 steals in 23.6 minutes per contest, with all of those figures representing career highs. However, Boston was limited to just 42 games due to an ankle injury, which required surgery in April, and the Pelicans declined their team option on his contract for ’25/26, making him unrestricted.
Latest On Raptors’ Search For New Head Of Basketball Ops
General manager Bobby Webster is running the Raptors‘ front office for now following the abrupt dismissal of Masai Ujiri at the end of June.
According to Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca, Webster is interested in becoming Toronto’s new head of basketball operations on a permanent basis and seems to be the frontrunner to land the position, but there are a number of other candidates to monitor as well.
A source tells Grange that most of the names that have come up in the search process are “lower-tier executives” who would make sense as complementary additions working under Webster.
However, there are some veteran executives who appear to be in the mix, including Brampton native Marc Eversley, who is currently GM of the Bulls. As Grange writes, Eversley is a board member of Canada Basketball, was previously an assistant GM in Toronto, and has a solid relationship with Webster.
Pacers GM Chad Buchanan is another name on the Raptors’ radar, Grange reports.
According to Grange, Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment president Keith Pelley has met with both Dwane Casey and Monte McNair about the position.
Casey is the Raptors’ former head coach and is currently an executive with the Pistons, while McNair was Sacramento’s GM for five years prior to parting ways with the organization after the 2024/25 season.
One league insider who spoke to Grange suggested that Pacers president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard is MLSE’s top choice for the job, though Grange points out that lateral moves for executives under contract with other teams are difficult to pull off.
As for Ujiri, Grange says he would be “very surprised” if Toronto’s longtime former president accepted another NBA job for the upcoming season. In the future, Ujiri could be a candidate to lead an expansion team or run the NBA’s proposed European league, Grange writes.
That said, Ujiri will certainly be linked to any top executive roles that pop up in the coming months, according to Grange, who has heard speculation that the Heat could be a team to monitor, as Pat Riley recently turned 80 years old.
Olympiacos Confirms Filip Petrusev Signing With Dubai
Greek team Olympiacos has announced that forward/center Filip Petrusev has signed with Dubai Basketball, as Eurohoops.net relays.
Since Petrusev was under contract through 2026, Olympiacos will receive a buyout of approximately 500,000 euros, according to Serbian outlet Mozzart Sport.
TeleSport reported a few days ago that the 25-year-old big man would be signing a three-year deal with Dubai, which is preparing for its first EuroLeague season.
Petrusev spent most of last season on loan in his native Serbia with Crvena Zvezda. In 27 EuroLeague games, with Zvezda, he averaged 13.5 points and 4.9 rebounds in 20.9 minutes per contest.
A former second-round pick (No. 50 overall in 2021), Petrusev had a brief NBA stint during the 2023/24 campaign, appearing in three games with Philadelphia and Sacramento, but the Kings released him in November 2023 and he returned to Europe shortly thereafter.
Petrusev spoke in April about his desire to return to the NBA and indicated at the time that any future contracts he signed would contain NBA out clauses.
In addition to Petrusev, Dubai’s roster features several other players with NBA experience, including Davis Bertans, Dzanan Musa, McKinley Wright, Dwayne Bacon, Justin Anderson and Mfiondu Kabengele.
International Notes: Ramsey, Cordinier, Okeke, Maledon, Batum
As expected, Italian club Pallacanestro Trieste has officially signed former NBA guard Jahmi’us Ramsey to a one-year deal, confirming the news in a press release.
The 43rd pick of the 2020 draft, Ramsey appeared in a total of 39 NBA games with Sacramento and Toronto from 2020-24. The former Texas Tech standout has spent most of the past three seasons in the NBA G League with the Oklahoma City Blue.
In 34 games with the Blue last season, Ramsey averaged 20.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.3 steals on .496/.363/.685 shooting in 28.6 minutes per game. The 24-year-old shooting guard also represented Team USA in AmeriCup qualifying games last fall and winter.
Trieste went 18-12 in Italy’s top basketball league during the ’24/25 regular season, good for the No. 6 seed, but lost in the first round of the playoffs to No. 3 Brescia, the eventual runner-up.
Here are a few more odds and ends from overseas:
- Turkish EuroLeague team Anadolu Efes has added Isaia Cordinier on a two-year contract, announcing the signing on social media (Instagram link). As Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops notes, Cordinier is a former second-round pick (No. 44 overall in 2016) who spent last season with Virtus Bologna, averaging 12.0 PPG, 3.9 RPG and 3.9 APG in 34 EuroLeague contests (26.9 MPG). Brooklyn renounced its rights to the French guard in 2021, and Cordinier was reportedly looking to see if an NBA opportunity would materialize before signing with Efes.
- Veteran NBA forward Chuma Okeke is expected to sign with Real Madrid, as first reported by Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. Askounis of Eurohoops, relaying a report from Javier Maestro of Spanish outlet Encesando, says Okeke’s deal with Madrid will cover two years and will feature an NBA out clause for the 2026 offseason. Theo Maledon‘s new contract with the Spanish EuroLeague club also has an out clause for next summer, according to Maestro.
- Clippers forward Nicolas Batum has retired from international play, but he will serve as an analyst for France’s games at the upcoming EuroBasket tournament, the French national team announced (via Twitter).
Warriors, Knicks Hiring New Coaches To Staffs
The Warriors and Knicks are adding new coaches to their respective staffs.
According to agent Misko Raznatovic (Twitter link), Golden State is hiring Nikola Milojevic to its staff after he spent the 2024/25 season with Mega Basket in Serbia.
Nikola is the son of former Warriors assistant Dejan Milojevic, who tragically passed away in January 2024 at age 46 following a heart attack. Dejan was a former star player in Europe and the longtime head coach of Mega Basket, where he coached future NBA MVP Nikola Jokic from 2012-15.
As for the Knicks, they’re expected add Charles Allen as an assistant coach, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (via Twitter).
Allen was the head video coordinator for the Jazz prior to joining Mike Brown‘s staff in Sacramento in 2022. He was promoted to be the Kings’ player development coach last fall.
Allen is the second former Kings assistant to be reuniting with Brown, New York’s new head coach, joining Riccardo Fois.
Latest On Jonathan Kuminga
In a story for ESPN.com, Anthony Slater has provided more details regarding the stalemate between the Warriors and restricted free agent forward Jonathan Kuminga.
According to Slater, the two sides did not discuss the financial terms of a new contract leading up to free agency, which led to Kuminga’s agent, Aaron Turner, seeking sign-and-trades from rival teams. The Suns and Kings have shown the most external interest in Kuminga to this point, sources tell Slater, confirming reporting from his colleague Shams Charania.
John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 continues to hear the Suns are high on Kuminga and says they remain interested in trying to find ways to acquire him, despite having limited assets at their disposal (Twitter link). However, Golden State’s front office hasn’t been impressed with the offers from Phoenix or Sacramento, Slater writes.
In a potential Kuminga sign-and-trade, the Warriors don’t want to take on unfavorable contracts, “would like” to add a talented young player, and are determined to receive a first-rounder, per Slater’s sources.
As Slater details, general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. was motivated to get a deal done this week and recently offered Kuminga what the the club believes is the “highest starting salary” he currently has on the table. But the 22-year-old wasn’t moved by the offer, as he told Charania, and seems much more interested in landing with another team.
Signing his $7.98MM qualifying offer, which is essentially just a one-year contract with an implied no-trade clause, is an option Kuminga is considering, sources tell Slater. Choosing that path would cost Kuminga money in the short term but would give him more control of his situation and an opportunity to hit unrestricted free agency in 2026, Slater notes.
Part of the reason that Kuminga is trying to find a new home is that he has a “painful memory” of being out of the Warriors’ rotation in their first-round playoff series vs. Houston, according to Slater. The former lottery pick desires a featured offensive role and wants to be a consistent starter, Slater adds.
A source tells Ashish Mathur of DallasHoopsJournal.com that Kuminga has “made it known behind the scenes” that he doesn’t want to continue his career in Golden State, partly because he doesn’t think he can become an All-Star with the Warriors. Kuminga publicly discussed his All-Star ambitions last month in an interview with Slater.
Ben Simmons To Decide On New Team By Next Week?
Ben Simmons, an unrestricted free agent, is “probably” going to sign with a new team by next week, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reported on Threads (hat tip to Brian Robb of MassLive).
Windhorst mentioned the Kings, Suns, Knicks and Celtics as teams that have been linked to Simmons, confirming previous reporting from Jake Fischer and Marc Stein.
Simmons is a three-time All-Star who has made a pair of All-Defensive first teams and was the Defensive Player of the Year runner-up in 2021, but he has battled back issues in recent years and has been a tricky fit in lineups that feature any other non-shooters. In 51 total appearances for the Nets and Clippers last season, he averaged 5.0 points, 5.6 assists, and 4.7 rebounds in 22.0 minutes per game.
In a subscriber-0nly story for The Philadelphia Inquirer, Keith Pompey takes a look at how Simmons’ career has been derailed, with back injuries the primary culprit. While he’s no longer the player he once was, the 29-year-old remains a talented and versatile defender, according to Pompey, who writes that Simmons is still worthy of an NBA roster spot.
Simmons seems likely to receive a minimum-salary contract from whichever team he picks, considering the former No. 1 overall pick has become a “situational role player,” as Pompey puts it.
International Notes: J. Robinson, Winston, Ramsey, More
Former NBA point guard Justin Robinson has signed a two-year contract with Paris Basketball, according to a press release from the French team (hat tip to Eurohoops).
Robinson bounced around during his three NBA seasons, appearing in 43 games for Washington, Oklahoma City, Milwaukee, Sacramento and Detroit from 2019-22. He holds modest career averages of 2.6 points and 1.1 assists in 10.3 minutes per contest.
The 27-year-old has spent time in Australia and Spain since his last NBA job. During the 2024/25 season, he played in Italy’s top basketball league (Lega Basket Serie A) with Trapani Shark, averaging 14.4 PPG, 6.0 APG, 3.0 and 1.1 SPG in 29 games (25.9 MPG).
Paris Basketball competes in both the LNB Élite (France’s top league) and the EuroLeague. Robinson will be replacing T.J. Shorts, who was named MVP of the LNB Élite each of the past two seasons.
Here are a few more overseas items of interest:
- Former Michigan State star Cassius Winston has signed a one-year contract with Hapoel Jerusalem, the Israeli team announced. The 53rd pick of the 2020 draft, Winston spent two years on two-way contracts with the Wizards after going pro. He has spent the past three seasons playing in Germany, Turkey and Italy, respectively.
- Another ex-NBA guard, Jahmi’us Ramsey, is nearing a contract agreement with Italian club Pallacanestro Trieste, according to Superbasket (hat tip to Sportando). Ramsey, 24, was selected 10 picks before Winston (No. 43 overall) in 2020. He holds three years of NBA experience, having played in Sacramento and Toronto. Ramsey spent last season in the NBA G League with the Oklahoma City Blue, averaging 20.0 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 3.3 APG and 1.3 SPG on .496/.363/.685 shooting in 34 appearances (28.6 MPG).
- The decision on where to host the 2026 EuroLeague Final Four has been postponed a second time after league shareholders were unable to reach a consensus agreement, reports Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews. The Final Four will either be held in Athens, Greece, or Belgrade, Serbia, according to Urbonas, who says another vote could occur in September.
Ron Harper Jr. Released By Pistons
Forward Ron Harper Jr., who was on a two-way contract, has been released by the Pistons, according to the official transaction log at NBA.com (hat tip to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype).
Harper, who went undrafted out of Rutgers in 2022, spent his first year-and-a-half in the NBA on two-way contracts with the Raptors. Toronto released him in December 2023, and he was a free agent until he signed a training camp deal with Boston last summer.
The 25-year-old didn’t make the Celtics’ standard roster for 2024/25, having been waived last October. He caught on with the Pistons in early January, but only appeared in one NBA game with Detroit.
A 6’6″ wing, Harper spent the majority of last season in the NBA G League, averaging 16.2 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 2.2 APG and 0.9 SPG in 37 total appearances with the Motor City Cruise and Maine Celtics (29.6 MPG). He shot 38.6% from three-point range on high volume (8.2 attempts per game).
The Pistons have a two-way qualifying offer on the table for Daniss Jenkins and are reportedly signing Colby Jones on a two-way deal as well. If Jenkins returns on a two-way contract, all three of their spots will be filled.
Harper only has three years of NBA experience, so he remains eligible for a two-way deal with another team. Harper is the son of former NBA veteran Ron Harper and the older brother of Dylan Harper, who was selected No. 2 overall by the Spurs in last month’s draft.