Nets Sign Liddell To Two-Way Contract, Finalize Sharpe Deal
The Nets have officially announced a pair of signings, adding free agent forward E.J. Liddell on a two-way contract and finalizing their previously reported deal with free agent big man Day’Ron Sharpe (Twitter links).
Liddell, 24, was the 41st overall pick in the 2022 draft but tore his ACL in the Summer League just a few weeks later, wiping out his rookie season. The 24-year-old has since appeared in just 20 total NBA games for the Pelicans and Bulls and has seen extremely limited playing time. In 76 total NBA minutes across the past two seasons, he has scored 25 points and grabbed 14 rebounds.
However, Liddell has been more productive in the NBA G League, including in 27 outings last season for the Windy City Bulls. He averaged 15.7 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 2.5 assists in 32.3 minutes per game for Chicago’s NBAGL affiliate, posting a shooting line of .472/.361/.661.
Despite technically having been in the NBA for three seasons, Liddell still has two years of two-way eligibility left, since he missed one of those three seasons in its entirety due to an injury. He and Tyson Etienne are Brooklyn’s current two-way players, leaving one slot still open.
Meanwhile, Sharpe’s two-year, $12MM agreement with the Nets was reported was back on June 30, before the free agent period officially opened. The club has been putting off completing that deal – and Ziaire Williams‘ similar two-year, $12MM pact – in order to keep its options open with its cap room.
Still, all indications were that at least one of those two contracts would have to be signed using cap space, since the Nets renounced both players and wouldn’t be able to fit both Sharpe and Williams into their $8.8MM room exception. With that in mind, officially re-signing Sharpe doesn’t significantly impact Brooklyn’s flexibility — the team should still have roughly $16MM in room available.
Eastern Notes: Nets, Celtics, Bulls, Jovic
The Nets still have roughly $16MM in cap space left, according to New York Post’s Brian Lewis, and could still explore ways to add more draft assets from a team looking to dump salary. The Nets have already absorbed the contracts of Michael Porter Jr., Terance Mann and Haywood Highsmith while picking up a 2025 first-round pick (Drake Powell was taken in that spot), the Nuggets’ unprotected 2032 first-round pick and the Heat’s 2032 second-rounder. They are actively looking for more of those opportunities, Lewis reports.
Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:
- Now that the Celtics ownership has changed hands, will there be a change of venue? The Boston Globe’s Shirley Leung explores that possibility, noting that the new owners are keeping their options open. Currently, the Celtics share TD Garden with the NHL Bruins and rent from Garden owner Delaware North, Leung points out. It might more sense for the franchise to play in a new basketball arena flanked by real estate development in the surrounding area.
- The Chicago Sun-Times’ Joe Cowley has offered plenty of criticism regarding the Bulls’ front office in recent years. However, Cowley believes that there are other front offices more dysfunctional that the one led by executive VP Arturas Karnisovas and general manager Marc Eversley, placing the Pelicans, Knicks and Suns in that category.
- Nikola Jovic suffered what appeared to be a minor hand injury in Serbia’s 82-60 EuroBasket victory over the Czech Republic, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel tweets. The Heat forward had 10 points and six rebounds for Serbia, which has already had clinched a spot in the round of 16.
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.
Atlantic Notes: Simons, Queta, Nets, Sixers
The Celtics are still “very much willing” to discuss Anfernee Simons trade scenarios, one general manager tells Steve Bulpett of Heavy.com. However, another veteran personnel executive suggested that Boston might be better off hanging onto Simons through the start of the regular season.
“Other than Jaylen Brown, there’s not a better scorer than Simons on that roster,” the exec told Bulpett. “I mean, they obviously aren’t going to play the same way they played when they had (Kristaps) Porzingis and (Al) Horford and (Jrue) Holiday. (Head coach) Joe Mazzulla‘s going to have to completely change the style of play.
“Simons… nobody can score like him on that team other than Brown. He’s the second-best scorer, and it’s not even close. … I bet you he’s their leading scorer. Even with Jaylen. He’s going to have the ball a lot, and that dude can really score. That offense is going to have to change to accommodate him, and, on the last year of his contract, he’s going to let it fly.”
Simons is on an expiring $27.7MM contract and likely won’t factor into the Celtics’ plans beyond 2025/26. Having already ducked below the second tax apron, Boston reportedly has interest in shedding additional salary to perhaps move below the first apron or get out of tax territory altogether. But the club may have to exercise some patience to find the sort of deal it wants, another front office source told Bulpett.
“Anfernee Simons makes $27-plus million,” he said. “Who’s got room to put that in their cap? And he’s up after this year, so the Celtics aren’t going to want to take back anything that would load in more salary of less flexibility. I think, unless they are presented with some sweetheart situation, the most likely time for Simons to get moved — again, if he even does — would be at the trade deadline.
“I could see Boston being out of it and another team thinking they need a scorer like Simons to put them over the top. I could see another team that’s close wanting to add that kind of firepower down the stretch and into the playoffs. Even if it’s a rental, a team might go for him, because what we’re seeing now with the second apron and all that, if you win, it’s hard to keep a team with high-priced guys together. An expiring deal is so valuable.”
We have more notes from around the Atlantic:
- Celtics big man Neemias Queta came up big in Portugal’s first game of EuroBasket, piling up 23 points and 18 rebounds en route to a 62-50 victory over Czechia, as Semih Tuna of Eurohoops details. Queta, who may get a chance to compete for a starting role in Boston this fall, has a tougher matchup ahead of him on Friday when the Portuguese team takes on Nikola Jokic and the Serbians.
- C.J. Holmes of The New York Daily News (subscription required) considers the ways in which the Nets might use their remaining cap room, suggesting a deal with the Mavericks – who are looking to move off some salary to make room to sign Dante Exum – could be a logical fit for Brooklyn.
- The Delaware Blue Coats, the Sixers‘ G League affiliate, completed a three-team trade with the South Bay Lakers and Birmingham Squadron (Pelicans) that saw them acquire the returning rights to Malcolm Hill and South Bay’s 2026 first-round pick, the team announced (Twitter link). One of the outgoing pieces in the deal was the rights to Jared Brownridge, the former Santa Clara shooting guard who has played for Delaware since going undrafted in 2017. He ranks third all-time with 663 three-pointers made in G League regular season games.
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.
Atlantic Notes: Mann, McCain, Yabusele, Beasley, Raptors
After spending the first five-and-a-half seasons of his NBA career with the Clippers, Terance Mann was ready for a change when he was dealt to the Hawks at last season’s trade deadline, writes Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. Even though his stay in Atlanta only lasted a few months, Mann believes it was good for his career.
“I was super excited to be traded the first time, I kind of felt like my time in L.A. was up and it was time for me to get out of there,” he said. “I did six seasons there as a second-round pick and a lot of guys don’t get to do that so, I really felt excited to get traded to the East Coast and to an organization like Atlanta. The coaching staff was great and we had a good time.”
Mann was productive during his 30 games with the Hawks, averaging 9.8 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 22.7 minutes per night while shooting 54.1% from the field and 38.6% from three-point range. However, Atlanta was willing to part with him this summer for the chance to land Kristaps Porzingis, and he was shipped to the Nets in a three-team deal.
“It didn’t come as a surprise to me,” Mann said of the trade. “It’s going to be crazy to play in an environment like that, something new. I’m one of the oldest guys on the team, want to be a leader, show those guys what it takes to win. I’ve been with those guys a ton (this summer) and they’re super hungry, willing to learn basketball. It’s going to be fun. I’m excited for the challenge and I feel like I was built for this. I’m in my prime right now and ready to show the world what I’ve really got outside this role I’ve been playing for the last six seasons.”
There’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- Sixers guard Jared McCain tells Declan Harris of Sports Illustrated that he lost a close friend and mentor when Guerschon Yabusele signed with the Knicks in free agency. Yabusele helped McCain deal with a difficult rookie season that was cut short by a torn meniscus in December. “Man, I’m gonna miss him, that’s one of the best people I’ve ever been around,” McCain said. “I could go to him for anything; a lot of my teammates are like that, but him, I gravitated to a lot. He was just super nice, just a good person and fun to play with, also another great energy person, so I’m sad to see him go.”
- A league source confirms to Stefan Bondy of the New York Post that the Knicks have interest in Malik Beasley now that he’s no longer a target of a federal gambling investigation (Twitter link). However, New York can only offer a veteran’s minimum contract, and Beasley may have more lucrative options elsewhere.
- The Raptors‘ G League affiliate traded its first-round pick in this year’s draft to the College Park Skyhawks in exchange for the returning player rights to Jarkel Joiner, according to Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter link).
Free Agent Rumors: Thomas, Westbrook, Simmons, Shamet, Knicks
NBA insider Jake Fischer reported Wednesday during a Bleacher Report live stream (YouTube link) that he continues to hear restricted free agent guard Cam Thomas is weighing whether to sign his $6MM qualifying offer or accept a two-year deal with the Nets worth around $14MM annually. The catch is the second year is a team option, meaning only the first season is guaranteed.
“Cam Thomas’s situation seems to be a decision between taking his qualifying offer or a two-year deal with a team option that is north of the qualifying offer from Brooklyn, somewhere around $14 million in average annual value,” Fischer said.
For what it’s worth, league sources not connected to the situation speculated to Kurt Helin of NBC Sports that Thomas might accept a two-year deal with a team option if he received closer to what Golden State reportedly offered Jonathan Kuminga ($45MM). While Helin acknowledges that the Nets have the edge in negotiating leverage, he wonders if the two sides will eventually reach some sort of compromise — perhaps a second-year player option or a partial guarantee in year two — to hash out a new deal.
Here are a few more rumors and notes on NBA veterans who remain unsigned:
- There’s still no indication that any NBA team besides Sacramento is seriously considering signing Russell Westbrook, Fischer said yesterday in the same Bleacher Report live stream (hat tip to Dallas Hoops Journal). “We are still waiting to see what other moves could come in Sacramento before the Kings try to bring Russell Westbrook in,” Fischer said. “And that’s been the one home all along that we really have looked at for Russell Westbrook and that’s still the home that I have heard earlier this week is the most likely outcome for Russell Westbrook if he’s gonna be in the NBA at all. Honestly, that’s really the only home we’ve heard for him.”
- Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report takes a look at four potential landing spots for Ben Simmons, including the Kings, Knicks and Warriors.
- While the Knicks and Simmons have mutual interest and the 29-year-old could end up in New York, Ian Begley of SNY.tv thinks the former No. 1 overall pick is “probably” more likely to land with another team, he said Tuesday on The Putback (YouTube link). New York only has enough room below its second-apron hard cap to sign one veteran to a minimum-salary deal, and Begley is “kind of assuming” that contract will eventually go to Landry Shamet. The Knicks have also kicked the tires on Malcolm Brogdon, though Begley noted they would likely have to make a trade to sign more than one of those three players.
New York Notes: Towns, Thibodeau, Brown, Wolf, Highsmith
Stefan Bondy of the New York Post (subscriber link) finds it curious that there hasn’t been more talk about an extension for Knicks big man Karl-Anthony Towns this summer. Towns has until October 20 to add two more years to his current deal, which runs through 2026/27 with a $61MM player option for the following season.
Bondy states that he hasn’t been able to get any information about possible extension talks. Towns’ agent didn’t respond to a text regarding the subject, and team president Leon Rose almost never communicates with the media.
Bondy expects Towns to play out the remainder of his contract, possibly including the player option, before getting a new deal. His max extension would be $150MM over two years, and even though Towns is a perennial All-Star, Bondy doesn’t view him as being worth $75MM per year as teams maneuver to stay below the second apron.
Bondy also brings up several questions the Knicks might want to have answered before they consider committing that kind of money to Towns. Can he stay healthier than he did in Minnesota, will he and Jalen Brunson develop better chemistry in the offense, can he improve his pick-and-roll defense, and does he fit better as a center or a power forward?
There’s more from New York City:
- Knicks fans are expecting a trip to the NBA Finals this season and would consider anything less to be a disappointment, a survey taken by James L. Edwards of The Athletic reveals. More than 3,000 fans responded, and most are cautiously optimistic that New York will be the No. 1 seed in the East, but they’re split on the firing of Tom Thibodeau. A plurality of 37.7% agree with the move, while 29.6% oppose it and 32.7% are indifferent. Nearly 70% are withholding judgment on new head coach Mike Brown.
- Danny Wolf, the last of the Nets‘ five first-round picks this year, brings a lot of versatility to the roster, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post (subscription required). He’s a big man who can orchestrate the offense and shoot from the outside, and he has the potential to see time at power forward and center. “He’s just so unique. I don’t want to compare him to certain players,” Summer League coach Steve Hetzel said. “He’s very unique because he can handle, he can play pick-and-roll … at Michigan, he was a primary ball-handler in pick-and-rolls. So he has a ton of skill and he can shoot the three.”
- The Nets are acquiring Haywood Highsmith from Miami, but he seems to be more of a trade chip than a long-term investment, Bondy observes in another story. Brooklyn is emphasizing the development of its young players, and there might be interest around the league in the 28-year-old Highsmith, who has a $5.6MM expiring contract, once he recovers from knee surgery.
Heat Trade Haywood Highsmith To Nets
The Heat and Nets have agreed to a trade that sends wing Haywood Highsmith to Brooklyn along with a 2032 second-round pick in exchange for a protected 2026 second-rounder, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter links).
The Nets have officially confirmed the deal, announcing that they’ve acquired Miami’s unprotected 2032 second-round selection and Highsmith in exchange for their own top-55 protected 2026 second-rounder.
It’s a financially motivated deal for the Heat, who will move under the luxury tax line as a result of the move. Miami entered the day operating about $1.6MM above the tax threshold with 14 players under contract.
Sending Highsmith’s expiring $5.6MM contract to Brooklyn will give the Heat nearly $4MM in breathing room below the tax, with at least one standard roster spot to fill before the season begins — the club will likely keep its 15th roster spot open to start the season to avoid going back above the tax line.
The Heat were always considered likely to duck the tax this season in order to reset their repeater clock.
When I identified Miami earlier this month as a good bet to make a cost-cutting move, I mentioned Highsmith as a potential trade candidate and speculated that he should have a little value based on his play as a three-and-D wing last season. The 28-year-old made 74 appearances (42 starts) for the Heat, averaging 6.5 points and 3.4 rebounds in 24.6 minutes per game and posting a .458/.382/.721 shooting line.
However, word broke last Friday that Highsmith had sustained a torn meniscus during an offseason workout and underwent surgery to address the injury. The recovery process is expected to sidelined him for at least eight-to-10 weeks, jeopardizing his availability for the start of the season and reducing his value as a trade chip, which is why the Heat had to give up a second-round pick to move him.
Miami will create a trade exception worth Highsmith’s outgoing salary ($5,616,000), which the club will have one year to use.
As for the Nets, they continue to use their cap room to stockpile draft assets, having acquired a pair of first-round picks in separate deals for Michael Porter Jr. and Terance Mann earlier this summer. It’s unclear whether or not Highsmith will be part of their plans for the 2025/26 season, given that there may be a roster crunch in Brooklyn, but taking on his contract puts only a small dent into their remaining cap space.
As Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets, Brooklyn still has $22MM in room after accounting for Cam Thomas‘ $12.1MM cap hold, though that figure doesn’t include reported two-year, $12MM deals with Day’Ron Sharpe or Ziaire Williams, which aren’t yet official. One of those signings could be completed using the room exception, but at least one will have to use the Nets’ cap space.
NBA Teams Average 14.4 Back-To-Backs In 2025/26
Five NBA teams will play a league-high 16 back-to-back sets during the 2025/26 regular season, while six clubs will have just 13 instances of back-to-back games on their schedules. The remaining 19 teams will play either 14 or 15 back-to-backs.
[RELATED: 2025/26 NBA Schedules By Team]
Those totals – along with an overall average of 14.4 back-to-backs per team – are about what we’ve come to expect in recent years.
Prior to the COVID-shortened seasons of 2019/20 and ’20/21, the NBA’s regular season consisted of 177 days, and the league had made a concerted effort to reduce instances of back-to-backs. When the league announced its initial schedule in ’19/20, its press release boasted that teams were averaging a record-low 12.4 back-to-backs that season, marking the fifth straight year in which that number had reached an all-time low.
However, since 2021/22, NBA regular seasons have spanned just 174 days, making it a little more difficult for schedule-makers to avoid back-to-back sets. The average number of back-to-backs per team is still well below where it once was (teams averaged 19.3 in 2024/25), but it’s no longer at a record low.
Here are the back-to-backs by team in 2025/26:
- Charlotte Hornets: 16
Denver Nuggets: 16
Philadelphia 76ers: 16
Phoenix Suns: 16
Washington Wizards: 16 - Golden State Warriors: 15
Los Angeles Clippers: 15
Miami Heat: 15
New Orleans Pelicans: 15
Portland Trail Blazers: 15
Toronto Raptors: 15
Utah Jazz: 15 - Brooklyn Nets: 14
Cleveland Cavaliers: 14
Dallas Mavericks: 14
Detroit Pistons: 14
Houston Rockets: 14
Los Angeles Lakers: 14
Memphis Grizzlies: 14
Milwaukee Bucks: 14
New York Knicks: 14
Orlando Magic: 14
Sacramento Kings: 14
San Antonio Spurs: 14 - Atlanta Hawks: 13
Boston Celtics: 13
Chicago Bulls: 13
Indiana Pacers: 13
Minnesota Timberwolves: 13
Oklahoma City Thunder: 13