Cavaliers Rumors

NBA 2025 Offseason Check-In: Cleveland Cavaliers

September 10th, 2025 at 3:54pm CST by Luke Adams

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 Cleveland Cavaliers.

Free agent signings

Sam Merrill: Four years, $38,000,000. Re-signed using Bird rights.
Larry Nance Jr.: One year, minimum salary. Signed using minimum salary exception.

Trades

Acquired Lonzo Ball from the Bulls in exchange for Isaac Okoro.

Draft picks

2-49: Tyrese Proctor
- Signed to four-year, $8,685,386 contract. First two years guaranteed. Third year partially guaranteed ($500K). Fourth-year team option.
2-58: Saliou Niang
- Will play overseas.

Two-way signings

Luke Travers
- One year, $85,300 partial guarantee (will increase to $318,218 at start of regular season).

Departed/unsigned free agents

Emoni Bates (unsigned)
Javonte Green (Pistons)
Ty Jerome (Grizzlies)
Chuma Okeke (Real Madrid)
Tristan Thompson (unsigned)

Other roster moves

None

Salary cap situation

Operating over the cap ($154.6MM) and above the luxury tax line ($187.9MM).
Carrying approximately $226.3MM in salary.
No hard cap.
One traded player exception frozen ($8,500,000).
One traded player exception available ($1,000,000).

The offseason so far

When the Cavaliers fell to Indiana in the second round of the playoffs this spring, it was a gut punch for a couple reasons. First and foremost, it was an incredibly disappointing way to end what had been one of the best years in team history up until that point. Only the 2008/09 Cavs – propelled by an MVP season from an in-his-prime LeBron James – racked up more regular season victories than the 64 last season’s club won.

It was also a discouraging outcome because it happened right before the Cavs’ roster was set to get significantly more expensive. Cleveland managed to duck below the luxury tax line at February’s deadline, but even without re-signing any key free agents, the team’s salary for 2025/26 was set to enter second-apron territory.

After the Suns, Celtics, and Timberwolves got a first-hand look last season at the impact of operating in the second tax apron, those teams were all in the process of moving below that threshold this summer. Would the Cavs really be willing to go deeper into the second apron in order to re-sign guys who played key roles for the 2024/25 squad, such as Ty Jerome and Sam Merrill?

As it turns out, the answer was yes — to a point. The Cavs didn’t hesitate to negotiate a new multiyear deal with Merrill, who established himself as one of the club’s best shooters and whose defense has improved significantly since he entered the league. The two sides reached an agreement on a four-year, $38MM contract two days before the league-wide free agent period opened, keeping Merrill off the market.

While that contract is fully guaranteed, it’s only worth about 5.5% of the cap in year one and will remain in that neighborhood over the next four years. It’s a fair deal for a rotation player who figures to average 20-plus minutes per game and who won’t be played off the floor in the postseason — as a point of comparison, another Eastern Conference wing who plays a similar role, Boston’s Sam Hauser, will be paid $45MM over the same four-year period.

Although Cleveland made Merrill a priority, the front office didn’t do the same for Jerome, whose breakout year earned him a third-place finish in Sixth Man of the Year voting.

As good as Jerome was, he was exposed defensively in the playoffs, and the Cavs likely didn’t feel the need to invest heavily in another offense-first guard while already paying big bucks to Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland — especially since doing so would have cost them exponentially more in tax penalties. After agreeing to a three-year, $27.7MM deal with the Grizzlies, Jerome suggested in a social media post that he was “never presented with the option of returning” to Cleveland.

Like the decision to pass on Jerome, the other Cavaliers’ moves were made with financial considerations in mind. That includes their straight-up trade of Isaac Okoro for Lonzo Ball. Okoro ($11MM) will only earn slightly more in 2025/26 than Ball ($10MM), but Okoro’s contract is guaranteed through the 2026/27 season, while the Cavs will hold a team option for Ball in ’26/27, giving them some extra financial flexibility.

Of course, swapping a wing for a point guard also made sense from a roster construction standpoint after having re-signed Merrill and not Jerome.

Although Ball returned last season from a two-and-a-half-year injury absence related to recurring knee problems, he still wasn’t exactly a paragon of health, having appeared in just 35 games. If he can bump that number to at least 50-60 appearances in 2025/26, it would be a major boon for the Cavs, since Ball has a knack for making his team better even when his box-score numbers don’t look all that impressive.

The Cavs used one of their second-round picks to select former Duke guard Tyrese Proctor and sign him to a multiyear contract that starts at the rookie minimum. The gap between cap hits for a rookie minimum salary ($1,272,870) and a veteran minimum salary ($2,296,274) isn’t massive, but when a team is as deep into luxury tax territory as Cleveland is, the savings represent far more than that modest difference suggests.

Proctor spent three years with the Blue Devils and should be more NBA-ready than a one-and-done prospect, but he’s still just 21 years old and may not be prepared to contribute right away. That would probably be OK with the Cavs, who figure to focus on developing Proctor’s game in the hopes that he’ll be ready to take on a more regular rotation role in a year or two.

Finally, the Cavs added some much-needed frontcourt depth by reuniting with Larry Nance Jr. on a minimum-salary agreement. Nance, who was in Cleveland for three-and-a-half seasons from 2018-21, averaged 27.6 minutes per game during his first stint with the organization. This time around, he’ll likely be asked to play a more modest role behind big men Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley, but – as long as he’s healthy – he’ll be a solid insurance option up front in the event of an injury to either of those players.

Up next

Although injuries to Garland (toe) and Max Strus (foot) are expected to sideline them for the start of the regular season, the Cavs seem unlikely to carry a full 15-man roster due to luxury tax concerns. However, they’ll need to get to at least 14 players on standard contracts, which will require adding one more player at some point in the next month or two.

Despite being limited to minimum-salary offers for veteran free agents, the Cavs have no shortage of options for that 14th spot. If they want to add one more ball-handling guard for depth purposes due to health concerns about Garland and/or Ball, a player like Malcolm Brogdon or Cameron Payne would make sense.

With Strus expected to miss an extended period, one more wing would be a logical choice too — someone like Garrison Mathews, Landry Shamet, or Gary Payton II could fit that bill. Cleveland has also been linked to Malik Beasley, though he remains under investigation by the NBA, and it’s unclear if one of the league’s best sharpshooters will have to settle for the veteran’s minimum.

The Cavs could even target one more big man to further fortify their frontcourt behind Allen and Mobley, given that Nance is coming off a season-ending knee issue. Precious Achiuwa and Thomas Bryant are among the vets still out there.

Whichever direction they go, I’d like to see the Cavs use that spot on a player who can actually contribute rather than a locker-room leader who won’t see any action — with Garland and Strus already recovering from major injuries, Cleveland isn’t in position to throw away a valuable opportunity to add more playable depth.

The Cavaliers also have one open two-way slot to fill alongside Nae’Qwan Tomlin and Luke Travers. The path they take with their standard roster spot could dictate what position they want to address with that final two-way opening.

Finally, it’s worth noting that several key Cleveland players – Garland, Strus De’Andre Hunter, and Dean Wade – will be eligible for extensions during the preseason. However, Garland, Strus, and Hunter all have multiple guaranteed years left on their current contracts and Wade has been mentioned as a potential trade candidate in the event that the Cavs want to try to reduce their tax bill.

I’d be a little surprised if any of those four players signs an extension before the regular season begins, given Cleveland’s cap situation. The team, which is carrying the NBA’s most expensive roster in 2025/26, probably isn’t eager to lock in more long-term money earlier than it needs to.

NBA Conducting Own Investigation Into Malik Beasley

September 10th, 2025 at 1:41pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA is conducting its own investigation into Malik Beasley related to allegations of improper gambling on games and prop bets, the league confirmed to ESPN’s David Purdum. Beasley is “fully cooperating” in that probe, attorney Steve Haney told ESPN.

Word broke in June, just ahead of his free agency, that the veteran sharpshooter was under investigation by the U.S. District Attorney’s office due to unusual betting activity on Beasley-related wagers during the 2023/24 season.

ESPN’s Shams Charania reported in August that Beasley is no longer a “target” in that investigation, though subsequent reports indicated that he’s still a “subject” of the investigation, meaning he’s not entirely in the clear.

As Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets, the NBA has the right to investigate a case and hand out its own penalty (e.g. a fine or suspension) unless a player is explicitly found not guilty in a court of law. So even if federal investigators don’t charge Beasley, that doesn’t necessarily mean he won’t face any punishment from the league, though presumably the findings in both investigations will be similar.

Investigators in the case are reportedly focused on unusually heavy betting activity on Beasley’s statistics in January 2024, including a Jan. 31 game in which action on his “under 2.5 rebounds” prop bet surged significantly in the hours leading up to tip-off — he ended up grabbing six rebounds in that game, meaning the bets deemed unusual lost.

The NBA’s investigation into Beasley is believed to be in its final stages, a source familiar with the situation tells Purdum. For what it’s worth, the 28-year-old wing recently published an Instagram post in which he stated that “my decision is near,” which may be a reference to a free agency decision.

Beasley and the Pistons were reportedly deep in talks on a three-year, $42MM deal before word of the federal investigation broke and Detroit pulled that offer. The Pistons no longer have the cap space or exceptions available to make that sort of offer for Beasley, but could go up to a starting salary of $7.2MM using his Non-Bird rights.

The Cavaliers, Knicks, and Timberwolves are among the other teams said to have registered interest in Beasley. He’s coming off a strong season in Detroit in which he was the Sixth Man of the Year runner-up after averaging 16.3 points per game and finishing second in the NBA in three-pointers made (319).

NBA Teams With Fewest Players On Guaranteed Contracts

September 5th, 2025 at 2:58pm CST by Luke Adams

As of Friday, seven of the NBA’s 30 teams are carrying at least 15 players on fully guaranteed contracts and are unlikely to have many additional offseason acquisitions in store. Another nine teams are carrying 14 players on fully guaranteed deals, while 10 others have 12 or 13 guaranteed contracts on their books.

As our roster counts page shows, that leaves four clubs carrying 11 or fewer players on fully guaranteed deals. That doesn’t necessarily mean all four of those teams will sign free agents to guaranteed contracts before the regular season begins, but it’s worth checking in on them to take a closer look at their roster situations.

Atlanta Hawks

Although the Hawks are only carrying 11 players on guaranteed contracts, it’s possible no more additions are coming before the regular season, since they have four more players on partially guaranteed or non-guaranteed deals, and all four could be in the team’s plans.

One of those four players, Vit Krejci, should be a lock for the regular season roster. Krejci has been a regular rotation piece over the past two seasons and $1.5MM of his $2.35MM salary is also guaranteed. N’Faly Dante is the other Hawk with a partial guarantee — only $85,300 of his $2.05MM salary is locked in, but the Hawks probably wouldn’t have gone to the trouble of signing him away from Houston with an offer sheet if they planned to waive him before the season begins.

Former Magic forward Caleb Houstan and 2023 second-round pick Mouhamed Gueye have non-guaranteed minimum salaries for 2025/26. Houstan made 40% of his three-point attempts last season, and the Hawks may not be ready to give up on Gueye, who had his rookie year shortened significantly by a back injury.

Waiving any one of those four players would clear a path for Atlanta to either add a new 15th man or to carry an open roster spot into the regular season.

Cleveland Cavaliers

In addition to their 11 players on guaranteed salaries, the Cavaliers have Dean Wade, a reliable reserve whose contract features a significant partial guarantee, and Craig Porter Jr., a minimum-salary reserve who has been productive in limited minutes and who could play a greater role this fall if Darius Garland misses the start of the season due to toe surgery, as expected.

That’s still just 13 players on standard deals, so Cleveland will need to find a 14th man. Even though they could use some additional depth due to Garland’s toe injury and Max Strus‘ foot surgery, it’s probably safe to assume the Cavs won’t carry a full 15-man roster into the season since they already have the league’s highest payroll and won’t want to further increase their luxury tax bill if they don’t need to.

It wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Cavaliers sign a player to a partially guaranteed or non-guaranteed contract for their 14th spot. That would give the team some flexibility early in the season to make a change at that spot if they need to bring in extra depth at a specific position.

A player on a non-guaranteed deal without an early salary guarantee date won’t have his salary for 2025/26 locked in unless he remains under contract through January 7, so the Cavs could maintain some flexibility with the 14th spot until then. For now, a guard or wing to help fill in for Garland and Strus would make sense.

Golden State Warriors

The offseason practically hasn’t started for the Warriors, who belatedly finalized a pair of draft-night trade agreements on July 6 and haven’t made a single roster move since then. Jonathan Kuminga‘s restricted free agency standoff is the reason for the hold-up. Until they know the exact value of Kuminga’s cap hit – or the cap hits of the players they acquire in a sign-and-trade for Kuminga – the Warriors want to hold off on filling out the rest of their roster, since they may need to navigate a hard cap.

For now, Golden State is carrying just seven players on fully guaranteed contracts, four below the total for any other team. But Trayce Jackson-Davis and Gui Santos, who have non-guaranteed salaries, are probably sticking around, and Kuminga would get them to 10 players if he re-signs.

The Warriors are also believed to have deals lined up with several free agents, starting with Al Horford, who will likely receive most or all of the taxpayer mid-level exception. Horford and De’Anthony Melton (likely on a minimum-salary deal) have been the free agents long assumed to have handshake agreements with Golden State. Seth Curry, Gary Payton II, and Malcolm Brogdon are among the other rumored candidates to sign with the team (Curry seems to be the most likely), along with second-round picks Will Richard and possibly Alex Toohey.

It’s probably safe to assume that some combination of these players will fill out the Warriors’ roster once Kuminga’s free agency is finally resolved. Whether they carry 14 or 15 players could depend on how much Kuminga signs for — if the forward accepts his $8MM qualifying offer, Golden State would be in a way better position to carry a full roster than if he signs the team’s reported proposal that starts at $21.75MM.

New York Knicks

The Knicks have 11 players on guaranteed salaries, with Ariel Hukporti as their non-guaranteed 12th man. Technically, waiving Hukporti to replace him with another player is a possibility, but New York has so little cap flexibility below its second-apron hard cap that it’s not a practical route, since Hukporti’s $1,955,377 cap hit gives the club important extra breathing room that a $2,296,274 veteran’s minimum deal wouldn’t.

As their situation stands, the Knicks have enough room below the second apron to sign one veteran free agent to a minimum-salary contract and one draft-rights-held player to a rookie-minimum deal. A salary-shedding trade could change the equation for the club, but if that doesn’t happen, the Knicks have next to no maneuverability and won’t be able to add a 15th man until near the end of the season.

While swapping non-guaranteed players on and off the roster during the first part of the season is a viable option for a team like Atlanta, it’s not practical for New York, since those moves would burn much-needed room below the hard cap. That may be one reason why the Knicks are taking their time to decide who their 13th and 14th men will be. Once they sign those guys, they may end up committed to them for a while.

Central Notes: Beasley, Pistons, Cavaliers

September 3rd, 2025 at 5:40pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Free agent former Pistons swingman Malik Beasley has touched back down in Detroit, reports Robert Snell of The Detroit News (subscriber link). After coughing up $38K in delinquent money owed, he has moved back into the apartment from which he was evicted last month.

According to Snell, the 6’4″ sharpshooter maintains interest in re-signing with the Pistons for the 2025/26 season. His free agency this summer has been marred by a federal gambling investigation. He is no longer considered a “target” in the probe, but he remains a possible “subject”, so he isn’t entirely in the clear.

Detroit could sign Beasley using his Non-Bird rights for as much as $7.2MM.

He enjoyed a terrific run during his inaugural season with the club, helping the Pistons notch a 44-38 record and return to the playoffs for the first time in six years.

While playing all 82 games for Detroit, mostly as a reserve, Beasley averaged 16.3 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 1.7 APG and 0.9 SPG in just 27.8 MPG. He also connected on 41.6% of his triple tries and finished second in Sixth Man of the Year voting.

There’s more out of the Central Division:

With just one open standard roster spot left to potentially fill, the Pistons‘ personnel appears to be (mostly) pretty set for 2025/26. Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press (subscriber link) projects the club’s depth chart for the new year, including how he thinks the team will integrate new free agent wing signings Duncan Robinson and Caris LeVert.
The Cavaliers will hold their training camp at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida for a second straight year, per Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. “Returning to IMG Academy is a testament to the tremendous experience we had there last year,” team president Koby Altman said. “The overall engagement, both at the Bradenton facility and throughout the community, was an invaluable part of our preparations.” The Cavs’ camp will take place from September 30 to October 5.
In case you missed it, Bulls center Nikola Vucevic announced his retirement from offseason competitions for the Montenegrin national team.

Brazil Wins FIBA AmeriCup 2025

September 1st, 2025 at 10:41am CST by Rory Maher

In a Sunday night final in which both teams struggled to score, Brazil beat Argentina by a final score of 55-47 to win the gold medal at AmeriCup 2025 in Nicaragua, according to FIBA.

Brazil’s 55 points marked the lowest ever by a champion, per the press release, while the 102 combined points between the two sides were the fewest in any AmeriCup game.

It was a rematch of the 2022 final, with the Brazilian national team avenging its loss and dethroning Argentina to win its fifth AmeriCup championship (first since 2009). Argentina claimed the silver medal as the runner-up.

Brazilian point guard Yago Santos, who competes professionally in the EuroLeague with Crvena Zvezda, was named MVP of the event after averaging 17.8 points, 6.2 assists (against only 1.8 turnovers) and 3.3 rebounds on .485/.487/.880 shooting in six appearances (27.6 minutes per game).

After recording game highs of 25 points and 12 assists in Brazil’s semifinal comeback against Team USA, Santos finished the final with game highs of 14 points and five assists.

The All-Star Five was comprised of Santos, Bruno Caboclo (Brazil), Juan Fernandez (Argentina), Javonte Smart (United States) and Kyshawn George (Canada). Caboclo and Smart are former NBA players, while George — who was making his senior national team debut — is entering his second season with the Wizards.

Prior to the final, the United States and Canada competed in the third-place game. It was another rematch, with the same result as three years ago: the U.S. defeated Canada to win bronze. Team USA was led by 21 points apiece from Smart and Tyler Cavanaugh.

Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado (Puerto Rico) headlined the All-Star Five second team, with Norchad Omier (Nicaragua), Georginho De Paula (Brazil), José Vildoza (Argentina) and Mfiondu Kabengele (Canada) rounding out the group.

Omier is expected to sign an Exhibit 10 deal with the Cavaliers after going undrafted in June, while Kabengele spent parts of three seasons in the NBA, last suiting up for Boston in 2022/23. Alvarado was injured during Puerto Rico’s quarterfinal loss.

Cavaliers Notes: Strus, Merrill, Wade, Tyson, Hunter, Ball

August 31st, 2025 at 5:30pm CST by Rory Maher

In a subscriber-only mailbag for Cleveland.com, Chris Fedor states that Max Strus was slated to be the Cavaliers‘ starting small forward this fall prior to suffering a Jones fracture in his left foot last week. The injury required surgery and will sideline Strus for multiple months.

Fedor cautions that while the team gave a three-to-four month timeline for Strus to return to basketball activities, his actual absence will likely extend beyond that period. As Fedor observes, Jones fractures can be tricky and slow to heal, plus the Cavaliers typically take a cautious approach to injuries — it’s possible Strus might end up missing about half of the season.

Here’s more on the Cavaliers:

Strus isn’t the only starter likely to be out to open 2025/26, Fedor notes, as All-Star point guard Darius Garland is still recovering from offseason toe surgery after being hobbled by the injury in the postseason. Sam Merrill, who re-signed with the Cavs on a four-year, $38MM deal this summer, is the “most obvious” player who needs to step up with Garland and Strus out, according to Fedor, who says the former second-round pick (60th overall in 2020) will likely be a replacement starter.
It will take a team effort to cover for Strus and Garland during their absences. Veteran forward Dean Wade and second-year guard Jaylon Tyson are among the other players who should get more opportunities, Fedor writes, with Wade perhaps slotting in as the fifth starter. Head coach Kenny Atkinson may prefer to have De’Andre Hunter in a sixth man role to have more scoring punch off the bench, Fedor adds.
According to Fedor, Tyson may be the biggest X-factor for the rotation, because the team had already planned him give him more run prior to Strus’ injury. The 2024 first-round pick (20th overall) will have a real chance to carve out minutes if he plays well, as Atkinson is high on him and is curious to see how he’ll mesh with the “core four” of Donovan Mitchell, Garland, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen once Garland returns.
Offseason trade acquisition Lonzo Ball is another player who will fit into the rotation, Fedor writes. However, it remains to be seen how active the 27-year-old guard will be. After missing two-plus years with a knee injury, Ball played surprisingly well in his return to action in ’24/25, but he was limited to just 35 games due to multiple wrist injuries.

And-Ones: Fall, F. Jackson, Z. Simpson, ESPN

August 28th, 2025 at 8:44pm CST by Luke Adams

The Ningbo Rockets of the Chinese Basketball Association have added a trio of former NBA players for the 2025/26 season, according to Alberto De Roa of HoopsHype. Center Tacko Fall and guards Frank Jackson and Zavier Simpson have reportedly joined the CBA team.

Fall, a 7’6″ big man who appeared in 37 NBA games for the Celtics and Cavaliers from 2019-22, is no stranger to China’s basketball league, having spent time with the Xinjiang Flying Tigers and Nanjing Monkey Kings since he last played in the NBA. He also had a stint with the New Zealand Breakers last season.

Jackson has also played in the CBA with the Shanxi Loongs and Jiangsu Dragons, while Simpson will be playing in the country for the first time after spending last season in Romania. Jackson, a 2017 second-round pick, has appeared in 214 NBA regular season games, but has been out of the league since March 2023. Simpson made seven appearances for the Grizzlies on a pair of 10-day contracts near the end of the 2023/24 season after playing four times for Oklahoma City in ’21/22.

Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

ESPN is making a change to its top broadcasting team for the 2025/26 NBA season and 2026 NBA Finals, according to Andrew Marchand of The Athletic, who reports that Tim Legler will replace Doris Burke alongside Mike Breen and Richard Jefferson. However, Burke has signed a multiyear extension with ESPN and will be on ESPN’s No. 2 NBA broadcast team with play-by-play man Dave Pasch.
An ESPN panel of NBA experts is forecasting the Cavaliers to win an Eastern Conference-high 59 games in 2025/26, with the Knicks (54-28), Magic (50-32), Hawks (47-35), and Pistons (47-35) rounding out the top five. ESPN’s projections have the Bucks, Celtics, Sixers, Heat, and Pacers battling for the final playoff spot and play-in seeding. Over in the West, ESPN’s forecast calls for the Thunder (64 wins) to repeat as the conference’s No. 1 seed, followed by the Rockets (54-28), Nuggets (53-29), Timberwolves (51-31), Clippers (50-32), and Lakers (50-32).
Unsurprisingly, in a separate story predicting next season’s conference and NBA champions, ESPN’s panel picks the Cavaliers and Thunder as the favorites to meet in the NBA Finals, with Oklahoma City repeating as champions. For what it’s worth, the Nuggets received the second-most votes as potential champs, followed by Cleveland, the Rockets, and the Knicks.

Fischer’s Latest: Beasley, Warriors, Brogdon, Highsmith, More

August 28th, 2025 at 2:35pm CST by Rory Maher

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.

Wolves Among Teams To Touch Base With Malik Beasley

August 26th, 2025 at 4:02pm CST by Luke Adams

The Timberwolves are among the teams that have been in contact with Malik Beasley‘s camp about the free agent swingman, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

Minnesota joins the Pistons, Cavaliers, and Knicks as the teams known to have expressed interest in Beasley, Scotto notes.

As we detailed earlier today, while the 28-year-old is no longer a target of a federal investigation into unusual gambling and prop betting activity, he’s still considered a subject of that probe, so he hasn’t been fully cleared by either investigators or the NBA. However, his outlook has apparently improved enough that teams are increasingly willing to explore the idea of signing him.

Beasley spent two-and-a-half seasons with the Timberwolves from 2020-22 before being traded to Utah as part of the Rudy Gobert mega-deal during the ’22 offseason. He put up some of the best scoring numbers of his career in Minnesota, averaging 15.1 points per game in 130 outings, with a 38.9% mark on three-point tries.

The Timberwolves have 13 players under contract and are operating about $5.9MM below the second tax apron, so they would have the ability to offer Beasley more than a minimum-salary contract using the taxpayer mid-level exception, especially if they’re not committed to carrying a 15th man to open the regular season.

The Pistons still control Beasley’s Non-Bird rights, giving them the ability to offer him a first-year salary worth up to $7.2MM. However, their level of interest in re-signing him after adding Caris LeVert and Duncan Robinson this summer is unclear.

The Knicks and Cavaliers are both limited to minimum-salary offers. As Scotto points out, Cleveland’s desire to add another wing may have increased in the wake of Max Strus‘ foot surgery.

Cavs’ Strus Undergoes Foot Surgery, Out At Least 3-4 Months

August 26th, 2025 at 3:06pm CST by Luke Adams

Cavaliers wing Max Strus underwent surgery on Tuesday to repair a Jones fracture in his left foot, the team announced today (Twitter link). The injury occurred during an offseason workout.

According to the Cavs, Strus is expected to resume basketball activities in approximately three to four months. That means he’ll be sidelined for the start of the regular season, which will tip off in less than two months.

It’s a tough break for the Cavs and for Strus, who averaged 9.4 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 3.2 assists in 25.5 minutes per game during his second year in Cleveland in 2024/25. He’s one of the team’s most reliable three-point shooters, knocking down 38.6% of 5.9 attempts per game last season, and finished the year as the starting small forward.

The silver lining for the Cavs is that there should be enough wing depth on the roster to get by without Strus during the first half of the season. De’Andre Hunter is the leading candidate to move into the starting lineup, with newly re-signed sharpshooter Sam Merrill likely in line for an increased role off the bench.

Veteran forward Dean Wade and second-year wing Jaylon Tyson are among the other reserves who should move up on the depth chart this fall.

A Jones fracture is a break in the fifth metatarsal, the bone that connects the pinkie toe to the base of the foot. Zach LaVine (2024), Dariq Whitehead (2023), and Ryan Rollins (2023) are among the NBA players who have dealt with similar injuries in recent years.

The three-to-four month timeline provided today by the Cavs is a projection for when Strus will resume basketball activities, so his absence will likely extend beyond that. But for what it’s worth, four months from today would be right around Christmas.

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