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Free Agent Notes: Rollins, CP3, Aldama, Grimes, Wolves, E. Miller

June 29th, 2025 at 1:57pm CST by Luke Adams

The Bucks have tendered a qualifying offer to guard Ryan Rollins, making him a restricted free agent, a league source tells Eric Nehm of The Athletic (Twitter link).

After starting the 2024/25 season on a two-way contract in Milwaukee, Rollins was promoted to a rest-of-season standard deal in March. He played a regular role in the backcourt, especially when Damian Lillard missed time for health reasons, and had a solid season, with averages of 6.2 points, 1.9 assists, and 1.9 rebounds in 14.6 minutes per game, along with a shooting line of .487/.408/.800.

His qualifying offer is worth a projected $2.58MM and will give the Bucks the right of first refusal in the event that he signs an offer sheet with a rival team.

Here are a few more free agency notes and rumors from around the NBA:

Echoing other recent reporting, Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press (Twitter link) says the belief around the NBA is that veteran point guard Chris Paul will play at least one more season and wants to do so in Los Angeles to be close to his family. It’s unclear whether that means the Clippers and Lakers will be the only options he considers or whether other West Coast teams might be in play.
Zach Lowe of The Ringer (YouTube link; hat tip to RealGM) says he has heard that Grizzlies restricted free agent Santi Aldama will have “full mid-level deals waiting for him” when he hits the market. Memphis would have the ability to match any offer sheet Aldama signs or could simply directly negotiate a new deal with him.
Within a story that examines the challenges the Sixers will face as they try to retain both Quentin Grimes and Guerschon Yabusele in free agency, Tony Jones of The Athletic cites sources who say Grimes is hoping to sign a contract that averages $25MM annually. An earlier report indicated the restricted free agent guard is expected to land a starting salary worth at least $16MM.
The Timberwolves, who are expected to lose Nickeil Alexander-Walker in free agency, would like to add another ball-handler if they can, tweets Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. Minnesota likely won’t be able to offer outside free agents more than the veteran’s minimum due to the team’s position relative to the second tax apron.
The Bulls have issued a two-way qualifying offer to forward Emanuel Miller, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). The move makes Miller a restricted free agent after he had a solid 2024/25 season in the G League with the Texas Legends and Windy City Bulls.

Pistons Eyeing LeVert, Alexander-Walker Amid Beasley Gambling Allegations

June 29th, 2025 at 12:40pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Amid a probe by the U.S. District Attorney’s office into alleged gambling activities by Pistons free agent guard Malik Beasley, Detroit is mulling a different approach this offseason, Grant Afseth reports in an RG.org story.

Talks between the Pistons and Beasley have stalled, despite previous momentum on a multiyear deal, according to Afseth’s sources. Beasley, who was one of the league’s premier three-point shooters and reserves this past season, had been in “serious talks” on a three-year, $42MM contract to remain in Detroit, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.

Along with the gambling allegations, Beasley is also dealing with lawsuit by his former agent, Daniel Hazan, over a financial dispute tied to a marketing advance, according to Afseth.

The Pistons are gauging the trade market on Simone Fontecchio, who has an expiring $8.3MM contract, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype tweets. A Fontecchio trade could allow the Pistons to open up $24MM in cap space if they lose two of their other top free agents, Dennis Schröder and Tim Hardaway Jr.

Opening up that cap room would help the Pistons pursue two other free agents they like — the Timberwolves’ Nickeil Alexander-Walker and the Hawks’ Caris LeVert. However, the Hawks are also pursuing Alexander-Walker and exploring a possibility of retaining LeVert. Afseth hears that the Hawks are the favorite to land the Minnesota free agent, while the Pistons are trending toward being the favorite to land LeVert. Atlanta is also among the teams in the mix for Grizzlies guard Luke Kennard.

Pistons president of basketball operations Trajan Langdon has a history with LeVert, Afseth notes (Twitter link). Langdon served as assistant GM for the Nets in 2016 when they drafted LeVert.

Stein’s Latest: NAW, Schröder, Jerome, Grimes, Kornet, Nuggets

June 29th, 2025 at 10:32am CST by Luke Adams

The Pistons and the Hawks have been described as the two best bets to sign Nickeil Alexander-Walker away from the Timberwolves when free agency gets underway, according to Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Substack link).

Both Detroit and Atlanta have previously been reported as potential suitors for Alexander-Walker, along with teams like the Clippers and Magic. The expectation is that he’ll command offers in the range of the full non-taxpayer mid-level exception, which will start at a projected $14.1MM. He might even end up getting more than that, tweets Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic.

While Minnesota has expressed a desire to retain Alexander-Walker, the club has already committed to Naz Reid on a lucrative new five-year deal and is expected to retain Julius Randle as well. Re-signing Alexander-Walker to a market-value contract would likely send the Wolves’ team salary soaring beyond the second tax apron.

As for the Pistons, there has been consistent reporting this week indicating that their free agent guard Dennis Schröder may end up signing with the Kings. While Schröder didn’t exactly confirm that this weekend during a Twitch stream, he suggested he’s unlikely to return to Detroit.

“I want to stay in Detroit for sure, but Detroit ain’t waiting for me, I can tell you that much,” Schröder said (Twitter video link). “Detroit ain’t waiting for me.”

Here’s more from Stein:

The Hornets and Grizzlies have been consistently mentioned as teams expected to pursue free agent guard Ty Jerome, according to Stein. Reporting earlier today indicated that Utah also may be in the mix for the Sixth Man of the Year finalist, who is now considered a “lock” to leave the Cavaliers, per Stein.
Sixers restricted free agent Quentin Grimes is expected to land a starting salary of at least $16MM, Stein reports. Assuming he gets that offer from Philadelphia, it would be enough to outbid any rival suitors that might be willing to give him the full non-taxpayer mid-level exception.
The Clippers, who are in the market for a center to back up Ivica Zubac, are considered a team to watch for free agent big man Luke Kornet, writes Stein.
The Nuggets, who are eyeing potential assistant coaches for David Adelman‘s staff, have been granted permission to interview Mavericks assistant Jared Dudley and have also exhibited “strong” interest in former NBA guard J.J. Barea, per Stein (Twitter links). Barea had been coaching the Guaynabo Mets in his native Puerto Rico over the past couple years before being let go last month.

Pistons, Clippers Eyeing Nickeil Alexander-Walker?

June 28th, 2025 at 1:00pm CST by Luke Adams

After the Timberwolves reached a five-year, $125MM contract agreement with big man Naz Reid on Friday, there’s a “growing belief” that they’ll bring back power forward Julius Randle on a new multiyear deal as well, reports Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link).

That might make Nickeil Alexander-Walker the odd man out in Minnesota, since re-signing the free agent guard to a market-value deal (perhaps in the range of the $14.1MM non-taxpayer mid-level exception) would push the Wolves’ salary well above the second tax apron, unless Randle takes a substantial pay cut.

According to Fischer, with Alexander-Walker’s future in Minnesota seemingly uncertain, the Pistons and Clippers have been continually identified as possible suitors for the veteran free agent guard. The Magic, who were previously identified as a team with potential interest in Alexander-Walker, are still being mentioned too, Fischer says, though their cap situation could complicate their ability to make a viable bid.

As Fischer details, it appears increasingly likely that Sacramento will make an aggressive play in free agency for Pistons free agent guard Dennis Schröder, so Detroit could look elsewhere for backcourt help and Alexander-Walker would make for an appealing target.

The Pistons have a few balls in the air, however. Sources tell Fischer that the club was prepared to make the roster moves necessary to put a competitive offer on the table for Reid before he agreed to re-sign with the Wolves. Detroit remains in the market for a floor-stretching big man, prompting Fischer to wonder if the front office might turn its attention to Santi Aldama, though the Grizzlies‘ power forward will be a restricted free agent.

The Pistons are also expected to work out a new multiyear deal with sharpshooter Malik Beasley, Fischer writes, despite only holding his Non-Bird rights. Given the team’s limited ability to offer a raise with the Non-Bird exception, Detroit would likely have to re-sign Beasley using cap room or its mid-level exception, which would further cut into the team’s spending flexibility.

As for the Clippers, the expectation is that they’ll be in the market for guard depth this summer. In Kris Dunn, L.A. already has one talented defensive stopper in its backcourt, but Alexander-Walker is more of an offensive threat than Dunn, having knocked down 38.6% of his three-point attempts over the past two seasons.

Depending on where a new contract for James Harden comes in, the Clippers should have their full non-taxpayer mid-level exception available this summer.

And-Ones: Achilles Injuries, Draft, Cap Room, Z. Smith

June 27th, 2025 at 8:55pm CST by Eli Cohen

NBA commissioner Adam Silver says the league is looking into the upswing in Achilles tendon injuries, writes Tim Reynolds Of The Associated Press.

This season alone saw Tyrese Haliburton (Pacers), James Wiseman (Pacers), Isaiah Jackson (Pacers), Dejounte Murray (Pelicans), Dru Smith (Heat), Jayson Tatum (Celtics), and Damian Lillard (Bucks) suffers Achilles tears. Nuggets 2024 first-rounder DaRon Holmes also tore his Achilles during Summer League last July.

“We had already convened a panel of experts before Tyrese’s most recent Achilles rupture,” Silver said. “We had seven this year. We had zero last year under the exact same circumstances. The most we’ve ever had in a season is four.”

Some of the factors Silver is considering are how young players and NBA players train in the offseason. He also says the league is employing artificial intelligence to help with this inquiry.

“I’m hopeful that by looking at more data, by looking at patterns, this is one area where A.I. — people are talking about how that’s going to transform so many areas — the ability with A.I. to ingest all video of every game a player’s played in to see if you can detect some pattern that we didn’t realize that leads to an Achilles injury,” he said.

We have more news from around the league:

After trading down from No. 31 on Thursday, Timberwolves president Tim Connelly suggested during a post-draft media session that a number of prospects seemed to have their slots locked in before the second round began. “It was really curious how agent-driven the second round became,” Connelly said, per Chris Hine of The Star Tribune (via Twitter). “We called players left and right, and there was 20 deals done before the draft started.” The extra day in between the first round and the beginning of the second round seems to have impacted the way agents have maneuvered their clients to the spots they prefer in the second round.
With the 2025 draft in the rear-view mirror, the offseason financial picture is clearer, writes Keith Smith for Spotrac. The Nets remain the only team with cap space, though the Pistons could still choose to be a room team as well. He adds to keep an eye out for the Grizzlies attempting to dump one or two more players to free up the cap space to renegotiate and extend Jaren Jackson Jr.‘s contract, then runs through the cap situations for the other 27 teams too.
Former Sixers guard Zhaire Smith will be working out for teams in Las Vegas on July 11, reports Marc J. Spears for Andscape (via Twitter). Smith’s career got derailed early on due to a broken foot, followed by a life-threatening allergic reaction to sesame that left him forced to use a feeding tube. He has since been trying to get back to the league, including playing 14 games last season with the Mavericks’ G League team, the Texas Legends — he averaged 20.9 points and over a block per game.

Southwest Notes: Flagg, Wells, Rockets, Tanke

June 27th, 2025 at 5:58pm CST by Eli Cohen

Most No. 1 picks go to teams that are completely reliant on their transcendent play, but that’s not the case for Cooper Flagg and the Mavericks. That’s something Flagg is excited to take advantage of, according to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, who notes that the former Duke star referred to it as a “blessing” not to be the immediate centerpiece of a rebuilding franchise.

In his introductory press conference on Friday, Flagg discussed how much he’s looking forward to learning from champions and veterans like Anthony Davis, Kyrie Irving, and Klay Thompson.

“I’m just looking forward to being a sponge. Just getting down here, I’m excited to just learn, soak it all in, and learn from the guys that are older and have been through it all before,” he said. “Those guys have so much knowledge. They’ve been through so much, and they have so much experience that it’s just going to be an incredible opportunity for me to learn and grow under them.”

Mavericks president of basketball operations Nico Harrison is excited about Flagg’s ability to work as a two-timeline linchpin.

“We’re in win-now mode, and so he adds to that, but he’s also the future of the franchise,” Harrison says.

We have more from the Southwest division:

Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd is looking forward to taking advantage of Flagg’s impressive versatility, which he says will be tested in summer league, as Kidd plans on possibly using him as a point guard to see what he can do, writes Grant Afseth for Dallas Hoops Journal. “I want to put him at the point guard. I want to make him uncomfortable and see how he reacts,” Kidd says. “It is all right to fail. It is all right to turn the ball over.” Kidd sees Flagg’s development unfolding in a similar manner to how he approached the development of Giannis Antetokounmpo during Kidd’s time as the Bucks’ head coach.
According to general manager Zach Kleiman, the Grizzlies‘ somewhat unexpected trade of Desmond Bane was influenced in part by contributions from an unexpected source, per Damichael Cole of the Memphis Commerical Appeal (via Twitter). “Jaylen’s emergence was a significant part of it,” Kleiman said of rookie wing Jaylen Wells. After being drafted 39th in the 2024 draft, Wells emerged as a primary wing defender and off-ball shooter, helping stabilize a lineup that was looking for answers at the wing position.
The Rockets have hired Ryan Tanke as their chief operating officer, writes Danielle Lerner for the Houston Chronicle. Tanke was the COO for the Timberwolves and WNBA affiliate Lynx for the past six years, and had been in the organization for 27 years in total before stepping down as the franchise transitions to a new ownership group. One of his responsibilities in Houston will be overseeing the upcoming renovations to the Toyota Center, which Lerner writes is estimated to require $635MM in maintenance over the next 20 years.

Draft Notes: Proctor, Niang, Markovic, Grizzlies, Olbrich, Shulga

June 27th, 2025 at 12:35am CST by Luke Adams

The Cavaliers intend to sign No. 49 overall pick Tyrese Proctor to a multiyear NBA contract, according to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Twitter link). While most players in Proctor’s draft range will likely get two-way deals, the Cavs will benefit from a luxury tax perspective from having Proctor on their 15-man roster on the rookie minimum. They were also thrilled that they were able to draft him late in the second round.

“We had him almost as a first-round grade, so for him to fall to 49 was something we were very excited about,” general manager Mike Gansey said, per Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. “… He came over to Duke a year earlier probably than he should have. We ended up seeing him at his pro day in California in May and I think he put on about 10 or 11 pounds, so he’s definitely worked on his body. Great kid and a worker.”

As for No. 58 pick Saliou Niang, the plan is for the Senegalese wing to spend next season in the EuroLeague with Virtus Bologna, says Jonathan Givony of ESPN (Twitter link). It remains to be seen whether or not Niang will be on the Cavs’ Summer League team, Fedor writes in another Cleveland.com story.

“The last two seasons he’s gotten a lot better. The strides he has made have been pretty incredible,” Gansey said of Niang. “It’ll be a great opportunity for him to play at the highest level over there and we’ll be tracking him and keeping tabs on him.”

We have more on the contract situations for several second-round picks:

Speaking to reporters after Thursday’s draft, Bucks assistant general manager Milt Newton said the team isn’t sure yet whether No. 47 overall pick Bogoljub Markovic will be stashed overseas or whether he’ll be in Milwaukee next season, tweets Eric Nehm of The Athletic. Either way, Markovic will join the team for Summer League, according to Newton.
Chris Herrington of The Daily Memphian (Twitter link) expects No. 48 pick Javon Small to end up on a two-way contract with the Grizzlies, but isn’t certain what the future holds for Jahmai Mashack. The No. 59 pick may be competing for a two-way deal during Summer League, Herrington adds.
As Givony first reported on ESPN’s draft broadcast, Australian forward/center Lachlan Olbrich, the 55th overall pick on Thursday, is expected to come stateside and sign a two-way contract with the Bulls, tweets K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network. Olbrich, 21, has been competing in Australia’s National Basketball League since 2021, so he already has a good deal of professional experience.
The third of three prospects drafted by the Celtics this week, No. 57 pick Max Shulga will be on a two-way contract with the team in 2025/26, reports Givony (Twitter link). Boston drafted Shulga with one of the picks the team acquired from Orlando earlier in the evening.

Grizzlies Trade No. 56 Pick Will Richard To Warriors

June 26th, 2025 at 9:19pm CST by Earnest Marshall

July 6: The trade is now official, the Grizzlies announced in a press release (Twitter link).

June 26: The Grizzlies have agreed to trade the No. 56 pick in the draft – used to select Florida’s Will Richard – to the Warriors, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

Memphis moved down to No. 59, which had been controlled by Golden State, as part of the swap. The Grizzlies used that pick to select Tennessee’s Jahmai Mashack.

Richard was a key part in Florida bringing home the national championship this season. He averaged 13.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.7 steals per game as a senior in 2024/25.

In order to move up to get Richard, the Warriors will give up the rights to 2020 draft pick Justinian Jessup and a top-50 protected 2032 second-round pick along with the No. 59 selection, per The Athletic’s Anthony Slater (Twitter link).

The No. 59 pick has changed hands several teams this offseason, including as part of the Kevin Durant trade, when it was sent from the Rockets to the Suns. Phoenix subsequently flipped it to the Warriors, who are now sending it to Memphis. Because the original Durant deal can’t become official until July, this trade will have to wait until next month too.

Draft Notes: Second-Round Mocks, Round-One Winners, Trades

June 26th, 2025 at 7:32am CST by Luke Adams

With round one of the 2025 NBA draft in the books, ESPN’s Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo look ahead to what to expect on day two on Thursday, sharing an updated 29-pick mock draft covering the second round.

ESPN’s duo is projecting the Timberwolves to kick off the evening by nabbing Saint Joseph’s forward Rasheer Fleming at No. 31, with Stanford big man Maxime Raynaud going to the Celtics at No. 32, and the Hornets drafting Creighton’s Ryan Kalkbrenner and French forward Noah Penda with their picks at No. 33 and No. 34.

Still, Givony and Woo acknowledge that we’ll likely see plenty of draft-pick movement on Thursday, potentially involving one or more of those first few selections — Givony singles out the Hornets as a team to watch, noting that the club already added a pair of rookies on Wednesday (Kon Knueppel and Liam McNeeley) and may not want to add two more to their roster at the start of the second round.

Addressing their favorite under-the-radar prospects to keep an eye on during the second round, Givony mentions Penda as an ideal draft-and-stash target for a playoff team drafting in the 30s, though the 20-year-old would likely prefer to come stateside right away. Woo, meanwhile, suggests Florida State wing Jamir Watkins could be a perfect win-now fit for a team in the 30s. ESPN’s mock has him going to the Pacers at No. 38.

Here’s more on the 2025 draft as we prepare for Thursday evening’s second round:

Sam Vecenie of The Athletic has also shared an updated mock draft for the second round that starts with Fleming to Minnesota and Raynaud to Boston. Vecenie has the Hornets nabbing Sion James and Kalkbrenner, with Penda going to the Nets at No. 36 and Watkins sliding to the Cavaliers at No. 49.
A panel of ESPN experts, including Givony and Woo, breaks down the biggest winners, most surprising moves, and best picks from day one of the draft. ESPN’s experts liked the Suns taking Khaman Maluach at No. 10, the Spurs getting Carter Bryant at No. 14, and the Heat nabbing Kasparas Jakucionis at No. 20, but questioned the Pelicans‘ decision to give up a valuable unprotected 2026 first-round pick to move up 10 spots to take Derik Queen at No. 13.
Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports isn’t as high on the Jakucionis pick for the Heat, giving them a D+, his lowest grade for any of the top 30 picks. The Grizzlies, conversely, earned an A++ grade from O’Connor for moving up to snag Washington State’s Cedric Coward at No. 11.
The price paid by teams like the Pelicans, Grizzlies, and Jazz to move up a few spots outside of the top 10 on Wednesday was awfully high, observes John Hollinger of The Athletic. New Orleans and Memphis gave up unprotected future first-round picks to move up 10 and five spots, respectively, with the Grizzlies also surrendering two future second-rounders. The 2026 first-rounder sent from New Orleans to the Hawks is considered a “superfirst” because it’ll be the most favorable of New Orleans’ and Milwaukee’s picks — it’s very possible one of those picks will end up being a pretty high one, Hollinger notes. Utah, meanwhile, didn’t give up a future first, but had to part with three second-round picks to move up just three spots from No. 21 to No. 18.

Grizzlies Acquire No. 11 Pick Cedric Coward From Blazers

June 25th, 2025 at 8:27pm CST by Earnest Marshall

11:17 pm: The trade is official, according to a press release from the Grizzlies (Twitter link).

8:27 pm: Washington State forward Cedric Coward is the No. 11 overall pick, but he won’t remain with the Trail Blazers. According to Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link), Portland is sending the selection to the Grizzlies.

In exchange for No. 11, the Blazers are acquiring the 16th overall pick, a future first-rounder, and two second-round selections, reports Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Twitter link). Portland surprisingly used the No. 16 pick on Chinese big man Hansen Yang — many analysts had second-round grades on the 7’2″ center.

The future first-rounder being sent to Portland is Orlando’s 2028 selection, per Charania (Twitter link). According to Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian (Twitter link), the second-rounders will be Atlanta’s 2027 pick and Sacramento’s 2028 pick.

Coward played just six games at Washington State in 2024/25 before suffering a shoulder injury that sidelined him for the remainder of his senior season. He averaged 17.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.7 blocks per game while shooting 55.7% from the floor and 40.0% on three-pointers during his abridged stint with the Cougars.

Before transferring to Washington State, the 6’6″ wing played two years at Eastern Washington, averaging 11.3 PPG and 6.1 RPG in 66 games. He spent his freshman season at Willamette University in Oregon.

Due to his lack of reps against high-level college competition, Coward was ranked outside of the first round by a number of draft experts earlier this year, but improved his standing during the pre-draft process, impressing NBA teams at last month’s combine and at workouts.

Coward has the makings of a strong pick for the Grizzlies, who are seemingly re-tooling around Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. after sending away Desmond Bane to Orlando in a blockbuster trade earlier this month. Coward has a tremendous frame and a good-looking three-point shot that connects at a high rate.

The Grizzlies had the ammunition to go up and get a player they coveted after that Bane deal, which included Orlando’s 2028 first-rounder.

This move makes sense for both sides on paper. The Grizzlies get a player who can contribute early on his career, assuming he’ll be fully recovered from the shoulder injury at the start of the season. In return, Portland collects a future first and additional assets to move down five slots.

The Trail Blazers have an impressive defense, and their better-than-expected 36-46 record (including a 23-18 second half) last season reflects the growth of their young core led by the likes of Scoot Henderson, Toumani Camara, Shaedon Sharpe and Donovan Clingan. With no glaring holes to address with a lottery pick, moving down a few spots to pick up a future first-rounder looks like a sound transaction.