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Lakers, James Haven’t Held Trade Or Buyout Discussions

July 16th, 2025 at 8:31am CST by Dana Gauruder

Despite rampant speculation about LeBron James‘ future with the Lakers, it’s expected that he will be with the organization for training camp, Dan Woike and Joe Vardon of The Athletic report.

Those expectations come from both members of the Lakers organization and people close to the 40-year-old superstar. There have been no discussions regarding trade or buyout scenarios between James’ representatives and the team’s front office, according to The Athletic duo.

This essentially confirms an ESPN report that his agent, Rich Paul, hasn’t asked the Lakers to trade James following his decision to exercise a $52.6MM player option for next season. The Athletic’s sources hear the Lakers have received no indication from James or his representatives that he would request a trade or ask for a buyout.

Even if he eventually does seek to leave the Lakers, there are major roadblocks toward reaching that goal.

While a third stint with his hometown Cavaliers has frequently been mentioned as a logical landing spot, Woike and Vardon point out that the only realistic way for that to happen is a buyout prior to training camp — the Lakers, who have championship aspirations, have no incentive to take that route.

Cleveland is operating over the second apron and cannot aggregate salaries, which would make a James trade virtually impossible without significant cost-cutting. Second-apron restrictions would also prohibit the Cavs from signing LeBron if he’s bought out after the regular season begins.

The Warriors and Knicks have also been speculated as teams who might go all-in for a player nearing retirement in order to win next year’s championship. However, trading away James for a high-salary player such as Jimmy Butler and Karl-Anthony Towns, both of whom are signed for at least the next two seasons, would wreck the Lakers’ plans to have salary cap flexibility next summer.

The Mavericks, who have also been thrown into the rumor mill regarding James, don’t have interest in gutting their roster to match his salary in a trade, The Athletic duo adds. It’s also noteworthy that LeBron has a full no-trade clause in his contract, so the Lakers can’t deal him unless he signs off on the transaction.

Atlantic Notes: Timme, Diawara, George, Lawson

July 15th, 2025 at 6:11pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Nets need to trim their roster before opening night. Drew Timme, who has a non-guaranteed contract, would seem to be a likely candidate to get waived. However, the former Gonzaga big man has strengthened his case during Summer League competition, Brian Lewis of the New York Post writes.

In his first two Summer League games, Timme averaged 26.0 points and 7.0 rebounds. He’s taking nothing for granted regarding his roster status.

“No, not really. I’m honestly [still fighting],” Timme said. “I mean, it’s great and I love it, but I’m fighting. I’m competing. I want to stay here. I think I belong here, and I’ve got to prove it every single day that I do belong here. So it’s all about just fighting that battle every single day. And I like it. I like being the underdog. I like having to force my way into a situation. So, it’s fun.”

Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:

Another player who has looked good in Las Vegas is Knicks rookie Mohamed Diawara. The French forward was drafted No. 51 overall last month and it’s uncertain whether he’ll join the Knicks next season or remain overseas for the 2025/26 season. “I’ve been really impressed with Mohamed,” Knicks Summer League coach Jordan Brink told Stefan Bondy of the New York Post. “His ability to rebound and run, to push off misses and makes. I thought he was really solid [in Sunday’s loss to the Celtics]. Pretty active defensively, still learning the defensive system and low-man principles.”
How will Paul George‘s latest ailment impact the Sixers? George underwent surgery on Monday after injuring his left knee during a workout, though he’s expected to return in time for training camp. It might further motivate the Sixers to come to terms with restricted free agent Quentin Grimes, who can play either wing position, Tony Jones of The Athletic opines. It may also solidify Kelly Oubre Jr.‘s spot in the starting lineup and heighten the importance of free agent signee Trendon Watford, who is the team’s only natural power forward on a standard contract.
Raptors guard A.J. Lawson has a non-guaranteed, $2.27MM contract for next season but he’s making a strong case for himself in Summer League action, Michael Grange of Sportsnet writes. Lawson is averaging 21.5 points per game while shooting 60 percent overall through two contests. He was promoted to a standard contract late in the regular season.

Eastern Notes: Robinson, Richardson, Embiid, Dadiet

July 14th, 2025 at 7:20pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Pistons defeated the Heat three times last season in hotly contested games and that made a strong impression on Duncan Robinson, who was acquired from Miami by Detroit in a sign-and-trade.

“Heat versus Pistons, it feels like every single one had some sort of crazy finish,” he told Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press. “The thing that sticks out about this group is the physicality, the toughness and how hard they play. And honestly how they share the ball. That’s the type of system you want to play in, those are the types of guys you want to be around.”

Robinson will be joining forces with Caris LeVert, who was signed to a two-year deal as a free agent. They were teammates at the University of Michigan.

“Caris and I were really good friends in college and we’ve kept up that way pretty much across our entire careers,” Robinson said. “He’s an incredible player obviously. One of the best people I’ve ever been around in terms of a teammate. I’m excited to be back with him. Outside of competing against him I didn’t really know any of these guys too well and they’ve been super welcoming. It is nice to have somebody joining me who also will be new who I do know really well. So that’ll be good.”

Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:

Jase Richardson is making his presence felt in Summer League competition. The Magic rookie guard has averaged 16.5 points, 2.5 assists and 1.5 rebounds in two games. Richardson slipped to the No. 25 pick after some believed he might go in the lottery. “I can do a lot of things in that [position],” Richardson said about driving downhill, per Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel. “I can score for myself, I can get my teammates involved and a lot of different ways I can get a bucket for the team.”
The Sixers‘ roster is being built with the notion that the team will have to overcome inevitable absences of superstar center Joel Embiid, Tony Jones of The Athletic writes. That includes the drafting of VJ Edgecombe in the lottery, the addition of free agent power forward Trendon Watford and the injury return of Jared McCain. Those additions should provide additional offensive versatility to complement star guard Tyrese Maxey.
Knicks 2024 first-rounder Pacome Dadiet had an injury scare in Summer League. The 19-year-old wing departed a contest with left foot soreness. It turned out to be a big toe issue but there was no structural damage, Stefan Bondy of the New York Post tweets.

New York Notes: Porter, Sharpe, McCullar, Knicks

July 14th, 2025 at 1:20pm CST by Rory Maher

While Michael Porter Jr. is grateful for the time he spent with the Nuggets, including winning a championship in 2023, he says he’s ready for a “new chapter” after being traded to the Nets, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post.

“I always said New York was my least favorite NBA city,” Porter laughed. “Just because I grew up in the Midwest, where there’s so much space and no traffic. So it’ll be an adjustment. But I think it’ll end up being an amazing place for me.”

The 27-year-old was frequently the third offensive option for Denver, but he’ll have an opportunity to expand his game with the rebuilding Nets. Porter recognizes there could be rough patches as he works to develop his skills, Lewis notes.

“It’s gonna be like exploring the game and working on the things in practice. Part of being a successful NBA player is when you’re working on things during the season, you should work on the shots and things you’re gonna get in the game,” Porter said. “I feel like now my daily preparation and my daily work will be a little bit different, and hopefully, that translates over to the game.

“It’ll probably be some more self-creation, iso situations. [Head coach] Jordi [Fernandez] has already talked to me about creative ways to get me in comfortable spots on the floor. So it will be a dialogue. I’m excited to see where it goes. And it’s definitely gonna be an adaptation. I won’t be the same player [on opening night] as I will be Game 20 as I adjust to that heavier load and that heavier role.”

Here a few more notes on the NBA’s two New York-based teams:

Day’Ron Sharpe‘s new two-year deal with the Nets is not yet official, but that’s merely a technicality as Brooklyn looks to maximize its cap space. The 23-year-old center said he’s glad to be back with the team that selected him 29th overall in the 2021 draft, Lewis adds in another story. “I just feel that was the best option for me, and that’s where Brooklyn was at,” Sharpe said. “I just decided what I decided.”
2024/25 was essentially a lost season for Knicks wing Kevin McCullar Jr., per Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. The 24-year-old missed last year’s Summer League and several months of his rookie campaign due to a knee injury after being drafted with the 56th pick in 2024. “This is really my real rookie season,” McCullar said Sunday after pouring in 30 points in a 94-81 Summer League loss to Boston. “Last year I just got to be able to get my feet wet a little bit. … I love playing and I missed it for so long. Now it’s pretty much my rookie season.” McCullar is one of a handful of young players vying for a roster spot in the fall — he’s technically a restricted free agent after he was tendered a two-way qualifying offer, which is equivalent to a one-year two-way contract.
The Knicks‘ decision to fire head coach Tom Thibodeau and replace him with Mike Brown has opened Leon Rose and the rest of the front office to “new degrees of accountability,” Bondy contends in a subscriber-only story. The move will be heavily scrutinized if the Knicks fall flat with Brown at the helm, particularly since there wasn’t much public desire to part with Thibodeau after he led the team to the conference finals, Bondy writes.

Knicks To Hire Riccardo Fois To Coaching Staff

July 13th, 2025 at 9:00pm CST by Eli Cohen

The Knicks have made the first hire of the Mike Brown coaching era, adding player development coach Riccardo Fois, reports Fred Katz of the Athletic (via Twitter). Katz notes that Fois is currently in Las Vegas with the Knicks as they watch their summer league squad compete.

The Knicks recently missed out on one of their top choices for Brown’s coaching staff, as it was reported that Pelicans associate head coach James Borrego would be remaining in New Orleans.

Fois spent last season as an assistant coach under Brown with the Kings. Before that, he was an assistant coach at the University of Arizona, after serving as the director of player development for the Suns from 2019-2021 and director of analytics at Gonzaga. Fois also has extensive international experience, having been an assistant for the Italian national team.

Fois’ time with the Suns, which included their 2021 run to the NBA Finals, gave him a good deal of experience with Mikal Bridges, who spoke about the coach when Fois left Phoenix.

“Riccardo is one of the most hard working people I know. All he cares about is getting people better and winning,” Bridges said in a 2021 statement from the University of Arizona. “The best thing about him is he’s an even greater person. He helped me a lot with developing my game and never letting me get too comfortable. I’m going to miss my guy and I wish him the best!”

Fois’s offensive creativity and familiarity with Brown’s coaching style will be key as the Knicks attempt to build a new system with a largely incumbent roster.

Knicks Notes: Yabusele, Brown, Triano, Kolek

July 13th, 2025 at 12:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

In an interview with Arthur Puybertier of BeBasket, a French basketball outlet, Guerschon Yabusele reveals that he strongly considered the Nuggets in free agency before deciding the allure of playing in New York was too strong to pass up. After returning to the NBA with an impressive season in Philadelphia, Yabusele accepted a two-year contract with the Knicks.

“It was super fast! As soon as I received (the offer from New York), I had to give an answer within two hours,” Yabusele said. “On the other side, we also had the one in Denver. You had to be quick not to miss the opportunity that New York represents, in a great living environment!”

Along with the lifestyle that comes with playing in the nation’s largest city, Yabusele is thrilled to be joining a title contender. Coming off a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals, the Knicks have bolstered their roster with the addition of Yabusele and Jordan Clarkson while several other top Eastern teams are dealing with injuries to star players.

“When you look at New York, you can already see that the franchise has risen a lot in recent years,” Yabusele added. “They are conference finalists; the collective project is visible and very interesting for me. They are a very good team that plays very well together and is playing for the title! Having this goal was something important for me, I want to play for something. Apart from that, New York is a historic team. Playing at Madison Square Garden is the dream of every NBA player, including mine! It’s a special place, I’m very happy to be there!”

There’s more on the Knicks:

New head coach Mike Brown is emphasizing quick decisions on offense, according to James L. Edwards III of The Athletic. That philosophy was on display in Friday’s Summer League opener as players were instructed to drive, shoot or pass within half a second of getting the ball. “It doesn’t just mean playing up and down, like we have to get out in transition,” Summer League coach Jordan Brink said. “The fast part is all of the stuff in our actions. If we get the ball up the floor quick and don’t have anything, we’re to the next action. Fast is really decision-making, playing with a ‘.5’ mentality.”
The Mavericks denied the Knicks’ request to interview Jay Triano in their search for an associate head coach, sources tell Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. Triano served as Brown’s top assistant and offensive coordinator in Sacramento, but he just joined the coaching staff in Dallas last month and the Mavs didn’t want to lose him so quickly, Bondy adds. Dallas also turned down New York’s request to interview head coach Jason Kidd before Brown was hired.
After appearing in 41 games as a rookie, point guard Tyler Kolek is enjoying a fresh start with a new coaching staff, per Steve Popper of Newsday. “I think every season is a new opportunity,” he said. “Every year is a fresh start, new guys come in. We signed some free agents, so every year there’s fresh opportunity. And it starts right here, proving myself here, proving myself in August workouts, prove myself in camp, and then throughout the season. Just keep on proving myself until you get to where you have to be and then you have to do it all over again. It never really stops.”

Stein/Fischer’s Latest: Warriors, Horford, Melton, CP3, Beal, Knicks

July 12th, 2025 at 2:01pm CST by Luke Adams

While the Warriors are one of the only teams in the NBA that have yet to reach a contract agreement with a free agent this offseason, they’re viewed by numerous rival clubs as the “overwhelming favorite” to land Al Horford and De’Anthony Melton, according to Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link).

Golden State already has over $170MM in guaranteed money on its books for nine players, so the outcome of Jonathan Kuminga‘s free agency will likely dictate what sort of offers the club can make to Horford and Melton.

Signing either of those veteran free agents with the $5.7MM taxpayer mid-level exception likely won’t happen until there’s a resolution on Kuminga, since using that exception would hard-cap the Warriors at the $207.8MM second apron. That could open the door for a rival team to find a way to give Kuminga an offer sheet featuring a starting salary too high for Golden State to match without cost-cutting moves.

Here’s more from Stein and Fischer:

Chris Paul would still like to play as close to his home in Los Angeles as possible, and the Clippers and Suns continue to weigh the possibility of signing him, per Stein and Fischer. However, if those clubs ultimately go in a different direction, it’s unclear what the 2025/26 season might hold for Paul. The Bucks have interest in the veteran point guard, but he has shown “little inclination” to entertain the idea of signing with an Eastern Conference team so far, according to The Stein Line duo. For what it’s worth, when Paul was asked recently how much longer he plans to play, he replied, “At the most, a year,” which suggests that retirement may not be entirely off the table.
Bradley Beal is owed a 25% advance payment on his 2025/26 salary on July 15, Stein and Fischer say. While the veteran guard would get that money (roughly $13MM) even if he and the Suns agree to a buyout before then, it’s possible he’ll wait until after he receives that payment an agreement that would see him exit Phoenix.
After missing out on James Borrego, the Knicks are also unlikely to land Bucks assistant Darvin Ham as they seek a lead assistant for Mike Brown‘s new staff, Stein and Fischer report. Stein noted last weekend that New York has interest in Ham, but Milwaukee appears unwilling to give the Knicks permission to speak to him for what would be a lateral move. Jay Triano, another Knicks target, is also off the table since he just signed a new contract with Dallas, Stein and Fischer add.
The Bucks are considered likely to bring back forward Thanasis Antetokounmpo if Giannis Antetokounmpo remains in Milwaukee, according to Stein and Fischer. Thanasis missed all of the 2024/25 season due to an Achilles tear, but said in May that he has been medically cleared to return to action.

Top 45 Picks From 2025 Draft Have Signed NBA Contracts

July 12th, 2025 at 12:56pm CST by Luke Adams

It has been 16 days since the NBA’s 2025 draft wrapped up and just 11 days since those draftees were permitted to start signing contracts, but the majority of the ’25 draft class have already put pen to paper, finalizing standard or two-way deals with their respective teams.

As our tracker shows, all 30 first-round picks have signed their rookie scale contracts, and the top 15 picks in the second round are now under contract too. Outside of the top 45, four additional players – No. 48 pick Javon Small, No. 49 pick Tyrese Proctor, No. 50 pick Kobe Sanders, and No. 55 pick Lachlan Olbrich – have formally inked their first NBA contracts.

That leaves the following players who don’t yet have an NBA contract in place for the 2025/26 season:

Boston Celtics: Amari Williams
Milwaukee Bucks: Bogoljub Markovic
New York Knicks: Mohamed Diawara
Golden State Warriors: Alex Toohey
Utah Jazz: John Tonje
Indiana Pacers: Taelon Peter
Golden State Warriors: Will Richard
Boston Celtics: Max Shulga
Cleveland Cavaliers: Saliou Niang
Memphis Grizzlies: Jahmai Mashack

A number of these players are expected to end up on two-way deals — Jonathan Givony of ESPN (Twitter links) reported on draft night that both of these Celtics picks – Williams and Shulga – would be signing two-ways with Boston, for instance.

Still, not all of these guys will be on NBA rosters when the 2025/26 season begins. For example, the expectation is that Niang will spend next season in the EuroLeague with Virtus Bologna.

Players born outside the U.S. and/or ones who already have experience in non-NBA leagues are typically the best candidates to become overseas draft-and-stash players, so that could be an option for late second-rounders like Markovic, Diawara, and Toohey too. It’s hardly a given though. Post-draft reporting indicated that the Bucks and Knicks weren’t yet sure if Markovic and Diawara, respectively, will be stashed in Europe or if they’ll play stateside in ’25/26. Diawara, in particular, might have a chance to earn a standard contract for a New York team with little breathing room below its hard cap.

The other option for draft-and-stash players is to spend the season in the G League rather than in a league outside the U.S. Typically, at least one or two players go that route each season. That’s what Nikola Djurisic, the Hawks’ No. 43 overall pick a year ago, did in 2024/25 before signing his first NBA contract with Atlanta earlier this week.

We’ll be keeping a close eye on these players in the coming days and weeks, as many of them could end up finalizing their plans for 2025/26 either during the Las Vegas Summer League or shortly thereafter.

Atlantic Notes: Simons, M. Brown, Knicks, Edgecombe

July 11th, 2025 at 11:27am CST by Luke Adams

The Celtics moved forward with their Jrue Holiday/Anfernee Simons swap earlier this week, completing the trade with Portland as a straight-up, one-for-one swap after exploring ways to expand the deal during the July moratorium. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean Boston is committed to having Simons on its roster to open the season.

“I have talked to other teams who have said the Celtics are actively trying to trade Anfernee Simons,” ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said on Wednesday’s episode of The Hoop Collective podcast (YouTube link). “Whether they can or not (remains to be seen).”

Swapping out Holiday’s $32.4MM cap hit for Simons’ $27.7MM figure will help the Celtics operate below the second tax apron in 2025/26. However, as Windhorst and his ESPN colleagues Tim MacMahon and Tim Bontemps went on to speculate, the club may be looking to cut costs more significantly in what will essentially be a “gap year.” Getting out of the luxury tax entirely would be a step toward resetting the repeater tax clock.

A team operating above the cap but below the tax aprons would only have to send out about $19.2MM in matching salary to legally acquire Simons and his expiring contract.

Here’s more from around the Atlantic:

During his introductory press conference as the Knicks‘ head coach this week, Mike Brown said he’s not bothered by the fact that the team is essentially in championship-or-bust mode as he takes over the job. “Nobody has any bigger expectations than I do. My expectations are high,” Brown said, per Chris Herring of ESPN. “This is the Knicks and Madison Square Garden. It’s iconic. … I love and embrace the expectations that come along with it.”
While a lack of reliable depth was an issue for the Knicks last season, Brown lauded president of basketball operations Leon Rose for continuing to add more talent to the roster after the team signed Jordan Clarkson and Guerschon Yabusele in free agency, as Zach Braziller of The New York Post relays. “Jordan, the things that he can do, especially offensively,” Brown said. “He’s a veteran guy. I know he’s hungry to win. He can score at all three levels. You’re excited with that coming to the table. He’s also a better play-maker than he’s given credit (for). I’m looking forward to seeing some of that, too, because I’m huge when it comes to touching the paint and looking to spray that basketball out to get your teammates easy shots. And then Guerschon, an unbelievable young man. His size, his versatility, he can play the four, the five, maybe some three, who knows?”
No. 3 overall pick VJ Edgecombe missed the Sixers‘ first game of the Las Vegas Summer League on Thursday after being diagnosed with a left thumb sprain. He’s still taking part in on-court workouts and will have the injury reevaluated on Saturday, tweets Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

Free Agent Notes: Giddey, Clippers, Knicks, Metu, Moore

July 10th, 2025 at 8:02am CST by Luke Adams

Reports since last October have suggested that a salary of $30MM per year is a target for Josh Giddey and his representatives in their contract talks with the Bulls, and that number continues to be mentioned this summer. However, K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network (YouTube link) isn’t convinced that’s what it’ll take for the Bulls to get a deal done with the restricted free agent guard.

“Both the Bulls and Giddey want to get a deal done,” Johnson said (hat tip to Benedetto Vitale of Clutch Points). “The Bulls, knowing that the market is scarce and the restricted free agency market has very little movement…are playing the slow game here.

“I don’t have particular numbers, other than to say that Josh Giddey’s $30MM per year price tag – that’s been well documented in media and out there since last fall when the rookie contract extension was discussed – has not ever crossed my radar. I’ve never heard the Bulls mention that number. So I would not expect Josh Giddey to sign a $30MM (per year) deal.”

While Johnson refers to the situation as a “stalemate” for the time being, he stresses that negotiations haven’t been acrimonious and says he fully expects Giddey to be wearing a Bulls uniform next season.

Here’s more on free agency:

The Clippers continue to be linked to guards Bradley Beal and Chris Paul and haven’t ruled out the possibility of adding both players, per NBA insider Marc Stein (Twitter link). While Paul is currently a free agent, Beal will need to finalize a buyout with Phoenix before reaching the open market.
The Knicks have one roster spot open for a veteran free agent and will likely target a guard, ideally one who can handle the ball, per Stefan Bondy of The New York Post (subscriber link). Breaking down a few possible targets who might make sense for the Knicks, Bondy notes that the team has kept an eye on Marcus Smart in case he and the Wizards work out a buyout agreement.
Former NBA big man Chimezie Metu is nearing a deal with the Turkish team Fenerbahce, according to Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.com, who says the plan is to finalize a one-year agreement if Metu’s medicals check out. The 28-year-old, who appeared in 260 NBA regular season games from 2018-24, tore his Achilles in March, so Fenerbahce wants to make sure his recovery is progressing as planned. Sources tell Urbonas that Metu is targeting a return to the court before the end of the year.
After playing for the Spurs during the California Classic Summer League this past week, free agent guard Omari Moore has reached a contract agreement with Valencia, the Spanish team announced in a press release. According to Urbonas (Twitter link), Moore had received NBA interest but has decided to make the move to Spain rather than accepting a two-way contract offer.