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Nets Sign Liddell To Two-Way Contract, Finalize Sharpe Deal

September 3rd, 2025 at 4:07pm CST by Luke Adams

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.

Kawhi Leonard ‘No-Show’ Endorsement Deal May Have Violated Salary Cap Rules

September 3rd, 2025 at 2:54pm CST by Dana Gauruder

2:54 pm: “We are aware of this morning’s media report regarding the L.A. Clippers and are commencing an investigation,” NBA spokesperson Mike Bass said in a statement, per Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).

The Clippers, meanwhile, issued a longer statement to Steve Henson of The Los Angeles Times strongly denying that they engaged in any sort of cap circumvention.

“Neither Mr. Ballmer nor the Clippers circumvented the salary cap or engaged in any misconduct related to Aspiration,” the statement reads. “Any contrary assertion is provably false: The team ended its relationship with Aspiration years ago, during the 2022-23 season, when Aspiration defaulted on its obligations.

“Neither the Clippers nor Mr. Ballmer was aware of any improper activity by Aspiration or its co-founder until after the government instituted its investigation. The team and Mr. Ballmer stand ready to assist law enforcement in any way they can.”

Aspiration co-founder Joseph Sanberg pled guilty last month to two counts of wire fraud for a $248MM scheme to defraud lenders and investors.

8:01 am: A $28MM endorsement deal signed by Kawhi Leonard could land the Clippers in hot water with the league.

According to an investigation by Pablo Torre on his “Pablo Torre Finds Out” podcast, Leonard performed no work for an allegedly fraudulent tree-planting company funded by $50MM from Clippers owner Steve Ballmer.

The endorsement deal could be construed as a means to circumvent the salary cap, which would carry heavy penalties from the league.

After leading the Raptors to the 2019 championship, Leonard declined his player option and became an unrestricted free agent. Leonard chose to sign with the Clippers on a three-year, $103.1MM deal in July of that year. He has subsequently signed a pair of extensions with the franchise.

The “tree brokerage” company named Aspiration filed for bankruptcy in March 2025. Among the list of creditors is KL2 Aspire LLC with Leonard named as the manager or member. The company owed KL2 Aspire LLC $7MM.

Torre couldn’t find any evidence that Leonard actually performed any work for the company, unlike other celebrity endorsers. Torre interviewed seven former employees of the company, one of whom provided a document showing Leonard was to receive $7MM over four years in the marketing agreement, which began in 2022. According to a former Aspiration employee who worked in the finance department, Leonard “didn’t have to do anything.”

The Clippers denied any wrongdoing. The organization provided Torre with a statement that read, “Neither Mr. Ballmer nor the Clippers circumvented the salary cap or engaged in any misconduct related to Aspiration. Any contrary assertion is provably false.”

Back in 2000, the league and then-commissioner David Stern issued harsh penalties against the Timberwolves due to salary cap violations. Minnesota signed former No. 1 overall pick Joe Smith to a series of one-year contracts below market value with the promise of giving him a long-term deal that would pay him up to $86MM over seven seasons.

As Spotrac contributor Keith Smith notes (Twitter link), Smith’s contract was voided and the Timberwolves were fined $3.5MM and had five first-round picks forfeited (the team later recouped two of those picks). Owner Glen Taylor was suspended and general manager Kevin McHale was forced to take a leave of absence.

For what it’s worth, Stern had a reputation for handing out harsher discipline than current commissioner Adam Silver. In recent years, teams found to have engaged in free agent gun-jumping or tampering violations have typically been docked a single second-round pick. However, if an NBA investigation determines the Clippers were circumventing the cap via this agreement with Leonard, it seems safe to assume the penalty would be more significant than that.

Kuminga, Warriors Remain Far Apart In Negotiations

September 3rd, 2025 at 12:36pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Warriors and restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga remain far apart in contract negotiations, according to NBC Sports Bay Area’s Dalton Johnson. Signing his $7.9MM qualifying offer and becoming an unrestricted free agent next season “remains the most attractive offer to Kuminga,” Johnson reports.

The Warriors-Kuminga saga has dragged on throughout the offseason, as it has for a few other prominent restricted free agents, with no resolution in sight despite the opening of training camps later this month.

Golden State has offered Kuminga a two-year deal worth approximately $45MM, insisting on a team option for the second year. Kuminga’s representatives are holding firm on their desire for a player option.

The impasse might be resolved if the Warriors drop their team option demand or perhaps if they front-load the contract. Golden State’s insistence that Kuminga give up his right to veto a trade on a one-plus-one deal may also be a sticking point.

If Kuminga winds up signing the QO, there is inherent risk for both sides. The 22-year-old forward’s value could drop if he isn’t part of Steve Kerr‘s regular rotation or if he suffers a major injury. However, Golden State could suffer more short-term risk. The QO would come with a no-trade clause for 2025/26 and Kuminga’s modest cap hit would make it difficult for Golden State to move him even if he’s willing to approve a deal.

A recent report indicated that the Warriors have been “discouraging” sign-and-trade scenarios for Kuminga after previous proposals from the Kings and Suns failed to meet the team’s asking price.

The Warriors need to act this month to fill out their roster. As our roster counts display, they have nine players on standard contracts, only seven of which are fully guaranteed. They have just one two-way player signed and both of their draft picks remain unsigned. Golden State has essentially frozen roster moves until the Kuminga issue is resolved.

Pelicans Sign Jalen McDaniels

September 3rd, 2025 at 10:17am CST by Arthur Hill

September 3: The signing of McDaniels is official, according to a team press release.

August 18: Jalen McDaniels has agreed to a contract with the Pelicans, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).

The 27-year-old small forward saw limited time in four games last season after signing a 10-day deal with the Wizards in February. He spent most of the season with Washington’s G League affiliate, the Capital City Go-Go, where he averaged 13.5 points and 7.2 rebounds in 38 total games.

McDaniels played his first three and a half NBA seasons in Charlotte after being selected with the 52nd pick in the 2019 draft, but he has bounced around the league since then. He was sent to Philadelphia in a four-team deal at the 2023 trade deadline, then signed with Toronto that summer. He was traded twice last year, being shipped to Sacramento in June and San Antonio in October. The Spurs waived him a day later, and he remained in the G League until he joined the Wizards.

In total, McDaniels has appeared in 252 NBA games with career averages of 6.7 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 18.1 minutes per night.

Charania doesn’t release any details of McDaniels’ new contract, but it could be an Exhibit 10 deal with an invitation to training camp. With 14 standard contracts, the Pelicans have one roster opening and are roughly $4.2MM below the luxury tax line, so they could carry a 15th man into the regular season without going into the tax.

McDaniels is ineligible for a two-way contract because he has already played six NBA seasons.

Sixers’ McCain Says He’s ‘On Pace’ To Be Ready For Camp

September 2nd, 2025 at 6:29pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Second-year Sixers guard Jared McCain‘s rookie campaign in 2024/25 was ended by a lateral meniscus tear after just 23 games. However, the 6’2″ pro is optimistic about his ability to return to the hardwood in time for training camp this fall, reports Ky Carlin of Sixers Wire.

On hand to celebrate Philadelphia’s new arena name reveal, the No. 16 pick in 2024 detailed his recovery process to date.

“Yeah, my plan, for sure, is to participate (in camp),” McCain said. “I mean, anything can happen, but for right now, I’m on pace, and I’m doing great for that.”

Given McCain’s expectation that he’ll be available for training camp, it seems that he is very much on track to suit up for the Sixers’ October 22 regular season opener against the Celtics, Carlin notes.

“I think right now, it’s just kind of taking it day by day,” McCain said. “I’m getting on-court (work), doing a lot of stuff, a lot of live stuff, but I still have to talk to them about exactly if I’m free for everything, but I’m definitely getting there.”

Across his 23 healthy contests on the 24-58 Sixers last year, the Duke alum averaged 15.3 PPG, 2.6 APG, 2.4 RPG and 0.7 SPG. He posted an impressive .460/.383/.875 shooting line and finished seventh in Rookie of the Year voting despite his limited availability.

12 Teams Have Clinched Spots In EuroBasket’s Round Of 16

September 2nd, 2025 at 1:54pm CST by Luke Adams

Twelve of the 16 spots in EuroBasket’s single-elimination phase have now been secured, with Luka Doncic and the Slovenians among the teams that have qualified for the round of 16.

As a result of Slovenia’s 87-79 win over Iceland and Israel’s 92-89 victory over Belgium on Tuesday, Iceland and Belgium have been eliminated from round-of-16 contention, while Slovenia, Israel, and France have clinched their spots, joining Poland as the top four teams in Group D.

Both France and Slovenia have just two wins so far in the group stage and could theoretically finish tied with Belgium at 2-3 after Thursday’s games. However, both teams hold the head-to-head tiebreaker over Belgium, as France defeated the Belgians on Thursday and Slovenia did so on Sunday.

In Group A, Latvia joined the undefeated Turkish and Serbian teams in the top four by beating Portugal on Monday. Portugal will square off against Estonia on Wednesday with the final Group A single-elimination-round slot up for grabs — both teams are 1-3 so far, while Czechia is 0-4 and has no path to the round of 16.

After Germany and Finland became the first two teams in Group B to advance to the round of 16, Lithuania followed suit on Monday with a victory over Finland to improve to 3-1 in group play. However, the Lithuanians lost point guard Rokas Jokubaitis, who suffered a significant knee injury in Monday’s contest.

Montenegro (1-3), led by Nikola Vucevic, would become the last Group B squad to clinch a spot in the round of 16 with a win over Great Britain (0-4) on Wednesday. If Great Britain pulls off the upset in that game, it would open the door for Sweden (1-3) to advance if they knock off Lithuania on Wednesday. If Montenegro, Sweden, and Great Britain all finish 1-4, it would come down to point differential. And at -12, Sweden has the significant edge in that category over Montenegro (-71) and Great Britain (-136).

Finally, Group C remains the most wide open, with Italy joining Greece as the only teams to qualify for the round of 16 so far. Cyprus (0-4) has been eliminated, with Spain (2-1), Georgia (2-2), and Bosnia and Herzegovina (2-2) vying for the two remaining spots in the group’s top four.

Spain is currently in action against Italy and would secure its place in the single-elimination round with a victory. In that scenario, the winner of Georgia vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina on Thursday would claim the final Group C spot. If Spain were to lose today and again on Thursday vs. Greece, the Spaniards would be eliminated in the event of a Bosnia and Herzegovina win over Georgia, since Georgia holds the head-to-head tiebreaker over Spain.

To recap, here are the teams that have qualified for EuroBasket’s round of 16:

Group A
- Serbia (4-0)
- Turkey (4-0)
- Latvia (2-2)
Group B
- Germany (4-0)
- Finland (3-1)
- Lithuania (3-1)
Group C
- Greece (3-1)
- Italy (2-1)
Group D
- Poland (3-0)
- Israel (3-1)
- France (2-1)
- Slovenia (2-0)

And here are the teams still in the mix for the remaining spots:

Group A (one spot available)
- Estonia (1-3)
- Portugal (1-3)
Group B (one spot available)
- Montenegro (1-3)
- Sweden (1-3)
- Great Britain (0-4)
Group C (two spots available)
- Spain (2-1)
- Bosnia and Herzegovina (2-2)
- Georgia (2-2)

Alex Sarr To Miss Rest Of EuroBasket Due To Calf Injury

September 2nd, 2025 at 1:40pm CST by Luke Adams

1:40 pm: Wizards officials expect Sarr to be ready for the start of the NBA regular season, a team source tells Josh Robbins of The Athletic, who adds (via Twitter) that the injury won’t require surgery.

11:31 am: Wizards center Alex Sarr, who had been competing for France in this year’s EuroBasket tournament, has been ruled out for the rest of the event due to a right calf injury, according to an official announcement from the national team.

Translated from French, the statement indicates that Sarr’s “healing time is incompatible with (his) participation for the rest of the competition.”

Sarr injured his calf during Saturday’s victory over Slovenia and was held out of Sunday’s loss to Israel as a result of the ailment. He’ll also miss Tuesday’s matchup with Poland and Thursday’s contest against Iceland, as well as any games in the round of 16, assuming France advances.

With a 2-1 record so far, France is well-positioned to make the single-elimination portion of the tournament with a win in either of its two remaining group-stage games. However, the team’s frontcourt – which was already without Rudy Gobert, Victor Wembanyama, and Mathias Lessort for EuroBasket – has now taken another hit, putting increased pressure on Guerschon Yabusele and Zaccharie Risacher to lead the way up front.

While it’s unclear if Sarr’s availability for training camp will be compromised by his calf injury, it sounds like the recovery period could be measured in weeks rather than days. The Wizards’ camp will get underway in about four weeks, with the regular season opener still more than seven weeks out, so hopefully that will be enough time for Sarr to get back to 100%.

Last year’s No. 2 overall pick, Sarr earned All-Rookie first team honors after averaging 13.0 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.5 blocks in 27.1 minutes per game. Shooting efficiency figures to be an area of focus for the 20-year-old in year two after he made just 39.4% of his field goals and 67.9% of his free throws as a rookie.

NBA G League Announces Schedule, Expanded Playoffs For 2025/26

September 2nd, 2025 at 12:43pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA G League has officially revealed its schedule for the 2025/26 season, per a press release.

As usual, the regular season won’t begin until late December, with the league holding a separate event in the fall leading up to its Winter Showcase during the week before Christmas. In the past, this 14-game fall event has been known as the Showcase Cup. It was rebranded last year as the Tip-Off Tournament, and that moniker has carried over to 2025/26.

The Tip-Off Tournament, which begins on Friday, November 7, will see the league’s teams split into four regions. Each team will play 14 games and the four clubs with the best winning percentage in each region, along with the next four best teams from any region, will advance to the single-elimination championship tournament at the Winter Showcase in Orlando from December 19-22.

The G League’s regular season will consist of 36 games and will begin at the Winter Showcase, running through Saturday, March 28. For the first time, the top eight teams from each conference will make the postseason and compete in the G League playoffs in the spring — previously, only the top six teams in each conference qualified for the playoffs.

For a second consecutive year, all 30 NBA franchises will have their own G League affiliates. With 31 total teams in the NBAGL, the only unaffiliated club left in the league is the Mexico City Capitanes.

Although there are no new expansion teams for 2025/26, the Pacers‘ affiliate – formerly known as the Indiana Mad Ants – has rebranded as the Noblesville Boom as it moves to a new home (The Arena at Innovation Mile).

Here’s the full list of G League teams for the 2025/26 season:

Atlanta Hawks: College Park Skyhawks
Boston Celtics: Maine Celtics
Brooklyn Nets: Long Island Nets
Charlotte Hornets: Greensboro Swarm
Chicago Bulls: Windy City Bulls
Cleveland Cavaliers: Cleveland Charge
Dallas Mavericks: Texas Legends
Denver Nuggets: Grand Rapids Gold
Detroit Pistons: Motor City Cruise
Golden State Warriors: Santa Cruz Warriors
Houston Rockets: Rio Grande Valley Vipers
Indiana Pacers: Noblesville Boom
Los Angeles Clippers: San Diego Clippers
Los Angeles Lakers: South Bay Lakers
Memphis Grizzlies: Memphis Hustle
Miami Heat: Sioux Falls Skyforce
Milwaukee Bucks: Wisconsin Herd
Minnesota Timberwolves: Iowa Wolves
New Orleans Pelicans: Birmingham Squadron
New York Knicks: Westchester Knicks
Oklahoma City Thunder: Oklahoma City Blue
Orlando Magic: Osceola Magic
Philadelphia 76ers: Delaware Blue Coats
Phoenix Suns: Valley Suns
Portland Trail Blazers: Rip City Remix
Sacramento Kings: Stockton Kings
San Antonio Spurs: Austin Spurs
Toronto Raptors: Raptors 905
Utah Jazz: Salt Lake City Stars
Washington Wizards: Capital City Go-Go
No NBA affiliation: Mexico City Capitanes

Talen Horton-Tucker Nearing Deal With Fenerbahce, Hoping To Stay In NBA

September 1st, 2025 at 9:06am CST by Rory Maher

Guard/forward Talen Horton-Tucker, who has spent the past six years in the NBA after being selected 46th overall in the 2019 draft, is finalizing a contract with Turkish powerhouse Fenerbahce, reports Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.com.

According to Urbonas’ sources, Horton-Tucker is still hoping to sign another NBA contract, but if he is unable to find a deal he likes, he’s expected to sign with the reigning EuroLeague champion.

Bugra Uzar of Eurohoops.net confirms the news, stating that Horton-Tucker has a deal in place with Fenerbahce but it won’t be completed yet as the 24-year-old awaits another NBA opportunity. A final decision is expected to be made in the next few days, Uzar adds.

Horton-Tucker won a championship as a rookie with the Lakers in 2020 and spent three years in Los Angeles prior to being traded to Utah in the 2022 offseason. He spent the next two years with the Jazz, but was unable to find a guaranteed contract as an unrestricted free agent last summer.

The Chicago native signed a non-guaranteed Exhibit 10 deal with the Bulls last September and wound up making the team’s regular season roster — he was the only player on an Exhibit 10 contract last fall to have that deal become a standard non-guaranteed deal.

Horton-Tucker, who said it was a “dream come true” to open the 2024/25 season with his hometown team, not only made the roster but eventually had his contract guaranteed when the Bulls decided to keep him around past the January deadline to waive non-guaranteed deals.

Overall, Horton-Tucker appeared in 58 games last season off the bench, averaging 6.5 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 12.5 minutes per contest, with a shooting line of .457/.336/.735. He holds career averages of 9.2 PPG, 2.6 RPG and 2.8 APG on .427/.299/.771 shooting in 305 games (19.5 MPG).

As Urbonas notes, Fenerbahce’s roster features several former NBA players, including Brandon Boston Jr., who spent last season with New Orleans.

Mavericks Re-Sign Dante Exum

September 1st, 2025 at 8:10am CST by Luke Adams

September 1: Nearly two months after his deal was first reported, Exum has re-signed with Dallas, per NBA.com’s official transactions log. As we detailed in a separate story, the Mavs opened up room under the hard cap and a roster spot by waiving and stretching Prosper.

July 2: The Mavericks and Dante Exum have reached an agreement on a one-year deal that will extend the veteran guard’s stay in Dallas, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).

Exum, who will turn 30 later this month, spent the first seven years of his professional career in the NBA, playing for Utah and Cleveland after being selected fifth overall in the 2014 draft. However, he struggled to establish himself as a reliable rotation player, due in part to his lack of offensive production.

Exum played in Europe for two seasons from 2021-23, developing a reliable three-point shot during his time with Barcelona and Partizan Belgrade, then returned stateside during the 2023 offseason and has played in Dallas since then.

Injuries, which hampered Exum’s development earlier in his career, have continued to be an issue during his second NBA stint, limiting him to 75 total appearances across the past two seasons, including just 20 last season due to right wrist surgery and a broken left hand.

But he has been a very effective role player for the Mavs when healthy, averaging 8.0 points, 2.8 assists, and 2.4 rebounds in 19.5 minutes per game, with a shooting line of .516/.472/.768.

Once Irving’s new deal is done and Russell officially signs, the Mavs won’t have enough room below a hard cap at the second tax apron to re-sign Exum on a minimum-salary deal, so they’ll need to make a corresponding roster move at some point to finalize all those moves, as cap expert Yossi Gozlan notes (via Twitter).

Waiving Brandon Williams, whose salary is mostly non-guaranteed, would be the easiest path to creating that space below the second apron, but he was productive in a rotation role during the second half of last season. Olivier-Maxence Prosper, a 2023 first-round pick, has been considered a trade candidate.

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