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Malik Beasley No Longer Target Of Federal Investigation

August 22nd, 2025 at 7:52am CST by Luke Adams

Free agent wing Malik Beasley is no longer a target of the federal gambling investigation being conducted by the Eastern District of New York, attorneys Steve Haney and Mike Schachter tell Shams Charania of ESPN.

Word broke in June, just ahead of free agency, that Beasley was under federal investigation due to allegations related to gambling and prop bets made the 2023/24 season. According to Charania, Beasley’s lawyers have had “extensive” discussions with the Eastern District of New York in recent weeks and learned that the investigation isn’t targeting their client.

“Months after this investigation commenced, Malik remains uncharged and is not the target of this investigation,” Haney said. “An allegation with no charge, indictment or conviction should never have the catastrophic consequence this has caused Malik. This has literally been the opposite of the presumption of innocence.”

While Beasley is legally afforded the presumption of innocence, it wouldn’t have made sense for an NBA team to sign him without assurances that he would be cleared. A worst-case outcome for Beasley would have meant a lifetime ban from the league, similar to the one levied by the NBA on Jontay Porter after it was determined that Porter manipulated prop bets by exiting at least one game early, citing health reasons.

As Charania details, investigators in this case were believed to be 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.

Multiple reports published in late June and early July indicated that Beasley was dealing with a number of financial issues, including facing a lawsuit from his former marketing agency. Court records earlier this month suggested that the 28-year-old had been sued by his landlord and evicted from his apartment.

While Charania’s report doesn’t definitively state that Beasley is 100% in the clear, it doesn’t sound as if any charges are forthcoming, so it seems likely there will be renewed interest from NBA teams interested in signing him. 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 ranking second in the NBA in three-pointers made (319).

Before news of the investigation broke, the Pistons and Beasley were working toward a potential three-year deal worth roughly $42MM, according to Charania, who notes that other clubs had interest in the sharpshooter and some have stayed in touch with his representatives about his status.

Detroit no longer has the ability to sign Beasley for $42MM over three years — that would have required cap room or the non-taxpayer mid-level exception, which has since been used on Caris LeVert. But the Pistons do still hold his Non-Bird rights, giving them the ability to offer a 2025/26 salary up to $7.2MM (a 20% raise on last season’s $6MM salary). Few teams – and even fewer playoff contenders – still have the ability to offer more than that amount at this point in the offseason.

The Knicks are among the other teams that have done due diligence on Beasley’s situation, tweets Ian Begley of SNY.tv, though they could only offer a minimum-salary contract.

Bulls To Retire Derrick Rose’s No. 1 Jersey On Jan. 24

August 21st, 2025 at 1:15pm CST by Rory Maher

The Bulls will retire Derrick Rose‘s No. 1 jersey on January 24, 2026, according to a team press release (Twitter link).

Chicago announced this past January — ahead of “Derrick Rose Night” — that it would be adding Rose’s jersey to the rafters of the United Center at some point during the 2025/26 season. Now we know the ceremony will occur on a Saturday when Chicago hosts Boston, as shown by the Bulls’ official schedule.

Rose, who retired as a player this past September, spent eight seasons with Chicago, his hometown team. As Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune noted last October, no Bull has worn No. 1 since Rose was traded to New York in 2016.

“Derrick is both a hometown hero and a symbol of an entire era of Bulls basketball,” chairman Jerry Reinsdorf said in January. “Retiring a jersey recognizes a player’s impact beyond on-court achievements. It honors individuals who have made extraordinary contributions to the organization and forged deep, lasting connections with fans. It recognizes that emotional bond and the great influence a player has had on the team and organization’s identity.”

The Bulls selected Rose with the first overall pick in the 2008 NBA draft. He earned Rookie of the Year honors in 2009 and was named an All-Star in each of his next three seasons, winning the MVP award in 2011. Over the course of that season, his third in the NBA at age 22, Rose averaged 25.0 points, 7.7 assists and 4.1 rebounds per game across 81 starts, leading the Bulls to a league-best 62-20 record and a spot in the Eastern Conference Finals.

However, Rose’s career hit a snag following his first four seasons in Chicago, as he missed the entire 2012/13 season due to an ACL tear and only played in 10 games in ’13/14 as he continued to recover from that injury. Overall, he averaged 19.7 PPG, 6.2 APG and 3.7 RPG in 406 regular season games with the Bulls, posting a shooting slash line of .448/.302/.813.

Rose, who turns 37 in early October, will be the fifth former Bull to have his jersey retired, joining Jerry Sloan (No. 4), Bob Love (No. 10), Michael Jordan (No. 23) and Scottie Pippen (No. 33). Chicago also has banners honoring former head coach Phil Jackson and former general manager Jerry Krause.

The fact that Rose won the MVP award while still on his rookie scale contract resulted in an NBA rule being unofficially named after him. As we’ve outlined in a Hoops Rumors Glossary entry, the “Derrick Rose rule” allows players coming off their rookie deals to sign maximum-salary contracts worth up to 30% of the salary cap instead of the typical 25% if they’ve earned a major award such as MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, or All-NBA.

Latest On Al Horford, Other Warriors FA Targets

August 21st, 2025 at 7:44am CST by Luke Adams

As the Warriors‘ standoff with restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga extends into late August, the team remains “very confident” about its ability to eventually sign free agent center Al Horford, Jake Fischer said in his latest Bleacher Report live stream on Wednesday (YouTube link; hat tip to Dallas Hoops Journal).

As Fischer outlines, Horford is among several veteran free agents who have expressed a willingness to be patient in waiting for resolution on Kuminga and have been “in full communication” with the Warriors’ front office.

Pointing to veterans like De’Anthony Melton, Gary Payton II, Seth Curry, and perhaps even Malcolm Brogdon as candidates to end up in Golden State, Fischer suggests that those players would likely receive minimum-salary contracts if they sign with the Warriors, whereas Horford would probably be in line for a more lucrative deal.

“Al Horford’s situation is a bit different,” Fischer said. “Because, depending on where the Warriors land in a cap/tax situation, I believe he is slated to make upwards of the full taxpayer mid-level exception. There has also been some discussion about whether or not he could potentially be receiving a two-year deal with a player option as well.”

Fischer adds that the Warriors envision Horford having a “pretty major role” in their rotation. That lines up with previous reporting from ESPN’s Anthony Slater, who has indicated that the 40-year-old would likely slot in as the team’s starting center.

Using any portion of the mid-level exception would hard-cap the Warriors at the second tax apron — that could put them at risk of losing Kuminga, since a rival suitor could look to open up cap room to sign the RFA forward to an offer sheet Golden State wouldn’t be able to match. As a result, the Warriors are putting off the rest of their offseason business until they either re-sign or sign-and-trade Kuminga and have a clearer picture of their cap situation.

Depending on what happens with Kuminga, the Warriors should have either the taxpayer or even a portion of the non-taxpayer mid-level exception available to them.

For instance, if Kuminga accepts the rumored two-year, $45MM offer Golden State has put on the table, the club would be roughly $14.9MM below the second apron with 10 players under contract and would have the ability to offer Horford the full $5.7MM taxpayer mid-level exception while still filling out the rest of its roster with minimum-salary players.

If Kuminga were to sign his $7.98MM qualifying offer, Golden State would have about $17MM in breathing room below the first apron and could theoretically go a little above the taxpayer portion of the MLE to sign Horford. But that would result in a first-apron hard cap, which the front office may look to avoid.

Fischer warns that Kuminga’s free agency may remain unresolved well into September, since the deadline to accept his qualifying offer won’t arrive until October 1.

Chisholm, Grousbeck Plan To Keep Celtics In Title Contention

August 20th, 2025 at 10:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

After the Celtics announced their new ownership structure on Tuesday, majority owner and team governor William Chisholm and alternate governor Wyc Grousbeck talked to Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe about their plans for the future.

Chisholm, who headed up the group that purchased the franchise from the Grousbeck family at a valuation of $6.1 billion, said he understands the immediate need to cut costs to escape the second apron and get control of the team’s salary structure. However, he promised that won’t affect his overall vision for the franchise.

“We’re not playing for second; we’re playing for championships and banners,” Chisholm said. “We’re playing for them in the near term, although we obviously had to do some things to get below the second apron. But we’re also playing for them in the medium and long term. The second apron means you can’t do it by just throwing money at the problem. You have to do it with talent, you have to do it with leadership, and with Wyc and with (president of basketball operations Brad Stevens) and (president Rich Gotham) and (coach Joe Mazzulla), I feel like we have the best leaders in the league.”

Chisholm also expressed optimism that the Celtics can exceed expectations this season with Jaylen Brown, Derrick White and Payton Pritchard leading the way. He added that there’s “real talent” on the roster “that hasn’t been fully realized.”

Chisholm also emphasized that his plan to run the team in a close partnership with Grousbeck hasn’t changed. League rules prevented Grousbeck from retaining his position as governor because he owns less than 15% of the franchise, but both men insist that’s a technicality that won’t affect day-to-day operations.

“When it became clear the governor title was not going to be available because of technical reasons, because of math, Bill said, ‘Well, then we’re just not going to use that word around the office.’ So that says a lot about Bill, that he doesn’t care,” Grousbeck said. “He just wants to do the right thing for the team, and I feel the exact same way. We’re shoulder to shoulder.”

They also addressed the decision to give Mazzulla a multiyear extension ahead of what should be his most challenging season as head coach. Grousbeck said they want him “happy and empowered” as he leads a team that’s suddenly in the middle of the pack in the East.

“I’m really excited to see what he does in this kind of environment,” Chisholm added. “I think people will really appreciate what he’s all about. When he doesn’t have the loaded team, what can he do? And I think that’s going to be really interesting, and I have every confidence he’s going to crush it.”

March 31 Target Date Set For Closing Of Blazers’ Sale

August 20th, 2025 at 12:21pm CST by Luke Adams

When the Trail Blazers first announced their plans to sell the franchise in May, they stated that the process was expected to extend into the 2025/26 season, so it came as a bit of a surprise when word broke last Wednesday that a buyer had been found.

However, the sale of the team to a group headed by Tom Dundon isn’t expected to become official in the short term. According to Jason Quick of The Athletic, a target date of March 31, 2026 has been set for the closing of the deal.

As Quick outlines, Dundon and his group of investors have reached an exclusivity agreement with the late Paul Allen‘s estate, which means that the estate is no longer permitted to negotiate with other potential buyers. The two sides are continue to discuss certain terms of the sale, but all major points have been agreed upon and the buyers hope to sign a purchase agreement next month, a source close to Dundon tells Quick.

While a seven-month timeline to complete the sale of the team would be longer than average, it typically takes a few months from the time a tentative agreement is reached for a new ownership group to completely close its sale. For instance, it was reported on March 20 that William Chisholm had struck a deal to buy the Celtics; that deal was approved by the NBA’s Board of Governors last week, with the team confirming the closing of the sale this Tuesday.

The valuation of the Blazers in the sale is estimated to be $4.25 billion, and the plan is to keep the team in Oregon. The future of Moda Center remains up in the air, however. As Quick writes, the team has a lease agreement in place to continue playing at the arena until at least 2030, but commissioner Adam Silver has said a new building will likely be necessary.

“Nothing about the arena is a deal breaker on its own,” Quick’s source said. “It’s lots of little things that add up.”

Regardless of what happens with the arena, Blazers fans should be enthusiastic about how the change in ownership will impact the franchise, that source close to Dundon tells The Athletic.

“He brings a swagger,” the source said of Dundon. “If Tom was the owner last year, he would have been trying to get Luka (Doncic). He would be like, ‘Why should the Lakers have him?'”

John Wall To Join Amazon’s NBA Coverage

August 20th, 2025 at 11:04am CST by Luke Adams

When John Wall announced his retirement as a player on Tuesday, he referred to “new opportunities” presenting themselves and said he’s ready for his “next chapter.” According to Michael Lee of The Washington Post, the next phase of Wall’s career will involve joining Amazon Prime Video for its studio show in 2025/26.

Although Wall told Lee in a recent phone interview that he still felt like he has “a lot left in my tank” as a player and was disappointed he didn’t get another opportunity on the court, he’s looking forward to staying involved in the NBA by sharing his insights with fans on Prime Video beginning this fall.

“If you never really had the opportunity to sit down and talk to me, you won’t really understand how much I love basketball, where my basketball mind is at, where my IQ is,” Wall said. “I can basically tell you the best player in the country — from girls to boys, high school, to the players that’s in college, to the people that’s at the NBA and WNBA.”

It will be Amazon’s first season as an NBA broadcaster. The streaming giant will air games exclusively on Friday nights through December before adding Thursday and Saturday broadcasts later in the season. Prime Video will also be the home of the knockout round of the NBA Cup in December.

Amazon previously announced that former NBA stars Blake Griffin and Dirk Nowitzki will be part of its studio show, which will be hosted by Taylor Rooks.

In addition to that studio team, Prime Video’s broadcasting roster will include analysts Dwyane Wade, Steve Nash, Candace Parker, Stan Van Gundy, Dell Curry, Brent Barry, and Udonis Haslem, as well as sideline reporters Cassidy Hubbarth, Allie Clifton, and Kristina Pink, and play-by-play announcers Kevin Harlan, Ian Eagle, Michael Grady, and Eric Collins.

Wall, meanwhile, made a few more interesting remarks in his conversation with Lee, noting that he had wanted to remain with the Wizards for his entire NBA career and that he hopes to have his No. 2 jersey retired by the franchise. The former No. 1 overall pick also discussed the health issues that derailed his playing career and ultimately cut it short.

“People think, ‘Oh, he got the money, he’s set for life, he don’t care.’ No, I would give up all the money to play basketball and never deal with none of those injuries,” Wall said. “I didn’t play the game of basketball for money. I played the game of basketball because I love it. I was itching to get back to play. I wasn’t itching to sit on the sideline and collect the check. The check don’t mean [anything].”

Pacers Sign Rick Carlisle To Multiyear Extension

August 19th, 2025 at 3:46pm CST by Luke Adams

3:46 pm: The Pacers have officially signed Carlisle to an extension, according to a team press release.

“Since his return to the Pacers in 2021, Coach Carlisle has been integral to our success, which includes leading us to consecutive Eastern Conference Finals appearances and our first NBA Finals appearance in 25 years,” president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard said in a statement. “Beyond his coaching achievements that rank him among the best in NBA history, Coach Carlisle continues to embrace our community and give back to the state of Indiana with his Drive and Dish program. We are thrilled to have him continue leading our team and representing our organization well into the future.”

9:30 am: After leading the Pacers to their first NBA Finals appearance in a quarter-century this spring, head coach Rick Carlisle has agreed to a multiyear contract extension with the team, according to NBA insider Marc Stein (Twitter link).

The Pacers had one of the worst years in franchise history during Carlisle’s first season back on the job in 2021/22, posting a record of just 25-57. But the club has steadily improved since then, increasing its regular season win total to 35 in ’22/23, 47 in ’23/24, and 50 this past year.

Indiana has also made consecutive deep playoff runs with Carlisle at the helm, advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2024 and then appearing in the NBA Finals this year for the first time since 2000.

Accounting for both his current stint with the Pacers and his previous four-year run from 2003-07, Carlisle has posted an overall regular season record of 338-318 (.515) and has gone 41-34 (.547) in the postseason, making the playoffs in five of eight seasons.

In addition to his time in Indiana, Carlisle has another 15 years and 1,197 regular season games under his belt as a head coach in Detroit and Dallas since 2001.

The details of Carlisle’s new agreement are unclear, but he reportedly signed a four-year contract in 2021 and was also extended in 2023. Given that his initial four-year deal just ended this year and both of his extensions have been described as “multiyear” pacts, it seems safe to assume he’s under contract for several seasons to come.

Hawks Sign Caleb Houstan To One-Year Deal

August 19th, 2025 at 3:02pm CST by Dana Gauruder

August 19: Over a month after their agreement was first reported, the Hawks have officially signed Houstan, the team announced today in a press release.

July 17: The Hawks and Caleb Houstan have agreed to a one-year contract, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reports (Twitter link).

Houstan spent the first three years of his NBA career with the Magic. He appeared in 168 games during that span, including 23 starts, after being selected early in the second round of the 2022 draft.

Last season, Houstan appeared in 58 games (six starts) with Orlando and averaged 4.1 points in 13.6 minutes per game while making 40 percent of his 3-point tries.

Houstan became a free agent when Orlando declines its $2.1MM option on his contract for next season. Terms for his contract with Atlanta have not been revealed, but it’s likely a minimum deal.

Still just 22 years old, Houstan struggled to get steady second-unit minutes with the Magic. At 6’8”, he provides good size at the wing spots and he’ll now try to earn minutes with another Southeast Division squad.

That will be a tall task, considering the Hawks have Dyson Daniels at off guard and Jalen Johnson at small forward with free agent pickups Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Luke Kennard slated to get steady minutes off the bench. He’ll also have to battle Vit Krejci (43.7 percent from three last season) for playing time.

Oscar Tshiebwe Re-Signs With Jazz On Two-Way Deal

August 19th, 2025 at 11:48am CST by Luke Adams

Former Kentucky standout Oscar Tshiebwe is back under contract with the Jazz, having re-signed with the team on a two-way deal, per NBA.com’s official transaction log.

Utah made Tshiebwe a restricted free agent in June by issuing him a two-way qualifying offer. It’s possible he simply accepted that offer, which is the equivalent of a one-year, two-way contract with a partial guarantee worth $85,300.

After going undrafted in 2023, Tshiebwe spent his rookie season on a two-way contract with the Pacers and his second year in the NBA on a two-way deal with the Jazz. The 6’8″ forward/center has only made 22 total appearances at the NBA level across those two seasons, but has shown his rebounding prowess in limited action, averaging 7.6 points and 8.7 rebounds in 18.2 minutes per game across 14 outings for Utah in 2024/25.

Tshiebwe, who grabbed double-digit rebounds in eight of the 10 games he played for the Jazz in past March and April, has put up monster numbers in the G League — he earned a spot on the All-NBAGL first team and placed second in MVP voting this spring after averaging 16.1 points, a league-leading 18.2 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.8 steals per contest in 42 games for the Salt Lake City Stars.

Tshiebwe racked up at least 20 boards in seven of the last nine games of his G League season in March. In one matchup with the Iowa Wolves during that stretch, he grabbed 30 rebounds, including 14 on the offensive glass.

It remains to be seen whether Tshiebwe will be utilized more frequently by Jazz head coach Will Hardy in 2025/26, but he’ll be eligible to appear in up to 50 NBA regular season games on his two-way deal, which will pay him $636,435 if it becomes fully guaranteed.

Tshiebwe and Elijah Harkless now occupy two of the Jazz’s three two-way slots, with second-round pick John Tonje viewed as the frontrunner to fill the final opening.

John Wall Announces Retirement

August 19th, 2025 at 10:16am CST by Luke Adams

Former No. 1 overall pick and five-time NBA All-Star John Wall has announced his retirement, publishing a video on social media to confirm his decision (Instagram link).

“I’ve been chasing a ball since I could barely walk. Driveways, parks, packed gyms, 5:00 am workouts,” Wall said over a video montage of his career highlights. “I gave this game everything I had, from Raleigh to Kentucky to the league. Every jersey I’ve worn meant more than just wins and stats. It was about representing something bigger, and it’s something I couldn’t do without you.

“To my family, my mom especially, thank you for all your sacrifices. I hope I made you proud. To my teammates, trainers, and coaches, thank you for believing in me. And to the fans, you made me feel unstoppable.

“Today I’m stepping off the court, but not away from the game. Basketball will always be in my life. As new opportunities present themselves, I feel now is the time to walk confidently into my next chapter. Thank you for every cheer, every moment. Retired, but never done, I’m doing it the Wall way.”

Drafted first overall by the Wizards in 2010 after earning SEC Player of the Year honors as a freshman at Kentucky, Wall almost immediately emerged as Washington’s full-time starting point guard and finished second in Rookie of the Year voting.

The 6’3″ guard, known for his speed and athleticism, remained in D.C. for 10 seasons, receiving five straight All-Star nods from 2014-18, making an All-Defensive team in 2015 and earning All-NBA third team honors (and MVP votes) in 2017.

However, a series of leg injuries, including a torn Achilles, slowed down Wall during his last few seasons with the Wizards. He was traded to Houston during the 2020 offseason, but was limited to just 40 appearances in his first year with the Rockets due to ongoing health issues, then reached a mutual decision to remain away from the team in his second year in Houston. Wall’s last season in the NBA came in 2022/23, when he made 34 outings for the Clippers.

In total, Wall appeared in 647 NBA regular season games, making 604 starts, and averaged 18.7 points, 8.9 assists, and 4.2 rebounds in 34.9 minutes per contest, with a career shooting line of .430/.322/.776.

Reporting as recently as December 2024 indicated that Wall hadn’t given up on making an NBA comeback, but after no opportunities materialized this past season, the veteran – who will turn 35 next month – has decided to call it a career.

Shortly after Wall made his announcement, the Wizards put out a social media post congratulating him on his retirement and referring to him as “one of our franchise all-time greats” (Twitter link).

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