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Warriors Sign Payton, Richard; Will Bring Back Melton

September 29th, 2025 at 12:30pm CST by Eli Cohen

September 29, 12:30 pm: The Warriors’ deals with Payton and Richard are now official, according to the team (Twitter links). Since both contracts are worth the minimum, making them official won’t affect Golden State’s other signings.

September 28, 7:42 pm: Free agent guards Gary Payton II and De’Anthony Melton have committed to deals with the Warriors, reports ESPN’s Shams Charania (Twitter link).

The terms of the deal were not included in the report, though they’re likely to be worth the veteran’s minimum. These signings have long been expected around the league, with the understanding being that the Warriors were waiting to complete them until after they finalized their restricted free agency standoff with Jonathan Kuminga.

Payton, a nine-year NBA veteran, has spent a little over four seasons with the Warriors over the course of his career. While he has dealt with injuries in recent years, he appeared in 62 games last season for Golden State, averaging 6.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 0.8 steals in 15.0 minutes per contest while serving as a versatile, defensive-minded guard/forward who can attack in transition.

Melton is another defensive guard with some injury concerns that have popped up in recent years. He signed with the Warriors ahead of the 2024/25 season, but tore his ACL in just his sixth game with the team, ending his season. Golden State included him in its December trade with the Nets for Dennis Schröder.

During his time with the Warriors, Melton averaged 10.3 points, 2.8 assists, and 1.2 steals in 20.2 minutes per night. He has only played in 45 games over the last two seasons and will be hoping for a bounce-back year in terms of health.

The Warriors are also signing rookie Will Richard to a four-year contract, Charania reports (via Twitter). The No. 56 pick in the 2025 draft will receive two fully guaranteed years in the deal.

Richard is a four-year college player who spent his final three seasons for Florida. As a senior in 2024/25, he averaged 13.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.7 steals per game and played a key role on the championship-winning team. In six Summer League games for the Warriors, Richard averaged 11.5 PPG, 4.3 RPG, and 1.8 SPG.

Word of these three deals follows the report earlier in the day that free agent big man Al Horford had agreed to a multiyear deal with the Warriors. Judging by the four signings, the Warriors appear to be targeting defense, especially along the perimeter, and some level of versatility as they look to round out their roster.

Anthony Slater of ESPN notes (via Twitter) that Horford, Payton, Melton, and Richard will occupy roster spots nine through 13 for the Warriors, and that the 14th spot is currently left for the resolution of the Kuminga standoff.

ESPN’s Bobby Marks adds (via Twitter) that as long as the Warriors don’t sign Kuminga to a deal with a starting salary higher than approximately $23MM, they would have the ability to add a 15th player and remain below the second tax apron. That projection assumes Horford receives the full taxpayer mid-level exception, which would hard-cap Golden State at the second apron.

Sixers Decline To Extend Grimes’ Qualifying Offer Deadline

September 28th, 2025 at 4:19pm CST by Rory Maher

The Sixers will not extend Quentin Grimes‘ October 1 qualifying offer deadline, sources tell Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (all Twitter links). Philadelphia made the 6’5″ wing a restricted free agent when it tendered him a qualifying offer in June.

Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer first reported that Grimes’ agent, David Bauman, had asked the 76ers to extend the QO deadline, which requires the consent of both the player and the team. Fischer confirmed the news on Saturday and specified that Bauman was looking to push back the deadline one week, to Oct. 8.

Fischer’s latest update doesn’t come as a surprise, since he previously said Philadelphia hadn’t shown any interest in granting Bauman’s request.

According to Fischer, the Sixers and Grimes’ camp remain “far apart” in contract negotiations. As multiple reporters have indicated, Grimes appears headed toward re-signing with Philadelphia on a one-year deal — the only question is whether he accepts his $8.74MM QO, which comes with an implied no-trade clause, or signs a more lucrative one-year contract and waives his right to veto a trade.

Either way, we now have confirmation that Grimes’ situation should be resolved by Wednesday.

Pacers Sign Guard Delon Wright

September 27th, 2025 at 4:39pm CST by Earnest Marshall

September 27: The Pacers have signed Wright to an Exhibit 9 contract, Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files tweets.

September 25: The Pacers are planning to sign Delon Wright to their training camp roster, per Pacers insider Tony East (Twitter link). That signing is pending a physical.

Originally, the Pacers agreed to sign Monte Morris to their training camp roster, but as general manager Chad Buchanan told reporters on Thursday, that signing is no longer taking place due to a calf injury.

While there are no details yet on Wright’s contract, it seems likely that he agreed to a deal similar in structure to Morris’, which was expected to be a one-year, non-guaranteed pact.

When the Morris news broke, it was reported that he would compete in training camp for a roster spot with James Wiseman and Tony Bradley, whose contracts are not fully guaranteed. The Pacers have 13 players on standard, guaranteed contracts. They also have three players signed to Exhibit 10 deals.

Wright began last season with the Bucks before being traded to the Knicks ahead of the deadline. He averaged 3.1 points per game across 40 appearances with both teams. He was a bit more productive in New York, averaging 4.3 points and 2.1 assists per night and making six playoff appearances.

If Wright is on an NBA roster this year, it will be his 11th season in the league; if he sticks with the Pacers, it will be his 11th different team. He holds career averages of 6.7 points, 3.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists per contest.

Dennis Smith Jr. Signs With Mavericks

September 26th, 2025 at 3:12pm CST by Earnest Marshall

September 26: Smith has officially signed with the Mavs, the team announced today (via Twitter).

September 18: The Mavericks are signing Dennis Smith Jr. to a one-year contract, according to Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link). Dallas selected Smith with the No. 9 overall pick in the 2017 draft and he spent the first season and a half of his career there.

Dallas has 15 players on standard contracts before signing Smith, including Brandon Williams, who is only guaranteed for $200K until opening night.

Smith’s contract is presumably non-guaranteed or partially guaranteed, setting up an opportunity for him to earn a spot on the opening-night roster if he performs well enough in training camp.

Before the Mavericks waived and stretched Olivier-Maxence Prosper‘s contract to bring back Dante Exum, they reportedly toyed with the idea of moving Jaden Hardy. It’s unclear whether that’s still on the table at all, but if the Mavericks wanted to keep both Smith and/or Williams, it would mean moving Hardy or another player via trade to clear up a spot.

A 6’2″ guard out of NC State, Smith averaged 14.5 points and 4.9 assists in 101 games (all starts) with the Mavericks from 2017-19. He was moved at the 2019 deadline to the Knicks in exchange for Kristaps Porzingis. Since then, he hasn’t played more than 58 games for a franchise, having become a journeyman guard from 2019-24.

Smith had perhaps his most impressive season of his career in 2022/23, when he emerged as one of the premier guard defenders in the league while playing for the Hornets and averaging 8.8 points and 4.8 assists per contest. However, the Hornets didn’t bring him back and he spent the following season for Brooklyn before not playing in the NBA last season.

In all, Smith holds career averages of 9.7 points, 4.2 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 1.2 steals across 326 career games (152 starts).

Grizzlies Announce Injury Updates On Clarke, Edey, Jackson

September 26th, 2025 at 2:51pm CST by Rory Maher

Grizzlies big man Brandon Clarke is undergoing an arthroscopic procedure to address synovitis in his right knee, the team announced in a press release (via Twitter).

Clarke’s 2024/25 season was cut short in March when he suffered a PCL sprain in his right knee.

While that injury has fully healed, per the Grizzlies, he experienced synovitis — inflammation that affects the synovial membranes in joints — during recent training sessions. Memphis says it will provide a return timeline after the procedure, but Clarke is expected to make a full recovery.

Shams Charania of ESPN, who first reported the news, hears that Clarke is expected to miss a minimum of six weeks, which is when he will be reevaluated (Twitter link).

It’s another unfortunate setback for Clarke, who has been plagued by various injuries throughout his career, including a torn Achilles tendon that cost him most of ’23/24.

In the same press release, the Grizzlies also provided injury updates on center Zach Edey and forward/center Jaren Jackson Jr., both of whom are recovering from offseason surgeries.

Edey, who underwent left ankle surgery in June, has been cleared to ramp up basketball activities. However, he remains several weeks away from returning, as he is expected to make his season debut in six-to-nine weeks.

If Edey is ready to play in six weeks, he would be back in early November. The more conservative end of that time frame would see the former Purdue star return around the end of that month.

Jackson, who had surgery in July to repair a turf toe issue, will also begin ramping up his on-court activities. He’s expected to return in four-to-six weeks, which means he could miss a little bit of time to open ’25/26.

On a more positive note, first-round pick Cedric Coward will be a full training camp participant after recovering from a left shoulder injury he sustained last year at Washington State.

With Clarke, Edey and Jackson likely to miss the start of the season, Memphis’ frontcourt depth will be tested early on. Santi Aldama and Jock Landale are among the players who could receive more playing time in their stead.

Blazers’ Scoot Henderson Suffers Torn Left Hamstring

September 26th, 2025 at 1:46pm CST by Rory Maher

Guard Scoot Henderson sustained a torn left hamstring during a workout this week, the Trail Blazers announced in a press release.

According to the team, Henderson is expected to resume basketball activities in four-to-eight weeks. Portland will provide additional updates on Henderson’s status “as appropriate.”

Crucially, the announcement doesn’t say that Henderson is expected to return in four-to-eight weeks — it’s just when he’ll resume basketball drills. It’s safe to say that, at minimum, Henderson will miss the start of his third NBA season.

A 6’3″ point guard, Henderson was a highly touted NBA prospect who spent two years with the now-defunct G League Ignite prior to being selected No. 3 overall in the 2023 draft.

Henderson got off to a pretty slow start as a rookie, putting up solid counting stats (14.0 points, 5.4 assists, 3.1 rebounds) but struggling with turnovers (3.4) and efficiency (.385/.325/.814 shooting line) in 62 games (28.5 minutes per contest).

While 21-year-old’s per-36 numbers were quite similar in year two, he showed improvement defensively, took a little better care of the ball, and was more efficient (.419/.354/.767 shooting) in 66 contests, most of which came in a reserve role (26.7 MPG).

The Blazers were already going to be shorthanded in the backcourt after re-signing franchise icon Damian Lillard, who was waived by Milwaukee after suffering a torn Achilles tendon in the playoffs, this offseason.

With Henderson out as well, offseason additions Jrue Holiday and Blake Wesley are candidates for more playing time at the point.

Latest On Quentin Grimes

September 26th, 2025 at 11:14am CST by Luke Adams

Sixers restricted free agent Quentin Grimes was “disappointed” not to receive a formal contract offer from the team until this week after he spent nearly three months on the market, writes Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

While a report on Thursday indicated that Philadelphia offered Grimes a four-year, $39MM deal, agent David Bauman explained to Scotto that that concept was “loosely pitched” by the team. That structure would essentially start with Grimes’ $8.74MM qualifying offer and would include 8% annual raises from there.

Bauman, conversely, proposed scenarios in which Grimes’ salary would start in the neighborhood of $17-21MM, with some flexibility for the team in the later years of the deal, per Scotto.

The only formal offer the 76ers have made is a one-year deal that would be worth more than Grimes’ qualifying offer but would require him to waive his implicit no-trade clause, Scotto continues. For Grimes and his camp to accept that offer, the salary would likely have to be above the non-taxpayer mid-level exception ($14.1MM) and approach $19MM, sources tell HoopsHype. However, Philadelphia’s proposal was only “slightly” above the QO amount.

As Scotto points out, a salary in that $14-19MM range would allow the Sixers to remain below the second tax apron and would give Grimes a more favorable starting point if he’s traded during the 2025/26 season. In that scenario, his new team would only have his Non-Bird rights, which allow for an offer worth up to 120% of the player’s previous salary. A 20% raise on a salary between $14-19MM could work for Grimes in 2026, whereas a 20% raise on his $8.74MM qualifying offer likely wouldn’t be sufficient.

At this point, a longer-term contract remains unlikely due to the large gap between the two sides’ proposals, according to Scotto, who confirms that Bauman has asked the 76ers about potentially moving back the October 1 deadline for Grimes to accept his qualifying offer. The two sides could agree to push back that deadline as late as March 1, though presumably Bauman is seeking a shorter-term solution.

If the Sixers don’t offer a more lucrative one-year deal or increase their multiyear offer, Grimes is expected to strongly consider signing the qualifying offer, league sources tell Scotto. If Grimes goes that route and spends the entire 2025/26 season in Philadelphia, the team would still have his Bird rights next summer, so the two sides could attempt to work out a new deal at that point, though the former first-round pick would be unrestricted.

Hornets Waive Nick Smith Jr.

September 25th, 2025 at 5:25pm CST by Earnest Marshall

5:25pm: The move is now official, per the Hornets.

4:28pm: The Hornets are waiving guard Nick Smith Jr., according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

Smith, 21, was the No. 27 overall pick in the 2023 draft. On the surface, the decision to waive him may seem surprising, given that he averaged 9.9 points, 2.1 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game as a 20-year-old while starting 27 games for Charlotte last season.

However, the Hornets are facing a roster crunch ahead of the 2025/26 season. Before last week, the Hornets had 16 players on fully guaranteed contracts and DaQuan Jeffries and Moussa Diabate among those on partially or non-guaranteed contracts. Charlotte got to work trimming the roster last week by cutting Jeffries, but still had to make multiple moves to set its 15-man regular season roster.

Over the course of the offseason, Charlotte brought in four rookies on standard contracts and, through a series of free agent moves and trades, added veterans Mason Plumlee, Spencer Dinwiddie, Pat Connaughton and Collin Sexton. That meant, barring other trades, the Hornets were always going to have to cut at least one player on a fully guaranteed contract, such as Smith.

Once this move is official, the Hornets will still have 15 players on standard contracts and Diabate’s non-guaranteed deal along with their three two-ways and Isaih Moore on an Exhibit 10 contract.

While the easy answer would be to cut Diabate to satisfy roster limits, the decision is not that simple. Diabate averaged a touch under 20 minutes a night for Charlotte last year, appeared in 71 games (eight starts) and posted 5.7 points and 6.2 rebounds per contest. Additionally, Diabate is one of just three players on the roster (including two-ways) who is over 6’10”, so waiving him would leave Charlotte in an even more dire need of big depth. Keep an eye on how this situation unfolds before opening night, given the Hornets will need to make another trade or cut.

As for Smith, it’s possible a team will claim him and his modest $2.7MM salary this year. His contract includes a $4.9MM team option for 2026/27, which will be automatically declined if he clears waivers.

The Nets seem like a great candidate to take a flier on a 21-year-old with a career average of 8.0 PPG and a 36.9% clip from three, although they have a roster crunch of their own to sort through. If he goes unclaimed, it’s hard to imagine it will be long before Smith signs on somewhere. He would be eligible to sign a two-way contract with just two years of service.

The decision to cut Smith for Charlotte was likely less about the player himself than the sheer overlap of guards the Hornets find themselves equipped with. In addition to Connaughton, Sexton and Dinwiddie joining the backcourt, the Hornets drafted Kon Knueppel and Sion James while still rostering LaMelo Ball, Tre Mann and Josh Green.

Pacers Won’t Sign Guard Monte Morris

September 25th, 2025 at 4:55pm CST by Dana Gauruder

September 25: Morris won’t be signing with the Pacers after all, since he recently suffered a calf strain, general manager Chad Buchanan told reporters on Thursday (Twitter link via Tony East).

September 23: Veteran point guard Monte Morris has agreed to a one-year contract with the Pacers, ESPN’s Shams Charania tweets. It will be a non-guaranteed deal, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype tweets.

The Pacers have 13 players on the roster with fully guaranteed contracts, so there’s room for Morris to earn his way onto the opening night roster. Indiana had a full camp roster, so the team will need to make a corresponding move to complete the signing.

With Tyrese Haliburton expected to miss the entire season, Andrew Nembhard and T.J. McConnell are expected to hold down the top two spots at the point. Morris can provide insurance at that position if he makes the team.

Morris, 30, played 45 games off the bench for the Suns last season. He averaged 5.2 points, 1.5 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 12.7 minutes per contest.

Morris has also played for Denver, Washington, Detroit and Minnesota. Overall, he has seen action in 420 NBA regular season contests and has averaged 9.5 points and 3.6 assists in 23.4 minutes with solid shooting numbers (47.4% overall and 38.9% on threes).

Lakers Sign Coach J.J. Redick To Contract Extension

September 25th, 2025 at 4:12pm CST by Rory Maher

The Lakers have extended the contract of head coach J.J. Redick, president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka announced today (Twitter link via Dan Woike of The Athletic).

Pelinka cited the team’s “confidence” and “belief” in Redick as primary factors in the deal being reached, tweets Law Murray of The Athletic.

Redick, 41, compiled a 50-32 record in 2024/25 as a first-time head coach with Los Angeles. The Lakers were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by Minnesota in five games.

Redick reportedly received a four-year contract worth about $8MM annually last summer when he was initially hired by the Lakers. It’s unclear how many new years were added as part of his extension.

A former NBA sharpshooter who played 15 seasons in the league from 2006-2021, Redick had preexisting connections to the L.A. area, having spent four seasons with the Clippers during his playing days.

Redick was long viewed as the frontrunner for the Lakers’ head coaching job after they fired Darvin Ham in 2024 following a first-round playoff exit. The Lakers reportedly made a lucrative contract offer to UConn coach Dan Hurley last summer, but he decided to stay with the Huskies.