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Wizards Sign Marvin Bagley III

July 11th, 2025 at 6:59am CST by Earnest Marshall

July 11: Bagley has officially signed with the Wizards, per the transaction log at NBA.com.

July 10: The Wizards are signing free agent big man Marvin Bagley III to a one-year deal, according to Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).

On paper, it makes sense for the Wizards to target a veteran big man in free agency given the fact they traded away Kelly Olynyk this week. Washington only has one player on its standard roster taller than 6’9″ — second-year center Alex Sarr.

However, it’s an interesting move given that the Wizards just traded Bagley away at the deadline to the Grizzlies. Washington originally acquired the former No. 2 overall pick ahead of the 2024 trade deadline alongside Isaiah Livers and a second-round pick. This year, the Wizards sent Bagley out in a multi-team deal that landed them Marcus Smart and a first-round pick, which they used to trade down and select Will Riley.

Bagley appeared in 43 games (16 starts) with Washington across parts of 2023/24 and ’24/25, averaging 9.6 points and 5.8 rebounds per contest.

Despite the move making positional sense, it remains to be seen whether Bagley will actually stick on an already-crowded roster. The Wizards have 15 players on official, standard contracts. They also have Richaun Holmes and Justin Champagnie on standard deals, but Holmes’s $13.28MM contract is only guaranteed for $250K and Champagnie is non-guaranteed.

If Bagley’s deal is non-guaranteed, it would seem like a cut-and-dry situation to let go of him, Holmes and Champagnie to solve the roster crunch. However, Champagnie being cut would be somewhat surprising despite his non-guaranteed status, given that he started 31 games last season and averaged 8.8 points while shooting 51.1% from the field and 38.3% from three.

If Washington opts to keep Champagnie, it would mean trading or cutting a player with a guaranteed contract. If Bagley is guaranteed, that means two players on Washington’s roster could potentially be let go despite having guaranteed deals.

In any scenario in which Bagley and/or Holmes doesn’t make the opening-night roster, that would mean Washington would be entering the season with 6’8″ Kyshawn George and Bilal Coulibaly as the tallest players on the 15-man squad outside of Sarr.

After the Grizzlies acquired Bagley last season, he only appeared in 12 games and averaged 3.6 PPG. He holds career averages of 12.0 points and 6.5 rebounds in 238 games.

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Devin Booker Signs Two-Year Max Extension With Suns

July 10th, 2025 at 6:40pm CST by Arthur Hill

July 10: Booker’s new extension with the Suns is official, the team confirmed in a press release.

“Devin Booker is the embodiment of the Phoenix Suns, representing the best of our organization, our community and our future,” Ishbia said in a statement. “As the team’s all-time leading scorer, his on-court achievements are unparalleled and the result of his relentless preparation and unwavering pursuit of excellence. His character, leadership and ‘I’ll do it’ mentality define the standards and culture we uphold.

“Moreover, his connection with our fans is unique – his impact resonates across the Valley, and his tireless efforts in supporting Arizona’s youth and families reflect the deep community bond we cherish.”

July 9: Devin Booker has reached an agreement with the Suns on a two-year maximum-salary extension that could be worth more than $145MM, agents Jessica Holtz and Melvin Booker of CAA tell Shams Charania of ESPN. The deal, which will run through the 2029/30 season, was finalized tonight in a meeting with owner Mat Ishbia in Las Vegas.

Booker’s annual extension salary of $72.5MM would be the largest in NBA history, Charania adds, slightly surpassing the projections on the new deal Shai Gilgeous-Alexander signed with Oklahoma City last week ($71.25MM). Booker now has five years and an estimated $316MM left on his contract with the Suns.

Booker’s deal will be worth 35% of the salary cap in 2028/29, with an 8% raise for ’29/30. Charania’s figures are based on presumed cap increases of 7% next year and 10% each of the following two years, so there’s no guarantee the extension will actually come in that high.

If it does, Booker would make $70,077,350 in 2028/29 and $75,683,530 in 2029/30, giving him a total of $145,760,880.

This is the third contract extension for Booker, who has spent the past 10 seasons in Phoenix after being selected with the 13th pick in the 2015 draft. He has talked frequently about wanting to play his entire career with the same franchise and working to make the Suns contenders again. The new deal, which will take him past his 33rd birthday, is a major step toward accomplishing that.

There was trade speculation surrounding Booker and virtually all the Suns in the midst of a frustrating 36-46 season that saw them fall short of the play-in tournament. That prompted Ishbia to issue a strong statement in March vowing that he would never part with Booker and referring to him as the sort of “superstar” that’s necessary to win a title.

Ishbia and his new management team have already started the process of reworking the roster around Booker. Kevin Durant was shipped to Houston in a seven-team trade, and the Suns are believed to be nearing a buyout agreement with Bradley Beal. Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks were the main additions in the Durant deal, Mark Williams was acquired from Charlotte in a draft-night trade and Khaman Maluach was selected with the No. 1o pick.

Booker posted typically excellent numbers amidst the chaos of last season, although his shooting percentages declined from his usual standards. He averaged 25.6 points, 4.1 rebounds and 7.1 assists in 75 games while connecting at 46.1% from the field and 33.2% from three-point range.

Booker will return to being the focus of the offense with Durant and possibly Beal gone, so he’ll need a strong performance next season to push the Suns in the right direction.

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Nuggets Sign Tim Hardaway Jr. To One-Year Contract

July 10th, 2025 at 3:31pm CST by Dana Gauruder

July 10: Hardaway is officially a Nugget, the team announced in a press release.

July 1: The Nuggets have agreed to a one-year contract with Pistons free agent wing Tim Hardaway Jr., ESPN’s Shams Charania reports (Twitter link). He’s signing for the veteran’s minimum, Bennett Durando of the Denver Post tweets.

Hardaway made 77 starts for vastly-improved Detroit, averaging 11.0 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 28 minutes per game. He shot 40.6 percent from the field and 36.8 percent on 3-point attempts.

Denver has been extremely active in recent days, agreeing to deal Michael Porter Jr. and a first-rounder to the Nets for Cameron Johnson, reaching a one-year deal with another wing, Bruce Brown, and adding big man Jonas Valanciunas in an agreed-upon deal with the Kings.

Hardaway figures to be a second-unit player with Denver, unless he supplants Christian Braun at shooting guard or Johnson at small forward. The 33-year-old Hardaway will be playing for the fifth team in his NBA career. He’s also had stints with Atlanta, New York and Dallas.

According to cap expert Yossi Gozlan, these moves will push the Nuggets right up against the luxury tax (Twitter link).

Losing Hardaway is a blow to the Pistons, who have been forced to adjust their free agent strategy due to gambling allegations against Malik Beasley. Detroit has also lost backup guard Dennis Schroder, who agreed on a three-year deal with the Kings. The Pistons have secured an agreement with free agent Caris LeVert and are looking at a variety of scenarios to fortify their wing positions.

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James Jones Leaves Suns For Job In League Office

July 9th, 2025 at 2:44pm CST by Luke Adams

Former Suns general manager James Jones has accepted a job in the league office, the NBA announced today in a press release.

Jones has been named the NBA’s new executive vice president and head of basketball operations. It’s the same role that Joe Dumars held before he left the position to become the Pelicans’ executive VP of basketball operations in April.

Jones’ responsibilities in his new position will include overseeing “development of playing rules and interpretations, conduct and discipline, and policies and procedures relating to the operation of games,” per the league.

“James is widely respected across the NBA for being an inspiring leader and the consummate teammate during his more than 20 years as a highly successful player and team executive,” the NBA’s president of league operations Byron Spruell said in a statement. “With his exceptional relationship-building skills and deep basketball expertise, he is well suited to guide our efforts to shape the current and future direction of the NBA game.”

A three-time NBA champion as a player, Jones had been in the Suns’ front office for the last eight years. He was initially hired as Phoenix’s vice president of basketball operations in 2017, but quickly rose up the ranks to become co-general manager in October of 2018. He was later named the Suns’ lone GM in 2019 and had been the head of basketball operations for the team since then, until he was replaced by Brian Gregory this spring.

At the time of Gregory’s promotion, reporting indicated that Jones was transitioning to becoming a senior advisor for the Suns. However, typically when a head of basketball operations is moved out of that top role, it’s a precursor to him leaving that organization altogether.

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Groups Set For 2025 NBA Cup

July 9th, 2025 at 1:44pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA has officially announced the six groups of five teams apiece for the 2025 Emirates NBA Cup, also known as the in-season tournament (Twitter link).

In order to set the groups, the league splits the Western and Eastern Conferences into five three-team tiers based on last season’s regular season standings, with one club from each tier randomly drawn into each of the conference’s three groups.

For instance, the top three teams from the West will all be in separate groups, with each of those three groups also featuring one team in the 4-6 range, one in the 7-9 range, and so on.

Here are the groups for the 2025 NBA Cup:

  • West Group A: Oklahoma City Thunder (1), Minnesota Timberwolves (6), Sacramento Kings (9), Phoenix Suns (11), Utah Jazz (15)
  • West Group B: Los Angeles Lakers (3), Los Angeles Clippers (5), Memphis Grizzlies (8), Dallas Mavericks (10), New Orleans Pelicans (14)
  • West Group C: Houston Rockets (2), Denver Nuggets (4), Golden State Warriors (7), Portland Trail Blazers (12), San Antonio Spurs (13)
  • East Group A: Cleveland Cavaliers (1), Indiana Pacers (4), Atlanta Hawks (8), Toronto Raptors (11), Washington Wizards (15)
  • East Group B: Boston Celtics (2), Detroit Pistons (6), Orlando Magic (7), Brooklyn Nets (12), Philadelphia 76ers (13)
  • East Group C: New York Knicks (3), Milwaukee Bucks (5), Chicago Bulls (9), Miami Heat (10), Charlotte Hornets (14)

The round-robin group play games will be starting a little earlier than usual this season and will run from October 31 to November 28. Each team will face the other four clubs in its group once, with the winners of each group and one wild card team from each conference advancing to the eight-team, single-elimination knockout round.

The full schedule of group play games can be viewed right here.

The quarterfinals will be played on December 9-10, with the semifinals and final to follow on Dec. 13 and Dec. 16, respectively, in Las Vegas. The knockout round games will all be aired by one of the NBA’s new broadcasting partners, Amazon Prime.

The Bucks won last season’s NBA Cup, with star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo earning MVP honors after leading Milwaukee to a victory over the Thunder in the championship game.

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Wizards Trade Kelly Olynyk To Spurs

July 9th, 2025 at 10:49am CST by Luke Adams

July 9: The trade is official, according to announcements from the Spurs and Wizards (Twitter link).

July 8: The Wizards and Spurs have agreed to a trade that will send big man Kelly Olynyk to San Antonio, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).

According to Charania, in return for Olynyk, Washington will acquire former first-rounders Malaki Branham and Blake Wesley, along with a 2026 second-round pick. That pick will be the last favorable of Dallas’, Philadelphia’s, and Oklahoma City’s second-rounders.

Olynyk, 34, spent last season with the Raptors and Pelicans. He was limited to 44 games (22 starts) for health reasons, but was solid when he played, averaging 8.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.9 assists in 20.3 minutes per game, with a strong shooting line of .500/.418/.769.

A forward/center who can stretch the floor (.371 career 3PT%), Olynyk will become part of a Spurs frontcourt led by Victor Wembanyama. San Antonio will also be incorporating another new center, Luke Kornet, who finalized a four-year, $40.7MM deal with the team earlier this week.

Olynyk was just traded two days ago from New Orleans to Washington in the three-team deal that included CJ McCollum and Jordan Poole, but he clearly wasn’t part of the Wizards’ long-term plans. He can be flipped immediately because his salary isn’t being aggregated with another player’s salary as part of this trade.

Branham and Wesley – who were drafted 20th and 25th, respectively, in 2022 – didn’t establish themselves as reliable rotation players during their three years in San Antonio, as their playing time declined each season. Still, they’re both just 22 years old, and Branham has shown some promise as a shooter (.405 3PT% last season), while Wesley has shown he’s a stout on-ball defender.

It’s unclear whether the duo will get a shot to make the team and earn rotation spots in Washington or whether the Wizards made the deal primarily for the second-round pick and the cap savings.

Olynyk is on an expiring $13.45MM contract in 2025/26, while Branham ($4.96MM) and Wesley ($4.72MM) will earn less than $10MM total in the final year of their rookie deals. By taking Branham and Wesley into an existing trade exception, Washington will also be able to create a trade exception worth Olynyk’s $13.45MM salary.

The Wizards have a growing roster crunch they’ll have to address at some point in the coming weeks or months. As a result of this trade, they’ll have 15 players on guaranteed salaries, and that total doesn’t include Richaun Holmes (small partial guarantee), Justin Champagnie (non-guaranteed), or Anthony Gill, who is considered a strong candidate to re-sign with the club.

The Spurs, conversely, will have just 12 players under contract once the trade is official and will have plenty of flexibility below the luxury tax line to fill out the three openings on the standard 15-man roster.

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Clippers Reportedly Favorites To Land Bradley Beal

July 8th, 2025 at 6:29pm CST by Rory Maher

Assuming he reaches a buyout with the Suns – which appears to be a matter of when, not if – the Clippers are viewed as the frontrunners to sign Bradley Beal, league sources tell Law Murray, Dan Woike and Fred Katz of The Athletic.

Kurt Helin of NBC Sports previously reported that the Clippers were considered the favorites to land the three-time All-Star if he hits the open market.

According to The Athletic, Beal knows he likely won’t be able to immediately make back the money he gives up in a buyout — if the Suns want to use the stretch provision to spread his remaining salary across five seasons instead of two, he’ll have to forfeit a minimum of $13.8MM due to a CBA rule.

Murray, Woike, and Katz suggest the 32-year-old might sign a two-year deal with Los Angeles that includes a player option for 2026/27 so that he’d have the option of returning to the open market in a year.

The Clippers recently traded Norman Powell after reportedly being reluctant to offer him a long-term deal, and then waived Jordan Miller today. Both moves were viewed as precursors to signing Beal, with the trade of Powell opening up a spot on the depth chart while the release of Miller creates a little extra cap flexibility.

The Clippers used $8.75MM of their non-taxpayer mid-level exception to sign Brook Lopez, but still have about $5.35MM of MLE money left that they could offer Beal while still maintaining enough room below their first-apron hard cap to fill out the roster.

In addition to the Clippers, Beal has also been considering the Lakers, Warriors, and Bucks, league sources tell The Athletic. The Timberwolves have also been cited as a team with interest in the three-time All-Star, but The Athletic’s report doesn’t confirm that interest is being reciprocated.

Luke Adams contributed to this story.

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Clippers Waive Jordan Miller

July 8th, 2025 at 5:19pm CST by Rory Maher

The Clippers have waived guard/forward Jordan Miller, according to the official transaction log at NBA.com.

As our list of early salary guarantee dates for 2025/26 shows, Miller would have been owed a partial guarantee of $350K had he remained on Los Angeles’ roster past July 15.

Miller’s $2.19MM deal for next season also had a second trigger date for making the regular season roster, which no longer applies unless he’s claimed off the waiver wire.

It’s worth noting that Miller is on the Clippers’ summer league roster. According to Law Murray of The Athletic (Twitter link), assuming Miller clears waivers, the plan is for the 25-year-old to return to the team on a new contract and continue with summer league.

Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Twitter link) adds that the Clippers plan to “keep (Miller) as part of the organization,” which is a little vague, but could suggest he’ll be back at some point on a new deal.

A former second-round pick (48th overall in 2023), Miller was promoted to a four-year standard contract on March 1 after spending most of his first two seasons on a two-way deal with the Clips. The 25-year-old only got 28 minutes of playing time across eight games as a rookie, but he played well for the Clippers’ G League affiliate, and was able to carve out some rotation minutes on a 50-win team in year two, averaging 4.1 points and 1.6 rebounds in 37 games (11.4 minutes per contest).

Miller hit the 50-game limit for two-way players on March 1, which is part of the reason the Clips converted him. They also gave him a prorated salary for 2024/25 well above the minimum using part of their mid-level exception, with the remaining three years of his deal being non-guaranteed.

I wouldn’t be surprised if a team decided to claim Miller, as he’s shown some real upside at the NBAGL level, including averaging 24.9 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 3.6 APG and 1.0 SPG on .509/.350/.844 shooting in seven games last season (31.1 MPG).

According to Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter link), L.A. is approximately $8.9MM below its first-apron hard cap with three openings on its standard roster. The Clippers could use the remaining $5.3MM they have left of the full mid-level exception to sign someone, add another player on a minimum-salary deal, and sign 50th overall pick Kobe Sanders using the second-round pick exception, says Smith.

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Nikola Jokic Reportedly Won’t Sign Extension This Offseason

July 8th, 2025 at 4:51pm CST by Rory Maher

Superstar center Nikola Jokic has informed the Nuggets he does not intend to sign an extension this offseason, instead choosing to wait for when a more lucrative deal will be available in 2026, team sources tell Bennett Durando of The Denver Post.

The Nuggets were anticipating that Jokic might bypass an extension, according to Durando, due to the additional year and extra $79MM they can offer next summer.

Based on the latest salary cap projections, a three-year, maximum-salary for Jokic beginning in 2027/28 would be worth $206.4MM. A four-year deal, available next offseason, would be worth a projected $285.4MM.

Nuggets vice chairman Josh Kroenke said last month that Jokic would be offered the three-year extension.

“We’re definitely gonna offer it,” Kroenke said on June 24. “I’m not sure if he’s gonna accept it or not because we’re also gonna explain every financial parameter around him, signing now versus signing later.”

Over the past five years, the 30-year-old Serbian has won three MVP awards and was the runner-up twice. In one of those second-place seasons (2023), Jokic led the Nuggets to an NBA championship, claiming Finals MVP in the process.

Vinny Benedetto of The Denver Gazette and Marc Stein of The Stein Line have confirmed Durando’s reporting (Twitter links).

Jokic was open about the Nuggets needing to improve after they lost their second-round playoff series to the Thunder in seven games. Oklahoma City went on to win the NBA Finals.

The Nuggets have had a busy offseason. They agreed to trade Michael Porter Jr. and their 2032 first-round pick to the Nets for Cameron Johnson; agreed to another to send Dario Saric to the Kings for Jonas Valanciunas; brought back Bruce Brown on a one-year deal; and added Tim Hardaway Jr. in free agency.

For what it’s worth, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said on the Hoop Collective podcast (YouTube link) that he’s heard second-hand that Jokic liked the moves Denver made this summer.

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NBA Transactions Becoming Official: July 8, 2025

July 8th, 2025 at 2:00pm CST by Luke Adams

The July moratorium is over and teams are now permitted to officially finalize all the free agent signings and trades they’ve agreed to since the new league year began (or earlier, in some cases).

Rather than bumping all of our previous stories on those free agent and trade agreements, we’ll be tracking all the previously reported moves that become official on Tuesday in the space below. We did the same in separate articles on Sunday and Monday.

To be clear, we’ll still be publishing new stories on breaking free agent and trade agreements. This space is just to track the moves we knew about before today if they’ve now been formally completed. In other words, if news of a deal breaks for the first time on Tuesday and is also finalized today, we won’t include it here.

These lists will be in chronological order, so we’ll add the most recent items to the bottom throughout the day.

Free agent signings:

Contract extensions:

Trades:

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