Newsstand Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Celtics’ Zarren Dismisses Brown, White Rumors

June 27th, 2025 at 12:36am CST by Luke Adams

As the Celtics work this offseason to move below the restrictive second tax apron, there has been some speculation about the possibility that the team would be willing to trade stars Jaylen Brown and/or Derrick White as part of its roster overhaul.

While most reporting on the subject has indicated that Boston has no desire to move either player and is simply listening in case a potential trade partner makes a massive offer, Celtics vice president of basketball operations Mike Zarren believes even those reports have overstated the team’s interest in making a deal involving Brown or White.

“Those two guys are really, really great NBA players, and there hasn’t been anything close to serious about trading them,” Zarren said, per Souichi Terada of MassLive. “I’m not sure where all this reporting came from but those guys are key parts of our team, and we’re lucky to have them here.”

Zarren’s comments may not entirely shut down speculation about Brown and White, but if the Celtics were going to move one of them this offseason, it likely would’ve happened before or during the first round of the draft, when lottery picks could have been in play.

Having agreed to separate deals involving Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis, Boston no longer faces the same level of urgency to continue shedding salary, though role players like Sam Hauser and newly acquired Anfernee Simons continue to be mentioned as possible trade candidates.

The Raptors were one of the teams that inquired about White, Zach Lowe of The Ringer confirmed on Thursday in an episode of his podcast (hat tip to Brian Robb of MassLive).

“There were reports that the Raptors offered the No. 9 pick for Derrick White,” Lowe said. “I’m told that’s true but that it happened a month and a half ago after Jayson Tatum got hurt, and Boston laughed at that offer and said, ‘We need way more than No. 9 for Derrick White.'”

Lakers’ Austin Reaves Reportedly Declines Extension Offer

June 26th, 2025 at 1:06pm CST by Rory Maher

The Lakers offered Austin Reaves a four-year, $89MM contract extension this week, but he declined in the hope of landing a bigger payday next summer, league sources tell Dan Woike of The Athletic.

As Woike details, $89MM over four years is the maximum the Lakers were allowed to offer Reaves, who is entering the third season of a four-year, $54MM contract. The 27-year-old is expected to turn down his $14.9MM player option for 2026/27 in order to become an unrestricted free agent next offseason.

While it would be easy to view Reaves’ decision as sign of disconnect between the two sides, that isn’t the case, according to Woike, who points out that the outcome was anticipated given the restrictions on what Los Angeles was permitted to offer. The Lakers have never seriously entertained the idea of trading Reaves and continue to place a high value on his contributions, Woike writes.

Reaves has vastly outplayed his current deal. In his fourth NBA season in 2024/25, the Arkansas native averaged career highs in points (20.2) assists (5.8), rebounds (4.5) and steals (1.1) per game in 73 appearances (34.9 MPG), with a shooting slash line of .460/.377/.877. He should easily command a new contract in 2026 that far surpasses the offer he recently declined.

Reaves will have Bird rights if he opts out in ’26, giving the Lakers the ability to offer him anything up to his maximum salary. However, he will be an unrestricted free agent if he takes that route, which could give the Lakers a little bit of pause, since it might open the door to a rival suitor swooping in with an enormous offer.

Still, as Woike observes, any team that is interested in trading for Reaves would be in the exact same position as the Lakers are now. And there have been no indications that either side is unhappy with the relationship — quite the opposite. Both Reaves and the Lakers are interested in working on a new deal next summer, Woike tweets.

“I want to be in L.A. I want to play my whole career in L.A. I love it there. I love the fans. Love the weather, love the golf,” Reaves told K8 News earlier this month. “And obviously the Lakers are the best organization in basketball.”

Los Angeles continues to be “aggressive” in its search for center help, but obviously nothing has materialized yet, Woike adds.

Harrison Confirms Jason Kidd Will Coach Mavs Next Season

June 25th, 2025 at 11:04pm CST by Eli Cohen

It appears that Jason Kidd will be staying with the Mavericks. Despite reports suggesting Kidd and the Knicks had “mutual intrigue,” Mavs president Nico Harrison confirmed in a post-draft press conference that he does not intend to let that happen.

“Is that still out there about J. Kidd? I thought I shut that down,” he said, as relayed by Dallas Morning News writer Brad Townsend (Twitter link).

“He will be the coach next year,” Harrison continued.

Although the Mavericks denied the Knicks’ request to speak to Kidd, the lack of a forthcoming extension for the head coach had led to speculation that the issue may not be quite as open-and-shut as it appeared to be.

After drafting their forward of the future in Cooper Flagg, Harrison made the news official: the Knicks will have to look elsewhere to find their coach.

In addition to speaking to Mike Brown and Taylor Jenkins, New York recently interviewed Timberwolves head coach Micah Nori and were granted permission to interview Pelicans assistant James Borrego.

Wizards Trade No. 18 Pick Walter Clayton Jr. To Jazz

June 25th, 2025 at 9:17pm CST by Luke Adams

11:46 pm: The trade is official, according to a press release from the Jazz.

9:17 pm: After drafting Ace Bailey fifth overall earlier in the evening, the Jazz have traded up to No. 18 and used their second first-round pick of the night on Florida’s Walter Clayton Jr., reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

Washington is acquiring the Nos. 21 and 43 picks in the 2025 draft and a pair of future second-rounders in the deal, tweets Jake Fischer of The Stein Line. Those future second-rounders are picks in 2031 and 2032, per Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).

The Wizards used the 21st pick to select Illinois wing Will Riley.

Clayton, a 6’3″ guard, is coming off a memorable senior season. He was a consensus first-team All-American, earned a spot on the All-SEC first team, and led the Gators to a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament and then a national title.

Clayton had a handful of big games in the NCAA tournament, racking up 30 points against Texas Tech in the Elite Eight and 34 against Auburn in the Final Four. He was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four after registering 11 points, seven assists, and five rebounds in the championship game against Houston.

A Florida native, Clayton averaged 18.3 points, 4.2 assists, 3.7 rebounds, and 1.2 steals per game on the season, with a strong .448/.386/.875 shooting line.

This will be the third consecutive year in which the Jazz have used a first-round pick on a guard. Clayton will join a backcourt that features 2023’s 16th overall pick Keyonte George and 2024’s 29th overall pick Isaiah Collier, along with veterans Collin Sexton and Jordan Clarkson, though there’s no guarantee all of those players will still be on the roster by the time the season begins this October.

Pelicans Acquire No. 13 Pick From Hawks, Draft Derik Queen

June 25th, 2025 at 8:39pm CST by Luke Adams

10:31 pm: The trade is official, the Pelicans confirmed in a press release.

8:39 pm: The Pelicans and Hawks have agreed to a trade that will send the No. 13 overall pick from Atlanta to New Orleans in exchange for No. 23 overall and a 2026 first-round pick, reports ESPN’s Shams Charania (Twitter link). The 2026 first-rounder is unprotected and will be the most favorable of the Pelicans’ and Bucks’ picks.

The Pelicans are using that newly acquired pick to draft Maryland big man Derik Queen, per Charania (Twitter link).

Queen was highly productive in his freshman season with the Terrapins, averaging 16.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.1 blocks in 30.4 minutes per contest across 36 total games. He helped guide Maryland to a 27-9 record and a spot in the Sweet 16, scoring 27 points in a loss to Florida.

While Queen is perhaps the most offensively gifted big man in the 2025 draft class, reports during the pre-draft process indicated some NBA evaluators had concerns about his lack of length and explosiveness, as well as some questions about what types of players he would guard on defense.

Still, he’s an intriguing addition for a New Orleans team that badly needs frontcourt depth to complement 2024 first-rounder Yves Missi and ranked last in the NBA in defensive rebounding percentage this post season, as ESPN’s Bobby Marks tweets.

Reporting earlier today from Jonathan Givony of ESPN suggested the Pelicans had their eye on Queen in part to new front office executive Troy Weaver, who has “long-standing connections” to Baltimore- and D.C.-area prospects, and whose son was a graduate assistant on Maryland’s coaching staff in 2024/25.

As for the Hawks, after agreeing to trade the No. 22 overall pick to Brooklyn in their three-team Kristaps Porzingis deal, they’ll now move down 10 spots from No. 13 and end up in that range once again. They’re using that No. 23 pick on Georgia forward/center Asa Newell.

Meanwhile, the 2026 first-rounder they’re acquiring from New Orleans could end up being a valuable one. The Bucks will be missing Damian Lillard as he recovers from a torn Achilles and Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s future in Milwaukee still isn’t a certainty, while the Pelicans are coming off a 21-win season. The most favorable of those two teams’ picks could easily land in the top half of the first round.

Grizzlies Acquire No. 11 Pick Cedric Coward From Blazers

June 25th, 2025 at 8:27pm CST by Earnest Marshall

11:17 pm: The trade is official, according to a press release from the Grizzlies (Twitter link).

8:27 pm: Washington State forward Cedric Coward is the No. 11 overall pick, but he won’t remain with the Trail Blazers. According to Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link), Portland is sending the selection to the Grizzlies.

In exchange for No. 11, the Blazers are acquiring the 16th overall pick, a future first-rounder, and two second-round selections, reports Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Twitter link). Portland surprisingly used the No. 16 pick on Chinese big man Hansen Yang — many analysts had second-round grades on the 7’2″ center.

The future first-rounder being sent to Portland is Orlando’s 2028 selection, per Charania (Twitter link). According to Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian (Twitter link), the second-rounders will be Atlanta’s 2027 pick and Sacramento’s 2028 pick.

Coward played just six games at Washington State in 2024/25 before suffering a shoulder injury that sidelined him for the remainder of his senior season. He averaged 17.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.7 blocks per game while shooting 55.7% from the floor and 40.0% on three-pointers during his abridged stint with the Cougars.

Before transferring to Washington State, the 6’6″ wing played two years at Eastern Washington, averaging 11.3 PPG and 6.1 RPG in 66 games. He spent his freshman season at Willamette University in Oregon.

Due to his lack of reps against high-level college competition, Coward was ranked outside of the first round by a number of draft experts earlier this year, but improved his standing during the pre-draft process, impressing NBA teams at last month’s combine and at workouts.

Coward has the makings of a strong pick for the Grizzlies, who are seemingly re-tooling around Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. after sending away Desmond Bane to Orlando in a blockbuster trade earlier this month. Coward has a tremendous frame and a good-looking three-point shot that connects at a high rate.

The Grizzlies had the ammunition to go up and get a player they coveted after that Bane deal, which included Orlando’s 2028 first-rounder.

This move makes sense for both sides on paper. The Grizzlies get a player who can contribute early on his career, assuming he’ll be fully recovered from the shoulder injury at the start of the season. In return, Portland collects a future first and additional assets to move down five slots.

The Trail Blazers have an impressive defense, and their better-than-expected 36-46 record (including a 23-18 second half) last season reflects the growth of their young core led by the likes of Scoot Henderson, Toumani Camara, Shaedon Sharpe and Donovan Clingan. With no glaring holes to address with a lottery pick, moving down a few spots to pick up a future first-rounder looks like a sound transaction.

Jazz Pick Ace Bailey Fifth Overall

June 25th, 2025 at 7:40pm CST by Luke Adams

The Jazz have selected Rutgers forward Ace Bailey with the fifth overall pick in the draft.

There’s no trade in the works, according to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony, who tweets that Utah intends to hang onto Bailey.

Bailey’s situation had been one of the most popular subjects of speculation in the weeks leading up to the draft. While he was widely considered the third-best prospect in this year’s class by draft experts, he canceled a workout with the Sixers at No. 3 and declined invitations to visit other teams in the top half of the lottery, fueling speculation that his agents were trying to steer him to a preferred destination.

Rumors leading up to the draft suggested that Bailey might be trying to get to a team on the East Coast, such as Washington at No. 6 or Brooklyn at No. 8. Instead, he’ll begin his NBA career in Utah.

Bailey played alongside No. 2 pick Dylan Harper at Rutgers in 2024/25. The 6’8″ forward averaged 17.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks in 33.3 minutes per game across 30 contests (all starts), registering a .460/.346/.692 shooting line.

Bailey, who will turn 19 in August, is considered one of the best scorers in this year’s draft and brought a “high level of intensity” on the defensive end as a freshman, per Givony. While there have been questions about his maturity, Bailey has the potential to be as impactful on the court as anyone in the 2025 draft.

Bailey’s high ceiling is crucial for the Jazz, who don’t have any obvious future All-Stars or franchise cornerstones among their players on rookie scale contracts and finished with a league-worst 17-65 record in 2024/25. Despite entering lottery night with the best odds of any team to land a top-four pick, Utah fell to No. 5 — having drafted Bailey, the Jazz were still able to add a prospect with legitimate star-level upside.

Spurs Draft Dylan Harper With No. 2 Pick

June 25th, 2025 at 7:18pm CST by Rory Maher

The Spurs have selected Rutgers guard Dylan Harper with the second pick of the 2025 NBA draft.

The pick was expected, as Harper is widely considered the second-best prospect in this year’s class, only trailing Cooper Flagg, whom Dallas selected No. 1 overall.

While the Scarlet Knights had a disappointing season in 2024/25, going just 15-17, Harper was highly productive on an individual level, averaging 19.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.4 steals in 29 games (32.6 minutes per contest). He posted a shooting slash line of .484/.333/.750.

There had been some speculation that San Antonio might consider moving the No. 2 pick, perhaps in pursuit of superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo. But there has been no indication to this point that the Bucks forward will request a trade, and even if he does, Harper could still be an attractive centerpiece to a potential offer in the future.

Another reason rival teams were curious about what the Spurs would do is because Harper may not be an ideal fit in a backcourt featuring two other talented scorers with inconsistent outside shots: Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle and De’Aaron Fox.

Drafting Harper doesn’t necessarily put those questions to rest, but it does signal the Spurs are high enough on the 19-year-old that they prioritized his talent over his fit, and are prepared to see how he looks on the roster alongside Castle, Fox, and rising star Victor Wembanyama.

Like the division-rival Mavericks, who jumped from No. 11 to No. 1, the Spurs also moved up several places in the 2025 draft lottery, going from No. 8 to No. 2.

Harper is the son of former NBA guard Ron Harper, who won five championships during his 15 years in the league, and the younger brother of forward Ron Harper Jr., who is currently on a two-way contract with Detroit.

Mavericks Select Cooper Flagg With No. 1 Overall Pick

June 25th, 2025 at 7:11pm CST by Rory Maher

As expected, the Mavericks have selected Duke forward Cooper Flagg with the No. 1 overall pick of the 2025 NBA draft.

The consensus top prospect is coming off a wildly successful freshman season with the Blue Devils, having won numerous major awards, including ACC Player of the Year and AP Player of the Year, among several others.

Flagg was the driving force behind Duke’s 35-4 record and helped the team reach the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament before losing to Houston, another No. 1 seed.

The 18-year-old combo forward stuffed the stat sheet all season, leading the stacked Blue Devils in points (19.2), rebounds (7.5), assists (4.2), steals (1.4) and blocks (1.4) per game, with a strong shooting line of .481/.385/.840. Flagg made 37 appearances in 2024/25, averaging 30.7 minutes per contest.

Dallas had just a 1.8% chance of claiming this year’s top pick, jumping up from No. 11 to No. 1 when the team won the draft lottery last month. It was the first time in 17 lottery appearances that the Mavericks ended up with a better pick than their odds dictated.

In addition to being viewed as the best prospect in his class, Flagg is also (at least) a year younger than many of his peers, having reclassified from 2026 — he won’t turn 19 until December 21.

The former Blue Devil star will join a Mavericks roster headlined by 10-time All-Star Anthony Davis and nine-time All-Star Kyrie Irving, who reached an agreement earlier this week on a new three-year contract to remain in Dallas.

Knicks Granted Permission To Interview James Borrego

June 25th, 2025 at 5:38pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Knicks have received permission from the Pelicans to interview assistant James Borrego in their head coaching search, sources tell James L. Edwards III of The Athletic (Twitter link). Edwards first reported New York’s interest in Borrego on Monday.

The 47-year-old Borrego has served as associate head coach under Willie Green in New Orleans for the past two seasons. He has previous head coaching experience, compiling a 138-163 record in four seasons with Charlotte and a 10-20 mark as an interim head coach with Orlando 10 years ago.

Borrego will become the fourth candidate to interview with the Knicks since Tom Thibodeau was fired after losing to Indiana in the Eastern Conference Finals. Borrego joins former Memphis head coach Taylor Jenkins, former Sacramento head coach Mike Brown and current Minnesota assistant Micah Nori.

The Knicks are also reportedly monitoring Jason Kidd‘s situation in Dallas, although the Mavericks turned down their request to talk to Kidd about the position. Edwards stated Monday that Kidd seems to be a “long shot” to wind up in New York.

According to Stefan Bondy of The New York Post (subscription required), the Knicks are emphasizing player development as they seek a new head coach. Bondy adds that Heat assistant Chris Quinn is another potential candidate to watch, though there’s no indication New York has requested permission to speak to him yet.