NBA G League, NGBPU Announce Collective Bargaining Agreement
The NBA G League and the Next Gen Basketball Players Union (NGBPU) have officially announced their Collective Bargaining Agreement. ESPN’s Tim Bontemps reported earlier this month that the two sides had agreed to terms on the NBAGL’s first CBA since the NGBPU was formed in 2020.
The new CBA will cover a four-year term, beginning immediately and running through the 2028/29 season. The G League and the union will each have the ability to end the agreement a year early (ie. after the ’27/28 season) by exercising an opt-out clause on or before October 1, 2027.
Here are several of the rules that were collectively bargained by the league and the players’ union:
- The standard G League player salary will increase to $45K for 2025/26 (up 4.7% from the previous base salary) and will rise by 3% annually in subsequent seasons.
- A player who spends the entire season on a G League roster and doesn’t receive compensation from an NBA team (via an Exhibit 10 bonus or a partial/full salary) will receive an additional $5K in 2025/26. That amount, known as the “enhanced minimum salary payment,” will increase by 3% per year.
- NBA teams will now be permitted to designate a maximum of five affiliate players per season instead of four.
- Beginning in 2026/27, if a player has at least three years of NBA or G League experience, a team will only be able to control his returning rights for one year following his latest stint in the league. Previously, that term was two years.
- Beginning in 2026/27, the buyout amount for a player who has at least five years of NBA or G League experience will be reduced from $50K to $30K. That’s the amount that must be paid to the league if a player wants to terminate his G League contract early.
All of the key points of the new CBA for G League players can be found right here.
Hawks’ Porzingis: No Rush For Contract Extension
Hawks forward/center Kristaps Porzingis is currently eligible for a contract extension after being traded to Atlanta over the summer. However, he tells Fred Katz of The Athletic that he’s in no hurry to get a new deal done.
“I know that’s an option,” Porzingis said of a potential extension. “I wanna see how the year goes. I wanna show that I’m playing at a high level again, that I’m healthy, that I’m everything, and then that kind of stuff will take care of itself, you know? We’ll see. … I don’t wanna rush anything and say this or that, but I wanna take it one day at a time.”
Porzingis is earning roughly $30.7MM in 2025/26, which is the final season of a two-year, $60MM extension he signed with the Celtics in 2023. He completed the deal almost immediately after being traded to Boston, but this time around, he and the Hawks didn’t immediately look to work out a post-trade extension.
While Porzingis’ comments suggest he’s happy to wait on a new contract, it also doesn’t sound as if Atlanta is necessarily pushing hard to get an extension done. Atlanta reportedly hasn’t aggressively looked to extend Trae Young either as he enters a potential contract year (Young holds a player option for 2026/27). The front office, led by new general manager Onsi Saleh may be taking a wait-and-see approach to the current roster in the hopes of evaluating how the new pieces fit together over the course of the season.
For his part, Porzingis is optimistic about the Hawks’ new-look roster and his place on it.
“I was really happy that I could end up in a place like this, playing with these young guys, playing with Trae, who’s one of the best passers in the league,” he told Katz. “It’s an exciting situation for me. … I’m very, very happy.”
Porzingis averaged 19.5 points and 6.8 rebounds in 28.8 minutes per game last season for the Celtics, posting an impressive shooting line of .483/.412/.809. However, he was limited to 42 games due to various health issues, including an illness that limited his availability during the second half and continued to affected him in the postseason. The 30-year-old put up just 7.7 points and 4.6 rebounds in 20.9 minutes per game on .316/.154/.689 shooting during Boston’s playoff run, but tells Katz that illness is no longer an issue.
“I just didn’t have the engine that I usually have,” the big man said. “… As soon as I got some rest and got back in shape with the (Latvian) national team, I’m feeling great. I feel awesome now.”
Players with multiple years left on their contracts who are eligible for veteran extensions have until Monday to finalize agreements. But because he’s on an expiring deal, Porzingis will be eligible to sign an extension with the Hawks until June 30, 2026. The same goes for Young, assuming he declines his ’26/27 player option as part of an agreement.
That means Atlanta will have the ability to weigh its options during the season and even into the spring — the team could try to work out extensions with Porzingis and Young later in the 2025/26 league year to keep them off the free agent market.
Jalen Green To Miss Start Of Season With Hamstring Injury
Jalen Green won’t be ready to make his Suns debut when the team’s regular season schedule opens next Wednesday, according to head coach Jordan Ott. Prior to Tuesday’s preseason finale against the Lakers, Ott told reporters – including Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic – that Green aggravated the hamstring injury he sustained early in training camp.
“We all know the soft tissue injuries are really hard to see exactly the progress,” Ott said. “Obviously it’s frustrating, but this is all part of it. Thankfully we caught it early, it’s not that serious, but he wants to be out there. New teammates, new system. There’s just other ways. We’re going to have to speed him up. That’s the reality of it. He did a great job in the China trip hanging in there with us.”
Ott initially described Green’s injury in early October as a “low grade” hamstring strain. The reaggravation occurred during the team’s trip to China for a pair of exhibition games against Brooklyn, preventing the newly acquired guard from suiting up in any of Phoenix’s four preseason contests.
Green will be reevaluated in 10 days, Ott said on Tuesday. That means he’ll miss the team’s regular season opener against Sacramento next Wednesday, but might have a chance to play in one game of a back-to-back set next Friday and Saturday against the Clippers and Nuggets.
Green spent the first four years of his NBA career in Houston before being sent to Phoenix along with Dillon Brooks in the blockbuster Kevin Durant trade over the summer. Injuries were rarely an issue for the former No. 2 overall pick during his time as a Rocket — he has appeared in all 82 regular season games in each of the past two seasons and hasn’t missed a game since February 2023.
Suns center Mark Williams also didn’t play in any of the club’s four preseason contests, but that was part of a plan designed to ramp him up for the start of the regular season. He has been playing live 5-on-5, Ott said on Tuesday, per Rankin.
While they rested some of their regulars on Tuesday, the Suns have been rolling with a starting lineup of Devin Booker, Brooks, Grayson Allen, Ryan Dunn, and Oso Ighodaro for most of the preseason. Williams would presumably replace Ighodaro if he’s ready to go for the start of the season, while Green would likely step in for either Allen or Dunn once he’s cleared to return.
Mavericks Give Jason Kidd Multiyear Extension
6:35pm: The Mavericks have officially confirmed Kidd’s extension (Twitter link).
“I’m grateful for the belief that (team owner Patrick Dumont and general manager Nico Harrison) have in me, and the trust we’ve built while working together to construct a team that Dallas can be proud of,” Kidd said in a statement, per Mike Curtis of the Dallas Morning News (Twitter link). “We have a great group of players here who love basketball, are talented & coachable. There’s mutual respect across all departments, and Patrick and Nico set the tone for what we are trying to accomplish here.
“It’s even more special that I can continue to coach the team that drafted me, and where I was able to win a title as a player. I’m looking forward to what’s ahead & continuing to work toward bringing another championship back to Dallas.”
5:26pm: The Mavericks have signed head coach Jason Kidd to a multiyear contract extension, Marc Stein of The Stein Line reports (Twitter link).
The length of the extension has not been revealed, but Dallas made its intentions to retain Kidd clear this offseason. Stein and Jake Fischer reported in early July that the Mavericks intended to sign Kidd to an extension prior to the regular season. He also received an extension after last season.
According to The Athletic’s Christian Clark, Kidd had two years left on his deal prior to the latest extension (Twitter link).
The Knicks were interested in talking to Kidd about their head coaching vacancy this summer before they eventually hired Mike Brown. The Mavs denied the Knicks’ request to speak to their head coach.
Kidd, 52, had head coach stints with Brooklyn and Milwaukee shortly after his Hall of Fame playing career ended. He served as an assistant with the Lakers before getting the Dallas job prior to the 2021/22 season.
The Mavericks reached the conference finals in his first season and lost to Boston on the 2024 NBA Finals. The team didn’t qualify for last season’s playoffs after the controversial Luka Doncic trade and a wave of injuries during the second half of the season.
Dallas wound up hitting the lottery and selecting Cooper Flagg, who will now learn the NBA game under Kidd for several seasons to come if he serves out those extensions.
Giannis Antetokounmpo Says He Wants To Finish Career In Greece
After speaking in more general terms last month about the possibility of suiting up for a team in the EuroLeague before retiring as a player, Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo stated more plainly during an appearance on a Greek late-night talk show called The 2night Show that he’d like to finish his career in his home country.
“I’m 30 years old,” Antetokounmpo said, per BasketNews. “I can play in the NBA until I’m 36, 38. I’d like to end my career in a Greek team, why not? I don’t want to live in the United States. As soon as I leave the NBA, I want to return to Greece. I could end my career here, whether this team is called Filathlitikos, Olympiacos, Panathinaikos, or Aris, I’m talking about all the teams now.”
It’s not uncommon for NBA players – especially ones who were born overseas – to spend the twilight years of their careers in Europe. However, it’s a much rarer occurrence for a player of Antetokounmpo’s caliber.
Still, it’s worth noting that Antetokounmpo played for Filathlitikos from 2011-13 before being drafted and that he has long made it a priority to represent Greece in international competitions. Last month, he referred to winning a EuroBasket bronze medal this summer with the Greek national team as his “greatest accomplishment” as an athlete, despite his NBA championship and two NBA MVP awards.
Whether Antetokounmpo eventually plays in Greece remains to be seen, but his NBA future over the next few years could be determined in large part by how the Bucks’ 2025/26 season plays out.
Although the star forward has repeatedly expressed a desire to win another championship in Milwaukee, his comments have also strongly suggested that competing for another championship is a greater priority than spending his entire career as a Buck. If Milwaukee’s season ends early again next spring following three consecutive first-round exits in 2023, 2024, and 2025, Giannis will likely weigh his options more seriously as he prepares to enter a potential contract year.
Heat’s Erik Spoelstra Named Team USA’s New Head Coach
October 14: USA Basketball has officially announced Spoelstra as the new men’s basketball head coach. Spoelstra spoke to Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press and ESPN’s Brian Windhorst about his new role and what it means to him.
“Absolutely, absolutely humbled. I mean, it is the honor of a lifetime,” Spoelstra told Reynolds. “And I’m just really appreciative of it and being a part of the USA Basketball program. The Olympics are incredible, no matter where it is, but to have the opportunity to compete on your own soil, that’s simply remarkable.”
October 9: Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra is expected to be named the new head coach of the United States’ men’s basketball team, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN.
According to Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press, a deal between Spoelstra and USA Basketball has not yet been finalized, but Miami’s longtime coach is the frontrunner for the job to succeed Steve Kerr.
As Reynolds writes, Spoelstra was an assistant on Kerr’s staff at both the 2023 World Cup and the 2024 Olympics in Paris. The Americans finished in fourth place at the World Cup, but won their fifth consecutive gold medal at the Olympics.
Assuming Spoelstra finalizes a contract with USA Basketball, he would lead the U.S. at the 2027 World Cup in Qatar and the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, Reynolds notes.
After Gregg Popovich stepped down as coach of the Spurs in the spring, Spoelstra became the longest-tenured head coach in the NBA by a significant margin. The 54-year-old is entering his 18th season as head coach of the Heat, compiling a 787-572 regular season record (.579 win percentage) and 110-83 mark in the playoffs (.570).
Spoelstra has led Miami to six NBA Finals appearances during his time at the helm, winning back-to-back championships in 2012 and 2013.
Spoelstra has been widely viewed as one of the top coaches in the league for years, so the news isn’t surprising. Still, it’s a significant accomplishment — Spoelstra told The Associated Press after last year’s Olympics that he “would be honored” to be the top coach of the men’s national team.
Mat Ishbia Countersues Suns’ Minority Shareholders
Suns owner Mat Ishbia has filed a countersuit against a pair of minority owners who sued Ishbia and the team earlier this year, according to Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic.
That original suit, which was brought forth in August by Andy Kohlberg (Kisco WC Sports) and Scott Seldin (Kent Circle Investments), alleged that Ishbia wasn’t allowing them to view records and financial information that would help them understand how the franchise is being run and how much their shares are worth. Kohlberg and Seldin, expressing dissatisfaction with Ishbia’s management of the team, were reportedly seeking a buyout from the majority owner at a price point of $825MM, which would value the Suns at $6 billion.
Ishbia, who bought the Suns in 2023 at a valuation of $4 billion, offered to buy out the team’s minority owners when he took over control of the franchise and says that Kohlberg and Seldin were the only ones who passed on the offer.
Ishbia’s new suit states that he has invested significantly in the Suns and the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury since buying the team and sought funds on a capital call in June to “cover payroll, luxury tax payments and other near-term obligations,” per Vorkunov. The suit also alleges that Kohlberg and Seldin didn’t want to invest during that round of fundraising and that their lawsuit was part of a negative PR campaign against Ishbia as they sought a buyout from him at an “extortionate” cost.
“When Mat Ishbia bought the Suns and Mercury, he couldn’t have been clearer with investors: he was going to invest in the teams, the fans, and the community,” an Ishbia spokesperson said in a statement. “Every investor had the choice at that point — sell at premium or stay in and invest alongside him. Andy Kohlberg and Scott Seldin want it both ways. They don’t want to invest in the teams, but they are demanding a payday significantly higher than what Mat originally offered, which was still over 20 times their original investment. That’s not how it works, and we’re confident we’ll prevail in court.”
There has been no shortage of legal battles in Phoenix since Ishbia took over the team. Outside of this dispute between the team’s investors, several former employees have filed lawsuits against the Suns, alleging discrimination, harassment, and wrongful termination, per Vorkunov. Ishbia said at media day that he wasn’t looking to settle those suits.
“The truth is, you actually got to win a lawsuit,” he said. “And where I’m different than most successful people … is like, we don’t settle. If we don’t do anything wrong, I’m not paying someone. I hope you guys all report on how many lawsuits we actually lose.”
Keegan Murray Undergoes Thumb Surgery, Out At Least 4-6 Weeks
October 13: Murray underwent successful surgery on Monday, according to the Kings (Twitter link via James Ham of The Kings Beat). He will be reevaluated in four-to-six weeks.
October 12: Kings forward Keegan Murray has been diagnosed with a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his left thumb, the team announced today in a press release.
It’s unfortunate timing for Murray, who is eligible to sign a rookie scale extension between now and October 20. While his injury likely won’t impact the Kings’ long-term view of him or significantly impact those negotiations, the 25-year-old won’t have the opportunity to make a final case for a new deal on the court this week in the team’s two remaining preseason games.
The fourth overall pick in the 2022 draft, Murray had a promising rookie season in which he averaged 12.2 points and 4.6 rebounds per game, shot 41.1% from beyond the three-point line, and finished fifth in Rookie of the Year voting as he started 78 games for Sacramento.
The 6’8″ forward has remained a starter for the Kings in the two years since then and has improved as a defender, but hasn’t taken a step forward offensively. In 2024/25, he averaged 12.4 PPG on .444/.343/.833 shooting while playing a career-high 34.3 minutes per night.
If Murray, who is earning roughly $11.1MM this season, doesn’t sign a rookie scale extension by next Monday, he’ll be on track for free agency during the summer of 2026. The Kings would have to tender him a qualifying offer worth approximately $14.7MM to make him a restricted free agent at that time.
It’s unclear who will take Murray’s spot in the starting five while he recovers, but forward Nique Clifford started the second half in his place on Friday alongside Dennis Schröder, Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, and Domantas Sabonis. Dario Saric and Doug McDermott are among the team’s other options at forward — if head coach Doug Christie wants to roll with a guard-heavy lineup, he could make Malik Monk or Keon Ellis a starter.
Nets Waive Dariq Whitehead, Drew Timme
The Nets have released Dariq Whitehead and Drew Timme, the team announced on Monday (Twitter link via Ian Begley of SNY.tv).
Whitehead being cut is significant because his $3,262,560 salary for 2025/26 is fully guaranteed, meaning the Nets will now carry a dead-money cap hit. Assuming he clears waivers, Whitehead’s $5,366,912 team option for 2026/27 will be declined as part of the transaction.
A 6’7″ wing, Whitehead was a highly touted high school recruit who has dealt with several injuries over the past few years. Brooklyn selected Whitehead 22nd overall in the 2023 draft after he spent one season at Duke, but the 21-year-old has only played in 22 NBA games over the past two seasons, averaging 5.3 points and 1.5 rebounds in 12.3 minutes per contest.
Timme, who had a decorated college career at Gonzaga, went undrafted in 2023 and spent most of the past two seasons in the G League. He was promoted to a two-year standard contract in late March after a strong ’24/25 regular season with the Nets’ affiliate team in Long Island.
The Nets picked up their $1,955,377 option on Timme in late June, but his salary was fully non-guaranteed, so they won’t incur a cap hit by waiving him. The 25-year-old forward/center averaged 12.1 PPG, 7.2 RPG and 2.2 APG in nine games (28.2 MPG) with Brooklyn down the stretch last season. His shooting line was .441/.257/.625.
Since he only has one year of NBA experience, Timme could theoretically return to the Nets on a two-way deal if he goes unclaimed, notes Brian Lewis of The New York Post (Twitter links). However, the team has yet to determine if Timme will get that final two-way spot, Lewis reports.
Waiving Whitehead and Timme likely means the Nets are deciding between Jalen Wilson and Tyrese Martin for their 15th standard roster spot. Wilson has a $88K partial guarantee which will increase to about $382K if he makes the regular season roster, while Martin’s contract is fully non-guaranteed.
Shams: Kings, Russell Westbrook Have ‘Strong Mutual Interest’
Veteran point guard Russell Westbrook remains an unrestricted free agent after he declined his $3.47MM player option with the Nuggets in June. Throughout the offseason, Westbrook has been repeatedly linked to the Kings, and ESPN’s Shams Charania reported on Friday that the two sides continue to have “strong mutual interest” (Twitter video link).
“I’m told there is strong mutual interest between Russell Westbrook and the Sacramento Kings,” Charania said (hat tip to Kurt Helin of NBC Sports). “And the Kings have a need for a reserve point guard. They were 29th in bench points, 29th in bench assists last season. Russell Westbrook helps with that, and he’s got relationships across that organization.
“Domantas Sabonis, he’s close with, played with him. He played with Dennis Schröder as well. DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, they have L.A. ties as well. BJ Armstrong, the new assistant general manager there. He knows BJ Armstrong from the agency side, and he does have respect with Scott Perry, their new general manager, and Doug Christie, their new head coach.
“We’ll see if a deal gets done before the start of the season or during this upcoming year.”
Carmichael Dave of SactownSports.com (Twitter link) posits that there’s about a 70 percent chance that Westbrook will sign with Sacramento at some point, assuming the two sides can figure out the financials.
The plugged-in radio host also hears Westbrook has a lucrative contract offer on the table to play in China, but the former NBA MVP likely wouldn’t go that route until after the All-Star game, which is in his hometown of Los Angeles.
The Kings currently only have 13 players on guaranteed standard contracts, plus Keon Ellis on a non-guaranteed deal and Terence Davis on a training camp pact.
Westbrook, 36, played a significant role for the Nuggets after signing with Denver as a free agent during the 2024 offseason. He averaged 13.3 points, 6.1 assists, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.4 steals in 27.9 minutes per game across 75 appearances (36 starts) during the regular season, with a .449/.323/.661 shooting line. He also contributed 11.7 PPG, 2.6 APG, and 3.7 RPG in 13 playoff contests (24.1 MPG).