Newsstand Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Sixers Promote Jared Butler To Standard Roster

February 13th, 2025 at 7:54pm CST by Luke Adams

7:54 pm: The Sixers have officially signed Butler to a standard contract, the team announced in a press release.

To make room on the roster, Okeke has been released early from his 10-day contract. He’ll become a free agent immediately, without passing through waivers.

5:16 pm: The Sixers are converting Jared Butler‘s two-way contract to a standard deal and will promote him to their 15-man roster, agent Mark Bartelstein tells Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).

According to Charania, Butler is receiving a two-year contract. It will be worth the minimum, since that’s all Philadelphia can offer at this point.

Butler, a 6’3″ guard in his fourth NBA season, was traded from the Wizards by the Sixers, along with four second-round picks, at last week’s deadline in a deal that sent Reggie Jackson and a first-rounder to Washington. This will be the first instance in league history of a team trading for a player on a two-way deal and then promoting him to a standard contract.

A former Baylor standout, Butler averaged 6.9 points, 2.6 assists, and 1.3 rebounds in 11.3 minutes per game across 32 outings off the bench with the Wizards, posting a shooting line of .483/.366/.778.

The 24-year-old has been part of the rotation in his first three games as a Sixer, earning a start on Wednesday in Brooklyn. He has averaged 10.0 PPG, 4.7 APG, and 2.7 RPG in 17.1 MPG so far for his new team.

The 76ers currently have a full 15-man roster, but two of those 15 players are on 10-day contracts. Chuma Okeke‘s deal runs through Sunday, while David Roddy‘s runs through next Thursday. Since Okeke’s contract will expire before the club’s next game, it seems likely Butler will be taking his spot on the roster.

Another Sixers two-way player, Justin Edwards, was promoted to the standard roster last week on a two-year, minimum-salary contract of his own — that deal included a second-year team option, which the club could decline this summer in order to re-sign Edwards to a longer-term contract as a restricted free agent.

It’s possible Butler’s new deal will also include a team option for 2025/26, though that’s just my speculation, since we don’t know the full details yet.

No Front Office Changes Planned For Bulls

February 13th, 2025 at 7:01pm CST by Luke Adams

The Bulls have no plans to replace executive VP of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas as their lead front office executive, a team source tells Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times, who says general manager Marc Eversley and head coach Billy Donovan are likely just as safe as Karnisovas.

According to Cowley, there has been a “reoccurring edict” from team ownership to the front office to fix a roster that has finished in the middle of the pack for several years running. However, the Reinsdorfs (chairman Jerry Reinsdorf and president Michael Reinsdorf) still believe that Karnisovas is the right man for that job.

As for Donovan, he’s well-liked by both the front office and Bulls ownership, Cowley writes, noting that the organization’s top decision-makers have been impressed by the way the veteran coach transformed the club’s offense this season — Chicago ranks third in the NBA in pace in 2024/25 after placing 28th last season. Bulls management has also taken note of the strong relationships Donovan has developed in the locker room, Cowley adds.

Karnisovas, who was hired by the Bulls in 2020, made an in-season trade this month for the first time since an eventful 2021 deadline that saw Chicago land Nikola Vucevic. After spending more than a year on the trade block, Zach LaVine was sent from Chicago to Sacramento last week in a deal that saw Chicago reacquire control of its 2025 first-round pick.

Of course, as Cowley observes, there’s a case to be made that the LaVine trade was more about undoing previous moves, including LaVine’s maximum-salary contract and the 2022 acquisition of DeMar DeRozan in which the Bulls gave up that ’25 first-rounder. The Bulls also ended up hanging onto the rest of their trade candidates, including Vucevic, at last Thursday’s deadline.

Still, now that they’ve regained control of their 2025 first-rounder, the Bulls are well positioned to add another young player this June to a core that includes rookie forward Matas Buzelis. While Karnisovas told reporters last week that he’d like to see his team make a playoff push, Cowley says the front office wants to maximize its draft odds but can’t say so publicly.

If moving up the lottery order is the Bulls’ goal, they’ve been going in the “right” direction as of late, having lost their last four games by an average of 24.5 points per contest. Chicago’s 22-33 record is the eighth-worst mark in the league and the team is currently just 1.5 games ahead of the 20-34 Sixers and Nets.

Kings Sign Markelle Fultz For Rest Of Season

February 12th, 2025 at 10:48pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

10:48 pm: Sacramento has officially announced the deal in a press statement.

9:52 pm: Free agent guard Markelle Fultz is signing a new contract with the Kings, agent Raymond Brothers of I AM Sports & Entertainment has informed Shams Charania of ESPN.

Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reports (via Twitter) that the deal will keep Fultz in town through the rest of the season. Exact terms have yet to be divulged.

No corresponding roster move will be necessary, since the Kings have a pair of open roster spots after sending out more players than they took back in a series of trade-deadline deals.

After trading away De’Aaron Fox and Jordan McLaughlin to the Spurs as part of a blockbuster three-team deal last week, Sacramento was left with a deficit of point guards. Adding Fultz will allow the club to begin replenishing its depth at that spot. The Kings’ eventual haul was headlined by two-time All-Star wing Zach LaVine and multiple future picks.

Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News tweets that the Timberwolves were also considering adding Fultz this spring. After he reached unrestricted free agency during the 2024 offseason, the 6’4″ vet had been left wanting throughout the 2024/25 season — until now.

Fultz was selected with the No. 1 overall pick out of Washington in 2017. Boston traded down with Philadelphia, swapping the rights to Fultz for the rights to eventual six-time All-Star champion forward Jayson Tatum, the third pick in that draft out of Duke.

As Sean Cunningham of Fox 40 KTXL observes (Twitter link), the 26-year-old has struggled with a variety of maladies throughout his pro career, including a torn left ACL in 2021 and further problems in the same knee last season.

Fultz has only played more than 43 games twice across a seven-year career. Last season with Orlando, he appeared in just 43 contests, starting 18. Across 21.2 minutes for the playoff-bound Magic, he averaged 7.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.0 steals per night.

At 28-26, Sacramento is currently the eighth seed in a crowded Western Conference. The addition of Fultz should add a play-making presence and some defensive help at the point of attack.

Fultz himself reacted to Charania’s announcement, tweeting “God’s Plan.”

Pelicans’ Herb Jones Has Shoulder Surgery, Out For Season

February 12th, 2025 at 5:31pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Pelicans forward Herbert Jones has had successful surgery to repair a torn right rotator cuff, per a press release from the team.

As had been anticipated earlier this week by Pelicans vice president of basketball operations David Griffin, Jones will indeed be sidelined for the rest of the season while he recuperates. He hasn’t suited up in a game since January 8.

Jones, a versatile 6’8″ combo forward, made an All-Defensive Team last season for his efforts on that end of the floor. At the time, he was a rising talent on a 49-win New Orleans club that seemed primed to make a leap this season.

Instead, the Pelicans have been felled by horrible injury luck and find themselves dead last in the Western Conference entering play on Wednesday — the team traded away Brandon Ingram at least week’s trade deadline in exchange for draft equity.

Jones has played sparingly this year for the 12-41 Pelicans. Across just 20 healthy games in 2024/25, the 26-year-old averaged 10.3 points, 3.9 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.9 steals and 0.5 blocks per contest.

Deandre Ayton To Miss At Least Four Weeks With Calf Strain

February 12th, 2025 at 5:27pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Trail Blazers starting center Deandre Ayton injured his left calf during a blowout loss to the Nuggets on Monday.

Further imaging has indicated that Ayton is dealing with a strained left calf, according to the Blazers, who announced in a press release that the seven-footer will miss at least the next four weeks. At that point, he is set to be reassessed.

The Arizona alum had been a critical component of the Trail Blazers’ midseason turnaround. Without him available, Portland will likely lean even more on impressive rookie lottery pick Donovan Clingan.

In 40 games overall this season, Ayton is averaging 14.4 points, 10.2 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.0 blocks and 0.8 steals.

During a recent 12-2 Trail Blazers stretch, the former No. 1 overall pick saw those numbers improve to 17.9 points, 12.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.0 blocks and 0.9 steals per game. He was also shooting 57.4% from the field during that run.

At 23-31, without Ayton for a month and now on a three-game losing streak, the 13th-seeded Blazers’ postseason hopes seem to be fading fast.

Ayton is currently Portland’s priciest player, earning $34MM this season. He has one year left on his four-season maximum-salary deal, worth $35.5MM in 2025/26.

Ayton’s recent play could go a long way towards rehabilitating his trade value across the league, though he has struggled with injuries throughout his career, having appeared in 58 or fewer games three times in the last five seasons prior to 2024/25.

Hawks’ Larry Nance Jr., Vit Krejci Out Multiple Weeks

February 12th, 2025 at 5:22pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Hawks forward Larry Nance Jr. and guard Vit Krejci both had to leave a 112-106 win over Orlando on Monday with injuries and will face extended absences.

According to the Hawks (Twitter link), Krejci departed Monday’s game with a lower back contusion. After he underwent imaging, he was diagnosed with a non-displaced lumbar fracture and is set to be reassessed in three-to-four weeks.

Nance, meanwhile, exited the contest with a right knee injury. He has sustained a non-displaced fracture of his right medial femoral condyle, and is set to be on the shelf for at least six weeks, at which point he will be reevaluated.

Nance was acquired as part of a blockbuster offseason deal with New Orleans for guard Dejounte Murray. Across his 24 healthy games this season, the 6’8″ forward/center is averaging 8.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 0.8 steals and 0.5 blocks in just 19.3 minutes per night.

Krejci, 24, is in his third season with Atlanta. This year, he’s averaging a career-high 6.9 points per game on an efficient .447/.384/.667 shooting line. The 6’8″ pro is also chipping in 2.7 APG, 2.7 RPG, 0.7 SPG and 0.5 BPG for the Hawks.

This is a big blow to the depth of the new-look Hawks, who have retooled their personnel through an active trade deadline stretch.

Without Nance or star forward Jalen Johnson, Atlanta head coach Quin Snyder will likely need to lean more on rookie forward Zaccharie Risacher and newly added stretch four Georges Niang.

Sans Krejci or Kobe Bufkin, Snyder will presumably give more touches to other backcourt contributors like Dyson Daniels, Garrison Mathews, and fresh trade acquisition Caris LeVert.

Raptors Sign Brandon Ingram To Three-Year Extension

February 12th, 2025 at 4:40pm CST by Luke Adams

February 12: The Raptors have officially announced Ingram’s extension in a press release.

“Improving every day is the ethos of our team, and we believe the long-term addition of Brandon improves us greatly,” general manager Bobby Webster said in a statement. “We’ve spoken about his elite scoring and play-making; we’re looking forward to seeing that mesh with the talents we already have on our roster – and we’re thrilled that Brandon wants to be a Raptor as much as we want him here in Toronto.”

February 11: The Raptors and newly acquired forward Brandon Ingram have reached an agreement on a three-year contract extension, according to Shams Charania and Bobby Marks of ESPN (Twitter link), who hear from Ingram’s agents at Klutch Sports that the deal will be worth $120MM and will feature a player option for the 2027/28 season.

Ingram was traded from the Pelicans to the Raptors last week in a deal that sent Bruce Brown, Kelly Olynyk, and two draft picks (one first-rounder and one second-rounder) to New Orleans.

Ingram had spent the previous five-and-a-half seasons with the Pelicans after having been a centerpiece of the team’s return in 2019’s Anthony Davis blockbuster with the Lakers. From 2019-25, Ingram averaged 23.0 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game in 305 total outings for New Orleans, with a .472/.372/.847 shooting line and a 2020 All-Star berth.

The Pelicans and Ingram were unable to come to terms last offseason – or during the first half of this season – on a new contract that would extend the 27-year-old’s $36MM expiring deal, which led to the decision to trade him.

The Raptors were clearly more comfortable with the idea of investing in Ingram — general manager Bobby Webster said after last week’s trade that the front office wouldn’t have made the trade if there wasn’t “a comfort level with (the contract) he was looking for.”

Recently traded players face certain limitations on the extensions they’re permitted to sign, but Ingram’s new contract will fall within those limits (which include a 20% first-year raise, subsequent annual raises of 5%, and four total years, including the current season).

The deal will also come in well below Ingram’s maximum. Based on current cap projections, he would’ve been eligible to receive up to about $150MM over the next three years (or $269.1MM over five) if he had waited until free agency to sign a new contract with the Raptors. His maximum three-year extension right now would’ve been worth $136.1MM.

The exact impact of Ingram’s extension on Toronto’s cap situation for 2025/26 and beyond won’t be known until we see the official numbers, but it figures to push the team up over $175MM in guaranteed money for 10 players for next season. That will be well over the projected cap ($154.6MM), but will put the team in position to stay below the projected tax line ($187.9MM).

Ingram, who is still recovering from an ankle injury and whose Raptors debut is likely still a little ways off, is now part of a core in Toronto that also includes Scottie Barnes, Immanuel Quickley, Gradey Dick, and RJ Barrett.

Mavs Center Daniel Gafford To Miss At Least Two Weeks

February 11th, 2025 at 6:05pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The injury news just keeps getting worse for the Mavericks.

Center Daniel Gafford sustained a right knee sprain on Monday against the Kings and will be reevaluated within two weeks, the team’s PR department tweets. Gafford has started 28 of 51 games this season, averaging 12.3 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.9 blocks in 21.9 minutes per game.

Dallas’ frontcourt has been decimated in recent weeks. Dereck Lively (right ankle stress fracture) could miss the remainder of the regular season and Dwight Powell (right hip strain) hasn’t played since Jan. 17.

Perennial All-Star Anthony Davis was injured in his Mavericks debut on Saturday. His left adductor strain will sideline him for multiple weeks. P.J. Washington is listed as questionable for Dallas’ game against Golden State on Wednesday due to a right ankle sprain, Grant Afseth of the Dallas Hoops Journal tweets.

Two-way player Kylor Kelley is the only other true big man on the roster. Forwards Kessler Edwards, Olivier-Maxence Prosper and Naji Marshall were utilized up front in small lineups after Gafford departed on Monday.

The Mavericks have an open roster spot, but are ineligible to sign a free agent to a rest-of-season contract due to their proximity to their first-apron hard cap. As we detailed on Monday, Dallas is about $171K below that hard cap and won’t be able to squeeze in a veteran rest-of-season signing until March 31.

The Mavs do have the ability to make one 10-day signing at any time, but that would leave the club just $51K shy of the first apron, unable to complete another deal until the season’s final week.

The All-Star break will buy the Mavericks a little time, but they’re likely to be in this predicament for at least a couple more weeks.

Lakers Sign Alex Len, Waive Christian Wood

February 11th, 2025 at 4:56pm CST by Luke Adams

4:56 pm: The Lakers have officially signed Len and waived Wood, the team confirmed in a press release.

4:13 pm: Free agent center Alex Len will sign with the Lakers, agent Mike Lelchitski tells Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).

As we wrote earlier today, Len, who was cut by Washington on Saturday, initially planned to sign with the Pacers once he cleared waivers. However, he pivoted to an opportunity in Los Angeles after the Lakers rescinded their trade-deadline deal for Hornets center Mark Williams.

As Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star notes (via Twitter), Len would have slotted in as the third center in Indiana behind Myles Turner and Thomas Bryant, but he should have an opportunity with the Lakers to earn the primary backup role behind Jaxson Hayes on a roster that’s thin on frontcourt depth after sending Anthony Davis to Dallas in last week’s Luka Doncic blockbuster.

Len, 31, has been a little-used reserve center over the past three-and-a-half seasons in Sacramento, averaging 3.0 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 0.6 blocks in 10.0 minutes per game across 149 total outings (15 starts). The former No. 5 overall pick was traded from the Kings to the Wizards ahead of last Thursday’s deadline.

The Lakers have a full 15-man roster and will have to waive a player in order to make room for Len. According to Charania (Twitter link), that roster casualty will be Christian Wood, who has yet to play this season following offseason surgery on his left knee. That procedure was the second one Wood underwent on his knee in 2024.

In his first season in Los Angeles in 2023/24, Wood averaged 6.9 PPG, 5.1 RPG, and 0.7 BPG in 50 games (17.4 MPG) with a .466/.307/.702 shooting line. He’s on an expiring minimum-salary contract, so the Lakers won’t carry any dead money on their cap for him beyond this season.

As Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets, the Lakers entered the day with about $1.6MM in room below their second-apron hard cap. Len’s new deal will nearly trim that margin in half, but the team would still have enough flexibility to add a second player on the buyout market in the coming days or weeks if another opportunity arises. Another player on the current roster would have to be waived in that scenario, with Cam Reddish viewed as the most likely odd man out.

Jahlil Okafor Signs 10-Day Contract With Pacers

February 11th, 2025 at 1:41pm CST by Dana Gauruder

February 11: Okafor has officially signed his 10-day contract with the Pacers, per NBA.com’s transaction log. The deal will run through February 20, covering Indiana’s next three games and paying Okafor a $150,179 salary.

February 10: Veteran big man Jahlil Okafor is signing a 10-day contract with the Pacers, NBA insider Chris Haynes tweets.

The No. 3 pick of the 2015 draft hasn’t played in the league since the 2020/21 season, when he appeared in 27 games with the Pistons. Okafor has played 247 regular season games in his career, with stints in Philadelphia, Brooklyn and New Orleans as well as Detroit. He has posted career averages of 10.4 points and 4.7 rebounds in 19.5 minutes per game.

Okafor, 29, had been toiling for the Pacers’ NBA G League team, the Indiana Mad Ants, averaging 18.6 points and 9.1 rebounds in 30 Tip-Off Tournament and regular season games. He was selected to participate in the 2025 Up Next event at the NBA’s All-Star weekend.

Okafor was on the Pacers’ training camp roster on an Exhibit 10 contract but was waived before joining their G League squad. The veteran center has also played in China, Spain and Puerto Rico in recent years.

The timing of this move calls into question whether center Alex Len still intends to sign with Indiana after clearing waivers, as has been reported. Len was expected to fill Indiana’s open roster spot. It’s unclear if he has received another offer or will perhaps sign with the Pacers after the All-Star break once Okafor’s deal expires. The club has just two more games prior to the break.

[UPDATE: Len won’t be signing with the Pacers.]