Newsstand Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Kevon Looney Hopes To Re-Sign With Warriors

May 15th, 2025 at 4:02pm CST by Rory Maher

Veteran center Kevon Looney has spent his entire 10-year NBA career with Golden State, but he will be a free agent this summer after earning $8MM in 2024/25. If it were up to him, Looney says he would stick with the Warriors, as Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN relays (via Twitter).

“I hope the feeling is mutual,” Looney said. “… They expressed (interest in a reunion) but it’s the NBA. There’s a lot of time until free agency starts. Let’s see what happens.”

The 30th pick of the 2015 draft, Looney has mostly played a part-time role off the bench during his time in Golden State. That was the case again this season, with the 6’9″ big man averaging 4.5 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 76 regular season contests (15.0 minutes per game).

Looney, who posted a .514 FG% and .566 FT% during the regular season, saw his role reduced in the playoffs, averaging 2.2 PPG and 3.6 RPG in 10.0 MPG across 12 appearances. He made 10 of his 23 field goal attempts (.435%) in the playoffs and .750% of his free throws (6-of-8).

In an appearance on NBA Today (Twitter video link), ESPN’s Bobby Marks said another impending free agent center, Brook Lopez, is worth keeping an eye on for the Warriors.

“Stanford grad, makes his home in Fresno,” Marks said. “What is the number on a Brook Lopez type-contract if you can get him on a one-year flier here to patch up that center position?

“Because the center market is thin. When you look at Myles Turner, you’re probably not going to be able to afford him. The next-best guy out there is Brook Lopez.”

Rockets Open To Trading Alperen Sengun?

May 15th, 2025 at 3:43pm CST by Rory Maher

ESPN’s Shams Charania reported on Monday that Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo has become “open-minded” about the possibility of leaving Milwaukee for the first time in his career. Subsequent reports indicated that San Antonio and Houston were two teams to monitor if Antetokounmpo requests a trade — he’s under contract through at least 2026/27, with a player option for ’27/28.

Within a story exploring potential fits for Antetokounmpo, Kurt Helin of NBC Sports cites league sources who say that the Rockets would be open to trading All-Star center Alperen Sengun. While Helin doesn’t explicitly say Houston would only consider moving Sengun for a player of Antetokounmpo’s caliber, it seems safe to assume that’s the case.

If the Rockets and Bucks were to discuss Antetokounmpo, it’s unclear whether Milwaukee would prefer a package that includes Jalen Green rather than Sengun, Helin writes, adding that forward Jabari Smith Jr. would likely be part of any offer for the two-time MVP. Houston has a surplus of future first-round picks that could be dangled as well.

Sengun’s possible inclusion in an offer for Antetokounmpo makes some sense from a fit perspective, since a core of Amen Thompson, Antetokounmpo, and Sengun would not be ideal for offensive spacing — none of them are effective three-point shooters right now. And while the Rockets reportedly view Thompson as untouchable in trade talks, the same has not been said of Sengun to this point.

A 6’11” big man from Turkey, Sengun averaged 19.1 points, 10.3 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 1.1 steals while shooting 49.6% from the floor and 69.2% from the line in 76 regular season appearances for the Rockets this season (31.5 minutes per game). In his first playoff series, a first-round loss to Golden State, the 22-year-old averaged 20.9 PPG, 11.9 RPG, 5.3 APG and 1.9 SPG, converting 45.0% of his field goal attempts and 62.5% of his free throws in seven games (36.6 MPG).

Sengun signed a five-year, $185MM rookie scale extension with Houston last October. That deal, which includes a player option in ’29/30, will kick in starting next season.

William Chisholm Finalizes New Celtics Ownership Group

May 15th, 2025 at 1:19pm CST by Rory Maher

Impending Celtics owner William Chisholm has finalized his new ownership group and has obtained the necessary funds to purchase the team, according to a letter sent to existing shareholders that was obtained by Adam Himmselsbach of The Boston Globe.

The letter confirms much of what was reported a couple weeks ago by Front Office Sports, including that Chisholm had secured enough capital to complete the sale; the buyers will acquire approximately 51% of the franchise this summer at a valuation of $6.1 billion in the first of two transactions; the second transaction will occur in 2028 at a $7.3 billion valuation; and current owner Wyc Grousbeck will continue as CEO and governor through the 2027/28 season.

As Himmelsbach notes, the sale will not become official until it’s approved by the NBA’s Board of Governors in June or July, though that’s viewed as a formality. Chisholm’s exact stake has yet to be clarified, Himmelsbach adds, but he’s required to control at least 15% to be the majority owner.

Chisholm’s winning bid for the Celtics was not fully financed at the time the agreement was reached in March, but obviously that has changed over the past couple months. That also isn’t unusual for such a massive transaction, Himmelsbach writes.

According to the letter, current minority owners who are not joining Chisholm’s group will be required to sell 50% “plus one unit” of their interest in the Celtics while deferring the rest until the second transaction in 2028. They also have the option of selling their all of their shares this summer, according to Himmselbach, who reports that those stakeholders have until May 28 to inform Chisholm’s group of their decision.

Hawks Interested In Masai Ujiri To Run Front Office

May 14th, 2025 at 9:53pm CST by Arthur Hill

Raptors executive Masai Ujiri has emerged as a target for the Hawks as they search for a new president of basketball operations, Marc Stein reports in his latest Substack article (subscription required).

Sources tell Stein that it’s unclear if Atlanta has a legitimate chance to lure Ujiri, who has been with Toronto for the past 12 years. Ujiri’s contract status hasn’t been made public, but Stein hears that he’s believed to be entering the final season of his current deal.

After starting his career as a scout, Ujiri worked his way up to assistant general manager with the Raptors in 2008 before leaving to become the GM in Denver in 2010. He was named Executive of the Year with the Nuggets in 2013, then returned to Toronto as executive vice president.

Ujiri bolstered his reputation as one of the NBA’s top executives when he built the Raptors team that captured the franchise’s first-ever NBA title in 2019. The final piece of the puzzle was a bold move to trade for San Antonio’s Kawhi Leonard, who was entering the final year of his contract and only spent one season with the team.

Ujiri, who has since been promoted to president and vice chairman, is still recognized as a master team builder, even though Toronto has fallen on hard times in recent years, missing the playoffs in four of the past five seasons. Stein notes that after finishing 30-52 this year, Ujiri promised at an April press conference to bring another championship to Toronto.

The Hawks shook up their front office after being eliminated in the play-in tournament, firing general manager Landry Fields on April 21. Assistant GM Onsi Saleh was promoted to interim GM and is currently handling the day-to-day operations, but the new hire is expected to run the organization.

A Stein Line report last week indicated that owner Tony Ressler was exploring the idea of having a player agent take over the job, with Trae Young‘s agent, Austin Brown of CAA, among the top candidates. League sources confirm to Stein that Octagon’s Alex Saratsis, who represents Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo, has also moved into the picture, as previously reported by Grant Afseth.

Phil Knight Won’t Be Bidding On Trail Blazers

May 14th, 2025 at 2:51pm CST by Luke Adams

Despite making efforts in the past to buy the Trail Blazers, Nike co-founder Phil Knight said on Wednesday that he won’t be involved in the bidding process now that the franchise is formally up for sale.

“Five years ago, when I was a younger man, I had a great interest in being a part of the Portland Trail Blazers franchise,” Knight said in a statement, per Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic (Twitter link). “However, at my current age, I can confirm that I no longer have interest.”

Knight, formerly the chairman and CEO of Nike, is now the chairman emeritus of the company at age 87. A native of Portland, he has an estimated net worth of over $30 billion, per Forbes.

Knight teamed up with Los Angeles Dodgers co-owner Alan Smolinisky in 2022 in an effort to buy the Trail Blazers from late owner Paul Allen‘s estate, which was being overseen by his sister Jody Allen. She stated at the time that the franchise wasn’t for sale.

According to Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report (Twitter links), it’s unclear whether Vulcan LLC – the ownership group that controls the Blazers – would have wanted to sell to Knight even if he still had interest in bidding. As Highkin explains, the group believes Knight planted Jody Allen hit pieces in the New York Post and Wall Street Journal after his offer for the team was turned down.

Potential bidders for the Blazers haven’t yet been identified, but Highkin wrote in his story on the sale (Substack link) that Allen’s estate expects a “competitive group.”

As Highkin details in that story, resolution on the future of the Moda Center likely won’t occur until after the sale of the franchise is complete. The city of Portland and the Blazers agreed last year to a five-year bridge extension for the team’s lease on the arena, which runs through 2030. That extension was designed to give them time to negotiate a longer-term deal.

Warriors’ Stephen Curry Won’t Play In Game 5 On Wednesday

May 13th, 2025 at 5:50pm CST by Rory Maher

5:50pm: Curry has been declared out for Game 5, Anthony Slater of The Athletic tweets.

8:22am: The Warriors are facing a 3-1 deficit in their second-round series against Minnesota after dropping Game 4 on Monday night.

Star guard Stephen Curry, who sustained a Grade 1 left hamstring strain in Game 1 against the Wolves, told Marc J. Spears of Andscape that he does not expect to play in Wednesday’s Game 5 with Golden State on the brink of elimination (Twitter link).

“Even if I wanted to be Superman, I couldn’t,” Curry said.

As Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN writes, the two-time MVP was referring to a comment made by Draymond Green after Monday’s loss.

“No, we’re not going to Superman this thing,” Green said when asked if he expects Curry to try to push to come back, and if so, would Green be a part of that conversation. “If he’s in a place where he can play, I’m sure he will. Him and Rick (Celebrini, Warriors vice president of player health and performance) and everybody will figure that out. But we don’t need (Curry to try to be) Superman.

“Got to play the long game. If he can, we know he will. But there’s no pressure. We’ve got to figure out how to win whether he plays or not.”

Curry is set to be reevaluated on Wednesday after initially sustaining the injury on May 6. He suggested last week that he was unlikely to play in Game 5, with a subsequent report from ESPN’s Shams Charania stating that the Warriors viewed a possible Game 6 as “the earliest potential window” for Curry to resume playing.

Due to a scheduling quirk, Golden State would have three days off between Game 5 and Game 6, which is tentatively scheduled for Sunday. Of course, that best-case scenario would require the Warriors to win on Wednesday in Minnesota.

As for Game 4, the Warriors were largely undone by a poor third quarter which saw Minnesota break open the tight game and build a large lead following a 17-0 run. According to Youngmisuk, Green said Jimmy Butler was feeling under the weather on Monday after the star forward managed just 13 points on nine field goal attempts. Butler had 33 points on 26 shots in Game 3.

“We obviously need him shooting the ball,” Green said of Butler. “But their defense, they were collapsing on him today. So, we tried to pick up that slack. But I know he’s not feeling well; been pretty crappy all day. That also affects the energy, as well. No excuses made here.

“I think that’s on me. I’ve got to find a way to get him into more positions to score. I think tonight, I was just trying to get him the ball, and I don’t think I got him the ball in good spots, which then allowed the defense to load up on him. So, I’ve got to do a better job of getting him the ball in better spots to where it’s not as easy for the defense to key on him.”

Jayson Tatum Undergoes Surgery To Repair Torn Achilles

May 13th, 2025 at 3:47pm CST by Luke Adams

Celtics star Jayson Tatum has undergone surgery to repair a ruptured right Achilles tendon, the team announced today in a press release (Twitter link).

Tatum’s 2024/25 season is over, and given the typical recovery timeline following an Achilles tear, his ’25/26 availability is very much in jeopardy as well. According to the Celtics, no timeline is available for his return yet, but he’s expected to make a full recovery.

This is exactly the diagnosis that Tatum and the Celtics feared when the 27-year-old was carried off the court on Monday after suffering a non-contact right leg injury. After taking an awkward step near the top of the key, Tatum crumpled to the floor and was unable to put any weight on the leg as he was helped off the floor.

It’s a devastating blow in both the short term and the long term for the Celtics, who face a 3-1 deficit in their second-round series against the Knicks and will face a significant uphill climb as they look to make a comeback without their leading scorer.

Tatum, who has earned three consecutive First Team All-NBA nods, will almost certainly make it four in a row this spring after averaging 26.8 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 6.0 assists per game in 72 regular season outings. He had put up 28.1 PPG, 11.5 RPG, and 5.4 RPG through eight playoff contests.

Besides dealing a massive blow to the Celtics’ chances to repeat as NBA champions, Tatum’s injury casts a major cloud over the 2025/26 season.

There had already been speculation about the possibility of Boston making cost-cutting roster moves this offseason after spending the last two seasons operating above the second tax apron. With Tatum unlikely to play much – if at all – next season, shedding salary could become a greater priority for a Celtics team that will be hard-pressed to repeat the success of the past two years without its star forward on the court.

This is the first major injury of Tatum’s NBA career — the 10 games he missed this season represented a career high, as he had never been sidelined for more than eight in any of his previous seven years in the league.

Tatum signed a five-year, super-max contract extension last July that will go into effect beginning in 2025/26. The deal, which runs through at least 2029, with a ’29/30 player option, projects to be worth nearly $314MM.

Mavs Intend To Keep No. 1 Pick, Draft Cooper Flagg

May 13th, 2025 at 3:08pm CST by Luke Adams

Since the Mavericks‘ unlikely lottery win on Monday night, there has been speculation about the possibility of the front office – which clearly isn’t shy about taking big swings – including the No. 1 overall pick in a trade for a proven superstar such as Giannis Antetokounmpo.

However, that’s not the plan in Dallas, according to Tim MacMahon of ESPN, who hears from sources that the Mavericks intend to use the pick to draft consensus top prospect Cooper Flagg and won’t entertain the idea of trading it. Marc Stein (Twitter link) has heard the same thing from a source with knowledge of the team’s thinking.

According to MacMahon, Mavericks governor Patrick Dumont considers it a “gift” to get the opportunity to draft a prospect like Flagg. The possibility of re-gifting the Duke star to another team isn’t under consideration, says MacMahon, noting that Dumont has given general manager Nico Harrison leeway to run the front office but still has the final say on all basketball decisions.

As MacMahon points out, the decision to trade Luka Doncic to the Lakers in February resulted in “significant business concerns” for the Mavericks, in addition to creating a murky long-term outlook for a franchise that has traded away control of its own first-round picks from 2027-30. Being able to add Flagg to Dallas’ core would go a long way toward mitigating both of those concerns, MacMahon writes.

Flagg will be joining a Mavs roster headlined by Anthony Davis, Kyrie Irving, Dereck Lively, and P.J. Washington.

As fortunate as Dallas is to be in position to bring aboard a talent like Flagg, there’s still plenty of work to be done on the roster this summer. With Irving expected to miss a significant chunk of the season while he recovers from a torn ACL, the team is short on ball-handling and play-making and will be looking to upgrade its backcourt.

Trail Blazers Announce Plans To Sell Franchise

May 13th, 2025 at 12:15pm CST by Luke Adams

The Trail Blazers have begun the process of selling the franchise, the team announced today (via Twitter).

According to the club’s statement, the estate of late Blazers owner Paul Allen has chosen the investment bank Allen & Co. and the law firm Hogan Lovells to lead the sale process, which is expected to continue into the 2025/26 season.

Allen passed away on October 15, 2018, resulting in control of the franchise being transferred to his sister Jody Allen, the trustee and executor of his estate. The plan following Paul Allen’s death was for ownership of the Blazers to eventually change hands as part of an estate sale.

Jody Allen stated in 2022 that there was “no preordained timeline” for the Blazers to be sold, noting that “estates of this size and complexity can take 10 to 20 years to wind down.” Nearly three years later, the sale process has finally gotten underway.

When Sportico published its most recent NBA franchise valuations in late 2024, the Blazers were estimated to be worth $3.6 billion, ranking 23rd among the league’s 30 teams. The Celtics have since reached a tentative sale agreement for a record valuation of $6.1 billion, which may help bump the Blazers’ eventual price tag beyond that $3.6 billion projection.

Nike co-founder Phil Knight and Los Angeles Dodgers minority owner Alan Smolinisky made offers for the franchise in the past, but were turned down by Jody Allen in 2022 and again in 2023.

According to the Blazers, all estate proceeds as a result of the sale will be directed toward philanthropy, per Paul Allen’s wishes.

The news doesn’t affect the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks, who are also controlled by Allen’s estate and aren’t up for sale at this time.

Kings To Consider DeMar DeRozan Trade?

May 13th, 2025 at 12:06pm CST by Rory Maher

As Jake Fischer of The Stein Line writes (Substack link), rival teams are curious about which direction the Kings will take after hiring Scott Perry to replace Monte McNair as general manager.

According to Fischer, “there have been no shortage of rumbles” about the possibility of the Kings considering a trade involving DeMar DeRozan this summer.

DeRozan, 35, was acquired by Sacramento in a sign-and-trade last offseason. He will earn approximately $24.6MM in 2025/26 and $25.7MM in ’26/27 before hitting free agency in two years.

While DeRozan remained productive on an individual level in ’24/25, averaging 22.2 PPG, 3.9 RPG and 4.4 APG in 77 appearances, the team had a disappointing season, finishing just 40-42. The Kings were eliminated from playoff contention in the play-in tournament when they lost to Dallas.

The six-time All-Star talked last month about how “uncertainty” weighed heavily on the team during the season — Sacramento fired head coach Mike Brown, replacing him with Doug Christie, and traded De’Aaron Fox for a package that included former Bulls teammate Zach LaVine. And all of that was before the McNair/Perry change last month.

DeRozan will be entering his 17th NBA season in ’25/26 and openly wondered what his future would hold, despite being under contract for two more years.