NBA To Announce Regular Season Schedule On Thursday
The NBA will unveil its full schedule for the 2025/26 regular season on Thursday (August 14), according to an announcement from the league (Twitter link).
The NBA typically leaks several marquee games during the week before its full schedule announcement, and that trend has continued this August.
Shams Charania of ESPN reported on Friday that the opening night schedule this fall will consist of Rockets at Thunder and Warriors at Lakers. He also confirmed the five Christmas Day games, which feature four Western Conference showdowns and just a single Eastern Conference matchup.
The league also indicated today that it will provide a sneak peek at a few more notable matchups on Tuesday during Good Morning America (ABC) and The Today Show (NBC). Those games announced on Tuesday will all be airing on ESPN/ABC or NBC/Peacock.
A year ago, the NBA also put out the full schedule for the Emirates NBA Cup a couple days before the rest of the regular season slate was revealed. It’s unclear if that’s the plan again this time around, but if so, that NBA Cup schedule should be released within the next 24-to-48 hours.
Bulls Offered Giddey $80MM Deal At Start Of Free Agency
The Bulls made guard Josh Giddey a four-year contract offer worth $80MM when free agency began on June 30, league sources tell Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link).
Multiple reports dating back to last October have indicated that Giddey’s asking price is in the range of $30MM per year, so Chicago’s offer fell well short of that benchmark.
While the two sides have had nearly a month-and-a-half since free agency opened to try to bridge the gap, the Bulls have been “anchored” in the neighborhood of $20MM annually since making that initial offer, Fischer writes.
As a restricted free agent, Giddey can’t sign outright with another team, but he has drawn sign-and-trade interest from a handful of Eastern Conference teams, according to Fischer, who reiterates that the Warriors also have genuine interest in the 22-year-old, as he previously reported.
However, Fischer acknowledges that there doesn’t appear to be a “feasible pathway” to a trade that gets Giddey to Golden State, and the other teams with interest in the former sixth overall pick also haven’t made any headway. The Bulls have “messaged for some time” that they’re not looking to seriously engage in sign-and-trade discussions about Giddey, says Fischer.
Giddey got off to a slow start in his first season as a Bull after being acquired from Oklahoma City in exchange for Alex Caruso, but finished strong, particularly after the team traded Zach LaVine to Sacramento. Between the start of February and the end of the regular season, Giddey averaged 20.2 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 8.1 assists per game with a shooting line of .491/.451/.801 across 25 outings.
As we noted last week when we outlined the key dates and deadlines for restricted free agents, there are no deadlines on tap in August or September. RFAs have until October 1 to decide whether or not to accept their one-year qualifying offers (Giddey’s is worth $11.1MM), though that deadline can be pushed back if the team and player work out an agreement.
While it’s rare for so many top restricted free agents to remain unsigned this late in the offseason, it’s not uncommon for one or two RFA standoffs to extend well into the summer. A year ago, Isaac Okoro eventually re-signed with the Cavaliers on September 17; two years ago, P.J. Washington re-signed with the Hornets on August 29; three years ago, Collin Sexton and Jordan Nwora didn’t resolve their restricted free agencies until September.
Celtics Sign Chris Boucher On One-Year Deal
August 10: Boucher has officially signed with the Celtics, according to a press release from the team.
August 5: The Celtics are signing free agent forward Chris Boucher on a one-year, minimum-salary contract, ESPN’s Shams Charania reports (via Twitter).
Boston opened up a frontcourt spot for Boucher by agreeing to trade Georges Niang to Utah on Tuesday. Boucher will compete for minutes at both the power forward and center spots for the Celtics, who have been busy shedding salary and revamping their roster throughout the offseason.
Save for one cameo appearance with Golden State in 2017/18, Boucher has spent his entire career with the Raptors. Boucher has played in Toronto for the past seven seasons, winning a title in 2019 and appearing in 406 games, primarily off the bench (23 total starts).
He has averaged 8.9 points and 5.1 rebounds in 17.7 minutes during his NBA career while shooting 48.8 percent overall and 33.9 percent beyond the three-point arc.
Boucher, 32, saw action in 50 games last season, averaging 10.0 points and 4.5 rebounds in 17.2 minutes. He didn’t appear in a game after Feb. 26 as the Raptors decided to essentially shut down the veteran big man and take a long look at their younger players.
Boucher was the last remaining player from the Raptors’ championship club. He holds the all-time franchise records as a reserve for points, rebounds, blocks, minutes and games played.
Toronto held Boucher’s Bird rights and reportedly was interested in re-signing him but that didn’t come to fruition. He’ll now join an Atlantic Division rival.
As an eight-year veteran, Boucher will earn $3,287,409 on his minimum-salary deal while the Celtics carry a cap hit of $2,296,274.
Nets Not Making Aggressive Offers To RFA Cam Thomas
The Nets have not made an aggressive effort to sign restricted free agent Cam Thomas on a long-term deal, reports Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link).
Thomas, who is entering his fifth NBA season, has posted some big offensive numbers the past two seasons. He averaged 22.5 points per game in 66 outings during the 2023/24 season and 24 PPG last season. However, he only made 25 appearances in ’24/25 due to persistent hamstring issues.
Thomas is more of a scorer than a shooter and has other holes in his game, which has limited his market in sign-and-trade scenarios. In a recent story from The Athletic, 16 NBA executives were polled regarding current prominent RFAs. Josh Giddey, Jonathan Kuminga and Quentin Grimes were considered more valuable than Thomas. Whereas 15 of the 16 respondents proposed contracts of at least three years for each of Kuminga, Giddey and Grimes, only eight did the same for Thomas.
Fischer writes that Thomas might be the most likely of those RFAs to accept his $5.9MM qualifying offer and become an unrestricted free agent next summer.
Last month, Fischer reported that Brooklyn had not offered Thomas anything further than a two-year deal with a team option worth roughly the amount of the non-taxpayer mid-level exception ($14.1MM). Thomas is believed to be seeking a contract of at least $20MM annually.
Trae Young, Hawks Not Expected To Discuss Extension During Offseason
There are no plans for extension talks between Trae Young and the Hawks this summer, sources tell Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (subscriber link).
As Fischer indicated during a Bleacher Report live stream on Thursday, Young and his camp have been resigned for a while to the idea that he’ll have to play out the final guaranteed year on his current deal. He’ll face a decision on a $49MM player option next summer.
Fischer reports that when Young was represented by Klutch Sports, Rich Paul viewed him as a potential partner for Victor Wembanyama. At the time, Paul was hoping to get one of his points guards to the Spurs, whether it was Young, De’Aaron Fox or Darius Garland.
Fischer states that Fox’s contract expiring a year before Young’s brought a sense of urgency to his future, along with Fox’s desire to relocate to Texas. San Antonio acquired him from Sacramento in a three-team deal in February and gave him a four-year max extension last week.
Young is now represented by CAA, and Fischer makes it clear that he’s not looking to force his way out of Atlanta. The Hawks appear to be a legitimate contender after upgrading their roster over the summer, and Fischer states that Kristaps Porzingis may be the best scoring forward Young has ever teamed up with.
Fischer notes that Atlanta’s improvement could boost Young’s chances of earning All-NBA honors this season, which would increase the maximum value of a five-year contract into the $335MM range.
Sources tell Fischer that Young is disappointed that the Hawks haven’t reached out to him about an extension. However, that could change if he pushes them back toward the playoffs. If it doesn’t happen, he may wind up as one of the top free agents in next year’s market.
Fischer adds that Young’s strong relationship with coach Quin Snyder adds to the optimism that a new deal will eventually get worked out.
Calf Injury Will Prevent Jeremy Sochan From Playing In EuroBasket
Spurs forward Jeremy Sochan will miss the EuroBasket tournament due to a calf injury, the Polish Basketball Federation announced.
Sochan felt pain in his calf following a workout earlier this week and alerted the Polish team’s medical staff. A meeting was held Saturday that included representatives of the Spurs, along with Sochan’s agent and family, and it was determined that the best course of action would be for him to return to San Antonio for treatment and rehabilitation.
The injury isn’t expected to affect Sochan’s availability when NBA training camps open late next month.
“We did the necessary tests for Jeremy. The injury is not serious, but there are less than three weeks left until EuroBasket,” said Lukasz Koszarek, director of the Polish national team. “This is very little time. Jeremy is a very important part of our team, he has great contact with all the players and staff and we are very sorry that his adventure with the national team ends so quickly this summer.”
Sochan, whose mother is Polish, has represented the country in international competitions since the junior level. He made his debut for the Polish senior team at EuroBasket in 2022.
Selected with the ninth pick in the 2022 NBA draft, Sochan has been a versatile player for the Spurs during his three years in the NBA. He averaged 11.4 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 54 games last season and is eligible for a rookie scale extension this summer.
Spurs general manager Brian Wright commended Polish officials for their handling of the injury, and Sochan expressed regret at having to miss the tournament.
“I am very disappointed, but due to a calf muscle injury, unfortunately, I will not be able to play for Polish at this year’s EuroBasket,” he said. “I’ve been working hard for this over the last few months, and the time I trained and played with the national team was amazing. It’s a special group and I really enjoyed being a part of this team. Fortunately, the doctors predict that I will be fully healthy by the time the start of the preparation camp before the upcoming NBA season. I want to thank my teammates, coaches and the whole staff, especially the fans in Poland, for their support. I appreciate it very much and know that although I will not be able to be with you, I will support Poland with all my heart.”
Rockets Reluctant To Give Kevin Durant Max Extension?
In the latest episode of The Hoop Collective podcast (YouTube link), ESPN’s Tim MacMahon indicated that the Rockets appear reluctant to sign Kevin Durant to a maximum-salary extension — or anything close to it.
“The Rockets aren’t going to go all-in — by all appearances and by what I’ve heard — they’re not going all-in on an extension for Kevin Durant,” MacMahon said (hat tip to HoopsHype). “Now, doesn’t mean it won’t happen. But there have been rumblings of, ‘Hey, KD is not going to push for the full max.’ I don’t know that the Rockets are going to put anything on the table that’s close to the max.
“I think the Rockets are like ‘it’s not ideal,’ but I don’t think they would panic if they go into the season with Kevin Durant on the contract that he’s on, just on the expiring deal.”
Durant will make $54.7MM during the upcoming season on the final year of his current contract. Since the trade to Houston became official on July 6, he has been eligible for a two-year extension worth roughly $118.7MM. Waiting until January 6 would allow him to tack on nearly $2MM to his maximum extension value.
For what it’s worth, one source Kurt Helin of NBC Sports spoke to at Summer League suggested Durant might accept an extension for around $100MM over two years.
Houston was reported as one of Durant’s preferred destinations when Phoenix was going through the trade process, so the possibility of him leaving after one season may be minimized. Because they obtained him in a trade, the Rockets would hold full Bird rights on Durant if he does become a free agent next summer. He’ll remain extension-eligible all season and could sign as late as June 30, 2026 to avoid free agency.
Brian Windhorst of the Hoop Collective points out that general manager Rafael Stone has been cautious about overextending his resources. Most of his signings have been short-term, including recent deals with Fred VanVleet and Dorian Finney-Smith, and the long-term contracts he gave to Alperen Sengun and Jabari Smith Jr. are viewed as good values around the league.
Windhorst adds that the Rockets seem to be prioritizing financial flexibility for the summer of 2027. VanVleet’s new contract covers two seasons, while Finney-Smith only has two years of guaranteed money. Smith and Steven Adams will both see their salaries decline after the 2026/27 season.
On the same podcast, Tim Bontemps credits Stone for “understanding the new economic environment the league is in.” He suggests that Stone’s restraint will help the team better navigate the apron structure once expected extensions for Tari Eason, Amen Thompson and possibly Reed Sheppard eventually kick in.
“The Rockets have done a remarkable job of showing fiscal discipline and restraint all the way through,” Bontemps said. “And I think if they can continue to do that, they’re going to have a real advantage over the competition, because we’ve seen other teams not do that. And I think it’s going to bite them later.”
Rory Maher contributed to this post.
Marcus Morris Pays Off Casino Debts; Fraud, Theft Charges Dismissed
Charges of fraud and theft against longtime NBA player Marcus Morris were dismissed Wednesday after he paid off his debts to two Las Vegas casinos, according to Caroline Bleakley of television station KLAS.
To obtain a line of credit for gambling purposes, Morris wrote checks totaling $265K to the casinos in 2024. He was arrested last month at a South Florida airport because he didn’t have sufficient funds in his bank account to cover the checks.
Court documents state that Morris obtained $115K from MGM Grand Hotel and Casino through bad checks in May 2024 and failed to reimburse the casino after the checks bounced. The following month, he took $150K in a similar fashion from the Wynn Las Vegas Hotel and Casino. There were two felony counts in each case — drawing or passing a check for $1,200 or more with the intent to defraud and theft valued at $100K or more.
Morris described the experience of being arrested in several Instagram posts last week, relays Cody Nagel of CBS Sports. He admitted taking out markers with the two casinos, which he said he’s done for years, but emphasized that he didn’t attempt to avoid repaying his debt. He added that he was held in jail for 51 hours under constant lockdown with no food or water.
“I would pay [anything] to stay outta jail,” Morris wrote. “Money paid back and lesson learned. FRAUD, I can’t live with.”
Morris emphasized that he wasn’t trying to scam anyone, arguing that he simply took too long to repay the money he owed. Explaining how gambling markers work, he stated that no cash ever left the casinos.
“If you know gambling, you can’t take money out the casino if you got a marker!” Morris wrote. “You spend that money there … no money was exchanged or taken from any casino and into my pocket.”
Morris expressed disappointment with the casinos for handling the matter through the legal system rather than contacting him directly. He stated that he was in Las Vegas recently and has been frequenting the two casinos “at a high level” for several years.
Morris, 35, played for eight NBA teams from 2011 to 2024. He went unsigned last season after finishing 2023/24 with Cleveland.
Suns To Hire Mike Muscala As Assistant Coach
The Suns intend to hire former NBA forward/center Mike Muscala as an assistant coach, league sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).
Muscala, 34, retired as a player last summer after 11 years in the NBA.
The No. 44 overall pick of the 2013 draft, Muscala spent the majority of his career with the Hawks and Thunder, but he also had brief stints with the Sixers, Lakers, Celtics, Wizards and Pistons. Across 548 regular season appearances, he averaged 5.9 points and 3.1 rebounds in 15.0 minutes per game, with a shooting slash line of .451/.373/.830.
Muscala, who starred in college at Bucknell, never played for the Suns, but he does have a connection to new head coach Jordan Ott. Scotto points out that the two men worked together in Atlanta, where Ott got his NBA start as a video coordinator.
When Muscala retired, his father indicated that Mike intended to pursue a graduate degree in sports management, with an eye on continuing his basketball career in coaching and/or management. A little over a year later, he has his first NBA coaching job.
Richaun Holmes Signs Two-Year Contract With Panathinaikos
As expected, free agent center Richaun Holmes has officially signed a two-year contract with Panathinaikos, the 2024 EuroLeague champions announced today (Instagram link).
According to the Greek club, Holmes’ deal features an option in year two, meaning he could become a free agent again in 2026. He will reportedly be one of the highest-paid players in Europe.
Holmes arrived in Athens on Friday night and was thrilled to be greeted by an enthusiastic crowd of Panathinaikos supporters, writes Apostolos Mavrakis of Sportal.gr (hat tip to Sportando).
“I came here to win. I’m where I want to be, ready to play and to fight for victories,” Holmes said. “This is incredible — I can’t put it into words. I’ve never experienced anything like this in my life … the love was instant. I can’t wait to get on the court and give it back.”
When asked what convinced him to sign with Panathinaikos, the 31-year-old big man said it felt good to be wanted.
“I think just how they came, how they pursued me, they wanted me,” Holmes said. “They sold me on the idea of the importance that they needed me here, they wanted me here, and that was everything to me. I just wanted to be pursued, wanted to be wanted.
“I came here to do some great things. This is a powerhouse club and I’m looking to add to that and be a part of it. I’m just glad to be a part of this legacy, honestly.”
Holmes was the 37th overall pick in the 2015 draft out of Bowling Green and has spent the past decade in the NBA, suiting up for five different teams during that time. He had his best years in Sacramento, where he was the Kings’ full-time starting center and put up 14.2 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks per game across 61 outings in 2020/21.
After becoming an unrestricted free agent, Holmes drew interest from a handful of EuroLeague clubs, including Fenerbahce in Turkey. A report last weekend stated he was mulling an offer from Panathinaikos while waiting to see if he’d be offered a guaranteed NBA contract — evidently he didn’t find an NBA deal to his liking.
Holmes will be looking to help lead Panathinaikos to a title or two in 2025/26 after the club fell just short this past season. The Greens went 22-0 during Greece’s regular season before losing to Olympiacos in the final. In the EuroLeague, Panathinaikos finished third with a 22-12 record but was defeated by Fenerbahce – the eventual champions – in the semifinals.
Holmes will be Panathinaikos’ final offseason signing, according to owner Dimitris Giannakopoulos (story via Aris Barkas of Eurohoops).