Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Future In Milwaukee Remains Unsettled
Giannis Antetokounmpo trade rumors have died down in recent weeks, but the two-time MVP hasn’t reached a decision on whether he wants to continue playing for the Bucks, ESPN’s Shams Charania said this morning during an appearance on “Get Up.” (Twitter video link).
“Sources tell me there’s still nothing set in stone about whether Giannis Antetokounmpo will stay in Milwaukee or whether he will be leaving,” Charania said.
There have been past reports that Antetokounmpo might consider leaving Milwaukee to improve his chances of winning at least one more NBA title. Speculation began to grow after the Bucks were eliminated in this first round of this year’s playoffs and star guard Damian Lillard suffered an Achilles tear that’s expected to sideline him for all of next season.
Bucks general manager Jon Horst responded by retooling the team’s roster this summer. He waived and stretched the $112.6MM that Lillard had left on his contract for the next two years and used the newfound cap space to sign center Myles Turner away from the Pacers.
Horst also added Gary Harris, Jericho Sims and Cole Anthony in free agency and re-signed several of the team’s own free agents, such as Bobby Portis, Gary Trent Jr., Kevin Porter Jr., Ryan Rollins and Taurean Prince.
The aggressive move with Turner was viewed as an important step toward convincing Antetokounmpo that the Bucks could remain competitive in the Eastern Conference. Although there hasn’t been much trade talk over the last month, Charania insists that Antetokounmpo’s situation hasn’t been resolved.
“There’s been some very real conversations over the last week or so,” Charania said. “The constant question that Giannis has, though, is can I win a championship with this roster? … He wants to win a second championship, so he’s asking that question over and over.”
He added that there are “multiple teams waiting in the wings” to make offers if Antetokounmpo decides he wants out.
Damian Lillard To Serve As GM For Weber State Basketball
Damian Lillard is the latest NBA player to take a management role with his alma mater, announcing Saturday that he will become the new general manager for the Weber State men’s basketball program (Twitter video link).
Lillard was on hand for the school’s annual Basketball Alumni Classic, according to Brett Hein of The Ogden Standard-Examiner. After signing autographs for about 90 minutes, he addressed the crowd with the news of his continuing relationship with the university.
“It’s something that, my relationship with coach (Eric) Duft and this program means a lot to me, and seeing the success of the program means a lot to me,” Lillard said. “I feel like I can do a lot to help the program be successful, to help the players even individually continue to grow their careers past college, that’s something that I’m passionate about.”
Few details of the position were announced, but Lillard’s association should bring prestige to the program, which competes in the Big Sky Conference and is coming off a 12-22 season. WSU issued a press release stating that Lillard “will work closely with the coaching staff and athletic department leadership to provide insight, mentorship, and guidance, using his experience at the collegiate and professional levels to elevate the program.”
Lillard is one of the most accomplished players in Wildcats history, twice earning conference Player of the Year honors before declaring for the draft in 2012. He had 1,934 points and left school as the second-leading scorer in Weber State history and No. 5 all-time in the Big Sky Conference.
“All of the resources that I have, I’ve got an opportunity to be able to create for the program, while they’re in the program and even after the program, it’s something I’m excited about,” Lillard added. “I’m looking forward to doing that work, looking forward to continue to lift up the university, lift up the program. It’s going to be fun.”
The new arrangement with Weber State continues an eventful offseason for Lillard, who had his contract waived and stretched by Milwaukee after suffering a torn Achilles in the playoffs. He wound up returning to the Trail Blazers on a three-year deal.
Stephen Curry started the trend of active players helping to run college basketball programs in March when he became an assistant GM at Davidson. Since then, Trae Young (Oklahoma), Terance Mann (Florida State) and Patty Mills (Hawai’i) have accepted similar positions.
Rob Pelinka: It Would Be ‘Great’ To Have LeBron James Retire As A Laker
As Lakers president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka met with the media to announce Luka Doncic‘s new three-year max extension on Saturday, the subject of LeBron James‘ future with the team also came up, writes Dan Woike of The Athletic.
Now that Doncic is the cornerstone of the organization, there are questions about how much longer James will remain in L.A. He has an expiring $52.6MM contract after picking up his player option in late June, and there has been speculation that he might either be traded or reach a buyout agreement before the end of the season.
Pelinka told reporters today that it would be “great” if James were able to retire as a Laker.
“In terms of LeBron’s career, I think the number one thing we have to do there is respect he and his family’s decision in terms of how long he’s going to play. I think that’s first and foremost,” Pelinka said. “And we want to respect his ability to come up with his timetable on that.”
James will turn 41 in December, and he hasn’t made any public statements about many more years he plans to remain active. He’s still performing at an elite level, earning second-team All-NBA honors last season while averaging 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 8.2 assists in 70 games.
James’ agent, Rich Paul of Klutch Sports, said during a Summer League interview that James hasn’t asked the Lakers for a trade. Team and league sources confirmed that to Woike, adding that there has been no discussion of a buyout either.
“All the interactions we’ve had with LeBron and his camp, Rich in particular, have been positive and supportive. So very professional and Rich has been great,” Pelinka said. “The dialogue with him has been open and constant.”
It has also been reported that the Lakers didn’t offer James a multiyear contract, which is something that Paul said he never asked the team for. Numerous reports have indicated that L.A. is preserving cap space for the summer of 2027, and Woike notes that among this summer’s major signings, Deandre Ayton and Marcus Smart both got one-year deals with player options, while Jake LaRavia was signed for two seasons.
Lakers’ Luka Doncic Signs Three-Year Max Extension
As expected, the Lakers and Luka Doncic have agreed to terms on a three-year, maximum-salary contract extension that includes a third-year player option, agent Bill Duffy tells Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).
The deal will begin in 2026/27, replacing the player option on Doncic’s current contract. It will be worth roughly $160.8MM over three years based on the NBA’s most recent projection of a 7% cap increase next summer. The total value could reach $165.3MM if the cap ends up rising by the maximum allowable 10%.
Based on a 7% cap increase, the year-by-year breakdown would be as follows:
- 2025/26 (last year of current contract): $45,999,660
- 2026/27 (first year of extension): $49,641,600
- 2027/28: $53,612,928
- 2028/29 (player option): $57,584,256
Both the Lakers and Doncic have put out statements officially confirming the extension.
“I just signed my extension with the Lakers,” Doncic wrote (via Twitter). “Excited to keep working to bring championships to LA and make Laker Nation proud. Grateful to the Lakers, my teammates and all the fans who’ve shown so much love since day one. This is just the beginning.
“Today I’m also committing $5 million to help 77 young athletes around the world chase their dreams, just like I did,” he added in a follow-up tweet. “Basketball gave me everything, and I’m lucky to be able to give back and help the next generation.
“Today is a monumental moment for our franchise,” Lakers president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka said in the team’s statement. “Luka Doncic’s future is with the Los Angeles Lakers. Luka is one of the game’s most transcendent players, and his on-court dominance and passion is without compare.
“From the moment Luka become a Laker, there was an immediate connection and admiration between Luka and our fanbase. You can feel it in your spirit when you attend a Lakers game. Luka is an absolute killer on the court, and blends that with a unique generosity and care for the community. Above all else, Luka will lead our franchise to pursue future championships, a goal that will forever define the Lakers.”
As we outlined earlier today, now that six months have passed since Doncic was traded from Dallas to Los Angeles, he had become eligible to sign a maximum-salary extension that could cover up to four additional seasons beyond 2025/26.
However, a three-year agreement with a 2028/29 player option makes more financial sense for him in the long run, since it will allow him to start his next contract in 2028, once he has 10 years of NBA service and qualifies for a higher maximum salary (starting at 35% of the cap instead of 30%).
If Doncic waits until 2028 free agency to sign his next contract and re-ups with the Lakers at the time, he could get a five-year deal worth up to a whopping $417MM. That $417MM projection would hinge on the salary cap increasing by 10% in each of the next three years, but even with slower cap growth, the five-time All-Star will have an opportunity for a massive, record-setting payday.
The NBA’s Rookie of the Year in 2019 and a five-time All-NBA first-teamer from 2020-24, Doncic battled a calf issue last season that limited him to 50 games (22 for Dallas and 28 for L.A.). He still put up his usual superlative numbers when he was available, averaging 28.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, 7.7 assists, and 1.8 steals per game with a .450/.368/.782 shooting line, but he and the Lakers failed to advance beyond the first round of the playoffs after he made the NBA Finals with the Mavericks a year earlier.
Motivated by the early postseason exit and criticism that leaked out of Dallas following February’s blockbuster trade, Doncic has dedicated this offseason to improving his body and his conditioning. He made changes to his diet and workout regimen and looked noticeably slimmed down in a recent Men’s Health photo shoot, as we detailed earlier this week.
We’ll get a chance to see the new-look Doncic in action later this month. He’s set to rejoin the Slovenian national team ahead of this year’s EuroBasket tournament. The club will play a handful of exhibition games in the coming weeks before the event begins on August 27. Slovenia’s group-play schedule will begin with an Aug. 28 matchup against Poland.
As for the Lakers, even with Doncic’s new extension on their books, they’ll have significant cap flexibility going forward. Doncic is their only player who currently has a guaranteed salary beyond the 2026/27 season (Jarred Vanderbilt holds a ’27/28 player option, while three other players have team options on their contracts).
The extension makes Doncic ineligible to be traded for six months, though it’s safe to assume that wasn’t an option the Lakers were considering.
Mikal Bridges Signs Four-Year Extension With Knicks
August 1: The Knicks have made the extension official, per a team press release (via Twitter).
“His abilities on both sides of the court in every game made him a vital part of our team’s success last season,” team president Leon Rose said of Bridges. “We look forward to his continued growth and development as part of the Knicks family for years to come.”
July 31: The Knicks and forward Mikal Bridges have agreed to a four-year, $150MM contract extension, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania (Twitter link). The deal will include a player option for 2029/30 and a trade kicker.
As Charania notes in a follow-up tweet, Bridges is accepting a deal slightly lower than the max he could have received in an extension, which was $156.2MM. By taking a small discount, Bridges will help the Knicks maintain a little more roster flexibility moving forward. Teammate Jalen Brunson took a similar approach when extending last year.
Bridges was entering the last year of his current contract and would have become eligible for an additional year and a higher starting salary if he had reached free agency in 2026.
The Knicks acquired Bridges from the Nets in the summer of 2024 for a package that included five first-round picks, two of which became Ben Saraf and Nolan Traore last month. In his first season with the Knicks, Bridges averaged 17.6 points, 3.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game while appearing in all 82 regular season contests. He hasn’t missed a game in his career.
Bridges’ first season in New York was up and down — his 35.4% three-point percentage was his lowest mark since his rookie season. However, he helped the Knicks make the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in 25 years and remains a key piece of the future.
Brunson, OG Anunoby and Bridges are all now under contract through at least ’27/28, while Karl-Anthony Towns and Josh Hart hold player options for that season.
Bridges will be ineligible to be traded for six months once the deal is officially finalized.
Pelicans Sign Jaden Springer
2:47 pm: Springer’s contract is a non-guaranteed Exhibit 9 deal, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, who tweets that the guard will compete for a roster spot in training camp.
7:22 am: The Pelicans have signed free agent guard Jaden Springer, the team announced in a press release.
The No. 28 pick in the 2021 draft, Springer played a limited role in Philadelphia across two-and-a-half seasons before being sent to Boston at the 2024 trade deadline. He spent roughly a full calendar year with the Celtics, then was rerouted to Houston in a salary-dump deal in February 2025.
After being cut by Houston, Springer signed a 10-day deal with the Jazz in February and agreed to a two-year contract with the team in March following that initial 10-day audition. However, he was waived by Utah last week before his minimum salary for the 2025/26 season could become partially guaranteed.
Springer, who is known more for his perimeter defense than his offensive game, has career averages of 2.9 points and 1.4 rebounds in 8.8 minutes per contest across 110 regular season outings. He played a significant role at the G League level during his first two years with the 76ers, but has only made two appearances in the NBAGL since the start of the 2023/24 season.
Details of the Pelicans’ deal with Springer aren’t yet known — it’s a pretty safe bet that it will be a minimum-salary contract, but it’s unclear whether or not it will include guaranteed money.
For what it’s worth, New Orleans has 14 players on standard guaranteed contracts and has enough breathing room below the luxury tax line to carry a 15th man into the regular season, so there could be a path for Springer to make the team this fall. Because he has four years of NBA experience, he’s no longer eligible for a two-way deal.
Silver, Tatum Meet With UK PM, Possible Investors About European League
United Kingdom prime minister Keir Starmer held a meeting on Wednesday with NBA commissioner Adam Silver and deputy commissioner Mark Tatum regarding a potential NBA Europe league, sources inform insider Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Twitter link). Silver and Tatum are also holding court with various possible stakeholders about this new venture.
Stein tweets that, in addition to Starmer, Silver and Tatum have conferred with investment firm Redbird Capital Partners, private equity firms KKR and CVC, Abu Dhabi’s Department of Culture and Tourism, and representatives from Turkish soccer team Galatasaray. Silver and Tatum also met with the U.S.’s ambassador to the U.K., Warren Stephens.
Silver and Tatum’s meetings with possible European league investors included other basketball teams, in addition to the aforementioned private equity and investment firms, sovereign wealth funds, and government officials, a source tells Scott Soshnick and Dan Bernstein of Sportico. Private equity funds have been given a strict 20% ownership cap for any NBA team, although it remains unclear if that rule would remain in effect for this new league.
Soshnick and Bernstein also report that the new league could be supported by both the NBA and FIBA, and that a new team could be established in London specifically. The fresh league would employ FIBA rules, not NBA rules.
ESPN’s Tim Bontemps is convinced that a slate of two announced European regular season games for 2025/26, in combination with word of these meetings, makes a new European league something of an inevitability.
“This all goes back to the NBA Europe plan that the league is potentially looking to enact over the next couple of years,” Bontemps said during an appearance on NBA Today (Twitter video link). “Could be an expansion for the league, try to make a bunch of money over in Europe… This all points toward that league trying to get off the ground at some point here in the near future.”
Silver and FIBA secretary general Andreas Zagklis previously held a spring presser to verify that “exploratory” conversation were being held about a possible new European league, which would tentatively feature 12 permanent teams and four wild-card spots. The possibility of extant EuroLeague squads getting involved was floated.
Current NBA owners are expected to own a stake in the new league at large, but would not own individual teams.
Latest On Jonathan Kuminga
The Kings have been linked to restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga for weeks but there’s little common ground in sign-and-trade talks with the Warriors.
The Athletic’s Sam Amick said on the Warriors Plus Minus podcast (hat tip to BasketNews) that Golden State isn’t interested in either DeMar DeRozan or Devin Carter as part of a trade package.
“My understanding is the Warriors weren’t interested in Carter or DeRozan. As of a couple of weeks ago, the Kings weren’t willing to pay Kuminga into the $20 million range,” Amick said.
Multiple reports have indicated Kuminga and his agent are seeking a contract in the $30MM range annually.
The Sacramento Bee’s Jason Anderson reports that the Kings have not given up in their pursuit of a sign-and-trade deal for Kuminga and offered Golden State a package of Carter, Dario Saric and draft compensation, which could include a protected first-round pick or multiple second-round picks.
Anderson speculates the Warriors would likely make a deal with Sacramento if the Kings were willing to add Keegan Murray or Keon Ellis to the mix. However, Anderson hears that Murray and Ellis have not been discussed in those negotiations and are considered off limits by the Kings.
ESPN’s Anthony Slater reported last week that the Warriors would like to add a talented young player and a first-rounder for Kuminga. The Suns have been identified as another suitor for Kuminga but don’t possess the draft capital Golden State is seeking.
Slater added in a radio interview relayed by Anderson that the 22-year-old forward came away with a good impression after a recent meeting with Kings representatives, which included general manager Scott Perry, assistant GM B.J. Armstrong and head coach Doug Christie.
“He’s open-minded to the idea of Sacramento. … I think part of that – I know part of that pitch – is you’re talking starting role, you’re talking bigger opportunity than the Warriors are necessarily offering right now. And I think that’s the part that shouldn’t get lost in this situation,” Slater said. “Jonathan Kuminga isn’t just looking for the exact contract he wants in free agency. He’s looking for the opportunity he wants on the court.”
Slater and ESPN’s Shams Charania report that the Warriors are making a stronger push to resolve the Kuminga impasse but he continues to reject their two-year, $45MM contract offer. Kuminga’s decision is due in large part to the Warriors’ insistence on having a team option for the second season and their unwillingness to let him maintain the built-in no-trade clause, the ESPN duo adds.
His agent, Aaron Turner, presented the Warriors several proposals this month, including a three-year deal worth around $82MM that would allow them to stay below the second tax apron.
The Suns have been the most aggressive team pursuing Kuminga, including a proposal of up to four years and approximately $90MM for Kuminga with a player option for the final season, per ESPN’s report.
In recent days, Golden State has begun signaling a plan to cut off sign-and-trade conversations entirely, according to Charania and Slater. The Warriors have the ability to play hard ball with Kuminga, figuring he could either accept their contract offer or sign his qualifying offer of $7.9MM and become an unrestricted free agent next summer.
Grizzlies, Magic To Play In Berlin, London In January
The Grizzlies and Magic will play regular season games in Berlin on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, and London on Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026, according to an NBA press release.
Additionally, the league announced that it will play regular season games in Manchester, England and Paris in 2027 and in Berlin and Paris in 2028. The dates and participating teams for the games in 2027 and 2028 will be announced prior to those seasons.
The NBA has not previously held a regular season contest in Germany. The matchup in England will be the league’s 10th regular-season game in London.
The 2027 contest in France will be the NBA’s sixth regular season game in Paris; the Manchester game will be the league’s first in the city.
The Grizzlies will be playing their fifth and sixth games in Europe, while the Magic will be playing its fourth and fifth games in Europe.
The game in Germany will be a special treat for the Magic’s brother duo of Franz Wagner and Moritz Wagner, who are natives of Berlin.
“To have the Orlando Magic and the NBA play a regular-season game in our hometown of Berlin means everything to us. Growing up here, we dreamed of moments like this,” they said, according to the press release. “It’s a huge honor to represent Berlin and Germany and show how much the city and country love basketball. We hope we can inspire kids the way we were inspired watching games from afar.”
Berlin, London, Paris, and Manchester are some of the cities that have been rumored as potential markets for the new European league that the NBA is exploring.
Marcus Morris Arrested On Fraud Charges, Denied Bond
Longtime NBA forward Marcus Morris was denied bond during a hearing Tuesday morning in Florida’s Broward County, two days after he was arrested on fraud charges, Chuck Shilken of the Los Angeles Times reports.
Morris’ legal issues stem from allegations he stole more than $250K from two prominent Las Vegas casinos, according to TMZ Sports. The judge denied Morris’ motion to set bond, saying that she did not have the jurisdiction to make such a ruling for an out-of-state case, per Shilken.
According to court documents, Morris allegedly received $115K from the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino via bad checks in May 2024 and never paid it back when 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.
There were two separate warrants for Morris’ arrest were issued over the claims earlier this year. Morris was taken into custody at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport due to the warrants.
Yony Noy, an agent for Morris, published a Twitter post in which he denied that his client committed fraud.
“Just so everyone understands this is zero fraud here or whatever crap outlets have said regarding fake checks or whatever the hell,” Noy wrote. “This is due to an outstanding marker with a casino. Apparently if you have over $1,200 they can issue a warrant for your arrest. Absolute insanity!”
According to the L.A. Times story, the prosecuting attorney representing the state of Florida confirmed that there are two warrants for Morris’ arrest in Nevada and both are for outstanding markers for more than $100K each. The prosecuting attorney also indicated that although Nevada is looking to extradite Morris, it is willing to dismiss the charges if Morris’ debts are paid in full.
An attorney representing Morris said that “a large payment” had already been made in order to resolve the issue.
Morris played in the NBA from 2011-24, including a total of 49 games with the Sixers and Cavaliers during the 2023/24 campaign. He went unsigned as a free agent after that season.