Heat Notes: Powell, Jaquez, Johnson, Goldin, Haslem
Norman Powell recently signed a two-year deal to join the Bulls, and while he’s excited about his future, he admitted his first choice probably would have been to stick with the Heat, with whom he made his first All-Star team at age 32.
“Did I want to return to Miami? Yeah, I did,” Powell said, according to Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald. “But obviously, it’s a business. They made their decisions and made their moves and things happen. And it is what it is.”
Powell would have fit the new-look Heat’s needs well, but Miami’s cap situation prevented the team from re-signing him to the type of deal he had earned for himself based on his strong play last year. Now he’s looking forward to bringing his experience and scoring ability to Chicago.
“I know where I’m at in my career,” he said. “Obviously, the whole focal point is winning and wanting to get back to that championship stage. But just looking at the opportunity that was in front of me, that’s going to allow me to be able to play my game of basketball how I want to play it and be able to help pass on knowledge.”
Powell isn’t the only player who is disappointed to no longer be in Miami. Fourth-year wing Jaime Jaquez Jr. will play for the Bucks next season after being included in the trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo, leaving the team that drafted him 18th overall in 2023.
“It was definitely devastating for sure,” Jaquez said of the trade, per Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. “I love Miami. I love this city. It really felt like home to me.”
Jaquez said that his reaction in the viral video of him discovering the news while playing pickup basketball was genuine, but that he had known it was happening that day and had gone to the gym to occupy his mind. He added that he’s excited for the opportunity to really be able to shine on the new-look Bucks.
We have more from the Heat:
- While some players are mourning their departures from the Heat, others are still waiting to learn their fate, including Keshad Johnson. Despite not receiving a qualifying offer from the team, the 2026 dunk contest champion is hopeful that a reunion could be in the cards. “If the opportunity presents itself, I for sure want to be a Heat. For sure,” he said, adding, “I love the 305 forever.” He added that he’d be willing to consider a two-way deal to stay in Miami, though he also noted that he’s talked to several teams around the league this summer.
- Monday marked the deadline for the Heat to rescind their two-way qualifying offer for second-year center Vladislav Goldin, Chiang notes (via Twitter). Miami declined to do so, which means that offer remains on the table for the 7’0″ center and cannot be withdrawn. Goldin has averaged 8.8 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks through five Summer League games across Las Vegas and California this offseason.
- After being criticized by Draymond Green on a podcast for a perceived double standard in how he discussed Green’s 2022 altercation with teammate Jordan Poole and Bam Adebayo‘s recent confrontation with Tyler Herro, longtime Heat big man Udonis Haslem responded to Green’s comments on Sunday in a lengthy social media post, Chiang writes. “If you think your big 32 year old, 3 or 4 rings at the time having a– swinging on a 23 year old Jordan Poole at the time is the same then you are even more delusional that I thought,” Haslem wrote. “Anyone who knows Bam knows he’s strong as baby bear. If he would’ve unloaded on Tyler 100% it’s over. You fired off on that young boy like it was a club punch and you never met him before in your life.”
Contract Details: Landale, Clarkson, Bassey, Lyles, Smart, More
Hawks center Jock Landale, Knicks guard Jordan Clarkson, and Warriors big man Charles Bassey waived the implicit no-trade clauses in their respective contracts, Hoops Rumors has learned.
A player who re-signs with his previous team on a one-year contract – or a two-year deal with a second-year player or team option – is typically awarded the right to veto a trade for the coming year. However, his team can ask him to waive that right as part of the agreement, and that was the case for Landale, Clarkson, and Bassey, who can all be traded freely at the 2027 deadline in February.
Landale’s one-year deal with the Hawks came in at $14.1MM, leaving Atlanta with less than $1MM left on its non-taxpayer mid-level exception. While Clarkson’s minimum-salary contract is fully guaranteed, Bassey’s features a $1.4MM partial guarantee, so he could be waived before the league-wide guarantee deadline in January without Golden State being on the hook for his full salary.
Here are a few more contract details from around the NBA:
- Trey Lyles‘ one-year, minimum-salary deal with the Timberwolves carries a partial guarantee of $1.5MM. The veteran forward will earn his full salary if he remains under contract through January 7. Meanwhile, Jaylen Clark‘s three-year, $10MM contract with Minnesota is fully guaranteed, with a first-year salary of $3,086,420.
- The Rockets used the full taxpayer mid-level exception to sign Marcus Smart to his two-year contract, Hoops Rumors has confirmed, which means Houston is currently hard-capped at the second tax apron instead of the first apron. The team isn’t in danger of hitting either threshold at this point — Yossi Gozlan of CapSheets.com has the Rockets nearly $11MM below the first apron.
- The new contracts for Bulls guard Norman Powell and Bucks forward Ousmane Dieng are worth slightly less than initially reported. Powell’s two-year deal comes in just over $44MM, with a guaranteed $21.5MM salary in 2026/27 and a $22.575MM team option for ’27/28. Dieng’s three-year contract has identical cap hits of $5.75MM for all three seasons, for a total of $17.25MM. Dieng’s final year is a team option, as previously reported.
- Jaxson Hayes and Josh Okogie received matching contracts with the Jazz, as both will earn guaranteed $6MM salaries in 2026/27 with second-year team options also worth $6MM. Jusuf Nurkic‘s two-year deal with Utah looks a little different — it has a descending structure ($11,458,333 in year one; $10,541,667 in year two) and is fully guaranteed.
Bulls Notes: Wilson, Swain, Essengue, Powell
Most of the top picks in this year’s draft have looked good in Summer League, but nobody had a better first game than Caleb Wilson, writes Jamal Collier of ESPN. The Bulls forward delivered 35 points and six rebounds in a loss to Memphis Friday night, posting the second-highest point total for a player in his first Las Vegas Summer League game since the league was launched in 2004.
Wilson, who broke his left wrist in February at North Carolina, said the thought of returning to the court after such a long layoff brought him to tears before the game.
“It’s been five months to the day since the last time I played,” he said. “I’ve just been really emotional because I haven’t been able to play. I felt terrible because my team lost in the (NCAA) tournament and my coach got fired. It just was a lot for me at that point. So, coming out today, it just felt like I’ve been waiting so long for this opportunity. I’m just glad I got to come out here and play.”
Wilson displayed an expanded offensive game, connecting on 7-of-11 shots from beyond the arc in addition to the explosive inside moves that made him the No. 4 overall pick. He also finished with three blocks and two steals, and even though he committed six turnovers, new head coach Tiago Splitter was happy with Wilson’s aggressiveness.
“We’re getting to know him,” Splitter said. “The first game, of course, he played extremely well shooting the ball and doing different things, but this is a long road. Repetition of everything. But I’m proud of the effort they put in. Boxing out, crashing every offense rebound.”
There’s more on the Bulls:
- It was a tougher night for fellow first-round pick Dailyn Swain, a natural shooting guard who’s being asked to handle point guard duties during Summer League, Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune notes in a subscriber-only story. The team is hoping the experience will help him develop into a secondary facilitator to go along with his defensive and scoring skills. “Right now is a time for mistakes, a time for growth,” Swain said, per Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. “(Splitter’s) throwing me in the fire. He’s giving me something new for when the real time comes, I’m prepared for it.”
- Chicago fans got their first look at Noa Essengue since a left shoulder injury ended his season in December, Poe adds. After a tentative start, last year’s first-round pick blocked four shots and forced two turnovers in the second half while finishing with 10 points in 29 minutes.
- Free agent addition Norman Powell spoke to reporters on Saturday, a day after his new contract became official, Cowley relays in a separate story. Powell’s two-year deal contains a team option for the second season, so he understands that he might not have a long stay in Chicago. “I just think with the way the league is and free agency, just the aprons and things like that, teams are trying to get creative,” he said. “For me, I go into every situation wanting to be here, wanting to help win and contribute anyway I can, but looking at the business of it, I’ve been around so long that those things have crossed my mind. I’ve thought about it, but I don’t pay too much mind on it. My focus is on being here, being in the moment, and how I can help.”
Bulls Sign Norman Powell To Two-Year Contract
July 10: Powell’s two-year contract is now official, according to the Bulls (Twitter link).
July 1: Norman Powell is headed to Chicago, according to Shams Charania of ESPN, who reports (via Twitter) that the free agent guard has agreed to sign a two-year, $45MM contract with the Bulls. The second year of the deal will be a team option, per K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network (Twitter link).
Powell, who turned 33 in May, has played some of the best basketball of his career over the past two seasons with the Clippers and Heat. He set a new career high with 21.8 points per game in L.A. in 2024/25, then nearly matched it this past season by putting up 21.7 PPG on .470/.380/.827 shooting for Miami.
Powell has battled injury issues during that time and has only played more than 60 games once in the past five seasons, but when he’s healthy, he’s a big-time scorer and a major threat from beyond the arc. His 38.0% mark on three-pointers last season was actually well below his career percentage of 39.6%.
The Bulls will use their cap room to give Powell a starting salary far above what teams with the non-taxpayer mid-level exception ($15MM) could have offered. Although the Heat held the veteran’s Bird rights, they were also unable to match Chicago’s bid, since they have little spending flexibility below their hard cap at the first tax apron.
Miami also won’t be able to turn Powell’s exit into a sign-and-trade, since Chicago has the cap space necessary to complete the signing outright and is doing a two-year deal (a player who is signed-and-traded must receive at least three years). The move is expected to essentially eat up the remainder of the Bulls’ room, as cap expert Yossi Gozlan notes (via Twitter). Chicago still has its $9.4MM room exception and one 15-man roster spot available.
Due to the structure of the contract, it’s possible Powell will emerge as a trade candidate at the 2027 deadline. It’s reminiscent of the two-year, $45MM deal that Bruce Brown signed with the Pacers during the 2023 offseason — that one also featured a second-year team option and Brown was traded ahead of the 2024 deadline as part of Indiana’s package for Pascal Siakam.
For now though, the Bulls envision Powell providing scoring punch on a retooled roster that features a young core of Matas Buzelis, Caleb Wilson, Dailyn Swain, Josh Giddey, and Noa Essengue. According to Johnson (Twitter link), Chicago zeroed in on Powell due to his ability to space the floor around several of the team’s non-shooters, as well as his veteran leadership.
Chicago’s roster moves so far this offseason may be influenced by the NBA’s changes to the draft lottery. In past years, the Bulls might have been more inclined to use their cap room to accommodate salary dumps to acquire additional assets, but with the league looking to discourage tanking by penalizing the teams who finish in the bottom three in the standings, teams like the Bulls have no incentive to bottom out.
As a result, Chicago has now committed a significant chunk of its cap room to land Powell and center Nic Claxton, two veterans who figure to play significant roles and help the club remain competitive in 2026/27.
Powell also reportedly drew interest from the Pistons.
Free Agent Rumors: LeBron, Wolves, Grimes, S. Jones, Bulls
The Timberwolves were among the teams to reach out to LeBron James after free agency opened on Tuesday and express interest in signing the star forward, reports Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. Krawczynski’s colleague at The Athletic, Sam Amick, reported earlier in the day that Minnesota had interest in James.
Team and league sources clarify to Krawczynski that the Wolves don’t believe they’ll be atop LeBron’s list of preferred destinations. The club has very little spending flexibility below a second-apron hard cap, and while James sounds prepared to play outside Southern California, Minneapolis may be a tough sell.
Still, the Wolves believe they can make a compelling basketball case to James if contending for a fifth championship is his top priority. The club will have a loaded backcourt featuring Anthony Edwards, LaMelo Ball, and Ayo Dosunmu, along with defensive stalwarts at center (Rudy Gobert) and on the wing (Jaden McDaniels), but projects to have a glaring hole at the power forward spot after trading away both Julius Randle and Naz Reid.
As Krawczynski writes, trading swingman Josh Green and his $14.7MM expiring contract would be an option for Minnesota if the team wants to create more room under the second apron to pursue James or another power forward. However, the Wolves are “intrigued” by Green and there was nothing happening on that front as of Tuesday, sources tell The Athletic.
We have more news and notes from around free agency:
- After spending the last season-and-a-half the Sixers, unrestricted free agent Quentin Grimes won’t be returning to Philadelphia, according to Tony Jones of The Athletic. That aligns with earlier reporting, which suggested that the Lakers are widely viewed as the frontrunner to land the shooting guard’s services. Grimes spent the 2025/26 season playing on his qualifying offer after failing to reach a longer-term agreement with the 76ers as a restricted free agent last offseason. He settled into a second-unit role, averaging 13.4 points and 3.3 assists per game with a career-low .334 3PT%.
- Nuggets forward Spencer Jones bet on himself, and it sounds like the choice will pay off when he signs his next contract. In a LinkedIn post, Jones said he was offered a multiyear contract during the season that would have paid him around $2MM per year in guaranteed money, but he turned it down in favor of a rest-of-season pact and is now negotiating a deal worth “more than double” what that original offer was worth (hat tip to DNVR’s Harrison Wind, via Twitter). Jones is a restricted free agent after receiving a $2.65MM qualifying offer from Denver.
- Source reiterated to Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times on Tuesday that the Bulls have interest in free agent guard Norman Powell. Chicago has also talked to the Cavaliers about a potential trade, according to Cowley, who speculates that the Bulls may be eyeing Illinois native Max Strus. Cleveland has reportedly looked into potential deals involving Strus and his expiring $16.7MM contract, though the team may be less inclined to move the veteran wing after losing Dean Wade and Keon Ellis in free agency.
Eli Cohen contributed to this article.
Stein/Fischer’s Latest: Kawhi, Raptors, Brown, Westbrook, More
The Raptors and Clippers continue to have serious discussions about a Kawhi Leonard trade and there’s “momentum” on a deal that would send the two-time Finals MVP back to Toronto, league sources tell Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link).
Fischer first reported the Raptors’ interest in a reunion with Leonard, with multiple subsequent reports confirming the negotiations between the two teams.
Regardless of whether a deal comes to fruition, the Clippers haven’t pursued Celtics wing Jaylen Brown this offseason and don’t intend to make a run at the 2024 Finals MVP, Stein and Fischer report.
Here’s lots more from The Stein Line:
- The Wizards have a “level of interest” in free agent guard Russell Westbrook, according to Stein and Fischer. The former league MVP spent the 2020/21 season in Washington prior to being traded to the Lakers. Westbrook, 37, played for the Kings last season.
- Speaking of the Kings, they’re aiming to re-sign Precious Achiuwa and promote Daeqwon Plowden to a standard contract, per The Stein Line. Sacramento made Plowden, who finished last season on a two-way deal, a restricted free agent on Monday. Forward/center Achiuwa, meanwhile, is an unrestricted free agent.
- The Lakers are “strongly believed” to be one of three teams set to meet with Jazz restricted free agent center Walker Kessler on Tuesday, according to Stein and Fischer. The Lakers are also expected to meet with Pistons RFA Jalen Duren. Yet another restricted free agent, Nuggets forward Peyton Watson, continues to be linked to the Clippers, Stein and Fischer add.
- The Spurs are looking to add a power forward with the non-taxpayer mid-level exception, according to The Stein Line, with Sandro Mamukelashvili, Tobias Harris, Dean Wade, Rui Hachimura and John Collins said to be targets. The Lakers are another team with their eyes on Raptors forward/center Mamukelashvili, according to both Stein and Fischer and Dan Woike of The Athletic. Sources tell Stein and Fischer the Georgian big man is expected to receive multiple offers exceeding $10MM per year after declining his minimum-salary option to become a free agent.
- In other Raptors news, the team is expected to work out a new standard deal with 2025 second-rounder Alijah Martin, per Stein and Fischer. Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca reported the two sides were working on a multiyear standard contract after Martin was given a two-way qualifying offer, making him a restricted free agent.
- After previously reporting that the Magic were bracing to lose Moritz Wagner in free agency, Stein and Fischer hear the Nets are a “real contender” to sign the German big man. The Magic, meanwhile, are expected to re-sign Jonathan Isaac after waiving him earlier this week, sources tell the Stein Line.
- If the Bulls end up signing Norman Powell, his new contract is expected to be a lucrative short-term deal, Stein and Fischer report. Chicago is also thinking about retaining Anfernee Simons, who’s expected to receive interest from the Warriors and Celtics, and is also interested in Jonathan Kuminga. The Cavaliers are another potential Kuminga suitor, though they don’t have much money to offer at the moment, Stein and Fischer add.
- The Cavaliers agreed to re-sign Thomas Bryant in part because they believed the Pacers were going to pursue him in free agency, according to Stein and Fischer, who hear Josh Okogie, Gary Trent Jr. and Kelly Oubre Jr. are potential free agent targets for Indiana.
- Bradley Beal, Gabe Vincent and Khris Middleton are among the veterans the Heat are considering pursuing in free agency, Stein and Fischer report.
Trade Rumors: Kawhi, Brown, Hield, AD, Murphy, More
Rumors about the possibility of the Clippers and Raptors completing a Kawhi Leonard trade continued to percolate throughout the day on Monday, with ESPN’s Shams Charania stating on SportsCenter (Twitter video link) that the two teams seem motivated to make a deal. Charania suggested during that TV appearance that Leonard’s time with the Clippers may be nearing its end, while NBA insider Chris Haynes stated in a spot on NBA TV (Twitter video link) that he thinks it will be hard for L.A. to “put the toothpaste back in the tube” and bring Kawhi back for next season.
While it sounds like Leonard is interested in returning to a Raptors team willing to give him the sort of lucrative new extension that the Clippers haven’t put on the table, Haynes and Tomer Azarly of ClutchPoints both say L.A. hasn’t been enamored by Toronto’s offer so far. According to Azarly, the Raptors are willing to put Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, and a first-round pick on the table, but the Clippers view that proposal as “one-sided,” sources tell ClutchPoints.
Still, the Raptors want to keep their most promising young talent, which means All-Rookie forward Collin Murray-Boyles is off limits, according to Michael Grange of Sportsnet. Grange notes (via Twitter) that Toronto also wants to hang onto young wing Ja’Kobe Walter.
According to Azarly, if the Clippers do move Leonard, team owner Steve Ballmer would want to remain competitive and ideally would like to replace the two-time Finals MVP with another star. Celtics wing Jaylen Brown is at the top of that list, league sources tell ClutchPoints, but it’s unclear whether there’s a path for L.A. to acquire Brown while sending out Leonard.
For his part, Brown – whose name continues to come up frequently in trade rumors – has “grown frustrated” with the organization’s approach this offseason after he led the Celtics to a 56-win season without Jayson Tatum available for much of the year, reports Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe (subscription required). Still, one league source who spoke to Himmelsbach said Brown could end up remaining in Boston, even if it requires some “uncomfortable conversations.”
Those conversations may be necessary if the Celtics can’t find an offer they like for Brown. And that’s a very real possibility, ESPN’s Charania, Brian Windhorst, and Bobby Marks said on Monday’s episode of NBA Today (YouTube link).
As RealGM relays, Marks described Brown’s market as “lukewarm” and speculated that he’ll remain a Celtic, while Windhorst agreed that Brad Stevens and his front office “might not be able to get what they want for Jaylen.” Charania, who has reported that the Celtics have sought four first-round picks for Brown from some potential trade partners, added that he hasn’t been able to find a team willing to pay that sort of price.
We have more trade rumors from around the NBA:
- Although the Hawks guaranteed Buddy Hield‘s salary for 2026/27 on Sunday, that doesn’t mean the veteran sharpshooter will still be on the roster by opening night. Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Twitter link) hears Atlanta is discussing a number of trade scenarios that could involve Hield.
- Within his report on Kristaps Porzingis‘ new deal with Golden State, Anthony Slater of ESPN says there has been “no tangible movement” toward an Anthony Davis trade between the Warriors and Wizards.
- Multiple teams have been willing to offer two first-round picks for Pelicans wing Trey Murphy III, but New Orleans’ front office is seeking at least three and no suitors have been willing to meet that price, reports Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports. Within the same story, O’Connor says one reason the Heat are shopping Nikola Jovic is to create the cap flexibility necessary to try to re-sign Norman Powell.
- In a general look at the Nuggets‘ offseason, Sam Amick of The Athletic adds the Mavericks to the list of teams with interest in Denver forward Cameron Johnson. Johnson seems to be the Nuggets’ most likely trade candidate, according to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints, who says Denver’s front office has been engaging in trade talks with multiple teams about the 30-year-old.
Free Agent Rumors: Kessler, Powell, Blazers, Simmons, Suns, Payton
Center Walker Kessler will meet with multiple teams when free agency opens on Tuesday evening, reports Tony Jones of The Athletic (via Twitter). According to Jones, the meetings will be held at CAA headquarters in Los Angeles.
Jones reported earlier on Monday that the Jazz formally issued Kessler a qualifying offer, making the 7’2″ big man a restricted free agent. Utah now has the right of first refusal on Kessler, giving the team the ability to match any offer sheet he might receive from a rival team.
Kessler and the Jazz have engaged in contract negotiations during Utah’s exclusive negotiating period. The team reportedly put a five-year offer worth approximately $140MM on the table, but the center and his camp were said to be unhappy about the way those talks were going.
Although “several” teams are expected to express interest in Kessler, the belief around the NBA is that he’ll eventually return to the Jazz, per Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints. Siegel also hears Utah is in the market for a veteran guard to add to their young backcourt.
Here are some more rumors on ahead of tomorrow’s free agency, with several players already agreeing to return to their respective teams:
- Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reported on Sunday that the Bulls are among the possible suitors for Norman Powell, and Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal has heard the same. Powell isn’t expected to explore sign-and-trade scenarios from the Heat, a source tells Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press (Twitter link). The 33-year-old wing made his first All-Star team in 2025/26, having averaged 21.7 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.1 steals on .470/.380/.827 shooting in 58 games (29.6 minutes per game).
- In a story that was published shortly before the Trail Blazers agreed to trade for two-time All-Star point guard Ja Morant, Joe Freeman of The Oregonian reported that Portland was interested in re-signing free agents Robert Williams, Matisse Thybulle and Blake Wesley “if the deal makes sense.” There’s mutual interest in a reunion with Williams, according to Freeman. This is just my speculation, but pending additional roster moves, Wesley seems less likely to return after adding Morant to a crowded backcourt.
- Speaking to Clay Skipper of Men’s Health, former NBA star Ben Simmons says he’s considering making a comeback attempt after he was out of the league this past season, as Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.com relays. “I plan on getting as strong as I can physically, getting my ass on the court, and then the team realizing that my abilities will be needed,” Simmons said. “I don’t have a plan on where.”
- The Suns are looking for a guard with the taxpayer mid-level exception, per John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 (Twitter link). Of the six players Gambadoro listed, two — Kevin Huerter (Pistons) and Landry Shamet (Knicks) have reportedly agreed to re-sign with their respective teams. The other four guards are Luke Kennard, Collin Sexton, Jordan Clarkson and De’Anthony Melton.
- According to Siegel, Warriors guard Gary Payton II is interested in re-signing with Golden State on a minimum-salary contract.
Heat Rumors: Powell, Bulls, Hield, Hardaway, Conley
There’s a “growing consensus” around the NBA that the Heat won’t be able to re-sign Norman Powell, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.
Miami is facing a financial crunch after agreeing to trade for superstar forward Giannis Antetokounmpo and fellow big man Bobby Portis. The team will be hard-capped at the first tax apron after taking back more salary than it sends out in that deal and doesn’t have enough cap space beneath the first apron to make a competitive offer to Powell.
Powell, who turned 33 years old last month, made his first All-Star team in 2025/26. The Bulls are among the teams expected to express interest in the 11-year veteran in free agency, league sources tell Scotto.
In terms of players who might be attainable for relatively cheap, Barry Jackson and Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald pointed earlier this week to Hawks guard/forward Buddy Hield as one name to keep an eye on.
Miami has shown interest in Hield in the past, per Jackson and Chiang, and it’s possible he could be waived on Sunday — his salary $9.7MM for next season is currently only partially guaranteed for $3MM but will become fully guaranteed at the end of June 28.
Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack), meanwhile, hear the Heat have “strong interest” in signing free agent guards Tim Hardaway Jr. and Mike Conley.
While Jackson confirms (via Twitter) the Heat are keen on landing Hardaway, he’s not so sure about Conley. He acknowledges Miami’s front office has discussed the possibility of signing the veteran point guard, who will turn 39 before next season begins, but some of the club’s decision-makers would prefer younger options, according to Jackson.
Pistons Rumors: Duren, Cunningham, Sasser, Powell, Kawhi
Although Jalen Duren was reportedly underwhelmed by the Pistons‘ initial contract offers in restricted free agency, rival teams who spoke to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype believe the 22-year-old center will ultimately remain with Detroit.
Duren made the All-NBA third team and was runner-up for Most Improved Player but is coming off a disappointing playoff showing. He’s believed to be seeking around $40MM per year on his new contract, Scotto writes, while opposing teams project him to sign a deal in the neighborhood of the “mid-30s annually.”
The Pistons have long held a “strong desire” to retain Duren, and star guard Cade Cunningham hopes the team keeps him, league sources tell Scotto.
Here’s more from Scotto on the Pistons:
- While head of basketball operations Trajan Langdon publicly said the team wants to re-sign veteran forward Tobias Harris, a deal has not yet been reached ahead of the start of league-wide free agency on Tuesday. Harris, who turns 34 next month, is coming off a solid postseason run and is expected to draw interest from “several” teams if he reaches the open market, per Scotto. Jake Fischer previously reported that Detroit was “determined” to bring back Harris.
- Former first-round pick Marcus Sasser is on the trading block, according to rival executives who spoke to HoopsHype. The 25-year-old guard’s role was reduced in his third season and he’s entering the final year of his rookie scale contract, which will pay him $5.2MM in 2026/27. Sasser will be on track for restricted free agency next summer if he doesn’t receive a rookie scale extension this offseason.
- After agreeing to trade for Thunder sharpshooter Isaiah Joe, the Pistons seem less inclined to pursue Norman Powell in free agency, Scotto confirms. The Pistons have also been connected to Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard, Scotto notes, but a trade for the veteran star seems unlikely because there have been “rumblings” around the league that the two-time Finals MVP wouldn’t be interested in signing a contract extension with Detroit, as Jake Fischer previously reported.