Western Notes: THJ, Horford, Kuminga, R. Williams
Although three or four teams reached out to convey their interest in him early in free agency, Tim Hardaway Jr. was drawn to the Nuggets in part because J.J. Barea and Jared Dudley were joining David Adelman‘s coaching staff, as he tells Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. Hardaway played alongside Barea with the Mavericks from 2019-20, while Dudley was a Mavs assistant coach during three of Hardaway’s years in Dallas.
“It gives you more confidence (having Dudley and Barea on staff), just because they understand your style of play,” Hardaway said. “They reiterate that to the rest of the coaching staff. I mean, Jared Dudley was my assistant coach in Dallas for years, so he knows what I can do on and off the floor for the team.”
Hardaway made 77 starts in Detroit last season and hasn’t averaged fewer than 26.8 minutes per game in a season since 2015/16. He also hasn’t earned less than $16MM in a season since ’16/17. This year in Denver, he’s on a minimum-salary contract and will likely be part of the Nuggets’ second unit. However, he’s embracing the opportunity to play for a championship contender and wants to set an example for his younger teammates who may end up playing lesser roles.
“I’ve realized throughout my career, sulking and being upset about something, it’s just being an energy-drainer at that point,” Hardaway told Durando. “So just coming in there, letting those guys understand if they’re having rough days, bad days, (my job is) lifting them up, if I have to take them to dinner, (or) if I have to get the team all out together.”
Here’s more from around the Western Conference:
- Al Horford‘s two-year contract with the Warriors, which is worth the full taxpayer mid-level exception and includes a second-year player option, also features a 15% trade kicker, per Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). Horford will become trade-eligible on January 1, three months after he officially signed with Golden State.
- Within a look at Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga as an in-season trade candidate, Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron (subscription required) observes that even though Golden State is right up against a hard cap and will have to account for Kuminga’s trade kicker, the lack of base year compensation restrictions will make it easier to move him during the season than it would have been in a sign-and-trade. For instance, the Warriors wouldn’t have been able to take back Malik Monk in a sign-and-trade with Sacramento without sending out another player, but a straight-up deal involving those two players (plus draft assets) would be cap-legal now.
- Trail Blazers big man Robert Williams still hasn’t been cleared for contact, head coach Chauncey Billups said on Monday, but he has been taking part in non-contact work and the team is “very happy” with the progress he has made (Twitter link via Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report). Health issues have limited Williams to 26 total outings since he was traded to Portland two years ago.
Knicks, Bucks Discussed Giannis Antetokounmpo During Offseason
At a meeting in Athens in July with one of his agents, Giorgos Panou, and Bucks general manager Jon Horst, star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo expressed some concern about whether Milwaukee will be capable of competing for a title and wanted to explore the idea of a possible “alternative path forward,” league sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN.
According to Charania, Bucks sources were worried that meeting would result in a formal trade request from the two-time MVP, who had “serious questions” about the Bucks’ championship potential. While Antetokounmpo has repeatedly stressed both publicly and privately that he wants to be in position to vie for another ring, this offseason was the first time he “truly initiated the pursuit of his best external options,” writes Charania.
Although Antetokounmpo and his representatives internally discussed several teams as possible fits for him in the event that he were to leave Milwaukee, only a single club emerged as one he’d be interested in playing for, per Charania: the Knicks.
Based on Giannis’ questions about Milwaukee’s roster and his interest in New York, the Bucks and Knicks engaged in discussions in August, sources tell ESPN, but the two teams never gained any traction toward a trade involving the 30-year-old.
As Charania details, the Bucks made it clear during those conversations that they preferred to hang onto Antetokounmpo, and sources in Milwaukee indicated to ESPN that the Knicks didn’t make a strong enough push for the forward to warrant continuing the talks. The Knicks, meanwhile, didn’t feel as if the Bucks were ever serious about legitimately considering a trade, sources tell ESPN, though Charania says it’s unclear how Milwaukee would’ve responded if New York was more aggressive in its pursuit.
Of course, the Knicks aren’t especially well positioned to make a strong offer for Antetokounmpo. They only currently have one tradable first-round pick, and it’s a heavily protected Wizards selection that will likely turn into a pair of second-rounders. That means any Knicks offer for Antetokounmpo would have to be heavy on player value, and New York’s veteran stars may have limited appeal to a Bucks team that would presumably be looking to rebuild – or at least retool – if they traded their best player.
After those conversations with the Knicks didn’t go anywhere, the Bucks signed Giannis’ brother Thanasis Antetokounmpo and committed to opening the season with the nine-time All-Star on their roster. However, there’s an expectation that Giannis will keep his options open depending on how the Bucks play in the first half of this season, according to Charania, who says 2025/26 is viewed as a “make-or-break” year in Milwaukee.
Antetokounmpo, who is under contract through at least 2026/27 (with a player option for ’27/28), could have quieted the trade speculation by unequivocally reaffirming his commitment to the Bucks at media day last week. Instead, he confirmed that offseason reports about him weighing his options were accurate and reiterated that he wants to win another championship. He also told reporters that he couldn’t recall a June conversation described an hour earlier by Bucks governor Wes Edens in which he said he was “very committed” to Milwaukee.
Still, as Charania writes, some rival executives believe that Antetokounmpo would have needed to create more of a public “spectacle” this summer if he truly wanted to be traded, which would run counter to his personality. He ultimately didn’t apply any pressure publicly to the Bucks during the offseason, Charania notes.
Jazz Sign Abmas, McGriff; Waive Crowl, Murrell
The Jazz announced multiple roster additions and subtractions on Monday.
According to a press release, the team has waived seven-foot big man Steven Crowl and guard Matthew Murrell. The Jazz announced in a subsequent press release that they’ve inked a pair of new free agents, guard Max Abmas and forward Cameron McGriff, to contracts.
Crowl and Murrell had been signed to Exhibit 10 training camp contracts; the agreements for Abmas and McGriff are almost certainly non-guaranteed Exhibit 10 deals as well.
Abmas wrapped up a five-year NCAA career with a one-season stint at Texas in 2023/24. The six-footer spent the 2024/25 campaign playing for Utah’s NBAGL affiliate, the Salt Lake City Stars. Across 34 regular season outings, Abmas averaged 13.6 points, 4.2 assists, 3.3 rebounds and 0.9 steals per night.
McGriff, an undrafted 6’7″ swingman out of Oklahoma State, appeared in three contests for Portland in 2021/22. He has been kicking around the G League ever since, with stints on the Greensboro Swarm, Memphis Hustle, and – most recently – the Noblesville Boom to his credit. In 45 contests for Noblesville last year, McGriff averaged 12.5 points, 6.2 boards and 1.8 dimes per game.
Given that the Jazz’s G League affiliate already controlled Abmas’ returning rights and acquired McGriff’s from Noblesville in an offseason trade, it seems relatively safe to assume both players are ticketed for the Salt Lake City Stars. If they remain with the Stars for at least 60 days, they’ll each earn a bonus worth up to $85,300.
Central Notes: Giannis, Pistons, Rotation
After missing the first week of Bucks training camp with COVID-19, now-recovered nine-time All-NBA forward Giannis Antetokounmpo has reported to the team, writes Eric Nehm of The Athletic. For now, the 6’11” superstar has yet to take contact in workouts.
“Obviously, I think it took a toll on my body,” Antetokounmpo said of his recent illness. “I’m not feeling 100 percent yet, physically. Just take it day by day. Get back in shape. I was able to do some 5-on-0. Run up and down a little bit. Tomorrow, a little better. I got 18 days until the first game, so I think I’ll be fine.”
There’s more out of the Central Division:
- The Pistons’ preseason tipped off on Monday night with a matchup against Memphis. In a preseason primer ahead of that game, Hunter Patterson of The Athletic projects a revamped Detroit’s depth chart, with new wings Caris LeVert and Duncan Robinson joining the second unit while Jaden Ivey returns from a leg injury and looks to reclaim his spot in the starting backcourt alongside Cade Cunningham.
- Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff is being forced to make some difficult choices about his rotation this year in training camp, writes Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press. “The way camp has gone, there’s not one guy out here that I can tell you doesn’t deserve to play,” Bickerstaff said. “Camp has been so, so competitive and guys have played at such a high level, I’m pleased with the depth that we have but we have some tough decisions to make because of it.” Bickerstaff is taking stock of veteran reserves Javonte Green and Paul Reed, second-year forward Bobi Klintman, and rookie guard Chaz Lanier as he figures out the end of his bench.
- In case you missed it, Cavaliers reserve guard Lonzo Ball will be playing on a minutes limit and won’t suit up in back-to-backs when the regular season begins.
Magic Sign Jalen Crutcher, Waive Johnell Davis
Free agent guard Jalen Crutcher has signed with the Magic, who have waived Johnell Davis in a corresponding move, according to the team (Twitter link).
Crutcher’s deal is an Exhibit 10 training camp contract, a source informs Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (Twitter link). As a result of the two transactions, the team still has a full 21-man preseason roster.
A three-time All-Atlantic 10 selection during his NCAA stint with Dayton, Crutcher went undrafted in 2021. Hebegan his pro career with Charlotte’s G League affiliate, the Greensboro Swarm, in 2021/22. His NBAGL rights were shipped to New Orleans’ NBAGL club, the Birmingham Squadron, ahead of the 2023/24 season.
Crutcher signed a 10-day deal with the Pelicans in February of 2024, but was not retained after the agreement expired. He returned to the Squadron, and remained in Birmingham to tip off 2024/25. New Orleans did ink him to a two-way contract, but ultimately cut him in March.
To date, Crutcher has appeared in a single NBA game, seeing the court for just under three minutes with New Orleans in 2024.
Should Crutcher be cut and spend at least 60 days with the Osceola Magic, Orlando’s G League affiliate, he’ll become eligible for a bonus worth up to $85,300. That figures to be the next step for Davis as well.
Pelicans Cut Garrison Brooks, Jalen McDaniels
The Pelicans have cut Exhibit 10 training camp signings Garrison Brooks and Jalen McDaniels, the team announced today (Twitter link).
Both forwards are now likely to link up with the Pelicans’ G League club, the Birmingham Squadron. If Brooks and McDaniels remain with Birmingham for at least 60 days, each player will be eligible for a bonus worth up to $85,300 on top of his standard NBAGL salary.
The 26-year-old Brooks went undrafted out of Mississippi State in 2022. He suited up for the Westchester Knicks of the G League during his first pro season, but otherwise has been playing abroad in Korea and Lithuania.
McDaniels, 27, logged three-and-a-half pro seasons with the Hornets. The older brother of All-Defensive Timberwolves wing Jaden McDaniels was the No. 52 pick in the 2019 draft and has since been rostered with Philadelphia, Toronto, Sacramento, San Antonio and Washington, though following his Charlotte exit, he only saw NBA minutes with the Sixers, Raptors and Wizards.
Across 252 career NBA regular season games games, the San Diego State alum boasts averages of 6.7 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.2 assists per contest, with a shooting line of .449/.322/.777.
Lonzo Ball To Open Season On Minutes Limit, Won’t Play Back-To-Backs
The Cavaliers will take a cautious approach to Lonzo Ball‘s workload this fall, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (subscriber link), who writes that the veteran point guard will be limited to roughly 20 minutes per night and will sit out one game in back-to-back sets.
The plan, designed to ease Ball into the season after he returned in 2024/25 from a two-and-a-half year absence, was put together by the team’s decision-makers in collaboration with the guard and the medical staff, per Fedor.
“Back-to-backs are off the table for right now,” Ball acknowledged on Monday. “Doesn’t mean it’s off the table for the whole year, but definitely the start.”
Ball’s 2021/22 season was cut short after just 35 games due to a knee injury, which ultimately required three surgeries and kept him off the court for nearly three calendar years. He returned last season, but played a fairly limited role in Chicago, averaging 22.2 minutes per game across 35 total outings (14 starts) and not suiting up for both ends of any back-to-backs. Still, while Ball did have a pair of extended injury absences, those were a result of wrist problems rather than knee issues.
As Fedor writes, Ball has impressed the Cavs this fall after being acquired over the summer in a trade for forward Isaac Okoro. Teammates and coaches have lauded his play-making, defense, versatility, and high basketball IQ, Fedor adds.
“He hasn’t disappointed,” head coach Kenny Atkinson said last week. “Everything that we thought we were getting, we’re getting. He’s just got a great, great feel. I’m excited to coach any NBA player, but this is a guy I’ve watched for a long time. He’s kind of the ultimate system fit.”
Ball is expected to play a key role on the Cavaliers’ second unit, which will be without Sixth Man of the Year finalist Ty Jerome, who signed with Memphis as a free agent.
Thunder’s Nikola Topic To Miss At Least 4-6 Weeks
After missing his entire rookie season due to an ACL tear, Thunder guard Nikola Topic won’t be available when his second NBA season tips off either.
The team has announced that Topic underwent a testicular procedure on Monday and will be reevaluated in four-to-six weeks. That means his regular season NBA debut won’t happen until sometime in November, at the earliest.
The 12th overall pick in the 2024 draft, Topic essentially had a redshirt year during the Thunder’s championship season and had been gearing up to compete for rotation minutes this season. He played 31 minutes in Oklahoma City’s preseason opener on Sunday against Charlotte, registering 10 points, seven assists, and four rebounds while making 4-of-9 shots from the floor.
The Thunder have plenty of backcourt depth, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Alex Caruso, Cason Wallace, Isaiah Joe, Aaron Wiggins, and Ajay Mitchell among the guards available to head coach Mark Daigneault, so Topic’s injury shouldn’t have a major impact on the rotation to open the season.
Still, it’s an unfortunate setback for a player who has been on an NBA roster for the last 15 months and has yet to see any regular season game action.
The Thunder will also be without Thomas Sorber (ACL tear) and Kenrich Williams (knee surgery) when their season gets underway later this month.
And-Ones: All-Star Game, Australia, A. Antetokounmpo, More
Regardless of the findings of the NBA’s investigation into the Clippers and Kawhi Leonard for potential salary cap circumvention, the 2026 All-Star Game won’t be relocated away from Intuit Dome, commissioner Adam Silver confirmed on Monday.
There had been some speculation that taking this season’s All-Star Game away from the Clippers could be one form of punishment for the franchise if the league determines it circumvented the cap by paying Leonard extra money via a no-show endorsement deal. However, there’s no guarantee the investigation will wrap up by mid-February, and even if it does, the All-Star Game won’t be affected, as Brian Mahoney of The Associated Press relays.
“There’s no contemplation of moving the All-Star Game,” Silver said. “Planning for the All-Star Game and the surrounding activities are operating completely independently of the ongoing investigation.”
We have more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Olgun Uluc of ESPN shares his takeaways from the Pelicans‘ two exhibition games in Melbourne over the weekend, noting that projected 2026 first-rounder Dash Daniels (Dyson Daniels‘ younger brother) held his own against NBA competition and that NBL owner Larry Kestelman expects the NBA to return to Australia based on the success of this trip.
- Alex Antetokounmpo, younger brother of Giannis Antetokounmpo, is expected to part ways with the Greek team Aris Thessaloniki and sign a G League contract, according to Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops. The 24-year-old forward has never appeared in an NBA regular season game, but previously signed Exhibit 10 contracts with the Raptors (2021) and the Bucks (2022 and 2023) prior to playing for those teams’ NBAGL affiliates.
- The Athletic’s NBA beat writers pose one burning question facing each of the NBA’s 30 teams, including who will step up in the Celtics‘ frontcourt, whether or not the Magic have enough three-point shooting, and whether the Grizzlies can count on Ja Morant.
- In a pair of stories for ESPN, Tim Bontemps identifies 10 names that could define the 2025/26 NBA season, while Bobby Marks previews trade season for 14 teams well positioned to be active in the coming months.
NBA 2025 Offseason Check-In: Philadelphia 76ers
Hoops Rumors is checking in on the 2025 offseason for all 30 NBA teams, recapping the summer’s free agent signings, trades, draft picks, departures, and more. We’ll take a look at each team’s offseason moves and consider what might still be coming before the regular season begins. Today, we’re focusing on the Philadelphia 76ers.
Free agent signings
Quentin Grimes: One year, $8,741,209. Re-signed using Bird rights. Accepted qualifying offer.- Justin Edwards: Three years, $7,076,338. Third-year team option. Re-signed using Non-Bird rights.
- Trendon Watford: Two years, minimum salary. Second-year team option. Signed using minimum salary exception.
- Eric Gordon: One year, minimum salary. Re-signed using minimum salary exception. Waived right to veto trade.
- Kyle Lowry: One year, minimum salary. Re-signed using minimum salary exception.
- Emoni Bates: One year, minimum salary. Non-guaranteed (Exhibit 10). Signed using minimum salary exception.
- Kennedy Chandler: One year, minimum salary. Non-guaranteed (Exhibit 10). Signed using minimum salary exception.
- Malcolm Hill: One year, minimum salary. Non-guaranteed (Exhibit 10). Signed using minimum salary exception.
- Igor Milicic: One year, minimum salary. Non-guaranteed (Exhibit 10). Signed using minimum salary exception.
- Saint Thomas: One year, minimum salary. Non-guaranteed (Exhibit 10). Signed using minimum salary exception.
- Marcus Bagley: One year, minimum salary. Non-guaranteed (Exhibit 10). Signed using minimum salary exception.
- Note: Bagley has since been waived.
- Jaylen Martin: One year, minimum salary. Non-guaranteed (Exhibit 10). Signed using minimum salary exception.
- Note: Martin has since been waived.
Trades
- None
Draft picks
- 1-3: VJ Edgecombe
- Signed to rookie scale contract (four years, $50,438,478).
- 2-35: Johni Broome
- Signed to four-year, $8,685,386 contract. First two years guaranteed. Third year non-guaranteed. Fourth-year team option.
Two-way signings
- Dominick Barlow
- One year, $85,300 partial guarantee (will increase to $318,218 at start of regular season).
- Hunter Sallis
- One year, $85,300 partial guarantee (will increase to $318,218 at start of regular season).
- Jabari Walker
- One year, $85,300 partial guarantee (will increase to $318,218 at start of regular season).
Departed/unsigned free agents
- Jared Butler (Suns)
- Jeff Dowtin Jr. (Maccabi Tel Aviv)
- Jalen Hood-Schifino (unsigned)
- Lonnie Walker IV (Maccabi Tel Aviv)
- Guerschon Yabusele (Knicks)
Other roster moves
- Waived Ricky Council IV (non-guaranteed contract).
- Waived Alex Reese (two-way contract).
Salary cap situation
- Operating over the cap ($154.6MM) and above the luxury tax line ($187.9MM).
- Carrying approximately $194.6MM in salary.
- No hard cap.
- Full non-taxpayer mid-level exception ($14,104,000) available.
- Full bi-annual exception ($5,134,000) available.
- Three traded player exceptions available (largest worth $7,975,000).
The offseason so far
Coming off a massively disappointing year in which the Sixers entered the season as one of the NBA’s title favorites and finished with a 24-58 record, there was some speculation entering the 2025 offseason that the team might look to shake up its roster. President of basketball operations Daryl Morey has never been shy about taking big swings on the trade market, and stars Joel Embiid and Paul George – who combined to make 60 appearances in 2024/25 – suddenly looked like major liabilities on their long-term maximum-salary contracts.
But the reasons the Sixers might have sought to move Embiid and/or George – age, health, and cap concerns – were the same reasons why there was no chance they’d be able to get fair value on the trade market for either player. Even if the club wanted to hit the reset button, it would mean giving up those two stars for pennies on the dollar, perhaps even having to attach assets to get a return of any real value for them.
So instead of a summer of change in Philadelphia, it was one of relative continuity. Neither Morey nor head coach Nick Nurse lost his job after last season’s 24-win showing. Embiid and George didn’t go anywhere. Potential free agents like Kelly Oubre Jr., Eric Gordon, Kyle Lowry, Andre Drummond, and Justin Edwards all either signed new contracts with the 76ers or picked up player options to return to the team.
Even Quentin Grimes‘ restricted free agency – which lasted a full three months and went all the way down to the wire on October 1, the deadline for him to accept his $8.74MM qualifying offer – ended in anticlimactic fashion, as Grimes ultimately did sign that QO. The Sixers reportedly weren’t very aggressive in their efforts to work out a longer-term agreement with the 25-year-old — their best offer to Grimes was said to be for about $39MM over four years, which was never going to get it done after he finished the season by averaging 21.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game in 28 outings for Philadelphia.
I was a little surprised that the Sixers didn’t try harder to avoid a scenario in which Grimes signed his qualifying offer, which gives him a no-trade clause for the season and lines him up for unrestricted free agency in 2026. But it seems like there were a couple primary reasons why the front office didn’t make it a priority to sign him to a multiyear contract.
For one, after they lucked out in the draft lottery by moving up to No. 3 and hanging onto their top-six protected first-round pick, the 76ers selected standout Baylor guard VJ Edgecombe, adding him to a backcourt that already features Tyrese Maxey and Jared McCain. Theoretically, Grimes can share the court with multiple guards, but at 6’4″, he’s a better fit at the two himself. Philadelphia’s front office may have felt that investing heavily in another guard didn’t make sense when Maxey, McCain, and Edgecombe project to be the club’s top options in the backcourt for years to come.
Getting Grimes back on the qualifying offer is also the most favorable outcome for Philadelphia’s 2025/26 cap, since any multiyear deal or one-year balloon offer would have started higher – and perhaps much higher – than $8.74MM. With that modest figure on their books, the Sixers are operating less than $7MM above the luxury tax line, giving them a potential path to duck below that threshold before the end of the season. Sending out Oubre at the trade deadline and replacing him with a free agent on a prorated minimum-salary contract would do the trick, for example.
You can certainly argue that maintaining the flexibility to get out of the tax shouldn’t be a top priority for a 76ers team that still ostensibly believes it can be a contender. But after the way last season played out, it’s understandable that ownership would want to see how the first two or three months of the season go before deciding whether it’s worth paying luxury tax penalties for this roster.
The Edgecombe pick and Grimes accepting his qualifying offer were the most significant developments of the Sixers’ offseason, but it’s worth highlighting the three-year deal they did with Edwards and the two-year contract they worked out with Trendon Watford, both of which are worth the minimum and feature a team option on the final season.
Edwards was effective in a limited role as a rookie last season, while Watford has been a somewhat underrated role player in Portland and Brooklyn in recent years. It wouldn’t be a shock if one or both of them earn regular minutes in the forward rotation for Philadelphia, and given the modest cost of their respective contracts, they won’t have to do a whole lot to justify the team’s investment.
Finally, while most of the Sixers’ departing free agents weren’t rotation players, the one notable exception was Guerschon Yabusele, one of last season’s most pleasant surprises in his first NBA season since 2018/19. Philadelphia reportedly only offered Yabusele a Non-Bird deal that would have started at 120% of his minimum salary.
Increasing that offer would have required using the taxpayer mid-level exception, which would’ve hard-capped the 76ers at the second tax apron and put them at risk of losing Grimes to an offer sheet. Even then, there’s no guarantee Yabusele would’ve taken Philadelphia’s offer over a similar one from the Knicks that was worth nearly the full taxpayer MLE. Losing Yabusele was unfortunate, but unless the club was OK with losing Grimes instead or had been able to shed salary elsewhere on the roster, it was an outcome that was hard to avoid.
Up next
The Sixers are carrying just 14 players on standard contracts, but as we established above, they’re wary of going too much deeper into tax territory, so they’ll likely leave that 15th spot open to start the regular season.
In two-way players Jabari Walker and Dominick Barlow, Philadelphia is carrying a pair of three-year veterans with 288 combined regular season appearances between them, which will help make up for the lack of a 15th man — either of those guys could play 10 or 15 minutes off the bench if needed. Undrafted rookie Hunter Sallis, the third Sixer on a two-way contract, is less likely to see action at the NBA level immediately.
Gordon and Drummond have been rumored as trade candidates throughout the offseason, but if a deal involving one of them goes down, it’s probably more likely to happen closer to the trade deadline. The emergence of second-year big man Adem Bona will be an interesting development to keep an eye on. If he emerges as a reliable backup center and Embiid can stay relatively healthy (a big if), Drummond would become more expendable.
Assuming the Sixers don’t make any preseason trades or unexpected roster changes, it should be a relatively quiet couple weeks in Philadelphia, since the team doesn’t have any extension-eligible players on its roster.