Lakers Reportedly Looking For Wing Upgrade
The Lakers are open to upgrading on the wing if they can find a player who contributes on both ends of the court and is capable of helping the team raise its ceiling, Marc Stein reports for The Stein Line (Substack link).
Stein cautions that Los Angeles isn’t looking to trade just for the sake of revamping the roster, but the Lakers are hoping the right opportunity presents itself in the coming months.
According to Stein, the Lakers were believed to be reluctant to take on anything more than expiring contracts earlier in the offseason, but that stance has “thawed somewhat.” Several weeks ago, multiple reports stated that L.A. was prioritizing preserving cap room for the summer of 2027.
Stein points to Andrew Wiggins as the type of player the Lakers are likely to be interested in, though it’s unclear if the Heat would move him, having recently sent signals that the team expects the former No. 1 overall pick to open the season in Miami. But if the Heat eventually decide to trim their payroll, Wiggins is a name to watch.
Wiggins will earn about $28.2MM in 2025/26, with a $30.2MM player option for 2026/27.
Stein hears the possibility of Wiggins being pursued by the Lakers gained steam after Luka Doncic signed a three-year extension in early August.
Reporting earlier this summer indicated that the Lakers had checked in with the Heat about Wiggins, but found Miami’s asking price to be “pretty high.” Dan Woike of The Athletic reported in mid-July that he was “pretty confident” the Lakers weren’t interested in Wiggins, though that was a few weeks before Doncic’s extension.
Mavericks Announce 2025/26 Coaching Staff
The Mavericks have officially confirmed head coach Jason Kidd‘s staff for the 2025/26 season, making the announcement in a press release (via Twitter).
Here are the new hires, all of whom are assistant coaches:
- Former Pacers, Magic, Lakers and Suns head coach Frank Vogel will be Kidd’s top assistant, with an official title of associate head coach (our story). Vogel, who won a title as the Lakers’ top coach in 2020, was a coaching consultant for Dallas last season.
- Jay Triano, a veteran assistant who spent the past three years with Sacramento and had prior head coaching jobs with Toronto and Phoenix. He will reportedly be the No. 2 assistant under Kidd.
- Ex-NBA forward Popeye Jones, who played with Kidd for two years in Dallas, is another new assistant. Since transitioning to coaching in 2007, Jones has spent time the Mavericks as a player development coach (2007-10) and with the Nets (2010-13), Pacers (2013-20), Sixers (2020-21), and Nuggets (2021-25) as an assistant. The 55-year-old will reportedly be the No. 3 assistant and focus on defense.
- Phil Handy, a former Cavaliers, Raptors and Lakers assistant. Handy’s teams have won three championships during his coaching career (one apiece with Cleveland, Toronto and Los Angeles).
- Mike Penberthy, a former professional player who has had NBA coaching jobs with the Wolves, Pelicans, Lakers and — most recently — the Nuggets. Penberthy is known as a shooting specialist and has drawn praise from star big man Anthony Davis.
- Dru Anthrop, who most recently was an assistant on Vogel’s staff in Phoenix during the 2023/24 campaign. Anthrop was previously a video coordinator with the Magic, Grizzlies and Lakers (he also had a player development role in L.A.).
- Jordan Sears is rejoining the Mavericks after spending the past two years as head coach of their G League affiliate, the Dallas Legends. He was the Mavs’ head video coordinator from 2021-23 and was a video intern and assistant video coordinator with Milwaukee from 2019-21.
Eric Hughes, Josh Broghamer and Keith Veney will return as assistant coaches, per the announcement.
Sixers’ Andre Drummond, Kelly Oubre On Trade Block?
During his latest Bleacher Report live stream (YouTube link), NBA insider Jake Fischer said there have been persistent rumblings that the Sixers may be considering a salary-dump deal to give them more financial flexibility to re-sign restricted free agent Quentin Grimes.
“There has been buzz all summer long about the Sixers looking to potentially move one of, if not both, Andre Drummond and/or Kelly Oubre,” Fischer said. “If they are able to find a deal for one of those two guys as we get closer to camp, that would open up some more wiggle room for Philadelphia to be able to pay Grimes a little bit more (money).”
Both Drummond ($5MM) and Oubre ($8.4MM) exercised their player options for 2025/26 and will be unrestricted free agents next offseason.
This isn’t the first time Drummond has been mentioned in trade rumors this summer — Tony Jones of The Athletic reported on June 30 that Philadelphia was trying to move the two-time All-Star center. But we haven’t heard anything else on that front until now.
Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron (Substack link) noted a few days ago that the Sixers could potentially dip below the luxury tax line while re-signing Grimes if they traded both Drummond and Oubre. Gozlan pointed to the Nets — the lone NBA team with cap room remaining — as a potential match.
A source confirmed to Net Income of NetsDaily.com that acquiring Drummond (along with other assets) would be the type of move Brooklyn is looking for.
Oubre is also no stranger to trade rumors and makes logical sense as a player on an expiring contract who could be moved. But we haven’t seen any reports linking him to a specific team.
When our Luke Adams discussed yesterday in a Front Office article what a contract compromise might look like between Grimes and the Sixers, he floated the possibility of a four-year, $65MM deal with a partial guarantee in year four.
For what it’s worth, Grimes recently took to Instagram to post a picture of himself in a Sixers uniform, as Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports relays (via Twitter).
Heat In Contact With Precious Achiuwa
12:04pm: According to Jackson’s source, the Heat have not made a contract offer to Achiuwa due to their proximity to the luxury tax but expressed a possible interest in doing so in the future.
Jackson hears that Achiuwa “would welcome” a return to Miami, noting that the Nigerian big man still has a home in the area. The Heat will remain in contact with Achiuwa, who has received interest from “several other teams,” Jackson adds.
10:49am: The Heat have been engaged in ongoing discussions with free agent forward/center Precious Achiuwa, reports Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel (subscription required). According to Winderman, Achiuwa is one of multiple big men the team has been in touch with as it considers ways to upgrade its frontcourt rotation.
As Winderman details, Bam Adebayo has expressed a desire not to play significant minutes at the five, but Miami doesn’t have many other established options in the middle, with second-year center Kel’el Ware and rookie two-way big man Vladislav Goldin among the only alternatives. Nikola Jovic and Keshad Johnson are other frontcourt candidates for the Heat, but both are somewhat undersized for the center spot.
Reports last month indicated that the Heat were considering free agent big men, including Kai Jones and Trey Lyles. Former Heat center Thomas Bryant also remains unsigned, Winderman notes, though the club’s level of interest in him is unclear.
While Miami currently has an open spot on its projected 15-man regular season roster, adding a 15th man on a minimum-salary contract would push the team’s salary over the luxury tax line. As a result, the front office has considered the idea of waiving Terry Rozier, Winderman writes.
Buyout talks with Rozier haven’t gained any traction, Winderman clarifies, but the guard’s $26.64MM salary isn’t quite fully guaranteed — Rozier’s partial guarantee is worth $24.92MM, so waiving him would generate about $1.72MM in extra cap flexibility, which would give the Heat enough room below the tax line to replace him with a new 14th man.
According to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald (Twitter links), the idea of cutting Rozier has been discussed “a lot” internally, but there are other pathways the Heat could take. Waiting until December, when a prorated veteran’s minimum contract would fit under the tax line, is one possibility.
Miami could also temporarily exceed the tax line by signing a 15th man now, then duck back below the tax by waiving Rozier on or before January 7, since his partial guarantee won’t increase at all by then. However, as Winderman points out, if Rozier were to suffer a season-ending injury, the Heat would be required to pay his full salary, which would mean they’d need to find another way to get out of tax territory.
Achiuwa, who will turn 26 later this month, began his career with the Heat as the No. 20 overall pick in 2020. He was sent to the Raptors as part of the Kyle Lowry sign-and-trade during the 2021 offseason and has spent the past season-and-a-half with the Knicks after being traded from Toronto to New York along with OG Anunoby in December 2023.
Achiuwa is a bit undersized for a center and isn’t a threat as an outside shooter, but he’s an athletic, high-energy player who rebounds well and is a versatile, switchable defender. In 57 games in 2024/25, he averaged 6.6 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 1.0 assists in 20.5 minutes per contest, with a .502/.278/.594 shooting line.
Nets Officially Re-Sign Ziaire Williams
10:30 am: As we speculated below, the Nets did in fact increase Williams’ two-year deal to $12.5MM, confirms Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). The contract still features a second-year team option.
9:54 am: Over two months after their agreement was first reported, the Nets have officially finalized their deal with free agent swingman Ziaire Williams, the team confirmed today (Twitter link via Erik Slater of Clutch Points).
While the Nets didn’t provide any details on the contract besides referring to it as a “multiyear” arrangement, reporting on June 30 indicated that Williams would be signing a two-year, $12MM deal, with a second-year team option.
For what it’s worth, Nets big man Day’Ron Sharpe reportedly agreed to the same terms, and when he officially re-signed last week, the total value of his contract was bumped slightly from $12MM to $12.5MM. It’s possible Brooklyn will do the same for Williams.
A former No. 10 overall pick who was acquired from Memphis in a trade during the 2024 offseason, Williams averaged 10.0 points and 4.6 rebounds in 24.5 minutes per game across 63 outings (45 starts) for Brooklyn in 2024/25.
While his 34.1% three-point percentage wasn’t great for a wing, it was a noticeable step up from the 30.1% mark he posted in his first three NBA seasons, and he showed off impressive defensive versatility, even handling center duties in a pinch. The former Stanford standout came at No. 43 on our list of this summer’s top 50 free agents.
Assuming Williams’ first-year salary comes in around $6MM, Brooklyn will still have just over $16MM in cap space available after officially re-signing Williams, Sharpe, and Cam Thomas. The team, which will also have the $8.8MM room exception at its disposal once it uses up its room, could increase its cap space by waiving one or more players who have non-guaranteed salaries.
It’s also worth noting that a player who re-signs with his previous team on a one-year contract or a two-year deal that includes a second-year team option typically has the right to veto a trade during the following season. However, a player can agree to give up that right as part of the contract negotiation. I expect the Nets asked Williams to waive his trade veto rights, but we don’t have confirmation on that yet.
Players Currently Affected By Trade Restrictions
The NBA has no shortage of rules affecting which players can and can’t be traded at any given time, which complicates our understanding of which players are actually moveable. That’s especially true leading up to the regular season, when players who recently signed free agent contracts, extensions, and rookie contracts all face different sets of trade restrictions.
In an effort to clear things up, we’re looking today at which players around the NBA are currently affected by trade restrictions of one kind or another. Let’s dive in…
Recently signed free agents
In most cases, a free agent who signed a contract in the offseason is ineligible to be traded until December 15.
Currently, our list of players who will become trade-eligible on December 15 features 80 names, including several of the guys who signed the biggest free agent contracts of the summer, such as Kyrie Irving, Myles Turner, and Julius Randle.
But the list is technically even longer than that, since we haven’t included players who signed non-guaranteed Exhibit 9 and/or Exhibit 10 contracts. Most of those players will be waived by opening night, but if they earn spots on regular season rosters, the December 15 trade restriction would apply to them as well.
A free agent who signs after September 15 won’t become trade-eligible until three months after his signing date.
Any player who has his two-way contract converted to a standard deal during the offseason also doesn’t become trade-eligible until December 15 or until three months after the move, whichever comes later. However, no players were promoted from two-way contracts to standard deals this summer. All the players who finished last season on two-ways either became free agents on July 1, were waived, or are still on their previous contracts.
A select group of players who signed free agent contracts this offseason won’t become trade-eligible until January 15. These eight players all meet a specific set of criteria. Not only did they re-sign with their previous team this offseason, but they got a raise of at least 20%, their salary is worth more than the minimum, and their team was over the cap, using Bird or Early Bird rights to sign them.
That group includes Naz Reid, Santi Aldama, and Sam Merrill, among others, and may end up featuring a few more current free agents, such as Josh Giddey, Quentin Grimes, and Jonathan Kuminga.
The above rules apply to players who sign standard contracts, not two-way deals. A player who signs a two-way contract is ineligible to be traded for 30 days. There are currently five players to whom this restriction applies, including Olivier-Maxence Prosper, who signed with the Grizzlies on September 4 and won’t become trade-eligible until October 4.
Two-way players are rarely traded, but it happens every now and then, like when RJ Luis was sent from Utah to Boston in last month’s Georges Niang deal.
Recently signed draft picks
Like a player who signs a two-way contract, a draftee who signs his first NBA contract is ineligible to be traded for 30 days. Currently, this restriction only impacts two players: Celtics second-rounder Amari Williams, who signed on August 15, and Jazz second-rounder John Tonje, who signed on August 26. They’ll become trade-eligible on September 14 and September 25, respectively.
The rest of this year’s draftees can currently be traded.
That list of tradable 2025 draftees includes all the players besides Williams and Tonje who have signed, since more than 30 days have passed since their officially completed their deals.
It also includes the two players who remain unsigned – including Warriors second-rounders Alex Toohey and Will Richard – since their draft rights can be traded until they sign their contract. If Toohey and Richard officially sign NBA contracts for 2025/26, they’ll become trade-ineligible for 30 days.
Players with veto ability
Lakers forward LeBron James and Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard are the only NBA players who have genuine no-trade clauses in their contracts, but several other players have the ability to veto trades this season due to various quirks of the Collective Bargaining Agreement.
Clippers guard James Harden, Rockets guard Fred VanVleet, Nets guard Cam Thomas, and Magic big man Moritz Wagner are some of the notable players whose consent will be required to trade them during the 2025/26 season.
Under the current CBA, a player who would normally meet the no-trade criteria due to re-signing with his current team on a one-year contract (or a two-year deal with a second-year option) can opt to waive his right to veto a trade.
At least a dozen players have done so this season so far, including Bucks guard Kevin Porter Jr., Lakers center Jaxson Hayes, and Mavericks guard Dante Exum, so once they become trade-eligible (on either December 15 or January 15), they can be moved without any issue.
Players who have signed veteran extensions
A player who signs a rookie scale extension becomes more difficult to trade due to the “poison pill provision,” but he could theoretically be moved immediately.
That’s not necessarily the case for a player who signs a veteran contract extension. A player who signs a veteran extension becomes ineligible to be traded for the next six months if he meets any of the following criteria:
- His extension locks him up for more than four total years (including his current contract).
- The extension includes a first-year bump of more than 20% (or more than 20% above the NBA’s estimated average salary, if his previous salary is below that average).
- His extension includes an annual increase or decrease exceeding 5% anytime after the first year of the deal.
With the help of our extension trackers, here are the players currently affected by that rule, along with the dates they’ll become trade-eligible:
- December 14: Steven Adams (Rockets)
- December 29: Jaylin Williams (Thunder)
- January 7: Jakob Poeltl (Raptors)
- January 10: Devin Booker (Suns)
- January 13: Jaren Jackson Jr. (Grizzlies)
- January 14: Herbert Jones (Pelicans)
- February 1: Mikal Bridges (Knicks)
- February 2: Luka Doncic (Lakers)
- February 4: De’Aaron Fox (Spurs)
Since the trade deadline will land on February 5, a player who finalizes an extension between now and then (such as Mavericks forward P.J. Washington) wouldn’t become trade-eligible until the 2026 offseason.
Mavericks big man Daniel Gafford also signed an extension this offseason, but his deal didn’t exceed four total years, include a first-year bump exceeding 20%, or feature any subsequent annual raises greater than 5%, meaning he remains eligible to be traded.
Players who have signed Designated Veteran extensions
A Designated Veteran contract is also known as a “super-max” deal — it’s a maximum-salary contract that starts at 35% of the cap instead of 30% because the player has met certain performance criteria before achieving 10 years of NBA service.
A player who signs a Designated Veteran contract or extension can’t be traded for one full year after his signing date.
Only one player has signed a super-max contract this offeason: Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. He’ll become trade-eligible on July 7, 2026, the one-year anniversary of his signing.
Players affected by aggregation restrictions
When a team trades for a player via salary-matching or using an exception (ie. not by absorbing the player into cap room), that team can’t “aggregate” the player in another trade for two months. Aggregating a player means combining his salary with another player’s for matching purposes.
The majority of the trades made this offseason so far were completed in June or early July, at least two months ago, so this restriction only applies to a handful of players at the moment. Here are those players, along with the dates when they’ll become aggregation-eligible:
- September 9
- Kelly Olynyk (Spurs)
- Malaki Branham (Wizards)
- September 13
- Dario Saric (Kings)
- Jonas Valanciunas (Nuggets)
- October 6
- Georges Niang (Jazz)
Any player who is traded this season after December 16 (without being acquired via cap room) won’t be eligible to be flipped prior to the trade deadline in a second deal that aggregates his salary with another player’s.
This aggregation restriction also applies indefinitely to any player on a team who is operating over the second tax apron. Currently, only the Cavaliers fit that bill.
Traded Second-Round Picks For 2026 NBA Draft
We’re using the space below to keep tabs on each NBA team’s second round pick for 2026, continually updating it as necessary throughout the year. Our list of traded first-round picks for 2026 can be found right here.
We’ve listed all 30 teams here, so even if a team hasn’t traded its second round pick, that will be noted. We’ll also provide details on protections for each traded pick, including what happens to the pick in 2027 if it doesn’t change hands in 2026.
Here’s the full breakdown on the status of each 2026 second-round pick:
Atlantic
- Boston Celtics: Traded to Hawks or Grizzlies.
- Details outlined at bottom of article.
- Brooklyn Nets: Traded to Heat (top-55 protected).
- If this pick lands in its protected range, the Nets will keep it and their obligation to the Heat will be extinguished.
- New York Knicks: Possibly traded to Celtics or Wizards.
- Details outlined at bottom of article.
- Philadelphia 76ers: Traded to Thunder, Suns, or Wizards.
- The Thunder will receive the most favorable pick of the Sixers’, Mavericks, and Thunder’s second-rounders; the Suns will receive the second-most favorable of the three; the Wizards will receive the least favorable.
- Toronto Raptors: Traded to Pacers (top-55 protected).
- If this pick lands in its protected range, the Raptors will keep it and their obligation to the Pacers will be extinguished.
Central
- Chicago Bulls: Traded to Rockets.
- Cleveland Cavaliers: Own pick.
- Detroit Pistons: Traded to Celtics, Magic, or Knicks.
- The Celtics will receive the most favorable pick of the Pistons’, Bucks’, and Magic’s second-rounders; the Magic will receive the second-most favorable of the three; the Knicks will receive the least favorable.
- Indiana Pacers: Traded to Hawks, Grizzlies, Spurs, Timberwolves, or Nets.
- Details outlined at bottom of article.
- Milwaukee Bucks: Traded to Celtics, Magic, or Knicks.
- The Celtics will receive the most favorable pick of the Pistons’, Bucks’, and Magic’s second-rounders; the Magic will receive the second-most favorable of the three; the Knicks will receive the least favorable.
Southeast
- Atlanta Hawks: Traded to Nets.
- Charlotte Hornets: Traded to Kings or Pistons.
- The Kings will receive this pick if it lands between 31-55; the Pistons will receive if it lands between 56-60. The Hornets’ obligation to whichever team doesn’t receive the pick will be extinguished.
- Miami Heat: Traded to Hawks, Grizzlies, Spurs, Timberwolves, or Nets.
- Details outlined at bottom of article.
- Orlando Magic: Possibly traded to Celtics or Knicks.
- The Celtics will receive the most favorable pick of the Pistons’, Bucks’, and Magic’s second-rounders; the Magic will receive the second-most favorable of the three; the Knicks will receive the least favorable.
- Washington Wizards: Own pick.
- If the Wizards’ first-round pick lands in the top eight, the Wizards would send the Knicks their second-rounder.
Northwest
- Denver Nuggets: Traded to Hornets or Timberwolves.
- The Hornets will receive the most favorable pick of the Nuggets’ and Warriors’ second-rounders; the Timberwolves will receive the least favorable of the two.
- Minnesota Timberwolves: Traded to Celtics, Knicks, or Wizards.
- Details outlined at bottom of article.
- Oklahoma City Thunder: Own pick.
- The Thunder have the ability to swap their own pick for the Sixers’ or Mavericks’ second-rounder. The Thunder will receive the most favorable pick of the Sixers’, Mavericks, and Thunder’s second-rounders; the Suns will receive the second-most favorable of the three; the Wizards will receive the least favorable.
- Portland Trail Blazers: Traded to Celtics, Spurs, or Wizards.
- Details outlined at bottom of article.
- Utah Jazz: Traded to Spurs or Bucks.
- The Spurs will receive this pick if it lands between 31-55; the Bucks will receive if it lands between 56-60. The Jazz’s obligation to whichever team doesn’t receive the pick will be extinguished.
Pacific
- Golden State Warriors: Traded to Hornets or Timberwolves.
- The Hornets will receive the most favorable pick of the Nuggets’ and Warriors’ second-rounders; the Timberwolves will receive the least favorable of the two.
- Los Angeles Clippers: Traded to Nets or Grizzlies.
- Details outlined at bottom of article.
- Los Angeles Lakers: Traded to Raptors.
- Phoenix Suns: Traded to Wizards.
- Sacramento Kings: Own pick.
Southwest
- Dallas Mavericks: Traded to Thunder, Suns, or Wizards.
- The Thunder will receive the most favorable pick of the Sixers’, Mavericks, and Thunder’s second-rounders; the Suns will receive the second-most favorable of the three; the Wizards will receive the least favorable.
- Houston Rockets: Own pick.
- If the Rockets’ first-round pick lands in the top four, the Rockets would send the Thunder their second-rounder.
- Memphis Grizzlies: Traded to Clippers or Trail Blazers.
- The Clippers will receive this pick if it lands between 31-42; the Trail Blazers will receive if it lands between 43-60. The Grizzlies’ obligation to whichever team doesn’t receive the pick will be extinguished.
- New Orleans Pelicans: Traded to Celtics, Spurs, or Wizards.
- Details outlined at bottom of article.
- San Antonio Spurs: Possibly traded to Timberwolves.
- Details outlined at bottom of article.
Here are the details on how the Knicks‘, Timberwolves‘, Trail Blazers‘, and Pelicans‘ second-round picks will be distributed:
The Celtics will receive the most favorable of the following picks:
- The Knicks’ second-round pick.
- The Timberwolves’ second-round pick.
- The Trail Blazers’ second-round pick.
- The Pelicans’ second-round pick.
The Knicks will receive the least favorable of the following picks:
- The Knicks’ second-round pick.
- The Timberwolves’ second-round pick.
The Spurs will receive the least favorable of the following picks:
- The Trail Blazers’ second-round pick.
- The Pelicans’ second-round pick.
The Wizards will receive the least favorable of the following picks:
- The most favorable of the Knicks’ and Timberwolves’ second-round picks.
- The most favorable of the Trail Blazers’ and Pelicans’ second-round picks.
Here are the details on how the Celtics‘, Pacers‘, Heat‘s, and Clippers‘, and Spurs‘ second-round picks will be distributed:
The Grizzlies will receive the most favorable of the following picks, while the Nets will receive the least favorable:
- The Clippers’ second-round pick.
- The most favorable of the Celtics’, Pacers’, and Heat’s second-round picks.
The Spurs will receive the most favorable of the following picks, while the Timberwolves will receive the least favorable:
- The Spurs’ second-round pick.
- The least favorable of the Pacers’ and Heat’s second-round picks.
The Hawks will receive the least favorable of the following picks:
- The Celtics’ second-round pick.
- The most favorable of the Pacers’ and Heat’s second-round picks.
Information from RealGM was used in the creation of this post.
Community Shootaround: Breakout Candidates
In an article for HoopsHype, Mike Shearer lists seven players who could be primed for breakout seasons in 2025/26. Here’s his full list:
- Shaedon Sharpe (Trail Blazers)
- Bennedict Mathurin (Pacers)
- Andrew Nembhard (Pacers)
- Sam Hauser (Celtics)
- Brandon Miller (Hornets)
- Jake LaRavia (Lakers)
- Terrence Shannon Jr. (Timberwolves)
Shearer acknowledges that Sharpe’s inclusion is a little unconventional, as the 22-year-old averaged a career-best 18.5 points per game in ’24/25. But the Canadian wing is entering the final year of his rookie scale contract and is eligible for an extension until October 20, so he certainly has financial reasons to be motivated for a big season.
Mathurin, who is also eligible for a rookie scale extension, should have a big role for Indiana with Tyrese Haliburton out for the year. Ditto for Nembhard, one of the league’s more unheralded role players who has a chance to show he can be more than that this season.
Boston revamped its roster this offseason for financial and roster-building reasons. There were rumblings that Hauser might be on the trade block, but he’s still a Celtic, and Shearer believes the former Virginia star should have plenty of opportunities to shine in ’25/26.
Shearer also describes why he thinks Miller (second season cut short due to wrist surgery), LaRavia (essentially replacing Dorian Finney-Smith) and Shannon (a Nickeil Alexander-Walker replacement?) could take leaps forward.
We want to know what you think. Do you agree with the players on Shearer’s list? If not, why? Which other players could be primed for breakout seasons? Head to the comment section to weigh in.
Eastern Notes: White, Donovan, Johnson, Wall, Shammgod
Bulls head coach Billy Donovan, who won back-to-back NCAA titles with Florida during his college coaching career, was inducted into the Hall of Fame on Saturday. Starting guard Coby White attended the ceremony and spoke to Chicago Sports Network about Donovan’s “amazing accomplishment” and what he likes about having him as a coach (Twitter video link).
“He’s honest,” White said of Donovan. “He pushes you, he’s going to get the most out of you. And for the most part, he’s always been upfront with me.
“But he also believes in his players. He gets his players to compete every night. He builds a relationship with his players, which often times you don’t see (with NBA head coaches).”
Donovan signed a multiyear extension with the Bulls in late July, while White is entering the final year of his contract, which will pay him about $12.9MM in 2025/26.
Here are a few more notes from around the East:
- Wizards lottery pick Tre Johnson III was viewed as one of the best shooters entering the 2025 draft but he also displayed improved ball-handling a couple months ago at Las Vegas Summer League, writes Chase Hughes of Monumental Sports Network. “I watch bits and pieces of Kyrie (Irving) and Darius Garland, just from a guard’s perspective how they can change speeds,” Johnson said. Second-year big man Alex Sarr believes Johnson is more than capable of creating shots for both himself and others. “I like his play-making in general. I already knew that about him, but it’s just good to see. I feel like we’re just seeing the surface of what he’s capable of,” Sarr said.
- John Wall announced his retirement as a player last month and will cover the NBA for Amazon Prime Video in 2025/26. In an interview with Michael Lee of The Washington Post, Wall said he hopes to have his No. 2 jersey retired by the Wizards. Varun Shankar of The Washington Post considers whether the Wizards should retire Wall’s jersey, noting that the former No. 1 overall pick made five All-Star appearances with the franchise and is the team’s all-time leader in both assists and steals. While it’s been a long time since the organization has retired a player’s jersey, Shankar believes Wall could be a “logical” choice to be honored, as he was the driving force behind Washington’s “best stretch since (Wes) Unseld retired.”
- Assistant coach God Shammgod, who joined Orlando this offseason after nine years in Dallas, believes the Magic have a talented roster capable of taking a step forward this season, he tells Kurt Helin of NBC Sports. “Paolo (Banchero) and Franz (Wagner) and them, they’re coming into their own right now,” Shammgod said. “They’re at the right age where they still young, but they young enough to dare. Dare to be great. And I believe like Paolo and Franz is going to be great, but Desmond Bane, Jalen Suggs, Anthony Black, we got Tyus Jones. Now we got so many great players. … And I feel like right now they all are ready to make their mark. So I’m just happy and honored to be a part of it.”
Kevin Love Reportedly Unlikely To Open Season With Jazz
On July 7, veteran forward/center Kevin Love was traded to the Jazz in the three-team deal that sent Norman Powell to the Heat and John Collins to the Clippers.
About a month later, Marc Stein of The Stein Line reported that Love was “actively exploring potential pathways out of Utah,” including a buyout. However, Stein didn’t list any possible suitors for Love, who remains on the Jazz’s roster a few weeks before training camps are set to open.
Love is on an expiring contract, which will pay him $4.15MM this season.
Within a story about the types of skill sets the Nuggets might consider targeting with their 15th standard roster spot, Bennett Durando of The Denver Post reports that Love is “widely expected to be traded or bought out by” the Jazz before the 2025/26 season begins, and when that happens, he’s likely to land with a contending team.
That doesn’t mean Love will end up in Denver; Durando makes it clear he’s just floating an idea. But it’s interesting — albeit unsurprising — that Love is reportedly unlikely to stick with the Jazz, who had the worst record in the NBA last season (17-65).
Forward depth may not be Denver’s highest priority, but Durando notes that reserves Peyton Watson, DaRon Holmes II, Zeke Nnaji and Hunter Tyson are all young and relatively inexperienced. Perhaps most importantly, Watson is the only player of the group who has shown he can be a rotation regular to this point.
Love, meanwhile, turned 37 years old today (happy birthday) and is entering his 18th NBA season after being selected fifth overall in the 2008 draft. The five-time All-Star hasn’t played much the past few years, largely serving as a veteran mentor in Cleveland and Miami, though he did finish runner-up for Sixth Man of the Year in 2021/22.
Durando also points out the Love has a longstanding relationship with head coach David Adelman, who was an assistant for part of Love’s tenure in Minnesota.
For what it’s worth, Durando says point-of-attack defense and point guard depth are the other two areas the Nuggets might want to address at some point. As our Luke Adams noted in his Offseason Check-In, Denver has been a taxpayer for three straight years and is operating just over the luxury tax threshold, so the team may be motivated to finish the season below the tax — an important first step toward resetting the repeater clock.