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Blazers, Celtics Finalize Holiday, Simons Trade Without Draft Picks

July 7th, 2025 at 12:40pm CST by Luke Adams

The Trail Blazers and Celtics have officially completed their trade sending Jrue Holiday to Portland and Anfernee Simons to Boston, according to a press release from the Blazers.

However, the terms are slightly different than what was reported last month. Portland had originally agreed to send the Knicks’ 2030 second-round pick and the Blazers’ own 2031 second-rounder to Boston, but those draft assets are no longer in the deal, which is now a straight one-for-one player swap.

Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian hears from a source that a review of Holiday’s medicals prompted the Blazers to alter the initial terms of the agreement.

There wasn’t enough concern on Portland’s end to nix the deal entirely, Fentress explains, adding that the veteran guard is considered healthy and is working out this summer in preparation for training camp in the fall.

As a result of taking back more salary than they’re sending out in the trade, the Trail Blazers are now hard-capped at the first tax apron for the rest of the 2025/26 league year.

The Celtics, meanwhile, have officially completed both of their major offseason trades on Monday, having also finalized the three-team deal sending Kristaps Porzingis to Atlanta.

You can read more about the Holiday/Simons swap in our original report on the deal.

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Pacific Notes: Collins, Beal, Warriors, Kuminga, Suns

July 7th, 2025 at 12:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Clippers view John Collins as their likely starter at power forward, according to Law Murray and John Hollinger of The Athletic. Collins, who is being acquired from Utah in a three-team trade, brings an athletic presence to L.A.’s frontcourt and adds more size to a team that had trouble matching up with Denver in its first-round playoff series.

Collins can be effective next to starting center Ivica Zubac, the authors note, and provides a good complement to backup Brook Lopez, a free agent addition who can space the floor for Collins to operate in the low post. Having more reliable big men also means less time at power forward for Kawhi Leonard and less responsibility for James Harden to guard opposing fours.

Norman Powell, who’s being sent to Miami in the deal, put together an outstanding offensive season, but he was less effective after the All-Star break, Murray and Hollinger observe. Some of the decline was because he was slowed by knee and hamstring issues, while Leonard’s return from injury also contributed. The authors state that Powell’s age, availability and fit all made the Clippers hesitant to give him an extension heading into the upcoming season.

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

  • The Clippers might pursue Bradley Beal if he reaches a buyout agreement with the Suns, but they’ll be limited because they only have $5.3MM of their non-taxpayer mid-level exception left to offer, notes Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). Scotto lists Malcolm Brogdon and Chris Paul as other free agent guards the Clippers have expressed interest in.
  • The Warriors are also viewed as a potential landing spot for Beal, league sources tell Grant Afseth of RG. Golden State is still considered a strong candidate to add Boston center Al Horford, while landing Beal would provide another proven scoring threat to ease the Burden on Stephen Curry. The Warriors are also trying to determine how to handle restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga, and Afseth echoes a recent report that sign-and-trade talks with the Kings and other teams haven’t resulted in much progress.
  • Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic looks at how the Suns are planning to rebuild around Devin Booker, who’s expected to receive a two-year, $150MM extension this summer.
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Pelicans Sign Micah Peavy

July 7th, 2025 at 11:23am CST by Arthur Hill

11:23am: Peavy’s new contract is worth $8.7MM over four years, sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). It includes two fully guaranteed years, a trigger date for the third season and a fourth-year team option.

10:55am: Second-round pick Micah Peavy has signed with the Pelicans, the team announced in a press release.

The 23-year-old shooting guard was selected by Washington with the 40th overall pick and was part of a trade that couldn’t become official until the moratorium was lifted on Sunday. Terms of his new contract were not announced.

Peavy was an All-Big East selection at Georgetown last season, averaging 17.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 2.3 steals in 32 games. He played at Texas Tech as a freshman, then spent three years at Texas Christian before joining the Hoyas.

Throughout his five years in college, Peavy averaged 9.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.2 steals in 159 total games.

New Orleans signed lottery picks Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen on Saturday, so all three additions from this year’s draft are now under contract.

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International Notes: Doncic, Maledon, Musa, Gabriel, K. Antetokounmpo, Okafor

July 7th, 2025 at 9:03am CST by Arthur Hill

Lakers star Luka Doncic highlights Slovenia’s preliminary EuroBasket roster, which was released this morning, according to Johnny Askounis of EuroHoops. Vlatko Cancar, who recently left Denver to sign with Olimpia Milano, and former NBA guard Zoran Dragic are among the other players on the 19-man roster, which will eventually be cut to 12.

Doncic has made frequent appearances on the international stage, beginning with EuroBasket in 2017, where he helped Slovenia capture the gold medal. He has also represented his country in the Summer Olympics and in the FIBA World Cup.

Slovenia is in Group D for the preliminary round and will face Poland, France, Belgium, Iceland and Israel from August 28 through September 4. The top four seeds will advance to Riga for the knockout stage, which takes place from September 6-14.

There’s more international news to pass along:

  • Ex-NBA guard Theo Maledon has reached a two-year agreement with Real Madrid, Askounis adds in a separate story. He played for Oklahoma City, Charlotte and Phoenix from 2020-24 and spent last season with ASVEL in France.
  • Former Nets swingman Dzanan Musa is leaving Real Madrid to sign a three-year contract with Dubai, according to BasketNews. Musa, 26, said he received some NBA interest last offseason, but he opted to remain in Europe. “Joining Dubai Basketball is an incredible opportunity,” he said. “I’m ready to write a new chapter, support this growing basketball culture, and help build something truly historic.” Musa was a first-round pick in 2018 and spent two seasons with Brooklyn. Dubai, which is preparing for its first EuroLeague season, has confirmed the signing (Twitter link).
  • As expected, Wenyen Gabriel has signed with Bayern Munich in Germany after playing for Panathinaikos last season, BasketNews adds in a separate story. Since leaving the NBA in 2024, Gabriel has also spent time with Maccabi Tel Aviv and was among the stars of South Sudan’s Olympic team. “I want to bring my passion, energy, and hustle to (Bayern Munich),” Gabriel said. “My goals are clear: make the playoffs and reach the Final Four.”
  • Olimpiacos is nearing an agreement with Kostas Antetokounmpo, reports Sport24 in Greece. The younger brother of Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo had brief stays with the Mavericks and Lakers, but has mostly played overseas.
  • Jahlil Okafor has signed with Levanga Hokkaido in Japan for next season, according to Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files (Twitter link). The No. 3 pick in the 2015 draft spent most of last season in the G League, but appeared in one game with the Pacers on a 10-day contract.
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Kyrie Irving: ‘Don’t Hold Your Breath’ On Return By Playoffs

July 7th, 2025 at 8:01am CST by Arthur Hill

The Mavericks reportedly have some optimism that Kyrie Irving might resume playing as soon as January, but the star guard urged caution during a recent interview (YouTube link). Responding to questions from viewers, Irving refused to guarantee that he’ll be available by playoff time (hat tip to HoopsHype).

“Don’t hold your breath on that,” he said. “You know what I’m saying? That doesn’t mean I won’t be back, it’s just — I don’t want to make any predictions on when I’m going to be back. I just want to be back 150,000% better.”

A firm recovery timeline hasn’t been set for the 33-year-old guard, who suffered a torn ACL in his left knee on March 3 and underwent surgery about three weeks later. It’s not uncommon for players to take a year or more to recover from ACL tears, although it can vary according to the severity of the injury.

Losing Irving was part of a run of bad luck that affected Dallas in the wake of the Luka Doncic trade, but the team’s fortunes turned around by winning the lottery and drafting Cooper Flagg. The star rookie has rekindled the Mavs’ dreams of becoming a contender again in a tough Western Conference, but they’ll almost certainly need a full recovery from Irving to make a long playoff run.

“So I’m taking my time right now to really get healthy,” Irving continued. “I’m taking my time to get my body right — other portions of my body right — and really just enjoy this recovery process. Man, it’s not pretty. Yes, it is a beautiful struggle, but I go through kind of the mental roller coaster ride of every day. I just want to be back out there.”

Irving recently declined his $43MM player option and signed a new three-year, $119MM contract that runs through 2027/28. It starts at an estimated $36.7MM for next season, which enabled Dallas to duck below the second apron and use its $5.7MM taxpayer mid-level exception to add D’Angelo Russell, who will take over the lead guard duties until Irving can return.

Irving addressed a few other topics in the interview, including an upcoming game in Mexico City, his plans for a Kobe Bryant-inspired basketball shoe and the nervous feeling he still gets before games.

“Being judged for who you are — it’s an honor,” he said. “Now, it’s up to you whether or not you pay attention to those judgments. But with all the mental stuff people go through, I’ve learned to expand and focus on what I can control in the moment — to be better, rather than afraid of being uncomfortable or facing confrontation.” 

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Lakers Sign Adou Thiero To Three-Year Contract

July 6th, 2025 at 10:44pm CST by Eli Cohen

The Lakers have signed Adou Thiero to a standard contract, the team confirmed today. in a press release.

According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link), it’s a three-year, $5.95MM deal for Thiero, which means he received the rookie minimum. The deal, signed using the second-round pick exception, is fully guaranteed for two seasons, with a third-year team option.

Thiero was the 36th pick in the 2025 draft and was selected by the Lakers after they traded the 45th pick and cash to the Timberwolves to move up. That agreement was incorporated into the massive seven-team trade that sent Kevin Durant from the Suns to the Rockets.

Thiero spent one year with Arkansas after playing his first two seasons with Kentucky. He averaged 15.1 points and 5.8 rebounds per game with the Razorbacks while proving himself to be a high-level, versatile wing defender and an elite athlete. The perimeter jumper is a work in progress, as Thiero holds a career three-point percentage of 28.4%, but he provides the Lakers with some needed defensive depth on the wing in the wake of Dorian Finney-Smith‘s exit.

Thiero will not play with the Lakers during Summer League as he continues his recovery from a knee injury he suffered during the college season, according to Khobi Price of the Orange County Register.

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And-Ones: Dybantsa, Porzingis, Oturu, Bryant, Summer League

July 6th, 2025 at 9:36pm CST by Eli Cohen

A.J. Dybantsa was named MVP of the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup after the U.S. team beat Germany 109-76 to take home the gold medal, writes Tobias Bass of The Athletic. Both the U.S. and Germany were undefeated heading into the game.

Dybantsa, the BYU commit who is considered a strong bet to challenge for the No. 1 pick in the 2026 draft, averaged 14.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.1 steals per game during the tournament. He shot 50% from the field and 84% from the free-throw line on 50 attempts, though he struggled from outside, connecting on just 2-of-18 three-pointers.

Dybantsa was also named to the U19 World Cup All-Star team alongside teammate Mikel Brown Jr., who had a strong tournament run. The 6’4″ Brown, who has committed to Louisville for next season, led Team USA in points and assists with 14.9 and 6.1, respectively, while shooting 47.6% from three and posting a nearly three-to-one assist-to-turnover ratio.

We have more from around the world of basketball:

  • Kristaps Porzingis is listed on the Latvian national team’s extended roster for the 2025 EuroBasket tournament, according to Eurohoops.net. He is expected to join the team after visiting with the Hawks following his trade from the Celtics. Porzingis struggled with an illness during the 2025 playoffs, but will look to bounce back with his first international competition since 2017. “We will adjust [workloads] to the health and fitness level of each player to help them be in the best possible shape as EuroBasket2025 approaches,” said head coach Luca Banchi.
  • Israeli basketball team Hapoel Tel Aviv has announced the signings of Elijah Bryant (via Twitter) and Daniel Oturu (via Twitter). Bryant played one year in the NBA, winning a championship with the 2021 Bucks while averaging 4.5 minutes over 11 games during the team’s playoff run. Oturu had brief stints with the Clippers and Raptors, and has been playing overseas since the 2023/24 season.
  • The NBA will count end-of-period heaves as team shot attempts, rather than individual player shot attempts, during Summer League, the league announced (via Twitter). This follows testing with the G League in the 2024/25 season. Three criteria must be met for this to apply: the play must originate in the backcourt, the missed shot must be attempted from at least 36 feet from the basket, and it must be attempted within the final three seconds of the first three periods in the game. This move is intended to incentivize players to shoot heaves without regard for how they might harm their shooting percentage.
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Ryan Rollins Returns To Bucks On Three-Year Deal

July 6th, 2025 at 9:24pm CST by Luke Adams

July 8: The Bucks’ deal with Rollins is now official, per a press release.

July 6: Free agent guard Ryan Rollins is returning to the Bucks, according to Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link), who reports that the two sides have agreed to a three-year deal worth $12MM. The agreement will include a third-year player option, Charania adds.

The 44th overall pick in the 2022 draft, Rollins had only appeared in 25 NBA regular season games across two seasons with Golden State, Washington, and Milwaukee entering the 2024/25 season. However, after opening the year on a two-way contract with the Bucks, he emerged as a reliable part of the rotation and earned a promotion to the standard roster in March.

In 56 games (19 starts) last season for Milwaukee, Rollins averaged 6.2 points, 1.9 assists, and 1.9 rebounds in 14.6 minutes per game, along with a shooting line of .487/.408/.800. He played significant minutes during the season’s final weeks while Damian Lillard was sidelined due to a blood clot in his calf.

Milwaukee initially tendered Rollins a qualifying offer to make him a restricted free agent before withdrawing it early in the week, making him unrestricted. Even after rescinding that QO, the Bucks were able to hang onto the 23-year-old’s Early Bird rights, which will allow them to go over the cap to re-sign him after they use up all their room.

While the 2025/26 Bucks will be without Lillard – who tore his Achilles in April and is being waived to create cap room to sign Myles Turner – they’ve now struck deals to bring back both of their free agent point guards, Rollins and Kevin Porter Jr.

Rollins is the sixth of the Bucks’ own free agents that has reached an agreement to re-sign with the club, joining Porter, Bobby Portis, Taurean Prince, Gary Trent Jr., and Jericho Sims.

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NBA Transactions Becoming Official: July 6, 2025

July 6th, 2025 at 9:00pm CST by Luke Adams

The July moratorium is over and teams are now permitted to officially finalize all the free agent signings and trades they’ve agreed to since the new league year began (or earlier, in some cases).

Rather than bumping all of our previous stories on those free agent and trade agreements, we’ll be tracking all the previously reported moves that become official on Sunday in the space below.

To be clear, we’ll still be publishing new stories on breaking free agent and trade agreements. This space is just to track the moves we already know about becoming formally completed.

These lists will be in chronological order, so we’ll add the most recent items to the bottom throughout the day.

Trades:

Free agent signings:

Contract extensions:

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Bulls Sign Caleb Grill, Wooga Poplar To Exhibit 10 Deals

July 6th, 2025 at 8:29pm CST by Rory Maher

July 6: Both Grill and Poplar have officially signed their Exhibit 10 contracts with the Bulls, according to RealGM’s NBA transaction log.

June 27: Free agent guard Caleb Grill, who went undrafted yesterday, has agreed to sign an Exhibit 10 contract with the Bulls, according to Taylor Eldridge of The Wichita Eagle (Twitter link).

Another undrafted free agent, guard Wooga Poplar, will sign an Exhibit 10 deal with Chicago as well, reports Jon Chepkevich of Draft Express (Twitter link).

At 25, Grill was the oldest player ranked on Sam Vecenie of The Athletic‘s big board, coming in at No. 93. ESPN was higher on the Kansas native, ranking him No. 67 and 15th among players who went undrafted.

Grill, who also played for Iowa State and UNLV before finishing out his college career with Missouri, had a productive season in 2024/25 for the Tigers, winning the SEC’s Sixth Man of the Year award after posting 13.7 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.7 steals in 26.2 minutes per contest, with an excellent shooting line of .472/.396/.864.

Poplar, who spent three years at Miami (FL) before transferring to Villanova for the 2024/25 campaign, is also coming off a strong season in which he averaged 15.3 PPG, 7.0 RPG and 1.3 SPG on .460/.387/.856 shooting in 36 appearances for the Wildcats (31.9 MPG). He was not ranked on ESPN’s or The Athletic’s board.

An Exhibit 10 is a non-guaranteed training camp contract and is typically designed to ensure players can receive a bonus worth up to $85K if they’re waived before the season begins and spend at least 60 days with the club’s NBA G League affiliate — in this case the Windy City Bulls. Exhibit 10 contracts can also be converted into two-way deals.

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