Checking In On Two-Way Contract Slots Around NBA
NBA teams are each permitted to carry up to three players on two-way contracts; at any given time there could be a maximum of 90 players on two-way deals around the league. These players generally bounce back and forth between the NBA and G League, but remain under team control and can’t be poached by rival franchises.
[RELATED: Hoops Rumors Glossary: Two-Way Contract]
While we can expect the NBA-wide total to hover at or near 90 for much of the regular season, many teams have yet to fill all of their two-way slots for the 2025/26 campaign. That isn’t surprising, since we’re still about five weeks away from the start of training camps and two months away from the beginning of the regular season.
As our 2025/26 two-way contract tracker shows, 14 NBA teams still have open two-way spots for a total of 18 two-way openings. Two more are reportedly spoken for — Timberwolves restricted free agent guard Tristen Newton is expected to sign his two-way qualifying offer and Branden Carlson is expected to complete a two-way deal with the Thunder.
Here’s the current breakdown of the two-way openings across the league:
Teams with multiple open two-way slots
- Golden State Warriors (2)
- New York Knicks (3)
- Oklahoma City Thunder (2)
Some of these spots may already be spoken for. As we noted above, Carlson is expected to sign a two-way contract with the Thunder. The Warriors have a two-way qualifying offer on the table for Taran Armstrong, while the Knicks (Kevin McCullar Jr.) also have a two-way restricted free agent who has yet to sign.
Some of these clubs also have second-round picks from this year’s draft who look like logical candidates for two-way spots. Golden State selected Alex Toohey at No. 52 and Will Richard at No. 56 — it would be a surprise if at least one of them doesn’t end up on a two-way deal. New York has yet to sign No. 51 pick Mohamed Diawara, though he’s a candidate for a standard roster spot, as we discussed earlier this month.
Teams with one open two-way slot
- Brooklyn Nets
- Cleveland Cavaliers
- Dallas Mavericks
- Los Angeles Lakers
- Memphis Grizzlies
- Miami Heat
- Minnesota Timberwolves
- Orlando Magic
- Portland Trail Blazers
- Utah Jazz
- Washington Wizards
Minnesota’s inclusion in this section is likely a formality, since Newton is reportedly returning on a two-way deal. Utah also has yet to sign No. 53 overall pick John Tonje, who could be earmarked for the Jazz’s last two-way spot.
There’s not a single clear-cut candidate for all of these openings though, so agents whose clients are seeking an 18-man roster spot will likely reach out to these clubs to see how they intend to use their third two-way contract slots.
Players with NBA experience who sign Exhibit 10 deals for training camp are also candidates to monitor, since some of them are also eligible for two-way deals and could be converted before the season begins. Colin Castleton (Orlando) is a recent example of a player who fits this bill.
Teams with no two-way openings
- Atlanta Hawks
- Boston Celtics
- Charlotte Hornets
- Chicago Bulls
- Denver Nuggets
- Detroit Pistons
- Houston Rockets
- Indiana Pacers
- Los Angeles Clippers
- Milwaukee Bucks
- New Orleans Pelicans
- Philadelphia 76ers
- Phoenix Suns
- Sacramento Kings
- San Antonio Spurs
- Toronto Raptors
In theory, these 16 teams are good to go for training camp. In actuality, several of them could make two-way changes both before and after camps begin.
Bucks Sign Amir Coffey To Training Camp Contract
August 23: Coffey’s training camp deal with the Bucks is now official, per RealGM’s log of NBA transactions.
August 14: The Bucks are signing Amir Coffey to a one-year deal, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania (Twitter link). Eric Nehm of The Athletic clarifies (via Twitter) that it will be a non-guaranteed training camp contract for Coffey.
Coffey went undrafted in 2019 before signing a two-way contract with the Clippers. He stuck around the team for three seasons before being converted to a standard deal in 2022. Coffey spent his entire NBA career up to this point with the Clippers, averaging 6.7 points and 1.9 rebounds while shooting 45.5% from the field and 38.4% from three in 323 career games (67 starts).
He was a key contributor for Los Angeles last season, making 13 starts across 72 games and averaging a career-high 9.7 points per game. His role fluctuated slightly across his Clippers tenure — he played significant minutes and made 30 starts in 2021/22 and had a major role again in ’24/25, but saw less action in ’22/23.
Ultimately, the Clippers opted not to bring him back, leaving him as one of the best available free agents still left on the market in mid-August. The Bucks are taking a swing on the 28-year-old wing by bringing him to camp. His contract will likely include Exhibit 9 language and perhaps Exhibit 10 language too, which would put him in line to receive a bonus if he spends at least 60 days with Milwaukee’s G League affiliate.
The Bucks have a full 15-man roster, and Coffey is ineligible for a two-way contract. However, Andre Jackson Jr.‘s upcoming salary is only guaranteed for $800K, so if Coffey was going to battle his way onto the opening night roster, Jackson would appear to be his direct competition based on the club’s current roster.
International Notes: Snell, Galloway, Andrews, 2028 Olympics
Veteran NBA wing Tony Snell is heading to Europe for the first time in his lengthy professional career, having signed a contract with Boulazac Basket Dordogne, the French team announced in a press release.
“A renowned shooter and defender in the NBA for nine seasons, Tony Snell arrives with the firm intention of passing on to his teammates his love for the game and his thirst for victory,” head coach Alexandre Menard said (hat tip to Eurohoops).
As Boulazac’s coach noted, Snell spent nine years in the NBA, averaging 6.1 points and 2.3 rebounds while shooting 39.4% from three-point range in 601 regular season contests, including 310 starts (21.8 minutes per game). The 33-year-old guard/forward last suited up for New Orleans during the 2021/22 campaign.
Snell has spent the past three seasons in the NBA G League playing for the Maine Celtics and the Sioux Falls Skyforce, Miami’s affiliate. He also represented Team USA for a pair of FIBA AmeriCup qualifying games last fall.
Boulazac, also known as BBD, was promoted to France’s top domestic league (LNB Élite) for 2025/26 after finishing in first place during the LNB Pro B’s regular season in ’24/25.
Here are a few more international notes:
- After winning a gold medal with Australia during the FIBA Asia Cup, former Bucks two-way guard/forward Jaylin Galloway is hoping his strong play during the tournament — he was named MVP — will help him get back to the league, writes Olgun Uluc of ESPN.com. The 22-year-old wing, who plays for the NBL’s Sydney Kings, missed extended time last season due to a shoulder injury, but he averaged 15.7 PPG while shooting a remarkable 18-of-28 (64.3%) from long distance in six Asia Cup games. “I’m hoping the next step is getting back to the NBA,” Galloway told ESPN. “It was a tough little rough patch for me, but it’s been good to come back and get my mind right. [Sydney head coach Brian Goorjian] has been helping me a lot, we’ve been working really hard in the offseason. So, the next step is getting back to the NBA.”
- Former G League guard Andrew Andrews, who has spent the past several seasons playing in Europe, replaced Elijah Pemberton on Team USA’s roster for the AmeriCup tournament, tweets Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. Pemberton withdrew from the roster after signing an international contract, Reynolds notes. The 12-team tournament began yesterday in Managua, Nicaragua.
- Basketball at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles is scheduled to tip off on July 12, 2028, two days before the opening ceremony, FIBA recently announced. The Associated Press has the story.
History Indicates Brad Stevens, Celtics Unlikely To Tank
The Celtics have been one of the teams hit particularly hard by the CBA’s second apron rules, especially in conjunction with the team being sold and the Achilles injury to Jayson Tatum that has forced them to take a step back from their title contention goals. That has led to the team trading away players such as Kristaps Porzingis, Jrue Holiday, and Georges Niang (who was acquired in the Porzingis deal) in an effort to shed salary.
However, just because the Celtics have been working to get their books in order doesn’t mean that fans should expect them to outright tank this season, writes Chris Forsberg for NBC Sports Boston.
In a mailbag, Forsberg shares a story from general manager Brad Stevens‘ coaching days to illustrate his mindset. Forsberg writes about the 2014/15 season, when the Celtics, coming off their first missed playoffs since 2007, started the year 13-26.
When confronted by Jae Crowder about whether he was okay with losing, Stevens refused to consider tanking, and the team eventually pulled together a 40-42 season and a trip to the first round of the playoffs. Forsberg writes that the refusal to accept losing helped define Stevens’ tenure as head coach, and will likely do the same for his tenure in the front office.
While there would be an undeniable benefit in the Celtics landing an unexpected top pick in a loaded 2026 draft class, Forsberg believes the esteem in which Stevens holds winning and competitiveness will likely preclude the front office from selling off important future-facing pieces — even if the team falls well behind the pace established by last season’s 61-win squad.
Windhorst: Kevin Durant, Rockets Expected To Reach Extension
The Rockets and Kevin Durant haven’t yet come to terms on an extension following the Rockets’ trade for the 36-year-old former MVP.
While there has been speculation that Houston is unlikely to offer Durant a full max deal and that the star forward is comfortable heading into the season without a new contract in place, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reports that there is a belief that the two sides will, in fact, come to terms on an extension sooner or later.
Windhorst cites a source that confirms the two sides have had discussions about an extension and believes such a deal will materialize, though he reiterates that Durant may need to take a deal less than the max to stay a Rocket long-term.
Durant is still a massively talented player, averaging 26.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 4.2 assists over 62 games last season while shooting 43% from three and earning his 15th All-Star nod. However, Windhorst writes that rather than seeing Durant as the centerpiece of their team, the Rockets view him as the final puzzle piece meant to turn their already highly talented roster, which secured the No. 2 seed in the West last season, into a true contender.
The Rockets signed Jabari Smith Jr. to a five-year extension and re-upped Fred VanVleet on a one-plus-one deal this summer. They also signed Alperen Sengun to a five-year extension last summer. Meanwhile, Tari Eason is currently extension-eligible, and Amen Thompson will follow suit in 2026. The team will likely need to be deliberate with its spending to avoid crowding its books in a way that makes it prohibitively expensive to keep the core together.
Tony Parker Working Toward NBA Coaching Job
Tony Parker is hoping to find his way back to the NBA, this time as a coach, writes David Loriot for L’Equipe. This involves enrolling in a coaching course, according to Kevin Martorano of Sportando.
Parker, the 18-year NBA veteran, four-time champion, and 2007 NBA Finals MVP, has been president of the French team ASVEL since 2014. In that time, the team has rostered NBA players such as Guerschon Yabusele and eventual NBA No. 1 overall picks Victor Wembanyama and Zaccharie Risacher.
Now, though, Parker says he wants to step away from his front office position and familiarize himself with the rigors of coaching life.
“My dream is to coach in the NBA,” Parker said in an interview with L’Equipe.
To do so, Parker is working to obtain his DESJEPS degree, or Higher State Diploma of Youth, Popular Education and Sport, along with a secondary degree, the DEPB or Professional Basketball Coach Diploma, which he will likely receive in May 2026.
After Parker was a surprise guest for the ASVEL under-15 team on Thursday, running the team through training, he spoke about what that experience meant to him.
“It confirms what I’ve been feeling since last year: I missed the court,” he said. “The adrenaline, the daily grind, I missed all of that. I think it’s the right timing for me. I’ve been retired from sport for six years and I feel it inside me.”
In the lead-up to this decision, Parker said he spoke with his former coach Gregg Popovich, as well as French sports legends Zinedine Zidane and Thierry Henry, all of whom imparted advice.
“Last October, after my first discussion with Pop, I felt this strong desire. I asked him for advice, the Spurs opened the doors to me in January, February, March, where I was able to observe everything over seven or 10 days,” he said, before adding that Zidane and Henry helped convince him to obtain his coaching degree.
“I don’t need it to coach in the NBA,” Parker said with a smile. “But I said to myself, why not go back to school?”
Parker added that he has been approached by several clubs (presumably NBA teams), but that he preferred to get his diploma, and then to pursue a path that could eventually end with him being the head coach of an NBA team. He also wouldn’t rule out the idea of one day coaching the French national team.
“Everyone knows that I’m friends with [French national team coach Freddy Fauthoux], I love him, he’s my guy! But in the very long term, why not,” Parker mused. “It’s clear that if you embark on this career, one day, you’ll want to coach the French team, that’s for sure. But before that, I have so many things to do.”
Fischer’s Latest: Beasley, Martin, Hyland, Cavaliers
Following the recent report that Malik Beasley is no longer the target of a federal gambling investigation, it is expected that the sharp-shooting free agent will rejoin the market as one of the more valuable players still available. One of the teams that has shown interest in his services is the Knicks, writes Jake Fischer for The Stein Line, confirming a report from Ian Begley of SNY.tv.
The Knicks currently have an open roster spot, and have been rumored to be considering Landry Shamet or Ben Simmons for the role, though there’s debate as to how real the Simmons interest is. Fischer notes that the Knicks’ interest in Beasley dates back to their first-round playoff series against the Pistons, who still hold his Non-Bird rights.
Begley, in a tweet, adds that it wouldn’t be surprising if Beasley’s market was more than the veteran minimum contract the Knicks would be able to offer. Beasley reportedly had a three-year, $42MM deal on the table from the Pistons before news of the gambling investigation broke and Detroit moved on to signing Duncan Robinson.
Beasley averaged 16.3 points per game last season while shooting 41.6% from three on 9.3 attempts and earning the runner-up status for Sixth Man of the Year. Despite coming off the bench for all but 18 games, Beasley ranked second in the league in total made three-pointers.
We have more news from Jake Fischer’s latest article:
- While rival teams expect the Warriors to sign Al Horford, Gary Payton II, and De’Anthony Melton once their stalemate with Jonathan Kuminga is resolved, they will still have more moves to make. One name that they’re considering, according to Fischer, is Cody Martin. Fischer notes that Martin has interest from multiple playoff teams, and is waiting to determine if Golden State would offer the best situation or if it would be better to make his choice once training camps have started. The 6’5″ wing has struggled with his shot in recent years but is a strong athlete and capable defender.
- The Timberwolves are hoping to bring Bones Hyland back with one of their two remaining roster spots, Fischer writes, confirming prior reporting from The Athletic. Hyland, a 24-year-old scoring guard, played just four games with the Wolves last year after starting the season with the Clippers, with whom he averaged 7.2 points and shot 38.8% on three-point attempts in 11.1 minutes per night. Hyland would provide depth for the Wolves’ point guard rotation, which currently features 38-year-old Mike Conley and 21-year-old Rob Dillingham,
- The Cavaliers also have two open roster spots, but Fischer writes that they’re not expected to fill the 15th spot heading into the season. With a massive payroll and a punitive luxury tax bill, Fischer instead expects them to sign a a 14th man to a non-guaranteed contract and leave the 15th spot open.
Warriors, Spurs Interested in Trey Murphy III
The Warriors remain locked in a contract standoff with restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga, but that hasn’t kept them from poking around the league for upgrades on the trade market. One name that has come up in their search, writes Jake Fischer for The Stein Line, is Pelicans wing Trey Murphy III.
Fischer says the Warriors approached the Pelicans about Murphy this summer. However, he notes that New Orleans has turned away offers for the recently-turned 25-year-old, who is coming off a breakout year that saw him score 21.2 points per game after averaging 14.6 PPG over the previous two years.
Murphy, who is on a favorable contract (four years, $112MM), is a 6’8″ wing who can shoot (career 38.3% from three), defend at a solid level, and has shown flashes of self-creation. The Warriors have placed a premium on shooting, as illustrated by Fischer’s report that they have refused to consider sign-and-trade offers that would force them to part with either Moses Moody or Buddy Hield, two of the team’s top marksmen outside of Stephen Curry.
Fischer adds another name to the list of potential suitors for Murphy: the Spurs. According to Fischer, San Antonio has also registered trade interest in the athletic wing.
Murphy would be a clean fit with the Spurs, who could use a big wing shooter to complement guards De’Aaron Fox, Dylan Harper, and Stephon Castle – an extremely talented trio that doesn’t feature a reliable outside shooter – as well as versatile forward Jeremy Sochan.
However, all the reasons teams such as the Spurs and Warriors are interested in Murphy’s services are also reasons the Pelicans would be reluctant to part with him. That’s especially true given the uncertainty surrounding Zion Williamson, both in terms of his long-term health and off-court allegations. Murphy, the recently extended Herb Jones, and Jose Alvarado have been on the team longer than anyone outside of Williamson, and Murphy’s game has grown tremendously in that time.
Warriors, Jonathan Kuminga Still Locked In Contract Standoff
Restricted free agent forward Jonathan Kuminga remains locked in a contract standoff with the Warriors nearly two months after free agency opened, reports Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link).
The Warriors been unwilling to offer Kuminga more than $45MM over two years, according to Fischer, who says Golden State has also been “unwavering” in its stance that the contract would feature a second-year team option and would require Kuminga to waive his right to veto trades.
Echoing previous reporting by Anthony Slater of ESPN, sources tell Fischer that Kuminga and agent Aaron Turner are looking for more long-term security and haven’t shown any interest to this point in the Warriors’ proposal, viewing it as an easy way for the team to trade him during the season.
To drive home that point, Fischer states that Golden State discussed sending Kuminga to Phoenix ahead of the February trade deadline when the Warriors were pursuing Kevin Durant, who essentially nixed the deal. Durant was later traded from the Suns to the Rockets.
According to Fischer, the Warriors have been “discouraging” sign-and-trade scenarios for Kuminga after previous proposals from the Kings and Suns failed to meet the team’s asking price.
While accepting his $7.98MM qualifying offer would cost Kuminga a substantial amount of short-term money, it would also put him in a better position to dictate his future, since it comes with a no-trade clause for 2025/26 and the ability to reach unrestricted free agency next summer. As Fischer writes, Kuminga could reasonably view offseason interest from Sacramento, Phoenix and Chicago as an encouraging sign for his potential market in 2026.
Signing the QO, which has a deadline of Oct. 1, would undoubtedly be risky for Kuminga, but it might be even riskier for the Warriors, Fischer notes, since they don’t want to lose the former No. 7 overall pick for nothing.
Pacers, Assistant Coach Mike Weinar Part Ways
The Pacers and assistant coach Mike Weinar have “mutually agreed to part ways,” the team announced Friday (link to press release).
Weinar has spent the majority of his NBA career working with head coach Rick Carlisle. He spent 13 seasons under Carlisle in Dallas, the last four as an assistant, prior to being hired by Indiana in 2021 when Carlisle rejoined the Pacers organization.
“Mike Weinar has been a trusted friend and loyal colleague for 17-plus years,” Carlisle said in a statement. “As a coach, he is a proven winner with two National Championship rings with Florida Men’s Basketball in 2006 and 2007, and an NBA Championship ring from our 2011 championship run in Dallas. Mike also played a major role in this year’s historic Finals run with the Pacers.
“Mike’s exemplary character as a father, husband, and man has been evident to me over nearly two decades. Professional success has followed Mike everywhere he has gone, and will no doubt continue to do so in the future.”
According to Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files (Twitter link), Weinar was an “integral” part of the Pacers’ “game-planning, offense, and end-of-game scenarios.”
The 41-year-old was reportedly in the running to be the Knicks’ top assistant and offensive coordinator under new head coach Mike Brown. Weinar wound up withdrawing from that position, which went to veteran assistant Chris Jent.