Atlantic Notes: Andonian, Sixers, Knicks
Ariana Andonian will be named the general manager of the Sixers‘ NBA G League affiliate, the Delaware Blue Coats, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype tweets.
Andonian is already the Sixers’ VP of player personnel, a position she has held since last September. She was previously the Grizzlies’ director of player personnel and a scouting coordinator for the Rockets. She graduated from USC in 2015 and received her MBA from Duke in 2020.
We have more from the Atlantic Division:
- How can the Sixers regain relevance in the Eastern Conference chase? According to Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Marcus Hayes, they must treat oft-injured stars Joel Embiid and Paul George with kid gloves. He suggests plenty of load management, including no back-to-backs for either one and even some road trip “vacations.” Hayes calculates there should be at least 17 games in which neither is available and believes both of them should play sparingly until around the trade deadline.
- The Knicks won’t begin training camp until Sept. 24 but The Athletic’s James Edwards III offers up his depth chart surprises, rotations and starting lineup changes. Edwards believes Mitchell Robinson should start in the middle with Josh Hart serving as the sixth man. Edwards rounds out the second unit with Jordan Clarkson, Miles McBride, Guerschon Yabusele and Ariel Hukporti.
- In case you missed it, the Raptors are making general manager Bobby Webster their full-time head of basketball operations. Get all the details here.
Wizards Signing Skal Labissiere To Camp Roster
The Wizards have reached an agreement with free agent big man Skal Labissiere, NBA insider Chris Haynes tweets. The Wizards already have 15 players under guaranteed contracts, so it’s safe to assume Labissiere is receiving a training camp deal.
Haynes also reported on Tuesday that the Wizards were signing Alondes Williams. The additions of Williams and Labissiere would push Washington’s roster count to 20, one shy of the limit.
Labissiere, 29, has appeared in 152 NBA games after getting drafted late in the first round in 2016. He was out of the league for four seasons until he appeared in four games with the Kings last season.
He was signed to a 10-day deal in early March when injuries forced Sacramento to seek frontcourt depth. Like Williams, Labissiere was a member of Orlando’s Summer League team in July. He’ll now try to work his way onto Washington’s roster with a standout camp.
Labissiere appeared in 148 total games with Sacramento and Portland from 2016-20. He has spent most of his time since then in the G League, trying to work his way back into the NBA. The 6’10” center has played regularly for the Stockton Kings the past two seasons. He appeared in 44 games with Stockton last season, averaging 14.9 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in 26.8 minutes per game.
He also had a brief stay with a team in Puerto Rico.
Wizards To Add Alondes Williams To Camp Roster
Free agent guard Alondes Williams has reached an agreement with the Wizards, NBA insider Chris Haynes tweets.
Considering the Wizards already have 15 players under guaranteed contracts, it’s safe to assume Williams is receiving a training camp deal. The addition of Williams would push the Wizards’ roster count to 19 players, two shy of the offseason limit.
Williams has nine games of NBA experience — he made his debut with the Nets in 2022/23, saw action in seven games with the Heat the following season, then appeared in one game with the Pistons last season.
Detroit signed Williams to a two-way deal in October but waived him in early January. Williams was a member of the Magic’s Summer League squad in July.
Last season, Williams appeared in 45 G League games with the Sioux Falls SkyForce and Motor City Cruise. He averaged 18.7 points, 4.3 rebounds and 5.4 assists in 32.9 minutes per contest.
If Williams received an Exhibit 10 contract and gets waived before opening night, he could join the Capital City Go-Go, who acquired his returning rights in a trade earlier this month. Spending at least 60 days with the Go-Go- would make him eligible to earn an Exhibit 10 bonus worth up to $85,300.
Spurs Hire Jacob Chance To Coach G League Team
The Spurs have hired Jacob Chance as the head coach for their NBA G League affiliate in Austin, the team announced in a press release. Michael Scotto of HoopsHype first reported the news (Twitter link).
Just 31, Chance has an extensive background coaching in Australia. He was on the NBL’s Perth Wildcats staff when they won four titles. He then moved to the Tasmania JackJumpers as an associate head coach under Scott Roth before joining Melbourne United’s staff. Chance has also made his mark as an assistant for the Australian national team under former head coach Brian Goorjian.
He served as the national team’s head coach during a qualifying window in February.
“All the way through, it was even more than I imagined,” Goorjian told ESPN’s Olgun Uluc. “He’s just elite in all aspects, the film aspect of it, on the floor with the individuals, understanding offensive and defensive schemes. Just an unbelievable feel for that. He had a unique ability to get players to buy in. You had guys like Joe Ingles and Patty Mills – two guys he didn’t have a background with – and he did a great job of being really good on his feet and building those relationships, and had good feel about what to say, when to go there, and when to back off. Those seniors guys are not gonna come near you if you’re not competent. They were attracted to him.
“As I walked away from the Boomers, my advice to Basketball Australia for the window stuff is that Chancey can do this; you’re identifying something that’s really talented, and you’re gonna get rewarded for it. I’ve been around; I think the world of him.”
Australia’s Matt Nielsen was Austin’s former head coach and is currently on the Spurs’ staff.
“To go back and work with Matty, who essentially got me into the industry… in 2015, to come full circle and be back with him and hopefully be around him in this first little bit of time with the Spurs, it was hard to say no to,” Chance said. “He’s a good friend, a big-time mentor, and excited to get to work with him again.”
Pacers Sign Rick Carlisle To Multiyear Extension
3:46 pm: The Pacers have officially signed Carlisle to an extension, according to a team press release.
“Since his return to the Pacers in 2021, Coach Carlisle has been integral to our success, which includes leading us to consecutive Eastern Conference Finals appearances and our first NBA Finals appearance in 25 years,” president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard said in a statement. “Beyond his coaching achievements that rank him among the best in NBA history, Coach Carlisle continues to embrace our community and give back to the state of Indiana with his Drive and Dish program. We are thrilled to have him continue leading our team and representing our organization well into the future.”
9:30 am: After leading the Pacers to their first NBA Finals appearance in a quarter-century this spring, head coach Rick Carlisle has agreed to a multiyear contract extension with the team, according to NBA insider Marc Stein (Twitter link).
The Pacers had one of the worst years in franchise history during Carlisle’s first season back on the job in 2021/22, posting a record of just 25-57. But the club has steadily improved since then, increasing its regular season win total to 35 in ’22/23, 47 in ’23/24, and 50 this past year.
Indiana has also made consecutive deep playoff runs with Carlisle at the helm, advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2024 and then appearing in the NBA Finals this year for the first time since 2000.
Accounting for both his current stint with the Pacers and his previous four-year run from 2003-07, Carlisle has posted an overall regular season record of 338-318 (.515) and has gone 41-34 (.547) in the postseason, making the playoffs in five of eight seasons.
In addition to his time in Indiana, Carlisle has another 15 years and 1,197 regular season games under his belt as a head coach in Detroit and Dallas since 2001.
The details of Carlisle’s new agreement are unclear, but he reportedly signed a four-year contract in 2021 and was also extended in 2023. Given that his initial four-year deal just ended this year and both of his extensions have been described as “multiyear” pacts, it seems safe to assume he’s under contract for several seasons to come.
Hawks Sign Caleb Houstan To One-Year Deal
August 19: Over a month after their agreement was first reported, the Hawks have officially signed Houstan, the team announced today in a press release.
July 17: The Hawks and Caleb Houstan have agreed to a one-year contract, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reports (Twitter link).
Houstan spent the first three years of his NBA career with the Magic. He appeared in 168 games during that span, including 23 starts, after being selected early in the second round of the 2022 draft.
Last season, Houstan appeared in 58 games (six starts) with Orlando and averaged 4.1 points in 13.6 minutes per game while making 40 percent of his 3-point tries.
Houstan became a free agent when Orlando declines its $2.1MM option on his contract for next season. Terms for his contract with Atlanta have not been revealed, but it’s likely a minimum deal.
Still just 22 years old, Houstan struggled to get steady second-unit minutes with the Magic. At 6’8”, he provides good size at the wing spots and he’ll now try to earn minutes with another Southeast Division squad.
That will be a tall task, considering the Hawks have Dyson Daniels at off guard and Jalen Johnson at small forward with free agent pickups Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Luke Kennard slated to get steady minutes off the bench. He’ll also have to battle Vit Krejci (43.7 percent from three last season) for playing time.
Nikola Vucevic Talks Status With Bulls, Goals, EuroBasket
Despite being the subject of trade and buyout speculation this summer, Nikola Vucevic has “almost no doubt” that he’ll open the 2025/26 season with the Bulls, he told Theo Quintard of Basket USA (hat tip to Eurohoops).
On a Bleacher Report live stream last month, NBA insider Jake Fischer responded to a question from a Bulls fan about Vucevic by noting that there has been no real trade market for the big man this offseason and speculating that a mid-season buyout could be more likely than a trade.
According to Vucevic, Bulls general manager Marc Eversley got in touch with him around that time to tell him to dismiss the rumors swirling about his future.
“There are always rumors,” Vuceveic said to Basket USA (text translated from French). “Most of them are wrong. It’s a little bit of anything. For example, the buyout (rumor) was misinterpreted in Europe. The reporter said that if there was no trade during the season, there might be a buyout option before the deadline. I know how business works. In the final year of the contract, there is always speculation. Since I can’t control anything, I’m trying not to take the lead.”
Here are a few more of the most notable remarks that Vucevic made during the interview:
- The Bulls’ starting center said he was happy with his individual performance in 2024/25, but acknowledged it was “frustrating” to once again be eliminated in the play-in tournament. He added that he’d like to have the chance to compete for a championship before his NBA career is over. “In Europe, it’s easier to join a big team,” Vucevic said. “But in the NBA, it is complicated because of rules and trades.”
- Vucevic believes this year’s EuroBasket tournament may be the last time he plays for Montenegro in an international offseason event. “Perhaps I will change my mind, but for the time being, I believe that this will be my last,” he said. “The next (major tournament) is only two years away. I’ll be 36, 37. I would also like to focus more on my career in the NBA. With age, I have to think about my body and recovery, before I re-attack the season. During the year, I am often absent because of travel, training and matches. Summer is an opportunity to make up for lost time with my three children and enjoy it. At the moment, that’s my biggest priority.”
- After finishing 13th at EuroBasket 2022, Montenegro will have a challenging path to the round of 16 in the 2025 tournament, Vucevic admitted. The Montenegrin national team is in a group with Germany, Finland, Great Britain, Lithuania, and Sweden. “If (we get) through the first round, it will be a huge success,” he said. “We have absent players, injuries, so it will be quite difficult as it stands, but I think we still have a small chance to do that.”
Raptors Notes: Webster, Pritchard, Roster Moves, Rotation
The Raptors announced on Monday that they’ve decided not to fill the president role formerly held by Masai Ujiri, with Bobby Webster hanging onto his title of general manager as he takes over as the team’s permanent head of basketball operations. That’s fine with Webster, as Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca relays.
“On the title, what’s the best way to put it? The title, to me, probably isn’t as important as the responsibilities,” Webster said. “I’m really thankful for this opportunity. I’ll make the most of it and that (not getting the president title) is not something that concerns me.”
While Webster seems unfazed by not being named the Raptors’ president, he’s still expected to have a chance to earn a promotion to that position based on how he handles his new responsibilities, Grange adds.
“This is his chance,” a source close to the hiring process told Sportsnet. “Show (us) he’s the president. It’s a process. It’s all about the rebuild, it’s all about the strategy going forward. Can Brandon Ingram and Scottie Barnes become an incredible duo? How do you manage the tax situation we’re currently in?
“At the end of the day, it will be about Bobby making the right decisions moving forward. He’s (40 years old) and he’s got every quality that you want representing your organization. Now, it comes down to wins and losses, building the reputation of the brand and dealing with the salary cap.”
Here’s more on the Raptors:
- Grange hears from sources that Toronto formally interviewed Pacers president Kevin Pritchard, former Kings general manager Monte McNair, and former Raptors coach Dwane Casey for its president role, while Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca reports that Pacers GM Chad Buchanan and Bulls GM Marc Eversley also interviewed for the job. Pritchard was believed to be the candidate that intrigued the Raptors the most, but “prying him away from the Pacers proved difficult,” Grange writes.
- While Webster believes the roster the Raptors have put together is ready to “make the next step” in 2025/26, there’s skepticism around the NBA about some of the moves the team has made in recent years. According to Grange, one Eastern Conference executive questioned the team’s investments in Immanuel Quickley (five years, $162.5MM), Ingram (three years, $120MM), and Jakob Poeltl (three years, $84MM): “I know sometimes you have to pay a premium for players in Canada, but that much?” Another rival executive, per Grange, suggested there’s an excess of wings on the roster and a lack of depth at point guard and center. “They have a lot of nice pieces,” that executive said. “It’s just not clear how they all fit.”
- Some of the executives who interviewed for the Raptors’ president job were among those questioning the club’s recent personnel decisions, according to Lewenberg, who says one of those external candidates referred to the Ingram trade as a “desperate Hail Mary.”
- Eric Koreen of The Athletic previews what the Raptors’ rotation might look like this fall, projecting Gradey Dick, Ochai Agbaji, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Jamal Shead, and Collin Murray-Boyles to be the top options off the bench behind a starting lineup of Barnes, Ingram, Quickley, Poeltl, and RJ Barrett.
NBA Players With Trade Kickers In 2025/26
A trade kicker is a contractual clause that pays an NBA player a bonus when he’s traded. They’re one of the tools teams have at their disposal to differentiate their free agent offers from the ones put on the table by competing clubs — or to incentivize a player to sign an extension before he reaches free agency.
Sometimes the kicker is worth a fixed amount, but usually it’s based on a percentage of the remaining value of the contract. So, a player who has a 10% trade kicker is eligible for a bonus worth 10% of the amount of money he has yet to collect on his deal (not counting an option year).
Regardless of whether a trade kicker is set at a fixed amount or a percentage, the bonus can’t exceed 15% of the remaining value of the contract. Most trade kickers are worth 15%, the highest percentage allowed.
A trade bonus must be paid by the team that trades the player, rather than the team acquiring him. The current Collective Bargaining Agreement also allows a player to waive part or all of his trade kicker as part of a deal, if he so chooses.
If you want a more detailed explanation of how trade kickers work, check out the Hoops Rumors Glossary entry on the subject.
Here’s a list of the NBA players who have active trade kickers for 2025/26, listed alphabetically, along with the details of those trade bonuses:
- Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Hawks (7.5%)
- OG Anunoby, Knicks (15%)
- LaMelo Ball, Hornets (15%)
- Nicolas Batum, Clippers (15%)
- Bradley Beal, Clippers (15%)
- Devin Booker, Suns (10%)
- Jalen Brunson, Knicks (15%)
- Clint Capela, Rockets (5%)
- Anthony Edwards, Timberwolves (15%)
- Dorian Finney-Smith, Rockets (3.232%)
- Paul George, Sixers (15%)
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Thunder (15%)
- Rudy Gobert, Timberwolves (7.5%)
- Aaron Gordon, Nuggets (3%)
- Draymond Green, Warriors (15%)
- Tyrese Haliburton, Pacers (15%)
- James Harden, Clippers (15%)
- Al Horford, Warriors (15%)
- Kyrie Irving, Mavericks (15%)
- LeBron James, Lakers (15%)
- Ty Jerome, Grizzlies (15%)
- Derrick Jones, Clippers (5%)
- Jonathan Kuminga, Warriors (15%)
- Kawhi Leonard, Clippers (15%)
- Naji Marshall, Mavericks (5%)
- Austin Reaves, Lakers (15%)
- Klay Thompson, Mavericks (15%)
- Matisse Thybulle, Trail Blazers (15%)
- Myles Turner, Bucks (15%)
- Derrick White, Celtics (15%)
- Trae Young, Hawks (15%): Traded
- Ivica Zubac, Clippers (5%)
The following players have trade bonuses on their contracts, but those bonuses would be voided if they were to be traded during the 2025/26 league year, since they’re already earning this season’s maximum salary:
- Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks (15%)
- Scottie Barnes, Raptors (15%)
- Jaylen Brown, Celtics (7% or $7MM, whichever is lesser)
- Stephen Curry, Warriors (15%)
- Darius Garland, Cavaliers (15%)
- Nikola Jokic, Nuggets (15%)
- Evan Mobley, Cavaliers (15%)
- Ja Morant, Grizzlies (15%)
- Jayson Tatum, Celtics (15%)
The following players have signed contract extensions that will include trade kickers, but those extensions won’t go into effect until at least the 2026/27 season:
- Mikal Bridges, Knicks (5.69%)
- Aaron Nesmith, Pacers (7.5%)
- Jakob Poeltl, Raptors (5%)
Oscar Tshiebwe Re-Signs With Jazz On Two-Way Deal
Former Kentucky standout Oscar Tshiebwe is back under contract with the Jazz, having re-signed with the team on a two-way deal, per NBA.com’s official transaction log.
Utah made Tshiebwe a restricted free agent in June by issuing him a two-way qualifying offer. It’s possible he simply accepted that offer, which is the equivalent of a one-year, two-way contract with a partial guarantee worth $85,300.
After going undrafted in 2023, Tshiebwe spent his rookie season on a two-way contract with the Pacers and his second year in the NBA on a two-way deal with the Jazz. The 6’8″ forward/center has only made 22 total appearances at the NBA level across those two seasons, but has shown his rebounding prowess in limited action, averaging 7.6 points and 8.7 rebounds in 18.2 minutes per game across 14 outings for Utah in 2024/25.
Tshiebwe, who grabbed double-digit rebounds in eight of the 10 games he played for the Jazz in past March and April, has put up monster numbers in the G League — he earned a spot on the All-NBAGL first team and placed second in MVP voting this spring after averaging 16.1 points, a league-leading 18.2 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.8 steals per contest in 42 games for the Salt Lake City Stars.
Tshiebwe racked up at least 20 boards in seven of the last nine games of his G League season in March. In one matchup with the Iowa Wolves during that stretch, he grabbed 30 rebounds, including 14 on the offensive glass.
It remains to be seen whether Tshiebwe will be utilized more frequently by Jazz head coach Will Hardy in 2025/26, but he’ll be eligible to appear in up to 50 NBA regular season games on his two-way deal, which will pay him $636,435 if it becomes fully guaranteed.
Tshiebwe and Elijah Harkless now occupy two of the Jazz’s three two-way slots, with second-round pick John Tonje viewed as the frontrunner to fill the final opening.