Isaiah Mobley Signs With Manisa Basket
Free agent forward Isaiah Mobley, the older brother of reigning NBA Defensive Player of the Year Evan Mobley, has signed with Manisa Basket, the Turkish team announced today (Twitter link; hat tip to Sportando).
Mobley was the 49th overall pick in the 2022 draft and has played in the NBA in each of his first three professional seasons. However, the 6’8″ forward was unable to establish himself as a reliable rotation option stateside, having made just 23 total appearances for the Cavaliers and Sixers, with averages of 2.6 points and 1.5 rebounds in 7.5 minutes per game.
Mobley signed a rest-of-season contract with the banged-up Sixers via a hardship exception just before the 2024/25 campaign came to an end. He logged 17 minutes in Philadelphia’s regular season finale, contributing six points, five assists, and four rebounds in a loss to Chicago.
While Mobley doesn’t have an extensive NBA résumé, he has performed well in the G League, including averaging 21.5 points and 8.7 rebounds per game for the Cleveland Charge in 2022/23. He also had a big Summer League showing in 2023, earning championship game MVP honors after his 28 points and 11 boards in the final helped lead the Cavs to a Las Vegas title.
Manisa Basket will be looking to bounce back from an underwhelming season that saw the club finish tied for 12th (out of 16 teams) with an 11-19 record in Turkey’s Basketball Super League.
Free Agent Rumors: Kuminga, Horford, Westbrook, Grimes
There has been no meaningful movement in any direction on the Jonathan Kuminga front in the past couple weeks, per Anthony Slater of ESPN.
Having returned to his offseason base of Miami after a recent trip to his home country – the Democratic Republic of the Congo – the restricted free agent forward remains underwhelmed by the Warriors‘ two-year, $45MM offer that includes a second-year team option (and a request that he waive his implicit no-trade clause).
With no guaranteed money beyond year one, a trade-friendly salary, and no ability for Kuminga to have any say in a mid-season trade destination, the structure of the proposal is too team-friendly for Kuminga’s liking, Slater explains. Sources tell ESPN that the 22-year-old’s priority has been to find a contract that positions him to be a long-term building block for either the Warriors or another club. A short-term deal that essentially sets him up to be traded runs counter to that goal.
Kuminga’s camp pitched a three-year, $82MM contract that the Warriors turned down, according to Slater, who adds that the forward has told people close to him that the idea of signing his one-year, $8MM qualifying offer and reaching unrestricted free agency in 2026 appeals more to him than accepting Golden State’s one-plus-one proposal.
Here are a few more rumors on some of the top unsigned free agents:
- Even though Al Horford has had to wait for resolution on the Kuminga situation and has mulled the idea of retirement, the Warriors seem to be operating as if the 39-year-old big man is a firm part of their plans for 2025/26, Slater writes. The idea would be to slot Horford in as their starting center to help reduce Draymond Green‘s regular season workload, according to Slater, though he notes that Horford’s minutes would have to be carefully managed as well.
- League sources consider the Kings to be the most likely landing spot for free agent point guard Russell Westbrook, ESPN’s Tim MacMahon reports within the same story. Multiple reports earlier this summer indicated that there may not be room in Sacramento’s backcourt for Westbrook unless the team were to trade Malik Monk or Devin Carter, but the former MVP is still being linked to the Kings even with those two guards still on the roster.
- The Sixers continue to project confidence that they’ll re-sign restricted free agent guard Quentin Grimes, says Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link). While it’s not out of the question that Grimes could accept his $8.7MM qualifying offer, Fischer believes the two sides will work out a more mutually beneficial deal that begins at a higher salary.
Knicks To Hire T.J. Saint As Assistant Coach
The Knicks will add another assistant to Mike Brown‘s coaching staff, according to Ian Begley of SNY.tv, who reports (via Twitter) that the team is hiring T.J. Saint.
Saint has spent the past several seasons with the Pelicans’ G League affiliate, which has been known as the Birmingham Squadron since 2021. He came aboard in 2019/20 when the team was the Erie BayHawks, then was promoted to associate head coach in 2020 and to head coach in 2022.
According to Begley, Saint is considered in NBA circles to be a “bright offensive mind.” As Begley observes, the Squadron had the G League’s No. 1 offense during the 2023/24 season.
Before his stint with New Orleans’ G League team, Saint spent one year as the director of basketball strategy at the University of Georgia (2018/19) and was the Pistons’ video coordinator for four seasons (2014-18).
Saint is one of a handful of coaching hires New York has made since bringing in Brown to replace former head coach Tom Thibodeau. New assistants Chris Jent and Brendan O’Connor are expected to run the offense and defense, respectively. The Knicks are also retaining several coaches from Tom Thibodeau‘s staff, including Rick Brunson and Maurice Cheeks, and are adding Charles Allen and Riccardo Fois, a pair of player development assistants who worked under Brown in Sacramento.
NBA To Announce Regular Season Schedule On Thursday
The NBA will unveil its full schedule for the 2025/26 regular season on Thursday (August 14), according to an announcement from the league (Twitter link).
The NBA typically leaks several marquee games during the week before its full schedule announcement, and that trend has continued this August.
Shams Charania of ESPN reported on Friday that the opening night schedule this fall will consist of Rockets at Thunder and Warriors at Lakers. He also confirmed the five Christmas Day games, which feature four Western Conference showdowns and just a single Eastern Conference matchup.
The league also indicated today that it will provide a sneak peek at a few more notable matchups on Tuesday during Good Morning America (ABC) and The Today Show (NBC). Those games announced on Tuesday will all be airing on ESPN/ABC or NBC/Peacock.
A year ago, the NBA also put out the full schedule for the Emirates NBA Cup a couple days before the rest of the regular season slate was revealed. It’s unclear if that’s the plan again this time around, but if so, that NBA Cup schedule should be released within the next 24-to-48 hours.
Cole Swider Signs With Anadolu Efes
August 11: Swider has officially signed with Anadolu Efes, per an announcement from the team (Twitter link).
August 8: Free agent forward Cole Swider is close to reaching a contract agreement with the Turkish club Anadolu Efes, reports NBA insider Marc Stein (Twitter link).
Swider, who went undrafted out of Syracuse in 2022, has played in the NBA in each of his first three professional seasons. He spent a year apiece with the Lakers and Heat on two-way deals, then had stints with the Pistons and Raptors in 2024/25.
Swider, 26, has seen limited action in the NBA, appearing in 35 total games and averaging just 8.5 minutes per night. He played regular NBA rotation minutes for the first time in Toronto last season, averaging 7.4 point and 3.1 rebounds in 19.5 minutes per game across eight outings for the Raptors.
The 6’8″ forward is known as an outside shooting threat. In 83 career G League games, he has knocked down an impressive 44.6% of his three-point attempts, having never made fewer than 42.9% in a single season. Swider showed off his three-point shot last month as a member of the Lakers’ Summer League team, converting 43.1% of his attempts in eight games at the California Classic and Las Vegas leagues.
Assuming Swider finalizes a deal with Anadolu Efes, he’ll be joining a club that features several former NBA players, including guards Shane Larkin and Rodrigue Beaubois, wing PJ Dozier, and big man Georgios Papagiannis. The Turkish club will also be coached in 2025/26 by Igor Kokoskov, a longtime NBA assistant who spent one year as the head coach in Phoenix in ’18/19.
Anadolu Efes went 20-14 in EuroLeague play this past season and posted a 19-7 record in Turkey’s Basketball Super League, but was eliminated by Panathinaikos in the EuroLeague playoffs and by Besiktas in the BSL semifinals.
Bulls Offered Giddey $80MM Deal At Start Of Free Agency
The Bulls made guard Josh Giddey a four-year contract offer worth $80MM when free agency began on June 30, league sources tell Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link).
Multiple reports dating back to last October have indicated that Giddey’s asking price is in the range of $30MM per year, so Chicago’s offer fell well short of that benchmark.
While the two sides have had nearly a month-and-a-half since free agency opened to try to bridge the gap, the Bulls have been “anchored” in the neighborhood of $20MM annually since making that initial offer, Fischer writes.
As a restricted free agent, Giddey can’t sign outright with another team, but he has drawn sign-and-trade interest from a handful of Eastern Conference teams, according to Fischer, who reiterates that the Warriors also have genuine interest in the 22-year-old, as he previously reported.
However, Fischer acknowledges that there doesn’t appear to be a “feasible pathway” to a trade that gets Giddey to Golden State, and the other teams with interest in the former sixth overall pick also haven’t made any headway. The Bulls have “messaged for some time” that they’re not looking to seriously engage in sign-and-trade discussions about Giddey, says Fischer.
Giddey got off to a slow start in his first season as a Bull after being acquired from Oklahoma City in exchange for Alex Caruso, but finished strong, particularly after the team traded Zach LaVine to Sacramento. Between the start of February and the end of the regular season, Giddey averaged 20.2 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 8.1 assists per game with a shooting line of .491/.451/.801 across 25 outings.
As we noted last week when we outlined the key dates and deadlines for restricted free agents, there are no deadlines on tap in August or September. RFAs have until October 1 to decide whether or not to accept their one-year qualifying offers (Giddey’s is worth $11.1MM), though that deadline can be pushed back if the team and player work out an agreement.
While it’s rare for so many top restricted free agents to remain unsigned this late in the offseason, it’s not uncommon for one or two RFA standoffs to extend well into the summer. A year ago, Isaac Okoro eventually re-signed with the Cavaliers on September 17; two years ago, P.J. Washington re-signed with the Hornets on August 29; three years ago, Collin Sexton and Jordan Nwora didn’t resolve their restricted free agencies until September.
Celtics Waiving Norris Potentially Clears Path For Amari Williams
The Celtics announced today that they’ve waived 6’10” stretch forward Miles Norris, who was on a two-way deal with the club. Norris played three games for Boston last season after playing the previous season in Turkey.
The move may have been made in order to sign rookie Amari Williams, whom the Celtics selected with the 46th pick in the 2025 draft, writes Souichi Terada of MassLive.
Williams has not yet been signed by the team in any capacity, and two of the team’s three two-way slots are occupied by Max Shulga and the recently-acquired RJ Luis. By waiving Norris, the team can slot Williams into its new two-way opening.
Williams, a 6’11” center out of Kentucky known for his passing ability, played 17.6 minutes per game for the Celtics’ Summer League team and averaged 6.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per contest.
Domantas Sabonis Talks Kings’ Offseason
Domantas Sabonis has experienced highs and lows during his tenure as a member of the Kings, and he says he’s excited about what the coming year could look like in the wake of some of the personnel additions made by general manager Scott Perry.
“I think Scott’s done a great job so far, and he’s trying to turn things around just like everyone else,” Sabonis said during his basketball camp in Roseville, as relayed by ABC 10’s Matt George (Twitter link).
He also hinted that there might be more to come.
“A lot has changed; a lot’s probably still gonna change, so we’re just gonna wait and see ’til training camp,” he said.
One area that Sabonis is encouraged by is the addition of Dennis Schröder. The Kings were missing a point guard after they traded De’Aaron Fox to the Spurs in a deal that sent Zach LaVine and Sidy Cissoko to Sacramento.
“Right now, we have a starting caliber point guard. Dennis is very talented,” Sabonis said.
Sabonis was also encouraged by the play of the young Kings at Summer League, and mentioned that he hosted Isaac Jones and rookie Maxime Raynaud in Napa Valley, working out and preparing for the season.
Sabonis has a strong relationship with Doug Christie, who went from interim head coach to head coach this summer, and is looking forward to their partnership continuing this season.
“He was in there with me those three summers, every day in the gym,” Sabonis said, with a smile on his face. “I’ve seen how hard he works, so for him to have this opportunity, the fans love him, he’s one of us here. So I think it’s going to be very exciting.”
When asked about the trade that sent fellow Lithuanian big man Jonas Valanciunas to Denver, Sabonis said, “We know where all these decisions come from. It’s sad to see a friend leave, but at the same time, you understand. I’m happy for him; he’s with the Nuggets now, the top team in the West, and all he wants to do is win. I know he’s happy.”
The star center believes that having a training camp will allow Christie to create a scheme that maximizes the interchange of skills between Sabonis, LaVine, and DeMar DeRozan.
Sabonis said that after his camp, his plan is to fly down to Los Angeles to work out with some Kings players, hinting that DeRozan would be one of the players present.
Celtics Sign Chris Boucher On One-Year Deal
August 10: Boucher has officially signed with the Celtics, according to a press release from the team.
August 5: The Celtics are signing free agent forward Chris Boucher on a one-year, minimum-salary contract, ESPN’s Shams Charania reports (via Twitter).
Boston opened up a frontcourt spot for Boucher by agreeing to trade Georges Niang to Utah on Tuesday. Boucher will compete for minutes at both the power forward and center spots for the Celtics, who have been busy shedding salary and revamping their roster throughout the offseason.
Save for one cameo appearance with Golden State in 2017/18, Boucher has spent his entire career with the Raptors. Boucher has played in Toronto for the past seven seasons, winning a title in 2019 and appearing in 406 games, primarily off the bench (23 total starts).
He has averaged 8.9 points and 5.1 rebounds in 17.7 minutes during his NBA career while shooting 48.8 percent overall and 33.9 percent beyond the three-point arc.
Boucher, 32, saw action in 50 games last season, averaging 10.0 points and 4.5 rebounds in 17.2 minutes. He didn’t appear in a game after Feb. 26 as the Raptors decided to essentially shut down the veteran big man and take a long look at their younger players.
Boucher was the last remaining player from the Raptors’ championship club. He holds the all-time franchise records as a reserve for points, rebounds, blocks, minutes and games played.
Toronto held Boucher’s Bird rights and reportedly was interested in re-signing him but that didn’t come to fruition. He’ll now join an Atlantic Division rival.
As an eight-year veteran, Boucher will earn $3,287,409 on his minimum-salary deal while the Celtics carry a cap hit of $2,296,274.
Stephen Curry: Championship Is ‘Only Thing I’m Playing For’
Stephen Curry knows that the Warriors will not enter next season as the championship favorites, but his aspirations remain firmly set on the title, writes Julian Ojeda of ClutchPoints.
“I truly believe we can be championship relevant,” Curry says. “We have a team that’s capable of achieving that level again… I think it’s realistic to build towards that.”
The 37-year-old has had a reflective summer, which has involved taking stock of what’s left to accomplish and how attainable those goals might be. In the end, it all comes back to one thing: a shot at adding a fifth ring to his collection.
The list of stars to lead their teams to five championships is an esteemed one, featuring players like Magic Johnson, Tim Duncan, and Kobe Bryant.
“I think for me that’s literally the only thing I’m playing for at this point,” Curry said.
The Warriors saw a great deal of success following their trade for Jimmy Butler, going 22-5 in games in which both Butler and Curry played. Curry averaged 24.5 points and 6.0 assists per game last season while shooting 39.7% from three and 93.3% from the free throw line.
The scoring rate was his lowest in a full year since 2014/15; however, once Butler joined the team, Curry averaged 27.3 PPG and made 40.8% of his three-point attempts for the rest of the regular season.
The Warriors beat the Rockets in seven games in the first round of the playoffs, but lost to the Timberwolves in five games in the second round after Curry got injured 13 minutes into Game 1.