Nets Notes: Fab Five, Durant, Thomas, Wolf
The Nets made the unprecedented move of drafting five rookies in the first round. Could they have their own version of the ‘Fab Five,’ the celebrated all-freshman lineup for the University of Michigan in the early ’90s?
“We’re gonna have to prove ourselves,” said Danny Wolf, who played for Michigan last season. “The Fab Five arguably is one of the best college teams of all time, so if we can consider ourselves the Fab Five of the NBA at some point in time, that would be pretty cool. But I’ll leave it up to you guys [in the media] to give us a nickname.”
The highest of those draft picks was the No. 8 selection, BYU guard Egor Demin.
“This is special,” Demin said, per Peter Botte of the New York Post. “Obviously no other team ever did the same thing in the draft. I think for me and the other guys it’s important to be really as close as we can be to each other, not just to compete, which obviously is a big part of it, but also to learn from each other on the court and off the court and learn from the older guys on the team and try to find ways to be together and play together as fast as we can.”
Here’s more on the Nets:
- Has time made Kevin Durant more wistful about his days with the Nets? Durant and former coach Steve Nash discussed their Brooklyn experiences during LeBron James‘ ‘Mind the Game’ podcast (hat tip to Collin Helwig of Nets Daily). “I felt like we had great intentions. I felt like we cared enough. I feel like every day we were trying to push towards winning the champ. It was a great vibe in there. Some of the best times,” KD said. “That first year? That’s why I signed that deal. That first year, man, most fun ball I had. Some of the most fun ball I had playing my whole life. I enjoyed it. I enjoyed Brooklyn a lot. I love playing for Brooklyn, but it’s just so much stuff happened around the guys that were committed to the situation. It felt like we were committed, but everybody else wasn’t.”
- The Nets made a number of their offseason moves official on Tuesday but there’s still no resolution on Cam Thomas, who remains a restricted free agent. There have been no rumblings regarding another team preparing an offer sheet for him and the Nets apparently don’t want to overpay to keep him, according to Nets Daily. In an interview with Connor Long on the ‘Brooklyn Boys’ podcast, ESPN’s Tim MacMahon suggested the Nets might be playing hardball with Thomas. “I would say Cam Thomas wants to be paid and apparently the Nets aren’t eager to pay him.”
- With his offensive skills, Wolf plays like a guard in a center’s body. Wolf slipped to the No. 27 pick and might be a steal. “Danny, we talked about the high IQ and a skill set that’s very unique for a person his size,” GM Sean Marks said, per Brian Lewis of The New York Post (subscriber link). “So, to see him out there, other teams continue trying to figure out, well, ‘How do we stop him? Who do we guard him with? What system do we put around him?’ And that’s a unique problem to have, right?”
Wizards Trade Kelly Olynyk To Spurs
July 9: The trade is official, according to announcements from the Spurs and Wizards (Twitter link).
July 8: The Wizards and Spurs have agreed to a trade that will send big man Kelly Olynyk to San Antonio, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).
According to Charania, in return for Olynyk, Washington will acquire former first-rounders Malaki Branham and Blake Wesley, along with a 2026 second-round pick. That pick will be the last favorable of Dallas’, Philadelphia’s, and Oklahoma City’s second-rounders.
Olynyk, 34, spent last season with the Raptors and Pelicans. He was limited to 44 games (22 starts) for health reasons, but was solid when he played, averaging 8.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.9 assists in 20.3 minutes per game, with a strong shooting line of .500/.418/.769.
A forward/center who can stretch the floor (.371 career 3PT%), Olynyk will become part of a Spurs frontcourt led by Victor Wembanyama. San Antonio will also be incorporating another new center, Luke Kornet, who finalized a four-year, $40.7MM deal with the team earlier this week.
Olynyk was just traded two days ago from New Orleans to Washington in the three-team deal that included CJ McCollum and Jordan Poole, but he clearly wasn’t part of the Wizards’ long-term plans. He can be flipped immediately because his salary isn’t being aggregated with another player’s salary as part of this trade.
Branham and Wesley – who were drafted 20th and 25th, respectively, in 2022 – didn’t establish themselves as reliable rotation players during their three years in San Antonio, as their playing time declined each season. Still, they’re both just 22 years old, and Branham has shown some promise as a shooter (.405 3PT% last season), while Wesley has shown he’s a stout on-ball defender.
It’s unclear whether the duo will get a shot to make the team and earn rotation spots in Washington or whether the Wizards made the deal primarily for the second-round pick and the cap savings.
Olynyk is on an expiring $13.45MM contract in 2025/26, while Branham ($4.96MM) and Wesley ($4.72MM) will earn less than $10MM total in the final year of their rookie deals. By taking Branham and Wesley into an existing trade exception, Washington will also be able to create a trade exception worth Olynyk’s $13.45MM salary.
The Wizards have a growing roster crunch they’ll have to address at some point in the coming weeks or months. As a result of this trade, they’ll have 15 players on guaranteed salaries, and that total doesn’t include Richaun Holmes (small partial guarantee), Justin Champagnie (non-guaranteed), or Anthony Gill, who is considered a strong candidate to re-sign with the club.
The Spurs, conversely, will have just 12 players under contract once the trade is official and will have plenty of flexibility below the luxury tax line to fill out the three openings on the standard 15-man roster.
Atlantic Notes: R. Brunson, Celtics, Edgecombe, Edwards
Rick Brunson, Jalen Brunson‘s father, will remain on the Knicks‘ coaching staff but he’ll have a reduced role under new coach Mike Brown, Stefan Bondy of the New York Post reports.
Brunson has been on the staff of 2022, the same year that Jalen Brunson joined the Knicks as a free agent. He was Tom Thibodeau‘s top assistant last season, but Brown will hire his own associate head coach.
Darren Erman, Maurice Cheeks and Mark Bryant, who were also members of Thibodeau’s staff, are also expected to return under Brown, Bondy confirms.
We have more from the Atlantic Division:
- Offering transparency regarding the team’s offseason moves, Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens admitted the trades he’s made — including deals involving Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis — were designed to get the team under the second tax apron. “We’ve known for a long time that hard decisions were coming,” Stevens said, per Kyle Hightower of The Associated Press. “The second apron is why those trades happened. I think that is pretty obvious. And the basketball penalties associated with those are real. … So that was part of making the decision to push and put our chips on the table and go for the last two years.” However, he won’t call next season a rebuilding year. “That’s not going to be part of the lexicon in our building, and that’s the way we’re going to focus moving forward,” he said.
- It didn’t take long for the snake-bit Sixers to deal with another injury, though this one is minor. Lottery pick VJ Edgecombe is dealing with a left thumb contusion, which is affecting his Summer League status, Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports tweets.
- Sixers forward Justin Edwards earned a new three-year contract after going undrafted last year. Edwards is proud of what he’s accomplished. “Going undrafted, I didn’t let it determine the rest of my basketball life,” Edwards told Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. “I just worked hard and did what I was able to do and got a contract out of it.”
Heat’s Larsson, Johnson Headline All-California Classic Team
A pair of players from the Heat‘s 15-man standard roster earned spots on the All-California Classic Summer League team after the four-team event wrapped up on Tuesday night, with second-year wings Pelle Larsson and Keshad Johnson both making the cut (Twitter link).
The full five-man team of California Classic standouts is as follows:
- Pelle Larsson (Heat): 16.5 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 2.0 APG, +17 (two games)
- Keshad Johnson (Heat): 12.0 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 2.5 BPG, .563 FG% (two games)
- David Jones-Garcia (Spurs): 22.7 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 2.7 APG, 1.3 SPG, .471 3PT% (three games)
- Jackson Rowe (Warriors): 9.3 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 2.0 SPG, 1.7 APG, 1.3 BPG, .579 FG% (three games)
- Cole Swider (Lakers): 19.7 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 1.3 BPG, .455 3PT% (three games)
The Heat and Lakers each went 2-1 at the four-day, round-robin tournament, with the Spurs and Warriors posting 1-2 records.
While both Larsson and Johnson are on standard contracts in Miami, Rowe is on a two-way deal with Golden State and Jones-Garcia and Swider don’t currently have contracts in place with their NBA teams beyond the Summer League.
The California Classic, which took place at the Chase Center in San Francisco, is a prelude to the NBA’s main Summer League event in Las Vegas — all 30 teams, including the Heat, Lakers, Spurs, and Warriors, will compete in the Vegas Summer League, which tips off on Thursday.
Alex Ducas To Sign With NBL’s Brisbane Bullets
Former two-way Thunder guard and NBA champion Alex Ducas is heading overseas at the conclusion of Summer League, as he’ll sign a one-year contract with the Brisbane Bullets of Australia’s National Basketball League, according to ESPN’s Olgun Uluc.
Ducas appeared in 21 games last season for the Thunder on a two-way contract, totaling 36 points in 125 minutes. Oklahoma City signed Ducas last offseason after he went undrafted following five seasons at Saint Mary’s, where he averaged 9.0 points per game and made 40.6% of his three-pointers over his collegiate career.
The 6’6″ guard is with the Thunder this month, but received a DNP in Tuesday’s final game of the Salt Lake City Summer League.
The Thunder have 2025 draftee and former Northwestern guard Brooks Barnhizer currently on a two-way deal and they reportedly agreed to one with Branden Carlson. That would leave Oklahoma City with one two-way contract to fill, although players can be swapped at any time.
The only remaining free agent from the Thunder’s championship-winning team is Adam Flagler, who spent last season on a two-way contract himself.
Tyus Jones Talks Signing With Magic
The Magic prioritized adding high-level shooting and play-making to complement their core of young and talented players this offseason. They accomplished the first part of that plan in their blockbuster trad for Desmond Bane, then added more play-making by signing Tyus Jones, who spent last season with the Suns.
According to Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel (subscriber link), the Magic are thrilled to add a high-character and talented individual for a team looking to contend. Jones explained why Orlando was such a strong fit for him in free agency.
“Everything’s on the up-and-up,” Jones said. “They’re continuing to get better each and every day. Playing against them year in and year out, you see the camaraderie the team has, the togetherness the team has, you see how coach (Jamahl) Mosley coaches them and how they play hard for him … You want to be a part of those types of situations, so I’m excited to be here.”
While his lone season in Phoenix didn’t play out quite like he’d hoped, Jones averaged 10.2 points and 5.3 assists per game while appearing in 81 games (58 starts) with the Suns. He also knocked down 41.4% of his three-pointers for a second straight season and continued to take care of the ball better than virtually any other point guard in the NBA — his 1.1 turnovers per game were a career high.
“I feel like I play the game the right way, trying to be unselfish, trying to set that tone, that brand of basketball — which (the Magic) already play extremely unselfishly and together,” Jones said. “So, that should be a perfect match.”
Other teams were in the mix for Jones, per Beede, but Orlando was happy to land the 10-year pro after having expressed interest in him in the past.
“The talent’s through the roof,” Jones said. “This team has everything you need to win a championship, honestly. For me, they’re making my job easy, not trying to over-complicate it. All of the pieces are going to flow together and I’m excited to see it all come together.”
Mavericks Sign Matthew Cleveland, Moussa Cisse
The Mavericks have officially signed guard/forward Matthew Cleveland and center Moussa Cisse, the team announced today in a press release (Twitter link). Both players went undrafted in June.
While the terms of their deals weren’t disclosed, Cleveland and Cisse almost certainly signed Exhibit 10 contracts. In fact, Cisse’s Exhibit 10 agreement was reported last month, shortly after the draft ended.
Exhibit 10 contracts are non-guaranteed minimum-salary deals that entitle players to bonuses worth up to $85,300 if they’re waived before the regular season and spend at least 60 days with their team’s G league affiliate. They can also be converted to two-way deals before the regular season begins, and Cisse, at least, is expected to have the opportunity to compete for a two-way spot in Dallas.
Cleveland played his last two college seasons at Miami after spending his first two years at Florida State. In 2024/25, he averaged 17.6 points and 4.4 rebounds per game with a .511/.382/.776 shooting line in 29 outings for the Hurricanes.
Cisse, meanwhile, started and ended his college career at Memphis, sandwiching stints with Oklahoma State and Ole Miss. The Guinean big man blocked 1.7 shots per game in 150 career college contests despite averaging fewer than 20 minutes per game.
Jazz Notes: Bailey, Cooper, Luis, Rebuild, Sensabaugh
Jazz No. 5 overall pick Ace Bailey has impressed the organization with his energy in his first summer league outings, ESPN’s Tim MacMahon writes. Bailey sealed the Jazz’s victory on Saturday with a free throw and showcased physicality and impressive defensive effort in the game.
“All that stuff isn’t talked about enough,” coach Will Hardy said of Bailey’s willingness to defend and rebound. “The offense will come. He’s learning a new system and new people and has been worked hard the last four days [in practice]. He’s an NBA body and athlete. He’s a great teammate too. I’ve had nothing but positive reviews from all the coaches and his teammates this first week.”
In other news, the Jazz planned to have Omar Cooper Jr., the son of Bailey’s advisor (and Sharife Cooper‘s twin brother), serve as a guest coach during Summer League. However, after the league office contacted Utah to raise concerns, that’s no longer happening, according to MacMahon.
We have more notes from the Jazz:
- Although there was outside noise about whether or not he wanted to be in Utah, Bailey told The Athletic’s Tony Jones that he’s focused on being the best player he can be for Utah. “Of course, you have to be aware of the business side of basketball,” Bailey said. “But I didn’t ask for all of this to come with it. I just want to hoop. I want to keep the main thing the main thing and stay focused. During pre-draft, I was surrounded by family and love. I’m big on family and loyalty. They were there for me even before I was Ace Bailey.”
- Two-way signee RJ Luis‘ contract covers two years with Utah, according to HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto (Twitter link). Luis averaged 18.2 points and 7.2 rebounds per game for St. John’s last season but went undrafted in June.
- By sending out assets or taking back modest returns — or nothing at all — for the trifecta of Collin Sexton, John Collins, and Jordan Clarkson, the Jazz are signaling that they’re resetting the franchise’s foundation, writes Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune (subscriber link). When they traded away Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert in 2022, the Jazz initially envisioned a two- or three-year rebuild and viewed players like Sexton, Collins, and Clarkson as potential contributors on Utah’s next competitive team, Larsen explains. By trading those players and drafting Bailey and Walter Clayton Jr., new team president Austin Ainge has completed the club’s teardown and fully committed to the rebuild.
- Brice Sensabaugh looked like the best player on the floor in the Jazz’s second Summer League game and his improvement on the defensive end is certainly notable, Larsen writes in another Salt Lake Tribune story. While Sensabaugh still playing Summer League games heading into his third year could be looked at as a disappointment, Larsen points out that such a move paid dividends for Walker Kessler.
Central Notes: Pistons, Ivey, Nance, Nesmith, Mathurin
Speaking on Tuesday to reporters, including Keith Langlois of Pistons.com, Pistons president of basketball operations Trajan Langdon spoke about the size and shooting that Duncan Robinson will bring to the team and lauded Caris LeVert for his defensive versatility, ball-handling, and “unselfish brand of basketball.” He also pointed out that both newcomers have plenty of postseason experience.
However, Langdon also made it clear that the additions of Robinson and LeVert aren’t the only reasons why he’s enthusiastic about his team’s potential in 2025/26.
“I think the one thing that does get lost in all of this, to be honest with you, is (Jaden Ivey‘s) return,” Langdon said. “A lot of people are saying, who are you filling with these guys that are exiting. I say, well, we have a pretty good free agent pickup in J.I., so I think he’s going to fill a lot of those point guard roles and play-making roles.”
In addition to getting Ivey back, the Pistons also expect young cornerstones like Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren to continue improving.
“We have a chance to compete next year,” Langdon said. “The main thing for us is continuing to let these young guys develop and they’re in the gym working their butt off. Like I said from initially in the summer, if they get better, we’re going to be better. So it was finding pieces to complement our young players and their growth and ability to reach their potential. I think with our two additions, we got bigger and we want to continue to put them around guys who can play-make. That’s going to continue to help Cade grow and develop.”
Here’s more from around the Central:
- After the Pistons generated a $14.1MM traded player exception in their sign-and-trade deal sending Dennis Schröder to Sacramento, Hunter Patterson of The Athletic considers what sort of players it might make sense to target using that TPE. Herb Jones, Goga Bitadze, and Brandon Clarke are among the names he suggests.
- A member of the Cavaliers from 2018-21, Larry Nance Jr. has remained close with the organization since then and spent his summers in Cleveland in the years, writes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (subscription required). That’s one reason why it came as no surprise that the Ohio native signed a deal to return to the Cavs this offseason. “It just made too much sense, you know? I knew I would (be back one day). I didn’t know when,” Nance said. “… This is a team that’s really got a chance to win it all. And that’s the goal. That’s why I came back, and that’s what we’re going to do this year.”
- Aaron Nesmith and Bennedict Mathurin will be extension-eligible ahead of the start of the 2025/26 regular season and the Pacers plan to discuss new deals for them, but president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard is preaching patience, per Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star. “Can I just have like 24 hours please?” Pritchard said when asked on Monday about potential Mathurin and Nesmith extensions. “Literally, guys, we went straight from the Finals to the draft to free agency to Summer League. … We’ll look at all those kinds of things. But I think that’s a little premature. We have all summer and up until next year to do those.” Dopirak views Nesmith (who will be extension-eligible starting in October) as a no-brainer candidate for a new contract but acknowledges that Mathurin’s situation is a little more complicated.
Clippers Reportedly Favorites To Land Bradley Beal
Assuming he reaches a buyout with the Suns – which appears to be a matter of when, not if – the Clippers are viewed as the frontrunners to sign Bradley Beal, league sources tell Law Murray, Dan Woike and Fred Katz of The Athletic.
Kurt Helin of NBC Sports previously reported that the Clippers were considered the favorites to land the three-time All-Star if he hits the open market.
According to The Athletic, Beal knows he likely won’t be able to immediately make back the money he gives up in a buyout — if the Suns want to use the stretch provision to spread his remaining salary across five seasons instead of two, he’ll have to forfeit a minimum of $13.8MM due to a CBA rule.
Murray, Woike, and Katz suggest the 32-year-old might sign a two-year deal with Los Angeles that includes a player option for 2026/27 so that he’d have the option of returning to the open market in a year.
The Clippers recently traded Norman Powell after reportedly being reluctant to offer him a long-term deal, and then waived Jordan Miller today. Both moves were viewed as precursors to signing Beal, with the trade of Powell opening up a spot on the depth chart while the release of Miller creates a little extra cap flexibility.
The Clippers used $8.75MM of their non-taxpayer mid-level exception to sign Brook Lopez, but still have about $5.35MM of MLE money left that they could offer Beal while still maintaining enough room below their first-apron hard cap to fill out the roster.
In addition to the Clippers, Beal has also been considering the Lakers, Warriors, and Bucks, league sources tell The Athletic. The Timberwolves have also been cited as a team with interest in the three-time All-Star, but The Athletic’s report doesn’t confirm that interest is being reciprocated.
Luke Adams contributed to this story.