Rockets’ Stone Talks KD, Whitmore, Green, Sheppard, Capela
Asked on Monday about the biggest factor that made the Rockets want to make a deal for Kevin Durant, general manager Rafael Stone offered a simple answer, per Danielle Lerner of The Houston Chronicle (subscription required).
“He’s Kevin Durant,” Stone said.
Stone went on to laud Durant’s shooting efficiency and prowess as a half-court scorer, suggesting that adding that dimension to the offense should make Houston a more well-rounded team. He’s also looking forward to seeing what the team’s young players learn from the 15-time All-Star.
“His work ethic is just awesome,” Stone said. “The speed at which he practices and kind of the intensity of which he practices is something that has made him great over the years, and it started when he was very young. And so of all the things that that I hope rubs off, that’s the main one.”
There was some uncertainty entering the offseason about how aggressive the Rockets would be in their pursuit of Durant, given that he’s entering his age-37 season and doesn’t necessarily fit the timeline of the club’s young core. Asked about that line of thinking, Stone suggested that Houston is no longer a “developmental” team and that he believes those young players are ready to win now.
“We were the No. 2 seed (in the West) last year, and I think a very legitimate one. And so we think we can contend now,” Stone said. “We lost a close series last year, and we thought we had a real chance of contending in the playoffs last year, and we hope to have a real chance of contending in the playoffs this year.”
Here’s more from the Rockets’ GM:
- The fact that Houston is no longer a “developmental” team is one reason why the front office felt like it made sense to move on from 2023 first-round pick Cam Whitmore, Stone explains. “We want to provide Cam with the opportunity to do in his career what we still believe he very much can do,” the GM said. “I think Cam is an insanely talented, really nice young man, and wanted to provide him an opportunity to go home and be in a situation where he could really play through mistakes in a way that we never could afford him, just in the iteration of the of the Rockets that he joined.”
- Including former No. 2 overall pick Jalen Green in the package for Durant was necessary due to salary-matching rules, but wasn’t easy, according to Stone. “Jalen is awesome. He did everything we asked,” Stone said. “He’s a wonderful combination of talent and work ethic, along with being just a great human being. And any time that you have the privilege to work with someone who is talented and works really hard and is really nice, you should value it. And so organizationally, we’ve valued him tremendously. So yeah, very hard.”
- Asked whether the Rockets still want to add more backcourt depth, Stone said the team will always be on the lookout for upgrades, but expressed skepticism that there are still meaningful moves on the way before the season begins (YouTube link). “I like our team as is,” he said. “… We’re hard-capped at the first apron and we have no space left, so I think very likely we’ll enter the season looking very similar to the way we look now. It’s pretty hard not to.”
- One reason the Rockets are comfortable with their current guards is a belief that 2024’s No. 3 overall pick Reed Sheppard is ready to take on a larger role. “Reed’s just going to have to be really good for us, period,” Stone said (YouTube link).
- Stone confirmed that the free agency addition of Clint Capela signals the Rockets’ willingness to lean on two-big lineups more in 2025/26 (YouTube link). “We loved that lineup once we discovered it last year. We thought it was really, really effective for us,” he said. “Also, Clint just adds something we don’t have in terms of being a center who can move a little bit easier on the perimeter, also as a lob threat. Finally, we just think depth is super-important. As we’re trying to make it through the season, we don’t want there to be huge drop-offs. We did not anticipate going into free agency that we would be able to get Clint, but we were ecstatic when that materialized.”
Contract Details: Turner, Robinson, Mitchell, NAW, Kyrie, Jones
Myles Turner‘s new four-year contract with the Bucks came in a little higher than expected, as cap expert Yossi Gozlan notes (via Twitter).
Using the cap room left over after waiving and Damian Lillard and buying out Vasilije Micic (via the stretch provision), Milwaukee was able to give Turner a starting salary of $25,318,251. With annual 5% raises, his deal is worth a total of approximately $108.87MM. As previously reported, the contract also includes a fourth-year player option and a 15% trade kicker.
Here are a few more details on contracts officially signed around the NBA in recent days:
- Using Simone Fontecchio‘s outgoing salary ($8,307,692) and the expanded traded player exception ($8,527,000), the Pistons were able to take back a maximum of $16,834,692 in incoming salary. Not coincidentally, that’s exactly the starting salary that Duncan Robinson got on his new deal with Detroit via sign-and-trade (Twitter link via Gozlan). Robinson’s three-year deal has a declining structure and offers few guarantees after the first year — just $2MM of his $15.99MM salary in 2026/27 is guaranteed, and his entire $15.15MM salary for ’27/28 is non-guaranteed.
- Ajay Mitchell‘s new three-year deal with the Thunder came in a little lower than expected, at $8.7MM, tweets Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. It includes a fully guaranteed $3MM salary for 2025/26, replacing the team option Oklahoma City turned down that was worth the same amount. His $2.85MM salary for ’26/27 is partially guaranteed for $1.5MM, while ’27/28 is a $2.85MM team option.
- Reported to be worth $62MM over four years, Nickeil Alexander-Walker‘s new contract with the Hawks came in at $60,647,200, Hoops Rumors has confirmed. It includes a fourth-year player option and a 7.5% trade kicker. It also declines in year two (from $15,161,800 to $14,403,710) before ascending again in year three ($15,161,800) and four ($15,919,890).
- The three-year deal between Kyrie Irving and the Mavericks is worth $118,473,846, with a third-year player option and a 15% trade kicker, Hoops Rumors has confirmed. It starts at $36,566,002, with annual 8% raises.
- Tre Jones‘ three-year, $24MM contract with the Bulls has a flat structure, with annual cap hits of $8MM, and a third-year team option, Hoops Rumors has confirmed.
Grizzlies’ Cedric Coward Signs Rookie Scale Contract
The Grizzlies have signed former Washington State forward Cedric Coward to his rookie scale contract, according to the official NBA.com transaction log.
Coward played just six games for the Cougars in 2024/25 before suffering a shoulder injury that sidelined him for the remainder of his senior season. He averaged 17.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.7 blocks per game while shooting 55.7% from the floor and 40.0% on three-pointers during his abridged stint with the Cougars.
Before transferring to Washington State, the 6’6″ wing played two years at Eastern Washington, averaging 11.3 PPG and 6.1 RPG in 66 games. He spent his freshman season at Willamette University in Oregon.
After acquiring the 16th overall pick in their Desmond Bane trade with Orlando, the Grizzlies used a future first-rounder to move up five more spots on draft night to snag Coward with the No. 11 overall pick.
Coward is considered doubtful to play in Summer League this month as he continues to recover from that shoulder injury that cost him most of ’24/25, but he’s expected to be ready for training camp.
As our rookie scale breakdown shows, the Grizzlies rookie figures to earn a first-year salary of $5.7MM and a four-year total of $26.3MM.
Of this year’s 30 first-round picks, 29 have now signed their rookie scale contracts. No. 22 overall pick Drake Powell, whose trade to Brooklyn was just finalized on Monday, figures to make it a perfect 30 for 30 very soon.
Pistons Sign Second-Round Pick Chaz Lanier
10:20 pm: Lanier signed a four-year, $8.8MM contract that is guaranteed for the first two seasons, with a non-guaranteed third year and a fourth-team option, Hoops Rumors has learned.
4:46 pm: The Pistons have signed their second-round pick, guard Chaz Lanier, according to a team press release.
Lanier was chosen with the 37th overall pick. Detroit didn’t have a first-round selection.
While terms have yet to be revealed, Lanier will join the 15-man roster, according to Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press. That means he signed a standard contract, rather than a two-way deal.
Lanier averaged 18.0 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.1 assists per contest while shooting 43.1% from the field and 39.5% from three-point range across 38 games for Tennessee last season. Named the 2024/25 Jerry West Award winner, given annually to the nation’s best shooting guard, Lanier finished his five-year collegiate career shooting 40.2% on three-pointers after playing his first four seasons for the University of North Florida.
Lanier is set to compete for the Pistons on their Summer League team in Las Vegas.
Pacers Sign James Wiseman
10:00 pm: Wiseman signed a two-year, minimum-salary contract with a partial guarantee and a second-year team option, according to Tony East of Locked on Pacers (Twitter link). It’s a similar structure to the deal the big man received from the team last offseason.
2:31 pm: The Pacers have brought back free agent center James Wiseman, the team confirmed in a press release. President of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard had told reporters earlier in the day that a new deal with Wiseman was in the works.
The No. 2 overall pick in the 2020 draft, Wiseman signed with the Pacers as a free agent a year ago after playing for Golden State and Detroit in his first four NBA seasons. The big man impressed Indiana in the preseason and appeared to have the edge for the backup center role behind Myles Turner, but tore his left Achilles in the club’s regular season opener.
Wiseman has dealt with several injuries in his young career, including missing the entire 2021/22 season following knee surgery. Over the course of five years, the 24-year-old has appeared in 148 total games (55 starts), averaging 9.1 points and 5.6 rebounds in 18.9 minutes per contest.
As Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files tweets, Pritchard said on Monday that Wiseman will get an opportunity to compete in Indiana’s new Turner-less frontcourt alongside Jay Huff, Tony Bradley, and restricted free agent Isaiah Jackson, who is considered likely to re-sign.
It’s unclear whether or not Wiseman’s salary will be guaranteed or if he’s assured of a regular season roster spot — it’s possible he’ll be vying for a 15-man spot with Bradley, whose salary is non-guaranteed. Still, Pritchard spoke enthusiastically today about Wiseman.
“We saw a lot of potential in him in the preseason and going up until his injury,” Pritchard said, per Matthew Glenesk and Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star. “Very long. Very athletic. Becoming a better shooter. I think he’s getting to that point where his injury is allowing him to get on the court and — not full, but do a lot. I think (assistant coach) Jim Boylen has done a great job with him and Isaiah quite frankly, in this shortened summer and they’ll continue to work. You don’t replace Myles but a combination of those players, we’re going to have to rely on.”
Bucks Push Back Guarantee Date On Andre Jackson’s Contract
The Bucks and guard Andre Jackson Jr. have agreed to push back the guarantee date on Jackson’s contract for the 2025/26 season, Eric Nehm of The Athletic reports.
Milwaukee previously had until Monday to make that decision. Jackson got a de facto bonus for agreeing to move back the date — a portion of his $2,221,677 salary is now guaranteed, per Nehm. The new guarantee date and the amount of Jackson’s partial guarantee have not yet been disclosed.
The Bucks benefit by gaining more flexibility as they attempt to fill out the rest of their roster.
It would be somewhat surprising if Milwaukee let Jackson go. The 2023 second-round selection out of UConn appeared in 67 games last season, including 43 starts. He didn’t shoot much — 2.9 attempts per game — and made 47.7 percent of his attempts while averaging 3.4 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 14.6 minutes per game.
Jackson is capable at backing up at both guard spots and small forward. He’s signed through the 2026/27 season with the final year of the deal including a club option.
Clippers Sign First-Rounder Yanic Konan Niederhauser
The Clippers have signed center Yanic Konan Niederhauser to a rookie scale contract, according to the NBA transactions log.
Niederhauser was the 30th and final first-round selection in last month’s draft. As our rookie scale salary table shows, he’ll make $14,091,596 over the next four seasons with a starting salary of $2,743,800, assuming he received the maximum allowable 120% of his rookie scale amount. The third and fourth year of rookie contracts include team options.
Niederhauser played one season at Penn State after two seasons at Northern Illinois. With the Nittany Lions, he averaged 12.9 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.3 blocks in 25.1 minutes per game while making 29 starts.
Niederhauser improved his draft stock this spring by shining during the pre-draft process, particularly at the G League Elite Camp — his performance there earned him an invitation to the full-fledged combine.
The 6’10” rookie projects as L.A.’s third-string center entering camp behind starter Ivica Zubac and free agent addition Brook Lopez. He’s on the team’s Summer League roster.
NBA Transactions Becoming Official: July 7, 2025
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 Monday in the space below. We did the same in a separate article on Sunday.
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 knew about before today if they’ve now been formally completed. In other words, if news of a deal breaks for the first time on Monday and is also finalized today (such as the three-team trade involving the Heat, Clippers, and Jazz), we won’t include it here.
These lists will be in chronological order, so we’ll add the most recent items to the bottom throughout the day.
Trades:
- Hawks, Celtics, Nets complete three-team trade involving Kristaps Porzingis, Terance Mann, Georges Niang, and Drake Powell (story).
- Celtics trade Jrue Holiday to Trail Blazers for Anfernee Simons (new story).
- Update: The Celtics didn’t end up receive two second-round picks along with Simons due to minor concerns about Holiday’s physical from Portland’s end.
- Heat sign-and-trade Duncan Robinson to Pistons for Simone Fontecchio (story).
- Pistons sign-and-trade Dennis Schröder to Kings (story).
- Update: The Kings also acquired a 2029 second-round pick, while the Pistons acquired a top-55 protected 2026 second-round pick.
Free agent signings:
- Rockets sign Dorian Finney-Smith to four-year contract (story).
- Update: Finney-Smith’s contract includes a non-guaranteed third year and a non-guaranteed player option, tweets Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.
- Rockets re-sign Fred VanVleet to two-year contract (story).
- Timberwolves re-sign Joe Ingles to one-year contract (story).
- Magic re-sign Moritz Wagner to one-year contract (story).
- Bucks re-sign Bobby Portis to three-year contract (story).
- Bucks sign Myles Turner to four-year contract (story).
- Spurs sign Luke Kornet to four-year contract (story).
- Update: Kornet’s contract includes a partially guaranteed third year and a fourth-year team option, tweets Fred Katz of The Athletic.
- Celtics sign Josh Minott to two-year contract (story).
- Celtics sign Luka Garza to two-year contract (story).
- Knicks sign Jordan Clarkson to one-year contract (story).
- Bucks re-sign Kevin Porter Jr. to two-year contract (story).
- Heat re-sign Davion Mitchell to two-year contract (story).
- Jazz sign RJ Luis to two-way contract (story).
- Pelicans sign Kevon Looney to two-year contract (story).
- Update: Looney’s contract includes a second-year team option, tweets Scotto.
Cuts:
- Bucks waive-and-stretch Damian Lillard and buy out Vasilije Micic (new story).
- Update: Micic gave up $6.1MM in his buyout agreement.
Isaiah Stevens Signs Two-Way With Kings
July 8: Stevens’ two-way deal with Sacramento is official, per NBA.com’s transaction log. According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, it’s a two-year contract.
July 7: Isaiah Stevens will sign a two-way deal with the Kings, according to Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee and Sean Cunningham of KRCA News (Twitter links).
Stevens finished the season on a two-way with the Heat but didn’t receive a qualifying offer, which landed him in the unrestricted free agent pool.
Stevens, 24, appeared in three games with Miami last season. The point guard saw action in 33 regular season G League games with the Sioux Falls Skyforce, the Heat’s affiliate, and averaged 12.8 and 9.4 assists in 36.9 minutes per contest.
The six-foot Stevens, who went undrafted out of Colorado State, signed his two-way with Miami in late December.
Former Auburn center Dylan Cardwell signed one of the other two-ways from Sacramento. The third one remains unclaimed for the time being.
Magic Sign Paolo Banchero To Five-Year Max Extension
7:04 pm: Banchero’s five-year, maximum-salary extension is official, the Magic announced in a press release (Twitter link).
“We are thrilled to keep Paolo in a Magic uniform for years to come,” Magic president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman said in a statement. “At just 22, he has won NBA Rookie of the Year, been named an NBA All-Star and is widely regarded as one of our league’s brightest young stars.
“This commitment reflects our belief in Paolo’s talent, character and desire to win at the highest level. It also reflects Paolo’s belief in our organization, our fans and the city of Orlando. We are excited to continue this journey together.”
5:31 pm: Magic star forward Paolo Banchero has agreed to a five-year maximum rookie scale contract extension that be worth as much as $288MM, ESPN’s Shams Charania tweets.
The contract will include a player option in the final year, the first time that’s happened in a rookie scale maximum-salary extension since 2021, when Luka Doncic and Trae Young each received one.
As cap expert Yossi Gozlan points out (Twitter link), the extension is technically worth a projected $240MM but it could rise another $48MM if Banchero meets the Rose Rule performance criteria, which includes making an All-NBA team or winning the Most Valuable Player Award.
The salary projections are based on a 7% cap increase for 2026/27.
Banchero will now be signed through at least 2030, with a ’30/31 player option. The five-year extensions for Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs kick in this coming season and recently acquired Desmond Bane has a contract that runs through the 2028/29 season. That means that four members of the starting lineup are signed for at least the next four seasons.
Orlando’s decision to make Banchero the top pick of 2022 draft was somewhat surprising at the time, but he has lived up to that billing. He was the Rookie of the Year in 2023 and an All-Star in 2024.
An early-season oblique injury marred Banchero’s third NBA season, but he still averaged 25.9 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game in 46 starts. The 22-year-old has averaged 28 points per game in 12 postseason contests over the past two seasons.
Back in May, Banchero told Marc J. Spears of ESPN he wasn’t sure if he’d sign an extension but was hopeful it would come to fruition.
“I was in over my head when I signed my rookie (contract). So, I really haven’t thought much about that. … But it’s a blessing and hopefully all that stuff works out if I’m able to sign with the team and lock in my future,” he said. “That’s every young player’s goal coming into this league, establishing yourself early, get a second contract. So, when (the) time comes, I’m sure all that stuff we can figure out. I don’t know. They say more money, more problems. So, we’ll see what happens.”