Scotto’s Latest: Rollins, Hornets, Bucks, Ayton, Valanciunas
After having his qualifying offer withdrawn by the Bucks earlier this week, free agent guard Ryan Rollins is drawing interest from a handful of teams around the NBA, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, who says the Suns, Trail Blazers, Spurs, and Lakers are among the clubs with Rollins on their radar.
A reunion with Milwaukee also hasn’t been ruled out either, Scotto reports. Even after rescinding his qualifying offer and making him an unrestricted free agent, the Bucks are in position to hang onto Rollins’ Early Bird rights, which would allow them to go over the cap to re-sign him after they use up all their room.
Portland still has its $14.1MM non-taxpayer mid-level exception available, while San Antonio and Los Angeles have the $5.1MM bi-annual exception on hand, Scotto writes. However, the Suns could only offer more than a minimum-salary deal if they shed salary — perhaps via a Bradley Beal buyout agreement.
Rollins had a modest breakout year this past season, registering averages of 6.2 points, 1.9 assists, and 1.9 rebounds in 14.6 minutes per game, along with a shooting line of .487/.408/.800. He had only made 25 appearances across two NBA seasons prior to 2024/25.
Here’s more from Scotto:
- Examining the Hornets‘ roster crunch, Scotto identifies Josh Okogie and DaQuan Jeffries – who are on non-guaranteed contracts – as candidates to be waived if no trade opportunities involving them arise. Executives who spoke to HoopsHype also view former first-round pick Nick Smith Jr. as a player who could be traded. That applies to veterans on expiring contracts like Pat Connaughton and Collin Sexton as well.
- Before he agreed to re-sign with the Hornets, point guard Tre Mann received interest from the Bucks, Scotto reports. Milwaukee is in the market for additional point guard depth after losing Damian Lillard to an Achilles tear and subsequently planning to waive him.
- Echoing reporting from ESPN’s Shams Charania, Scotto says that teams who reached out to Trail Blazers officials for feedback on Deandre Ayton got positive reviews on the big man, who was a “community staple in Portland and hosted many team bonding events.” Reporting from The Athletic had suggested that Ayton’s attitude and bad habits played a part in the decision to part ways with him.
- Addressing the Jonas Valanciunas situation, Scotto notes that the Nuggets have tried to acquire the veteran center for the past couple years and have envisioned him playing a significant role if he reports to Denver, giving superstar Nikola Jokic more opportunities to rest. Amid rumors that Valanciunas is traveling to Greece and hopes to sign with the EuroLeague club Panathinaikos, Scotto hears that the 33-year-old is expected to address the situation soon.
2025/26 NBA Two-Way Contract Tracker
Two-way contracts allow NBA teams to carry three extra players in addition to the 15 on their regular season roster. 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.
First introduced in 2017, two-way deals have undergone some rule changes in recent years, and the NBA’s latest Collective Bargaining Agreement has updated them further. Here are some key points to remember:
- Teams can carry three players on two-way contracts.
- Two-way players are eligible to be active for up to 50 of their team’s 82 regular season games.
- If a team isn’t carrying a full 15-man standard roster, its two-way players can only be active for a combined 90 games.
- Players on two-way contracts will earn $636,435 in 2025/26, half of the rookie minimum.
- Two-way contracts can’t be signed after March 4.
- Two-way players are ineligible to play in the postseason (including play-in games) unless they’re promoted to the standard 15-man roster, which can happen at any time up until the last day of the regular season.
You can check out our glossary entry to learn more about two-way contracts.
NBA teams have begun to fill in their two-way slots for the 2025/26 league year, so we’ll track all those deals in the space below. Some two-way players from 2024/25 inked two-year contracts and remain under contract for this season, while others have been newly signed.
If a two-way signing has been reported by a trusted source but isn’t yet official, we’ll list it in italics and link to the report, updating the info as necessary. Players who are in the first year of two-way contracts that cover two years (the maximum length), will be noted with an asterisk (*) once that info is confirmed.
This tracker will continue to be updated throughout the 2025/26 league year, and can be found anytime in the “Hoops Rumors Features” menu on the right-hand sidebar of our desktop site, or in the “Features” menu on our mobile site.
Here are 2025/26’s two-way players:
Updated 2-21-26
Atlanta Hawks
- RayJ Dennis, G *
- Christian Koloko, C
- Empty
Boston Celtics
- Max Shulga, G
- Ron Harper Jr., F
- Empty
Brooklyn Nets
- Tyson Etienne, G
- E.J. Liddell, F
- Chaney Johnson, F
Charlotte Hornets
- Antonio Reeves, G
- PJ Hall, C *
- Tosan Evbuomwan, F *
Chicago Bulls
- Lachlan Olbrich, F/C
- Yuki Kawamura, G
- Mac McClung, G
Cleveland Cavaliers
- Tristan Enaruna, F *
- Riley Minix, F *
- Darius Brown II, G
Dallas Mavericks
- Ryan Nembhard, G
- Miles Kelly, G
- Moussa Cisse, C
Denver Nuggets
- Tamar Bates, G
- Curtis Jones, G
- KJ Simpson, G
Detroit Pistons
- Tolu Smith, F
- Wendell Moore Jr., G
- Isaac Jones, F *
Golden State Warriors
- LJ Cryer, G *
- Malevy Leons, F *
- Jeenathan Williams, G
Houston Rockets
- Isaiah Crawford, F
- JD Davison, G
- Tristen Newton, G *
Indiana Pacers
- Quenton Jackson, G
- Taelon Peter, G *
- Ethan Thompson, G *
Los Angeles Clippers
- TyTy Washington Jr., G
- Sean Pedulla, G *
- Norchad Omier, F
Los Angeles Lakers
- Chris Manon, G/F
- Nick Smith Jr., G
- Drew Timme, F
Memphis Grizzlies
- Javon Small , G *
- Olivier-Maxence Prosper, F
- Jahmai Mashack, G *
Miami Heat
- Vladislav Goldin, C
- Jahmir Young, G
- Trevor Keels, G
Milwaukee Bucks
- Pete Nance, F
- Alex Antetokounmpo, F
- Empty
Minnesota Timberwolves
- Rocco Zikarsky, C *
- Enrique Freeman, F
- Empty
New Orleans Pelicans
- Trey Alexander, G
- Hunter Dickinson, C
- Empty
New York Knicks
- Kevin McCullar, G
- Trey Jemison, C
- Dillon Jones, F
Oklahoma City Thunder
- Brooks Barnhizer, G/F
- Branden Carlson, C
- Buddy Boeheim, G/F *
Orlando Magic
- Jamal Cain, F
- Colin Castleton, C
- Alex Morales, G *
Philadelphia 76ers
- MarJon Beauchamp, F
- Dalen Terry, G/F
- Tyrese Martin, G
Phoenix Suns
- Koby Brea, G
- Isaiah Livers, F
- Jamaree Bouyea, G
Portland Trail Blazers
- Caleb Love, G
- Javonte Cooke, G *
- Empty
Sacramento Kings
- Isaiah Stevens, G *
- Daeqwon Plowden, G
- Empty
San Antonio Spurs
- David Jones Garcia, G/F
- Harrison Ingram, F
- Stanley Umude, G
Toronto Raptors
- Chucky Hepburn, G
- Alijah Martin, G
- A.J. Lawson, G
Utah Jazz
- Elijah Harkless, G
- Oscar Tshiebwe, F/C
- Blake Hinson, F *
Washington Wizards
- Jamir Watkins, G/F
- Sharife Cooper, G
- Leaky Black, F
Magic Sign Second-Rounder Noah Penda
The Magic have officially signed No. 32 overall pick Noah Penda to his first NBA contract, the team announced today in a press release (Twitter link).
Orlando didn’t reveal the details of Penda’s new deal, but Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel reports (via Twitter) that he was signed using the second-round pick exception, with the first two years guaranteed, a non-guaranteed third year, and a fourth-year team option.
A 6’8″ French forward, Penda played for Le Mans in France last season. In 37 total games with the club, he averaged 10.2 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.2 steals and 0.9 blocks while shooting 44.7% from the field and 32.2% on three-pointers.
Considered a solid defender with a good frame, Penda was widely viewed as a potential first-round pick — The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie had him ranked No. 21 on his big board heading into the draft. Orlando is clearly high on him, having given up four second-round picks (No. 46 and No. 57 this year, along with two future selections) to move up to get him last Thursday.
Based on their reported deals with free agents Tyus Jones and Moritz Wagner, the Magic now have a projected 14 players on standard contracts and are expected to be operating too close to their first-apron hard cap to add a 15th man before the regular season begins. However, that situation remains fluid until the official numbers on contracts come in.
Vlatko Cancar Confirms Move To EuroLeague
Making an appearance on DNVR Sports’ Denver Nuggets podcast on Thursday (YouTube link), veteran forward Vlatko Cancar confirmed that he plans to sign with Olimpia Milano as a free agent.
Reporting earlier this week indicated that Cancar was expected to sign a two-year contract with the Italian club, which competes in the EuroLeague.
“After the season and before the free agency, I was talking with my agent, and then I was asking, ‘What’s going on with Denver?'” Cancar said (hat tip to Eurohoops). “Unfortunately, they came out with the news where it was kind of like a remodel. … They want to say thank you for everything that you did, but they’re trying to move on now and bring some new energy, bring some new players. And then I accepted it. I said OK, I’m glad I was part of the team for six years. For me, it was OK.”
Cancar was never a major rotation piece for Denver — he set a career high in 2022/23 when he averaged 14.8 minutes per game across 60 regular season contests, but he made just five brief postseason appearances in garbage time during the team’s championship run that spring.
He has played even less during the last two seasons as he has dealt with major left knee issues. He tore his ACL in August 2023 in an exhibition game prior to the FIBA World Cup, then underwent another procedure on the same knee in December 2024. The 28-year-old, who was able to play in just 13 games for the Nuggets across the past two seasons, indicated he’s looking forward to being healthy and having an opportunity to play a more significant role in Italy.
“Milano came straight away and they were eager to bring me in,” Cancar said. “And then, obviously, I got that feeling of being wanted and being important.”
The 49th overall pick in the 2017 draft, Cancar came stateside to join the Nuggets in 2019. Across six years and 143 regular season games with the team, the 6’8″ forward averaged 3.4 points and 1.8 rebounds in 10.7 minutes per night. He was known to be good friends with Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic.
Cap Observations: KD Trade, Valanciunas, Kings, H. Gonzalez
As we catch our breath on the Fourth of July and await updates on the top remaining free agents - including an intriguing group of restricted free agents and veteran unrestricted free agents like Al Horford, Chris Paul, and Russell Westbrook - we're taking a look back at a few of the intriguing stories from the past few days.
In the space below, we're exploring what the seven-team Kevin Durant figures to look like, why the Nuggets and Kings are still moving forward with their Jonas Valanciunas/Dario Saric swap amid rumors about Valanciunas wanting to play in Greece, what the rumors about Sacramento's interest in Jonathan Kuminga suggest, and more.
Let's dive in...
Magic Re-Sign Moritz Wagner
July 7: The Magic have officially signed Wagner, the team announced today in a press release (Twitter link).
July 4: The Magic and veteran free agent Moritz Wagner have agreed to a one-year, $5MM deal that will see the big man return to Orlando, according to reports from Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel and Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).
The older brother of Magic star Franz Wagner, Moritz has been with the team for four-plus seasons, having originally signed late in the 2020/21 campaign.
Wagner appeared well on his way to a career year in 2024/25, with averages of 12.9 points and 4.9 rebounds in 18.8 minutes per game and a shooting line of .562/.360/.718 through 30 contests. However, a torn left ACL in December prematurely brought his season to an end.
Faced with an increasingly expensive roster – and with Wagner still recovering from that ACL tear – Orlando declined its $11MM team option on the 6’11” forward/center last weekend, but there was always an expectation that the club wanted to bring him back at a reduced rate. With his Bird rights in hand, the Magic have the ability to re-sign Wagner without using any mid-level or bi-annual exception money.
Wagner will have the ability to veto a trade in 2025/26, per Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). That right is automatically awarded to a player who re-signs with his previous team on a one-year deal or a two-year deal with a second-year option, though many players agree to waive that veto ability as part of their contract agreement (as Wagner did a year ago).
Having traded for Desmond Bane last month and agreed to sign Tyus Jones in free agency earlier this week, Orlando now projects to operate in luxury-tax territory for the 2025/26 season.
According to ESPN’s Bobby Marks (via Twitter), the Magic only have enough room below their first-apron hard cap to sign second-round pick Noah Penda or a veteran-minimum player as their 14th man, but not both, unless perhaps Jones’ and Wagner’s deals come in a little lower than reported.
NBA Players Lose $484MM From 2024/25 Salaries
The NBA’s basketball-related income (BRI) for the 2024/25 season came in at $10.247MM, as first reported by Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report (Twitter link) and as outlined in greater detail by Kurt Badenhausen of Sportico. That total was less than projected, resulting in player salaries being reduced by a total of approximately $484MM for ’24/25.
The NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement calls for players to earn 51% of the NBA’s BRI in each season, and the league holds back a percentage of player salaries in order to ensure that revenue split is achieved. In 2024/25, 10% of player salaries were held in escrow, and 91% of that money in escrow was ultimately sent to the teams, with just 9% going to the players.
As a result, players earned just 90.9% of their reported salaries in 2024/25. For a player like Warriors star Stephen Curry, who had the NBA’s highest ’24/25 cap hit at $55.76MM, that would mean his actual earnings were about $5MM less than that.
Badenhausen suggests overall league revenue came in lower than originally anticipated due to a variety of factors, including a turbulent year for local media deals. The fact that multiple small-market teams – including the Pacers and the champion Thunder – made deep playoff runs also likely reduced the overall gate receipts for the playoffs, he adds.
While players came out on the wrong end of the escrow split this season, that isn’t always the case. As Badenhausen points out, in three straight seasons from 2014-17, league revenue surged to the point that players not only got back the full amount of their salaries held in escrow but also received supplemental checks to ensure the BRI split was met.
Conversely, during the COVID-shortened seasons, the league held back a higher percentage of player salaries in escrow due to the lost revenue.
The players shouldn’t have to worry about receiving their full salaries in 2025/26, Badenhausen writes, with the league’s new media deals taking effect. The NBA will be collecting roughly $7 billion annually as a result of their 11-year, $76+ billion agreements with ESPN/ABC (Disney), NBC, and Amazon, beginning this season. The league’s previous media deal with Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery (TNT) was worth $24 billion over nine seasons, or about $2.7 billion per year.
Wizards Among Teams Eyeing Jonathan Kuminga
The Wizards are the latest potential suitor to emerge in the Jonathan Kuminga sweepstakes, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic, who reports that Washington has entered the picture within the last 24 hours. The idea of the 22-year-old forward fitting into the Wizards’ rebuild has “gained real momentum,” sources tell Slater.
In addition to Washington, the Kings, Heat, Bulls, Bucks, and Nets have all expressed “varying levels” of interest in the Warriors‘ restricted free agent, Slater writes.
Confirming prior reporting out of Sacramento, Slater says the Kings floated an offer that would include 2024 first-round pick Devin Carter, veteran forward Dario Saric, and a pair of second-round picks. However, Golden State views that as a “buy-low” attempt, per Slater, who suggests the Pacific rivals haven’t gained any real traction.
Both the Warriors and Kuminga appear willing to be patient in the hopes of getting what they want out of the process, Slater explains. From the team’s perspective, that would mean acquiring a promising young player and a first-round pick in any sign-and-trade scenario. For Kuminga, the goal is ending up in a situation where he feels he has the full support of an organization and its coaching staff and can be a featured part of a team’s core.
If there’s no resolution by the time the Las Vegas Summer League tips off next week, the tentative plan is for Kuminga’s camp to have in-person meetings with interested teams in Vegas, Slater notes.
One of those meetings could involved the Warriors. As Slater details, the idea of the former No. 7 overall pick working out a deal to remain in Golden State isn’t off the table, so there has been talk of Kuminga, agent Aaron Turner, head coach Steve Kerr, and general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. sitting down together in Vegas to discuss what a reunion might look like.
Kuminga appeared in just 47 games in 2024/25, having missed more than two months due to a badly sprained ankle. He had an inconsistent role when healthy, averaging 15.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.2 assists in 24.3 minutes per game, with a .454/.305/.668 shooting line.
Although he was out of the Warriors’ rotation entirely for some key games at the end of the regular season and in the postseason, Kuminga averaged 24.3 points per game on .554/.389/.720 shooting in his final four playoff games vs. Minnesota after Stephen Curry injured his hamstring, providing a reminder of his offensive upside ahead of his restricted free agency.
Rockets Sign Kevon Harris To Two-Way Deal
July 5: The Rockets have officially signed Harris to a two-way contract, per NBA.com’s transaction log.
July 3: The Rockets and free agent shooting guard Kevon Harris have agreed to terms on a two-way contract, agent Darrell Comer tells Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).
Harris has excelled at the G League level in recent years, earning MVP honors at the NBAGL’s Next Up Game at All-Star weekend in February. On the season, he averaged 19.8 points, 6.7 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 1.4 steals in 31.1 minutes per game across 44 Tip-Off Tournament and regular season outings for the College Park Skyhawks, Atlanta’s affiliate.
Harris’ NBA résumé is thinner, but the 28-year-old made 36 total appearances for Orlando from 2022-24 while on a two-way contract with the Magic. He was on an NBA roster most recently when he signed a 10-day deal with the Hawks in March.
Harris will join a Rockets team that currently has one of its two-way slots filled (David Roddy), with a two-way qualifying offer out to a second player (N’Faly Dante).
A two-way contract allows a team to shuttle a player back and forth between the NBA roster and its G League affiliate, with a 50-game regular season limit at the NBA level. Two-way players earn half the rookie minimum salary.
Stein/Fischer’s Latest: Beal, Suns, CP3, Bucks, Lillard, Heat
The Suns and Heat had exploratory talks this week about the possibility of a Bradley Beal trade, according to Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link). However, those discussions “ultimately collapsed,” resulting in a rising belief that the veteran guard will ultimately be bought out by Phoenix.
If the two sides do end up working out a buyout agreement, expect the Heat to show interest in signing Beal as a free agent, per Fischer and Stein, who say the Bucks would also be interested in adding the three-time All-Star if he reaches free agency.
Here’s more from The Stein Line duo:
- In addition to looking more seriously at a possible Beal buyout, the Suns have also engaged in conversations with teams about various trade scenarios involving center Nick Richards and wings Grayson Allen and Royce O’Neale, Stein and Fischer say.
- After turning away interest from the Mavericks and Hornets earlier in free agency, Chris Paul continues to consider the Suns and Clippers. Stein and Fischer confirm he’s also receiving interest from the Bucks, who have been on the lookout for another point guard in the hopes of filling the sizable hole left by Damian Lillard‘s Achilles injury (and impending release). ESPN’s Shams Charania said during a Thursday SportsCenter appearance that Paul, who is known to prefer playing closer to his family in Los Angeles, spoke to Bucks officials on Wednesday (hat tip to Scott Polacek of Bleacher Report).
- Speaking of Lillard, Stein and Fischer classify the Heat‘s interest in signing the Oakland native as “serious,” but acknowledge that the injured star will likely be in no rush to sign his next contract.
- The Pacers, Kings, and Pelicans are among the other teams who remain on the hunt for another point guard, Stein and Fischer write.