Suns Re-Sign Collin Gillespie
July 2: Gillespie’s deal is now official, per NBA.com’s transaction log. The fact that it was signed during the July moratorium signals that it is, as expected, a minimum-salary contract.
“Collin earned this opportunity with his work ethic, toughness, and the way he competes every single day,” Suns general manager Brian Gregory said within a press release confirming the signing. “He brings a gritty edge and a high-energy presence that lifts everyone around him. He plays with heart, battles on every possession, and is the kind of guy you want in your organization.”
June 30: Restricted free agent point guard Collin Gillespie has agreed to a guaranteed one-year contract to return to the Suns, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).
The lack of financial details in Charania’s report suggests it’ll probably be a minimum-salary deal for Gillespie, though that hasn’t been confirmed.
Even if it is worth the minimum, that will represent a substantial pay increase for the 26-year-old, who has played on three consecutive one-year, two-way contracts since entering the NBA as an undrafted free agent out of Villanova in 2022.
After spending two seasons in Denver, Gillespie joined the Suns last summer and enjoyed his best season as a pro. He averaged 5.9 points, 2.4 assists, and 2.4 rebounds in 14.0 minutes per game across 33 appearances (nine starts) and made 43.3% of his three-point tries.
Phoenix made Gillespie a restricted free agent over the weekend by tendering him a qualifying offer that would have been the equivalent of another one-year, two-way contract. Many two-way free agents end up simply accepting that QO, but Gillespie’s solid play in 2024/25 gave his representatives the leverage to negotiate a fully guaranteed standard deal and a spot on the Suns’ 15-man roster.
A one-year, minimum-salary contract would pay Gillespie a projected $2.38MM while counting against the cap for just under $2.3MM.
Lakers Expect To Lose Finney-Smith, Add Free Agent Center
The Lakers are preparing to lose free agent forward Dorian Finney-Smith, who has received strong interest from the Rockets, but his departure will open up a salary slot in their pursuit of a center, sources tell Dan Woike of The Athletic.
The Bucks‘ Brook Lopez and the Hawks‘ Clint Capela are among their targets, according to Woike, along with Deandre Ayton, who reached a buyout agreement with the Trail Blazers on Sunday. L.A. will have the $14.1MM non-taxpayer mid-level exception available as it goes shopping for a big man.
Woike hears that the Lakers want to preserve their future cap space in hopes of landing another star to pair with Luka Doncic, possibly next summer, so any deal with a center might be short term.
Lopez played for the Lakers during the 2017/18 season and has frequently been mentioned as a possibility to return. The 37-year-old is likely the best outside shooter on the market, connecting at 37.3% this season while averaging 13.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 80 games.
Capela, 31, would bring more of a shot-blocking presence. He has been one of the league’s top rebounders, especially on the offensive glass, since coming to Atlanta in 2020, but his numbers were down across the board this season as his playing time declined to 21.4 minutes per night.
Ayton missed more than half the season due to a calf strain, but he’s only 26 and has put up good numbers when healthy throughout his career. The Lakers wouldn’t be able to reach a deal with Ayton until he completes the waiver process.
A source tells Woike that L.A. isn’t making calls to determine Austin Reaves‘ trade value after he turned down a four-year, $89MM extension offer. The Lakers still consider Reaves to be part of the future, per Woike, and expect to sign him to a larger deal when he becomes eligible.
As for Finney-Smith, Marc Stein – who previously identified the Rockets as a leading suitor for the veteran forward – reiterates (via Twitter) that the team is believed to readying a four-year contract offer for him. That offer is expected to be worth a significant portion of the non-taxpayer mid-level exception.
Jazz Waiving Johnny Juzang
The Jazz are placing guard/forward Johnny Juzang on waivers, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).
A decision was due today on Juzang, whose $2.84MM salary for the 2025/26 season would have become fully guaranteed if he hadn’t been cut by the end of the day, as our tracker of early guarantee dates shows. Now, Utah won’t be on the hook for any of that money.
Waiving Juzang will also help with the Jazz’s roster crunch. Entering the day, the team had 11 players on guaranteed contracts for ’25/26 and four on non-guaranteed deals, plus incoming first-round picks Ace Bailey and Walter Clayton Jr.
After playing sparingly in his first two NBA seasons, Juzang took on a more prominent role with the Jazz in 2024/25, averaging 8.9 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.1 assists in 19.8 minutes per game across 64 outings (18 starts). The 24-year-old posted a respectable shooting line of .429/.376/.849.
Juzang had signed a four-year, $11.4MM contract with Utah last summer, but only the first season was guaranteed. According to Charania, the former UCLA standout is expected to draw interest from teams. He’ll clear waivers on Wednesday if no club places a claim.
Scotto’s Latest: Alexander-Walker, Richards, Capela, Kennard, Shamet
Echoing multiple reports, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype confirms that the Hawks and Pistons are considered to be the front-runners for Timberwolves guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker, but he lists other contenders as well. League sources tell Scotto that the Clippers and Raptors remain in pursuit of Alexander-Walker along with other teams. He adds that the Magic were also interested before trading for Desmond Bane.
Toronto may be a surprise considering its position near the bottom of the standings this year, but the Raptors are reportedly determined to make a quick turnaround. Scotto notes that Alexander-Walker is a Toronto native and the franchise has a history of bringing in Canadian players, with four on the roster this season.
Scotto talked with several executives around the league who expect Alexander-Walker to sign for at least the $14.1MM non-taxpayer mid-level exception. League sources told Scotto they don’t expect him to return to the Wolves after they reached new deals with Naz Reid and Julius Randle.
Scotto shares more rumors as the start of free agency draws near:
- Center Nick Richards appears to be a trade candidate after the Suns drafted Khaman Maluach and agreed to acquire Mark Williams from Charlotte. Richards’ $5MM contract for next season became fully guaranteed on Sunday, and Scotto hears from league sources that the Knicks, Pacers and Lakers are among the teams with interest.
- Clint Capela isn’t expected to return to the Hawks in the wake of the Kristaps Porzingis deal, and Scotto lists the Clippers, Lakers and Spurs as teams to watch for the free agent center.
- Sources tell Scotto that Luke Kennard is likely to move on from the Grizzlies. The 29-year-old guard is one of the league’s top three-point shooters.
- The Knicks would like to keep free agent guard Landry Shamet, but he’s being eyed by several contending teams, Scotto adds.
Cam Whitmore Has Drawn Trade Interest From Bulls, Nuggets
The Bulls and Nuggets are among the teams that have registered some level of interest in Rockets forward Cam Whitmore, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.
Kelly Iko of The Athletic reported last week that Houston had been engaged in trade discussions involving Whitmore. He’ll earn $3.54MM in 2025/26 with a team option for ’26/27 worth $5.46MM.
Whitmore, who will turn 21 next Tuesday, has seen limited playing time during his first two NBA seasons and has been unable to establish himself as a regular part of the Rockets’ crowded rotation. The former No. 20 overall pick appeared in 51 games this past season, averaging 9.4 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 16.2 minutes per night with .444/.355/.750 shooting numbers. He was out of the rotation completely in the playoffs, making just three brief appearances.
According to Scotto, Whitmore was nearly sent from Houston to Phoenix in the Kevin Durant trade, but the Suns opted for additional second-round draft compensation instead.
The Bulls appear to be keeping an eye out for a forward who can score, having been also linked to Warriors restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga earlier this offseason. While Isaac Okoro – who is more of a defensive specialist – doesn’t really fit that bill, it’s worth noting that Scotto says the Bulls’ interest in Whitmore predated their deal to acquire Okoro, so it’s unclear whether Chicago’s interest in a forward – and Whitmore specifically – persists.
The Nuggets, meanwhile, are looking to supplement a talented starting lineup with reliable depth options. While their pathways to upgrades via trades or free agency are limited, Whitmore’s salary is modest enough that he would be a realistic target.
Rival Teams Surprised By Statement From LeBron James’ Agent
LeBron James‘ decision to remain with the Lakers was expected, but the announcement that accompanied it has raised eyebrows around the league. James confirmed on Sunday that he’s picking up $52.6MM option to play a record-setting 23rd NBA season. The news came with a statement from agent Rich Paul indicating that James will be monitoring the team’s offseason moves to determine if it can be a title contender.
On this morning’s Hoop Collective podcast (YouTube link), ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said Paul gave advance notice about the statement to the Lakers and to Luka Doncic and his representatives. However, the rest of the league was caught off guard by what could be a veiled threat that James will ask for a trade if he’s not confident in the team’s direction.
“When this statement came out, I began to call teams,” Windhorst said (hat tip to RealGM). “And I don’t want to get into the who and what and who I talked to, but let’s just say I identified the handful of teams that I could see LeBron trying to be traded to. I’m not going to talk about which teams I talked to, but I did not find a team who was prepared for this. In other words, all of them that I talked to, I didn’t talk to 29 teams, I talked to a handful of teams and they were all caught flat-footed by this.”
Windhorst cites the Cavaliers as an example. There’s been speculation for years that James might want to finish his career close to home and return to the franchise that he led to its only NBA title in 2016. However, Cleveland agreed to trade for Lonzo Ball on Saturday and reached a new four-year contract with Sam Merrill. As Windhorst points out, those moves don’t indicate that the Cavs have any plans to bring back James.
The mechanics of a James deal would be complex due to his no-trade clause and his salary, even in the offseason when teams have more financial flexibility. Windhorst doesn’t believe the uproar over Paul’s statement will ultimately lead to a trade.
“There’s a few players in the league you can trade LeBron for in a one-on-one scenario,” he adds, “and I’ve talked to some of those agents and they in some cases talked to the teams of their players’ teams and I’ve found nothing indicating there was anything afoot here. In terms of a transaction, in terms of a trade.”
At age 40, James doesn’t have the influence that he once did, so the Lakers responded to Sunday’s declaration with the “equivalent of a shrug emoji,” according to Sam Amick of The Athletic. Even if it signifies that this will be James’ final season in L.A. — whether he retires or not — Amick believes the organization is more focused on keeping Luka Doncic happy.
Amick adds that Doncic is expected to sign a long-term extension when he becomes eligible on August 2, whereas the Lakers seem warier about continuing to a commit a max-level salary to James beyond the coming season.
Team sources tell Amick that James and the front office didn’t discuss any deals that would have locked him up beyond 2025/26. He adds that LeBron and his representatives made it clear months ago that he wouldn’t accept a discount just to stay in L.A.
Because James signed his current contract in July 2024, he won’t become extension-eligible before he reaches free agency in 2026.
Amick states that the Lakers need to be focused on their future, which means building the team around Doncic. Amick believes L.A. is monitoring Giannis Antetokounmpo to see if he eventually asks the Bucks for a trade and notes that Nuggets executive Josh Kroenke recently considered the possibility that he might one day have to part with Nikola Jokic, though Kroenke was referencing a hypothetical “nightmare scenario.”
Austin Reaves, who recently declined a four-year, $89MM extension offer in hopes of landing a larger contract next year, appears to be another key part of the Lakers’ future, so the team will have to prepare to give him a significant raise starting next season, Amick notes.
2025 NBA Qualifying Offer Recap
Players eligible for restricted free agency don’t become restricted free agents by default. In order for a team to make a player a restricted free agent, it must extend a qualifying offer to him. The qualifying offer, which is essentially just a one-year contract offer, varies in amount depending on a player’s previous contract status.
A qualifying offer is designed to give a player’s current team the right of first refusal. Because the qualifying offer acts as the first formal contract offer a free agent receives, his team then has the option to match any offer sheet the player signs with another club. If a player doesn’t receive a qualifying offer, he becomes an unrestricted free agent and is free to sign with any team — his previous club is given no formal opportunity to match.
You can read more about qualifying offers here.
Listed below are the details on which players did and didn’t receive qualifying offers this summer. Our list is based on various reports and team announcements leading up to the June 29 deadline, along with confirmation from RealGM’s official NBA transactions log.
It’s possible that one or two qualifying offers slipped through the cracks and will be reported later today before free agency officially gets underway — if so, we’ll update this list.
For now though, this is what the qualifying offer landscape looks like. The players who received QOs will be restricted free agents, while the players who didn’t will be unrestricted. We’ve updated our free agents lists by position and by team to reflect the changes.
Received qualifying offers:
Players on standard contracts:
Note: Qualifying offers marked with an asterisk (*) are based on a projected $154,647,000 salary cap and would increase or decrease if the cap comes in higher or lower than that.
Josh Giddey, Bulls ($11,142,058)- Quentin Grimes, Sixers ($8,741,210)
- Davion Mitchell, Heat ($8,741,209)
- Note: Mitchell reportedly has a two-year, $24MM contract agreement in place with the Heat.
- Jonathan Kuminga, Warriors ($7,976,830)
- Isaiah Jackson, Pacers ($6,422,432)
- Cam Thomas, Nets ($5,993,172)
- Santi Aldama, Grizzlies ($5,940,797)
- Ajay Mitchell, Thunder ($4,050,000)
- Note: Mitchell reportedly has a three-year, $9MM contract agreement in place with the Thunder.
- Ryan Rollins, Bucks ($2,578,870) *
- Justin Edwards, Sixers ($2,248,494) *
- Note: Edwards reportedly has a three-year contract agreement in place with the Sixers.
Players on two-way contracts:
Note: Qualifying offers for two-way players are one-year, two-way contracts with a guarantee of approximately $85K unless otherwise indicated.
- Taran Armstrong, Warriors
- Branden Carlson, Thunder
- Isaiah Crawford, Kings
- N’Faly Dante, Rockets
- Jesse Edwards, Timberwolves
- Tyson Etienne, Nets
- Trentyn Flowers, Clippers
- Enrique Freeman, Pacers
- Collin Gillespie, Suns
- Harrison Ingram, Spurs
- Quenton Jackson, Pacers
- Note: Jackson’s qualifying offer is a one-year, minimum-salary contract with a partial guarantee of approximately $102K.
- Daniss Jenkins, Pistons
- Spencer Jones, Nuggets
- Christian Koloko, Lakers
- Nico Mannion, Warriors
- Note: Mannion hasn’t played in the NBA since 2021, but the Warriors issued him a qualifying offer in order to retain his RFA rights in case he returns to the league.
- Mac McClung, Magic
- Kevin McCullar, Knicks
- Emanuel Miller, Bulls
- Riley Minix, Spurs
- Tristen Newton, Timberwolves
- Dru Smith, Heat
- Note: Smith’s qualifying offer is a one-year, minimum-salary contract with a partial guarantee of approximately $102K.
- Cam Spencer, Grizzlies
- Jacob Toppin, Hawks
- Luke Travers, Cavaliers
- Oscar Tshiebwe, Jazz
- Tristan Vukcevic, Wizards
- Keaton Wallace, Hawks
Did not receive qualifying offers:
Players on standard contracts:
Dominick Barlow, Hawks- Caleb Houstan, Magic
- Tre Mann, Hornets
- Josh Minott, Timberwolves
- Day’Ron Sharpe, Nets
- Pat Spencer, Warriors
- Jabari Walker, Trail Blazers
- Ziaire Williams, Nets
- Note: Williams reportedly has a two-year, $12MM contract agreement in place with the Nets.
Players on two-way contracts:
- Trey Alexander, Nuggets
- Emoni Bates, Cavaliers
- Reece Beekman, Nets
- Jalen Bridges, Suns
- Keion Brooks, Pelicans
- Jamal Cain, Pelicans
- Jeff Dowtin, Sixers
- Alex Ducas, Thunder
- David Duke, Spurs
- Kessler Edwards, Mavericks
- Adam Flagler, Thunder
- PJ Hall, Nuggets
- Bones Hyland, Timberwolves
- Mason Jones, Kings
- Yuki Kawamura, Grizzlies
- E.J. Liddell, Bulls
- Bryce McGowens, Trail Blazers
- Jack McVeigh, Rockets
- Justin Minaya, Trail Blazers
- Drew Peterson, Celtics
- Micah Potter, Jazz
- Trevelin Queen, Magic
- Isaiah Stevens, Heat
- JT Thor, Wizards
- Stanley Umude, Bucks
- Anton Watson, Knicks
Nets, Ziaire Williams Agree To Two-Year Deal
Free agent wing Ziaire Williams has agreed to sign a two-year, $12MM contract to remain with the Nets, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter links). According to Charania, the second year of the deal will be a team option.
Williams, a former No. 10 overall pick who was acquired from Memphis in a trade last offseason, averaged 10.0 points and 4.6 rebounds in 24.5 minutes per game across 63 outings (45 starts) for Brooklyn in 2024/25.
While his 34.1% three-point percentage wasn’t great for a wing, it was a noticeable step up from the 30.1% mark he posted in his first three NBA seasons, and he showed off impressive defensive versatility, even handling center duties in a pinch.
The Nets opted against tendering Williams an $8.35MM qualifying offer that would have made him a restricted free agent, but that was more about their cap management than their level of interest in a new deal with the 23-year-old. As an RFA, he would have had a cap hold exceeding $18MM, cutting into Brooklyn’s projected cap space in free agency.
Now, the Nets will just have to earmark a small portion of cap room (likely between $5-6MM, based on the terms reported by Charania) to bring back Williams. The team could also fit his new contract into the $8.8MM room exception.
The second-year team option will also give Brooklyn some flexibility next offseason, though it’s still to be determined whether the club intends to open up significant cap room again in 2026.
A player who re-signs with his previous team on a one-year contract or a two-year deal that includes a second-year team option typically has the right to veto a trade during the following season. However, a player can agree to give up that right as part of the contract negotiation. It’s not yet known whether Williams will do so.
In the wake of Sunday’s player and team option decisions, Williams had moved up to No. 43 on our list of 2025’s top 50 free agents.
Stein/Fischer’s Latest: Jerome, Finney-Smith, Turner, Russell, T. Jones, Paul
The Grizzlies appear to be the leaders in the race to sign free agent guard Ty Jerome, according to Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link). Jerome is coming off a breakout season, but his salary demands are too high for a Cleveland team on the brink of the second apron, so he’s considered a “lock” to leave in free agency. Stein previously mentioned Charlotte and Utah as other teams to watch for Jerome, but Memphis might be separating itself from the pack.
The main question, according to the authors, is how much the Grizzlies are willing to pay Jerome, who is believed to be seeking a deal starting around the $14.1MM non-taxpayer mid-level exception to Jerome. Memphis has been operating recently with the goal of creating enough financial flexibility to renegotiate and extend Jaren Jackson Jr. while matching any offers for restricted free agent forward Santi Aldama, so any offer for Jerome couldn’t get in the way of those goals.
League sources tell Stein and Fischer that the Grizzlies tried to find a taker for Cole Anthony over the weekend. Sending out Anthony’s $13.1MM contract could enable Memphis to acquire Jerome via sign-and-trade.
There’s more inside information from Stein and Fischer:
- As reported on Sunday, the Rockets appear to be the top threat to sign Dorian Finney-Smith away from the Lakers. Houston has the $14.1MM MLE available, but the authors hear that its offer may cover four years at a little less than the full amount. L.A. is still hoping to re-sign the 32-year-old forward, who was a part-time starter after being acquired from Brooklyn in December. Finney-Smith turned down a $15.4MM player option on Sunday, and Stein and Fischer report surprise throughout the league that his announcement wasn’t accompanied by a new deal with the Lakers.
- There’s “no tangible expectation” that Myles Turner will leave the Pacers in free agency, according to Stein and Fischer. There was some speculation that Indiana might reconsider a new deal with its starting center in the wake of Tyrese Haliburton‘s Achilles injury, but coach Rick Carlisle seemed to squash that when he said on a radio interview last week that re-signing Turner remains the team’s “No. 1 priority.”
- The Mavericks are expected to use their $5.7MM taxpayer MLE to sign Nets guard D’Angelo Russell to a two-year deal, Stein and Fischer add. Even with that addition, which would be the team’s 15th standard contract, they state that Dallas still hopes to open a roster spot to re-sign Dante Exum. The authors expect the Mavs to search for a team willing to take on Olivier-Maxence Prosper‘s $3MM contract for next season. The 2023 first-round pick has a $5.3MM team option for 2026/27, so it’s potentially a one-year commitment.
- The Magic‘s decision on Sunday to decline an $11MM option on Moritz Wagner and a $2.1MM option on Caleb Houstan could create an opportunity to sign free agent point guard Tyus Jones. If Jones leaves Phoenix, Stein and Fischer speculate it could lead to Chris Paul returning to the Suns, as they first reported on Sunday.
QO Updates: J. Walker, A. Mitchell, Two-Ways, Mann
The Trail Blazers opted not to tender forward Jabari Walker a qualifying offer prior to Sunday’s deadline, reports Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report (Twitter link). As a result, Walker will become an unrestricted free agent.
Walker put up solid numbers in a limited role for Portland last season, averaging 5.2 points and 3.5 rebounds in 12.5 minutes per game, with a .515/.389/.690 shooting line, across 60 appearances. However, his playing time dropped off significantly from the previous year, a signal that the Blazers were prioritizing other young players over the 22-year-old.
Meanwhile, the Thunder issued Ajay Mitchell a qualifying offer, according to Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter link), who notes that it’s a procedural move for Oklahoma City, since the second-year guard has already agreed to sign a three-year, $9MM contract with the team. The QO will just ensure he’s a restricted free agent when free agency opens — he’ll be able to officially finalize that new deal on July 6.
The following players who finished the 2024/25 season on two-way contracts also received qualifying offers ahead of Sunday’s deadline, per Smith (unless otherwise indicated):
- Branden Carlson, Thunder (link)
- Jesse Edwards, Timberwolves (link)
- Tyson Etienne, Nets (link)
- Trentyn Flowers, Clippers (link)
- Mac McClung, Magic (link)
- Tristen Newton, Timberwolves (link)
- Oscar Tshiebwe, Jazz (link via Tony Jones of The Athletic)
In each of these cases, the player’s qualifying offer is equivalent to another one-year, two-way deal, with a small portion (approximately $85K) guaranteed.
While a rival team could technically sign any of these players to an offer sheet during free agency, we essentially never see that happen with two-way free agents. Most of them end up either accepting their two-way QOs or agreeing to new standard contracts with their current teams.
While it’s possible that news of a qualifying offer slipped through the cracks within the last 24 hours, it appears that RealGM’s official transaction log is up to date with all of the QOs that were issued prior to Sunday’s deadline.
If that’s the case, one notable player who didn’t receive a qualifying offer is Hornets guard Tre Mann. His QO would have been worth about $6.96MM, but if Charlotte didn’t put it on the table, that means he’s on track to be unrestricted when free agency opens later today.
[UPDATE: Mann didn’t receive a qualifying offer, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype confirms (via Twitter).]
We’ll publish our full recap of 2025’s qualifying offer decisions later this morning.