Lakers’ Dorian Finney-Smith Opting Out Of Contract
Lakers forward Dorian Finney-Smith has decided to turn down his player option for the 2025/26 season, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link). The option would have been worth $15.4MM.
Finney-Smith’s decision will make him an unrestricted free agent and multiple teams are expected to pursue him when the free agent period officially opens on Monday evening, per Charania. However, a return to the Lakers remains in play for the 32-year-old as well.
Having been traded from Brooklyn to Los Angeles in December, Finney-Smith appeared in 43 games for the Lakers, making 20 starts. He averaged 7.9 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in 28.8 minutes per game, posting a shooting line of .442/.398/.714.
While Finney-Smith’s box-score numbers certainly don’t jump off the page, his midseason arrival helped fuel a defensive turnaround in L.A. and his reliable three-point shooting helped space the floor on offense.
His impact was reflected by his on/off-court numbers — no Lakers rotation player had a better regular season net rating than Finney–Smith’s +11.1 mark in 1,239 minutes. The club had a -3.5 mark in the 1,214 minutes he didn’t play after the trade.
If Finney-Smith doesn’t return to the Lakers, they’ll have more spending power in free agency, with the ability to use the non-taxpayer mid-level exception ($14.1MM) and perhaps the bi-annual exception ($5.1MM) too, notes ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link). However, it would mean losing a key member of their rotation.
Finney-Smith was the No. 20 free agent on our top-50 list entering the offseason. This summer may represent his best chance at one last big-time payday.
Malik Beasley Under Investigation For Gambling Allegations
Pistons guard Malik Beasley is under investigation by the U.S. District Attorney’s office for gambling allegations involving NBA games and prop bets, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).
“An investigation is not a charge,” Beasley’s attorney, Steve Haney, told Charania. “Malik is afforded the same right of the presumption of innocence as anyone else under the U.S. Constitution. As of now he has not been charged with anything.”
During a SportsCenter appearance (Twitter video link), Charania states that Beasley is being investigated for allegedly gambling on games during the 2023/24 season.
The Pistons have acknowledged that an investigation is ongoing and are deferring any comment to the NBA office, according to Coty M. Davis of The Detroit News (Twitter link).
Beasley is one of the top free agents on the market, and Charania reports that he was in “serious talks” on a three-year, $42MM contract to remain in Detroit (Twitter link). However, sources tell Charania that those negotiations are now on hold.
As Derek Bodner of PHLY Sports points out (Twitter link), Beasley made just $6MM this season and the Pistons only hold his Non-Bird rights, which means they were planning to use cap space or the mid-level exception for the new deal.
Beasley, who joined the Pistons as a free agent last summer, finished second in the Sixth Man of the Year voting. He was a potent weapon off the bench as Detroit made a surprise playoff appearance, averaging 16.3 PPG in 82 games.
The Pistons have been mentioned as a leading contender to sign Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and the Minnesota shooting guard could become the focus of their offseason plans if they determine that Beasley’s legal issues make him too risky.
The situation with Beasley and the expected loss of Dennis Schröder in free agency may open enough cap space to allow Detroit to make an offer to Alexander-Walker that exceeds the $14.1MM non-taxpayer mid-level exception, according to cap expert Yossi Gozlan (Twitter link). The Pistons could have $17MM available by renouncing Tim Hardaway Jr.
Stein’s Latest: NAW, Schröder, Jerome, Grimes, Kornet, Nuggets
The Pistons and the Hawks have been described as the two best bets to sign Nickeil Alexander-Walker away from the Timberwolves when free agency gets underway, according to Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Substack link).
Both Detroit and Atlanta have previously been reported as potential suitors for Alexander-Walker, along with teams like the Clippers and Magic. The expectation is that he’ll command offers in the range of the full non-taxpayer mid-level exception, which will start at a projected $14.1MM. He might even end up getting more than that, tweets Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic.
While Minnesota has expressed a desire to retain Alexander-Walker, the club has already committed to Naz Reid on a lucrative new five-year deal and is expected to retain Julius Randle as well. Re-signing Alexander-Walker to a market-value contract would likely send the Wolves’ team salary soaring beyond the second tax apron.
As for the Pistons, there has been consistent reporting this week indicating that their free agent guard Dennis Schröder may end up signing with the Kings. While Schröder didn’t exactly confirm that this weekend during a Twitch stream, he suggested he’s unlikely to return to Detroit.
“I want to stay in Detroit for sure, but Detroit ain’t waiting for me, I can tell you that much,” Schröder said (Twitter video link). “Detroit ain’t waiting for me.”
Here’s more from Stein:
- The Hornets and Grizzlies have been consistently mentioned as teams expected to pursue free agent guard Ty Jerome, according to Stein. Reporting earlier today indicated that Utah also may be in the mix for the Sixth Man of the Year finalist, who is now considered a “lock” to leave the Cavaliers, per Stein.
- Sixers restricted free agent Quentin Grimes is expected to land a starting salary of at least $16MM, Stein reports. Assuming he gets that offer from Philadelphia, it would be enough to outbid any rival suitors that might be willing to give him the full non-taxpayer mid-level exception.
- The Clippers, who are in the market for a center to back up Ivica Zubac, are considered a team to watch for free agent big man Luke Kornet, writes Stein.
- The Nuggets, who are eyeing potential assistant coaches for David Adelman‘s staff, have been granted permission to interview Mavericks assistant Jared Dudley and have also exhibited “strong” interest in former NBA guard J.J. Barea, per Stein (Twitter links). Barea had been coaching the Guaynabo Mets in his native Puerto Rico over the past couple years before being let go last month.
Lakers’ LeBron James Opting In For 2025/26
Lakers superstar forward LeBron James is picking up his $52.6MM player option for the 2025/26 season, his longtime agent Rich Paul tells Shams Charania of ESPN.
According to Charania, James will be closely monitoring the Lakers’ moves this summer in the hopes of vying for a title next season.
“LeBron wants to compete for a championship,” Paul told ESPN. “He knows the Lakers are building for the future. He understands that, but he values a realistic chance of winning it all. We are very appreciative of the partnership that we’ve had for eight years with [governor] Jeanie [Buss] and [president of basketball operations] Rob [Pelinka] and consider the Lakers as a critical part of his career.
“We understand the difficulty in winning now while preparing for the future. We do want to evaluate what’s best for LeBron at this stage in his life and career. He wants to make every season he has left count, and the Lakers understand that, are supportive and want what’s best for him.”
James continued to produce at an unprecedented level for a player of his age after turning 40 last December. He was a second-team All-NBA selection, averaging 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 8.2 assists in 70 games. He also earned All-Star honors for the 21st straight season.
James’ season ended in disappointing fashion as the Lakers were ousted by Minnesota in the first round of the playoffs and he suffered an MCL sprain late in the final game. He recently said the injury is healing and he expects to be ready for training camp.
Picking up the option and ensuring that he’ll be a free agent in 2026 is a change in strategy for James, who typically renegotiates to make sure he has another option season left on his contract. He’ll set a record by playing in his 23rd NBA season, but a report on Saturday stated that he has considered retirement every summer since 2023.
Notably, given Paul’s statement above, exercising that player option instead of signing a new deal means James will remain trade-eligible throughout the offseason. He’s one of just two NBA players with a formal no-trade clause in his contract.
Among the moves James will be watching is whether the Lakers can upgrade at center, either through free agency or trades. They were weak at the position after parting with Anthony Davis in the Luka Doncic deal and often played without a big man on the court in the postseason.
If Dorian Finney-Smith – who also holds a player option – returns, the Lakers will likely have the $5.7MM taxpayer mid-level exception available to spend in free agency. If Finney-Smith opts out and signs with a new team or if the Lakers shed salary elsewhere on the roster, they could open up the $14.1MM non-taxpayer mid-level exception.
Bojan Bogdanovic Announces Retirement
Bojan Bogdanovic has announced on social media that he is ending his career after 10 years in the NBA (Instagram link).
The 36-year-old forward began the season with the Nets, but he wasn’t able to play while recovering from surgeries to his left foot and left wrist. Brooklyn waived him in February after he underwent season-ending foot surgery.
“Sometimes in life, you don’t choose the moment. The moment chooses you,” Bogdanovic wrote. “After 14 months of battling a foot injury, two surgeries, and countless efforts to get back on the court, the time has come to close a chapter. After more than two decades in the game, the moment has arrived to say goodbye to basketball. Not just as a sport, but as a part of who I am.”
Bogdanovic was a star in Europe for nearly a decade before signing with the Nets in 2014. He was traded to Washington three years later, and subsequently spent time with Indiana, Utah, Detroit and New York. He was one of the league’s top three-point shooters throughout his career and received votes for the Sixth Man of the Year Award as recently as 2023/24.
Bogdanovic appeared in 719 games and finishes with career averages of 15.6 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.7 assists per night. He shot 46% from the floor and 39.4% from long distance.
“Every stop left a mark. Every jersey carried its own weight,” Bogdanovic added. “Above all, I had the honor of wearing the Croatian crest on my chest. Playing for the national team was never just a responsibility. Representing my country from youth levels all the way to the senior team was the greatest honor of my career.”
Rockets, Jock Landale Push Back Salary Guarantee Date
The Rockets and big man Jock Landale have agreed to push back the salary guarantee date on his contract for 2025/26, reports Fred Katz of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Landale’s $8MM non-guaranteed salary for next season was originally set to become fully guaranteed if he had remained under contract through Sunday. The two sides reached an agreement to move that date to next Monday, July 7, per Katz.
[RELATED: Early NBA Salary Guarantee Dates For 2025/26]
The extra eight days will give the Rockets more time to assess whether or not it makes sense to keep Landale on their books for next season.
Houston reportedly intends to re-sign free agents Aaron Holiday, Jae’Sean Tate, and Jeff Green, and the team could remain out of luxury tax territory while keeping Landale if all three of those players get minimum-salary deals. However, if one or more get more than the minimum or if the Rockets want to be able to go shopping in free agency with the non-taxpayer mid-level exception, Landale might become a cap casualty.
The 29-year-old played a limited role for the Rockets this past season, averaging 4.8 points and 3.3 rebounds in 11.9 minutes per game across 42 outings (three starts). He would likely be the club’s third-string center again if he returns, with Alperen Sengun and Steven Adams ahead of him on the depth chart, but his $8MM salary could potentially be useful for salary-matching purposes in a trade.
Landale’s contract also includes a non-guaranteed team option for 2026/27.
Lakers’ Goodwin, Kings’ Jones Have Team Options Exercised
The Lakers have exercised their minimum-salary team option for the 2025/26 season on guard Jordan Goodwin, while the Kings have done the same for forward/center Isaac Jones, according to Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter links).
Goodwin, 26, signed a two-way contract with the Lakers after the trade deadline in February and played well for the team in the second half of the season, earning a promotion to the standard roster in late March. In 29 total appearances (five starts), he averaged 5.6 points, 3.9 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 1.0 steal in 18.7 minutes per game, posting a solid shooting line of .438/.382/.818.
As our team option tracker shows, the move doesn’t assure Goodwin of his full $2.35MM salary for next season — only about $25K is guaranteed as a result of the option pick-up. He would have to remain under contract through January 7 in order to be guaranteed the full amount, so his roster spot could still be up in the air depending on how the rest of Los Angeles’ offseason plays out.
As for Jones, the undrafted rookie out of Washington State had a promising debut season for Sacramento in 2024/25, averaging 3.4 points and 1.4 rebounds in 7.6 minutes per game across 40 outings. He made 65.1% of his field goal attempts and was promoted to the 15-man roster in March when he reached his limit of 50 active games.
There have been conflicting reports on whether or not Jones’ $1.96MM salary for 2025/26 will be fully guaranteed as a result of the Kings’ option pick-up.
In other team option news, the Suns have officially picked up guard Vasilije Micic‘s $8.1MM option for next season, Smith notes (via Twitter). That was a required procedural move in order for Micic to be included in the Mark Williams trade with Charlotte.
Suns’ Gillepsie, Lakers’ Koloko Among Two-Way Players Receiving QOs
A series of players who finished the 2024/25 season on two-way contracts have received qualifying offers from their respective teams, making them free agents, according to Keith Smith of Spotrac. Those players are as follows (all links go to Twitter):
- Isaiah Crawford, Kings (link)
- Collin Gillespie, Suns link)
- Harrison Ingram, Spurs (link)
- Daniss Jenkins, Pistons (link)
- Spencer Jones, Nuggets (link)
- Christian Koloko, Lakers (link)
- Riley Minix, Spurs (link)
- Jacob Toppin, Hawks (link)
- Luke Travers, Cavaliers (link)
- Tristan Vukcevic, Wizards (link)
- Keaton Wallace, Hawks (link)
In each case, 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.
Gillespie, who turned 26 on Wednesday, is among the players who made a strong case for a promotion to a standard contract this past season. He averaged 5.9 points, 2.4 assists, and 2.4 rebounds in 14.0 minutes per game for Phoenix across 33 appearances (nine starts) and made 43.3% of his three-point tries.
Koloko (2.4 PPG and 2.5 RPG in 37 games), Vukcevic (9.4 PPG, 3.7 RPG, and .496/.373/.776 shooting in 35 games), and Wallace (5.4 PPG and 2.6 APG in 31 games) also played rotation minutes for their respective clubs in 2024/25.
Sunday is the deadline for teams to make qualifying offers to players who are eligible for restricted free agency.
Jazz Reportedly Interested In Ty Jerome
The Jazz are among the teams hoping to sign free agent guard Ty Jerome, league sources tell Grant Afseth of RG.
The Cavaliers would prefer to keep the 27-year-old shooting guard, who’s coming off the best season of his career. However, they made several moves this week that indicate they might be preparing for his departure.
Cleveland added backcourt depth on Saturday by agreeing to a trade that will send Isaac Okoro to Chicago in exchange for Lonzo Ball. The Cavs also drafted Duke guard Tyrese Proctor with the 49th pick on Thursday and reached an early free agent agreement with guard Sam Merrill.
Cleveland is currently projected to have a payroll well above the second apron in 2025/26. A new contract with Jerome would result in significant luxury tax penalties.
Utah, which is in the market for experienced backcourt help, looks like a natural suitor. Sources tell Afseth that Collin Sexton and Jordan Clarkson, who are both entering the final year of their contracts, are considered to be trade candidates this summer. He adds that the team has “explored scenarios” involving both players.
Afseth also points out that the Jazz opted to pass on point guard Jeremiah Fears in the draft, even though they had expressed interest in him during the pre-draft process. They took forward Ace Bailey instead, which leaves an opportunity to upgrade the backcourt through trades or free agency.
Jerome was a finalist for Sixth Man of the Year honors after averaging 12.5 points, 2.5 rebounds and 3.4 assists in 70 games.
Eastern Notes: Celtics, Pacers, Mathurin, Raptors, Bucks
As the Celtics considered how to navigate the tax aprons for the 2025/26 league year entering this offseason, one option they explored was to try to identify prospects who might be willing to accept 80% of the rookie scale amount for the No. 28 pick, writes Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link).
After the NBA sets its rookie scale for first-round picks each year, a player is permitted to sign for as little as 80% and as much as 120% of that amount. Almost every player receives the full 120%, to the point that the league sets the default cap hold for a first-round pick at that 120% figure.
However, it’s not unheard of for a player to settle for less, especially in his first season — a year ago, for instance, the Knicks were able to sign No. 25 pick Pacome Dadiet for 80% of his typical rookie scale amount. That helped New York navigate a hard cap for the rest of the season, and Dadiet will receive 120% of the rookie scale for the remainder of his deal, starting in 2025/26.
The player that Boston ultimately selected at No. 28, Spanish forward Hugo Gonzalez, didn’t agree to accept that 80% rate, Fischer notes. It remains to be seen whether he’ll receive the full 120%.
Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:
- After expressing a willingness during their NBA Finals run to enter the luxury tax next season for the first time in two decades in 2025/26, the Pacers may rethink that approach with Tyrese Haliburton expected to miss all of next season while recovering from Achilles surgery. League sources tell Fred Katz of The Athletic that the Pacers are “still deciding how to handle their financial future.”
- Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star (subscription required) considers Bennedict Mathurin‘s case for a rookie scale extension this offseason, pointing out that – with Haliburton out for next season – the fourth-year Pacers guard may get an opportunity to play more of a featured role, which could boost his value ahead of restricted free agency in 2026.
- Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca evaluates what’s next for the Raptors in the wake of their split with longtime top executive Masai Ujiri and suggests some potential candidates for the newly opened president role.
- Bucks assistant general manager Milt Newton said on Thursday night that the team was “really ecstatic” about Bogoljub Markovic still being on the board at No. 47, adding that the team had been scouting the Serbian forward for four years. As Eric Nehm of The Athletic writes, when asked about the Bucks’ decision to draft a teenager with their only 2025 pick after taking a pair of them in last year’s draft, Newton noted that Markovic has been playing professionally overseas and might not be more than a year or two away from playing an NBA role. “We also look at upside,” Newton added. “To have a player with that length, who can do the things that he can do, those are all transferable, translatable things that you can do in the NBA.”