Lakers’ Austin Reaves Reportedly Declines Extension Offer
The Lakers offered Austin Reaves a four-year, $89MM contract extension this week, but he declined in the hope of landing a bigger payday next summer, league sources tell Dan Woike of The Athletic.
As Woike details, $89MM over four years is the maximum the Lakers were allowed to offer Reaves, who is entering the third season of a four-year, $54MM contract. The 27-year-old is expected to turn down his $14.9MM player option for 2026/27 in order to become an unrestricted free agent next offseason.
While it would be easy to view Reaves’ decision as sign of disconnect between the two sides, that isn’t the case, according to Woike, who points out that the outcome was anticipated given the restrictions on what Los Angeles was permitted to offer. The Lakers have never seriously entertained the idea of trading Reaves and continue to place a high value on his contributions, Woike writes.
Reaves has vastly outplayed his current deal. In his fourth NBA season in 2024/25, the Arkansas native averaged career highs in points (20.2) assists (5.8), rebounds (4.5) and steals (1.1) per game in 73 appearances (34.9 MPG), with a shooting slash line of .460/.377/.877. He should easily command a new contract in 2026 that far surpasses the offer he recently declined.
Reaves will have Bird rights if he opts out in ’26, giving the Lakers the ability to offer him anything up to his maximum salary. However, he will be an unrestricted free agent if he takes that route, which could give the Lakers a little bit of pause, since it might open the door to a rival suitor swooping in with an enormous offer.
Still, as Woike observes, any team that is interested in trading for Reaves would be in the exact same position as the Lakers are now. And there have been no indications that either side is unhappy with the relationship — quite the opposite. Both Reaves and the Lakers are interested in working on a new deal next summer, Woike tweets.
“I want to be in L.A. I want to play my whole career in L.A. I love it there. I love the fans. Love the weather, love the golf,” Reaves told K8 News earlier this month. “And obviously the Lakers are the best organization in basketball.”
Los Angeles continues to be “aggressive” in its search for center help, but obviously nothing has materialized yet, Woike adds.
Lakers Trade 55th Pick, Cash To Bulls For 45th Pick
June 30: The trade is now official, according to Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report, who tweets that the Bulls received $2.5MM in cash in the deal, along with the draft rights to No. 55 pick Lachlan Olbrich, in exchange for the rights to No. 45 pick Rocco Zikarsky.
The Lakers subsequently traded up again – using the No. 45 pick and cash – to No. 36, but that trade won’t become official until after the July moratorium.
June 26: The Lakers are trading the 55th pick of the 2025 draft and cash to the Bulls for tonight’s 45th selection, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (via Twitter).
As Keith Smith of Spotrac tweets, the Lakers will now be hard-capped at the second tax apron for the 2025/26 season because they are sending out cash in the deal.
Bulls general manager Marc Eversley said during a Wednesday night press conference that Chicago was open to moving the No. 45 pick, either to move out of the second round or to select a draft-and-stash prospect. In this case the Bulls moved back 10 spots and added cash in the process.
Los Angeles is clearly targeting a player it likes and thinks will be available at No. 45 but may not have been at No. 55. In the past, sending out cash to move up in the draft wasn’t a big deal, but changes in the new CBA mean the Lakers will be unable to surpass the second apron — projected at $207.8MM — for next season.
Although they’ll lose a little bit of roster flexibility as a result of the trade, the Lakers were unlikely to exceed the second apron in ’25/26 anyway, notes Yossi Gozlan of Third Apron (Twitter link).
According to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Twitter link), the Hornets (either No. 33 or No. 34), Raptors (No. 39), Warriors (No. 41) and Thunder (No. 44) are also open to trading their second-round picks. ESPN identified Charlotte this morning as a team to monitor with one of its early second-rounders.
The Timberwolves (No. 31) are also fielding trade inquiries on the first pick of the second round, sources tell Fischer (Twitter link).
Celtics Notes: Stevens, Horford, Kornet, Mazzulla, Gonzalez, Tatum, Brown
Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens had a new first-round pick to discuss in Hugo Gonzalez, but there were more pressing issues to address as he met with the media following Wednesday’s draft, writes Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. After agreeing to separate trades this week involving Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis, Stevens talked about their contributions to the franchise and whether any more cost-cutting measures might be on the way.
“The biggest thing is there clearly is a need to prioritize regaining our flexibility,” Stevens said. “Maximizing from an assets standpoint what we can. As far as whatever moves those are a part of, those are all separate, hard, and things that you’re going to have to do your best to make sure you’re in the right position. We knew this was coming. We’ve got to prioritize flexibility.”
Parting with Holiday and Porzingis enabled the Celtics to move below the second apron, freeing them up to aggregate salaries in future trades, send out cash in deals and use trade exceptions. They’re projected to save nearly $200MM in luxury tax penalties, but Stevens emphasized that flexibility rather than frugality was the main motivation for trimming salary.
“Our owners are committed to spending,” Stevens said. “There’s a lot of things that go into these moves and a lot of things that are really important. The second apron basketball penalties are real and I’m not sure I understood how real until they were staring me in the face in the last month. I do think that can’t be overstated.”
There’s more from Boston:
- Without a reliable center currently on the roster, Stevens said the team hopes to re-sign free agents Al Horford and Luke Kornet, per Brian Robb of MassLive. Horford made $9.5MM this season while Kornet played for the league minimum and has a chance to get a significant raise on the open market. “I think the biggest thing is, as you look at the rest of the team and what we’re trying to do, there is no question our priorities would be to bring Al and Luke back,” Stevens said. “Those guys are huge parts of this organization,” Stevens said. “They’re going to have, I’m sure, plenty of options all over the place, and that’s well-deserved, but I think that would be a priority. At the same time, I don’t want to put pressure on them. It’s their call ultimately. But, yeah, we would love to have those guys back.”
- Stevens revealed that Joe Mazzulla received a contract extension at some point since he was promoted to head coach two years ago, Robb adds in a separate story. “I keep any of those discussions in house,” Stevens said. “But we’ve got Joe under contract for multiple years right now. So, we certainly want Joe to be around here for a long time.”
- Regarding Gonzalez, Stevens confirmed the 19-year-old Real Madrid wing won’t be a draft-and-stash project, according to Souichi Terada of MassLive. “Just a big fan of how he plays,” Stevens said. “He’s tough, he’s hard playing, he cuts, he goes after the ball, he competes. He’s got all the intangibles of a winning basketball player. There’s things he can get better at just like everybody else at that age, but competitiveness is at a high level.”
- Stevens also provided updates on injured stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, relays Kyle Hightower of The Associated Press. Stevens is pleased with Tatum’s progress since undergoing Achilles surgery and emphasized that the team won’t do anything to rush his rehabilitation process. “We won’t put a projected timeline on him for a long, long time,” Stevens said. “… It’s baby steps right now. He’s actually progressed great, but I don’t know what that means in regard to projected timelines. But that will be in consultation with him … and everybody else to make sure when he hits the court he is fully ready, and fully healthy. And that will be the priority.” Brown, who recently had a minimally invasive procedure on his right knee, has already returned to the Celtics’ facility to do some light ball-handling and work around the rim, Stevens adds.
Northwest Notes: Bailey, Brown, Yang, Beringer
The Jazz weren’t on Ace Bailey‘s list of preferred destinations heading into Wednesday night’s draft, sources tell Tim Bontemps of ESPN. Bailey didn’t hold any pre-draft workouts as he was reportedly trying to manipulate the process to end up with a team that could offer him guaranteed playing time and a large role in the offense. The Wizards were believed to be interested at No. 6, but Utah selected him one pick earlier.
“We really like him as a player and a fit in our program,” president of basketball operations Austin Ainge said.
The selection ended a controversial pre-draft process for the talented Rutgers forward, who was viewed as a top-three pick when the college basketball season wrapped up. Bailey called off a scheduled visit to Philadelphia last week and was believed to be the only prominent U.S. player who didn’t visit any team before the draft. He said he had “no idea” the Jazz were interested in taking him.
“I feel like once I come in, it’s going to be a lot of work,” Bailey said. “I feel like I’m a person that likes to work out a lot. I’m going to push my teammates to be the best they can be. I want to come in and be a leader as a young cat.”
There’s more from the Northwest Division:
- At a post-draft press conference, Ainge dismissed rumors that the Jazz have been involved in trade talks with the Celtics regarding Jaylen Brown, tweets Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune. There are some obvious connections, as Ainge recently left Boston for Utah, and his father, Jazz CEO Danny Ainge, drafted Brown when he was running the Celtics. “I don’t like to confirm or deny rumors, just as a policy, but I will this time,” Austin Ainge told reporters (Twitter link). “No, that hasn’t happened. No conversations that way.”
- Trail Blazers general manager Joe Cronin monitored Hansen Yang for nearly two years before selecting him with the 16th pick, according to Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian. Cronin acknowledged the pick was “unconventional,” per Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report (Twitter link), but views the 7’2″ center, who was the Chinese Basketball Association’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2024, as a project who’s worth investing in. “His ceiling is very high,” Cronin said. “It’s extremely difficult to find a young player of that stature with this skill set. And it’s translatable stuff that we’ve seen really, really skilled big men that can do all the things that he can do, typically succeed in our league. Yeah, it might take him a little time, but as he figures out the speed and pace of our game, I wouldn’t put a ceiling on him. He’s that talented.” Cronin added that the Blazers weren’t comfortable trading down farther than the 16th pick because they believed other teams were eyeing Yang as well.
- Timberwolves general manger Matt Lloyd told Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic that several team officials flew to Chicago over the weekend for a private workout with Joan Beringer. After talking to the French center and seeing him in action, the group was convinced that he was perfect for the franchise if he remained on the board at No. 17. “Joan is one of those rare cases where the best player available also had a fit,” Lloyd said. “And we were sweating it. … It was a long night of waiting.”
Clippers Notes: Niederhauser, Harden, Trade Market, Leonard
The move to the Big 10 by USC and UCLA played a role in the Clippers‘ selection of Yanic Konan Niederhauser with the 30th pick Wednesday night. In a post-draft session with reporters, president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank said Penn State held practices at his team’s facility when it traveled west to face the Southern California schools (Twitter link). That gave Clippers officials a chance to watch the Nittany Lions’ center up close.
Frank added that L.A. was searching for a big man with size who can roll to the rim and serve as an effective backup for Ivica Zubac. Frank and general manager Trent Redden preferred to avoid a direct comparison, but Frank said they were hoping to find a center with skills similar to Clint Capela (Twitter link).
Frank added that historically a player drafted at the end of the first round only has a 15% chance to still be in the league five years later (Twitter link). They have confidence that Niederhauser will be able to accomplish that, with Redden adding that youngster “has real upside” and should benefit from the chance to learn the game from Zubac.
There’s more on the Clippers:
- Frank stated that keeping James Harden is the team’s top priority for the offseason (Twitter link). The 35-year-old guard has to decide by Sunday whether to opt out of a $36.3MM salary for next season. If Harden chooses free agency, Frank said he hopes they can reach a mutually beneficial agreement on a new deal.
- Regarding the trade market this summer, Frank wants to make sure the team stays in position to make a competitive offer if star players become available (Twitter link). “You’re constantly engaged and looking to get better,” he said. “… Our goal is how can we get this current group as good as it can possibly be … but have flexibility going forward.”
- Frank told reporters that Kawhi Leonard kept up his training regimen through the end of the NBA Finals “to push his body to get to that point so he can play deep in June.” Leonard didn’t make his season debut until early January, but he was mostly healthy after that and was able to play in all seven games of the Clippers’ first-round playoff series. “He’s extremely excited because it’s the first time in a while he is not rehabbing from injury … and getting back to working,” Frank said (Twitter link).
Trade Rumors: Lakers, Wiggins, Knicks, Celtics, Cavs, Bulls
After previously reporting that the Lakers checked in with the Heat to inquire on Andrew Wiggins‘ price, Anthony Irwin of ClutchPoints says the two teams have continued to explore the possibility of a Wiggins trade, though nothing is imminent.
As Irwin details, Rui Hachimura and his expiring contract would likely be the centerpiece of any deal, with another expiring contract (either Maxi Kleber‘s or Gabe Vincent‘s) necessary for salary-matching purposes. According to Irwin, league sources believe the Heat would also try to push for the inclusion of 2024 first-round pick Dalton Knecht.
A source tells Anthony Chiang and Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald that the Heat are “very open” to moving Wiggins, who was part of last season’s Jimmy Butler trade with Golden State. Trading him for expiring salaries would create additional cap flexibility for Miami in the summer of 2026.
The Lakers are also scouring the trade market for help at the center position, Irwin continues, but he has heard from league sources that the front office believes the asking price for big men so far has been too high. As a result, it’s possible Los Angeles will look to use the $5.7MM taxpayer mid-level exception to address the center position while trying to upgrade other areas of the roster on the trade market, Irwin explains.
Here are a few more trade-related rumors from around the NBA:
- Mikal Bridges‘ and Mitchell Robinson‘s names have surfaced in Knicks trade talks this offseason, according to Frank Isola of YES Network (Twitter link). Bridges and Robinson will also both be eligible to sign contract extensions beginning in July, so I’d expect New York to explore both scenarios before determining how best to move forward.
- Prior to Wednesday’s first round, the Celtics touched base with teams in the lottery, including the Spurs at No. 14, but didn’t end up finding a deal they liked, tweets Ian Begley of SNY.tv. While Jaylen Brown and Derrick White rumors have circulated this week, Sam Hauser is considered Boston’s top current trade candidate — Chris Mannix of SI.com said during an appearance on The Bill Simmons Podcast that there has been a “robust” market for Hauser (Twitter video link).
- The Cavaliers explored the possibility of trading into the first round on Wednesday, with a few picks considered to be available, but didn’t find any opportunities they deemed worthwhile, reports Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. The team holds the 49th and 58th overall picks on Thurday.
- During a press conference on Wednesday night, Bulls general manager Marc Eversley said Chicago spoke to a few teams about moving up before deciding to stand pat at No. 12 and select Noa Essengue. Everseley added that the Bulls may end up trading tonight’s No. 45 pick or using it on a draft-and-stash prospect (Twitter links via Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times).
Draft Notes: Second-Round Mocks, Round-One Winners, Trades
With round one of the 2025 NBA draft in the books, ESPN’s Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo look ahead to what to expect on day two on Thursday, sharing an updated 29-pick mock draft covering the second round.
ESPN’s duo is projecting the Timberwolves to kick off the evening by nabbing Saint Joseph’s forward Rasheer Fleming at No. 31, with Stanford big man Maxime Raynaud going to the Celtics at No. 32, and the Hornets drafting Creighton’s Ryan Kalkbrenner and French forward Noah Penda with their picks at No. 33 and No. 34.
Still, Givony and Woo acknowledge that we’ll likely see plenty of draft-pick movement on Thursday, potentially involving one or more of those first few selections — Givony singles out the Hornets as a team to watch, noting that the club already added a pair of rookies on Wednesday (Kon Knueppel and Liam McNeeley) and may not want to add two more to their roster at the start of the second round.
Addressing their favorite under-the-radar prospects to keep an eye on during the second round, Givony mentions Penda as an ideal draft-and-stash target for a playoff team drafting in the 30s, though the 20-year-old would likely prefer to come stateside right away. Woo, meanwhile, suggests Florida State wing Jamir Watkins could be a perfect win-now fit for a team in the 30s. ESPN’s mock has him going to the Pacers at No. 38.
Here’s more on the 2025 draft as we prepare for Thursday evening’s second round:
- Sam Vecenie of The Athletic has also shared an updated mock draft for the second round that starts with Fleming to Minnesota and Raynaud to Boston. Vecenie has the Hornets nabbing Sion James and Kalkbrenner, with Penda going to the Nets at No. 36 and Watkins sliding to the Cavaliers at No. 49.
- A panel of ESPN experts, including Givony and Woo, breaks down the biggest winners, most surprising moves, and best picks from day one of the draft. ESPN’s experts liked the Suns taking Khaman Maluach at No. 10, the Spurs getting Carter Bryant at No. 14, and the Heat nabbing Kasparas Jakucionis at No. 20, but questioned the Pelicans‘ decision to give up a valuable unprotected 2026 first-round pick to move up 10 spots to take Derik Queen at No. 13.
- Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports isn’t as high on the Jakucionis pick for the Heat, giving them a D+, his lowest grade for any of the top 30 picks. The Grizzlies, conversely, earned an A++ grade from O’Connor for moving up to snag Washington State’s Cedric Coward at No. 11.
- The price paid by teams like the Pelicans, Grizzlies, and Jazz to move up a few spots outside of the top 10 on Wednesday was awfully high, observes John Hollinger of The Athletic. New Orleans and Memphis gave up unprotected future first-round picks to move up 10 and five spots, respectively, with the Grizzlies also surrendering two future second-rounders. The 2026 first-rounder sent from New Orleans to the Hawks is considered a “superfirst” because it’ll be the most favorable of New Orleans’ and Milwaukee’s picks — it’s very possible one of those picks will end up being a pretty high one, Hollinger notes. Utah, meanwhile, didn’t give up a future first, but had to part with three second-round picks to move up just three spots from No. 21 to No. 18.
Sixers’ Morey Discusses Embiid’s Recovery, Edgecombe Pick
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday evening after using the No. 3 overall pick to select Baylor guard VJ Edgecombe, Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey provided a positive update on star center Joel Embiid, writes Dan Gelston of The Associated Press.
According to Gelston, Morey indicated that Embiid – who underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee in April – is on track to be recovered “right around” the time training camp opens in late September, suggesting the team is encouraged by the big man’s recovery progress so far.
“He’s very engaged, attacking rehab,” Morey said. “Doing everything he can to be out there. He had a meeting with (the surgeon) this week. All things, to use a NASA term, are nominal. Things are going well and expected and we expect that to continue.”
Embiid’s left knee has been an issue since midway through the 2023/24 season, when he underwent surgery to address a meniscus injury. He was able to return that spring and played in the Olympics during the summer, but he continued to deal with swelling in the knee in the fall. The injury delayed his season debut until November 12 and prevented him from ever getting fully comfortable during the ’24/25 campaign.
Here are a few more highlights from Morey’s media session:
- The Sixers already have rising star Tyrese Maxey, promising 2024 first-rounder Jared McCain, and restricted free agent Quentin Grimes in their backcourt, but didn’t hesitate to add another young guard to the mix on Wednesday when they drafted Edgecombe. “I think we now have one of the best backcourts in the league,” Morey said, per Tony Jones of The Athletic. “When you look at some of these teams that are successful, they all have multiple guards.”
- While Edgecombe’s athleticism and defense figure to get him on the court in his rookie year, he intends to do all he can to help out the Sixers’ stars on the offensive end of the court too, as Jones relays. “I’m really focused on trying to shoot the ball at a high level,” Edgecombe said on Wednesday. “My job is going to be trying to release pressure on Joel, Paul (George), and Tyrese.”
- Here’s more from Morey on Edgecombe, per Jones: “We’re super excited about V.J. and that we got the chance to draft him. He’s a dynamic athlete. We think he’s one of the best athletes in the draft. We think he has a chance to be a potential All-Star, and he’s going to be a two-way player coming into the league. He has a lot of winning qualities, and we think he is going to be a really good fit. We think he is going to be a great teammate.”
- Edgecombe appeared to become the favorite for the No. 3 pick after Ace Bailey cancelled a scheduled workout with the Sixers, but Morey said on Wednesday that Bailey’s refusal to work out for Philadelphia didn’t factor into the club’s draft decision, tweets Adam Aaronson of PhillyVoice.
Kings Rumors: Sabonis, PG Targets, Westbrook, Kuminga, LaVine
The Kings are viewed as “open for business” this offseason and appear willing to discuss a wide variety of potential trade scenarios, according to Sam Amick of The Athletic.
However, while that stance suggests Sacramento wouldn’t immediately shut down inquiries on Domantas Sabonis, team and league sources tell Amick that the club has continued to “signal a commitment” to its star center.
As Amick explains, Sabonis was frustrated by how the De’Aaron Fox situation played out, but he hasn’t asked for a trade and has had positive conversations with new head of basketball operations Scott Perry about the Kings’ plans going forward.
Here’s more on the Kings:
- Following up on comments he made during a radio appearance, Amick confirms the Kings had some interest in Jrue Holiday before Boston agreed to send him to Portland, but were concerned about his age and contract. Amick also notes that some of the team’s “power-brokers” were interested in pursuing Hawks guard Trae Young, but the Kings opted against it due to his offense-first style of play and his sizable contract.
- Confirming that the Kings have serious interest in Dennis Schröder and are eyeing Tyus Jones, as has been previously reported, Amick says former MVP Russell Westbrook is among the other free agent point guards the front office is considering. Westbrook is on track for unrestricted free agency after declining his player option with Denver.
- While Amick classifies it as a long shot, he says the Kings will be among the teams with interest in Warriors restricted free agent forward Jonathan Kuminga this summer. Miami and Chicago have previously been mentioned as possible suitors for Kuminga, who is hoping for an increased role whether he remains in Golden State or ends up elsewhere.
- Zach LaVine will become extension-eligible this offseason, but Sacramento has no plans to make a new deal for LaVine a priority, league sources tell Amick. The former Bull has one guaranteed year worth $47.5MM left on his current contract, with a $49MM player option for 2026/27.
Harrison Confirms Jason Kidd Will Coach Mavs Next Season
It appears that Jason Kidd will be staying with the Mavericks. Despite reports suggesting Kidd and the Knicks had “mutual intrigue,” Mavs president Nico Harrison confirmed in a post-draft press conference that he does not intend to let that happen.
“Is that still out there about J. Kidd? I thought I shut that down,” he said, as relayed by Dallas Morning News writer Brad Townsend (Twitter link).
“He will be the coach next year,” Harrison continued.
Although the Mavericks denied the Knicks’ request to speak to Kidd, the lack of a forthcoming extension for the head coach had led to speculation that the issue may not be quite as open-and-shut as it appeared to be.
After drafting their forward of the future in Cooper Flagg, Harrison made the news official: the Knicks will have to look elsewhere to find their coach.
In addition to speaking to Mike Brown and Taylor Jenkins, New York recently interviewed Timberwolves head coach Micah Nori and were granted permission to interview Pelicans assistant James Borrego.