Reaction To Jrue Holiday-Anfernee Simons Trade
The Celtics pulled off a tremendous swap by not only getting off of Jrue Holiday‘s contract but also getting draft capital in return, John Hollinger of The Athletic opines.
Holiday has three years and $104.4MM left on his deal and it was fair to wonder whether the Celtics would have to attach a first-round pick or two to deal him, Hollinger writes. Instead, they’ll receive Anfernee Simons and two second-rounders from the Trail Blazers.
Boston could extend Simons’ deal — he’s got one year left on his contract, Hollinger notes. It’s also quite possible Simons could be flipped for a player with a lower cap hit as Boston looks to continue shedding salary. The Celtics reached an agreement on another cost-cutting deal on Tuesday, dealing Kristaps Porzingis to the Hawks in a three-team deal that will drop them under the second tax apron.
On the flip side, Hollinger believes this is a baffling move for Portland. The Blazers could have spent another year acquiring young talent and developing players. Instead, they’re trading one of their key sources of offense and handing the point guard duties to Scoot Henderson, who has struggled through his first two seasons.
Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian believes top executive Joe Cronin and coach Chauncy Billups are now in a must-win situation with an ownership change looming (Twitter link). The acquisition of Holiday could help the team reach the postseason and his long-term contract is irrelevant to the current regime, Fentress suggests, since Cronin and Billups might not survive an ownership change if the franchise endures another losing campaign.
The Trail Blazers don’t view themselves as a rebuilding team anymore, according to Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report (Substack link), who notes that making the postseason was a stated goal when Cronin and Billups received contract extensions after the team won 23 of its last 41 games.
According to Highkin, Holiday is the type of player that Billups has pined for since Damian Lillard was dealt. Holiday is not only a tough, defensive-minded guard but will provide much needed leadership in the locker room.
Highkin also points out that Cronin effectively picked Henderson over Lillard two years ago by drafting him with the No. 3 overall pick and is now choosing Henderson over Simons. Additionally, Highkin believes Holiday will be more willing to come off the bench behind Henderson than Simons would have been during his walk year, though Fentress (Twitter link) expects Holiday to end up in the starting lineup.
Finally, it’s worth noting that Steve Bulpett of Heavy.com has a source who claims Holiday is upset about being sent to Portland.
“If he winds up staying there, I’m sure he’ll be the professional he’s always been and make a positive contribution,” that source told Bulpett. “But he’s not happy with this deal. I’ll be surprised if Portland doesn’t move him on if they can, because right now he does not want to go there. I’m sure if he has to go to Portland, he’ll end up going and it’ll be OK, but right now they want to be somewhere else. But with that contract, it’s not going to be that easy.”
The idea that the Blazers would give up multiple draft picks to acquire Holiday only to try to trade him to another team doesn’t really pass the smell test, nor does it align with the reporting in the past 24 hours. We’ll see if any other reports corroborate the claim that Holiday is unhappy about the deal, but for now, the comments from Bulpett’s source can probably be taken with a grain of salt.
Nuggets Notes: Kroenke, Jokic, Tenzer, Wallace, Holmes
Nuggets vice chairman Josh Kroenke said that Nikola Jokic will receive a contract extension offer this offseason, The Denver Post’s Bennett Durando tweets, though the superstar center could receive an even bigger deal by waiting another year.
“We’re definitely gonna offer it,” Kroenke said during a Tuesday press conference. “I’m not sure if he’s gonna accept it or not because we’re also gonna explain every financial parameter around him, signing now versus signing later.”
Jokic’s contract runs through 2026/27, with a player option for ’27/28. Jokic will become extension-eligible on July 8 and could sign for approximately $212MM at that time on a three-year extension that replaces his option — or he could wait until July 2026 and sign for four years and $293MM.
Here’s more from Kroenke’s presser, via Durando:
- Kroenke made an ominous, perhaps inadvertent statement, regarding the Collective Bargaining Agreement and its implications. While discussing the second tax apron, Kroenke brought up a doomsday scenario in which Jokic could be traded. “There are rules around it that we needed to be very careful of with our injury history,” he said (Twitter link). “Wrong person gets injured, and very quickly you’re into a scenario that I never want to have to contemplate, and that’s trading No. 15 (Jokic).”
- Regarding front office responsibilities, Kroenke indicated that Ben Tenzer, the new executive vice president of basketball operations, and former Timberwolves executive Jon Wallace, who was named executive vice president of player personnel, will share duties involving trades, free agents signings and contract negotiations. Kroenke will take a more hands-on role in the short run as the duo settles into their positions, then ease back and just check in with them every few days or on a weekly basis. (Twitter links)
- According to Vinny Benedetto of the Denver Gazette (Twitter link), Tenzer said that forward/center DaRon Holmes II would participate in Summer League play. Holmes tore his Achilles in his Summer League debut last July after the Nuggets traded up to snag him with the No. 22 pick.
Celtics Trade Porzingis To Hawks In Three-Team Deal
July 7: The trade is official, according to the Hawks. The final terms are as follows:
Hawks acquire Kristaps Porzingis and a 2026 second-round pick (from Celtics).- Celtics acquire Georges Niang, the Cavaliers’ 2031 second-round pick (from Hawks), and cash (from Nets).
- Nets acquire Terance Mann and the draft rights to Drake Powell (No. 22 pick).
“Kristaps is a unique and versatile talent with championship pedigree,” Hawks general manager Onsi Saleh said in a statement. “His ability to stretch the floor, protect the rim, and make plays on both ends adds another dimension to our team. We are fortunate to add a player of his caliber to our group. We’d also like to thank Terence and Georges for their contributions last season and wish them the best.”
June 24: One day after agreeing to trade Jrue Holiday, the Celtics are moving another starter. Kristaps Porzingis is headed to the Hawks in a three-team trade, ESPN’s Shams Charania reports (Twitter link).
Atlanta will acquire Porzingis and a second-round pick in the deal; Terance Mann and Atlanta’s No. 22 pick in Wednesday’s draft are headed to the Nets; and the Celtics are acquiring Georges Niang and a second-round pick.
That second-round pick headed to Boston is coming from Atlanta and is the Cavaliers’ 2031 second-rounder, per Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Twitter link). In exchange, the Celtics are sending a 2026 second-rounder with “least favorable” language to the Hawks, tweets Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.
The trade, coupled with the agreed-upon Holiday deal with Portland, will allow the Celtics to drop below the second tax apron by $4.5MM, Spotrac contributor Keith Smith tweets. The two deals will reduce their projected luxury tax penalty by nearly $210MM, estimates cap expert Yossi Gozlan (Twitter link).
Porzingis has an expiring $30.7MM contract, while Niang’s expiring deal totals just $8.5MM. Shedding salary has been a goal this offseason for the Celtics, who were facing second-apron restrictions and substantial repeater taxpayer penalties with Jayson Tatum expected to miss most or all of next season while he recovers from a torn Achilles.
A 6’7″ marksman with a career average of 39.9% from beyond the arc, Niang will fit right in as the newest member of the NBA’s leading three-point shooting team in his hometown of Boston. The 32-year-old forward played some of the best basketball of his career after being traded from Cleveland to Atlanta in February, averaging 12.1 points and posting a 41.3% mark on 6.6 threes per game in 28 games for the Hawks.
While the deal gives the Celtics another shooter and creates substantial tax savings, it depletes their depth in the frontcourt, where Al Horford and Luke Kornet are eligible for free agency. Re-signing one or both of those players while potentially adding another big man figures to be a top priority for Boston this summer.
Meanwhile, with Clint Capela headed to free agency, it appears Porzingis will slot in as the Hawks’ starting center ahead of Onyeka Okongwu. He’ll give Atlanta a quality pick-and-pop partner to team up with franchise player Trae Young and will become extension-eligible in July, though it’s unclear whether his new team will look to extend him right away.
Porzingis has an extensive injury history and was hampered this past season by a lingering illness that affected him during the second half and into the postseason, but the expectation is that he’ll be fully recovered by the fall. The veteran big man continues to produce at a high level when he’s available, having averaged 19.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.5 blocks in 28.8 minutes per game across 42 starts for the Celtics in 2024/25, with a shooting line of .483/.412/.809.
The Hawks were rumored to have interest in free agent big man Myles Turner, another rim-protecting, floor-stretching center. Their acquisition of Porzingis will presumably take them out of the mix for Turner, but they’re still well below the projected tax line and continue to explore opportunities to use a trade exception worth $25MM+, either on the trade market or in free agency (via sign-and-trade), tweets Fischer.
Atlanta made “a lot of calls” about Mann this week, according to Fischer (Twitter link), before eventually finding a taker for the 6’5″ swingman.
Mann, a Brooklyn native, has three years and $47MM remaining on his contract. Acquired from the Clippers at this year’s trade deadline, he had a solid finish to the season on Atlanta’s second unit alongside Niang, averaging 9.8 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in 22.7 minutes per game across 30 outings. He posted a shooting line of .541/.386/.667 as a Hawk.
Accounting for Mann’s $15.5MM salary and the $3.4MM cap hold for the No. 22 overall pick, the Nets will use up roughly $19MM in cap space to make the deal, which can’t be completed until July 6, after the new league year begins and the July moratorium lifts.
Brooklyn still projects to have substantial cap room and now controls an amazing five first-rounders in this week’s draft — Nos. 8, 19, 22, 26, 27 — which figures to lead to more deals.
Luke Adams contributed to this story.
Trade Rumors: Giannis, K. Murray, Ellis, P. Williams, Heat
Superstar forward Giannis Antetokounmpo hasn’t requested a trade and the Bucks are reportedly focused on improving their roster around him, but teams around the NBA continue to monitor the situation, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, who said on First Take (YouTube link) that potential Antetokounmpo suitors are hoping he won’t be thrilled by the moves Milwaukee makes in the coming days and weeks.
“The Bucks have seven free agents. Seven. Three or four of which I would refer to as core players,” Windhorst said (hat tip to RealGM). “The Bucks do not have salary cap space. The Bucks do not control their first-round draft pick for the next five years. They can’t trade it — they can’t trade the pick or the swap. The Bucks are in situation where they cannot count on Dame Lillard for next year. Maybe he can come back, but they cannot count on it. The Bucks are not interested right now in trading Giannis Antetokounmpo. And Giannis, to our knowledge, to my belief, has not asked for a trade. Those are the facts.
“We are also before the draft. We are before free agency. Will the Bucks do some things over the next two, three weeks to put themselves in a position where they can look like they could win the Eastern Conference, with those limitations? Maybe.”
Windhorst’s ESPN colleague Stephen A. Smith interjected at that point to say that the Bucks’ odds of reemerging as an Eastern Conference favorite seem “highly unlikely.”
“Right, so that’s why the league is waiting,” Windhorst continued. “People want to know why aren’t the Knicks going all-in for Kevin Durant? Why aren’t the Heat going all-in for Kevin Durant? Because, in part – there’s other reasons, but in part -they want to see what happens here with the Bucks. And we’re going to be watching closely.”
Here are a few more trade rumors from around the NBA:
- Checking in on the Kings‘ roster situation and potential trade candidates ahead of the draft, Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee reports that the team wants to add “length and athleticism” in its frontcourt and is hoping to add a power forward/center in order to slide Keegan Murray back to small forward. According to Anderson, Murray and Keon Ellis have been generating “strong” trade interest, but Sacramento isn’t enthusiastic about moving either player.
- The Bulls‘ front office has been “more responsive” to trade conversations this offseason than in the past, a source tells Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. Cowley suggests that forward Patrick Williams is viewed as a prime candidate for Chicago, though the former No. 4 overall pick – who hasn’t taken a major step forward in recent years – still has four seasons and $72MM left on his current contract, which will make it difficult to move him for positive value without a sweetener attached.
- Appearing on The Pat McAfee Show on Monday (Twitter video link), ESPN’s Shams Charania provided a little more information on what the Heat would’ve have had to give up to get Durant from the Suns, supplementing prior reporting from The Miami Herald. In order to keep Kel’el Ware out of a Durant deal, Miami likely would have had to put Jaime Jaquez, Nikola Jovic, Haywood Highsmith, the No. 20 overall pick, and a pick swap in its package, according to Charania. The Heat’s final offer reportedly fell well short of that.
Board Of Governors Unanimously Approves Timberwolves Sale
The NBA’s Board of Governors has unanimously approved the sale of the controlling interests in the Timberwolves and the WNBA’s Minnesota Lynx from Glen Taylor to Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez, the league announced in a press release (Twitter link). The transaction is expected to close this week.
According to Chris Hine of the Minneapolis Star Tribune, the transfer will occur on Wednesday.
The BOG’s approval ends a lengthy battle for majority control of the franchise.
“We are honored to lead the Timberwolves and Lynx into a bold and exciting new era,” Lore said in a statement released by the Timberwolves. “Today marks a momentous milestone for us, and we fully recognize the great responsibility that comes with serving as stewards of these exceptional franchises. We are committed to building an organization that sets the standard for excellence, is universally admired, and rooted in pride that spans generations.”
“I’ve dedicated my entire life to the world of sports; not just as a game, but as a powerful force that unites people, uplifts communities, and changes lives,” Rodriguez added in the same statement. “I’m incredibly honored and energized to roll up my sleeves and get to work. I know what it takes to be a champion, and I’m ready to bring that same commitment and drive to create a winning culture in Minnesota.”
Taylor nixed the previous tiered payment agreement with Lore and Rodriguez in the spring of 2024, citing a breach of contract and a failure to meet a payment deadline. Lore and Rodriguez disputed that characterization, stating that they had the funds necessary to become majority owners but were awaiting NBA approval and should have been entitled to an extension.
The third payment that was in dispute would have increased Lore and Rodriguez’ share from 36% to about 80% and the purchase agreement stipulated that they could buy out Taylor’s remaining 20% stake anytime before March 2025.
The dispute went to mediation and then a November 2024 arbitration hearing. The arbitrators ruled in favor of Lore and Rodriguez in February. Taylor eventually chose not to appeal the decision, clearing the way for the Board of Governors to vote on the sale. Lore and Rodriguez needed at least 23 votes from the BOG.
Taylor is selling 100% ownership to the Lore/Rodriguez group at the $1.5 billion valuation that was initially agreed upon in 2021. The franchise’s value has increased substantially since that deal was made, which was believed to be a major factor in Taylor’s efforts to try to halt the sale.
Hine notes that Forbes recently estimated the Wolves value at $3.1 billion, with Sportico saying the Lynx are valued at $85MM.
Lore and Rodriguez will serve as co-chairmen, with Lore assuming the role of the Timberwolves’ governor and Rodriguez as alternate governor.
Kings Officially Announce Doug Christie’s Coaching Staff
After removing the interim tag from head coach Doug Christie and signing him to a new multiyear contract earlier this offseason, the Kings have finalized and formally announced the coaching staff that will be working with Christie in 2025/26.
Here’s the team’s new-look staff, per a press release from the team, with links to our stories on the assistants whose deals were previously reported:
- Associate head coach Mike Woodson (story)
- Assistant coach Bobby Jackson (story)
- Assistant coach Mike Miller (story)
- Note: This is the former Knicks interim head coach, not the former Heat player.
- Assistant coach Chris Darnell (story)
- Assistant coach Leandro Barbosa (story)
- Assistant coach/player development Dipesh Mistry
- Head of player development Paul Jesperson (story)
- Player development coach Jimmy Alapag
- Player development coach Garrius Adams (story)
- Coaching assistant/advance scout Will Scott
- Head video coordinator Shandon Goldman
- Assistant video coordinator Steph Ingo
“I’m excited for the opportunity to work alongside such a talented and experienced coaching staff – a group that truly reflects our values and the culture we’re building,” Christie said in a statement. “Their passion and leadership will shape not just how we play, but who we become as a team. I’m looking forward to the season ahead.”
According to Sean Cunningham of NBC Sacramento (Twitter link), Mistry will be the head coach of Sacramento’s Summer League team in July. He’s one of several names on the above list who is a carry-over from Mike Brown‘s staff. Among the front-of-bench assistants, Barbosa fits that bill too, while Woodson, Jackson, Miller, and Darnell are new additions.
Heat Pick Up Johnson’s Option; Give QOs To Mitchell, Smith
The Heat have completed a series of roster moves, according to reports from Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald and Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. Those moves are as follows:
Exercised their team option on Keshad Johnson ($1,955,377).- Issued a qualifying offer to Davion Mitchell ($8,741,210), making him a restricted free agent.
- Issued a qualifying offer to Dru Smith (two-way), making him a restricted free agent.
Johnson, who celebrated his 24th birthday on Monday, played a limited role for the Heat as a rookie, appearing in just 16 games and logging 98 total minutes at the NBA level. However, he impressed in the G League, with averages of 17.6 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 2.3 assists in 35.1 minutes per game across 32 appearances for the Sioux Falls Skyforce. The undrafted rookie earned a promotion from his two-way contract to the standard roster in December.
While some team options remain non-guaranteed after they’re exercised, that’s not the case for Johnson, whose $1.96MM salary for 2025/26 is now fully guaranteed. He’s on track to be eligible for restricted free agency during the summer of 2026.
Mitchell, a former ninth overall pick who has always had a reputation as a tenacious defender, earned his qualifying offer by emerging as an offensive weapon during the second half of the ’24/25 season.
After being traded from Toronto to Houston, the 26-year-old averaged 10.3 points and 5.3 assists per game with a .504/.447/.702 shooting line in 30 regular season outings for the Heat. He was even better in the postseason, making 59.3% of his field goal attempts and 52.0% of his three-pointers with averages of 15.2 PPG and 6.5 APG in six play-in and playoff outings.
Mitchell, who ranks 28th on our top-50 free agent list, will have the option of accepting his $8.7MM qualifying offer, which would set him up to become an unrestricted free agent in 2026. However, he’ll likely explore a multiyear deal with the Heat or another team. If he signs an offer sheet with a rival suitor, Miami would have the opportunity to match it.
Smith had his 2024/25 cut short due to a torn Achilles, but has always been a Heat favorite and will apparently have the opportunity to return on another two-way contract. He was the only one of three Miami two-way players to receive a qualifying offer — it doesn’t appear Isaiah Stevens will get one, while Josh Christopher was ineligible for a QO.
Langdon: Pistons Unlikely To Be ‘Super Aggressive’ This Offseason
Speaking on Tuesday to reporters, including Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press (Twitter links), Pistons general manager Trajan Langdon said he doesn’t anticipate that the team will do anything too drastic in free agency or on the trade market this summer after improving its record by 30 wins in 2024/25.
The second-year GM suggested the Pistons are more likely to focus on retaining their own free agents and making some tweaks around the edges of the roster rather than taking a big swing.
“We’re not going to be super aggressive this summer, I don’t think,” Langdon said. “I don’t foresee any of that. It’s just developing from within and hopefully keep the guys we brought in last year.”
According to Langdon, the uncertainty in the Eastern Conference – where three of the top five finishers from this past season will have a star player miss most or all of 2025/26 due to a torn Achilles – has “provoked thought” about Detroit’s ability to take another step forward, but hasn’t altered the team’s plans.
“I don’t think we want to be locked in and push our chips in,” Langdon said, per Sankofa (Twitter link). “… We want to keep that optionality … I think we will see growth from this year to next year and that’s what’s important for us.”
Here are a few more highlights from Langdon’s press conference:
- Specifically addressing their trio of veteran free agents – Malik Beasley, Dennis Schröder, and Tim Hardaway Jr. – Langdon said the Pistons want to re-sign all three players but won’t be able to fully control the situation, since they’ll be unrestricted FAs (Twitter link via Sankofa). “We have stated that we’re interested and they’re interested in us,” Langdon said, “but agents have to do their job and survey the market and see what’s there, and hopefully we can see those guys back.”
- Jaden Ivey (left leg) and Isaiah Stewart (right knee) wouldn’t necessarily be a “full go” if the Pistons were playing a game today, but both players will be ready for training camp, Langdon confirmed (Twitter link via Sankofa).
- Langdon declined to get into specifics when asked about Ivey and Jalen Duren being eligible for rookie scale extensions this offseason, but said the Pistons “value” both players (Twitter link via Sankofa): “Hopefully we can have conversations about (extensions) and if we don’t (extend them), they’ll play the year out and we’ll see from there.”
- Perhaps inspired by seeing his twin brother Amen Thompson earn first-place Defensive Player of the Year votes and claim a spot on the All-Defensive first team, Pistons wing Ausar Thompson has similar aspirations, according to Langdon (Twitter link via Sankofa). “He’s been working his butt off,” the GM said of Ausar, who missed the start of last season while recovering from a blood clot. “He’s been here, been back home, he’s been in the gym. The thing he wants to do at some point is be Defensive Player of the Year. He’s working on his strength, which he couldn’t do last year.”
- The Pistons intend to draft the best available with their No. 37 overall pick, according to Langdon (Twitter link via Sankofa), who is optimistic that the team will “find a player we like at that number” despite the fact that NIL opportunities have resulted in fewer early entrants and weakened that section of the draft to some extent.
Pelicans Trading McCollum, Olynyk To Wizards For Poole, Bey
The Pelicans and Wizards have agreed to a four-player trade, according to Shams Charania of ESPN, who reports (via Twitter) that guard CJ McCollum, forward/center Kelly Olynyk, and a future second-round pick are headed to Washington in exchange for guard Jordan Poole, forward Saddiq Bey, and the No. 40 overall pick in this year’s draft.
Both McCollum ($30.7MM) and Olynyk ($13.4MM) will be on expiring contracts in 2025/26, so this move will significantly increase the Wizards’ projected 2026 cap room. They were already going to have a lot of money coming off their books next summer, with Khris Middleton ($33.3MM), Marcus Smart ($21.6MM), and potentially Richaun Holmes ($13.3MM; mostly non-guaranteed) also on expiring deals.
Corey Kispert‘s $14MM is now the only fully guaranteed salary on Washington’s cap for 2026/27, though a handful of players on rookie scale contracts will join him once the Wizards officially pick up their ’26/27 options later this year. The team currently projects to have more than $80MM in cap room next summer, per Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron (Twitter link), and possibly up to $100MM, according to Charania.
In addition to generating future cap flexibility, the Wizards will add a pair of respected veterans who are still playing pretty good basketball.
While McCollum is an undersized shooting guard who isn’t a great defender, he put up 21.1 points and 4.1 assists per game this past season on .444/.373/.717 shooting in 56 contests (all starts). Olynyk, who was traded from Toronto to New Orleans in February, battled injuries that limited him to 44 appearances, but posted respectable averages of 8.7 PPG, 4.7 RPG, and 2.9 APG in 20.3 MPG and made 41.8% of his three-point tries.
Although neither player has substantial trade value, both should be movable later this offseason or during the season if the Wizards aren’t committed to keeping them for the entire 2025/26 campaign.
According to Josh Robbins of The Athletic (Twitter link), the second-round pick going to Washington in the deal is Chicago’s 2027 second-rounder. The Wizards were actually already going to receive that pick if it were to land in the top 50, but now they’ll get it no matter where it ends up, rather than the Pelicans receiving it if it’s between 51 and 60.
As for the Pelicans, they’re sacrificing some 2026 cap flexibility in the trade, but will move a little further below next season’s luxury tax line and get younger by acquiring Poole and Bey.
Poole, who turned 26 last Thursday, had a strong bounce-back year in D.C. in 2024/25 after a shaky first season with the Wizards. He averaged 20.5 points, 4.5 assists, and 3.0 rebounds in 29.4 minutes per game, with a shooting line of .432/.378/.883.
Like McCollum, Poole isn’t exactly a lock-down defender, but the former Warrior been pretty effective with the ball in his hands and should help New Orleans replace some of the play-making the team lost when Dejounte Murray tore his Achilles midway through the ’24/25 season — Murray’s recovery process is expected to extend into next season.
Poole is owed roughly $65.9MM over the next two years, with $4.25MM in annual incentives ($8.5MM in total) that count toward the tax apron, but not the cap. Bey has two seasons and $12.6MM left on his contract, with $333K in unlikely incentives each year.
Acquiring the duo in exchange for McCollum and Olynyk will reduce New Orleans’ team salary by about $6MM for cap/tax purposes, giving the club some extra breathing room to make additional moves.
Bey showed some real promise as a three-and-D wing in Detroit and Atlanta earlier in his career, but struggled with his outside shot for the Hawks in 2023/24 and tore his ACL near the end of that season, which cost him the entire ’24/25 campaign. He’ll be looking to make his comeback to the court this fall at age 26.
The trade is the second one the Pelicans have made within the last week to add 2025 draft capital. The club previously acquired a first-round pick from the Pacers in exchange for a 2026 first-rounder and now has the seventh, 23rd, and 40th overall picks entering this week’s draft.
The deal won’t become official until July due to Washington’s position relative to the first tax apron, notes ESPN’s Bobby Marks (via Twitter). That means there’s still a possibility it could expand to include more teams and pieces before it’s finalized.
If it’s completed as currently constructed, the Wizards would be hard-capped at the first apron for the 2025/26 season as a result of taking back more salary than they send out.
Blazers’ Matisse Thybulle Opting In For 2025/26
Trail Blazers wing Matisse Thybulle is opting into the final year of his contract by exercising his player option for 2025/26, reports NBA insider Chris Haynes (Twitter link).
Thybulle signed a three-year, $33MM deal with Portland during the summer of 2023 that included a third-year player option worth $11.55MM. By picking up that option, the 28-year-old will guarantee his salary for ’25/26. His decision had been due by the end of the day on Tuesday, so this news was expected.
A defensive ace who earned a spot on the All-Defensive second team in both 2021 and 2022 as a member of the Sixers, Thybulle was dealt from Philadelphia to Portland at the 2023 trade deadline and has been a Blazer since then.
While his offensive production has always lagged well behind his contributions on defense, the former 20th overall pick has been a little more productive in Portland, bumping his three-point percentage to 36.8% after hitting just 32.5% of his attempts from beyond the arc with the 76ers. He has averaged 6.2 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.8 steals in 23.6 minutes per game across 102 appearances in Portland.
Thybulle was limited to 15 outings in 2024/25 for health reasons. He underwent a procedure in October, just before the start of the regular season, to address inflammation in his right knee. Although it wasn’t supposed to sideline him for a significant period, he sustained a bad right ankle sprain in late November during his ramp-up process, which set back his recovery and meant he didn’t make his season debut until March 16.
Even after agreeing to trade Anfernee Simons to Boston in a deal for Jrue Holiday, the Blazers will have a significant amount of expiring money on their 2025/26 cap, with Thybulle joining Deandre Ayton ($35.6MM) and Robert Williams ($13.3MM). We’ll see if the front office attempts to turn any more of those expiring deals into a player with multiple years of team control, like it did with Simons.