NBA Rumors - HoopsRumors.com

James Harden Declining Option, Signing New Two-Year Deal With Clippers

June 29th, 2025 at 4:04pm CST by Rory Maher

Clippers guard James Harden will turn down his $36.3MM player option for the 2025/26 season in order to sign a new two-year, $81.5MM contract with the team, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter links).

According to Charania, the second year will be a player option and will be partially guaranteed if Harden opts in.

Dating back to 2022 free agency, this is the third consecutive time that Harden has inked a one-plus-one contract (two-year deal with a player option). The value of his cap hit for ’25/26 will determine how much financial flexibility the Clippers will have as they look to upgrade their roster this offseason.

Harden, who turns 36 years old at the end of August, appeared in 79 games last season, averaging 22.8 points, 8.7 assists, 5.8 rebounds and 1.5 steals on .410/.352/.872 shooting in 35.3 minutes per contest. The former NBA MVP was selected to his 11th All-Star team in 2024/25 and was also named to the All-NBA Third Team, marking the eighth time he’s been an all-league performer.

With Kawhi Leonard out for the first half of the season, Harden was the primary offensive engine for a Clippers team that performed better than expected after losing Paul George. He also had impressive chemistry with starting center Ivica Zubac, who had a career year with Harden orchestrating pick-and-rolls.

The Clippers went 50-32 last season, good for the No. 5 seed in the West, but lost their first-round playoff series against Denver in seven games.

Harden, a native of Los Angeles, was widely expected to return to the Clips in some fashion, whether by exercising his option or declining it and re-signing on a new deal. He opted for the latter route this summer, and could be a free agent again in 2026.

The move makes sense for both sides. The Nets are the only team projected to have a significant amount of cap room this offseason, and they were never going to be interested in a reunion with Harden at back end of his career, reducing his negotiating leverage.

But the Clippers also had no viable way to replace Harden’s scoring and play-making, and he has been pretty durable during his 16-year career. His contract for 2026/27 being partially guaranteed gives L.A. a little protection in the event of an injury or a decline in Harden’s play.

Harden was ranked No. 3 on on our list of this year’s top 50 free agents.

Thunder, Ajay Mitchell Agree To Three-Year Deal

June 29th, 2025 at 3:53pm CST by Luke Adams

The Thunder will decline their 2025/26 team option on Ajay Mitchell, opting instead to sign the guard to a three-year contract worth $9MM, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).

The new deal will start in ’25/26, replacing the $3MM option.

The 38th overall pick in the 2024 draft, Mitchell initially signed a two-way contract with Oklahoma City, but earned rotation minutes during the first half of the season, averaging 6.5 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 1.8 assists in 16.6 minutes per game on a strong shooting line of .495/.383/.829 across 36 appearances.

However, Mitchell’s promising rookie season was derailed in January by a turf toe injury that kept him on the shelf for more than three months. He returned in the final week of the regular season, then played a limited role during the team’s title run, mostly playing in garbage time.

Having finalized a three-year extension with Jaylin Williams as well, the Thunder will have 14 of the 15 players from their championship team back under contract for next season once Mitchell’s deal is official. While it’s still early in the offseason and more moves are possible, it looks like replacing Dillon Jones with 2025 first-rounder Thomas Sorber may be the only real change Oklahoma City makes to its roster this summer.

Knicks Exercising Hukporti’s Option, Declining Tucker’s

June 29th, 2025 at 3:51pm CST by Rory Maher

The Knicks are exercising their 2025/26 team option on Ariel Hukporti, but are declining their option on P.J. Tucker, league sources tell Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter link).

Hukporti’s option is worth just under $2MM and his salary for next season will remain non-guaranteed. Tucker’s was worth about $3.5MM and also would have been non-guaranteed had it been exercised.

According to Stefan Bondy of The New York Post (Twitter link), the Knicks are also issuing a two-way qualifying offer to Kevin McCullar, making him a restricted free agent.

A 23-year-old center from Germany, Hukporti was the 58th pick of last year’s draft. He battled injuries during his rookie season, appearing in 25 regular season games with averages of 1.9 points and 2.0 rebounds in 8.7 minutes per contest.

Although he barely played for New York after signing at the end of last season and is now 40 years old, it’s technically possible that Tucker could re-sign with the Knicks on a new non-guaranteed contract for the veteran’s minimum. That would substantially lower his cap hit and actually pay him a little more money while maintaining roster flexibility for the Knicks, who reportedly valued Tucker’s leadership in the locker room.

McCullar was also a second-round pick last year, having been selected No. 56 overall. He was injured to open his rookie campaign and only made four NBA appearances for a total of 29 minutes, with the majority of that playing time coming in the regular season finale.

Eric Gordon Declining Option But Interested In Re-Signing With Sixers

June 29th, 2025 at 3:50pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Veteran shooting guard Eric Gordon is declining his $3.4MM player option in order to become an unrestricted free agent, ESPN’s Shams Charania tweets. However, it’s still possible Gordon will remain with the Sixers.

According to The Athletic’s Tony Jones (Twitter link), there’s mutual interest between Philadelphia’s front office and Gordon. The Sixers view him as a possible mentor to No. 3 overall pick V.J. Edgecombe.

If Gordon were to re-sign with the Sixers on a new one-year, minimum-salary contract, his salary would increase to $3.6MM while his cap hit would drop to $2.3MM. He signed a two-year deal at the veteran’s minimum last season.

Gordon, who turns 37 on Christmas Day, is coming off an injury-marred season. He posted career-low averages of 6.8 points and 19.7 minutes per game, though he shot it well from three-point land (40.9%). He only appeared in 39 games before undergoing season-ending arthroscopic right wrist surgery on Feb. 26.

Gordon has appeared in 925 regular season games during his career, which began in 2008 with the Clippers. He’s averaged 15.3 points during his career and never averaged fewer than 11 points per game until this past season.

Nets Make Cam Thomas RFA; No QOs For Ziaire WIlliams, Day’Ron Sharpe

June 29th, 2025 at 3:45pm CST by Luke Adams

The Nets have issued a qualifying offer to guard Cam Thomas, making him a restricted free agent, but have opted to pass on QOs for swingman Ziaire Williams and big man Day’Ron Sharpe, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (all Twitter links).

Brooklyn would still like to work out new deals with Williams and Sharpe, Scotto explains, but tendering them qualifying offers would’ve cut into the team’s cap room, since Williams would have had a cap hold of over $18MM while Sharpe’s would have been nearly $12MM.

Thomas, on the other hand, seems like a good candidate to command a starting salary higher than his $12.1MM cap hold, so giving him a qualifying offer shouldn’t affect Brooklyn’s cap room and will reduce his potential flight risk. As long as they keep that qualifying offer in place and Thomas’ $12.1MM cap hold on their books, the Nets will be able to go over the cap to sign him to a more lucrative deal using his Bird rights, once their cap room has been used up.

Thomas was limited to just 25 appearances in 2024/25 due to hamstring injuries, but continued to show off an elite scoring ability when healthy, averaging a career-high 24.0 points and 3.8 assists per game. His qualifying offer is worth just shy of $6MM.

Williams, 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). His .341 3PT% wasn’t great, but it was a noticeable step up from the 30.1% mark he posted in his first three NBA seasons, and he showed off his defensive versatility, even handling center duties in a pinch. His QO would have been worth $8.35MM.

Sharpe, who has battled some injuries since entering the league, averaged 7.9 points and 6.6 rebounds in 18.1 minutes per night (50 games) in 2024/25. A Nets team that finished the season with a 26-56 record and a -7.3 net rating outscored its opponents by 2.1 points per 100 possessions when Sharpe was playing, which was – by far – the best mark of any rotation player who finished the season on Brooklyn’s roster. His QO would have been worth $5.98MM.

Although the Nets have interest in retaining Williams and Sharpe, passing on their qualifying offers means they will be unrestricted free agents and Brooklyn will no longer have the right of first refusal if they want to sign with another club.

Celtics Exercising Team Option On JD Davison

June 29th, 2025 at 3:32pm CST by Rory Maher

The Celtics are exercising their 2025/26 team option on the contract of JD Davison, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

Davison’s $2.27MM salary for next season is fully non-guaranteed, so the move doesn’t necessarily mean that Celtics will retain the 22-year-old guard — if they wanted to, they could waive him before the season starts without incurring a cap hit.

Davison was selected 53rd overall in the 2022 draft after one college season at Alabama. He has spent virtually all of the past three campaigns on a two-way deal with Boston, but was converted to a multiyear standard contract just before the 2024/25 regular season ended.

While Davison’s NBA contributions have been very modest to this point – 36 total regular season appearances for a total of 198 minutes over the course of his three seasons – he has been a standout performer in the NBA G League, having claimed the MVP award with the Maine Celtics in ’24/25.

Davison appeared in 45 combined games with Maine last season, averaging 25.6 points, 7.7 assists, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.4 steals in 34.6 minutes per game, with a shooting line of .482/.332/.762. Maine went just 8-8 in the Tip-Off Tournament, but the 6’1″ guard led the team to a 21-13 record and a No. 3 playoff seed in the G League’s regular season.

The Celtics have three veterans (Torrey Craig, Al Horford and Luke Kornet) on standard deals heading for free agency. Second-year forward Drew Peterson, who was on a two-way contract in ’24/25, will also be a free agent.

Kings Pick Up Option On Keon Ellis’ Contract

June 29th, 2025 at 3:28pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Kings are picking up their $2.3MM option on Keon Ellis‘ contract, James Ham of The Kings Beat tweets. The guard’s salary for next season won’t be fully guaranteed until January.

If Sacramento had declined the option and instead given him a qualifying offer of approximately $2.9MM, Ellis would have been a restricted free agent. This move could signal that they’re confident an extension agreement can be reached prior to next offseason. If the two sides don’t agree to an extension, he’ll become an unrestricted free agent a year from now.

Ellis’ current contract is a bargain by any standard. He appeared in 80 games last season, including 24 starts. He averaged 8.3 points, 2.7 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.5 steals per night.

Entering his fourth season, the undrafted Ellis is valued for his defense and his ability to shoot beyond the arc. He has made 42.9 percent of his three-point attempts during his first three seasons.

He currently projects as backup to Zach LaVine but the Kings are expected to be very active in the free agent and trade markets.

Warriors To Pick Up 2025/26 Option On Gui Santos

June 29th, 2025 at 3:15pm CST by Rory Maher

The Warriors are exercising their 2025/26 team option — valued at $2.22MM — on forward Gui Santos, a source tells Anthony Slater of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Although the team option will be picked up, Santos’ salary for next season will remain non-guaranteed, Slater notes.

A 6’8″ combo forward from Brazil, Santos was the No. 55 overall pick of the 2022 draft. He spent the 2022/23 season as essentially a draft-and-stash prospect, except he was playing for the Warriors’ NBA G League affiliate in Santa Cruz rather than in another country.

Santos signed his first NBA contract in 2023, and after a limited role as a rookie in ’23/24, he was able to carve out rotation minutes this past season as a high-energy role player. In 56 games in ’24/25, he averaged 4.1 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 13.6 minutes per contest, with a shooting line of .458/.330/.690.

In case you missed it, the Warriors are also exercising their team option on second-year big man Quinten Post, whose $1.96MM salary for next season is now fully guaranteed.

Sixers To Decline Option On Lonnie Walker’s Contract

June 29th, 2025 at 3:01pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Sixers are declining their $2.9MM option on Lonnie Walker IV’s contract, ESPN’s Shams Charania tweets.

Walker was productive for the injury-riddled Sixers during the second half of the season. He appeared in 20 games and averaged 12.4 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.5 assists. However, Philadelphia has major salary cap concerns heading into free agency, which undoubtedly factored into the front office’s decision.

After being waived by Boston just before the start of the season, Walker spent time with Zalgiris Kaunas in the EuroLeague while awaiting his next NBA opportunity. He signed a two-year contract with Philadelphia in late February.

Prior to his stint with the Sixers, Walker appeared in 322 regular season games with the Spurs, Lakers, and Nets from 2018-24. He’ll now be seeking another opportunity as an unrestricted free agent.

Point Guard Rumors: Paul, Suns, Clippers, Hornets, Ty. Jones, Magic

June 29th, 2025 at 2:48pm CST by Luke Adams

A return to the Suns is a possible outcome for Chris Paul in free agency, according to Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link).

As Stein and Fischer explain, the Suns are likely to be in the market for point guard help if Tyus Jones exits in free agency. Paul, meanwhile, is known to prefer to play closer to his family in Los Angeles. While an earlier report suggested the veteran point guard would like to play in L.A., it sounds like he’ll consider other options out west as well.

That doesn’t mean that playing with a Los Angeles team is off the table for Paul, however. According to Stein and Fischer, the Clippers are “weighing” a reunion with Paul, who played for the organization for six seasons from 2011-17. Even with James Harden expected to return, the Clips are known to be in the market for another guard, having been linked to Nickeil Alexander-Walker, among others.

While the Mavericks‘ interest in Paul has been reported for weeks, it doesn’t sound like CP3 is enthusiastic about spending another year in Texas, away his family, after playing in San Antonio in 2024/25. As Stein and Fischer note, there’s also a sense that the Mavs might be headed for a deal with D’Angelo Russell to address the point guard hole created by Kyrie Irving‘s ACL tear.

The Hornets had been mulling a run at Paul, a North Carolina native, but recognized that he was unlikely to have interest in playing for a rebuilding team so far away from his home, per Stein and Fischer. Charlotte pivoted to another veteran guard, having made a deal with Utah this afternoon to acquire Collin Sexton.

Meanwhile, with Jones seemingly headed for a split with the Suns, one of the teams with interest in him is the Magic, according to The Stein Line’s duo. While Jones wasn’t an ideal fit in Phoenix, the 29-year-old still put up solid offensive numbers, including 10.2 points and 5.3 assists per game with a 41.4% mark on three-point attempts.