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Rockets Notes: Sheppard, Smith, Green, Brooks

July 12th, 2025 at 9:11pm CST by Arthur Hill

Finishing with the second-best record in the West, the Rockets weren’t able to give Reed Sheppard the playing time that a No. 3 overall draft pick normally receives. So they’ve decided to make his development the focus of their Summer League team, writes Kelly Iko of The Athletic. That process extends beyond his on-court contributions, as Sheppard has also become a leader and teacher for his teammates as they work to earn NBA roster spots.

“He’s been more vocal with this group,” Summer League head coach Garrett Jackson said. “I’m constantly encouraging him to do that. But just being more assertive, getting us set up in our sets as the point guard of this team.”

Sheppard showed his full array of skills in Friday’s loss to the Clippers, finishing with a game-high 28 points, eight rebounds, four assists, four steals and three blocks in 33 minutes. He’s been given full control of the offense in Las Vegas, with the instructions to play fast and freelance while adhering to principles set by head coach Ime Udoka.

“He’s getting better and better every day,” teammate Nate Williams said. “He puts in the work and I see him putting in the work behind the scenes. I love having him as a teammate. He’s not the most vocal guy — he leads with his actions — but he does what he’s supposed to do. Makes the right plays and does the right things off the court. He’s a good kid and he’s growing every day.”

There’s more on the Rockets:

Jabari Smith Jr. is hoping for a long-term future in Houston after agreeing to a five-year, $122MM rookie scale extension last month, per Danielle Lerner of The Houston Chronicle. Instead of pushing for a higher salary or testing the market next summer as a restricted free agent, Smith opted to become the first member of the 2022 draft class to reach an extension. “It feels great to just know that you’re committed to the city where you want to be. I want to be here for the rest of my career,” Smith said. “So I’m glad that this is a good start to it, and I’m ready to build something.”
Jalen Green knew he was on the trade market for some time before the Rockets sent him to the Suns as part of Kevin Durant deal, Lerner states in a separate story. He arrived in Phoenix last week to begin preparations with his new franchise and said he plans to reconnect with his former teammates this week in Las Vegas. “They’ve been trying to trade me since last year,” Green said. “I’m not tripping. It’s for the better of the team. I know it’s a business at the end of the day. I really can’t handle how I feel. Whatever happens, happens. At the end of the day, I still got the opportunity to play basketball.”
Dillon Brooks, who was sent to Phoenix along with Green, told Lerner in another piece that he’ll miss the connections he had with his Rockets teammates. He exchanged greetings with several of them during Friday’s Summer League game. “I thought about it and the only reason why I was upset about it was because I loved playing with Fred VanVleet), playing with Ime,” Brooks said. “We grew something there and Ime and the coaching staff was family oriented and it was like a brotherhood. That was the only reason why I thought it was a little bit sad.”

Stein/Fischer’s Latest: Warriors, Horford, Melton, CP3, Beal, Knicks

July 12th, 2025 at 2:01pm CST by Luke Adams

While the Warriors are one of the only teams in the NBA that have yet to reach a contract agreement with a free agent this offseason, they’re viewed by numerous rival clubs as the “overwhelming favorite” to land Al Horford and De’Anthony Melton, according to Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link).

Golden State already has over $170MM in guaranteed money on its books for nine players, so the outcome of Jonathan Kuminga‘s free agency will likely dictate what sort of offers the club can make to Horford and Melton.

Signing either of those veteran free agents with the $5.7MM taxpayer mid-level exception likely won’t happen until there’s a resolution on Kuminga, since using that exception would hard-cap the Warriors at the $207.8MM second apron. That could open the door for a rival team to find a way to give Kuminga an offer sheet featuring a starting salary too high for Golden State to match without cost-cutting moves.

Here’s more from Stein and Fischer:

Chris Paul would still like to play as close to his home in Los Angeles as possible, and the Clippers and Suns continue to weigh the possibility of signing him, per Stein and Fischer. However, if those clubs ultimately go in a different direction, it’s unclear what the 2025/26 season might hold for Paul. The Bucks have interest in the veteran point guard, but he has shown “little inclination” to entertain the idea of signing with an Eastern Conference team so far, according to The Stein Line duo. For what it’s worth, when Paul was asked recently how much longer he plans to play, he replied, “At the most, a year,” which suggests that retirement may not be entirely off the table.
Bradley Beal is owed a 25% advance payment on his 2025/26 salary on July 15, Stein and Fischer say. While the veteran guard would get that money (roughly $13MM) even if he and the Suns agree to a buyout before then, it’s possible he’ll wait until after he receives that payment an agreement that would see him exit Phoenix.
After missing out on James Borrego, the Knicks are also unlikely to land Bucks assistant Darvin Ham as they seek a lead assistant for Mike Brown‘s new staff, Stein and Fischer report. Stein noted last weekend that New York has interest in Ham, but Milwaukee appears unwilling to give the Knicks permission to speak to him for what would be a lateral move. Jay Triano, another Knicks target, is also off the table since he just signed a new contract with Dallas, Stein and Fischer add.
The Bucks are considered likely to bring back forward Thanasis Antetokounmpo if Giannis Antetokounmpo remains in Milwaukee, according to Stein and Fischer. Thanasis missed all of the 2024/25 season due to an Achilles tear, but said in May that he has been medically cleared to return to action.

Pacific Notes: LeBron, Luka, Koloko, Suns, Collins

July 11th, 2025 at 1:46pm CST by Luke Adams

Within an in-depth feature for ESPN.com, Ramona Shelburne and Brian Windhorst take a closer look at the Lakers‘ efforts to “delicately” transition from their LeBron James era to the Luka Doncic era and the challenges they’ve faced along the way.

As Shelburne and Windhorst detail, James wasn’t surprised by the fact that the Lakers have prioritized Doncic in recent months and understands the team has to set itself up for the future. However, “it also did not go down easily,” according to ESPN’s duo, who point out that LeBron specifically chose the Lakers as a free agent back in 2018, whereas Doncic never asked to be a Laker and had been planning to remain in Dallas for his entire career.

Shelburne and Windhorst suggest the Lakers have signaled their shift to Doncic with a “series of microaggressions” that started with not giving James any advance warning about the February trade for the Mavs star. Those microaggressions also included letting Doncic – but not LeBron – know ahead of time about the sale to Mark Walter so that he had a message of congratulations ready to go on social media, as well as not offering to extend James’ contract beyond the 2025/26 season.

James has responded to the Lakers’ decisions with a series of “cryptic hints” of his own, with agent Rich Paul‘s statement in late June representing the most notable one. According to Shelburne and Windhorst, Paul’s comments about LeBron wanting “to make every season he has left count” were interpreted in many different ways by teams around the NBA — some executives saw the statement as James pushing the Lakers to go all-in on this year’s roster, some viewed it as a soft trade request, and at least one considered it an “elaborate pout” due to the lack of contract extension.

Even if nothing comes of that statement and James spends the 2025/26 season with the Lakers without incident, it has had an impact. According to ESPN’s sources, veteran center Brook Lopez was strongly considering the Lakers in free agency due to their open starting spot at center, but was “wary of the uncertainty” surrounding James’ future and ultimately opted for a backup role with the Clippers instead.

Here’s more from around the Pacific:

Christian Koloko is still a restricted free agent, having not yet accepted his two-way qualifying offer from the Lakers, but there have been no indications to this point that he’ll be changing teams this offseason. The big man was added to the Lakers’ Summer League roster before the club’s Las Vegas opener on Thursday, notes Dave McMenamin of ESPN (Twitter link).
If and when the Suns finalize a buyout agreement with Bradley Beal, the expectation is that they’ll use that roster spot on a point guard or possibly a combo guard, tweets John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7.
The Clippers haven’t really deployed a traditional power forward in recent years, but they got exactly that sort of player when they acquired John Collins from Utah earlier this week, which will change the makeup of their roster, writes Law Murray of The Athletic. “Sometimes you have to make a decision between getting a great athlete who may struggle shooting the ball from range, versus getting the really skilled player who just maybe is just an average functional athlete,” president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank said of the move. “John has shown the ability to be both, which is huge.”

Suns Notes: Dunn, Ighodaro, Culture, Maluach, Livers, Booker

July 10th, 2025 at 10:33pm CST by Earnest Marshall

Suns sophomores Ryan Dunn and Oso Ighodaro were able to build a special relationship with Kevin Durant during their first season in the league before he was traded to Houston, Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic writes. Dunn said he loved playing with Durant and appreciated what he was able to learn from the future Hall-of-Famer.

“We built that relationship,” Dunn said. “I wish him the best in Houston. I’m excited to go compete against him and talk some smack to him now, but it’s someone I can always turn to and learn from, so I wish him the best as well.”

Both players are expected to take a major step up in responsibility this season after already being leaned on heavily in their first years in the league.

“He was such a great teammate, great leader for us,” Ighodaro said about Durant. “It was great just to be able to say I was his teammate and learned a lot from him, me and Ryan. Talked to him a little bit since he’s left. I wish nothing but the best for him.”

We have more on the Suns:

Dunn was quick to observe some of Phoenix’s early culture changes under new general manager Brian Gregory, Rankin writes. Gregory is looking to set a competitive tone for the new-look Suns. “He wants dogs,” Dunn said. “He wants dogs on this team.” Dunn and Ighodaro are aiming to establish winning habits as leaders on the Summer League team, Rankin writes in another story. “We want to kind of change the identity here,” assistant coach DeMarre Carroll said. “We want to compete at a high level. These guys have been doing it.”
New head coach Jordan Ott was complimentary of rookie draft pick Khaman Maluach, according to PHNX Sports’ Gerald Bourguet (Twitter link). “You know how big and long he is, it’s obvious. His ability to run just creates a different dynamic, the vertical spacing that he has above the rim. And then just the overall size and rim protection, you can feel it every second he’s out there,” Ott said. The Suns acquired the pick used to select Maluach in the Durant trade.
In addition, Ott expressed excitement about adding Isaiah Livers to a two-way contract, per Rankin (Twitter link). “Isaiah brings a shooting piece, size piece we’re looking on this roster,” Ott said. “He has been injured, but now he’s back. He’s fully healthy. He’s been here. Excited to see him more this summer into training camp and into the season.“
Fresh off earning the richest salary in the NBA, this season could prove to be Devin Booker‘s most challenging yet, Doug Haller of The Athletic opines. The Suns will need Booker to be patient as they sort through a reset period that may see them battling for a play-in spot yet again.

Devin Booker Signs Two-Year Max Extension With Suns

July 10th, 2025 at 6:40pm CST by Arthur Hill

July 10: Booker’s new extension with the Suns is official, the team confirmed in a press release.

“Devin Booker is the embodiment of the Phoenix Suns, representing the best of our organization, our community and our future,” Ishbia said in a statement. “As the team’s all-time leading scorer, his on-court achievements are unparalleled and the result of his relentless preparation and unwavering pursuit of excellence. His character, leadership and ‘I’ll do it’ mentality define the standards and culture we uphold.

“Moreover, his connection with our fans is unique – his impact resonates across the Valley, and his tireless efforts in supporting Arizona’s youth and families reflect the deep community bond we cherish.”

July 9: Devin Booker has reached an agreement with the Suns on a two-year maximum-salary extension that could be worth more than $145MM, agents Jessica Holtz and Melvin Booker of CAA tell Shams Charania of ESPN. The deal, which will run through the 2029/30 season, was finalized tonight in a meeting with owner Mat Ishbia in Las Vegas.

Booker’s annual extension salary of $72.5MM would be the largest in NBA history, Charania adds, slightly surpassing the projections on the new deal Shai Gilgeous-Alexander signed with Oklahoma City last week ($71.25MM). Booker now has five years and an estimated $316MM left on his contract with the Suns.

Booker’s deal will be worth 35% of the salary cap in 2028/29, with an 8% raise for ’29/30. Charania’s figures are based on presumed cap increases of 7% next year and 10% each of the following two years, so there’s no guarantee the extension will actually come in that high.

If it does, Booker would make $70,077,350 in 2028/29 and $75,683,530 in 2029/30, giving him a total of $145,760,880.

This is the third contract extension for Booker, who has spent the past 10 seasons in Phoenix after being selected with the 13th pick in the 2015 draft. He has talked frequently about wanting to play his entire career with the same franchise and working to make the Suns contenders again. The new deal, which will take him past his 33rd birthday, is a major step toward accomplishing that.

There was trade speculation surrounding Booker and virtually all the Suns in the midst of a frustrating 36-46 season that saw them fall short of the play-in tournament. That prompted Ishbia to issue a strong statement in March vowing that he would never part with Booker and referring to him as the sort of “superstar” that’s necessary to win a title.

Ishbia and his new management team have already started the process of reworking the roster around Booker. Kevin Durant was shipped to Houston in a seven-team trade, and the Suns are believed to be nearing a buyout agreement with Bradley Beal. Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks were the main additions in the Durant deal, Mark Williams was acquired from Charlotte in a draft-night trade and Khaman Maluach was selected with the No. 1o pick.

Booker posted typically excellent numbers amidst the chaos of last season, although his shooting percentages declined from his usual standards. He averaged 25.6 points, 4.1 rebounds and 7.1 assists in 75 games while connecting at 46.1% from the field and 33.2% from three-point range.

Booker will return to being the focus of the offense with Durant and possibly Beal gone, so he’ll need a strong performance next season to push the Suns in the right direction.

Jesse Mermuys, Mateen Cleaves Joining Suns’ Coaching Staff

July 10th, 2025 at 1:49pm CST by Rory Maher

The Suns plan to hire Jesse Mermuys as one of the top assistant coaches under new head coach Jordan Ott, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).

Mermuys has been on Jamahl Mosley‘s staff with the Magic for the past four seasons. He briefly served as Orlando’s acting head coach during the 2021/22 campaign.

Mermuys started his NBA career with Denver (2008-12), initially working as a video coordinator prior to being promoted to an advance scout and then assistant coach/advance scout.

He also had assistant coaching jobs with the Rockets, Raptors, Lakers and Kings before joining the Magic, and was head coach/assistant general manager of the Raptors 905 when the G League (then D-League) team debuted during the ’15/16 season.

According to John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 (Twitter link), the Suns are also hiring ex-NBA player Mateen Cleaves in a player development role. The former lottery pick spent parts of six seasons in the league (from 2000-06) and has Michigan State ties to owner Mat Ishbia.

Dell Curry, Brent Barry, Kevin Harlan Joining Amazon’s NBA Coverage

July 10th, 2025 at 9:03am CST by Luke Adams

Amazon Prime Video continues to fill out its broadcasting team ahead of its first season of NBA coverage in 2025/26, with Michael McCarthy of Front Office Sports reporting that Dell Curry is joining Amazon’s coverage as an analyst, while Richard Deitsch of The Athletic says Brent Barry is coming aboard as a game analyst and Kevin Harlan is being hired as a play-by-play man.

Curry, the father of NBA superstar Stephen Curry, has been a color commentator on Hornets broadcasts since 2009. McCarthy speculates that Amazon’s deal with Dell could be a “preliminary chess move” to recruit his son if Steph decides to go into broadcasting himself after he retires as a player.

Barry has spent time in the Spurs’ front office and most recently served as a Suns assistant coach under Mike Budenholzer in 2024/25, but he has plenty of broadcasting experience as well, having previously worked as an analyst for Turner Sports and NBA TV from 2013-18.

Harlan’s voice will be familiar to NBA fans, as he has been calling games on Turner Sports for the last three decades. He’ll continue to call NFL games for CBS Sports too while working with Amazon for NBA broadcasts beginning this fall.

Amazon Prime Video’s broadcasting roster will also reportedly include analysts Dwyane Wade, Steve Nash, Candace Parker, Blake Griffin, Dirk Nowitzki, Stan Van Gundy, and Udonis Haslem, as well as studio host Taylor Rooks, sideline reporter Cassidy Hubbarth, and play-by-play announcers Ian Eagle and Michael Grady.

Amazon is expected to formally announce its full NBA coverage team soon, per McCarthy. The company will be one of three that broadcasts NBA games nationally for the next 11 years, along with Disney (ABC/ESPN) and NBC.

Suns Sign Nigel Hayes-Davis To One-Year Deal

July 10th, 2025 at 7:07am CST by Eli Cohen

July 10: The Suns have officially signed Hayes-Davis, per NBA.com’s transaction log.

Hayes-Davis and Fenerbahce officially parted ways this week after he reportedly turned down a lucrative offer from the Turkish team that would have made him one of the EuroLeague’s highest-paid players.

June 30: The Suns have agreed to a one-year deal with free agent forward Nigel Hayes-Davis, reports ESPN’s Shams Charania (via Twitter). The deal is fully guaranteed.

Hayes-Davis is coming off being named Final Four MVP as he helped Turkish club Fenerbahce win the 2025 EuroLeague championship. He averaged 16.8 points and 5.2 rebounds while shooting 42.3% from three-point range in 34 EuroLeague contests in 2024/25 (31.1 MPG).

After starring at Wisconsin in college, Hayes-Davis played nine total NBA games during the 2017/18 season, bouncing between the Lakers, Raptors, and Kings. He has been out of the league ever since.

While the 6’7″ forward’s first NBA stint was brief, he has been one of the top players in the EuroLeague over the past three seasons with Fenerbahce. With the Suns loaded with shooting guards and centers, the 30-year-old will provide forward depth alongside Royce O’Neale.

Fenerbahce’s GM said Hayes-Davis was drawing serious NBA interest shortly after the team won the title and was preparing for his potential departure.

James Jones Leaves Suns For Job In League Office

July 9th, 2025 at 2:44pm CST by Luke Adams

Former Suns general manager James Jones has accepted a job in the league office, the NBA announced today in a press release.

Jones has been named the NBA’s new executive vice president and head of basketball operations. It’s the same role that Joe Dumars held before he left the position to become the Pelicans’ executive VP of basketball operations in April.

Jones’ responsibilities in his new position will include overseeing “development of playing rules and interpretations, conduct and discipline, and policies and procedures relating to the operation of games,” per the league.

“James is widely respected across the NBA for being an inspiring leader and the consummate teammate during his more than 20 years as a highly successful player and team executive,” the NBA’s president of league operations Byron Spruell said in a statement. “With his exceptional relationship-building skills and deep basketball expertise, he is well suited to guide our efforts to shape the current and future direction of the NBA game.”

A three-time NBA champion as a player, Jones had been in the Suns’ front office for the last eight years. He was initially hired as Phoenix’s vice president of basketball operations in 2017, but quickly rose up the ranks to become co-general manager in October of 2018. He was later named the Suns’ lone GM in 2019 and had been the head of basketball operations for the team since then, until he was replaced by Brian Gregory this spring.

At the time of Gregory’s promotion, reporting indicated that Jones was transitioning to becoming a senior advisor for the Suns. However, typically when a head of basketball operations is moved out of that top role, it’s a precursor to him leaving that organization altogether.

Groups Set For 2025 NBA Cup

July 9th, 2025 at 1:44pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA has officially announced the six groups of five teams apiece for the 2025 Emirates NBA Cup, also known as the in-season tournament (Twitter link).

In order to set the groups, the league splits the Western and Eastern Conferences into five three-team tiers based on last season’s regular season standings, with one club from each tier randomly drawn into each of the conference’s three groups.

For instance, the top three teams from the West will all be in separate groups, with each of those three groups also featuring one team in the 4-6 range, one in the 7-9 range, and so on.

Here are the groups for the 2025 NBA Cup:

West Group A: Oklahoma City Thunder (1), Minnesota Timberwolves (6), Sacramento Kings (9), Phoenix Suns (11), Utah Jazz (15)
West Group B: Los Angeles Lakers (3), Los Angeles Clippers (5), Memphis Grizzlies (8), Dallas Mavericks (10), New Orleans Pelicans (14)
West Group C: Houston Rockets (2), Denver Nuggets (4), Golden State Warriors (7), Portland Trail Blazers (12), San Antonio Spurs (13)
East Group A: Cleveland Cavaliers (1), Indiana Pacers (4), Atlanta Hawks (8), Toronto Raptors (11), Washington Wizards (15)
East Group B: Boston Celtics (2), Detroit Pistons (6), Orlando Magic (7), Brooklyn Nets (12), Philadelphia 76ers (13)
East Group C: New York Knicks (3), Milwaukee Bucks (5), Chicago Bulls (9), Miami Heat (10), Charlotte Hornets (14)

The round-robin group play games will be starting a little earlier than usual this season and will run from October 31 to November 28. Each team will face the other four clubs in its group once, with the winners of each group and one wild card team from each conference advancing to the eight-team, single-elimination knockout round.

The full schedule of group play games can be viewed right here.

The quarterfinals will be played on December 9-10, with the semifinals and final to follow on Dec. 13 and Dec. 16, respectively, in Las Vegas. The knockout round games will all be aired by one of the NBA’s new broadcasting partners, Amazon Prime.

The Bucks won last season’s NBA Cup, with star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo earning MVP honors after leading Milwaukee to a victory over the Thunder in the championship game.