Pacific Notes: Harris, Wiggins, Hayes-Davis, Aspiration
Zach Harris has been named general manager of the Warriors’ NBA G League affiliate, the Santa Cruz Warriors, according to a team press release. Additionally, Noah Robotham has been promoted to assistant GM.
Harris is entering his second season with the Santa Cruz Warriors after serving as an assistant GM last year. He joined the Warriors organization with four years of G League experience, having worked for the Grand Rapids Gold as a basketball strategy coordinator for the 2022/23 season, the Capital City Go-Go as a basketball operations assistant from 2018-20, and as an intern for the Iowa Wolves in 2017.
Robotham is entering his third season with the Santa Cruz Warriors, having spent last year as the team’s manager of basketball operations. In his first season with the Warriors in 2023/24, he served as a coaching associate and basketball operations coordinator.
Here’s more from the Pacific Division:
- The Lakers reportedly are looking to upgrade the wing position with the Heat’s Andrew Wiggins as a potential target. Lakers beat reporter Jovan Buha expresses skepticism on his Buha’s Block podcast (video link) that the Lakers can pull off a Wiggins trade without including a first-round pick. He also doesn’t expect that some combination of Dalton Knecht, Rui Hachimura and Gabe Vincent would be enough to pull off a trade.
- The Suns signed Nigel Hayes-Davis to a one-year contract in July after he spent seven years playing overseas. The Athletic’s Doug Haller details Hayes-Davis’ long journey back to the NBA. “For sure, I would’ve been surprised (it took so long), but to talk about the past is almost pointless,” Hayes-Davis said. “… I will say that I’m appreciative of the journey that I’ve had. Is it the one I thought about as a child growing up? Of course not. But it’s been fantastic.”
- The ongoing saga regarding Kawhi Leonard‘s no-show endorsement deal with Aspiration as a means of the Clippers potentially circumventing the league’s salary cap rules has been a hot topic the past two weeks. ESPN’s Shwetha Surendran takes a closer at the now-defunct company, including its business model and high-profile investors.
Pacific Notes: Lakers, Kuminga, DJJ, Suns, Micic
After stating in mid-July that he was “pretty confident” the Lakers weren’t interested in Heat forward Andrew Wiggins, Dan Woike of The Athletic confirms reporting from Marc Stein, writing that the Lakers appear more inclined to pursue an upgrade on the wing – including a player like Wiggins – in the wake of Luka Doncic‘s long-term commitment to the team. Doncic signed a three-year, maximum-salary extension with Los Angeles last month.
Although the Lakers seem more open to taking on contracts that run beyond the 2025/26 season in the right deal, they also may want to see how new additions like Deandre Ayton, Marcus Smart, and Jake LaRavia look this fall before they cash in any of their limited trade assets, Woike cautions.
The Lakers can currently only trade one future first-round pick, either their 2031 or 2032 selection.
Here’s more from around the Pacific:
- Checking in on where things stand between Jonathan Kuminga and the Warriors, Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area says the restricted free agent forward continues to show little interest in Golden State’s two-year, $45MM offer that includes a second-year team option and requires him to waive his right to veto a trade. In Poole’s view, Kuminga signing his $7.98MM qualifying offer remains the most likely outcome.
- An arbitrator has ruled that Derrick Jones Jr.‘s former agent, Aaron Turner, is entitled to his full 4% commission ($1.2MM) on the three-year, $30MM contract the veteran forward signed with the Clippers in 2024, per NBA insider Marc Stein (Twitter link). Jones made an agent change right around the time he entered free agency last summer.
- Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic relays several of the most notable comments that former Suns point guard Vasilije Micic made during a recent appearance on the X&O’s Chat (YouTube link), including Micic’s impressions of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal, and his thoughts on why Phoenix fell well short of its expectations. “Why didn’t they succeed?” the Serbian guard said in his native language. “It was a bit of everything. Issues with the coach, issues with working together, which I don’t even know what it was.”
Suns Sign, Waive Jaden Shackelford
The Suns signed Jaden Shackelford to an Exhibit 10 contract, Spotrac contributor Keith Smith tweets. Phoenix then placed him on waivers, according to the NBA transactions log.
It’s a bit of déjà vu for Shackelford, who also joined Phoenix on a training camp deal last season. He was waived in late September and wound up on the Valley Suns, Phoenix’s G League affiliate. He averaged 18.2 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 50 games in 30.9 minutes per game.
The 6’3” guard was a member of the Warriors’ Summer League team this July.
After going undrafted out of Alabama, Shackelford spent two seasons in the G League as a member of the Thunder’s NBAGL affiliate, the Oklahoma City Blue.
Shackelford will be eligible for a bonus up to $85,300 if he spends at least 60 days with the Valley Suns again.
Contract Details: Sharpe, Liddell, Prosper, Brooks, Schumacher
As part of his two-year contract agreement with the Nets, Day’Ron Sharpe waived his right to veto a trade during the 2025/26 season, Hoops Rumors has learned.
A player who re-signs with his previous team on a one-year deal or a two-year deal that includes a second-year option is typically given an implicit no-trade clause, but a team can ask the player to give up that no-trade clause upon signing. Because Sharpe agreed to do so, he would lose his Bird rights if he’s traded ahead of February’s deadline.
[RELATED: NBA Players Who Can Veto Trades In 2025/26]
Even though he re-signed with his previous team, got a raise exceeding 20%, and signed for more than the minimum, Sharpe will become trade-eligible on December 15 instead of January 15 because the Nets were still operating below the cap upon completing his deal.
Here are more details on a few recently signed contracts from around the NBA:
- E.J. Liddell‘s new two-way contract with the Nets will cover just one season, Hoops Rumors has learned. The former Ohio State forward received a partial guarantee of $85,300 on that deal.
- Olivier-Maxence Prosper, who signed a two-way contract with the Grizzlies, also agreed to a one-year deal that includes a partial guarantee worth $85,300, but his partial guarantee would increase to $318,218 if he remains on the roster through opening night — that’s 50% of his full two-way salary ($636,435).
- As expected, the contract that Garrison Brooks signed with the Pelicans last week is a non-guaranteed Exhibit 10 deal, Hoops Rumors has confirmed. He’ll earn a bonus worth $85,300 if he’s waived by New Orleans and then spends at least 60 days with the Birmingham Squadron, the Pelicans’ G League affiliate.
- While most Exhibit 10 contracts include that maximum bonus of $85,300, that’s not the case for every E10 deal. For instance, Alex Schumacher – who was signed and waived by the Suns last week – will earn an Exhibit 10 bonus worth $20K if he spends 60 or more days with the Valley Suns in the G League.
Western Notes: Reid, Suns, LeBron, Grizzlies
Tragedy has struck Timberwolves big man Naz Reid and his family. His sister, Toraya Reid, was shot and killed Saturday in New Jersey, Eva Herscowitz of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports. A New Jersey prosecutor charged Shaquille Green, whom the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office said was in a relationship with Toraya Reid, with her murder.
Reid’s former teammate, Knicks star Karl-Anthony Towns, was devastated by the news.
“Heartbroken. No words can ever take away the pain for my brother,” Towns tweeted. “Holding everyone close in prayer today.”
- The Suns have some things to sort out during training camp under their new coaching staff, including who should run the point and which player should grab the fifth starting spot. The Arizona Republic’s Duane Rankin breaks down the issues that could arise in a Devin Booker–Jalen Green backcourt, neither of whom is a true point man. The fifth starting spot is up for grabs with top candidates Ryan Dunn and Royce O’Neale bringing different skill sets to the table.
- Lakers star LeBron James hasn’t become any more enthusiastic about the idea of taking on a coaching career after his playing days are over. “I was inspired by the game. I love the game. But I don’t have coaching in my future,” James said in a video clip posted by CGTN Sports Scene. James made an even more emphatic statement on that subject in an episode of the Mind The Game podcast earlier this year (Twitter video link).
- The Grizzlies can be “sneaky dangerous” this season, according to Michael Wallace of GrindCityMedia.com. Their star players need to avoid extended injuries and the dynamic between Ja Morant and center Zach Edey must continue to grow, particularly in the pick-and-roll game. There are also evaluations of other Southwest Division teams within Wallace’s preview.
Suns Waive Alex Schumacher
The Suns have waived Alex Schumacher, reports Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter link). The move, which was not unexpected, came just a day after the team officially signed him to an Exhibit 10 contract.
Phoenix already held Schumacher’s G League returning rights, since he finished last season with the Valley Suns. Signing him to an Exhibit 10 deal and then waiving him will allow the organization to give him a bonus on top of his standard NBAGL salary for rejoining the Suns’ G League affiliate this fall.
Schumacher, who played two seasons at Seattle University before going undrafted in the 2024 draft, split time between the Valley Suns and the Windy City Bulls last season, averaging 9.2 points and 3.1 assists per game in his G League rookie year.
The sign-and-waive is a common move for teams to retain the ability to keep players in their programs by creating a pathway to more money than a standard G League contract. If the player spends at least 60 days with the team’s affiliate, he can earn a bonus worth as much as $85,300.
Suns Sign Alex Schumacher To Exhibit 10 Contract
The Suns have signed free agent guard Alex Schumacher to a training camp contract, per Paul Garcia of Spot Up Shot (Twitter link). It’s an Exhibit 10 deal, tweets Keith Smith of Spotrac.
Schumacher, who went undrafted out of Seattle University in 2024, spent his first professional season in the G League, appearing in a total of 48 games for the Windy City Bulls and the Valley Suns, who acquired his rights in a March trade. The 24-year-old averaged 8.2 points, 3.1 assists, and 2.7 rebounds in 22.6 minutes per game for the two teams, posting a shooting line of .395/.241/.825.
The Suns’ signing of Schumacher is almost certainly designed to ensure that he receives a bonus for returning to the Valley Suns this fall. His Exhibit 10 deal will make him eligible for a bonus worth up to $85,300 on top of his standard NBAGL salary as long as he spends at least 60 days with Phoenix’s affiliate.
With Schumacher on the roster, the Suns are carrying 19 players, two shy of the offseason limit.
Five Under-The-Radar Players To Watch In 2025
We’re still 28 days away from most teams beginning training camp, which typically determines multiple positional battles for teams ahead of the coming season. Still, the majority of teams’ offseason roster moves have been completed and preliminary pecking orders are in place, meaning we can take a stab at identifying true breakout players for 2025/26.
In the space below, we’ll be focusing on players who appear poised to go from the fringes of rosters to rotational mainstays. Think of Guerschon Yabusele last season, who went from being out of the league to being one of the NBA’s most coveted role players.
Last year in this exercise, we included Max Christie, who increased his scoring average from 4.2 points to 9.6 points per game. So while Larry Nance Jr. seems primed for a massive year with the Cavaliers as a role player, he has 546 career games under his belt and doesn’t really fit our criteria.
Luka Garza/Josh Minott, Boston Celtics
The Celtics went out of their way to add both Garza and Minott to standard deals early in free agency after the Timberwolves declined options on both players. However, the Wolves opting to not bring them back isn’t necessarily an indictment — more of a testament to the win-now depth Minnesota built ahead of them.
Garza hasn’t played many minutes over the course of his four-year NBA career, but he has certainly produced when given the opportunity. He holds career averages of 4.9 points and 2.0 rebounds in 7.8 minutes per game, which works out to per-36 averages of 22.7 points and 8.9 rebounds.
It would be easy to write off that kind of production since per-36 is hardly an indicative statistic of one’s talents, but that sample comes across 124 career games. And in 39 career regular season G League games, Garza averaged 26.3 points and 9.8 rebounds per contest.
The Celtics lost Luke Kornet in free agency, traded away Kristaps Porzingis, and are not considered likely to bring back Al Horford. That leaves Neemias Queta, Chris Boucher and Xavier Tillman as the only players in front of Garza in the frontcourt. It isn’t out of the realm of possibility that Garza emerges as a starter down the line.
Minott is also included here after his training camp last season had coaches raving. While he never ended up in the rotation, it’s still noteworthy that the Celtics added him early in free agency. Minott will battle Jordan Walsh, Baylor Scheierman and rookie Hugo Gonzalez for minutes off the bench at the wing position. In 32 career regular season G League games, he has averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.1 steals and 1.8 blocks.
Nigel Hayes-Davis, Phoenix Suns
If there was an option to select “most likely to be this year’s Yabusele,” Hayes-Davis would have to rank near the top. Hayes-Davis established himself as one of the best international players after not playing in the league since 2017/18. The Suns gave him a standard guaranteed deal after he averaged 15.1 points per game for Fenerbahce. On a new-look Phoenix team, he should get plenty of chances to contribute.
Jaylen Clark, Minnesota Timberwolves
The Timberwolves selected Clark with the No. 53 pick in the 2023 draft, with the Wolves essentially redshirting him while he recovered from injury in 2023/24. Last year, in his first healthy NBA season, Clark emerged as a reliable depth option, averaging 4.1 points across 13.1 minutes in 40 games.
With the loss of Nickeil Alexander-Walker to the Hawks in free agency, the Wolves will look to rely on their younger depth options to establish themselves this season. While all eyes are on Rob Dillingham and Terrence Shannon Jr. to take steps forward, look for Clark (and perhaps Leonard Miller), to gain more of a foothold in the rotation.
Cam Spencer, Memphis Grizzlies
Every opportunity he received, Spencer impressed for the Grizzlies and their G League affiliate. In just 10.1 minutes per game last year (25 appearances), Spencer averaged 4.2 points. In eight regular season G League games, Spencer averaged 23.5 points and 3.5 assists while shooting 53.8% from the field and 49.3% on three-pointers.
Memphis drafted Spencer last year with the No. 53 overall pick, and he spent all of last year on a two-way deal. After standing out in their developmental system, the second-year guard was rewarded with a standard contract this offseason. Even though the Grizzlies are flush with rotation-caliber players, there could be an opportunity for Spencer to earn some bench minutes following the departure of Desmond Bane.
Western Notes: Connelly, Washington, Jerome, Beal
Timberwolves president of basketball operations Tim Connelly had the ability to opt out of his contract with the team this offseason but chose not to do so, as Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic tweets.
When Connelly was hired by the Wolves in 2022, he received a five-year deal that included an opt-out clause after the second season. He and the team agreed in 2024 to push that opt-out back by a year with the ownership situation still up in the air, but now that Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez have assumed majority control, Connelly decided not to take advantage of the clause this summer.
Since he’s still on his initial five-year deal, Connelly is under contract with the Wolves for two more seasons, Krawczynski notes. Assuming Lore and Rodriguez are satisfied with the job he has done, the veteran executive figures to be an extension candidate in 2026.
Here’s more from around the Western Conference:
- With P.J. Washington set to become extension-eligible on Friday, Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News weighs the pros and cons of a new deal for Washington from the Mavericks‘ perspective. Like NBA insider Marc Stein, Curtis has heard that an extension for Washington is likely, though he cautions that the exact terms of the deal remain unclear. Washington would be eligible to receive up to nearly $89MM over four years.
- The Grizzlies need elite shooting, two-way play-making, and swagger from newcomer Ty Jerome, according to Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal, who takes a closer look at the veteran guard to whom the team devoted its full room exception.
- Appearing on Shannon Sharpe’s Club Shay Shay podcast, Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue pointed out that Bradley Beal put up “unbelievable stats” for the Suns over the past two seasons but was “overshadowed” as the third option behind stars Kevin Durant and Devin Booker (hat tip to Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic). “I think by coming here, I think it’s a fresh start and I think he’s going to be great for us,” Lue said of Beal, who signed with the Clippers after being bought out by Phoenix.
Pacific Notes: Suns, Ishbia, Doncic, EuroBasket
There’s little question who the most important Suns player is. Beyond recently extended All-Star guard Devin Booker, however, identifying the top talent on the current roster is more of an open question.
Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic (subscriber link) tackles that question, ranking the five most important Phoenix players aside from the 6’5″ Kentucky alum. Second-year wing Ryan Dunn, new post-Durant trade additions Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks, and new centers Mark Williams and Khaman Maluach make the cut.
There’s more out of the Pacific Division:
- Suns owner Mat Ishbia has weighed in on ESPN’s recent forecast that Phoenix would win 30 games, Rankin writes. Given that the Suns won just 36 games last year with a more star-studded roster led by 15-time All-Star Kevin Durant, ESPN’s thinking seems fairly logical. “I’m not worried about what the so-called experts think,” Ishbia wrote (Twitter link), while quoting a Burn City Sports tweet about the article. “They had us as a title contender the past two years and were wrong then. We’re focused on making our fans proud by playing great as a team and building a brand of basketball that’s tough and gritty.”
- Lakers officials, including president Rob Pelinka, paid a visit to five-time All-NBA guard Luka Doncic in Poland prior to the EuroBasket tournament this week, writes BasketNews. Doncic is plying his trade for his native Slovenia. Pelinka praised Doncic’s improved fitness this summer while addressing reporters, per BasketNews. “He’s in great shape, really committed to working hard this summer,” Pelinka told reporters. “And to be able to watch that in person was worth flying over the ocean to be with him.”
- Doncic affirmed his long-term interest in suiting up for Slovenia during the summers, while Pelinka seemingly endorsed that approach, according to Dan Woike of The Athletic. “It’s an easy choice,” Doncic said. “I always want to represent my country. Always did. No matter what. Obviously, if I’m injured, I’m not gonna play, but if I have nothing, I will always play.” Doncic has won EuroBasket before, beating Bogdan Bogdanovic‘s Serbia, 93-85, in 2017. During Doncic’s most recent EuroBasket run, in 2022, Poland upset Slovenia in the quarterfinal round. “We just wanted to make a statement to Luka that we support what he does for his country,” Pelinka said. “That’s really important to the Lakers when we have a player that’s the face of our franchise, just to show that support for him.”