And-Ones: Kokoskov, Second-Year Players, EuroLeague, Duarte
Former NBA head coach and longtime assistant Igor Kokoskov has been hired by Project B as the startup basketball league’s head of player development, writes Alanis Thames of The Associated Press.
Kokoskov, who spent last season as head coach of Turkish powerhouse Anadolu Efes, has more than two decades of NBA experience, primarily as an assistant, though he did have a one-year stint as the head coach in Phoenix. The 54-year-old Serbian, who has coached his home country’s national team, also guided Slovenia to a EuroBasket title in 2017. Kokoskov’s most recent NBA stop was with Atlanta in 2024/25.
Kokoskov is the second major recent addition for Project B, which recently hired his former colleague, ex-Hawks GM Landry Fields, to run its men’s basketball division. As previously reported, the league – which has secured commitments from several notable WNBA players – wants to bring in current and former NBA players, as well as top young prospects from outside the NBA for its developmental program.
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Ben Golliver of ESPN lists his 10 most interesting second-year players to watch in 2026/27. Two Spurs — Dylan Harper (No. 1) and Carter Bryant (No. 10) — bookend the list, with Joan Beringer of the Timberwolves (No. 4) and the top-three finishers for 2025/26 Rookie of the Year — Cooper Flagg (Mavericks), Kon Knueppel (Hornets) and VJ Edgecombe (Sixers) — rounding out the top five.
- Several longtime NBA veterans are headed to the EuroLeague in 2026/27, with Jonas Valanciunas (Zalgiris Kaunas) representing the most impactful move, per Pijus Sapetka of BasketNews. Other significant NBA-to-EuroLeague moves include Guerschon Yabusele (Panathinaikos) and Dario Saric (Anadolu Efes), Sapetka notes.
- Unicaja and former NBA lottery pick Chris Duarte have mutually decided to part ways, according to a press release from the Spanish team (hat tip to Nikola Miloradovic of Eurohoops). Duarte, 29, was an All-Rookie selection with Indiana in 2021/22, but his role decreased in each of his four seasons, the last of which came with Chicago in ’24/25. Duarte, who starred in college for Oregon, is expected to sign with EuroLeague club Baskonia, per Juan Calderon of Spanish outlet Diario Sur.
Zalgiris Kaunas Announces Two-Year Deal With Jonas Valanciunas
The Lithuanian team Zalgiris Kaunas has put out a press release officially announcing that they’ve signed veteran NBA center Jonas Valanciunas to a two-year contract.
Valanciunas’ agreement with Zalgiris Kaunas had long been rumored, even before he was waived by the Nuggets last week. There were conflicting reports on Monday about whether or not it was a done deal, with the big man said to be fully evaluating his NBA options before formally committing to the EuroLeague club. Two days later, it appears he has finalized his decision.
Valanciunas, 34, first sought a move to Europe 12 months ago, when he was being pursued by Panathinaikos in Greece. He traveled to Athens last July in anticipation of accepting a three-year offer, but the signing fell through when the Nuggets were unwilling to negotiate a buyout of his NBA contract.
After being acquired last summer from Sacramento in exchange for Dario Saric, Valanciunas became Denver’s primary backup to Nikola Jokic. The 6’11” Lithuanian made 65 appearances (six starts), averaging 8.7 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.2 assists in 13.4 minutes per contest while shooting 58.2% from the floor. However, he barely played in the first round of the playoffs vs. Minnesota, totaling just 25 minutes across four outings.
The cap-strapped Nuggets cut Valanciunas in order to avoid paying his full $10MM salary for 2026/27 — only $2MM was guaranteed. Although he reportedly drew some NBA interest, Valanciunas’ preference always seemed to be a return to Europe, where he was a star for several years before signing his first NBA contract in 2012. With Zalgiris, he will join a roster that includes several players with NBA ties, including Carsen Edwards, Saben Lee, Nigel Williams-Goss and Sterling Brown.
The fifth overall pick in the 2011 draft, Valanciunas has spent the past 14 seasons in the NBA with Toronto, Memphis, New Orleans, Washington, Sacramento and Denver. He earned second-team All-Rookie honors in 2013, appeared in 1,002 regular season games (854 starts) and holds career averages of 12.8 points and 9.0 rebounds per night.
According to Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.com, Valanciunas is expected to earn in the neighborhood of €5 million (approximately $5.5MM) on his two-year contract with Zalgiris. A two-year, minimum-salary deal in the NBA would’ve paid him close to $8MM, but that’s a pre-tax figure, whereas salaries for players in Europe are typically reported based on the post-tax total.
Jonas Valanciunas To Sign With Zalgiris Kaunas?
8:27 am: Although Valanciunas and Zalgiris Kaunas have reached a preliminary agreement on contract terms, it’s not a done deal yet, according to a report from BasketNews.com, which states that the big man wants to fully evaluate his NBA options before finalizing his decision.
Responding to this morning’s report out of Lithuania, Valanciunas posted a comment on Instagram. “You wake up and see that everything has been decided for you, don’t need to do anything myself. Thank you, reporters,” he wrote, accompanied by several smiley-face emojis.
7:55 am: Former Nuggets center Jonas Valanciunas is heading back to Europe and will sign a two-year deal with Zalgiris Kaunas in Lithuania, according to Jonas Leksas of the Lithuanian outlet Krepsinis.net (Twitter link).
Valanciunas had been under contract for next season, but Denver waived him last Wednesday ahead of the deadline for his $10MM salary for 2026/27 to become fully guaranteed. Instead, he received a $2MM guarantee on the final season of his three-year deal.
The 34-year-old big man reportedly tried to leave the NBA for Europe 12 months ago when he was being pursued by Panathinaikos in Greece. He traveled to Athens last July in anticipation of accepting a three-year offer, but the signing fell through when the Nuggets were unwilling to negotiate a buyout.
After being acquired last summer from Sacramento in exchange for Dario Saric, Valanciunas became Denver’s primary backup to Nikola Jokic. He appeared in 65 games, making six starts and averaging 8.7 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 13.4 minutes per night while shooting 58.2% from the floor. However, he was barely used in the playoffs, logging 25 total minutes in four games in Denver’s first-round loss to Minnesota.
Reports last week indicated that multiple NBA teams had interest in Valanciunas once he cleared waivers. The Knicks and Lakers were listed among the possible suitors, but they both found other options for backup big men.
Valanciunas’ preference seemed to be a return to Europe, where he was a star for several years before coming to the NBA in 2012. With Zalgiris Kaunas, he will join a roster that includes several players with NBA ties, including Carsen Edwards, Saben Lee, Nigel Williams-Goss and Sterling Brown.
Valanciunas has spent the past 14 seasons in the NBA with Toronto, Memphis, New Orleans, Washington, Sacramento and Denver. He earned second-team All-Rookie honors in 2013, appeared in 1,002 regular season games (854 starts) and holds career averages of 12.8 points and 9.0 rebounds.
As we noted last week, Denver will have until August 29 to decide whether to keep Valanciunas’ entire $2MM partial guarantee on its books for the upcoming season or use the stretch provision to spread it out over three years. That would leave his cap charge for 2026/27 at about $667K.
Nuggets Notes: Braun, Bamba, Brazile, Valanciunas
Nuggets guard Christian Braun told Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports (Twitter links) that he’s ready to bounce back after an injury-riddled season.
“Sometimes it’s good to get punched in the mouth a little bit,” he said. “It’s good to have that little setback. Definitely motivated. Definitely excited for the summer. Just got to attack the ankle and make sure the ankle’s in a good spot. I know I’ll bounce back and I know who I am as a player so I’m really excited.”
After a breakout season in 2024/25 season in which he started 77 games, Braun appeared in just 44 games last season due to his injury issues. He’s entering the first year of his five-year, $125MM extension this season.
“I’m going to be OK. I’m always going to be OK. It’s in the past. It is what it is at this point,” he said. “This team is resilient. This team is really good. It’s a championship built roster. We’re excited for next year. We’re excited to compete. We’re excited to be healthy.”
Here’s more on the Nuggets:
- Summer League invitee TJ Bamba moved to Denver after finishing his freshman year of high school in New York City. Bamba had yet to play organized basketball before that point but wound up at Washington State, Villanova and Oregon during his college career before going undrafted last year. He played in Germany last season and had seven points, three rebounds and three assists in the Nuggets’ second Summer League game on Saturday. “It’s crazy. Years later down the line, I’m here back in Denver but with the Denver Nuggets organization. It’s a blessing, and I definitely want to take advantage of it and make the most of the opportunity,” he told Vinny Benedetto of the Denver Gazette.
- Rookie forward Trevon Brazile was held out of Saturday’s Summer League game due to a right shoulder strain, Benedetto tweets. The second-round pick signed a standard contract on Friday. Known for his athleticism, Brazile averaged 13.0 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 1.6 blocks in 31.5 minutes per game across 36 appearances as a senior for Arkansas in 2025/26.
- Waiving Jonas Valanciunas before his $10MM salary for next season became fully guaranteed wasn’t a sign of ownership being cheap but rather the realization of how the big man’s shortcomings on the defensive side were too costly, Sean Keeler of Denver Post opines. Keeler points out Valanciunas’ woeful net ratings against conference heavyweights Oklahoma City, San Antonio and Minnesota.
- EuroLeague standout Alpha Diallo agreed to a one-year deal with Denver this weekend. Get the details here.
Raptors Notes: Kawhi Trade, DeRozan, Valanciunas, CMB
Barring a direct punishment of Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard, which isn’t considered any more likely now that the trade has been put on hold until the Aspiration investigation concludes, the terms of the blockbuster deal that will send the two-time Finals MVP back to the Raptors aren’t expected to be altered, according to Sam Amick, Eric Koreen and Law Murray of The Athletic.
As Amick, Koreen and Murray detail, the NBA warned Toronto that the ongoing investigation could cause issues with the trade when it was agreed upon in principle on June 30. That point was reiterated when the two teams scheduled a call with the league office to finalize the deal, which is why the Raptors decided to pause the trade for now until the investigation is complete.
Some people around the NBA believed commissioner Adam Silver might announced the results of the investigation on Tuesday at a Board of Governors meeting, per The Athletic, but a league spokesperson seemed to put a damper on that optimism when they said the law firm’s were expected to be finalized “in the coming weeks.”
According to Amick, Koreen and Murray, many league observers have been “bewildered” at the length of the investigation, which began last September after a series of podcasts from investigative journalist Pablo Torre alleged the Clippers and Leonard circumvented the salary cap to pay Leonard through a no-show endorsement deal with Aspiration, a now-defunct “green banking” company.
Here’s more on the Raptors:
- Leonard was in Toronto earlier this week when Kyle Lowry signed his ceremonial one-day contract to retire a Raptor and has already passed his physical, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said on Get Up (Twitter video link). The 35-year-old star, who’s in the final year of his contract, has also begun extension talks with the Raptors, Windhorst added.
- The trade delay gives the Raptors some time to explore the possibility of expanding the deal to include a third team, observes Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca. The goal in that scenario, Grange explains, would be to send out another contract to a third club so Toronto isn’t taking back more salary than it’s sending out — the current structure would see the team hard-capped at the first tax apron. A potential third team’s inclusion would have no bearing on the main deal between the Clippers and Raptors, according to Grange’s sources.
- Grange reiterates Toronto is unlikely to pursue ex-Raptors DeMar DeRozan and Jonas Valanciunas in part because of the team’s financial situation. Assuming the trade goes through as is, the Raptors wouldn’t have room under the first apron to sign a player to a veteran’s minimum contract, Grange notes.
- In another story for Sportsnet.ca, Grange takes a look at the Raptors’ offseason development plan for 2025 lottery pick Collin Murray-Boyles. The team is hoping to see the 2025/26 All-Rookie selection expand his game during Summer League, though he was out for Friday’s opener due to a finger sprain, tweets Blake Murphy of Sportsnet. Second-year guard Alijah Martin was also sidelined because of knee inflammation.
Nuggets Waive Jonas Valanciunas
The Nuggets have decided to let go of center Jonas Valanciunas, league sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). Valanciunas’ $10MM salary for 2026/27, which was already partially guaranteed for $2MM, would have become fully guaranteed if he hadn’t been waived on Wednesday.
Valanciunas was traded from Sacramento to Denver last offseason in exchange for Dario Saric and became the Nuggets’ primary backup center behind Nikola Jokic. The 6’11” Lithuanian made 65 appearances (six starts), averaging 8.7 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.2 assists in 13.4 minutes per contest while shooting 58.2% from the floor. However, he barely played in the first round of the playoffs vs. Minnesota, totaling just 25 minutes across four outings.
Around the time Denver acquired him last year, Valanciunas reportedly sought a move to the Greek club Panathinaikos, but the Nuggets were unwilling to negotiate a buyout since they envisioned him playing a role for them in 2025/26. A year later, his $10MM salary was determined to be too onerous for a team operating in tax apron territory.
The Nuggets will have until August 29 to decide whether they want to keep the big man’s entire $2MM partial guarantee on the 2026/27 books or spread his cap hit across the next three seasons using the stretch provision. Taking the latter route would reduce his ’26/27 cap charge to about $667K.
Assuming he clears waivers, Valanciunas will have the freedom that he didn’t have during the 2025 offseason to pick his next team as a free agent.
Shams Charania of ESPN reports (via Twitter) that multiple NBA teams are expected to have interest in the former fifth overall pick. The Knicks and Lakers were identified as possible suitors in recent days, though that was before they reached deals with Andre Drummond and Kevon Looney, respectively, so it’s unclear whether they still have Valanciunas on their radar.
Even if Valanciunas does receive some NBA interest, a return to Europe looks like a real possibility. Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.com hears that the 34-year-old will strongly consider a two-year contract offer from the Lithuanian team Zalgiris Kaunas if he clears waivers. It’s a relatively safe bet that Valanciunas will reach free agency, since any team that submits a claim would be responsible for guaranteeing his full $10MM salary for 2026/27.
As for the Nuggets, they’re currently at about $203.4MM in guaranteed salaries for eight players officially under contract. That figure doesn’t account for qualifying offers for restricted free agents Peyton Watson and Spencer Jones, new minimum-salary deals for Marvin Bagley III and Tyus Jones, and roughly $5.6MM in unlikely incentives for Cameron Johnson and Aaron Gordon that count toward the team’s apron salary.
In other words, even after waiving Valanciunas, the Nuggets will have their work cut out for them if they hope to remain below the $221.7MM second tax apron.
Stein/Fischer’s Latest: Kuminga, Lakers, Knicks, Diabate, Ayton, Temple
The Lakers are focusing on free agent forward Jonathan Kuminga as they search for another wing and one more big man to round out their roster, sources tell Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (subscription required).
However, the slow pace of LeBron James‘ free agent decision may be holding up the market on Kuminga. Stein and Fischer report that the Cavaliers are interested in Kuminga as well, and head coach Kenny Atkinson has experience with him from his time as a Golden State assistant. However, the Cavs don’t want to commit to anything with Kuminga before finding out if they’ll be landing James.
Stein and Fischer hear that the Hawks may still try to re-sign Kuminga after declining their $24.3MM team option on Monday, and they could be open to a sign-and-trade deal as well. The Bucks may also make a play for Kuminga, according to the authors, who add that L.A.’s pursuit of Kuminga could mean Rui Hachimura plays elsewhere. There’s a “growing expectation” Hachimura won’t be back with the Lakers, per Stein and Fischer.
After agreeing to trade Deandre Ayton to Washington on Friday, the Lakers lost a potential replacement later in the day when Andre Drummond committed to New York. Former New Orleans center Kevon Looney remains an option for L.A., according to Stein and Fischer, along with Nuggets center Jonas Valanciunas, whose $10MM salary for next season only carries a $2MM guarantee through July 8.
Stein and Fischer share more inside information from around the league:
- The Knicks also had interest in Looney before reaching the deal with Drummond and were monitoring Hornets big man Moussa Diabate as well, sources tell Stein and Fischer. Diabate hasn’t been mentioned in trade rumors, but Charlotte has made changes to its front line recently by dealing for Naz Reid and drafting Hannes Steinbach. Diabate has an expiring $2.5MM contract that would have been a perfect fit for New York’s quest to remain below the second apron.
- The Wizards‘ acquisition of Ayton shouldn’t be viewed of a sign of an upcoming Anthony Davis trade, according to Stein and Fischer. Sources tell them that Washington plans to expand its use of double-big lineups that team Ayton with Davis as well as with Alex Sarr.
- Mavericks president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri talked to Garrett Temple about a front office position before Dusty May convinced him to join the coaching staff, Stein and Fischer hear. They report that Josh Broghamer and Phil Handy are expected to be retained from former head coach Jason Kidd‘s staff.
Nuggets Rumors: Watson, Valanciunas, Nnaji, Johnson, LeBron
Nuggets forward Peyton Watson is hoping to top $25MM in average annual value in his next contract, sources tell Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (subscription required). The restricted free agent is asking for a higher salary than Denver gave to Christian Braun in his rookie scale extension last fall.
Watson’s chances of reaching that figure will be affected by a free agency market that has already been somewhat depleted. The teams with enough cap space to make that kind of offer have largely used it on other players, and the Nuggets don’t appear willing to consider a sign-and-trade for a 23-year-old rotation player who is viewed as part of the future.
Watson’s cap hold is manageable at $13.1MM, so the Nuggets can let him explore free agency without affecting their ability to make other moves. He ranks seventh overall on our list of 2026’s top 50 free agents and is fourth among those remaining on the market.
There’s more on the Nuggets:
- Denver has been operating lately like a team that’s willing to enter the season in second apron territory if that’s what it takes to keep Watson and fellow RFA Spencer Jones, Stein and Fischer observe. They hear that backup center Jonas Valanciunas and reserve power forward Zeke Nnaji are the team’s only players who’ve been involved in recent trade rumors. Valanciunas, who has just a $2MM guarantee on his $10MM salary for next season if he’s waived by July 8, is considered to be a possible target for the Lakers in the wake of their agreement to trade Deandre Ayton to Washington. The Nuggets are reportedly welcoming L.A.’s interest in Valanciunas after searching for a taker since their season ended. Stein and Fischer report that they tried to package him with the 26th pick in this year’s draft before ultimately sending it to San Antonio in exchange for No. 35 and two future second-rounders. Nnaji, who has been on the trade market for some time, will make $7.5MM next season and has the same amount as a player option for 2027/28.
- Sources tell Stein and Fischer that Denver has turned down multiple trade offers involving Cameron Johnson, whose expiring $23MM contract was projected to be expendable in an effort to clear out salary before re-signing Watson and Jones. The authors also note that rival teams were expecting the Nuggets to try to trade Braun, but his value was lowered by his injury-filled season and the fact that his five-year extension is just about to take effect.
- In separate articles, Troy Renck of The Denver Post and Woody Paige of the Denver Gazette (subscriptions required) advocate an aggressive recruiting strategy to bring LeBron James to the Nuggets, leaning on his long friendship with the Kroenke family to make it happen.
Eastern Notes: Jakucionis, Knicks, Valanciunas, Landale, Oubre, Raptors
The Giannis Antetokounmpo trade between Milwaukee and Miami can’t be formally completed until Monday, so Kasparas Jakucionis isn’t officially a member of the Bucks yet. However, according to Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.com, new Bucks head coach Taylor Jenkins and assistant general manager Milt Newton are expected to travel to Bologna, Italy this weekend to visit with the second-year guard.
Jakucionis is playing for the Lithuanian national team during July’s qualifying window for the 2027 World Cup and will be facing Italy on Sunday in the second of those qualifying matchups. The 2025 first-round pick had an impressive showing in Lithuania’s victory over Great Britain on Thursday, racking up 16 points, seven rebounds, and six assists in 28 minutes of action.
Jackucionis was reported to be a key piece in the package for Antetokounmpo, with his inclusion helping to push Miami’s offer over the top.
We have more from around the Eastern Conference:
- Add Jonas Valanciunas to the list of centers on the Knicks‘ radar, says James L. Edwards III of The Athletic (Twitter link). Valancinuas is under contract with Denver, but the Nuggets have to decide by next Wednesday whether to guarantee the remaining $8MM on his $10MM contract are are extremely unlikely to do so. Valanciunas is also said to be a potential target for the Lakers, who may be vying with New York for some of the same veterans on the backup center market.
- After agreeing to a one-year deal with the Hawks that will pay him the highest single-season salary of his NBA career ($14MM), Jock Landale said in an Instagram post that he was considering moving on from the NBA and playing overseas at this time last year after being waived by Houston. “I didn’t feel like being a rotation player all year round in the NBA was something I was going to be able to achieve,” said Landale, who had a career year with the Grizzlies and Hawks after playing sparingly during his final season in Houston. “I was tired of not being able to compete and do what I love to do on the main stage. I’m extremely grateful to all those who convinced me otherwise and helped me stick out this dream.”
- Tony East of Circle City Spin examines what new addition Kelly Oubre Jr. will bring to the Pacers, writing that adding a wing with “functional size” to the second unit should be a win for the team.
- Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca takes a deep dive into what the Raptors‘ salary cap situation will look like once the Kawhi Leonard trade is official, noting that the star forward’s decision on his sizable trade bonus – he could amend it or waive it entirely – will go a long way toward determining how much flexibility the team has to fill out the rest of its roster below a probable first-apron hard cap.
Lakers Trade Deandre Ayton To Wizards
July 7: The Lakers and Wizards have issued press releases officially confirming that their trade is done.
July 3: The Lakers are trading center Deandre Ayton to the Wizards, sources tell ESPN’s Shams Charania (Twitter link).
According to Charania, Washington will send guard Jaden Hardy, a 2031 second-round pick, and a 2032 second-round pick to Los Angeles in exchange for Ayton.
The first overall pick in the 2018 draft, Ayton signed with the Lakers last summer after being bought out by Portland and spent the 2025/26 season atop the team’s depth chart at the five, starting 72 regular season games and all 10 of Los Angeles’ playoff contests.
However, he had an up-and-down year, setting new career lows in points (12.5), rebounds (8.0), and minutes (27.2) per game in his eighth NBA season. An offensive-minded player earlier in his career, Ayton struggled to adjust to the role the Lakers wanted him to play, which involved focusing on setting screens, defending, and rebounding.
The big man eventually bought into that role and exercised his $8.1MM player option for 2026/27, but the Lakers made it a priority this summer to find a new starting center and struck a deal with Utah to acquire Walker Kessler via sign-and-trade on a four-year, $130MM contract.
While they could’ve retained Ayton as Kessler’s backup, the Lakers plan to address that spot on the free agent market, according to Charania (Twitter link), who identifies Andre Drummond, Kevon Looney, and Jonas Valanciunas as possibilities. Valanciunas is still under contract with Denver but appears highly likely to be waived, since only $2MM of his $10MM salary for 2026/27 is guaranteed.
[UPDATE: Lakers, Kevon Looney Agree To One-Year Deal]
The trade will help the Lakers restock their draft assets to some extent. After the Kessler trade, the team had no draft picks left to trade besides its own 2033 second-rounder. Swapping out Ayton’s $8.1MM cap hit for Hardy’s $6MM figure will also create the extra wiggle room necessary to accommodate the reported terms on the deals for Kessler, Quentin Grimes, and Sandro Mamukelashvili using cap room, tweets Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron.
Hardy, who will turn 24 on Sunday, has just one guaranteed year left on his contract, with a $6MM team option for 2027/28. The 6’3″ guard played a pretty modest role for Dallas and Washington last season, but scored effectively in his limited minutes, averaging 9.2 PPG in 15.8 MPG, and he’s a career 38.6% three-point shooter.
Still, the Lakers have a crowded backcourt, with Grimes and Collin Sexton set to join Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, so we’ll see if Hardy is actually in their plans moving forward. If he not, he could have his salary aggregated with another player’s immediately in a follow-up trade, since Los Angeles will be acquiring him while under the cap, notes Gozlan (Twitter link).
As for the Wizards, Anthony Davis, Alex Sarr, and Tristan Vukcevic had been the only real big men on their projected 15-man roster, so Ayton will added some much-needed depth in the frontcourt. His presence should allow Davis to spend most of his time at power forward.
According to Josh Robbins of The Athletic, Ayton will likely slot in as the backup center behind Sarr and also could share the court with the former No. 2 overall pick at times. Robbins adds that Wizards assistant Cody Toppert worked with Ayton when the pair spent a season together in Phoenix.
As ESPN’s Bobby Marks points out (via Twitter), the Wizards may decide to absorb Ayton’s $8.1MM salary into a $13.4MM trade exception that expires next Thursday. That would allow them to generate a new $6MM trade exception equivalent to Hardy’s outgoing salary.