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Bulls Exercise Matas Buzelis’ 2026/27 Option

October 3rd, 2025 at 7:53am CST by Luke Adams

The Bulls have exercised their third-year rookie scale team option on forward Matas Buzelis, tweets Keith Smith of Spotrac.

The move guarantees Buzelis’ salary for the 2026/27 season. Last year’s 11th overall pick will earn $5.46MM in his second NBA season in ’25/26 and is now locked into a $5.72MM salary for ’26/27. Chicago will have until November 2, 2026 to decide whether or not to pick up his fourth-year option for ’27/28, worth $7.58MM.

Buzelis, who will turn 21 later this month, got off to a slow start as a rookie, scoring double-digit points just four times in his first 45 games and averaging 5.0 points and 2.7 rebounds per game with a 38.6% field goal percentage during that stretch.

However, he had a strong finish to the year, putting up 13.3 PPG and 4.5 RPG with a .494/.373/.817 shooting line over the course of his final 35 games. That second-half production propelled Buzelis to a spot on the All-Rookie second team.

Buzelis projects to be a significant part of the Bulls’ future, so this decision comes as no surprise, and it seems pretty safe to assume his fourth-year option will be exercised a year from now too. In that scenario, the 6’10” forward would become eligible for a rookie scale extension during the 2027 offseason and would reach restricted free agency in 2028 if he doesn’t sign a new contract before then.

Teams have until October 31 to make their decisions on rookie scale team options for the 2026/27 season. Buzelis is the fourth player to have his option picked up.

Wizards Sign Leaky Black, Waive Jonathan Pierre

October 2nd, 2025 at 7:12pm CST by Luke Adams

The Wizards have made a minor change to their training camp roster, announcing today (via Twitter) that they’ve signed free agent forward Leaky Black to an Exhibit 10 contract and waived camp invitee Jonathan Pierre.

Black, who went undrafted out of North Carolina in 2023, spent his rookie season on a two-way contract with the Hornets, then played last season for the Capital City Go-Go, Washington’s G League affiliate. He made 26 NBA appearances for Charlotte in 2023/24, averaging 2.7 points and 1.8 rebounds in 10.9 minutes per game.

In 44 games last season for the Go-Go, Black averaged 7.9 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.2 steals in 26.7 minutes per contest. Known more for his play on the other end of the court, the 6’6″ forward made the ACC’s All-Defensive team twice as a Tar Heel, in both 2022 and 2023.

In all likelihood, Black will be waived at some point before opening night and will end up rejoining the Go-Go as a returning-rights player. His Exhibit 10 deal will make him eligible for a bonus worth up to $85,300 on top of his G League salary if he spends at least 60 days with the Wizards’ affiliate.

Pierre, who will qualify as an affiliate player, will also likely land with Capital City this fall in order to earn his own $85,300 Exhibit 10 bonus.

Washington still has a full 21-man preseason roster.

Suns Pick Up Ryan Dunn’s 2026/27 Option

October 2nd, 2025 at 10:47am CST by Dana Gauruder

The Suns have exercised their 2026/27 rookie scale team option for forward Ryan Dunn, Spotrac contributor Keith Smith tweets.

Phoenix had until the end of the month to decide whether to pick up Dunn’s $2,784,240 salary for next season.

Dunn, the 28th pick of the 2024 draft, had a solid rookie season. He appeared in 74 games, including 44 starts, and averaged 6.9 points and 3.6 rebounds while shooting 43.0% from the field. His long-range and free throw shooting need to improve, but he has established himself as a hard-nosed defender.

He’ll likely battle veteran Royce O’Neale for a starting spot in this year’s lineup.

All of the 2026/27 rookie scale option decisions, which must be finalized by October 31, can be found right here.

Sixers’ Quentin Grimes Signs Qualifying Offer

October 1st, 2025 at 7:03pm CST by Luke Adams

7:03 pm: Grimes has officially re-signed with the Sixers, the team confirmed in a press release.

3:00 pm: Sixers restricted free agent Quentin Grimes has decided to sign his one-year, $8.74MM qualifying offer, agent David Bauman tells ESPN’s Shams Charania.

Wednesday was the deadline for Grimes to make a decision on that qualifying offer. Accepting it ends a three-month standoff between the 25-year-old guard and the team and will put him on track to reach unrestricted free agency during the 2026 offseason. He’ll also have the ability to veto any trade during the 2025/26 season.

Grimes, 25, spent the first three-and-a-half seasons of his NBA career with the Knicks, Pistons, and Mavericks before being dealt from Dallas to Philadelphia in a trade for Caleb Martin at February’s deadline.

Primarily a three-and-D wing to that point, Grimes took on more ball-handling and play-making responsibilities for a banged-up 76ers team missing several of its top scorers and put up big numbers down the stretch. As a Sixer, he averaged 21.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.5 steals in 33.7 minutes per game across 28 outings (25 starts) while posting a shooting line of .469/.373/.752.

That strong finish for Grimes complicated his contract negotiations with Philadelphia this summer. Based in large part on what the former Houston Cougar showed in the second half of ’24/25, his camp initially sought an annual salary in the range of $30MM before eventually lowering that asking price to $20-25MM per year, according to Charania.

The Sixers, however, wary of their tax/apron situation – and, presumably, of overpaying Grimes based on two months of production for a lottery-bound team – never came close to meeting that asking price. According to ESPN and other outlets, Philadelphia were willing to offer a four-year, $39MM deal or a one-year contract that would’ve paid a little more than his qualifying offer. Both offers would’ve required him to forfeit his implicit no-trade clause.

In his latest report, Charania says the 76ers’ one-year offer was worth just $100K more than the qualifying offer. Grimes’ camp, meanwhile, countered with a one-year, $17MM proposal or a two-year, $34MM deal with a second-year player option, Bauman told Charania. The club turned down both offers.

The 76ers will now retain Grimes’ Bird rights and believe they’ll be in good position next summer to either re-sign him in unrestricted free agency or work out a sign-and-trade deal with another team, Charania writes.

If Grimes agrees to a trade during the season, his new club would only have his Non-Bird rights at the end of the season. Non-Bird rights allow for a raise of up to 20%, so in that scenario Grimes’ team would need to use cap room or another exception to offer him a starting salary exceeding about $10.5MM when he reaches free agency.

The Sixers now have a team salary of $194.8MM, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link). That puts them well above the tax line of $187.9MM, but below the first tax apron of $195.9MM.

Grimes was one of four restricted free agents whose stalemates with their respective clubs lasted into mid- or late-September. Grimes and Nets guard Cam Thomas ultimately accepted their qualifying offers, while Bulls guard Josh Giddey and Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga worked out multiyear deals.

Nevada Assistant Kyle Guy Joining Pacers On Exhibit 10 Deal

October 1st, 2025 at 6:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Kyle Guy, who was hired in April as an assistant coach at Nevada, will sign an Exhibit 10 contract with the Pacers, the school announced (via Twitter). The plan is for the 28-year-old guard to play for Indiana’s G League affiliate in Noblesville, according to Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star (Twitter link).

Guy, who was named Most Outstanding Player at the 2019 NCAA Tournament after winning the national title with Virginia, began his coaching career as a mentor/special assistant with UVA in 2024. He left after one season “to pursue a new coaching opportunity” and landed at Nevada as an assistant to Steve Alford.

Guy played two seasons with Sacramento after being selected with the 55th pick in the 2019 draft. He also spent part of the 2021/22 season with Miami before heading overseas. His most recent stint as an active player was in 2024 in the Spanish ACB League.

He appeared in 53 total NBA games over three seasons, averaging 3.1 points per night while shooting 36.1% from the field and 30.3% from three-point range.

The Pacers have a full 21-man roster, so another move will be necessary before Guy’s contract can be finalized. Once he joins the G League team, he’ll be eligible for a bonus worth up to $85,300 if he spends at least 60 days there.

Warriors Officially Sign De’Anthony Melton, Seth Curry

October 1st, 2025 at 1:02pm CST by Luke Adams

As expected, the Warriors have officially signed free agent guard De’Anthony Melton, the team announced today in a press release (Twitter link).

According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link), Melton’s new minimum-salary deal will cover two seasons, with a player option on year two. That means he’ll earn $3,080,921 in 2025/26, with a $3,451,779 option for ’26/27.

Because it’s a multiyear contract, the Warriors’ cap hit in year one will be Melton’s actual salary instead of just $2,296,274, the minimum for a veteran with two years of NBA experience. That will move Golden State slightly closer to its second-apron hard cap.

Melton, 27, signed a one-year, $12.8MM contract with the Warriors last offseason and got off to a good start with the team, averaging 10.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.8 assists in 20.2 minutes per game through his first six outings. However, he tore his ACL in that sixth game, ending his season. He was later traded to Brooklyn in a deal for Dennis Schröder and finished the season with the Nets.

Melton remains in the late stage of his rehab from that ACL tear, according to Anthony Slater of ESPN, who reports (via Twitter) that Golden State expects him to miss the start of the regular season. The Warriors like the progress Melton has made, Slater adds, but will take a cautious approach with his return.

The club also confirmed (via Twitter) that it has signed Seth Curry, whose agreement was previously reported. Curry was reportedly expected to receive a non-guaranteed Exhibit 9 deal, which won’t count against the cap.

With the Warriors seemingly unable to carry a full 15-man roster into the regular season, the expectation is that Curry will be waived before the start of the season and potentially return a little later this year, once the team can fit a prorated minimum-salary deal below its hard cap.

The Warriors now have a full 21-man preseason roster.

Jonathan Kuminga Signs Two-Year Contract With Warriors

October 1st, 2025 at 12:54pm CST by Dana Gauruder

October 1, 12:54 pm: Kuminga’s two-year contract has a base value of $46.8MM, Hoops Rumors has learned. His cap hit is $22.5MM in year one, with a $24.3MM team option in year two.

The $48.5MM figure reported by Charania below would only be accurate if Kuminga were traded on January 15, the first day he’s eligible to be moved. In that scenario, he’d earn a trade bonus worth about $1.7MM.

September 30, 10:31 pm: The signing is official, according to a team press release (Twitter link).

September 30, 5:49 pm: Restricted free agent forward Jonathan Kuminga has agreed to return to the Warriors on a two-year, $48.5MM contract that includes a team option, ESPN’s Shams Charania reports (Twitter link). The deal also features a 15% trade kicker, per ESPN’s Bobby Marks (YouTube link).

Between the start of free agency and Tuesday, Golden State increased its two-year offer by a total of $8MM, according to Charania, who notes that Kuminga will receive approximately $15MM more this season than he would have on his $8MM qualifying offer.

Had Kuminga signed the qualifying offer, he would have held an implicit no-trade clause during the 2025/26 season and would have become an unrestricted free agent next summer. He waived that no-trade clause as part of his new two-year agreement.

Kuminga and his agent had been seeking a player option as a prerequisite to spurning the qualifying offer, but ultimately settled for one of Golden State’s offers that included a team option. Kuminga chose this two-year deal over the Warriors’ previous three-year, $75MM offer so he can maintain a higher level of control over his immediate future, according to Charania.

The Warriors never wavered on that team option but both sides now understand the likelihood of exploring trades when Kuminga is eligible to be dealt on January 15, the ESPN insider adds (Twitter links).

Kuminga had a Wednesday deadline to sign the qualifying offer.

In terms of the roster, Golden State retains flexibility to sign a 15th player but likely not until the early part the regular season, assuming Al Horford receives the full $5.7MM taxpayer mid-level exception, Marks tweets. The veteran big man has agreed to a multi-year contract that will hard-cap the team at the second tax apron.

Kuminga’s restricted free agency was among the biggest subjects of discussion for much of the NBA offseason. The Warriors reportedly gave him three options as the deadline approached: a two-year, $45MM deal with a second-year team option, a three-year, $75MM deal with a third-year team option, or three years with no team option at a reduced rate of $54MM. Golden State ultimately reached an agreement with the former No. 7 overall pick by slightly increasing that first offer.

The Suns and Kings reportedly had interest in working out a sign-and-trade deal for Kuminga, but Golden State – trying to preserve its financial flexibility this season and in future offseasons – didn’t receive an offer to its liking from either Pacific Division rival.

Kuminga started 46 of 74 games during the 2023/24 season but had a reduced role in the 47 games in which he appeared in ’24/25, particularly after the team acquired Jimmy Butler. He only started 10 games while averaging 15.3 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists and played inconsistent minutes during the postseason. That was a factor in the contentious negotiations.

Kuminga now has strong incentive to post a strong, controversy-free season to pump up his value, whether he remains with the team or gets dealt.

Al Horford Signs With Warriors

October 1st, 2025 at 11:20am CST by Rory Maher

October 1: With Kuminga signed, the Warriors have now officially locked up Horford as well, the team confirmed in a press release (Twitter link).

According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link), Horford’s deal is a two-year contract worth the taxpayer mid-level exception that includes a player option on year two. The deal should have a total value of $11.65MM.

September 28: Free agent big man Al Horford has agreed to a multiyear deal with the Warriors, agent Jason Glushon tells Shams Charania of ESPN.

According to Charania, Horford will be Golden State’s starting center as he enters his 19th NBA season.

As ESPN’s Anthony Slater tweets, the Warriors targeted Horford early on in free agency, and just before training camp is set to begin, he has officially committed to signing a multiyear deal. The exact terms of Horford’s contract are still up in the air due to Jonathan Kuminga‘s restricted free agency, Slater adds.

A source tells Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe (Twitter link) that Jayson Tatum‘s torn Achilles tendon and the departures of Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis played a role in Horford’s decision to leave the Celtics after spending seven of the past nine years with the franchise, including winning a title in 2024. But it was still a difficult call to leave Boston, according to Himmelsbach, as Horford considers the city a second home.

Horford posted a thank you message (via Twitter) to both the organization and the city of Boston.

As Charania writes, the Warriors view Horford as an “ideal fit” next to Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green due to his “size, floor-spacing, passing and defensive instincts.” Despite being 39 years old, Horford remains a stout and versatile defender, Charania notes.

According to Charania, Horford mulled retirement before committing to the Warriors, the team he had been linked to throughout the offseason.

A 6’9″ forward/center from the Dominican Republic, Horford was selected No. 3 overall in the 2007 draft following three standout years at Florida, having won back-to-back national championships with the Gators. He has been a strong NBA player for essentially his entire career, making five All-Star appearances, one All-NBA team, and one All-Defensive team.

Horford’s teams have also been highly successful, making several trips to the Eastern Conference Finals. He was part of the Celtics club that lost to Golden State in the 2022 NBA Finals before helping Boston break through with its 18th title — and first since 2008 — in 2024.

De’Anthony Melton and Gary Payton II are also expected to sign with the Warriors in the coming days, with Curry’s younger brother Seth Curry another player who has been linked to Golden State. The Warriors have a pair of unsigned second-round picks (Wil l Richard and Alex Toohey) as well, plus a qualifying offer out to two-way RFA Taran Armstrong.

Knicks To Add Donovan Williams On Camp Deal

October 1st, 2025 at 9:18am CST by Dana Gauruder

The Knicks and guard Donovan Williams have agreed to a training camp deal, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype tweets.

Williams averaged 17.8 points and 4.7 rebounds per game for New York’s G League team, the Westchester Knicks, last season. He also had stints in Canada and China, joining the Shanghai Sharks in February and then suiting up for the Scarborough Shooting Stars in the Canadian Elite Basketball League this summer.

Williams appeared in two NBA games with the Hawks during the 2022/23 season. He was also with the Warriors ahead of the 2023/24 season, but was a training camp cut.

He’ll likely be waived and then would be eligible for a bonus worth up to $85,300 if he rejoins Westchester and stays with the team at least 60 days.

RJ Nembhard Signed-And-Waived By Bulls

September 30th, 2025 at 8:30pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Guard RJ Nembhard has been signed and waived by the Bulls, Spotrac contributor Keith Smith tweets.

The Exhibit 10 signing sets up Nembhard to join the G League’s Windy City Bulls. He can earn a bonus up to $85,300 if he reports to Windy City and remains on their roster for at least 60 days.

Chicago’s NBAGL affiliate acquired his returning rights in a trade on Monday (Twitter link).

Nembhard played 33 regular season games with the Capital City Go-Go last season, averaging 17.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 6.3 assists for the Wizards’ affiliate. He then headed to China, signing with the Zhejiang Golden Bulls of the Chinese Basketball Association for the rest of the 2024/25 season.

Nembhard has 14 games of NBA experience, mostly while playing on a two-way deal with Cleveland, and totaled 15 points and 12 assists in those games during the 2021/22 season.