Transactions Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Hornets Trade Mark Williams To Suns For McNeeley, 2029 First-Rounder

June 30th, 2025 at 1:26pm CST by Rory Maher

June 30: The trade is official, according to press releases issued by both the Suns and Hornets.

Williams is headed to Phoenix, while Micic, this year’s No. 29 pick (Liam McNeeley), and a 2029 first-round pick (least favorable of Utah, Cleveland and Minnesota) are going to Charlotte.

Rather than the swap of second-rounders (outlined below), the Hornets sent the Suns their own 2029 second-round pick in order to complete the trade.

June 25: Right around the same time they drafted Khaman Maluach, the Suns agreed to acquire another Duke center, according to Shams Charania of ESPN, who reports (via Twitter) that the Hornets are sending Mark Williams to Phoenix in exchange for 2025’s No. 29 overall pick and a 2029 first-rounder.

Sources tell Charania that the 2029 first-round pick will be the least favorable of the selections controlled by Utah, Cleveland and Minnesota (Twitter link). The Wolves’ pick is top-five protected, so it would have to fall outside of that range to be in play.

According to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Twitter link), Vasilije Micic is also involved in the trade, as he’ll be sent back to Charlotte, which just traded him to Phoenix in February. Micic’s $8.1MM team option for next season will have to be exercised for that to occur.

The full trade is as follows, according to Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer (Twitter link).

Hornets receive:

Micic.
2025 No. 29 pick.
2029 first-round pick with the least favorable language listed above.
2026 second-rounder (least favorable of Golden State and Denver).

Suns receive:

Williams.
2026 second-round pick (most favorable of Golden State and Denver).

Williams, 23, was nearly traded to the Lakers at the February deadline, but Los Angeles wound up rescinding that deal due to concerns about his physical.

A 7’0″ big man with an enormous 7’7″ wingspan, Williams was productive when healthy this past season for Charlotte, averaging 15.3 points, 10.2 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.2 blocks in 44 appearances (26.6 minutes per game). He shot 60.4% from the field and a career-best 80.4% from the foul line.

However, health has been a huge issue for Williams through three NBA seasons, having played a total of just 106 games. He also has been a negative defender, particularly when trying to switch onto smaller players on the perimeter.

It’s telling that Charlotte was so determined to move Williams despite his very real upside as a scorer and rebounder. The Hornets only won 19 games last season, but they were substantially worse when Williams was on the court (-12.7 net rating) compared to when he was off it (-7.7).

Obviously, Phoenix is betting that Williams and Maluach will be long-term answers in the middle. After trading away Deandre Ayton two years ago, the Suns have been lacking reliable play up front.

Interestingly, the Suns sent Josh Okogie and multiple second-round picks to Charlotte in January in order to acquire Nick Richards, whose $5MM salary for 2025/26 is non-guaranteed. Adding Maluach and Williams might signal that Phoenix will opt to waive Richards — yet another center — instead of retaining him.

Clippers Agree To Two-Year Deal With Nicolas Batum

June 30th, 2025 at 1:02pm CST by Luke Adams

The Clippers and veteran forward Nicolas Batum have agreed to terms on a new two-year deal after he opted out of his previous contract on Sunday, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).

According to Charania, the deal will be worth $11.5MM and will feature a second-year team option as well as a trade kicker.

Batum, 36, doesn’t score much anymore, having averaged just 4.0 points in 17.5 minutes per game across 78 appearances for the Clippers in 2024/25. However, the 6’8″ forward contributes in many other ways. He’s a versatile defender who can knock down three-pointers (43.3% this past season) and is a trusted locker-room leader in Los Angeles, where he has spent most of the past five seasons.

Batum said during an interview in May that next season will likely be he last, but this contract leaves the door open to the possibility of him extending his career an additional year beyond 2025/26.

The Clippers will be using their Non-Bird rights to re-sign Batum, which allows for a 20% raise above last season’s salary. Assuming the club goes all the way up to the Non-Bird max, that would result in a $5,601,600 salary for 2025/26 and a $5,881,680 team option for ’26/27.

The Clippers now have a projected team salary of $179MM for next season, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link). That means they’ll have the ability to use most or all of the non-taxpayer mid-level exception ($14.1MM) while staying below the first tax apron ($195.9MM).

Suns Placing Cody Martin On Waivers

June 30th, 2025 at 12:11pm CST by Rory Maher

The Suns are waiving Cody Martin, according to John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 (Twitter link).

Martin’s $8.6MM salary for 2025/26 would have become guaranteed had he remained on Phoenix’s roster through June 30. Instead the Suns will cut him loose, making him eligible for unrestricted free agency in a couple days if he clears waivers, which seems likely.

Jake Fischer and Marc Stein of The Stein Line reported earlier this month that Martin had drawn interest from “several” teams as part of the wider trade talks involving Kevin Durant; the following day, Phoenix agreed to send Durant to Houston. Only one club was specifically mentioned as a possible Martin suitor at that time: the Heat.

Martin was acquired by Phoenix in February ahead of the trade deadline. He spent his first five-and-a-half seasons in Charlotte, the team that selected him 36th overall in 2019.

While the 29-year-old is a strong, versatile defender and solid play-maker, he hasn’t been much of a scoring threat in the NBA, holding career averages of 6.2 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.0 steal on .436/.308/.661 shooting in 21.9 minutes per game across 259 appearances.

Martin has also been plagued by injuries the past few seasons, including a sports hernia ailment in 2024/25 which delayed his Suns debut. Still, he could hold appeal as a bench option for teams looking for defensive help.

Joe Ingles To Re-Sign With Timberwolves

June 30th, 2025 at 12:02pm CST by Arthur Hill

Joe Ingles will return to the Timberwolves on a one-year, $3.6MM contract, according to Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link). The deal was confirmed by agent Mark Bartelstein of Priority Sports.

It will be the 12th NBA season for Ingles, who saw limited playing time during his first year in Minnesota but was an inspirational figure in the locker room. The contract will be a veteran’s minimum deal and is projected to count for roughly $2.3MM against the cap.

Ingles, who’ll turn 38 in October, came to Minnesota as a free agent last summer. He only appeared in 19 games, averaging 0.8 points and 0.6 rebounds in 6.0 minutes per night. His lone start of the season was a heartwarming story, as coach Chris Finch inserted him into the starting lineup for a game in March because Ingles’ eight-year-old autistic son was able to attend.

Ingles, who has also been a member of the Australian national team since 2008, made his NBA debut with Utah in 2014 after nearly a decade of playing overseas. He spent eight seasons with the Jazz before moving on to Milwaukee in 2022 and Orlando in 2023.

Nets To Re-Sign Day’Ron Sharpe To Two-Year Contract

June 30th, 2025 at 11:48am CST by Luke Adams

The Nets and free agent center Day’Ron Sharpe are in agreement on a two-year contract worth $12MM, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). The second year of the deal will be a team option.

Sharpe has played a relatively modest rotation role and has battled some health issues since being selected 29th overall in the 2021 draft. In total, he has appeared in 191 games (14 starts) for the Nets across his four professional seasons.

The 23-year-old enjoyed a career year in 2024/25, averaging 7.9 points and 6.6 rebounds in 18.1 minutes per night. Sharpe had one of the NBA’s best offensive rebounding rates and had very strong on/off-court numbers. A Nets team that finished the season with a 26-56 record and a -7.3 net rating outscored its opponents by 2.1 points per 100 possessions when Sharpe was playing, which was – by far – the best mark of any rotation player who finished the season on Brooklyn’s roster.

Based on Sharpe’s promising numbers and his age, I had speculated that an eight-figure annual salary might be within reach for the big man, so the Nets did well to bring him back for a total of $12MM over two years. Another Nets free agent, Ziaire Williams, agreed to identical terms earlier today.

Although Sharpe had been eligible for restricted free agency, the Nets opted not to give him a qualifying offer over the weekend, so he’ll enter the new league year as an unrestricted FA. That was mostly a procedural move in order to maximize Brooklyn’s cap flexibility, since the team still had interest in retaining him, as this new agreement confirms.

Accounting for Williams’ and Sharpe’s tentative deals and Cam Thomas‘ cap hold, the Nets project to have roughly $37MM in cap room available, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks. That number could increase if the team uses its $8.8MM room exception to re-sign either Williams or Sharpe.

Suns Re-Sign Collin Gillespie

June 30th, 2025 at 11:41am CST by Luke Adams

July 2: Gillespie’s deal is now official, per NBA.com’s transaction log. The fact that it was signed during the July moratorium signals that it is, as expected, a minimum-salary contract.

“Collin earned this opportunity with his work ethic, toughness, and the way he competes every single day,” Suns general manager Brian Gregory said within a press release confirming the signing. “He brings a gritty edge and a high-energy presence that lifts everyone around him. He plays with heart, battles on every possession, and is the kind of guy you want in your organization.”

June 30: Restricted free agent point guard Collin Gillespie has agreed to a guaranteed one-year contract to return to the Suns, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).

The lack of financial details in Charania’s report suggests it’ll probably be a minimum-salary deal for Gillespie, though that hasn’t been confirmed.

Even if it is worth the minimum, that will represent a substantial pay increase for the 26-year-old, who has played on three consecutive one-year, two-way contracts since entering the NBA as an undrafted free agent out of Villanova in 2022.

After spending two seasons in Denver, Gillespie joined the Suns last summer and enjoyed his best season as a pro. He averaged 5.9 points, 2.4 assists, and 2.4 rebounds in 14.0 minutes per game across 33 appearances (nine starts) and made 43.3% of his three-point tries.

Phoenix made Gillespie a restricted free agent over the weekend by tendering him a qualifying offer that would have been the equivalent of another one-year, two-way contract. Many two-way free agents end up simply accepting that QO, but Gillespie’s solid play in 2024/25 gave his representatives the leverage to negotiate a fully guaranteed standard deal and a spot on the Suns’ 15-man roster.

A one-year, minimum-salary contract would pay Gillespie a projected $2.38MM while counting against the cap for just under $2.3MM.

Jazz Waiving Johnny Juzang

June 30th, 2025 at 10:46am CST by Luke Adams

The Jazz are placing guard/forward Johnny Juzang on waivers, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).

A decision was due today on Juzang, whose $2.84MM salary for the 2025/26 season would have become fully guaranteed if he hadn’t been cut by the end of the day, as our tracker of early guarantee dates shows. Now, Utah won’t be on the hook for any of that money.

Waiving Juzang will also help with the Jazz’s roster crunch. Entering the day, the team had 11 players on guaranteed contracts for ’25/26 and four on non-guaranteed deals, plus incoming first-round picks Ace Bailey and Walter Clayton Jr.

After playing sparingly in his first two NBA seasons, Juzang took on a more prominent role with the Jazz in 2024/25, averaging 8.9 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.1 assists in 19.8 minutes per game across 64 outings (18 starts). The 24-year-old posted a respectable shooting line of .429/.376/.849.

Juzang had signed a four-year, $11.4MM contract with Utah last summer, but only the first season was guaranteed. According to Charania, the former UCLA standout is expected to draw interest from teams. He’ll clear waivers on Wednesday if no club places a claim.

Nets, Ziaire Williams Agree To Two-Year Deal

June 30th, 2025 at 9:13am CST by Luke Adams

Free agent wing Ziaire Williams has agreed to sign a two-year, $12MM contract to remain with the Nets, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter links). According to Charania, the second year of the deal will be a team option.

Williams, a former No. 10 overall pick who was acquired from Memphis in a trade last offseason, averaged 10.0 points and 4.6 rebounds in 24.5 minutes per game across 63 outings (45 starts) for Brooklyn in 2024/25.

While his 34.1% three-point percentage wasn’t great for a wing, it was a noticeable step up from the 30.1% mark he posted in his first three NBA seasons, and he showed off impressive defensive versatility, even handling center duties in a pinch.

The Nets opted against tendering Williams an $8.35MM qualifying offer that would have made him a restricted free agent, but that was more about their cap management than their level of interest in a new deal with the 23-year-old. As an RFA, he would have had a cap hold exceeding $18MM, cutting into Brooklyn’s projected cap space in free agency.

Now, the Nets will just have to earmark a small portion of cap room (likely between $5-6MM, based on the terms reported by Charania) to bring back Williams. The team could also fit his new contract into the $8.8MM room exception.

The second-year team option will also give Brooklyn some flexibility next offseason, though it’s still to be determined whether the club intends to open up significant cap room again in 2026.

A player who re-signs with his previous team on a one-year contract or a two-year deal that includes a second-year team option typically has the right to veto a trade during the following season. However, a player can agree to give up that right as part of the contract negotiation. It’s not yet known whether Williams will do so.

In the wake of Sunday’s player and team option decisions, Williams had moved up to No. 43 on our list of 2025’s top 50 free agents.

QO Updates: J. Walker, A. Mitchell, Two-Ways, Mann

June 30th, 2025 at 8:29am CST by Luke Adams

The Trail Blazers opted not to tender forward Jabari Walker a qualifying offer prior to Sunday’s deadline, reports Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report (Twitter link). As a result, Walker will become an unrestricted free agent.

Walker put up solid numbers in a limited role for Portland last season, averaging 5.2 points and 3.5 rebounds in 12.5 minutes per game, with a .515/.389/.690 shooting line, across 60 appearances. However, his playing time dropped off significantly from the previous year, a signal that the Blazers were prioritizing other young players over the 22-year-old.

Meanwhile, the Thunder issued Ajay Mitchell a qualifying offer, according to Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter link), who notes that it’s a procedural move for Oklahoma City, since the second-year guard has already agreed to sign a three-year, $9MM contract with the team. The QO will just ensure he’s a restricted free agent when free agency opens — he’ll be able to officially finalize that new deal on July 6.

The following players who finished the 2024/25 season on two-way contracts also received qualifying offers ahead of Sunday’s deadline, per Smith (unless otherwise indicated):

Branden Carlson, Thunder (link)
Jesse Edwards, Timberwolves (link)
Tyson Etienne, Nets (link)
Trentyn Flowers, Clippers (link)
Mac McClung, Magic (link)
Tristen Newton, Timberwolves (link)
Oscar Tshiebwe, Jazz (link via Tony Jones of The Athletic)

In each of these cases, the player’s qualifying offer is equivalent to another one-year, two-way deal, with a small portion (approximately $85K) guaranteed.

While a rival team could technically sign any of these players to an offer sheet during free agency, we essentially never see that happen with two-way free agents. Most of them end up either accepting their two-way QOs or agreeing to new standard contracts with their current teams.

While it’s possible that news of a qualifying offer slipped through the cracks within the last 24 hours, it appears that RealGM’s official transaction log is up to date with all of the QOs that were issued prior to Sunday’s deadline.

If that’s the case, one notable player who didn’t receive a qualifying offer is Hornets guard Tre Mann. His QO would have been worth about $6.96MM, but if Charlotte didn’t put it on the table, that means he’s on track to be unrestricted when free agency opens later today.

[UPDATE: Mann didn’t receive a qualifying offer, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype confirms (via Twitter).]

We’ll publish our full recap of 2025’s qualifying offer decisions later this morning.

Blazers Buy Out Deandre Ayton

June 30th, 2025 at 6:53am CST by Eli Cohen

JUNE 30: The Trail Blazers put out a press release officially confirming that Ayton has been bought out and placed on waivers. He’s on track to become a free agent on Wednesday evening.

According to Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report (Twitter link), the big man gave up enough money in the buyout that Portland should be able to use the full non-taxpayer mid-level exception ($14.1MM) without going into luxury tax territory.

Meanwhile, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reports (via Twitter) that the Blazers had trade talks about Ayton with a number of teams, but they didn’t want to take back multiyear salary in any deal, which made it difficult to find a match that made sense for both sides.

JUNE 29: The Trail Blazers have reached an agreement on a contract buyout with veteran center Deandre Ayton, reports ESPN’s Shams Charania (via Twitter).

Ayton had been about to enter the final season of a four-year, maximum-salary contract, which was set to pay him $35.5MM in 2025/26. The amount he’s giving up in the buyout has not yet been reported.

The Blazers have drafted centers in the first round of both 2024 (Donovan Clingan) and 2025 (Hansen Yang) and will use this opportunity to clear rotation minutes for their young big men. Portland also still has Robert Williams and Duop Reath under contract, though Williams has only played 61 games over the last three seasons due to health issues.

Ayton averaged 14.4 points and 10.2 rebounds, both of which were below his career rates, in 30.2 minutes per night this past season. He only made 40 appearances while dealing with a calf strain that kept him out of the lineup for much of the second half of the season.

Once he clears waivers, Ayton will become an unrestricted free agent and will have the ability to sign with any NBA team. The Collective Bargaining Agreement includes a rule prohibiting teams operating above either tax apron from signing a waived player who had been earning more than the non-taxpayer mid-level exception, but that restriction only applies during the regular season.

Ayton joins a free agent center group headlined by Myles Turner, Brook Lopez, Clint Capela, and Al Horford. The Lakers are the team most consistently linked to free agent centers and will likely become a top team to monitor for Ayton.

One team that will not be pursuing a partnership with Ayton is Phoenix, according to Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports. Bourguet reports, via Twitter, that the Suns have no interest in a reunion with their 2018 first overall pick, who helped them reach the 2021 NBA Finals.