NBA rumors

All signs point to the signing of Al Horford with the Golden State Warriors, according to Marc Stein.

“All indications continue to point to Al Horford landing in Golden State – sooner or later. Sunday will be the first day of the 2025-26 salary cap year when NBA teams will be able to make most free agent signings and disposals official.”

The Miami Heat have serious interest in Damian Lillard and could explore signing Bradley Beal if the Suns proceed with a buyout.

Miami and Phoenix discussed a Beal trade, but talks fell through, increasing the chances of a buyout by the Suns.

Lillard, recovering from an Achilles tear, is in no rush to decide his future despite interest from Miami and other teams.

Jabari Walker has signed a two-way contract with the Philadelphia 76ers. ESPN reports.

The wing, now a free agent, spent his first three NBA seasons in Portland, putting together 188 games.

Jaxson Hayes will remain with the Los Angeles Lakers on a one-year deal, ESPN reports. The agreement comes right after the Lakers signed Deandre Ayton as their new starting center.

Hayes shot 72.2% from the field last season across 56 games, often starting and providing solid rebounding presence.

Now, Hayes will serve as Ayton’s backup next season, strengthening the Lakers’ frontcourt rotation around Luka Doncic.

The Houston Rockets have decided to waive Jock Landale before his $8 million salary for next season became guaranteed, according to Shams Charania.

The Australian center averaged 4.9 points and 3.3 rebounds in 11 minutes per game last season, and will likely receive offers from other NBA teams once the 48-hour waiver period expires.

At this time, a return to the EuroLeague market appears unlikely.

The Dallas Mavericks are finalizing an agreement for Frank Vogel to become the team’s new lead assistant coach, ESPN reports. Vogel will replace Sean Sweeney, who left for the Spurs.

Vogel, 52, previously served as an advisor to Jason Kidd in Dallas after winning a championship with him on the Lakers staff in 2020. He was fired by the Phoenix Suns in 2024 after a 49-win season.

Vogel has also coached the Pacers and Magic, holding a career record of 479-422. Meanwhile, Mavericks player development coach God Shammgod will join the Orlando Magic as an assistant coach.

Deandre Ayton has agreed to a two-year contract with the Los Angeles Lakers, including a player option, positioning him as the team’s new starting center under GM Rob Pelinka.

After finalizing a buyout with Portland, Ayton chose the Lakers over multiple suitors, reuniting with Luka Doncic, his fellow 2018 draft classmate. Ayton will earn $34 million combined next season from the Lakers and Blazers.

Turning 27 on July 23, Ayton averaged 14.4 points and 10.2 rebounds last season, continuing his streak as one of the few players to average a double-double across seven consecutive seasons.

LeBron James picked up his $52.6 million player option with the Los Angeles Lakers, though ESPN reports he has concerns about the team’s short-term competitiveness as they pivot to building around Luka Doncic.

Brian Windhorst noted that LeBron is “chilling and watching the offseason,” and while he doesn’t expect a trade, if LeBron requests one, multiple teams would be ready to make offers.

Meanwhile, the Lakers have signed Jake LaRavia but still need to address the center position while preserving 2027 cap space for a max free agent. August 2 will be key when Doncic becomes extension-eligible.

Jason Kidd and the Dallas Mavericks are expected to finalize a contract extension before the start of the upcoming season, reports The Stein Line. The Knicks attempted to contact Kidd for their head coaching job, but the Mavericks declined.

Kidd previously signed a two-year extension with the Mavericks in May 2024 when he was linked to the Lakers’ vacancy. The Mavericks hired Kidd as head coach in 2021, replacing Rick Carlisle.

The Mavericks lost assistants Sweeney and Jensen this offseason and could also lose Jared Dudley. Kidd is looking to hire Frank Vogel to replace Sweeney as part of his ongoing project with Dallas.

Jaren Jackson Jr. will have a procedure to repair a turf toe injury on his right foot sustained during an offsite basketball run. The injury was evaluated on Monday with updates to follow after surgery.

The Memphis Grizzlies expect Jackson to make a full recovery, with a detailed timeline to be provided post-procedure. Jackson recently agreed to a five-year, $240 million extension with the team.

Last season, Jackson averaged 22.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks in 74 games, continuing to be a key pillar for the Grizzlies’ future plans.

Giannis Antetokounmpo has taken note of the Milwaukee Bucks’ move to sign Myles Turner while parting ways with Damian Lillard, but will continue to monitor the team’s offseason activity.

According to Shams Charania, Giannis will take his time to determine if this roster can win him a second NBA title. The Bucks may still trade future picks in search of a new point guard.

Giannis, coming off another top-3 MVP season, has two years left on his contract and will decide at the end of the summer whether to trust the Bucks’ project moving forward.

Eric Gordon is staying with the Philadelphia 76ers, signing a new one-year contract worth $2.3 million after declining his $3.4 million player option for 2025-26. The deal reduces the Sixers’ cap hit for next season.

Gordon, who joined the Sixers last offseason, averaged 6.8 points on 40.9% shooting from three in 39 games, including 13 starts. His best stretch came in January, averaging 9.8 points while shooting 52.6% from three.

The veteran reached double figures 14 times during the season, with a season-high 15 points against Cleveland on January 24. His 40.9% from three was the fourth-best mark of his NBA career.

The New York Knicks are closing in on hiring Mike Brown as their next head coach, according to The Stein Line. Brown, recently let go by the Kings, is viewed as the favorite to replace Tom Thibodeau.

Thibodeau was fired despite leading the Knicks to their first Eastern Conference Finals since 2000. Final approval for Brown’s hiring is pending from team owner James Dolan.

The Knicks could also add James Borrego as lead assistant under Brown while retaining Rick Brunson on staff. Jason Kidd was the initial top target, but the Mavericks did not allow him to leave.

Tre Mann has agreed to a three-year, $24 million contract with the Charlotte Hornets, ESPN reports. Mann was acquired from the Oklahoma City Thunder at the 2024 trade deadline in the Gordon Hayward deal.

Last season, Mann was limited to 13 games due to a back injury, averaging 14.1 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 3.0 assists in 24.5 minutes per game, showing strong form before the injury.

Drafted 18th overall by the Thunder in 2021 out of Florida, Mann now gets the opportunity to establish himself as a key piece in the Hornets’ rebuilding plans.

Free agent guard Tre Mann has agreed to a three-year, $24 million deal with the Charlotte Hornets, sources tell ESPN. Hornets officials and Mann’s agent Aaron Turner of Verus Sports negotiated terms of the new contract in free agency. pic.twitter.com/mcputliCTQ

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2025

The Los Angeles Clippers have waived Drew Eubanks, who plans to sign a one-year contract with the Sacramento Kings, per ESPN. The Kings cleared space by trading Jonas Valanciunas to the Nuggets to sign Dennis Schroder.

Eubanks averaged 4.6 points and 3.7 rebounds in 12.2 minutes over 61 games with the Utah Jazz and Clippers last season, providing energy and inside presence.

With this signing, the Sacramento Kings add a solid and experienced frontcourt player to their roster for the upcoming NBA season.

The Los Angeles Clippers are waiving center Drew Eubanks and Eubanks plans to sign with the Sacramento Kings on a one-year deal after he clears waivers, sources tell ESPN. Additional frontcourt depth for the Kings. pic.twitter.com/rBgBMV7iLg

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2025

Simone Fontecchio leaves the Detroit Pistons and is traded to the Miami Heat in the sign-and-trade that sees Duncan Robinson sign a three-year, 48 million dollar deal with Detroit. It will be the third NBA experience for Fontecchio after the Jazz and Pistons.

The Blue will enter the final year of his 8.3 million contract for 2025/26. Last NBA season, he finished with 5.9 points and 2.9 rebounds in 16.5 minutes of average time, the lowest figure in his career minus his rookie year.

Duncan Robinson leaves Miami after a near 40 per cent career from the arc, averaging 11 points last season. Fontecchio will now have the opportunity to relaunch himself in Florida with a consistently competitive team.

Vasilije Micic ended up with the Milwaukee Bucks as part of the trade with the Charlotte Hornets.

After Yossi Gozlan’s anticipations, Bobby Marks is also convinced that the Serbian player’s future is a buyout.

Will Vasilije Micic therefore become a free agent in the next few hours?

Toronto Raptors center Jakob Poeltl has agreed to a four-year, $104 million contract extension, as reported by Shams Charania.

The Austrian big man essentially added three years to the $19.5 million player option he held for the 2026–27 season under his previous deal.

Poeltl ended last season averaging 14.5 points, 9.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.2 blocks per game.

The Raptors and Poeltl’s agents, Michael Tellem and Sam Goldfeder of Excel Sports, discussed several frameworks of a deal such as opt-out-and-extend — but the sides land on an opt-in-and-extend, giving Toronto flexibility in the next two seasons. https://t.co/ouSOFedDYS

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2025

Guerschon Yabusele is heading to the New York Knicks on a two-year, $12 million contract that includes a player option for the 2026–27 season, according to Shams Charania.

The French power forward is coming off a solid season with the Philadelphia 76ers, where he averaged 11 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game, while shooting 50.1% from the field and 38% from beyond the arc.

Sandro Mamukelashvili has agreed to a two-year, $5.5 million contract with the Toronto Raptors, which includes a player option for the second season.

The Georgian forward/center, recently linked to Panathinaikos in various rumors, leaves the San Antonio Spurs after two and a half seasons. He averaged 6.3 points and 3.1 rebounds during the 2024–25 campaign.

The Sacramento Kings have reached an agreement with German point guard Dennis Schroder on a three-year, $45 million contract, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.

Schroder was one of the top targets for Sacramento’s new front office this offseason.

Last season, he suited up for the Brooklyn Nets, Golden State Warriors, and Detroit Pistons.

The Sacramento Kings have traded Lithuanian center Jonas Valanciunas to the Denver Nuggets in exchange for forward Dario Saric, according to Shams Charania.

Valanciunas is under contract through 2027 on a deal worth about $20.4 million, though the final season is non-guaranteed.

Saric, on the other hand, is on an expiring deal worth about $5.4 million. It’s unclear if the Kings plan to keep him — having played just 16 games in the 2024/25 season, he could become a sought-after target in the EuroLeague if waived.

The Nuggets acquire a strong backup for Nikola Jokic, with Valanciunas coming off a season in which he averaged 10.4 points and 7.7 rebounds in just 18 minutes per game.

You can say many things about the Milwaukee Bucks, but not that they’re unwilling to spend whatever it takes to support Giannis Antetokounmpo’s ambitions.

The team has decided to part ways with Damian Lillard using the “waive and stretch” provision — spreading the remaining \$113 million of his contract over five years — to create the cap space needed to sign Myles Turner, the big man leaving the Indiana Pacers after 10 seasons.

The news was reported by Shams Charania.

Turner will sign a four-year, \$107 million deal with a player option in the final season and a 15% trade kicker.

The big man would have gladly stayed in Indiana, but the ownership’s decision to avoid paying the luxury tax — especially following Haliburton’s serious injury — ultimately sealed his departure.

Lillard, currently recovering from an Achilles injury, is expected to take his time before choosing his next destination.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has agreed to a four-year, $285 million contract extension with the Oklahoma City Thunder until 2030-31.

This is the richest annual salary for a player in league history. Details will be forthcoming.

BREAKING: NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has agreed to a four-year, $285 million super maximum contract extension with the championship Oklahoma City Thunder through 2030-31, sources tell ESPN. This is now the richest annual salary for a player in league history. pic.twitter.com/eptbVjUo6j

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2025

Kevin Porter Jr. has agreed to a two-year, $11 million contract with the Milwaukee Bucks, ESPN reports. Porter declined his $2.5 million player option to become a free agent, with the new deal including a player option for the 2026-27 season.

The 25-year-old guard found success with the Bucks after stints with the Clippers and Rockets, averaging 11.7 points on nearly 50% shooting and 40% from three. He played 30.2 minutes per game in the playoffs following Damian Lillard’s season-ending injury.

The Bucks also re-signed Taurean Prince and Gary Trent Jr., keeping their core of shooters for next season. Porter will remain a key rotation piece for the Milwaukee Bucks in their upcoming campaign.

The Detroit Pistons have signed Caris LeVert to a two-year, $29 million contract, ESPN reports. The 30-year-old guard ends his previous two-year, $32 million deal and brings scoring and veteran presence to Detroit.

LeVert started last season with the Cleveland Cavaliers before being traded to the Atlanta Hawks in February in the De’Andre Hunter deal. In 64 games, he averaged 12.1 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 3.4 assists, primarily coming off the bench.

The Pistons also re-signed Paul Reed on a two-year, $11 million contract. With LeVert, Detroit adds a shot creator to strengthen its backcourt rotation for the upcoming season.

The San Antonio Spurs have agreed to a four-year, $41 million contract with Luke Kornet, ESPN reports. The 29-year-old center adds frontcourt depth behind Victor Wembanyama and gives the Spurs lineup flexibility to play big.

Kornet had his best season with the Boston Celtics, averaging 6 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1 block in under 19 minutes per game. Boston outscored opponents by 14.9 points per 100 possessions with Kornet on the floor, showing his on-court impact.

Known for his “Kornet Kontest,” the 7-foot-2 center has embraced being a rim runner, shooting 68.1% from the field over the past two seasons. Kornet’s rim protection and efficiency will strengthen the Spurs’ rotation next season.