Tennessee basketball to play in 2025 Players Era Men's Championship
The 18-team tournament will take place Nov. 24-27 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Vols' first two opponents will be against Rutgers on Nov. 24 (1 p.m. EST) and Houston on Nov. 25 (6 p.m. EST).
Tennessee's other opponent will be determined by results of the first and second rounds. Tennessee will play its final game of the event on Nov. 26 or Nov. 27. Game locations and broadcast information will be announced at a later date.
Tennessee's contest against the Scarlet Knights will mark the third all time meeting between the two schools. The Vols won both previous meetings, claiming an 87-79 road victory in the NIT Season Tip-off on Nov. 19, 1992. Tennessee also defeated the Scarlet Knights, 67-51, in the first round of the NIT on March 19, 1969.
The game versus the Cougars will mark the seventh all time meeting between the two schools. Tennessee and Houston split the previous six meetings. The Vols last played Houston in the Elite Eight of the 2025 NCAA Tournament on March 31 in Indianapolis, Indiana.
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Orlando continues to lock in its core, while Bradley Beal appears likely to exit Phoenix soon. Isaiah J. Downing / Imagn The Wizards will stuff Cam Whitmore into the previous Pelicans trade so they don't have to use any of their exceptions to take in his salary. The outbound salaries of Jordan Poole and Saddiq Bey allow Washington to take back up to $47.7 million in salary. The combined inbound salaries of CJ McCollum, Kelly Olynyk and Whitmore are ... $47.65 million. Nice work. Houston and New Orleans will also need to exchange some small bit of consideration to meet the "touching" requirements for a three-way trade. By moving Whitmore, the Rockets are now approximately $1.3 million below the first apron, where they are hard-capped by the Dorian Finney-Smith acquisition. With their 14th roster spot, they can either retain the non-guaranteed Nate Williams or waive him and sign one more veteran to a minimum deal. The Rockets will also generate a $3.5 million trade exception, which is likely worthless but you never know. Kirby Lee / Imagn Images I can confirm via a league source that the Rockets are trading Cam Whitmore to the Wizards in exchange for two second-round picks. A team source tells our David Aldridge that the transaction will be an expansion of an earlier-agreed-to deal between Washington and New Orleans. Over the past two seasons, the Rockets attempted to harness Whitmore's talent on multiple occasions — sending the Villanova product down to the G League to aid his development and meeting with him periodically over his role — but the 20-year-old's frustration with a lack of playing time never waned. Head coach Ime Udoka, who had challenged Whitmore publicly and privately to adopt a more team-first approach on both ends of the ball, simply couldn't justify his place in the rotation ahead of other players. Still, Whitmore's combination of youth, athleticism and offensive talent are impossible to ignore and should serve him well on a younger team in the early stages of a rebuild like Washington. At his best, Whitmore is a powerful scoring force who has the potential to play a meaningful role on a Wizards team in asset-accumulation mode. Getting the third-year wing to buy into the team concept, having been traded while still on a rookie deal as a first-round pick, should be an easier task now. Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images I've seen lots of outside speculation about the possibility of the Lakers receiving something for Dorian Finney-Smith in a hypothetical sign-and-trade. Unfortunately for LA, there doesn't seem to be any traction on that — and I don't anticipate this reality changing. The Rockets are in the process of turning the Kevin Durant trade into a seven-team deal, a move that seems increasingly likely to happen, league sources tell The Athletic . And the reason that deal would go down is, in part, so they could acquire Finney-Smith with a straight signing. Houston has only the midlevel exception to sign a player, which meant they had to turn either the Finney-Smith or Clint Capela agreement into a sign-and-trade. That's what they're doing in this seven-team deal, which is not yet complete and which would include Capela heading from Atlanta to Houston. Because Capela will come to Houston in a sign-and-trade and thus isn't going into the midlevel exception, the Rockets can use the MLE to sign Finney-Smith straight up. And why would they choose to send a player or draft pick to the Lakers when they don't have to? As of now, Finney-Smith is not a part of this seven-team deal. The only players who were in the NBA last season who are part of it today are Capela, Durant, Dillon Brooks, Jalen Green, Daeqwon Plowden and David Roddy, league sources say. Stephen Lew / Imagn Something struck me as I walked through the Minnesota Timberwolves team store at Target Center before a game last season. The wall of jerseys included all of the usual suspects: Anthony Edwards, Julius Randle, Rudy Gobert, Jaden McDaniels, Naz Reid. Then one jersey caught my eye. On the bottom row of the wall was an entire rack of No. 9 jerseys with 'ALEXANDER-WALKER' arched over the number in the same way Nickeil Alexander-Walker would contort his spine to navigate around a screen at the top of the 3-point arc. There must have been a dozen of them there waiting for purchase. And I wondered how many team stores around the NBA felt compelled to stock the eighth man's jersey? How many teams got enough requests for a player averaging 9.4 points and 25 minutes per night that they stopped filling them on an order-by-order basis and just started making them in bulk? It is the perfect way to describe what Alexander-Walker meant to this organization and this fan base in 2 1/2 seasons in Minnesota. Like the Timberwolves, Alexander-Walker experienced many a dark day in the early portion of his career. Like Timberwolves fans, he was looked over and discounted when he first arrived here, considered a throw-in in the trade that brought Mike Conley to the Wolves. Like the City of Hoops, which is nestled in the State of Hockey, Alexander-Walker just put his head down and kept working amid all the sneers and dismissals, emerging as an inspirational symbol for basketball's renaissance in Minnesota. That is why a somber tone followed the excitement of last weekend, when the Timberwolves locked up two critical components of last season's run to the Western Conference finals by signing Julius Randle and Reid to long-term contracts totaling $225 million. As happy as Wolves fans were, especially for the folk hero that is Naz Reid, they knew that the moves came with a price. They knew that Alexander-Walker was going to have to go. For someone who spent a relatively small amount of time with the Timberwolves, Alexander-Walker leaves a lasting legacy. Read more here. GO FURTHER Nickeil Alexander-Walker was a true Timberwolves success story Kenneth Richmond / Getty Images We're a few days into free agency, and aside from the annual drawn-out saga of restricted free agents, we're basically done. Having prepped for recruiting dog-and-pony shows while working in an NBA front office, good riddance. But I think there's another key reason we aren't seeing as much of that game anymore: Players of that caliber just don't become unrestricted free agents, or if they do, it's a set piece that they'll rejoin their current team. One of the consequences of the more generous extension terms in the collective bargaining agreement is that it's in the interests of both players and teams to continue extending the contracts of most star and near-star players. As a result, both the market of unrestricted free agents and the number of teams with the salary-cap space to pursue them have rapidly diminished. All the action has moved to the trade market, and the hot part of the trade market isn't in summer; it's the deadline in February. In the last three years, that's when talent such as Jimmy Butler, Luka Dončić, De'Aaron Fox, Anthony Davis, Kevin Durant, Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby, James Harden, Kyrie Irving and Mikal Bridges all changed teams, as well as countless starter-caliber players a rung or two below on the hierarchy. Once upon a time, teams made all their moves in June and July and then played out the season; the trade deadline was reserved for smaller tweaks. Occasionally, it works out that way, but much less often. Now, we're seeing a new phenomenon where some teams spend the summer prepping their rosters so they can wheel and deal the first week in February: by adding middle-class contracts or giving short balloon contracts to fringe players just so there is tradeable salary on the books come winter, or by lining up future draft picks so the Stepien rule doesn't torpedo a blockbuster trade, or by managing the tax aprons so their midseason trade flexibility isn't compromised. Sadly, we must conclude that it's a February league now, and when I decided to write a column on the biggest winners and losers of free agency so far, it wasn't hard to pick out the biggest loser. July. GO FURTHER Winners (Hawks), losers (July) and more from NBA free agency's first days One of the biggest takeaways from Houston's early playoff exit — aside from the lack of experience — was that its season-long half-court spacing (and subsequent 3-point shooting) issues had reached their apex. And it had become so entwined in their identity that the ineffectiveness took shape right from the opening tip in the most important game of their season. Houston shot just 5-of-17 from 3 in an elimination game, scoring a poor 78.0 points per 100 half-court plays. Charlotte, which ranked last in the league in the same category during the regular season, averaged 90.0 points per 100 plays. It was clear internally that the organization, which already had a talented defense, needed its offense to drastically improve outside of bullying teams on the offensive glass. In any trade that involved the now-departed Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks, Houston would need to bring in floor spacers. Those two comprised a large chunk of the Rockets' 3-point department, finishing first and third, respectively, in attempted 3s per game, and were among the top six in conversion rate. With Kevin Durant and Dorian Finney-Smith now in Houston, the Rockets can become one of the league's most efficient half-court offenses and deadliest outside shooting units. Read on here to see how, and watch my video on Durant's overall impact here. GO FURTHER How additions of Kevin Durant, Dorian Finney-Smith can fix Rockets' spacing woes Maddie Meyer / Getty Images We knew the Celtics would be taking a step back this year, but yikes. Jrue Holiday, Porziņģis and Luke Kornet are gone, Al Horford seems like he might be next, and the Celtics still are looking at deals to trim salary further. Boston knew this day was coming; the Celtics were openly talking about it even as they were smashing Dallas in the 2024 NBA Finals. The repeater penalty in the 2023 CBA basically demands that Boston finish 2025-26 below the luxury-tax line, and they still have to whittle down $20 million in salary to get there. That said, the Celtics have taken the scalpel about as painlessly as possible so far. Dumping Holiday and receiving two seconds was a minor miracle, and Boston can likely take back significant draft capital if deals emerge for mainstays like Derrick White, Sam Hauser and Jaylen Brown. Everything is on the table in a 'gap' year while Jayson Tatum rehabs a torn Achilles. Newcomers Anfernee Simons and Georges Niang shouldn't get too comfortable, and what would it take for you to drive off the lot with a lightly used Baylor Scheierman? The real challenge, perhaps, comes next summer. Having torn so much down, how can the Celtics quickly build it back up so they can thrive again with a healthy Tatum? For more, read my free agency winners and losers column. GO FURTHER Celtics depth chart: More changes coming, but where does the roster stand? Joshua Gateley / Getty Images This is an excerpt from The Bounce, The Athletic's daily NBA newsletter. Sign up here to receive The Bounce directly in your inbox. Let's run through some current tiers in the West. Tier 1: Championship contenders — Thunder 🏆, Nuggets The Nuggets took OKC to seven games despite not really being very good. Now they have reliable depth. Plus, Aaron Gordon's hamstring should be fine. Two true titans now. Tier 2: Worthy challengers — Rockets, Timberwolves Minnesota has made the conference finals two straight years. Losing Nickeil Alexander-Walker is tough, but they have some young players to fill the rotation. Continuity matters. Houston acquiring Kevin Durant, Dorian Finney-Smith and Clint Capela has the Rockets on the verge of jumping into contender status. Tier 3: I can see the vision, if all breaks well — Warriors, Clippers Both of these teams have to be really lucky with extended injuries. Enduring a long season is tough, but being healthy in the postseason would make them a nightmare opponent. Tier 4: You're good but missing something — Lakers, Mavericks, Grizzlies, Spurs The Lakers losing Finney-Smith hurts their defense quite a bit. Dallas is missing Kyrie Irving to start the season, and we don't know how he'll return from the ACL injury this year. I like what Memphis has done, but they have a very young core. The Spurs probably need a year of jelling. Tier 5: Let's hope for the best — Suns, Kings, Pelicans, Blazers, Jazz Portland is kind of here by default, but I like the way they're building. The rest of these teams? They're either falling apart or putting players together haphazardly. Jason Miller / Getty Images By Mike Vorkunov, Jon Krawczynski and James L. Edwards III Lawsuits and liens have trailed free agent guard Malik Beasley since he entered the league in 2016, and he has drawn concerns from at least one team about his off-court life. Now, he faces even more scrutiny. Beasley, 28, is a person of interest in a gambling investigation out of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York, his attorney, Steve Haney, confirmed to The Athletic over the weekend. No charges or formal allegations have been filed against him. 'This is simply an investigation,' Haney said. 'At this point, Malik has not been charged with any crime and there has been no formal accusation of wrongdoing. Hopefully, everyone will afford him that same presumption of innocence that everyone else deserves.' The investigation into Beasley came at what should have been a moment of triumph for him. After playing for five teams over his last four seasons, he was set to cash in this month following a strong campaign with the Detroit Pistons, where he averaged 16.3 points per game and made a career-high 41.6 percent of his 3s. The Pistons had been in talks with Beasley and his agent leading up to June 30's official start of free agency, and were prepared to offer him a three-year, $42 million contract that included a team option for the last year, according to two sources briefed on the negotiations. But the NBA reached out to the club several days before free agency began and let it know about the federal investigation involving Beasley. The Pistons quickly pivoted away and are now unlikely to sign him. The league has not said whether it has also investigated Beasley. The NBA has previously said it is cooperating with the federal investigation. The contract would have been a windfall, although Beasley has already made nearly $60 million over his nine seasons in the NBA, including $6 million with Detroit this past season. But he has a line of creditors who have taken to courts to try to recoup the money they believe they were owed. He has been sued at least five times over the last eight years, according to available public records, and has more than a dozen different liens filed against him. Read more here. GO FURTHER Malik Beasley facing complaint from former agency amid gambling investigation Maddie Malhotra / Getty Images The Boston Celtics front office isn't done making moves. How can we be so sure? By all indications, Brad Stevens will at least get his team under the second apron — and as of late Wednesday night, the team was still above it by about $332,000. It wouldn't take much maneuvering to dip under that threshold, but it would take more work if Stevens is motivated by the prospect of escaping the luxury tax. With Jayson Tatum injured, it could be smart for the Celtics to get out of the luxury tax now and begin the process of resetting the repeater tax. They would need to stay out of the luxury tax for two straight seasons to do so. Whatever comes next, the Celtics' supporting cast already has been crushed this offseason. Over the last two weeks, they have said goodbye to three rotation players from last season and could soon lose a fourth in free agent Al Horford. That total doesn't include Tatum, who is set to miss much of next season with an Achilles injury. The Boston front office hasn't done much to replace the departed players. Free-agent signings Josh Minott and Luka Garza were end-of-bench players for the Minnesota Timberwolves. Anfernee Simons and Georges Niang, acquired via trades, could be flipped again to help Boston shed more salary. While prioritizing their salary-cap situation this summer, the Celtics have allowed their talent level to shrivel up. Who's left on the roster? Read more here. GO FURTHER Celtics depth chart: More changes coming, but where does the roster stand? Trevor Ruszkowski / Imagn I've mentioned this before, but the Pacers painted themselves into a corner once they extended Andrew Nembhard last summer. By taking Nembhard's salary from $2 million to $18 million for 2025-26, Indiana put itself in a position where paying Myles Turner any kind of market rate would certainly put it into the luxury tax. (That extension, by the way, paid Nembhard two years and $56 million in new money; he's a good player, but this was roughly double what Nickeil Alexander-Walker got in free agency … for a guy they already had under contract.) Setting things up to be a tax team works better if your team is owned by Steve Ballmer as opposed to Herb Simon. We'll never know if the Pacers would have shelled out if Tyrese Haliburton hadn't been injured, but they've also never paid a cent of luxury tax in their history. The smart money was on that streak continuing. The Pacers, however, still have outs to survive this, particularly in the trade market. The first step is to turn Turner's departure into a sign-and-trade with Milwaukee, thereby generating a $24.5 million trade exception that they can use until next July. It likely will cost them a second-round pick, but it's worth it. Indiana also reacquired its 2026 first-round pick from the Pelicans just before the Haliburton injury, greatly lessening the worst-case scenarios for this coming season. That reacquisition also makes possible my favorite fake trade: Indiana sending a lightly protected 2027 first to Dallas for Daniel Gafford. He would need to fit into a trade exception created by a Turner sign-and-trade, but Gafford is a starting-caliber center who's tough and runs all day, plus he's signed for four years, and his money won't put Indiana into the tax. The Raptors have officially signed Sandro Mamukelashvili to a 2-year contract. A one-year deal with Orlando for Moe Wagner gives him a de facto no trade clause while he rehabs from a torn ACL. Wagner will have full Bird rights next summer to re-sign with the Magic, who also employ his younger brother (and roomate!), Franz. There is no denying the price the Bucks have paid to get Myles Turner to Milwaukee, a price that will show up on their salary cap sheet for the next five seasons. But as far as Turner's game is concerned, that should be a nearly perfect fit. Not only does Turner have the skills that made Brook Lopez indispensable for seven seasons, but also Turner is younger and more athletic. He might not be the lead ballhandler (Milwaukee will need to continue to search for help in that department) the Bucks lost when Damian Lillard tore his left Achilles tendon in Game 4 of Milwaukee's first-round loss to the Pacers, but if deployed correctly, Turner will be able to do all the things — plus a few more — that made Lopez one of the team's most important players. And that could allow the Bucks to evolve moving forward. Read my detailed breakdown of the Bucks' new signing. GO FURTHER What does Myles Turner bring to the Bucks? Breaking down the fit on both ends of the floor Kevin Dietsch / Getty Images The Washington Wizards entered the mix in the last 24 hours, and the idea of Jonathan Kuminga as a possible fit in Washington's rebuild has gained real momentum, according to league sources. The Miami Heat, Chicago Bulls, Milwaukee Bucks and Brooklyn Nets have also registered varying levels of interest in Kuminga, league sources said. This is a difficult market for restricted free agents. Kuminga isn't alone. The Josh Giddey, Quentin Grimes and Cam Thomas situations also remain without resolution as free agency nears its fifth day. Kuminga and his agent, Aaron Turner, are in search of a situation where Kuminga will be a featured part of the core with the belief of the franchise and coaching staff behind him. That isn't something Kuminga has consistently felt in his four years with the Warriors and — holding a degree of agency for the first time in his professional career — he's in patient pursuit of a situation that matches his ambitions. That could mean the process drags deeper into July. Mike Brown verbally agreed to his head coaching contract with the Knicks last night and is expected to sign it early next week, a league source told The Athletic . Thearon W. Henderson / Getty Images There's been increasing movement and conversation regarding Jonathan Kuminga, one of the most intriguing names remaining on the market. The Golden State Warriors, according to league sources, have been searching for a promising young player plus a first-round pick in return for Kuminga, should they ultimately choose to part with him in a sign-and-trade scenario. They extended the $7.9 million qualifying offer to the 22-year-old wing and maintain the ability to match any contract he signs. That gives them a level of leverage in a market devoid of significant cap space. They've drawn inbound calls in recent days, most notably from the Sacramento Kings, who floated an offer of Devin Carter, Dario Šarić and two second-round picks, league sources said. The Warriors have so far balked at what they felt was a buy-low attempt, league sources said. Read on for the latest Kuminga intel. GO FURTHER The latest on Jonathan Kuminga, the Warriors and his restricted free agency Moe Wagner has agreed to a one-year, $5 million deal to return to the Orlando Magic, a league source confirmed to The Athletic . Wagner, who was on track to be an NBA Sixth Man of the Year candidate before he suffered a season-ending ACL tear in December, will rejoin the team's big-man rotation of Wendell Carter Jr., Goga Bitadze and Jonathan Isaac when Wagner returns from his ACL rehab, which seems likely to occur sometime after the start of the regular season.I don't know how on earth the 76ers got Jabari Walker on a 2-way contract, but he is absolutely an NBA player and I wouldn't be shocked if he ends up in the Sixers' rotation. The fourth-year forward was a victim of a numbers game in the Blazers' frontcourt. But he rebounds, has some stretch capability and is still only 22 years old. My BORD$ formula had a value of $7.3 million on Walker. Page 2 Orlando continues to lock in its core, while Bradley Beal appears likely to exit Phoenix soon. Isaiah J. Downing / Imagn The Bucks pulled Ryan Rolins' qualifying offer, but they never renounced their early Bird rights on him. Thus, they were able to keep him on their salary book for $2.5 million while they signed him to a new deal using those rights. The fact that they were able to do this is a strong indication that Vasilije Micić's impending buyout will be a very deep one, as he would have to agree to a haircut of at least $6 million on an $8.1 million deal for this year in order for the Bucks to fit their reported commitments under the salary cap, most notably a four-year, $107 million deal for Myles Turner. If Micić reduces his guaranteed money to $2.04 million or less, the Bucks can legally stretch both his contract and that of Damian Lillard; that seems to be the only way that Milwaukee's offseason commitments can work at the moment. GO FURTHER Bucks once again go big to win back Giannis — this time with a historic, daring gamble The Milwaukee Bucks have agreed to a three-year, $12 million deal with Ryan Rollins, a league source confirmed to The Athletic . Rollins, 23, appeared in 56 games for the Bucks last season and started 19 games at the end of the season with Damian Lillard sidelined with a blood clot in his right calf. On the season, Rollins averaged 6.2 points, 1.8 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 14.6 minutes per game, but those numbers jumped up to 10.8 points, 3.1 rebounds and 3.9 assists in 24.4 minutes per game once Lillard went down. Bucks general manager Jon Horst made a bold decision to waive Lillard, a nine-time All-Star, and stretch the remaining two seasons of his contract with $22.5 million of dead salary hitting their books in each of the next five seasons. To address that opening on their roster, the Bucks have opted to go in a younger direction by re-signing Rollins and 25-year-old Kevin Porter Jr. this offseason. Those two young guards handled the point guard position with Lillard out at the end of the season. The Guerschon Yabusele signing is official. He took a little less than the midlevel exception so that the Knicks now have room to sign two veteran players to minimum deals, as the New York Post reported yesterday. Here's the salary breakdown, per a league source: 2025-26: $5.5 million 2026-27: $5.8 million (player option) The Clippers have made the Brook Lopez signing official, which is worth noting not because Lopez heading to LA is a surprise but because of the type of transaction this will now become. Lopez inking his deal today means the Clippers are using a large portion of the $14.1 million midlevel exception to sign him, which would not leave them much money to sign Bradley Beal (if he works a buyout with the Suns) or another more expensive player. (There's optimism on both sides that Phoenix and Beal will eventually reach an agreement there, league sources tell The Athletic. ) If the Clippers wanted to wait out the Beal market, they could have waited to finalize Lopez's contract, then turned the transaction into a sign-and-trade, sending out someone like Bogdan Bogdanović, Norman Powell or Derrick Jones Jr. and retaining the ability to use the $million midlevel exception for Beal or someone else. KD is now officially a Rocket. I can confirm via a league source that the Grizzlies are trading center Jay Huff to the Pacers for a second-rounder and a second-round pick swap. Picks going to Memphis are a 2029 second and a 2031 swap, team sources tell our James Boyd. Huff's $2.3 million salary is small enough to fit into the microscopic trade exception made by Indiana's trade of James Wiseman at the 2025 trade deadline. He has an extremely team-friendly deal, making a non-guaranteed $2.6 million in 2026-27 and having a team option for $3 million in 2027-28. He is also a living, breathing, center, which is something the Pacers sort of need right now after losing Myles Turner, and his stretch game should fit well in Indiana's system. He is not, alas, a starter, or anything remotely close to one, so that part of the puzzle remains unsolved in Indy. Meanwhile, trading Huff moves Memphis closer to the point where it can execute Jaren Jackson Jr.'s renegotiate-and-extend without needing to stretch the money on Cole Anthony once he's bought out and also opens up a roster spot for the reported acquisition of Jock Landale. The Grizzlies can bridge the rest of that salary-dump distance by moving John Konchar, who has two years and $12.3 million remaining; his $6.1 million slot would temporarily be replaced by a $1.2 million cap hold. The Wizards get a much more cap-friendly, offense-first young wing on which to take a gamble in Cam Whitmore than the rumored Jonathan Kuminga (team officials pushed back strongly on the idea that Washington had increased interest in the Warriors' restricted free agent). Whitmore, a Baltimore area native like Wizards guard Bub Carrington, starred locally at Archbishop Spaulding High School in suburban D.C. before going to Villanova. He'll get every chance to earn minutes on the wing, but he'll have to show more consistent effort and focus at the defensive end to stay on the floor. The Wizards under GM Will Dawkins and President of Monumental Basketball Michael Winger are emphasizing defensive switchability with their incoming players. Whitmore has yet to show that in his two years in the league with Houston. But he's a big, big offensive talent who'll turn 21 next week, and the Wizards need as much help at that end of the floor as they do the defensive side. The Wizards will stuff Cam Whitmore into the previous Pelicans trade so they don't have to use any of their exceptions to take in his salary. The outbound salaries of Jordan Poole and Saddiq Bey allow Washington to take back up to $47.7 million in salary. The combined inbound salaries of CJ McCollum, Kelly Olynyk and Whitmore are ... $47.65 million. Nice work. Houston and New Orleans will also need to exchange some small bit of consideration to meet the "touching" requirements for a three-way trade. By moving Whitmore, the Rockets are now approximately $1.3 million below the first apron, where they are hard-capped by the Dorian Finney-Smith acquisition. With their 14th roster spot, they can either retain the non-guaranteed Nate Williams or waive him and sign one more veteran to a minimum deal. The Rockets will also generate a $3.5 million trade exception, which is likely worthless but you never know. Kirby Lee / Imagn Images I can confirm via a league source that the Rockets are trading Cam Whitmore to the Wizards in exchange for two second-round picks. A team source tells our David Aldridge that the transaction will be an expansion of an earlier-agreed-to deal between Washington and New Orleans. Over the past two seasons, the Rockets attempted to harness Whitmore's talent on multiple occasions — sending the Villanova product down to the G League to aid his development and meeting with him periodically over his role — but the 20-year-old's frustration with a lack of playing time never waned. Head coach Ime Udoka, who had challenged Whitmore publicly and privately to adopt a more team-first approach on both ends of the ball, simply couldn't justify his place in the rotation ahead of other players. Still, Whitmore's combination of youth, athleticism and offensive talent are impossible to ignore and should serve him well on a younger team in the early stages of a rebuild like Washington. At his best, Whitmore is a powerful scoring force who has the potential to play a meaningful role on a Wizards team in asset-accumulation mode. Getting the third-year wing to buy into the team concept, having been traded while still on a rookie deal as a first-round pick, should be an easier task now. Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images I've seen lots of outside speculation about the possibility of the Lakers receiving something for Dorian Finney-Smith in a hypothetical sign-and-trade. Unfortunately for LA, there doesn't seem to be any traction on that — and I don't anticipate this reality changing. The Rockets are in the process of turning the Kevin Durant trade into a seven-team deal, a move that seems increasingly likely to happen, league sources tell The Athletic . And the reason that deal would go down is, in part, so they could acquire Finney-Smith with a straight signing. Houston has only the midlevel exception to sign a player, which meant they had to turn either the Finney-Smith or Clint Capela agreement into a sign-and-trade. That's what they're doing in this seven-team deal, which is not yet complete and which would include Capela heading from Atlanta to Houston. Because Capela will come to Houston in a sign-and-trade and thus isn't going into the midlevel exception, the Rockets can use the MLE to sign Finney-Smith straight up. And why would they choose to send a player or draft pick to the Lakers when they don't have to? As of now, Finney-Smith is not a part of this seven-team deal. The only players who were in the NBA last season who are part of it today are Capela, Durant, Dillon Brooks, Jalen Green, Daeqwon Plowden and David Roddy, league sources say. Stephen Lew / Imagn Something struck me as I walked through the Minnesota Timberwolves team store at Target Center before a game last season. The wall of jerseys included all of the usual suspects: Anthony Edwards, Julius Randle, Rudy Gobert, Jaden McDaniels, Naz Reid. Then one jersey caught my eye. On the bottom row of the wall was an entire rack of No. 9 jerseys with 'ALEXANDER-WALKER' arched over the number in the same way Nickeil Alexander-Walker would contort his spine to navigate around a screen at the top of the 3-point arc. There must have been a dozen of them there waiting for purchase. And I wondered how many team stores around the NBA felt compelled to stock the eighth man's jersey? How many teams got enough requests for a player averaging 9.4 points and 25 minutes per night that they stopped filling them on an order-by-order basis and just started making them in bulk? It is the perfect way to describe what Alexander-Walker meant to this organization and this fan base in 2 1/2 seasons in Minnesota. Like the Timberwolves, Alexander-Walker experienced many a dark day in the early portion of his career. Like Timberwolves fans, he was looked over and discounted when he first arrived here, considered a throw-in in the trade that brought Mike Conley to the Wolves. Like the City of Hoops, which is nestled in the State of Hockey, Alexander-Walker just put his head down and kept working amid all the sneers and dismissals, emerging as an inspirational symbol for basketball's renaissance in Minnesota. That is why a somber tone followed the excitement of last weekend, when the Timberwolves locked up two critical components of last season's run to the Western Conference finals by signing Julius Randle and Reid to long-term contracts totaling $225 million. As happy as Wolves fans were, especially for the folk hero that is Naz Reid, they knew that the moves came with a price. They knew that Alexander-Walker was going to have to go. For someone who spent a relatively small amount of time with the Timberwolves, Alexander-Walker leaves a lasting legacy. Read more here. GO FURTHER Nickeil Alexander-Walker was a true Timberwolves success story Kenneth Richmond / Getty Images We're a few days into free agency, and aside from the annual drawn-out saga of restricted free agents, we're basically done. Having prepped for recruiting dog-and-pony shows while working in an NBA front office, good riddance. But I think there's another key reason we aren't seeing as much of that game anymore: Players of that caliber just don't become unrestricted free agents, or if they do, it's a set piece that they'll rejoin their current team. One of the consequences of the more generous extension terms in the collective bargaining agreement is that it's in the interests of both players and teams to continue extending the contracts of most star and near-star players. As a result, both the market of unrestricted free agents and the number of teams with the salary-cap space to pursue them have rapidly diminished. All the action has moved to the trade market, and the hot part of the trade market isn't in summer; it's the deadline in February. In the last three years, that's when talent such as Jimmy Butler, Luka Dončić, De'Aaron Fox, Anthony Davis, Kevin Durant, Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby, James Harden, Kyrie Irving and Mikal Bridges all changed teams, as well as countless starter-caliber players a rung or two below on the hierarchy. Once upon a time, teams made all their moves in June and July and then played out the season; the trade deadline was reserved for smaller tweaks. Occasionally, it works out that way, but much less often. Now, we're seeing a new phenomenon where some teams spend the summer prepping their rosters so they can wheel and deal the first week in February: by adding middle-class contracts or giving short balloon contracts to fringe players just so there is tradeable salary on the books come winter, or by lining up future draft picks so the Stepien rule doesn't torpedo a blockbuster trade, or by managing the tax aprons so their midseason trade flexibility isn't compromised. Sadly, we must conclude that it's a February league now, and when I decided to write a column on the biggest winners and losers of free agency so far, it wasn't hard to pick out the biggest loser. July. GO FURTHER Winners (Hawks), losers (July) and more from NBA free agency's first days One of the biggest takeaways from Houston's early playoff exit — aside from the lack of experience — was that its season-long half-court spacing (and subsequent 3-point shooting) issues had reached their apex. And it had become so entwined in their identity that the ineffectiveness took shape right from the opening tip in the most important game of their season. Houston shot just 5-of-17 from 3 in an elimination game, scoring a poor 78.0 points per 100 half-court plays. Charlotte, which ranked last in the league in the same category during the regular season, averaged 90.0 points per 100 plays. It was clear internally that the organization, which already had a talented defense, needed its offense to drastically improve outside of bullying teams on the offensive glass. In any trade that involved the now-departed Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks, Houston would need to bring in floor spacers. Those two comprised a large chunk of the Rockets' 3-point department, finishing first and third, respectively, in attempted 3s per game, and were among the top six in conversion rate. With Kevin Durant and Dorian Finney-Smith now in Houston, the Rockets can become one of the league's most efficient half-court offenses and deadliest outside shooting units. Read on here to see how, and watch my video on Durant's overall impact here. GO FURTHER How additions of Kevin Durant, Dorian Finney-Smith can fix Rockets' spacing woes Maddie Meyer / Getty Images We knew the Celtics would be taking a step back this year, but yikes. Jrue Holiday, Porziņģis and Luke Kornet are gone, Al Horford seems like he might be next, and the Celtics still are looking at deals to trim salary further. Boston knew this day was coming; the Celtics were openly talking about it even as they were smashing Dallas in the 2024 NBA Finals. The repeater penalty in the 2023 CBA basically demands that Boston finish 2025-26 below the luxury-tax line, and they still have to whittle down $20 million in salary to get there. That said, the Celtics have taken the scalpel about as painlessly as possible so far. Dumping Holiday and receiving two seconds was a minor miracle, and Boston can likely take back significant draft capital if deals emerge for mainstays like Derrick White, Sam Hauser and Jaylen Brown. Everything is on the table in a 'gap' year while Jayson Tatum rehabs a torn Achilles. Newcomers Anfernee Simons and Georges Niang shouldn't get too comfortable, and what would it take for you to drive off the lot with a lightly used Baylor Scheierman? The real challenge, perhaps, comes next summer. Having torn so much down, how can the Celtics quickly build it back up so they can thrive again with a healthy Tatum? For more, read my free agency winners and losers column. GO FURTHER Celtics depth chart: More changes coming, but where does the roster stand? Joshua Gateley / Getty Images This is an excerpt from The Bounce, The Athletic's daily NBA newsletter. Sign up here to receive The Bounce directly in your inbox. Let's run through some current tiers in the West. Tier 1: Championship contenders — Thunder 🏆, Nuggets The Nuggets took OKC to seven games despite not really being very good. Now they have reliable depth. Plus, Aaron Gordon's hamstring should be fine. Two true titans now. Tier 2: Worthy challengers — Rockets, Timberwolves Minnesota has made the conference finals two straight years. Losing Nickeil Alexander-Walker is tough, but they have some young players to fill the rotation. Continuity matters. Houston acquiring Kevin Durant, Dorian Finney-Smith and Clint Capela has the Rockets on the verge of jumping into contender status. Tier 3: I can see the vision, if all breaks well — Warriors, Clippers Both of these teams have to be really lucky with extended injuries. Enduring a long season is tough, but being healthy in the postseason would make them a nightmare opponent. Tier 4: You're good but missing something — Lakers, Mavericks, Grizzlies, Spurs The Lakers losing Finney-Smith hurts their defense quite a bit. Dallas is missing Kyrie Irving to start the season, and we don't know how he'll return from the ACL injury this year. I like what Memphis has done, but they have a very young core. The Spurs probably need a year of jelling. Tier 5: Let's hope for the best — Suns, Kings, Pelicans, Blazers, Jazz Portland is kind of here by default, but I like the way they're building. The rest of these teams? They're either falling apart or putting players together haphazardly. Jason Miller / Getty Images By Mike Vorkunov, Jon Krawczynski and James L. Edwards III Lawsuits and liens have trailed free agent guard Malik Beasley since he entered the league in 2016, and he has drawn concerns from at least one team about his off-court life. Now, he faces even more scrutiny. Beasley, 28, is a person of interest in a gambling investigation out of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York, his attorney, Steve Haney, confirmed to The Athletic over the weekend. No charges or formal allegations have been filed against him. 'This is simply an investigation,' Haney said. 'At this point, Malik has not been charged with any crime and there has been no formal accusation of wrongdoing. Hopefully, everyone will afford him that same presumption of innocence that everyone else deserves.' The investigation into Beasley came at what should have been a moment of triumph for him. After playing for five teams over his last four seasons, he was set to cash in this month following a strong campaign with the Detroit Pistons, where he averaged 16.3 points per game and made a career-high 41.6 percent of his 3s. The Pistons had been in talks with Beasley and his agent leading up to June 30's official start of free agency, and were prepared to offer him a three-year, $42 million contract that included a team option for the last year, according to two sources briefed on the negotiations. But the NBA reached out to the club several days before free agency began and let it know about the federal investigation involving Beasley. The Pistons quickly pivoted away and are now unlikely to sign him. The league has not said whether it has also investigated Beasley. The NBA has previously said it is cooperating with the federal investigation. The contract would have been a windfall, although Beasley has already made nearly $60 million over his nine seasons in the NBA, including $6 million with Detroit this past season. But he has a line of creditors who have taken to courts to try to recoup the money they believe they were owed. He has been sued at least five times over the last eight years, according to available public records, and has more than a dozen different liens filed against him. Read more here. GO FURTHER Malik Beasley facing complaint from former agency amid gambling investigation Page 3
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Astros Announce Christian Walker News After Dodgers Sweep
Astros Announce Christian Walker News After Dodgers Sweep originally appeared on Athlon Sports. First baseman Christian Walker is in his 11th major-league season and first with the Houston Astros. Originally drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the fourth round of the 2012 MLB Draft, Walker debuted in 2014. He struggled to stick at the big-league level, posting a sub-.600 OPS in two seasons and ultimately being designated for assignment in 2017. Advertisement Walker signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks and, following the 2018 trade of Paul Goldschmidt to the St. Louis Cardinals, became their everyday first baseman in 2019. In his first full season, he appeared in a career-high 152 games, smashing 29 home runs, driving in 73 runs and establishing himself as a middle-of-the-order force. Over eight productive years in Arizona, Walker earned three Gold Glove Awards—highlighting his defensive prowess at first base—and served as an essential part of the Diamondbacks' 2023 World Series run. Houston Astros first baseman Christian Walker (8)Troy Taormina-Imagn Images Houston signed Walker to a three-year, $60 million contract this past offseason to fill their vacancy at first base. Advertisement While his overall numbers have dipped in 2025, he flashed his offensive potential this past weekend in a three-game sweep of the Los Angeles Dodgers, going 6-for-14 with two home runs and six RBIs. On Monday, the Astros announced Walker would be placed on the paternity list, with outfielder Kennedy Corona being recalled to fill his roster spot. Through 87 games in 2025, Walker is hitting .231 with 12 homers, 45 RBIs and a .673 OPS—his lowest mark since 2021. Despite his individual struggles, Houston has thrived at 55–35, holding a seven-game lead over the Seattle Mariners in the AL West. If Walker can recapture his Diamondbacks form, the Astros' lineup will grow even more formidable. Advertisement Related: Astros Fans Saddened After Jeremy Peña News on Monday Related: Astros Make Yordan Alvarez Announcement After 47 Missed Games This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 7, 2025, where it first appeared.
