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New York Times
09-07-2025
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- New York Times
Pacers getting some help at center
Orlando continues to lock in its core, while Bradley Beal appears likely to exit Phoenix soon. Isaiah J. Downing / Imagn 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 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 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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06-07-2025
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Ja Morant Reacts to Grizzlies' Trade Announcement on Sunday
Ja Morant Reacts to Grizzlies' Trade Announcement on Sunday originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Memphis Grizzlies have spent the offseason reshaping their roster after another disappointing playoff run that fell well short of expectations. The front office made waves by moving on from key guard Desmond Bane, a franchise cornerstone for years, in a move that signaled the start of a fresh direction. The team also used the draft to strengthen its backcourt depth around Ja Morant, who is set to return fully healthy next season. Advertisement Amid the changes, the Grizzlies have shown they are not done making moves as they look to clear up cap space and open opportunities for younger players. On Sunday, Memphis parted ways with yet another veteran piece, continuing what has been one of the busier offseasons in the league. Memphis Grizzlies center Jay Huff (30).© Matthew Smith-Imagn Images The Grizzlies announced they traded center Jay Huff to the Indiana Pacers in exchange for a future second-round pick and a future second-round pick swap. Huff, who signed with Memphis last year, gave the team solid minutes off the bench with his ability to stretch the floor and provide size inside. Following the news, the team thanked him for his contributions with a post on X. That gesture did not go unnoticed by Ja Morant, who reposted the Grizzlies' message to his own account. Advertisement Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant (12) reposts trade announcement on / X Morant's subtle nod made it clear he had respect for Huff's presence in the locker room and the role he played during a challenging season. Huff and Morant spent last season together as teammates, with Huff earning praise for stepping in as a reliable reserve when injuries struck the frontcourt. In that span, the big man averaged 6.9 points and 2.0 rebounds, while shooting 51.5% from the field. Related: Grizzlies Announce Trade With Rockets After NBA Draft Related: Ja Morant Had Five Words After Major Grizzlies News on Monday This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 6, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
06-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Indiana Pacers Make Trade With Memphis Grizzlies For Backup Center
Indiana Pacers Make Trade With Memphis Grizzlies For Backup Center originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Indiana Pacers, after losing Myles Turner, do not have a starting-caliber center on their roster. Advertisement They brought back Tony Bradley and Isaiah Jackson, and are expected to pursue Thomas Bryant and James Wiseman this offseason. All four of those players have spent the vast majority of their careers as backup big men, but with Tyrese Haliburton out for all of next season, the Pacers can afford to take it easy. On Saturday, they agreed to a deal to further round out their frontcourt, sending two second-round picks to the Memphis Grizzlies for Jay Huff. In four NBA seasons, Huff has played for the Grizzlies, Denver Nuggets, Washington Wizards, and Los Angeles Lakers. He has only ever started in two games. Last season, he averaged 6.9 points, two rebounds, and 0.9 blocks while interestingly shooting 40.5 percent from deep on over three attempts per game. Huff was buried on the Grizzlies' depth chart last season, but could serve as a floor-spacing big man for Indiana. Advertisement The Pacers, it seems, will use next season to re-tool their roster and figure out who is going to be in town for the long haul. Roles will be tweaked, and players like Jarace Walker, Bennedict Mathurin, and Ben Sheppard will likely be subject to trade rumors all season as the reigning Eastern Conference champions struggle to make the playoffs without two of their better players. Huff joins an already crowded frontcourt devoid of marquee talent, and could play the biggest role of his career in Indiana. Check out the All Pacers homepage for more news, analysis, and must-read articles. Related: Indiana Pacers' Expectations for Next Season Revealed Related: Indiana Pacers Linked to 20.4PPG Scorer in NBA Trade Rumors This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 6, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
06-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Pacers reportedly trade pick for center to help fill hole left by Myles Turner
If you buy something through a link in this article, we may earn commission. Pricing and availability are subject to change. The Indiana Pacers began filling a gaping hole left by decade-long center Myles Turner when he left in free agency, and reportedly did so with a trade. The Pacers traded a second-round pick and a second-round pick swap to land stretch center Jay Huff from the Memphis Grizzlies, ESPN's Shams Charania reported. USA Today Network's Michael Scotto reported it was a 2029 Portland Trail Blazers second-round pick and a second-round pick swap in 2031. Advertisement The Pacers are the fifth team in as many seasons for the 7-foot-1, 240-pounder. Huff, who will be 27 by season's start, perhaps established himself as a role player in the NBA, playing 64 games last season and averaging 6.9 points and 2 rebounds in 11.7 minutes per game. He shot 40.5% from 3-point range. Prior to that, the Virginia product played 31 games across three seasons for the Los Angeles Lakers, Washington Wizards and Denver Nuggets. He gives the Pacers a stopgap at center after Turner signed with the Milwaukee Bucks on a four-year, $107 million deal. A league source told IndyStar's Gregg Doyel that the Pacers offered four years, $95 million. But Turner chose the Central Division rivals, and gave the Pacers a hole to fill. Huff joins a center rotation that is still taking shape. Tony Bradley had his $2.94 million team option picked up, but he could be moved or waived. Backup Isaiah Jackson received a qualifying offer worth approximately $6.4 million, which made him a restricted free agent. But he's coming off an Achilles tendon tear last year. Advertisement Relive the Pacers playoff run with our commemorative book! Get IndyStar's Pacers coverage sent directly to your inbox with our Pacers Update newsletter. This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Pacers trade for Jay Huff, send second-round pick to Memphis Grizzlies
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06-07-2025
- Sport
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Who is Pacers center Jay Huff? Stats, highlights, salary after trade with Memphis Grizzlies
If you buy something through a link in this article, we may earn commission. Pricing and availability are subject to change. Jay Huff will be on his fifth team in five NBA seasons with a reported trade to the Indiana Pacers from the Memphis Grizzlies. The 26-year-old big man played little his first (four games for the Los Angeles Lakers) and second (seven games for the Washington Wizards) seasons. He appeared in 20 games with the Denver Nuggets in 2023-24. Advertisement Huff, 7 foot 1, appeared in 64 games, starting two, for the Grizzlies in 2024-25, despite playing behind Jaren Jackson Jr. and former Purdue All-American Zach Edey. Huff averaged 6.9 points and 2.0 rebounds per game. He made 40.5% of his 3-pointers (81-of-200). The Pacers reportedly sent a second-round draft pick and a second-round pick swap, according to ESPN's Shams Charania. The Pacers are searching for a center, or group of centers, to fill the gap left by Myles Turner's departure to the Milwaukee Bucks. Tony Bradley has been retained, and Isaiah Jackson and Thomas Bryant are possibilities. Heading into the summer: Indiana Pacers salary cap, contracts, free agents Advertisement What is Jay Huff's salary? Huff counted $2.1 million toward the Memphis salary cap in 2024-25. He is scheduled to count $2.35 million toward the 2025-26 cap, and $2.68 million in '26-27. There is a club option of $3 million in 2027-28. What was Jay Huff's career at UVA? Huff played four seasons at Virginia (2017-21). He was a second-team All-ACC performer in 2020-21, as well as a first-team all-defense pick. Season Stats 2017-18 3.4 points, 1.2 blocks 2018-19 4.4 points, 2.1 rebounds 2019-20 8.5 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2.0 blocks 2020-21 13.0 points, 7.1 rebounds, 2.6 blocks Jay Huff wife Huff married Lindsay Knights on Sept. 19, 2020. She is a Virginia alumna who majored in architecture and is an artist. She has designed shoes for Cavaliers football players who attended ACC media days in 2022. Advertisement Jay Huff highlights This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Who is Jay Huff? Pacers trade for center, stats, highlights, salary
