Category: Basketball

Coming off an unexpected rise to prominence midway through the 2025-26 NBA season, Julian Reese begins his next chapter in professional basketball. The Maryland men’s basketball alum will return to the Washington Wizards for the 2026 NBA Summer League.

NEWS: Juju Reese will suit up for the Washington Wizards during the NBA Summer League 🐢 pic.twitter.com/GfOgwH8XR0

— Inside Maryland Sports (@Terrapins247) July 7, 2026

Reese came in on the backend of Washington’s season but quickly made an impact. He played in 13 games and started in 10 of them, averaging 11.8 points and 10.5 rebounds on 30.9 minutes per game. His size and paint presence were much needed for a faltering Wizards team with large portions of their frontcourt sidelined with injuries.

Despite averaging a double-double, Reese was only a part of a single victory in his 13-game stint. That win came in 133-110 fashion over the Golden State Warriors, where he scored 27 points and grabbed 17 boards. 

But with those struggles comes an upside, as Reese will now have the chance to play on the same frontcourt as No. 1 overall pick AJ Dybansta and 10-time NBA All-Star Anthony Davis, among other talented pieces. But first, the former Terp will have to once again fight for a roster spot against some of the NBA’s most promising young talent.

In other news

Former Terp Anthony Cowan signed with Cedevita Olimpija in Slovenia.

V minuli sezoni je bil Anthony Cowan eden izmed ključnih igralcev pri turškem Mersinu, kjer si je delil garderobo z nekdanjim Zmajem Justinom Cobbsom.#ZmajevaDruzinapic.twitter.com/EmLk2o4ZUY

— Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana (@KKCedOL) July 7, 2026

Maryland men’s basketball’s Pharell Payne and Baba Oladotun were placed on JaBiiird’s All-Big Ten projections list.

Two Terps landed on JaBiiird’s All-B1G projections:

– Pharrel Payne, 1st-Team
– Baba Oladotun, 3rd-Team & All-Freshman Team pic.twitter.com/T0yePqhwWn

— Inside Maryland Sports (@Terrapins247) July 7, 2026

Once again, it’s time to pass judgement prematurely. After all, I would have my basketball writer card revoked were I to not evaluate before the dust has fully settled: that’s why they pay me the modestly-sized bucks, I’m told. So, without further ado, the Winners and Losers of week one of 2026 NBA free agency.

The winners

Philadelphia 76ers It must feel strange for Sixers fans to be on the right side of one of these incredibly lopsided, head-scratching transactions. But here we are: Philadelphia may end up as the biggest winners of the week after somehow (!) landing 2026 MVP candidate, 2024 NBA finals MVP and bona fide second-team All-NBA wing Jaylen Brown in exchange for just two first-round picks, two second-rounders and Paul George – whose contract is widely regarded as one of the league’s worst. The 36-year-old, injury-prone former superstar is still owed roughly $110m over the next two seasons. At the time of writing, the Sixers remain in the LeBron James sweepstakes, but even if they strike out, they’re in terrific shape. A George-for-Brown swap gives them far more insurance against the inevitable Joel Embiid absences during the regular season, while adding a battle-tested champion to help shepherd Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe through the postseason and show them what it takes to reach the mountaintop. Additionally, after being unceremoniously dumped on a division rival for the basketball equivalent of a bag of chips, Brown will arrive about as motivated as possible heading into the 2026-27 campaign. Hats off to the Sixers’ brass for pulling off what looks like the biggest heist since Nico Harrison since Nico Harrison was employed.

Los Angeles Clippers Self-awareness is a virtue. The Clippers were going nowhere in a hurry, and as heartening as last season’s late push was, the Kawhi Leonard era had, by any reasonable measure, been an abject failure. The reckoning actually began before the offseason. At the trade deadline, the Clippers cut bait on James Harden, landing the much younger Darius Garland while adding draft capital. They also dealt longtime center Ivica Zubac for a package that ultimately yielded fifth overall pick Keaton Wagler. The housecleaning continued this summer when they sent Leonard back to his old home in Toronto, receiving a respectable haul of picks along with two intriguing younger pieces in Brandon Ingram and Gradey Dick. They even poached three-point sniper Rui Hachimura from the neighboring rival Lakers. In all likelihood, the Clippers won’t be very good next season. But now, what was once an empty cupboard of future assets has been restocked, the foundations of a genuine rebuild are finally in place, and, a year after watching former Clipper-turned-trade-chip Shai Gilgeous-Alexander lift the Larry O’Brien Trophy, the franchise can at last start moving forward. That is, until tree-planting-gate is fully adjudicated.

LeBron James It is absolutely preposterous that the hottest commodity on the free-agent market is a man who turns 42 this December, whose beard now contains more grey than not. But that’s the reality LeBron James has created. As of this writing, he is still a man uncommitted, and once again the news cycle is being consumed by breathless speculation over his next move. For anyone else his age, merely making an NBA roster would be remarkable, never mind serving as a key contributor to a title contender. But James, one year removed from a sixth-place MVP finish and a few months off a first-round playoff series victory he all but willed into existence, has never been anyone else. His time with the LA Lakers had clearly run its course. In some ways, it probably would’ve been simpler if he’d declined on a more conventional timeline and quietly finished his career in Los Angeles a year or two ago, as so many expected. But James is quite simply still too good to retire. So, for what can only reasonably be the final time, he once again finds himself the belle of the free-agency ball.

The losers

Boston Celtics For every winner in a blockbuster trade, there’s an equally clear loser. This time, it might just be the Celtics, who left the basketball commentariat scratching their heads by shipping homegrown NBA finals MVP Jaylen Brown to Philadelphia for a return that can only be described as underwhelming (see the Philadelphia 76ers above). It’s widely accepted that Paul George’s contract was so burdensome the Sixers would’ve had to attach draft compensation just to move it. Viewed through that lens, Boston essentially turned Jaylen Brown into one first-round pick, two second-rounders and a negative-value contract. Even worse, Boston are hardly in a rebuild: they were the No 2 seed last year, even with their franchise cornerstone Jayson Tatum on the mend from an achilles tendon rupture, and they’re only two years removed from a championship. Yes, the relationship with Brown appeared beyond repair after reports emerged that Boston (unsuccessfully) tried to package him for Giannis Antetokounmpo. But unless there’s another shoe still waiting to drop, the Celtics look markedly worse than they did a few months ago — and with precious little to show for it. Not great, Bob!

Detroit Pistons The Pistons had a truly remarkable turnaround last year, going from setting records for historical ineptitude just two seasons earlier to sitting pretty atop the Eastern Conference. The regular season was an unambiguous success. The playoffs, however, exposed a fundamental flaw in the roster: outside of MVP candidate Cade Cunningham, there simply wasn’t enough secondary playmaking. Not only has that glaring need gone unaddressed, you could argue the team has actually gotten worse. Tobias Harris, a key contributor to last year’s resurgence, set sail for the Western Conference champion Spurs. Isaiah Stewart, an important defensive piece and culture-setter, was shipped to Memphis. And there remains reported disharmony in negotiations with restricted free-agent All-Star center Jalen Duren, who, at the time of writing, has yet to agree to a new deal. They did sign John Collins as a would-be Harris replacement, but that’s hardly the sort of move that gets the blood pumping. Instead of building on a 60-win season, the Pistons look to be doing little more than maintaining the status quo ... or, even worse, taking a step backwards.

Los Angeles Lakers Let’s get the good out of the way: the Lakers landed their guy this summer, signing-and-trading with Utah for their longtime white whale (no pun intended), 24-year-old Rudy Gobert-esque defensive wunderkind Walker Kessler. The bad? Where to begin? Let’s start with the price. The Lakers surrendered two unprotected future first-round picks and two potentially valuable first-round swaps – assets that could become especially painful if they convey after Luka Dončić’s prime or, even worse, after his Lakers tenure. They then handed Kessler a four-year, $130m extension. That’s not an outrageous AAV for a potential franchise cornerstone, but it’s still a massive bet on a player who, for all his talent, remains relatively unproven. Even after emptying the cupboard for Kessler, the Lakers failed to dump any of their undesirable contracts, leaving themselves in a salary-cap crunch. Retaining Austin Reaves was ostensibly a success, but it required a four-year max worth $46m annually to keep him from testing the market. Quentin Grimes, Sandro Mamukelashvili and Collin Sexton are perfectly reasonable additions, but with the possible exception of Sexton, all were signed to long-term deals that feel a touch rich and don’t obviously project as long-term fits. For reasons known only to Rob Pelinka, every single one of those deals also includes a player option. Meanwhile, key contributors Rui Hachimura, Jaxson Hayes and Marcus Smart all walked out the door, with Smart taking the team’s defensive identity and emotional heartbeat with him. Throw in the apparent divorce from LeBron James, and it’s difficult to see how a Lakers team squarely in Luka’s championship window hasn’t taken a significant step backward. And with the draft cupboard now almost completely bare, it’s even harder to see a path back.

Today I feel a bit unwell, so here’s a brief dose of links and notes.

• You might have heard it already: Jalen Brunson underwent surgery to repair a tendon issue in his left hand/wrist. We even got a couple of contradictory reports on it. Summer days!
• Brunson scored 45 points in Game 5 to close out the Spurs and win the Knicks’ first championship in 53 years with a bad shooting-side wrist. Let that marinate for a minute.
• Knicks extraordinare Guerschon Yabusele is heading back to Europe, agreeing to one of the richest deals on the old continent to play for Panathinaikos in Greece, per Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.
• Kevon Looney is off the Knicks’ board after agreeing to a one-year, $3.9 million deal with the Lakers.
• As part of a ginormous six-team trade, Washington is getting Khris Middleton and sending D’Angelo Russell to Memphis, the Mavericks are getting Marcus Sasser and Santi Aldama, the Bucks are landing Caris LeVert, and Detroit is getting John Collins, Taurean Prince and Gary Harris. Don’t trust me and check the details once again. Congratulations, Motown, you can now consider yourself a contender for the No. 7 seed in the East!
• The LeBron James waiting game continues. ESPN published yet another story and featured an executive saying LeBron could still influence the balance of power in the East.
• Donovan Mitchell, proud owner of the latest albatross deal to be signed in #thisleague, could have waited for a five-year, $353 million deal, but instead locked in long-term on the first day he was eligible. He would seemingly also approve of LBJ’s landing with the Cavs.
• There was also a funny Kenny Atkinson wrinkle in the LeBron chatter. One executive wondered how James would fit with Atkinson, who claimed during the conference finals that the Cavs had “analytically” won two of the first three games while trailing the Knicks 3-0. I still think about that quote sometimes. Mostly when I need to smile.

“LeBron can influence the balance of power in the conference,” the executive said. ‘He’s not a driver, not on a night-to-night basis. [But] having him around, he picks and chooses his spots. ‘I wonder how he would fit with Kenny Atkinson?‘ (The executive wasn’t the first to wonder how James would react to Atkinson, who bizarrely claimed, ‘Analytically, we’ve won two of the three [games]‘ as his Cavaliers trailed 3-0 to the Knicks.)”

• Miami has a jersey problem after landing Giannis Antetokounmpo, as the Greek decided it’d be cool to don No. 7 after the Heat started selling No. 34 jerseys.
• You know who did an interesting thing, to say the least, with his jersey number? You guessed it right.

Egypt when they had a big lead pic.twitter.com/XXPxgqICVj

— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) July 7, 2026

You can follow Antonio on Twitter at @chapulana.

The Utah Jazz capped off a perfect 3-0 run through their home summer showcase with a dominant 103-69 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday night at the Jon M. Huntsman Center. It may not have been pretty, but the Jazz got the job done.

Unlike the first two games, none of Utah’s draft picks played. Darryn Peterson, Ace Bailey, and Cody Williams were all sidelined as the Jazz’s Summer League roster took on the OKC Thunder, who were also missing their draft picks: Aday Mara and Bennett Stirtz.

Plan for the Jazz is to sit Darryn Peterson, Ace Bailey and Cody Williams tomorrow in SLC and have them all available for July 9 in Vegas

— Sarah Todd (@NBASarah) July 7, 2026

The only players who got some action tonight with regular season appearances for the Jazz were Blake Hinson, Bez Mbeng, and Hayden Gray. This gave an opportunity for the other Summer League players to show what they can do, and several took advantage.

From the start, the Jazz controlled the game. The Jazz went on a 42-25 run stretching from the 4:25 mark of the first quarter into halftime. This surge put the game out of the reach from the Thunder early on, and they kept their foot on the gas, winning the second half 50-32, with a lead that swelled as much as 37 points.

The Jazz won both the 3-point shooting and paint points battles, outscoring the Thunder 46-28 in the paint. This dominant win was characterized by balanced scoring, with 7 Jazz players reaching double figures.

Max Abmas, a small crafty guard, started at point guard, dropping 15 points and 6 assists. He has a tight handle and solid passing. His size is limiting as he is listed at only 5-foot-11. However, he was a steady hand in Peterson’s absence with only two turnovers.

Jonas Aidoo also had a good game, starting at center and dropping 16 points and grabbing 14 rebounds. He is a decent rim protector and uses his size well.

This was Oklahoma City’s third straight loss in Salt Lake City, after an earlier blowout against Memphis and a 5-point loss to Atlanta. The OKC Thunder struggled to shoot from distance, only making 26.5% of their 3-point attempts.

Their rookie big man, Aday Mara (the No. 12 pick), and young guard Bennett Stirtz (the No. 16 pick), showed nice flashes but struggled to find consistency throughout summer play so far.

“If we guarded and played as a team, we knew we were going to win,” said Justin Harmon, who finished with 11 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 blocks. “We love playing with each other, and when we play together, we can beat anybody.”

the vibes… they're excellent 😌 pic.twitter.com/irvQuNWYp2

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) July 8, 2026

Hopefully Darryn Peterson, Ace Bailey, and Cody Williams got the rest needed to perform in their upcoming games.

Both teams will now head to the main NBA Summer League event at Las Vegas. The Jazz will take on the Washington Wizards on July 9th in the highly anticipated battle between the top two picks: AJ Dybantsa and Darryn Peterson.

For those concerned about the Lakers running it back, fear not.

Last year, in the first three wins LA had over Houston in the opening round of the playoffs, they started LeBron James, Rui Hachimura, Deandre Ayton, Marcus Smart and Luke Kennard. If Rui Hachimura doesn’t return, that means the entire starting lineup is gone.

In its place, an injection of new talent has emerged, including the team’s latest signing, Quentin Grimes.

Reppin' the Lakers: Quentin Grimes ✔️ pic.twitter.com/qUBLNiMCc5

— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) July 8, 2026

It’s clear that youth and athleticism were a top priority.

Everyone the Lakers have signed is under 30 years old and all are known more for their offense than their defense, except Walker Kessler. Grimes is no exception. At 26 years old, he qualifies as part of the youth movement and he can score with the best of them.

Last year, Grimes averaged 13.4 points per game and shot 33.4% from deep. That level of scoring would’ve made Grimes the fourth-highest scorer on the Lakers last year, and with James gone, a case can be made that he’s now the team’s third-best offensive player.

His 3-point shooting took a dive last year, but he’s shown an ability to be a laser. In three of his five seasons, he’s shot above38% from beyond the arc.

With Luka and Austin now feeding him the ball, he should get great looks. Thanks to the gravity of Luka and Austin, there should also be room for him to operate, drive inside and put pressure on the rim.

Grimes enters this backcourt asalso their best dunker. Last year, he had 35 dunks, which was almost three times the amount LA’s best guard dunker, Dalton Knecht had. Fans should expect Grimes to have a few finishes that get the entire NBA buzzing.

Quentin Grimes soars for the absolutely nasty poster dunk over Jake LaRavia (with replays)

76ers and Lakers commentaries

Also on Youtube:https://t.co/cVG79IeOTqpic.twitter.com/7x1JRqa8Yg

— MrBuckBuck (@MrBuckBuckNBA) February 6, 2026

While dunks are fun and youth is ideal, all of this has to translate into elite production.

The Lakers lost two guards to free agency this summer in Marcus Smart and Luke Kennard, leaving big shoes to fill. Smart was arguably the best player for LA after the team’s big three and Kennard had the league’s best 3-point shooting percentage.

The Lakers are banking on Grimes stepping up in a bigger role to help replace what was lost. If not, then the Lakers’ ceiling for the 2026-27 season will dip considerably.

However, this is far from a gamble by the franchise. Grimes has a great rapport with Lakers head coach JJ Redick, working out with him way back before either was associated with the team.

Redick is aware of his game, and assuming he was part of the brain trust that made these decisions, if Redick feels adding Grimes will improve his roster, he’s earned the benefit of the doubt regarding his talent evaluation.

Still, Grimes is now in a position where he is needed to consistently produce offensively. This is a moment for him to step up in the bright LA spotlight and excel.

He has shown flashes of this. In 28 games with the Sixers during the 2024-25 season, he averaged 21.9 points per game and started in 25 of those contests.

If he can have performances like that in a Lakers uniform, then the front office can take a victory lap with this signing.

You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.

A six-team swap was needed to pull off a sign-and-trade that landed Khris Middleton a three-year, $17.6 million contract with the Wizards. 

The maneuvering involved the Pistons, Grizzlies, Clippers, Bucks, Mavericks and Wizards, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported.

For Middleton, a member of the Mavericks before the trade, the Wizards sent former Nets star D’Angelo Russell, a 2029 second-round pick, a 2032 second-round swap and a 2033 second-rounder to the Grizzlies. 

The Mavericks also included a 2033 second-round pick to Washington. 

The deal also called for the Pistons to trade Caris LeVert and a pair of second-rounders to Milwaukee for Taurean Prince and Gary Harris, and, according to ESPN, the deal creates a trade exception and cap savings for the Pistons. 

Trades that were previously worked out are now also part of Tuesday’s deal, which includes the Pistons trading Marcus Sasser to the Mavs, Isaiah Stewart to the Grizzlies, and a protected 2028 second-rounder to the Clippers. 

The Clippers are sending John Collins to the Pistons and sending cash to the Bucks. 

The Grizzlies are trading Santi Aldama and the draft rights to Tarik Biberovic to the Mavericks and a pair of draft picks to the Pistons. 

The very convoluted deal ultimately helps bring Middleton back to Washington, where he played parts of the last two seasons. 

He originally ended up with the Wizards after he was traded at the 2025 deadline by the Bucks. 

The 34-year-old averaged 10.2 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game during the 2025-26 season.

Quinten Post’s tenure as a member of the Golden State Warriors has officially come to an end. On Tuesday, a few minutes before the deadline for the team to make a decision, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that Golden State had chosen not to match the offer sheet that the Memphis Grizzlies had extended to the 26-year old Dutch big man. And with that, Post departs the Bay Area and joins a Grizzlies squad that is rebuilding after trading away Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Desmond Bane.

The Warriors had extended the qualifying offer to Post this offseason, which made him a restricted free agent. As a result, other teams could only offer Post a multi-year deal, and the Warriors had the right to match any offer sheet he signed.

Memphis gave Post a three-year, $30-million, but they did so in a cheeky manner to discourage the Warriors from matching. Only the first of the three years is guaranteed (at just $9 million), and some of the $30 million is tied to highly unlikely incentives. However, incentives in contracts count towards the apron, making it more difficult for the Dubs to match. With the team nearing their spending limit, still waiting on LeBron James, and already reuniting with Al Horford and Kristaps Porziņģis, it seemed very unlikely that they would match Memphis’ offer. And indeed, they didn’t.

Post, who was taken with the No. 52 pick in the 2024 draft, departs after appearing in 109 games for the Warriors (with 49 starts), plus 12 playoff games. According to ESPN’s Bobby Marks, it’s the first time since 2020 that a restricted free agent received an offer sheet of at least $5 million and it wasn’t matched by his original team.

While fans likely had some familiarity with most of the Lakers’ signings, Sandro Mamukelashvili is likely someone who fell through those cracks.

More affectionately known as Mamu, the Georgian big man, who spent four seasons in Milwaukee and San Antonio to begin his career, had a breakout season with the Raptors where he received Sixth Man of the Year votes.

The Lakers, who officially announced Mamu’s signing on Tuesday night, are banking on this being the beginning of something bigger and not a flash in the pan.

Welcome to the Purple & Gold, Mamu 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/rojJXSGT5h

— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) July 8, 2026

While the Lakers sported a high-powered offense last season, one look they did not have was a two-big lineup. With LeBron James and Rui Hachimura often manning the forward position and with no viable stretch big men in the rotation, it wasn’t even an option for the team to go to.

With Mamu, that will change. The big man is a unique player, not the perimeter-based wing type like Rui or LeBron while also not being a traditional center. He’s a big who can step in at center to play a five-out style or alongside another big to give the Lakers a look and lineup they did not have.

The Raptors being an untraditional team meant that last season, he played a lion’s share of his minutes at the center position. Still, in 112 minutes alongside Jakob Poeltl last season, the Raptors had a +6.6 net rating.

Mamu’s skillset is one that also has a track record of succeeding alongside Luka Dončić, another key factor in any free agent signing. For years in Dallas, Luka and Maxi Kleber worked well off of one another and there’s plenty of reason to believe Mamu and Luka can have similar success.

Having a big man who can pick and pop will give the Lakers’ offense another dynamic it lacked last season. As a spot-up shooter, Mamu finished at 1.17 points per possession last season for the Raptors, according to the NBA’s tracking data. For reference, that falls right between Austin Reaves (1.24) and Luka (1.13). Similarly, on catch-and-shoot threes, Mamu shot 38.9% on 283 attempts last season, a mark that lands just above Luka’s 38.7%.

No big on the Lakers’ roster could even offer the possibility of being a reliable threat from range last season for the Lakers, which can open up things offensively. On top of bringing back Austin this summer to pair again with Luka, the Lakers added two more guards who can get to the rim in Collin Sexton and Quentin Grimes.

Having a big in Mamu who can space the floor and potentially pull centers away from the rim will have cascading positive effects on the team’s offense.

All of this relies on the Lakers being right in their hope that Mamu can build on what he did in Toronto last season. There are underlying numbers, though, that suggest it’s sustainable.

Mamu’s 3-point percentage of 38.9% was the second-best mark of his career, but only just ahead of his career percentage of 36.6%. Similarly, he also shot 37.3% in 2024-25.

The same can be said about his overall field goal percentage, too, where he’s a 49.4% shooter overall but saw his 2025-26 percentage (52.3%) increase from his 2024-25 percentage (50.2%) with both being above that average.

The Raptors were also just a better team with Mamu on the floor. Toronto had a +5.3 net rating with him on and a +0.8 net rating when he sat.

While Mamu had a career-best season in 2025-26, it did not come out of nowhere. Instead, it was a steady build over multiple seasons that saw him take advantage of the most minutes he’s played in his career.

The Lakers are hoping that a big contract and a big role mean even bigger production from him in Los Angeles.

You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.

There's been much to speculate about the next destination for LeBron James.

James decided to not allow the Los Angeles Lakers a bidding chance for him and informed the team that he would be moving on to a new organization in free agency.

There have been a handful of teams that are considered in the running for James.

James' agent, Rich Paul, previewed a shortlist of teams on a whiteboard during an episode of his podcast with Max Kellerman, "Game Over." The list of teams included the Philadelphia 76ers, Miami Heat, Cleveland Cavaliers, Denver Nuggets, Minnesota Timberwolves, Dallas Mavericks, New York Knicks, Boston Celtics, San Antonio Spurs and Golden State Warriors.

Many of which have their own storyline and reasoning for a potential James signing, but for a team like the Warriors, they could finally pair James with Stephen Curry and Draymond Green.

According to ESPN's Anthony Slater, the Warriors are keeping a roster spot open for James but they don't think he'd choose to play in the Bay Area.

"On the James front, Warriors sources continue to express a low level of optimism that James will ultimately pick them as his next team," Slater wrote. "They intend to keep roster space open for James until he ultimately declares his choice."

ESPN's Shams Charania said on "Straight Shooter" with Stephen A. Smith that he doesn't think the Warriors are at the top of James' list, rather "on the periphery," unless they were able to make a package deal for Anthony Davis. It should also be noted that Charania and Smith reported that both James and Green will "hang out this week" amid the 22-time All-Star's decision-making process.

So what about the other teams that could possibly lure James into a contract for a season or two? Charania said it's really boiled down to a top three hierarchy of: Heat, 76ers and Cavaliers.

Here's the latest on the "contenders only" free agency sweepstakes for James:

LeBron James potential landing spots

Here's the latest on the top-three contenders that James could sign with.

Miami Heat

A reunion in Miami would be one heck of a storyline. Once upon a time James promised Heat fans championship rings by famously uttering the words "not two, not three, not four, not five ... not six." He got them two with Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and company, now he could join a new 'big three' with Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bam Adebayo and himself.

"There’s a draw with Miami. Pat Riley is a draw, Spoelstra is a draw," Charania said. "I have gotten any feel that there’s still tension between LeBron and Pat Riley that would detour him from that. I think Bam and Giannis are big draws for him too. He played team USA for Bam and has a lot of respect for Bam. Giannis would want LeBron in Miami from my understanding as well. No state taxes…. In January, you think about Miami and, it’s Miami! If you have a team that is basically neck and neck but one of them is based in Miami, with no state taxes.”

Smith reported that "a lot of executives" believe Miami is the best destination for James.

Philadelphia 76ers

The Sixers have picked up steam in the running for James, Charania said.

"Philadelphia was not in the picture," he said. "When the Sixers got Jaylen Brown I did some research ... he (LeBron) is taking their pitch very seriously."

They would be able to create a lineup featuring Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, James and Brown.

Cleveland Cavaliers

What could be better than a Hollywood ending? A return home to where it all began. Many want it to be the perfect storybook ending to a legendary career. The Cavs do.

Charania said that the organization is making James their No.1-priority and their superstar Donovan Mitchell is on board with that.

Some are speculating that it could very well be. Signs are there. That's what ESPN's Brian Windhorst said.

"Yes, absolutely, he knows what he's going to do," Windhorst said. "If you ask me, 'Are the vibes pointing towards Cleveland?' Yeah, the vibes are pointing towards Cleveland, but it's just vibes."

Consider this, he's celebrated the 10-year anniversary of the 2016 championship with Kevin Love, J.R. Smith, Iman Shumpert, Matthew Dellavedova, Tristan Thompson and Channing Frye.

He's spending some offseason time there, which has fans on social media putting it all together after reuniting with his high school teammates from St. Vincent-St. Mary's High School in Akron. He was also with Cavs general manager Brandon Weems, but it could all just be coincidence.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY Sports: LeBron James next team predictions: Latest news, rumors on star's decision

The Washington Wizards have acquired Khris Middleton via a sign-and-trade deal with the Dallas Mavericks, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Tuesday.

Just in: Free agent Khris Middleton has agreed on a three-year, $17.6 million deal with the Washington Wizards via sign-and-trade, agent Mike Lindeman of Excel Sports Management tells ESPN. The 14-year veteran returns to D.C. where he spent parts of last two seasons as a leader… pic.twitter.com/iZh6XrXMoc

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 8, 2026

The deal is part of a larger six-team trade that sends D’Angelo Russell, a 2029 second-round picks (via Lakers) and a 2033 second-round pick swap to the Memphis Grizzlies.

Middleton, 34, will sign a three-year, $17.6 million contract as part of the deal. The first year is fully guaranteed, but the second year only carries a partial guarantee and the final year is fully non-guaranteed, per The Athletic’s Joshua Robbins.

The second season on Khris Middleton's new three-year sign-and-trade deal with the Wizards will be partially guaranteed, while the third season will be non-guaranteed, per source.

— Josh Robbins (@JoshuaBRobbins) July 8, 2026

Sign-and-trade deals must be at least three years in length and have the first year fully guaranteed, which is why Middleton’s contract fits those parameters.

The 14-year NBA veteran returns to Washington after he was traded at the February deadline for Anthony Davis. Middleton averaged 10.3 points across 34 games for the Wizards during the 2025-26 season.

Washington’s roster now sits at 14 standard contracts:

G: Young | Johnson | Carrington
W: Dybantsa | George | Coulibaly | Riley
F: Davis | Champagnie | Middleton | Whitmore
C: Sarr | Ayton | Vukcevic
Two-way: Watkins | Reese | Okpara

This early into the NBA offseason, it’s unclear what the Lakers’ roster will look like at the start of the year. But it’s obvious the front office would like it to feature Jonathan Kuminga.

The Lakers have a serious need for wings, and they’ve been linked to Kuminga since the Hawks declined his team option.

Not only have they spoken with him, but they’ve reportedly remained in contact with his agent and even increased their offer to entice him to sign.

However, he remains available and is still looking for the best possible deal.

On Tuesday, thanks to a Broderick Turner article in the LA Times, we have the details on what the Lakers offered Kuminga.

Jonathan Kuminga is a player the Lakers are after, according to people, who said LA is looking at a two-year, $20-million deal for Kuminga.

Last season, Kuminga earned over $23 million, so going from that to $10 million per year is a considerable decrease. But given how little cap space the Lakers have, this offer signals how serious they are in bringing Kuminga in.

The Lakers are showing they want Kuminga by offering whatever they can, even increasing their original deal. And with a potential starting spot on the table, a breakout season from Kuminga could raise his value around the NBA.

Kuminga averaged 12.2 points and 5.6 rebounds per game last season. He also shot 33.3% from 3-point range last year while playing for the Warriors and Hawks.

If he does start with the Lakers, he can produce well past those numbers and get closer to his career-high in scoring, which came during the 2023-24 season with Golden State, when he averaged 16.1 points per game.

Here in LA, with LeBron James gone, there are a ton of shots up for grabs. Kuminga could be the one to pick them up and make the most of this opportunity.

Clearly, the two-year $20 million deal isn’t enough to get him here, but this is all part of the negotiation.

Lakers President of Basketball Operations Rob Pelinka has to keep selling his vision and see if he can free up some salary cap space so he can get this deal to the point where Kuminga will take it.

So far, the Lakers appear to remain aggressive and very much in the running for Kuminga. The fit seems good, and if they can reach an agreement, this could be beneficial for everyone involved.

You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.

It wouldn't be a proper NBA offseason without a convoluted, six-team trade that sends multiple players to new teams.

The Detroit Pistons continue to make roster moves to bolster their team after concluding the 2025-26 season with a seven-game series loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Their latest move has them parting ways with 10-year veteran guard Caris LeVert.

The Pistons traded LeVert and two second-round picks to the Milwaukee Bucks for Taurean Prince and Gary Harris, according to ESPN.

The deal allows Detroit to save money and creates a trade exception, while the Bucks will acquire LeVert and pick up additional assets.

Clutch Points insider Brett Siegel reported that the Pistons freed up roughly $7 million in extra funds needed to complete their recent transactions. The simple cost-cutting maneuver by the Pistons is expected to go toward signing restricted free agent Jalen Duren.

Detroit currently has $39 million in pending outgoing salaries between LeVert and Isaiah Stewart, who was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies in exchange for three future second-round draft picks.

The Pistons have been making moves to clear cap space since the summer period began. The Stewart trade allowed Detroit to clear $30 million off its cap for free agency. In exchange, Memphis acquired a defensive-minded frontcourt piece. The big man plays physical, intimidating defense.

As for the Bucks' assets, they now own seven first-round picks and four second-round picks, as they continue to rebuild in the post-Giannis Antetokounmpo era.

Six-team trade to connect everything

The Bucks-Pistons trade was important for other teams and players involved. Ultimately, it connected one trade to another to make several transactions possible.

According to ESPN, free agent Khris Middleton agreed to a three-year, $17.6 million deal with the Washington Wizards. The deal is a sign-and-trade involving the Dallas Mavericks, who had acquired Middleton from the Wizards ahead of the trade deadline in February.

That's all part of a larger six-team deal.

The teams included are: the Mavericks, Wizards, Pistons, Bucks, Grizzlies and Los Angeles Clippers.

The Wizards are sending D'Angelo Russell, a future second-round pick and a future second-round pick swap to the Grizzlies, according to ESPN.

Nearly a week ago, the Pistons made a move to sign John Collins as a free agent on a three-year, $51 million contract. The six-team trade helps to solidify the move.

A look at the six-team trade

Here's where players went as a result of the six-team swap:

Dallas Mavericks

• Receive: Santi Aldama
• Lose: Khris Middleton

Detroit Pistons

• Receive: John Collins, Gary Harris and Taurean Prince
• Lose: Isaiah Stewart, Caris LeVert, two second-round picks

Los Angeles Clippers

• Receive:Noplayers
• Lose: John Collins

Milwaukee Bucks

• Receive: Caris LeVert, two second-round picks
• Lose: Taurean Prince and Gary Harris

Memphis Grizzlies

• Receive: Isaiah Stewart, D'Angelo Russell, a future second-round pick, future second-round pick swap
• Lose: Santi Aldama

Washington Wizards

• Receive: Khris Middleton
• Lose: D'Angelo Russell, a future second-round pick, future second-round pick swap

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY Sports: Massive NBA trade sees Pistons pick up Taurean Prince, Khris Middleton return to Wizards

Los Angeles Lakers legend and two-time NBA champion Pau Gasol turned 46 years old on July 6.

While Gasol will always be beloved among Lakers fans because of what he accomplished on the basketball court, he has also earned endless respect for stepping up as a father figure in Natalia Bryant’s life in the wake of the late Kobe Bryant’s tragic passing in 2020.

Plus, Pau has maintained a great friendship with Vanessa Bryant, as the Gasol and the Bryant families have formed an extremely close bond after enduring this tragedy to their shared loved one.

Vanessa Bryant has made her appreciation for Gasol very clear over the years, and she shouted him out with a birthday post to her Instagram on July 7, which showed her, Natalia, Pau, and Pau’s wife, Cat, playing what appears to be the card game called Spoons.

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The Instagram video shows the group of four laughing and joking about an apparent mishap that Pau had during the game. The post was captioned, “Happy birthday @paugasol !!!!!! We love you uncle Pau! #hermano #family”.

This caption says it all, showing that Vanessa and Natalia have a ton of appreciation for “uncle Pau” and wanted to show him that on his birthday.

Pau and Cat Gasol have three kids of their own, all of which were born after Kobe and his other daughter’s Gianna’s passing in January of 2020. Their oldest daughter, Elisabet Gianna (named after Gianna Bryant) was born later in 2020, their son Max was born in 2022, and their third child, a daughter named Olivia, was born in January of 2026.

This is surely not the last birthday celebration the Gasol and Bryant families will share together.