WNBA Preview: All-Star starters and snubs; Liberty look to get back on track

There is a running joke on the internet that Mondays during the WNBA season often yield the most drama and news coming out of the league and its players. There's a reason for this: often there aren’t games on Mondays, although there are some weeks this season where there are. But for the most part, Monday is typically a day when the league is dark.

Well, yesterday was an example of that trend in practice. Not only did the league announce that it will be adding three more expansion teams in addition to the two more expansion teams in Toronto and Portland that will debut next season, but there was a trade, a surprise cut from the Golden State Valkyries, and the All-Star starters for the July 19 All-Star Game in Indianapolis were announced.

The league announced that Cleveland would be awarded the WNBA’s 16th team which will begin play in 2028, Detroit would earn the 17th, officially joining in 2029 and then Philadelphia would become the 18th franchise and would begin play in 2030. All ownership groups of these three new franchises paid a $250 million expansion fee, close to five times what Joe Lacob and Peter Guber paid for the Valkyries back in 2023.

Moments after all of that pomp and circumstance at the league office, the Las Vegas Aces traded for NaLyssa Smith which sent a Las Vegas 2027 first round draft pick back to the Wings. And as a result, the Aces had to waive rookie Elizabeth Kitley and veteran Tiffany Mitchell in order to make roster and salary room for Smith.

And then the Valkyries waivedJulie Vanloo, who was away from the team competing in EuroBasket. Vanloo missed her Belgian National team’s gold medal celebration after winning EuroBasket to make sure she was back in the Bay Area as soon as possible. She got news of being released merely moments after landing back in California. While Vanloo struggled at times during her minutes on court with Golden State, there are questions about the timing of the franchise letting her know of their decision before hopping on a long 14-15 hour flight back to San Francisco.

This all happened on a Monday and that’s in addition to the day before where Angel Reese put on another career performance scoring while shooting over 52 percent from the field in addition to 16 rebounds and seven assists, nearly her second triple double. She did all of this while her former childhood idolCandace Parker was in attendance and got her jersey retired by the Sparks prior to tipoff.

Who are the 2025 WNBA All-Star starters?

Before I preview the week ahead, let’s discuss the All-Star starters which were announced on Monday evening. The two highest fan vote getters, Caitlin Clark and Napheesa Collier, were named captains and automatic starters on Sunday. And then a day later, the final eight starters were announced by two different ESPN sponsored shows.

The final eight starters were determined by the weighted combination of fan votes, media votes and player votes. Fan votes were weighed at 50 percent with the media and peer votes counting for 25 percent each.

What jumped out immediately in the league’s weighted voting results was how Clark was ranked by her peers. The players ranked Atlanta’s Allisha Gray first, New York’s Sabrina Ionescu second and then Clark ninth.

This shouldn’t be a huge surprise especially considering that Clark has only played in nine of the Fever’s total 16 games so far this season, and she’s shot the ball very inefficiently (39% overall and 29.5% from three) in addition to averaging 5.9 turnovers. But this also isn’t the first time a very popular player was ranked lower by her peers as Ionescu got similar treatment two years ago and was ranked 19th by the players.

It’s incredibly hard to argue with the eight other starters that were selected. A’ja Wilson is still putting up All-WNBA numbers even if they aren’t as impressive as they were during her otherworldly 2024 MVP season. Gray has put together close to if not the best statistical season she’s had since entering the league in 2017. Nneka Ogwumike earned her 10th All-Star selection on another incredibly efficient start to the season shooting 53.1% on 13.4 attempts per game. She’s been even more efficient than MVP front-runner Collier.

Prior to Ionescu’s recent shooting slump, she and Liberty teammate Breanna Stewart were both putting up over 20 points a game and led their team in the Liberty to a 9-0 start prior to losing Jonquel Jones to an ankle sprain and Leonie Fiebich to EuroBasket.

The Mercury’s Satou Sabally has also put up a career season so far and took the brunt of the scoring load when Alyssa Thomas was out for two weeks with a calf injury. Aliyah Boston has the highest field goal percentage (59.7) among players who play over 25 minutes a game.

And last and certainly not least, Paige Bueckers leads all rookies in points and assists per game and is third amongst rookies in field goal percentage for first-year players who play over 25 minutes a game. She is scoring the eleventh-most in the league and seventh most among guards sitting right below Ionescu and right above Clark.

Who Are The WNBA All-Star Starter Snubs?

The point is, it’s incredibly hard to make an argument against any of these players starting in the All-Star game. The one that maybe there’s an argument against might actually be Clark. Who could have replaced her just based on statistical output alone?

Skylar Diggins comes to mind immediately just based on the fact that she’s the 7th best in scoring and third in scoring among guards. Also, she’s averaging the fourth most assists and is fifth in win shares (2.5) via Her Hoop Stats. She’s fourth in field goal percentage among guards that average over 30 minutes a game (46.3).

Another guard that could have been an All-Star starter is Kelsey Plum who has put up an impressive statistical season so far even as her Los Angeles Sparks continue to struggle in their journey to make the playoffs for the first time since 2020. Plum leads all guards scoring 20.6 points a game and is sixth among guards in average assists with 5.6.

In a league dominated by versatile forwards, it’s not a surprise that there wasn’t enough room for maybe one of the most versatile in Alyssa Thomas. Thomas has put up some of the best numbers of her career, leading the league in assists (9.3) and averaging more points than she did during her 2023 season, the one where Stewart beat her out in the MVP voting. The reason Thomas missed the boat is probably because of the two weeks she missed.

The final player who I think there’s an argument for to be an All-Star starter is Brionna Jones who while she doesn’t score in the 20s like her peers, she’s accumulated 2.3 win shares, the same amount that A’ja Wilson has and a bit more than Thomas and Sabally. She and Diggins are the only players within the top seven in win shares who didn’t become All-Star starters.

It would be shocking if any of these players who weren’t named starters don’t make the final All-Star team. Right now reserves are being voted on by the WNBA’s head coaches and those results will be revealed this Sunday July 6 at 12 pm et. Just a disclaimer, head coaches cannot vote for their own players.

The Week Ahead

Since this week features the Commissioner's Cup Championship game on Tuesday night, there are fewer games to choose from. The league goes on a mini hiatus on Wednesday before picking up again on Thursday. After the Commissioner’s Cup Final takes place in Minneapolis, the majority of the games to watch out for are rematches of recent matchups. Can the Fever get revenge on the Aces and can the Liberty redeem themselves against the Storm with Fiebich back from EuroBasket?

Commissioner’s Cup Final: Indiana Fever @ Minnesota Lynx

(Tuesday July 1 at 8 p.m. ET on Prime Video)

Now that Clark has been ruled out officially, do the Fever have a shot at winning? It’s going to be a tough hill to climb for a team that almost fell to the Dallas Wings on Friday without Clark. This is the right move for Indiana looking at Clark’s long term health, but what makes this matchup worth watching is the very fact that these two teams haven’t played each other yet. The Lynx’s two losses this season came in games where they were outworked by their opponent and allowed at least 20 opponent points off their own turnovers. If the Fever play hard, they have a shot. But if the Lynx value their possessions, this should be a very winnable game and Minnesota would become the first back-to-back Commissioner’s Cup Champions in league history.

Las Vegas Aces @ Indiana Fever

(Thursday July 3 at 7 p.m. ET on Prime Video)

Even if Clark misses this game as well, it will be fascinating to see how much run newly acquired Aces forward NaLyssa Smith gets. The Aces won this matchup the first time around on June 22 with Clark on the floor for the Fever. But this will be the first test the Aces have to see if by adding Smith defenses actually guard her, which could open up more space on the floor. Las Vegas has often struggled when opposing defenses don’t even guard Kiah Stokes and load up on their other players.

Washington Mystics @ Minnesota Lynx

(Thursday July 3 at 8:00 p.m. ET on League Pass )

The Mystics will be looking for a win after dropping their latest 79-71 against the incredibly shorthanded Dallas Wings. But also the Lynx’s second loss of the season came to the Mystics on June 24. While both teams were without their best players in Napheesa Collier and Brittney Sykes, the Mystics still defended aggressively and earned that win by forcing 19 turnovers and scoring 26 points off those turnovers. Can the two-way play of versatile center Shakira Austin stifle Collier at all? If Collier struggles and the Mystics’ defense stays aggressive, I’d say this has the potential to be a really competitive game to pay attention to.

Golden State Valkyries @ Minnesota Lynx

(Saturday July 5 at 8 p.m. ET on League Pass)

The Lynx have a ton of fascinating matchups this week including one against the Valkyries. While Minnesota beat Golden State convincingly around a month ago, the Valkyries have somehow gotten better since they lost players to EuroBasket. (Presumably another reason why they waived guard Vanloo.) Following some New York Liberty struggles, the Valkyries now have the second best defense in the league which has powered them to a 2.7 net rating. Compare that to the -10.7 net rating that Golden State had when the Lynx last played the Valkyries.

Seattle Storm @ New York Liberty

(Sunday July 6 at 1:00 p.m. ET on CBS)

The New York Liberty have been going through it lately, losing four of their last five games as they continued to adjust to playing without 2024 WNBA Finals MVP Jonquel Jones and German wing Fiebich. One of those losses came to the Storm on June 22 when they only lost by 10 points 89-79. While Fiebich will most likely be available for this game and should provide more shooting and defense, it will be interesting to see how the Liberty continue to wade through their schedule before Jones returns presumably after the All-Star break. Can defeating a streaky Storm team get the defending champions back on track?

Breaking down basics of NCAA revenue sharing

Nicole Auerbach and Joshua Perry discuss the logistics of revenue sharing in college sports as the House v. NCAA settlement takes effect, explaining how schools will share revenue with athletes and how it impacts NIL.

Milwaukee Bucks waive and stretch Damian Lillard's contract, use money to sign Myles Turner

Despite expectations he would, Giannis Antetokounmpo did not request a trade out of Milwaukee this offseason, waiting for his team to make a bold move to get them back in the mix for the top of the East. Now, Milwaukee has made about as daring a move as we have seen in the NBA — and Antetokounmpo is not happy about it.

In a stunning move, the Bucks waived Damian Lillard, stretching the nearly $113 million remaining on his contract over five years to free up cap space. Lillard is expected to miss most, if not all, of next season as he rehabs from a torn Achilles suffered in the playoffs. This is a cold bit of business that will make Lillard a free agent and will result in $22.5 million of dead money on Milwaukee's salary cap for each of the next five years (this is the largest salary cap stretch in league history). Lillard was set to make $51.4 million this coming season (he still gets all that money).

Milwaukee then used the freed-up cap space from that move to sign Myles Turner away from the Pacers with a four-year, $107 million contract, all of this broken by Shams Charania of ESPN.

Turner had been central to Indiana's run to the NBA Finals, and, as a free agent, he had stated that he wanted to return to the Pacers, the only team he had ever played for in his 10-year NBA career. However, Pacers' owner Herb Simon's fear of the luxury tax (especially after the Tyrese Haliburton injury) cost them a key player.

This is a punch to the gut of Pacers fans, who just came off the high of their team's impressive and unifying run to the NBA Finals, only to have Tyrese Haliburton go down with a torn Achilles, and now to have Turner leave because ownership would not spend like a contender, even when they have a Finals team.

If you think adding Turner and pushing the Bucks closer to contention in a down Eastern Conference was going to make Antetokounmpo happy, guess again. He is a man who values relationships.

All of this leaves a lot more questions, starting with "Is Antetokounmpo unhappy enough to ask for a trade?"

Then there is "How do the Pacers rebuild this roster now by Haliburton's return?" and "Which team is willing to snap up a 34-year-old Damian Lillard coming off a torn Achilles?"

Celtics to sign forward Josh Minott to two-year deal: Report

Celtics to sign forward Josh Minott to two-year deal: Report originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Boston Celtics made another depth addition Tuesday in NBA free agency.

After reportedly agreeing to a two-year contract with big man Luka Garza on Monday, the Celtics are signing his Minnesota Timberwolves teammate Josh Minott to a two-year deal worth $5 million, per ESPN’s Shams Charania.

Minott, 22, was selected in the second round of the 2022 NBA Draft by the Charlotte Hornets. The 6-foot-8 forward averaged 2.6 points and 1.0 rebounds in 6.0 minutes per game off Minnesota’s bench last season.

So far in free agency, the Celtics have reportedly added Garza and Minott while losing prized big man Luke Kornet to the San Antonio Spurs.

Veteran center Al Horford remains on the market with Boston in need of frontcourt reinforcements. Kristaps Porzingis was traded to the Atlanta Hawks, leaving Garza and Neemias Queta as the only centers on the Celtics’ roster.

The Sixers' 2025 summer league roster, schedule and more

The Sixers' 2025 summer league roster, schedule and more  originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

CAMDEN, N.J. — Sixers summer league action is on deck.

The team on Tuesday announced its full summer league roster and schedule, which features No. 3 pick VJ Edgecombe, No. 35 pick Johni Broome, second-year big man Adem Bona and second-year wing Justin Edwards. Two-way contract players Hunter Sallis and Alex Reese are both on the team. 

Player development associate coach T.J. DiLeo will serve as the Sixers’ summer league head coach. 

Jared McCain will continue to rehab from his left lateral meniscus tear and not play in summer league. He watched the team’s minicamp practice Tuesday, according to DiLeo, and and also took a few jump shots afterwards. 

The Sixers will first play in the Salt Lake City summer league (July 5-8) and then the Las Vegas summer league (July 10-20). Each team in Vegas will have at least one additional game beyond the initial schedule and the top four teams will advance to the semifinals. Below is the Sixers’ slate: 

  • Saturday, July 5 vs. Jazz at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN/NBCSP 
  • Monday, July 7 vs. Thunder at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN/NBCSP+
  • Tuesday, July 8 vs. Grizzlies at 7 p.m. ET on NBA TV/NBCSP+
  • Thurdsay, July 10 vs. Spurs at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN/NBCSP
  • Saturday, July 12 vs. Hornets at 6:3 0 p.m. ET on ESPN2/NBCSP
  • Tuesday, July 15 vs. Wizards at 8:30 p.m. ET on NBA TV/NBCSP 
  • Wednesday, July 16 vs. Mavericks at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN/NBCSP 

Edgecombe will be intriguing to watch as he showcases his athleticism and focuses on honing his offensive game.

“Being more of a point guard, but also being aggressive and being a great teammate,” he said Tuesday. “I always want to encourage my teammates at all times. … But definitely being a better point guard. Continue shooting the ball and continue to work on every little aspect of my game, to be honest — finishing, playmaking, ball handling. Everything.”

Broome seems like he could be quite productive this summer after averaging 18.6 points, 10.8 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 2.1 blocks in his fifth and final college season. 

“He’s got physicality,” DiLeo said of Broome. “He plays hard. He’s got a nose for the ball, really, on both ends of the court. … What’s good about him is he’s a guy that can play hard and also play smart and play with instincts. He’s got a good combination of both of those. 

“He had a great (college) career and he’s been successful at every step he’s been at. I’m happy to have him at summer league and (will) try to get him a little better here for the organization.”

Knicks signing C/PF Guerschon Yabusele to two-year deal

The Knicks are adding a versatile piece to their frontcourt on Tuesday, and will sign power forward/center Guerschon Yabusele to a two-year deal.

According to SNY NBA Insider Ian Begley, the two-year deal is worth $12 million and includes a player option for the second season, with the Knicks using the tax-payer mid-level exception to sign one of the best big men on the market.

Originally drafted by the Boston Celtics in the first round of the 2016 NBA Draft, Yabusele played two seasons in Boston before taking his career overseas, where he thrived both in the professional and international stage.

Helping France win Olympic silver medals in both 2020 and 2024, Yabusele has also won two Liga ACB titles in Spain while playing for Real Madrid, and also won a EuroLeague championship in 2023.

Following his success with France in the 2024 Olympics, Yabusele returned to the United States and signed a deal with Philadelphia 76ers, averaging 11.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in 70 games (43 starts) last season.

Standing at 6-8, 260 pounds, Yabusele can play power forward, with the ability to step out and hit threes (38.0 percent from beyond the arc last season) and step in as an undersized center when needed.

Thunder to give Shai Gilgeous-Alexander richest contract in NBA history, four-year, $285 million super max

If you can't give the NBA scoring leader, MVP, and Finals MVP a supermax extension, who are you going to give it to?

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder have agreed to the richest contract in NBA history, a four-year, $285 million supermax contract extension worth more than $70 million a season on average, a deal first reported by Shams Charania of ESPN.

While that's a lot of money, it's also kind of a no-brainer. Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 32.7 points, 6.4 assists and 5 rebounds a game last season, shot 37.5% from 3, is a plus defender, and led his team to 68 wins. He racked up a historic string of accolades: leading the NBA in scoring, winning the regular season MVP award, leading his team to an NBA title, and being named Finals MVP.

This new contract also locks SGA in with the Thunder for six years, through the summer of 2031. These four years will start after the two existing years still on SGA's current contract ($79.1 million total). This new contract would pay him more than $70 million a season for the final two years ($78.9 million in 2030-31). As a bit of accounting, that contract total could decrease slightly before it takes effect — the estimates are based on the NBA salary cap going up 10% a year for the next two years, and the league has already announced that it's first estimates for the 2026-27 season have the salary cap going up "only" seven percent. If that happens, the total on the contract decreases accordingly, it is 35% of the salary cap.

The Thunder are not done with extensions this summer: Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren are both extension eligible off their rookie contracts. Both of them are max players (25% of the cap) who would be eligible for a Rose rule 30% of the salary cap extension if they make All-NBA (or, in Holmgren's case, is named Defensive Player of the Year) next season. All of those massive extensions mean the NBA's luxury tax and dreaded second apron will be coming for the Thunder, and how they've built out the roster, but that is still a few years down the road.

For now, to the victor go the spoils, and nobody was more of a victor last year than Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

NBA draft pick Williams tipped for top early on

Amari Williams in action for Kentucky
Amari Williams was born in Nottingham and attended Myerscough College in Lancashire before playing college basketball in the United States [Getty Images]

Boston Celtics draft pick Amari Williams was always destined to be a top professional, according to one of his college coaches.

Williams, 23, was drafted into the NBA by the Celtics after being chosen as the 46th overall pick.

He became the third English-born active player in the NBA joining Brooklyn Nets' forward Tosan Evbuomwan and OG Anunoby of the New York Knicks.

The 7ft centre previously attended Myerscough College in Lancashire before moving to Drexel University in Pennsylvania and later the University of Kentucky in the United States.

"When he was at Myerscough he was going to be a professional in some form but once he got to Kentucky it was like, he's definitely going to be a professional in the highest level," Myerscough College coach Mike Bernard told BBC Radio Lancashire.

"He's now understood that he's done everything possible to make it this far. He's made all the right decisions, he's had his bumps in the road and he knew that this was going to happen.

"We pushed and hoped for everything with him, and we let him know that these bumps are going to come, but he now knows he's done it and he's really thankful to everyone for everything they've done."

Boston, who are the most successful team in NBA history having won a record 18 championships, have added front-court depth to their roster with the arrival of Williams.

Basketball is one of the fastest growing sports in the UK and is the second-most popular team sport, with more than 1.5m people playing weekly.

Neal Hopkins, who works alongside Bernard at Myerscough College, said that aiding Williams' ascent into the NBA is a proud moment for him and the college.

"Mike and I have been coaching for a number of years, and Mike's had an extended professional career prior to coaching," he added.

"It was one of my ambitions as an up-and-coming coach to try and oversee or be part of someone's journey to the NBA.

"It's unbelievable and unprecedented. We're full of pride. Hopefully, this will inspire the next generation to come through."

Knicks set for second interview with Mike Brown, Dawn Staley not considered finalist: Sources

Knicks set for second interview with Mike Brown, Dawn Staley not considered finalist: SourcesThe Athletic has live coverage of the 2025 NBA free agency

The New York Knicks’ search for a new head coach may be nearing a conclusion soon.

After conducting a first round of interviews over the last two weeks, the Knicks have formally invited Mike Brown back for a second interview, which is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, league sources tell . In addition, New York is considering bringing back both James Borrego and Micah Nori for second interviews, multiple league sources said.

Brown and former Memphis Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins were the first two candidates interviewed.

During this process, the Knicks also reached out to South Carolina women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley, league sources told . And while she impressed in that conversation, she is currently not considered a finalist for the position, league sources said.

Hiring a head coach would close a search that has undergone many twists and turns since New York fired Tom Thibodeau shortly after losing in the Eastern Conference finals.

Before interviewing Brown and Jenkins, the Knicks — who are conducting the only coaching search in the league — attempted to obtain permission to speak with multiple head coaches currently employed by other teams, including Houston’s Ime Udoka, Dallas’ Jason Kidd, Minnesota’s Chris Finch, and Chicago’s Billy Donovan. All of those requests were denied. Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison publicly shut down a potential Kidd-to-New York move last week during his news conference following the NBA Draft.

Brown, who appears to be the clubhouse leader for the job, was fired midway through last season by the Sacramento Kings. During his first two seasons with the Kings, Brown led them to their first back-to-back 40-plus-win seasons since 2004-2006. Brown previously coached the Cleveland Cavaliers to a finals run in 2007 and coached the Los Angeles Lakers briefly before spending several seasons as an assistant coach on Steve Kerr’s Golden State staff.

Borrego was the head coach of the Hornets from 2018 to 2022 and was fired after leading Charlotte to a 43-win campaign in his final season. After taking time off, Borrego spent last season as an assistant in New Orleans. Borrego comes from the Gregg Popovich coaching tree and is considered an offensive-minded, analytically-driven coach.

Nori is the only potential finalist without head coaching experience. He has been an NBA assistant for several years and is someone many in NBA circles believe will soon become a head coach. Nori has spent the last four years in Minnesota next to Finch. Before that, he was with Dwane Casey in both Detroit and Toronto, with stops in Denver and Sacramento in between. Nori is regarded as a creative offensive coach.

The Knicks’ search has taken them beyond the NBA Draft and into the early days of free agency. The team is limited in its financial capabilities, but, according to league sources, is expected to sign veteran bench scorer Jordan Clarkson once he clears waivers later this week. Clarkson and the Utah Jazz agreed to a buyout late last week.

This article originally appeared in The Athletic.

New York Knicks, South Carolina State Bulldogs, NBA, Women's College Basketball, NBA Offseason

2025 The Athletic Media Company

Sources: Mike Brown's second Knicks head coaching interview on Tuesday

Mike Brown's second interview with the Knicks is on Tuesday, according to SNY sources.

Others may come in for second interviews. Brown garnered support in first interview.

The Knicks have also interviewed James Borrego, Taylor Jenkins, and Micah Nori.

Brown’s interview on Tuesday will include owner James Dolan; it’s common practice for a candidate to meet with team ownership in the late stages of interviews prior to a final decision being made.

Bucks waive injured star Damian Lillard to sign free agent Myles Turner: Report

Bucks waive injured star Damian Lillard to sign free agent Myles Turner: Report originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Milwaukee Bucks are making drastic moves.

The team reportedly will waive nine-time All-Star Damian Lillard in order to make room for free agent Myles Turner, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Tuesday.

Turner, fresh off a Finals run with the Indiana Pacers, will sign a four-year, $107 million deal with a player option in the final year, Charania reported.

Lillard, who turns 35 this month, suffered a torn Achilles in April during the playoffs — putting his availability for next season in serious doubt. The Bucks will waive and stretch his contract, spreading out his remaining $113 million as dead money over the next five seasons.

The Bucks’ roster shake-up represents a massive shift as they hope to keep Giannis Antetokounmpo in town. The Greek Freak reportedly was weighing his future this offseason after Milwaukee suffered its third straight first-round defeat.

Newly-extended general manager Jon Horst has responded to Antetokounmpo’s doubts with a busy week of transactions. Longtime center Brook Lopez signed with the Los Angeles Clippers in free agency, while the Bucks re-signed key rotation pieces in Bobby Portis, Gary Trent Jr., Kevin Porter Jr. and Taurean Prince.

With the Pacers looking at a potential gap year as Tyrese Haliburton recovers from a torn Achilles, Turner is leaving the team that drafted him way back in 2015. The 29-year-old big man has career averages of 14.1 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.2 blocks.

As for Lillard, the star guard will be forced to join a third team after an unsuccessful two-year stint in Milwaukee. His numbers remained consistent, but he was unable to bring the Bucks back to the big stage after being traded by the Portland Trail Blazers for Jrue Holiday in 2023.

Now, Lillard joins a shrinking list of available free agents. It’s unclear what his market could be, given his age and the fact that he is unlikely to suit up next season.

Bucks waive injured star Damian Lillard to sign free agent Myles Turner: Report

Bucks waive injured star Damian Lillard to sign free agent Myles Turner: Report originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Milwaukee Bucks are making drastic moves.

The team reportedly will waive nine-time All-Star Damian Lillard in order to make room for free agent Myles Turner, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Tuesday.

Turner, fresh off a Finals run with the Indiana Pacers, will sign a four-year, $107 million deal with a player option in the final year, Charania reported.

Lillard, who turns 35 this month, suffered a torn Achilles in April during the playoffs — putting his availability for next season in serious doubt. The Bucks will waive and stretch his contract, spreading out his remaining $113 million as dead money over the next five seasons.

The Bucks’ roster shake-up represents a massive shift as they hope to keep Giannis Antetokounmpo in town. The Greek Freak reportedly was weighing his future this offseason after Milwaukee suffered its third straight first-round defeat.

Newly-extended general manager Jon Horst has responded to Antetokounmpo’s doubts with a busy week of transactions. Longtime center Brook Lopez signed with the Los Angeles Clippers in free agency, while the Bucks re-signed key rotation pieces in Bobby Portis, Gary Trent Jr., Kevin Porter Jr. and Taurean Prince.

With the Pacers looking at a potential gap year as Tyrese Haliburton recovers from a torn Achilles, Turner is leaving the team that drafted him way back in 2015. The 29-year-old big man has career averages of 14.1 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.2 blocks.

As for Lillard, the star guard will be forced to join a third team after an unsuccessful two-year stint in Milwaukee. His numbers remained consistent, but he was unable to bring the Bucks back to the big stage after being traded by the Portland Trail Blazers for Jrue Holiday in 2023.

Now, Lillard joins a shrinking list of available free agents. It’s unclear what his market could be, given his age and the fact that he is unlikely to suit up next season.

Report: Yabusele to leave Sixers, join Knicks in free agency

Report: Yabusele to leave Sixers, join Knicks in free agency  originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Guerschon Yabusele will ultimately have just a single-season stint in Philadelphia.

ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Tuesday that Yabusele has agreed to a two-year, $12 million contract with the Knicks that incudes a player option in Year 2. SNY’s Ian Begley reported New York is adding Yabusele using the taxpayer mid-level exception.

The Sixers signed Yabusele to a minimum-salary deal last summer from Real Madrid, bringing him back to the NBA for the first time since his 2018-19 season with the Celtics. 

Yabusele was second on the Sixers to Ricky Council IV with 70 games played last season. Along with his offensive skills, the 29-year-old’s hustle and basketball intelligence were consistent bright spots. He averaged 11.0 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.1 assists. 

“I have that feeling that I really didn’t have when I was in Boston,” Yabusele said on Nov. 10. “I have that feeling right now to be able to play, compete with tough teams, tough players, and that’s what I was looking for.” 

The Sixers planned to employ Yabusele primarily at power forward, but he played heavy center minutes because of injuries to Joel Embiid and Andre Drummond. 

“He’s done so many different things — played the five, played the four, started, come off the bench,” Tyrese Maxey said on Dec. 23. “He’s done everything that Coach has asked him to do. All you can do is appreciate someone like that, man. Shoot threes, rebound, post up. Sometimes we’ve got to throw the ball to him in the post because he’s a matchup problem down there. … Yabu’s been great.” 

It remains to be seen exactly how the Sixers will proceed at center behind Embiid. They have two young big men in the fold with Adem Bona and Johni Broome. Drummond exercised his player option, though The Athletic’s Tony Jones reported Monday night that the Sixers “have been trying to move him over the last 24 hours.” 

As far as power forward, the Sixers made a notable move on the opening night of free agency, coming to terms with Trendon Watford.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander agrees to record-setting extension with Thunder: Report

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander agrees to record-setting extension with Thunder: Report originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is cashing in after his first NBA championship.

The NBA MVP and Finals MVP agreed to a four-year, $285 million supermax contract extension with the Oklahoma City Thunder, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported.

The deal keeps Gilgeous-Alexander under contract through the 2030-31 season and gives him the highest annual salary in NBA history.

Gilgeous-Alexander became the 11th player in league history to be named regular season MVP and Finals MVP while winning the title in the same season. He earned the latter award after leading the Thunder to their first championship in the OKC era, defeating the Indiana Pacers in a seven-game series.

The three-time All-NBA guard led the NBA by scoring 32.7 points per game during the regular season as the Thunder rolled to a 68-14 record.

He became the first player in 25 years to win the scoring title and lift the Larry O’Brien Trophy in the same year and the fourth player ever to complete a trifecta of scoring title, regular season MVP and championship.

Gilgeous-Alexander joined the Thunder in 2019 after spending his rookie season with the LA Clippers. He was dealt to OKC as part of the blockbuster trade that paired Paul George with Kawhi Leonard on the Clippers, a trade that also gave the Thunder the draft pick they used to select forward Jalen Williams.

With Gilgeous-Alexander leading the charge, the Thunder went from a 24-win team to NBA champions in a three-year span.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander agrees to record-setting extension with Thunder: Report

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander agrees to record-setting extension with Thunder: Report originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is cashing in after his first NBA championship.

The NBA MVP and Finals MVP agreed to a four-year, $285 million supermax contract extension with the Oklahoma City Thunder, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported.

The deal keeps Gilgeous-Alexander under contract through the 2030-31 season and gives him the highest annual salary in NBA history.

Gilgeous-Alexander became the 11th player in league history to be named regular season MVP and Finals MVP while winning the title in the same season. He earned the latter award after leading the Thunder to their first championship in the OKC era, defeating the Indiana Pacers in a seven-game series.

The three-time All-NBA guard led the NBA by scoring 32.7 points per game during the regular season as the Thunder rolled to a 68-14 record.

He became the first player in 25 years to win the scoring title and lift the Larry O’Brien Trophy in the same year and the fourth player ever to complete a trifecta of scoring title, regular season MVP and championship.

Gilgeous-Alexander joined the Thunder in 2019 after spending his rookie season with the LA Clippers. He was dealt to OKC as part of the blockbuster trade that paired Paul George with Kawhi Leonard on the Clippers, a trade that also gave the Thunder the draft pick they used to select forward Jalen Williams.

With Gilgeous-Alexander leading the charge, the Thunder went from a 24-win team to NBA champions in a three-year span.