Category: NBA

Warriors' summer league roster includes 2025 NBA Draft picks, new UDFA signings originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Warriors released their roster for the NBA Summer League and the California Classic on Sunday, and while there are some notable names, there is one notable omission.

Warriors 2025 second-round draft picks Alex Toohey (No. 52 overall) and Will Richard (No. 56 overall) both will be playing for the team.

Toohey is a 6-foot-8 forward who previously played for the Sydney Kings and was looked at as a jack of all trades.

The 21-year-old played in the NBA Academy for three seasons before committing to play college ball at Gonzaga. However, he changed his mind and decided to stay in Australia where he played for the Sydney Kings for three seasons before entering the NBA draft.

Richard played his sophomore through senior seasons at Florida and won a national championship with the Gators earlier this year – he had 18 points while knocking down four 3-pointers, and eight rebounds in that victory.

The 22-year-old averaged 10 or more points per season with Florida and wrapped up his collegiate career averaging 13.3 points per game in his senior year.

The name that is noticeably absent from the roster is second-year center Quinten Post.

Post, a second-round selection last season for the Warriors, averaged 8.1 points and 3.5 rebounds in 16.3 minutes per game this past season.

Other players to watch out for on the summer league rosters are, in alphabetical order, Taran Armstrong, L.J. Cryer, Coleman Hawkins and Chance McMillian.

Armstrong signed a two-way contract with the Warriors in February of 2025 – he had previously played for the Cairns Taipans in Australia.

The 23-year-old guard also played for Basketball Australia Centre of Excellence, a team that former Warriors center Andrew Bogut played for when it was known as the Australian Institute of Sport.

The other three players were all undrafted free agent signings following the draft.

Cryer played three seasons with Baylor before transferring to Houston for his final two seasons of college ball.

The 23-year-old signed an Exhibit 10 – a one-year, minimum salary — contract with Golden State following the draft.

As for Hawkins, his return to Northern California comes after four years in Illinois as well as a single season, his final in college, at Kansas State.

The 6-foot-10 forward, who was born in Sacramento, averaged 10.7 points and 6.9 rebounds per game for the Wildcats.

McMillian is also no stranger to the Bay Area having been born in Vallejo – the 6-foot-3 guard played high school ball at Golden State Prep in Oakland before moving on to Grand Canyon for three seasons and Texas Tech for his final two.

The 23-year-old was a sniper from beyond the arc during his collegiate career, shooting better than 40 percent over his five seasons. He posted his best statistical season his senior year, averaging 14.2 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game.

One name not mentioned above, Isaiah Mobley, is also on the summer league roster; he’s the older brother of Cleveland Cavaliers star Evan Mobley.

On a final note, Santa Cruz Warriors coach Lainn Wilson will lead the summer league teams in both San Francisco and Las Vegas.

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Gordon, Sixers have mutual interest in return after veteran guard declines option  originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Though Eric Gordon is declining his player option, the Sixers and the veteran shooting guard have mutual interest in him returning to Philadelphia, a source confirmed to NBC Sports Philadelphia.

ESPN’s Shams Charania first reported that Gordon was declining his $3.5 million option to “explore free agency” and PhillyVoice’s Adam Aaronson first reported the mutual interest between Gordon and the Sixers.

The team values the 36-year-old’s fit as a proven shooter, a source said. Gordon indeed has extensive credentials on that front. He was frigid to begin last season but ended up at 40.9 percent beyond the arc. 

Gordon played in 39 games before undergoing season-ending right wrist surgery. He averaged 19.7 minutes and posted 6.8 points and 1.7 assists per game.

“It’s tough,” Gordon said at his exit interview after the Sixers’ 24-58 season. “I’ve been playing for so long and injuries are part of the game. Throughout a long season, you’ve got to figure out ways to win when guys are out or whatnot. It’s very challenging for an organization to have so many guys out at the same time … couldn’t really build chemistry.

“It was really hard to learn. This is a talented team … but we never had a real shot to show how good we could really be.” 

The Sixers on Wednesday drafted a prospect that Gordon knows well. Both Gordon and No. 3 overall pick VJ Edgecombe represented the Bahamas last summer in Olympic qualifying play.

“It’s crazy that me and EG are teammates now,” Edgecombe said with a smile on his draft-night Zoom press conference. “EG’s old, man. I tell him all the time, he’s old, man. But nah, it’s a great thing. … It’ll be someone I already know on the team that can help me with longevity or how to play your role … just teaching me life on and off the court “ 

Gordon was the sixth and final piece of Sixers option news leading into free agency. 

Kelly Oubre Jr. and Andre Drummond are picking up their player options. The Sixers are declining club options for Justin Edwards, Jared Butler and Lonnie Walker IV. The team plans to sign Edwards to a three-year deal.

Celtics pick up team option on guard JD Davison: Report originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

JD Davison is still a part of the Boston Celtics’ plans — for now.

The Celtics are exercising their team option on Davison worth $2.27 million for the 2025-26 season, according to multiple reports. Davison’s salary is non-guaranteed and doesn’t become fully guaranteed until Jan. 10, 2026, so Boston can release him at any point prior to the start of the season without absorbing a salary cap hit.

Davison didn’t play much at the NBA level last season, appearing in just 16 games for the Celtics while averaging 2.1 points over 5.8 minutes per game. He thrived in the G League, however, averaging 25.1 points, 7.6 assists and 5.6 rebounds per game with the Maine Celtics to earn G League MVP honors.

The C’s rewarded Davison’s strong play by converting his two-way contract to a standard NBA deal in April, just before the end of the 2024-25 regular season. They had until 5 p.m. ET on Sunday to make a decision about his team option.

A second-round pick in 2022 (53rd overall), Davison is just 22 years old and potentially could see more NBA action this season after the departure of fellow guard Jrue Holiday — especially if the Celtics end up flipping Anfernee Simons.

But if Simons stays — or if 2025 first-round pick Hugo Gonzalez shows more promise in the backcourt behind Derrick White and Payton Pritchard — Davison may be the odd man out.

Either way, picking up Davison’s option gives Boston flexibility to decide closer to the regular season whether to carry him on the active roster or part ways with the young guard.

Lakers superstar LeBron James will once again make NBA history by playing in his 23rd NBA season.

James exercised his player option for $52.6 million to play for the Lakers during the 2025-26 season, his agent and CEO of Klutch Sports Rich Paul told The Times on Sunday morning.

James, the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, had been tied with Vince Carter for the most seasons played in the NBA at 22. This will be James’ eighth season with the Lakers.

James, 40, is 50 games away from breaking Hall of Famer Robert Parish’s record for the most games played in the regular season.

Read more:Lakers trade up again to acquire Adou Thiero at No. 36 in NBA draft

James averaged 24.4 points per game last season, 8.2 assists and 7.8 rebounds.

Fellow Laker Dorian Finney-Smith reportedly declined his $15.3-million player option and will pursue free agency, a person with knowledge of his decision told The Times. Finney-Smith, who is coming off a strong season with the Lakers, is expected to be pursued by multiple teams. He could still return to the Lakers. ESPN was first to report Finney-Smith's decision.

Last week, Austin Reaves declined the team’s maximum offer of four years for $89 million, according to a person with knowledge of the situation.

Reaves, 27, still has two years left on his deal, for $13.9 million next season and $14.9 million in the 2026-27 season, and he holds a player option for the last year of his deal.

He was third on the Lakers in scoring last season, averaging career-highs in scoring (20.2), assists (5.8), rebounds (4.5) and minutes per game (34.9). He shot 46% from the field and 37.7% from three-point range.

With the James and Smith player option questions resolved Sunday, the Lakers are focused on filling out their roster. They added an athletic wing player when they acquired Adou Thiero in a trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves, who drafted him with the 36th pick in the second round.

The most pressing need for the Lakers remains a center, and they’ll have to look into free agency or via trade to acquire one.

The Lakers have the taxpayer mid-level exception of about $5.65 million to spend.

“As I said at the end of the year, we know one of the things we have to address is the center position and that’s clearly going to be one of our focuses as we begin the free-agency period,” Rob Pelinka, the Lakers’ president of basketball operations, told Spectrum SportsNet after the second round of the draft Thursday. “... “So, we’re looking forward to just putting in the hard work and making sure we take care of all the needs on the roster to give [Lakers coach] JJ [Redick] the tools he needs for this team to be great next season.”

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Sixers decide to decline club option for Lonnie Walker IV  originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Sixers are declining Lonnie Walker IV’s club option, a source confirmed Sunday to NBC Sports Philadelphia.

ESPN’s Shams Charania first reported the news. 

Walker’s option was for approximately $2.9 million. He’ll now become an unrestricted free agent. 

Walker joined the Sixers in February from Lithuania and played for the team he’d watched as a kid from Reading, Pennsylvania.

“Very humbling,” he said at the time. “A step toward my goals, what I’m trying to accomplish. Still processing it all, to say the least. It still feels like a surreal moment to be so close to home, being in Philly of all places. So I’m taking it one day at a time, just staying present, doing what I’ve got to do for the team and playing to the best of my capabilities on the floor.”

He was sidelined by a concussion he suffered in mid-March but otherwise a regular for the injury-stricken Sixers. Walker averaged 12.4 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.5 assists over 20 games. He shot 42 percent from the field, 35.4 percent from three-point range and 80 percent from the foul line.

The 26-year-old two-guard showed his shotmaking chops late in the season and matched his career high with a 31-point performance in the Sixers’ final game vs. the Bulls.

The Sixers have also declined Jared Butler and Justin Edwards’ team options. Edwards is set to ink a new three-year contract.

Sources: Kings exercise Keon Ellis' team option for 2025-26 NBA season originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Kings will exercise their team option on guard Keon Ellis, sources confirmed to NBC Sports California’s Tristi Rodriguez on Sunday.

The undrafted 25-year-old has seen his role with Sacramento increase season after season since signing a two-way contract with the Kings after going undrafted in the 2022 NBA Draft. Sacramento converted Ellis’ two-way contract to a three-year deal towards the end of the 2023-24 NBA season.

The decision will cost the Kings $2.3 million for the upcoming 2025-26 season.

The University of Alabama product averaged 8.3 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game this past season with the Kings while playing in 80 games – starting in 28 of them.

Ellis also has shown an ability to knock down the long ball for Sacramento, shooting better than 40 percent from 3-point range in all three of his seasons with the Kings – most recently shooting 43.3 percent from beyond the arc.

Ellis’ defensive tenacity has made him a fan-favorite in Sacramento and has helped keep him on the floor for the Kings while covering some of the opposing team’s top offensive weapons.

The 6-foot-5 guard also averaged 1.5 steals per game last season, and his 121 total steals were good for fifth-most in the league.

While the decision comes as a surprise to some fans due to the fact that Ellis now will become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, the Kings still could sign the guard to a contract extension to avoid him testing free agency in 2026.

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After falling short in their first Eastern Conference Finals in a quarter century, the Knicks are looking for any means of improvement to overcome that hurdle next year, including firing their head coach days into their offseason. With free agency just around the corner, New York has a chance to bolster their depth, albeit with limited options at their disposal.

Their biggest weapon? The $5.7 million taxpayer mid-level exception. They’ll have a shot at convincing a needle-moving role player to sign for that before having to resort to veteran minimum deals. 

Here are the Knicks top five realistic targets at the taxpayer MLE figure:

Chris Paul

This may be a stretch at the Knicks’ price point, but what a dream acquisition this would be for the perfect playoff run. Even if Paul is well past his prime, he still brings an ultra steady presence to the offense, jump shooting, defense, plus high-IQ craftiness and agitation to the court.

He’s coming off an 82-game season in which he shot 37.7 percent from three and averaged 7.4 assists to 1.6 turnovers. He’s been in the biggest of games and can both lead bench units and play alongside Jalen Brunson. 

Al Horford

A solution to their frontcourt depth, Horford may not be attainable by the Knicks for the taxpayer MLE, but would be a worthy target if so. He can play both center as a stretch five or give Karl-Anthony Towns some size at the four position.

Horford shot 40 percent from three in last year’s playoffs and is also a veteran of deep runs. Already having a relationship with KAT is a plus and in terms of sheer talent, there aren’t many better options on the table.

Luke Kennard

Giving the wings added depth and the Knicks a top-flight shooting option, Kennard would be a nice diversifying piece in a position of need. His career 44 percent clip from three is nearly unmatched across the league, and this rotation is missing some of that pure shooting ability.

It also got stuck overplaying the starting wings with mostly guards backing them up, so Kennard provides better optionality in the rotation. There’s a chance someone swoops in at a higher bid, but if not Kennard should be in New York’s sights. 

Dennis Schroder

Schroder is a highly dependable bench point guard that pestered the Knicks in the first round of last year’s playoffs. He’ll consistently bring you pesky defense and paint touches, and would be a clear upgrade over many of New York’s bench guards from last season.

He’s had many postseason battles and isn’t afraid to get into it with foes while averaging double-digit scoring at every stop along his career. The prevailing rumor has him ending up in Sacramento, but perhaps the Knicks being closer to contention give them an edge. 

Malcolm Brogdon

Another veteran guard that can bring the Knicks solid production off the bench, Brogdon toiled away through multiple injuries in Washington last year and is due for a bounce-back year with a higher-purpose team. He’s a career 39 percent shooter from deep and still only 32 years old, just two seasons removed from winning Sixth Man of the Year. 

Injuries have been his biggest hurdle, but if he can stay healthy in a limited role, he’d be a big boost at this contract level.

Pistons' Malik Beasley under federal investigation for NBA gambling allegations originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Another professional athlete could be in trouble over sports betting.

Detroit Pistons guard Malik Beasley is under investigated by the U.S. District Attorney’s office over gambling allegations for NBA games, ESPN’s Shams Charania first reported Sunday.

“We are cooperating with the federal prosecutors’ investigation,” NBA spokesman Mike Bass said in a statement.

Beasley, 28, is set to be a free agent on Monday after a breakout season with the Pistons. He averaged 16.2 points and didn’t miss a single game for Detroit, which had a drastic turnaround with Beasley leading the second unit.

Over nine NBA seasons since being drafted in 2016, Beasley has played for the Denver Nuggets (2016-20), Minnesota Timberwolves (2020-22), Utah Jazz (2022-23), Los Angeles Lakers (2023), Milwaukee Bucks (2023-24) and Pistons (2024-25). In 2021, he was sentenced to 120 days in jail over a felony charge of threats of violence and was eventually suspended for 12 games by the NBA.

Charania reported that Beasley and the Pistons were in “serious talks” on a three-year, $42 million contract to bring him back to Detroit. Those talks reportedly are on pause as the investigation takes place, but Beasley is free to negotiate with other teams starting Monday at 6 p.m. ET.

“An investigation is not a charge,” Beasley’s attorney Steve Haney told ESPN. “Malik is afforded the same right of the presumption of innocence as anyone else under the U.S. Constitution. As of now he has not been charged with anything.”

The probe into Beasley comes more than a year after Jontay Porter was banned from the NBA over prop bet investigations. He eventually pleaded guilty to committing wire fraud, with sentencing set for this December as prosecutors estimate he could get up to four years in prison.

This past season, Terry Rozier — then of the Charlotte Hornets — was under investigation for activity related to unusual betting patterns surrounding him in a March 2023 game. Now with the Miami Heat, Rozier hasn’t been charged with any crime or faced sanctions from the NBA.

A ban on sports gambling was shot down in 2018, which opened the door for states to legalize betting. Each professional legal has their own set of gambling policies, but there have been several instances of problems across the sports world — from Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter to year-long NFL suspensions.

Pistons' Malik Beasley under federal investigation for NBA gambling allegations originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Another professional athlete could be in trouble over sports betting.

Detroit Pistons guard Malik Beasley is under investigated by the U.S. District Attorney’s office over gambling allegations for NBA games, ESPN’s Shams Charania first reported Sunday.

“We are cooperating with the federal prosecutors’ investigation,” NBA spokesman Mike Bass said in a statement.

Beasley, 28, is set to be a free agent on Monday after a breakout season with the Pistons. He averaged 16.2 points and didn’t miss a single game for Detroit, which had a drastic turnaround with Beasley leading the second unit.

Over nine NBA seasons since being drafted in 2016, Beasley has played for the Denver Nuggets (2016-20), Minnesota Timberwolves (2020-22), Utah Jazz (2022-23), Los Angeles Lakers (2023), Milwaukee Bucks (2023-24) and Pistons (2024-25). In 2021, he was sentenced to 120 days in jail over a felony charge of threats of violence and was eventually suspended for 12 games by the NBA.

Charania reported that Beasley and the Pistons were in “serious talks” on a three-year, $42 million contract to bring him back to Detroit. Those talks reportedly are on pause as the investigation takes place, but Beasley is free to negotiate with other teams starting Monday at 6 p.m. ET.

“An investigation is not a charge,” Beasley’s attorney Steve Haney told ESPN. “Malik is afforded the same right of the presumption of innocence as anyone else under the U.S. Constitution. As of now he has not been charged with anything.”

The probe into Beasley comes more than a year after Jontay Porter was banned from the NBA over prop bet investigations. He eventually pleaded guilty to committing wire fraud, with sentencing set for this December as prosecutors estimate he could get up to four years in prison.

This past season, Terry Rozier — then of the Charlotte Hornets — was under investigation for activity related to unusual betting patterns surrounding him in a March 2023 game. Now with the Miami Heat, Rozier hasn’t been charged with any crime or faced sanctions from the NBA.

A ban on sports gambling was shot down in 2018, which opened the door for states to legalize betting. Each professional legal has their own set of gambling policies, but there have been several instances of problems across the sports world — from Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter to year-long NFL suspensions.

NBA rumors: Warriors to exercise Quinten Post, Gui Santos team contract options originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Warriors will exercise their team options on former second-round draft picks Quinten Post and Gui Santos for the 2025-26 NBA season, The Athletic’s Anthony Slater reported Sunday, citing a source.

Both Santos and Post found consistent minutes with Golden State this past season, as Santos played more than 13 minutes per game at forward for the Warriors and Post played just over 16 minutes at center.

The Warriors selected Santos in the second round of the 2022 NBA Draft before joining the G League Santa Cruz Warriors. He averaged 14.3 points per game with the developmental team during his two years there.

In 2023-24, Santos split time between Santa Cruz and Golden State before getting a full season with the NBA squad.

The 23-year-old Brazilian played 56 games with the Warriors in 2024-25 and averaged 4.1 points and 3.1 rebounds per game.

Santos will cost the Warriors about $2.2 million in 2025-26 with $225,000 being guaranteed on Sept. 25 and the entirety being guaranteed on Jan. 10, 2026, according to Spotrac.

As for the 7-foot center Post, he also was taken by the Warriors in the second round, but of the 2024 NBA Draft.

The Boston College product played 42 games for Golden State in 2024-25 and made 14 starts while averaging 8.1 points per game and 3.5 rebounds per game.

Post’s ability to stretch the floor was incredibly beneficial for the Warriors as the big man shot better than 40 percent from 3-point range.

The 25-year-old will cost the Warriors $1.9 million this upcoming season.

While the Warriors have some question marks still ahead in NBA free agency, reportedly exercising Santos and Post likely was an easy decision given the cost and the fact that both provided good minutes for coach Steve Kerr’s team last season.

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Report: Oubre exercising his Sixers player option  originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Kelly Oubre Jr. has reportedly decided to pick up his Sixers player option.

ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Sunday that Oubre is exercising his option to return to the Sixers for the 2025-26 season. According to Spotrac, his option is for approximately $8.4 million. 

The 29-year-old wing has been a consistent Sixers starter the last two years. He averaged 15.1 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.5 steals in the 2024-25 campaign. Three-point shooting remained a significant weakness for Oubre, who went 29.3 percent beyond the arc.

Sixers head coach Nick Nurse appreciated Oubre’s effort during the Sixers’ dismal, perpetually shorthanded season.

“I think the first thing about Kelly is he’s out there every night playing hard,” Nurse said on Feb. 26. “He’s out there every night competing and playing hard, and that goes a long way, first and foremost. I think he continues … to get to the front of the rim. With or without certain guys, his priority of being a scorer elevates for us. I think he continues to improve at that. I like that part of his game where he’s getting to the front of the rim and finishing. 

“And he competes, man. Nobody can question the effort that he’s giving every single night.”

Oubre missed the Sixers’ final month of the season with a right knee injury but said at his exit interview that he felt “pretty good” and was “just looking forward to this offseason and attacking it head-on.” 

He joins Andre Drummond as a Sixers veteran to exercise his player option in the lead-up to free agency, which officially starts Monday at 6 p.m. ET. 

“At the end of the day, I’m happy,” Oubre said on April 13. “And I feel like I like to finish what I start, and I don’t feel complete.”