The WNBA will add new expansion teams in Cleveland, Detroit and Philadelphia, according to a Monday morning league announcement. All three teams have ties to current NBA ownership groups. The expansion fee is a record $250 million, according to two sources who requested anonymity because the discussions were private.
The $250 million cash expansion fee is by far the largest ever paid for a new team in a U.S. women’s sports league, topping the $110 million that a Denver group paid to join the NWSL this year.
The new additions comes on the heels of an earlier round of expansion. The Golden State Valkyries, which agreed to pay a $50 million expansion fee, began play this season. The Toronto Tempo (also $50 million) and a Portland team ($75 million) are set to join in 2026. Additionally, a looming labor fight is also on the horizon. WNBA players opted out of the current CBA at the end of 2024, and talks are underway for a new deal to kick in prior to the start of the 2026 season.
It also comes amid a rapid rise in WNBA team valuations. The average franchise is now worth $269 million, according to Sportico’s most recent numbers, up 180% from just a year ago. In their inaugural season the Valkyries top the list at $500 million, followed by the New York Liberty ($420 million) and the Indiana Fever ($335 million).
In September, the WNBA enlisted Allen & Company to run the expansion process for a 16th franchise. The New York-based boutique investment bank served as the league’s financial advisor when it raised $75 million in strategic capital in 2022. Bids for this round of W expansion were due at the end of January, and the process drew interest from groups both inside the NBA and beyond. More than 10 cities submitted formal bids in advance of the deadline,, including groups in Austin, Charlotte, Cleveland, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Kansas City and Nashville.
The WNBA meant to only add a 16th team, but the robust interest spurred the league to add three new franchises.
The NBA owns 42% of the WNBA, with 42% shared by WNBA franchise owners and the other 16% held by the 2022 investor consortium capital raise. As the league expands, neither the NBA’s portion nor the investors’ stake gets diluted, Sportico previously reported.
The expansion continue the trend of WNBA teams going to owners with NBA ties. Portland is owned by siblings Lisa Bhathal Merage and Alex Bhathal, who are LPs in the Sacramento Kings. Toronto is owned by NBA board of governors chairman, Larry Tanenbaum, who’s Kilmer Sports owns 25% of the Toronto Raptors. The Golden State Warriors owners own the Valkyries. That’s also true for the groups in Cleveland (Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert), Detroit (Pistons owner Tom Gores) and Philadelphia (76ers owners HBSE).
It’s been a hectic start to the NBA offseason — and the action won’t be slowing down.
The 2025 NBA free agency period opened Monday as a long list of veterans hit the open market. The start of free agency comes less than a week after the 2025 NBA Draft was held.
From the best available players and more, here’s what to know about NBA free agency:
When does NBA free agency start in 2025?
Teams were allowed to start negotiating and striking deals with free agents from rival clubs starting at 6 p.m. ET/5 p.m. CT/3 p.m. PT on Monday, June 30.
But contracts can’t be made official until Sunday, July 6.
What is the NBA salary cap in 2025-26?
The salary cap for 2025-26 is set at $154.6 million, the NBA confirmed Monday. That marks a roughly $14 million increase from last season.
Here’s a look at the top names on the open market. This list will be updated with reported deals as free agents get scooped up (players listed alphabetically by last name):
Guards
Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Minnesota Timberwolves
Malik Beasley, Detroit Pistons
Malcolm Brogdon, Washington Wizards
Bruce Brown Jr., New Orleans Pelicans
Jared Butler, Philadelphia 76ers
Jordan Clarkson, Utah Jazz (buyout)
Spencer Dinwiddie, Dallas Mavericks
Dante Exum, Dallas Mavericks
Javonte Green, Cleveland Cavaliers
Josh Giddey, Chicago Bulls (restricted)
Eric Gordon, Philadelphia 76ers
Quentin Grimes, Philadelphia 76ers (restricted)
Tim Hardaway Jr., Detroit Pistons
Gary Harris, Orlando Magic
Aaron Holiday, Houston Rockets — reportedly re-signing with Rockets for 1 year, minimum
Ty Jerome, Cleveland Cavaliers
Tre Jones, Chicago Bulls
Cory Joseph, Orlando Magic
Luke Kennard, Memphis Grizzlies
Caris LeVert, Atlanta Hawks
Tre Mann, Charlotte Hornets
De’Anthony Melton, Brooklyn Nets
Chris Paul, San Antonio Spurs
Cameron Payne, New York Knicks
Gary Payton II, Golden State Warriors
Kevin Porter Jr., Milwaukee Bucks
Duncan Robinson, Miami Heat
D’Angelo Russell, Brooklyn Nets
Dennis Schröder, Detroit Pistons
Landry Shamet, New York Knicks
Cameron Thomas, Brooklyn Nets (restricted)
Gary Trent Jr., Milwaukee Bucks
Russell Westbrook, Denver Nuggets
Delon Wright, New York Knicks
Wings
Santi Aldama, Memphis Grizzlies (restricted) — reportedly re-signing with Grizzlies for 3 years, $52.5M
Nicolas Batum, Los Angeles Clippers — reportedly re-signing with Clippers for 2 years, $11.5M
Brandon Boston Jr., New Orleans Pelicans
Amir Coffey, Los Angeles Clippers
Dorian Finney-Smith, Los Angeles Lakers — reportedly signing with Rockets for 4 years, $53M
Jeff Green, Houston Rockets — reportedly re-signing with Rockets for 1 year, minimum
Caleb Houstan, Orlando Magic
Johnny Juzang, Utah Jazz
Jonathan Kuminga, Golden State Warriors (restricted)
The Warriors’ priority this NBA offseason is in place.
Golden State’s “high priority” in the opening hours of free agency is signing a stretch center, with veteran Al Horford surging as a “preferred target,” The Athletic’s Anthony Slater reported Monday, citing league sources.
While adding a stretch center is Golden State’s priority, Jonathan Kuminga’s restricted free agency is the biggest question the Warriors have to answer this offseason, and as Slater noted, adding a free agent could complicate general manager Mike Dunleavy’s workflow.
“If the Warriors use the taxpayer midlevel exception (projected at around $5.7 million) on Horford or another free agent, they’ll be hard-capped at the second apron, currently projected at $207.8 million,” Slater wrote.
“The Warriors currently have nine players under contract at $170.5 million. Kuminga’s qualifying offer, extended over the weekend by the Warriors, is $7.9 million, but his cap hold is $22.9 million, further clogging the Warriors’ books if his situation drags deeper into July.”
Dunleavy and Co., however, were unable to agree to a trade package with Chicago for the two-time All-Star.
Many believe the Warriors need a stretch five who can help anchor the rotation against bigger teams on defense while providing dynamic shooting on offense.
It now appears the Warriors will prioritize filling a massive hole ahead of a crucial 2025-26 season.
The Warriors’ priority this NBA offseason is in place.
Golden State’s “high priority” in the opening hours of free agency is signing a stretch center, with veteran Al Horford surging as a “preferred target,” The Athletic’s Anthony Slater reported Monday, citing league sources.
While adding a stretch center is Golden State’s priority, Jonathan Kuminga’s restricted free agency is the biggest question the Warriors have to answer this offseason, and as Slater noted, adding a free agent could complicate general manager Mike Dunleavy’s workflow.
“If the Warriors use the taxpayer midlevel exception (projected at around $5.7 million) on Horford or another free agent, they’ll be hard-capped at the second apron, currently projected at $207.8 million,” Slater wrote.
“The Warriors currently have nine players under contract at $170.5 million. Kuminga’s qualifying offer, extended over the weekend by the Warriors, is $7.9 million, but his cap hold is $22.9 million, further clogging the Warriors’ books if his situation drags deeper into July.”
Dunleavy and Co., however, were unable to agree to a trade package with Chicago for the two-time All-Star.
Many believe the Warriors need a stretch five who can help anchor the rotation against bigger teams on defense while providing dynamic shooting on offense.
It now appears the Warriors will prioritize filling a massive hole ahead of a crucial 2025-26 season.
The 2025 NBA free agent class isn’t loaded with stars or franchise-altering players, but there are several veterans worth pursuing, and that includes Boston Celtics center Luke Kornet.
Any team in need of a big man this offseason should consider signing Kornet, and at least two Western Conference teams are reportedly expected to have interest in him.
Longtime NBA reporter Marc Stein wrote Sunday his Substack, “To add to another (Jake) Fischer report from Saturday night: The Clippers have also been described as a team to watch, alongside San Antonio, in the Luke Kornet chase.”
The Spurs could use a backup center who can give them quality minutes when Victor Wembanyama needs a rest. San Antonio could even play both of them at the same time, as Kornet was part of several two-big lineups in Boston. The Clippers have a very good starting center in Ivica Zubac, but their frontcourt depth overall is not great.
The Los Angeles Lakers need a center, too. They tried to acquire then-Charlotte Hornets center Mark Williams at the trade deadline but the deal fell through. Williams was dealt to the Phoenix Suns during the 2025 NBA Draft last week.
The Spurs have the full mid-level exception available to them, which is around $14.1 million. Other teams with the full MLE that could use frontcourt depth include the Atlanta Hawks, New Orleans Pelicans and Utah Jazz.
The Celtics are among the teams that don’t have the full MLE available.
Kornet has spent the last three-plus seasons in Boston and carved out a valuable role for himself as a trusted center off the bench. He excels in pick-and-rolls, he rebounds at a good rate, and he defends pretty well at 7-foot-1. He’s also an excellent team chemistry guy.
Kornet displayed his value in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the New York Knicks last month when he scored 10 points with nine rebounds and seven blocks in a Celtics win.
The Celtics’ frontcourt depth is pretty thin after trading Kristaps Porzingis to the Atlanta Hawks last week. And with Kornet and Al Horford able to test free agency this week, Boston’s frontcourt could look a lot different next season.
It doesn’t appear that a Jonathan Kuminga decision is imminent for the Warriors.
With the NBA free agency negotiating window set to open on Monday at 3 p.m. PT, Kuminga, a restricted free agent, and Golden State, are not close to a deal, and the Miami Heat and Chicago Bulls are the two most likely outside suitors, The Athletic’s Anthony Slater reported in his latest column, citing league sources.
“Despite a few conversations between the two sides, the Golden State Warriors have generated no real traction toward a deal with restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga in recent days and, as anticipated, he is expected to explore the market when it opens at 3 p.m. PT on Monday afternoon, league sources told The Athletic,” Slater wrote. “The Miami Heat and Chicago Bulls remain the two likeliest outside suitors, league sources said.”
In addition to the Heat and Bulls, NBA insider Marc Stein reported in his latest column that the Sacramento Kings and New Orleans Pelicans also are looming as potential suitors.
Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy stated in his pre-NBA draft press conference on June 23 that he would prefer to have a resolution with Kuminga’s restricted free agency “sooner than later.”
With the NBA free-agency frenzy soon to begin, he might not get his wish.
SAN FRANCISCO – Warriors second-round draft picks Alex Toohey and Will Richard will be wearing familiar jersey numbers whenever they make their NBA debuts.
As Dub Nation quickly pointed out, those numbers bring great memories for the fanbase. Seeing them worn by other players might even be bittersweet for some. But that’s the business of the NBA.
The two numbers most notably were recently worn by Andrew Wiggins (No. 22) and Jordan Poole (No. 3). No Warrior has worn No. 22 since the Warriors traded Wiggins last February to the Miami Heat to acquire Jimmy Butler. However, Poole’s three has been worn since the Warriors dealt him to the Washington Wizards the morning of the 2023 draft.
Chris Paul sported the number in his one and only season with the Warriors for the 2023-24 campaign, and Reece Beekman was given it last season when he played two games for the team.
Deciding on jersey numbers is a simple process. The team calls their draft picks and tells them which numbers already are currently taken, and what their preference is between the available options. Undrafted free agents and so forth are then asked about which number they’d like to wear as part of the summer league roster.
Jersey numbers 11 and 35 were not options. The Warriors already have stated Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant will have their numbers retired once their careers come to an end.
Toohey, an Australia native, wore 22 each of the last two seasons he spent in the NBL playing for the Sydney Kings. He also has worn the number for the Australian national team as well. Richard’s decision is a bit different.
Richard was No. 5 for his last three college seasons when he transferred from Belmont to Florida, and No. 4 to begin his college career.
Though he isn’t currently on the team, Kevon Looney has been No. 5 for the Warriors the past nine seasons. Looney is an unrestricted free agent. If the Warriors don’t re-sign him, Richard technically could switch to No. 5, but his decision would have to be made in the very near future.
Regardless of Looney’s future with the Warriors, expect Richard to wear three, at least for his rookie season.
Three more cities have been granted expansion franchises: Cleveland, Detroit and Philadelphia.
The league officially revealed plans Monday to add the new teams, which will see the WNBA grow to 18 teams by 2030.
Cleveland will join first in 2028, followed by Detroit in 2029 and Philadelphia in 2030. This comes after the league added the Golden State Valkyries this year, and the Toronto Tempo and an unnamed Portland franchise are arriving in 2026. That will bring the league to 15 teams for 2026 and 2027 before Cleveland is added the following year.
All three new teams announced Monday have NBA ownership groups, with each paying a $250 million expansion fee — about five times as much as the Golden State Warriors paid for the Valkyries.
There were no team names announced just yet for the next three cities, but here are the details we know about each:
Cleveland WNBA franchise plans
First year: 2028
Ownership group: Dan Gilbert (Cleveland Cavaliers)
Home arena: Rocket Arena (where the Cavaliers play)
WNBA history: The Cleveland Rockers were one of the original eight WNBA franchises from 1997 to 2003 before folding. They played at Rocket Arena, which was then known as Gund Arena.
Detroit WNBA franchise plans
First year: 2029
Ownership group: Tom Gores (Detroit Pistons), Grant Hill, Chris Webber, Jared Goff
Home arena: Little Caesars Arena (where the Pistons play)
WNBA history: The Detroit Shock were one of the WNBA’s first expansion franchises in 1998, with a successful run in the Motor City that included championships in 2003, 2006 and 2008. The Shock relocated to Tulsa, Oklahoma, for the 2010 season and later moved to Dallas as the Wings in 2016.
Philadelphia WNBA franchise plans
First year: 2030
Ownership group: Josh Harris (Philadelphia 76ers/Washington Commanders/New Jersey Devils)
The Boston Celtics can negotiate with other teams’ free agents starting Monday night. Well, at least in theory.
The cash-strapped Celtics don’t have many avenues to adding outside talent, though they did create some potential pathways with the two swallow-hard trades to move Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis.
The reality is that the Celtics need to do even more wheeling and dealing before they can truly ponder outside free agents at anything more than a minimum salary. The Celtics can splurge to bring back their own free agents like Luke Kornet and Al Horford, but even that’s no easy chore if Boston wishes to stay off the second apron — and especially if the team yearns to get out of the tax completely.
Before NBA free agency kicks off Monday, let’s tackle some frequently asked questions to set the table for the Celtics this offseason.
What is Boston’s current salary commitment?
After the Celtics finalize their two recent trades, Boston will have 12 players under contract with a total salary commitment of roughly $200 million. You can add $2.8 million and fill another roster spot if the team inks Hugo Gonzalez, the 28th overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.
How far under the second apron are the Celtics? Are they still over the luxury tax?
Boston sits roughly $4.5 million below the second apron, factoring for their trades and the Gonzalez signing.
The Celtics are $15.4 million over the luxury tax. With repeater penalties, they would be paying $3.25 for every $1 spent over that $187.9 million tax line.
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Wait, what are repeater penalties?
Having paid the luxury tax in multiple recent seasons, the Celtics are subject to higher rates for money paid above the luxury tax.
The Celtics spent $193 million on their roster last season, leading to a projected $52.6 million tax bill. Before the salary-slashing trades to send out Holiday and Porzingis, the Celtics were staring at a potential $500 million total spend between next year’s payroll and the repeater penalties.
That number has been reduced by $180 million after the Holiday and Porzingis deals, but the Celtics are still well over the tax line. In order to reset those penalties, Boston must stay out of the tax in two of the next three seasons.
Should the Celtics try to get under the tax this season?
With Boston’s title chances diminished as Jayson Tatum rehabs from Achilles surgery, the Celtics do have motivation to get out of the tax and stay out for the 2026-27 season as well.
Staying out of the tax for the next two seasons would reset the repeater penalties and allow Boston to more aggressively put together a high-cost roster when Tatum is back at the peak of his powers. It would essentially create a new title window where Boston could splurge on the pieces around a Tatum/Brown/White core.
How can Boston get out of the tax?
The easiest pathway would be to relocate the $27.7 million owed to incoming trade acquisition Anfernee Simons. Moving the contracts of new trade addition Georges Niang ($8.2 million) and/or Sam Hauser ($10 million) also would help Boston lower its salary commitment.
Without a big move like shipping out Simons, the Celtics would have limited funds to fill out their roster.
Can the Celtics afford to retain Luke Kornet?
Kornet already came back to the Celtics on a team-friendly, minimum-salary contract ($2.8 million) last season. It’s tough to see him taking much of a discount to stick around this time. If other teams try to lure him away with eight-figure offers, the Celtics could be hard pressed to match that sort of splurge.
On our Draft Night special of The Off C’Season, colleague Brian Scalabrine wondered if Kornet could fetch a $12 million starting salary. Teams with access to the non-taxpayer midlevel exception have up to $14.1 million to splurge on a free-agent pursuit.
Any big offers could put Boston in a bind. For example, even if the Celtics move Simons and take back limited money, the Celtics still would be hugged up around the tax line. Any room below that line evaporates quickly if you offer even modest money to Kornet and Horford.
Even at 39 years old, Horford continues to stiff-arm Father Time. If Boston was a surefire contender next season, it would make total sense to re-sign him.
But because the Celtics have to navigate these financial hurdles, combined with a potentially robust market for Horford’s services, it’s tougher to see a reunion unless Horford is willing to play on a contract well below his recent pay grade. (Horford made $9.5 million last season.)
Can the Celtics sign free agents on the open market?
If Boston intends to stay off the second apron, it can utilize a bunch of new tools to sign players, including the $5.7 million taxpayer midlevel exception. But, again, the team must clear the necessary space to consider that option first.
The Celtics also cannot advance back into the second apron at any point during the 2025-26 season if they utilize any of the roster options available to first-apron teams. That would include using the midlevel exception, acquiring a player via sign-and-trade, aggregating contracts in a trade, sending out cash in a trade, or utilizing a traded player exception.
The C’s can acquire minimum-contract veterans on the free agent market; they simply need to figure out the rest of their roster first.
So, what should we expect on Day 1 of free agency?
All eyes are on Kornet and Horford. A year after Kornet was first in line to re-sign with Boston, there’s a chance this year’s free agency process takes a bit longer for him. Both Kornet and Horford can examine outside offers while waiting to see what sort of money the Celtics will have available.
If Kornet signs elsewhere, it’s a sign the Celtics are not confident they can move salary at this point of the offseason, or that they simply desire to carry Simons into the season to get a look at his potential fit.
The Celtics do not have to clear the second apron or the luxury tax before the start of the 2025-26 season. League calculations occur on the final day of the regular season, which means teams can still maneuver through February’s NBA trade deadline and beyond.
Boston always could tiptoe into the season having cleared the second apron, then still try to get below the tax before the trade deadline if it doesn’t look like a true title team without Tatum.
There’s flexibility for the Celtics now having moved off the contracts of Holiday and Porzingis. But there’s still a roster to fill out, too. Neemias Queta is the most experienced big on the roster, at least considering Xavier Tillman Sr. rarely touched the floor last season.
We suspect we’ll either see the Celtics, A) Move Simons for limited financial return and then re-sign at least one of their familiar bigs, or B) Package some lower salaries (Niang? Tillman?) to try to create additional space, but then be less likely to bring back Kornet and/or Horford in that instance.
Patience is necessary here. The first dominoes fell quickly for the Celtics as they started getting their books in order. The next domino could set off a chain reaction that might bring this team’s roster into focus.
The Houston Rockets have been busy this offseason: • Trade for Kevin Durant • Re-sign Fred VanVleet • Extend Steven Adams • Work out deals to keep Jae'Sean Tate, Aaron Holiday, Jeff Green
Now they have reached a contract extension with starting forward Jabari Smith Jr. for five years, $122 million ($24.4 million a year on average), reports Shams Charania of The Athletic. This is a straight five-year contract, with no player or team options. This new contract kicks in a year from now, Smith Jr. has one year remaining on his rookie deal at $12.4 million.
Jabari Smith Jr. as a Rocket:
— 13.0 PPG — 7.5 RPG — 1.7 3PG
Joins Luka and Lauri as the only players with those averages in their first three seasons. pic.twitter.com/DkZofq1gw0
Smith is part of the young Rockets' core that broke out and won 52 games this season, reaching the No. 2 seed in the West. In 57 games last season, Smith averaged 12.2 points and 7 rebounds a game, shooting 35.4% from beyond the arc.
Smith, the No. 3 pick in the 2022 class, becomes the first player to sign a contract extension from that group. Three players from that class — Paolo Banchero, Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams — are expected to sign max (or near max) extensions. Other names to watch include the Kings' Keegan Murray, the Pacers' Bennedict Mathurin, the Pistons' Jaden Ivey, the Nuggets' Peyton Watson, the Hawks' Dyson Daniels, the Jazz's Walker Kessler, and the Rockets' Tari Eason.
Former NBA forward Bojan Bogdanović announced his retirement on Sunday.
The sharpshooter played professionally overseas in Europe early on in his career, before he broke into the NBA with the Nets during the 2014-15 campaigns.
He spent the first two years of his three-year pact in for Brooklyn, but with a visit to free agency looming they decided to ship him off to the Washington Wizards ahead of the 2017 trade deadline.
Bogdanović went on to spend time with Indiana, Utah, and Detroit before he landed back in the Big Apple ahead of the 2024 deadline -- this time landing with the Knicks.
He appeared in 29 regular season games for the Knicks, but was limited to just four during the postseason before he ended up being shutdown to undergo surgeries on his left foot and left wrist.
The 36-year-old was then sent back to Brooklyn as part of the Mikal Bridges trade, but he didn’t appear in a game due to the injuries -- which have now forced him to decide to hang up the sneakers.
“Sometimes in life, you don't choose the moment,” he wrote on social media. “The moment chooses you. After 14 months of battling a foot injury, two surgeries, and countless efforts to get back on the court, the time has come to close a chapter.”
Bogdanović averaged 15.6 points on 39.4 percent shooting from three in his NBA career.
James Harden had an All-NBA season for the Clippers, carrying their offense — with Paul George on the East Coast and Kawhi Leonard hurt the first part of the season — averaging 22.8 points and 8.7 asissts a game, leading the team to 50 wins and a tie for the 3/4/5 seeds in the West (the Clippers were the fifth seed based on tie breakers and lost in the first round to Denver).
Harden also had a $36.7 million player option for next season, but he is turning that down to sign a two-year, $81.5 million contract to remain with the Clippers, a story broken by Shams Charania of ESPN and quickly confirmed by others. The second year of that contract is partially guaranteed and includes a mutual option, which means that if Harden exercises the option (which seems likely), the Clippers can waive him but incur a dead cap hit for the guaranteed portion.
This was expected. They needed each other and had nowhere else to turn. Harden was the heart of the Clippers' offense last season and they need him to play at that level again to be competitive next season. For Harden, there wasn't a free agent market for him (only Brooklyn would have the cap space to sign him near the price he is asking, and it is rebuilding, not looking for players who will be 36 by the start of next season).
The Clippers wanted him back, but on a short-term deal. Now, Harden and Kawhi Leonard each have two years left on their contracts, as does every other rotation player on the roster, outside of Ivica Zubac, who has three years remaining. The Clippers have set themselves up for a pivot in a couple of seasons (possibly one, as they could start trying to trade players with expiring deals next summer).
The Clippers have more business to do this summer: Nicolas Batum opted out of his $4.9 million player option for next season. The Clippers would like to and expect to re-sign him, but that will cost a little more than what he was going to make.
Clippers guard James Harden is expected to sign a two-year, $81.5 million deal with the Clippers after declining his player option. (Brandon Dill / Associated Press)
Clippers executives were serious when they said they had not soured on James Harden's future with the franchise after an underwhelming postseason performance.
Harden declined his player option for $36 million with the Clippers on Sunday and intends to sign a two-year deal with the team for $81.5 million, league sources with knowledge of the deal not authorized to discuss it publicly said. The second year is a player option and is partially guaranteed.
The deal gave Harden a raise and the Clippers some salary flexibility going forward.
“He’s our No. 1 priority,” Lawrence Frank, the Clippers’ president of basketball operations, told the media after the first round of the draft Wednesday night. “We’re super hopeful that James is here and he’s here for a long time. He has a player-option, so he can opt-in … or he can opt-out and hopefully we can do a deal that makes sense for both sides. But James, as you guys know, was phenomenal and we hope to continue to see his play.”
Though the Clippers drafted a center in the first round with the 30th pick, getting Yanic Konan Niederhauser of Penn State, Frank said his team “probably will have at least three centers.”
The Clippers can use their non-taxpayer mid-level exception that’s projected to be about $14.1 million on a player or two, and perhaps even find a center.
Harden played in 79 games this past season, played the fifth-most total minutes in the NBA (2,789), was fifth in the league in assists (8.7), averaged 22.8 points per game and was the only player with 1,500 points, 500 assists, 100 steals and 50 blocks.
Harden, however, struggled during the postseason, averaging 18.7 points per game in the series the Clippers lost to the Nuggets. He scored just 33 points combined in Games 4, 5 and 7 losses, including seven points in Game 7.
Clippers guard James Harden looks to shoot during the team's win over San Antonio Spurs on April 8 at Intuit Dome. (Carrie Giordano / Associated Press)
Harden turns 36 in August and was not made available to speak with media during traditional exit interviews every team typically hosts to close out a season.
“When it was James this year with no Kawhi, with Norm [Powell] and [Ivica] Zubac and the rest of the group, we really asked James to do a lot,” Frank said shortly after the Clippers were eliminated from the playoffs.
“And at his age to deliver what he did…[He played in] 79 games, and he does that time and time and time again. We have a deep appreciation for that sort of availability and to be able to deliver and do what he did…We have a great level of appreciation for what James did this year.”
The Knicks are exercising the team option on center Ariel Hukporti and they are planning to decline the team option on veteran PJ Tucker, league sources told SNY.
Declining Tucker’s team option decreases the Knicks’ payroll by $3.5 million.
The Knicks currently are above the first apron in total team salary and have access to the $5.6M taxpayer exception (they have roughly $196 million in team salary). Contracts signed with this exception can be no longer than two years and contain five percent raises -- you can split the exception to sign multiple players.
By declining Tucker’s option, the Knicks also have the flexibility to sign-and-trade their free agents to bring back a player under contract who makes up to the $5.6 million exception.
If you use the exception to sign a free agent, you are hard-capped at the second apron -- this means you can’t spend more than $207.8 million in team salary.
The Knicks can also use the veteran’s minimum exception to sign free agents.
New York has decisions to make on its own veteran free agents in Delon Wright, Precious Achiuwa, Landry Shamet and Cam Payne.
The team will monitor the backup guard market.
The Knicks are among the teams who will have interest in Shamet once free agency opens at 6 PM on Sunday, per SNY sources. Contending teams in both conferences are expected to have interest in Shamet, league sources say.
The 28-year-old returned from a dislocated shoulder during the 2024-25 season and shot 40 percent from beyond the arc across 50 games in the regular season. He was out of the rotation for much of the postseason but was reinserted to the rotation in Game 3 of Knicks-Pacers.
Shamet delivered, hitting 7-of -13 threes during the series and defending well. The Knicks were plus-21 when he was on the court against Indiana (52 minutes).
The Knicks also on Sunday extended qualifying offer to Kevin McCullar Jr., league sources confirm, as first reported by the New York Post.
LeBron James' NBA career began with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2003 [Getty Images]
LeBron James is set to play in a record 23rd NBA season after his agent said the 40-year-old has exercised an option to extend his contract with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Rich Paul said James, the NBA's all-time leading scorer, was targeting a fifth Championship after activating a $53m (£41m) player option for the 2025-26 season.
"He knows the Lakers are building for the future. He understands that, but he values a realistic chance of winning it all," he told ESPN.
"We understand the difficulty in winning now while preparing for the future. We do want to evaluate what's best for LeBron at this stage in his life and career. He wants to make every season he has left count, and the Lakers understand that, are supportive and want what's best for him."
James currently shares the NBA season record with eight-time All-Star Vince Carter. His tally of 1,562 regular-season appearances is just 50 short of breaking former Boston Celtics star Robert Parish's NBA record.
In 2023 he broke Lakers icon Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's long-standing points record of 38,387 to become the NBA's all-time leading scorer. His current tally stands at 42,184.
James' NBA career began in 2003 when he was drafted first overall by hometown team, the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The forward joined the Miami Heat in 2010, winning two titles, before returning to lead Cleveland to their only NBA title with a 2016 success.
He has been with the Lakers since 2018 and helped them win the 2020 title, which was also the fourth time James was named NBA finals MVP.
His 20-year-old son Bronny was drafted by the Lakers in the summer of 2024 and they became the first father-son duo to share the court in an NBA game in October.
