Category: NBA

The Walker Kessler saga is officially over, and so is his tenure in Utah. The Utah Jazz are sending Walker Kessler to the Los Angeles Lakers in a sign-and-trade for unprotected first-round picks in 2031 and 2033, plus the right to swap first-round picks in 2028 and 2030.

BREAKING: The Los Angeles Lakers are acquiring Walker Kessler from the Utah Jazz for unprotected first-round picks in 2031 and 2033 and first-round swaps in 2028 and 2030, sources tell ESPN. Kessler will sign a massive four-year, $130 million deal with the Lakers. pic.twitter.com/rt8b17fEQZ

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2026

The Lakers are paying Kessler $130 million over 4 years, which is about $32.5 million AAV. Additionally, his contract includes a player option on the fourth year, and a 15% trade kicker.

Kessler turns 25 years old in late July, and has averaged 9.5 points, 9.3 rebounds, 2.4 blocks and 1.2 assists in 25.3 minutes per game for his career, shooting 68.1% from the field. Ironically, Kessler arrived in Utah in the package for Rudy Gobert as the No. 22 overall pick in the 2022 draft. This Gobert trade has now amounted to six first-round picks, and three swaps (4 of the picks are still outstanding).

In his 4 seasons with Utah, he has been a great rebounder, rim protector, and lob threat around the rim. He flashed a hint of 3-point shooting early in the past season, making 6/8 before going out with shoulder surgery. However, any outside shooting is only theoretical, as he is a career 54.5% free throw shooter.

Los Angeles’ Perspective

Looking at the Lakers’ side of things, this fills a massive hole on their roster at the center position, which they tried to patch with Mark Williams and Deandre Ayton with little success. Kessler is the dominant rim protector, elite offensive rebounder, and finisher that a Dončić/Austin Reaves-led offense needs. Ayton will now have a much smaller role, off the bench, which better suits his skillset.

On the other hand, the Lakers have no tradable first-round picks over the next seven years, and have committed $475 million to Luka Dončić, Austin Reaves, and Walker Kessler. Kessler is undoubtedly a great fit, but they are paying a steep price for a player that hasn’t proven himself on a high-stakes NBA stage.

Kessler has struggled with confidence finishing around the rim and playing through contact, especially in his sophomore year, which can’t happen on the Lakers. Los Angeles scrutiny will be on an entirely new level. Whether he’s fully grown past that is unclear, and it’s a real question when you’ve traded your remaining first-round picks for him.

Another concern worth considering is Kessler’s durability. He has only played 63 games in the past two seasons, and is coming off a surgery which repaired a torn labrum in his left shoulder. The labrum has been a years-long issue going back to his Auburn days that required surgery after repeated subluxing. I’m sure the Lakers looked into Walker’s medical records, but his health will be something to continue to monitor.

How much can a team giving that much money to those three players, without any flexibility, really win? We will see how they continue to round out their roster this offseason, but so far they have lost LeBron James, Marcus Smart, Luke Kennard, and likely won’t be able to re-sign Rui Hachimura.

A Luka Dončić team needs shooting, perimeter defense, and solid bigs. Now they have a solid big in Kessler, but no flexibility to improve their shooting or perimeter defense.

Utah’s Perspective

For the Jazz, this is a bitter-sweet deal. On one hand, they recoup a lot of the draft capital they traded for Jaren Jackson Jr. and have more cap flexibility in the future. Utah already has significant money tied up in Lauri Markkanen and Jaren Jackson Jr, so signing Kessler to a $130 million deal would have squeezed their books even further.

Not paying Kessler gives the Jazz more flexibility to chase free agents this offseason, and to re-sign Keyonte George next summer. The picks they got in return are also valuable assets that could be used in a trade or win-now move.

However, as of today, this trade makes Utah a worse basketball team. Jusuf Nurkic is now the starting center unless more moves are made. JJJ could play some center minutes, but is a more natural powerforward. He plays best next to a rim-protecting center, which is what made his pairing with Walker Kessler so enticing. Now we never get to see what those two could have been together on defense.

While paying Kessler this contract would have been expensive, it’s surprising Utah didn’t just match the contract which was being reported all week.

I was personally bracing myself for the Jazz to match a Kessler contract worth $35+ million AAV, making it surprising that the Jazz didn’t just pay him the $32.5 million. The front office must have determined that these first-round picks are more valuable than Walker Kessler on that contract.

Utah Jazz restricted free agent Walker Kessler has had meetings with a couple of teams and is headed to another meeting, league sources tell The Athletic. He holds multiple offers in the mid to high 30’s annually, along with structure of his choice, including player options

— Tony Jones (@Tjonesonthenba) June 30, 2026

The Jazz have spent the last four seasons tanking for high lottery picks and collecting assets. After the JJJ trade and drafting Darryn Peterson, Utah seemed to be turning the page and making win-now moves. This Kessler deal doesn’t fit that narrative, but maybe it turns into a greater opportunity in the near future.

For a moment this offseason, it really seemed like Utah was building something rare. A frontcourt pairing of JJJ and Walker Kessler along with a dynamic offense is everything the Jazz needed to turn this rebuild around. It’s too bad we didn’t get to see this team play out.

As Kessler leaves, so does a big part of Utah’s defense, replaced by two first-round picks that won’t convey until the next decade. Utah got good value, but is that value worth downgrading the team? As of right now, it’s too early to determine who has won the trade. Whether this trade ages well for the Jazz will depend on what they do next.

The Knicks and Raptors haven’t been good at the same time very often. In the late ’90s, when the Knicks made regular appearances deep into the playoffs, the Raptors were a young expansion team getting their feet wet, focused on building a foundation and a fan base. When they started to take off and Vince Carter elevated them into one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference, the Knicks had begun what would become a decade-long spiral of suffering, losing, and ineptitude. In the 2010s, the Raptors won the ninth-most games in the NBA and captured an NBA championship. The Knicks, meanwhile, were busy failing to put together competent teams around Carmelo Anthony, only to fail to capitalize on Kristaps Porzingis’ breakout career.

The trend of at least one of the two franchises struggling will change this upcoming season, though. LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo were the only superstars expected to swap teams this offseason, but Kawhi Leonard has joined them in what has turned into a very fun offseason filled with surprising twists. With Leonard heading to Toronto, both teams will be good. Very good. But can the Raptors challenge the Knicks? And if so, are they the biggest threat in the conference?

The answer to the first question is yes. A defensive frontcourt consisting of Leonard, Scottie Barnes, and Collin Murray-Boyles has a very strong case to be the best in the league. That’s a very athletic and strong defensive trio with plenty of versatility, size, and length. No offense will enjoy playing against them. Even a Knicks team that solved the Victor Wembanyama problem that so many had struggled to answer will undoubtedly struggle at times.

This past season, while the Knicks dominated the season series against the Raptors, the latter held up defensively for much of each game. Adding one of the best defenders in the league to what was already a strong group while subtracting its weakest defender in Brandon Ingram makes them an immediate threat. Assuming they stay relatively healthy, it’s not unreasonable to expect them to be a top-three defense in the league alongside the Thunder and Spurs.

This trade also gives them a significant offensive upgrade. Ingram is no slouch as a scorer, but his shot profile isn’t an ideal one in today’s NBA. He is a 2000s-esque player who does a lot of his damage in the midrange and doesn’t get to the free-throw line much. While Leonard is just as deadly from the midrange, he gets to the line more frequently and is a much better, more willing three-point shooter. One of the areas where the Raptors struggled most last season was their lack of three-point shooting, particularly off the dribble.

On many nights, the Raptors simply lost the mathematical battle because opposing teams took and made significantly more outside shots. In fact, Leonard alone averaged 4.0 pull-up three-point attempts per game last season, while the Raptors averaged 4.9 per game as a team.

I’d also say that the answer to the second question is yes. Part of that is because the Raptors, for all the reasons mentioned above, are a much better team. But part of it is also due to how the offseason has unfolded for the other Eastern Conference teams. The Celtics may be losing Jaylen Brown, and Derrick White will be one year older and is coming off a poor shooting season. As they are currently constructed, I don’t think they have the defensive capability to slow down the Knicks.

The Boston Celtics have officially begun their work in free agency. 

According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, Boston has agreed to deals with veteran guard Mike Conley and center Mitchell Robinson. 

Conley is reportedly signing on a veteran minimum contract, while Robinson, fresh off an NBA championship with the New York Knicks, has landed a lucrative deal worth just over $15 million annually. The contract is reportedly for three years and includes a player option for the final season. While I don’t think it’s particularly likely, one detail worth monitoring is whether Robinson’s contract includes games-played incentives. We’ve seen this structure used before, most recently when the Portland Trail Blazers included similar incentives in old friend Robert Williams III’s extension to account for his injury history. 

One important aspect of the Robinson signing though is its financial impact on the Celtics. 

Boston used its non-taxpayer mid-level exception to sign Robinson, a move that automatically triggers a hard cap at the NBA’s first apron, set at approximately $209 million. When a team is hard capped, they are prohibited from exceeding that salary threshold for the remainder of the league year. 

As things stand right now with the additions of Conley and Robinson, Boston has all 15 standard contract roster spots filled and are $5.1 million under the first apron but now $3.5 million over the luxury tax.  

With Mitchell Robinson and Mike Conley in the fold, the Celtics are at 15 players on standard contracts (including Chris Cenac). I've got Boston at $3.5M over the tax and $5.1M under their first-apron hard cap (triggered by signing Robinson with the NTMLE).

That's enough…

— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) July 1, 2026

I am very curious if this means other moves, whether big or small, will come down the pipe eventually. The Celtics have traditionally preferred to carry an open roster spot into the regular season, giving themselves flexibility as the year unfolds. On top of that, we saw just how committed the front office was to managing its tax bill last season, making a flurry of deadline deals to duck below the luxury tax threshold. With Boston now operating under the first-apron hard cap, that same emphasis on financial flexibility could once again shape the team’s next moves. 

One name that consistently surfaces in salary-clearing discussions is Sam Hauser, who is set to earn $10.8 million this season. The more likely move, in my view, is parting ways with Dalano Banton to free up a roster spot. The Celtics exercised Banton’s team option before the deadline, but his salary remains non-guaranteed. That gives Boston the flexibility to waive him with minimal financial consequences if the front office decides it needs another opening on the 15-man roster. 

What cost saving moves do you think the Celtics should/will make if any?  

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Prediction market customers are taking a strong interest in LeBron James' basketball future. The 41-year-old is mulling his next team options now that NBA teams are allowed to negotiate contracts with free agents.

Roughly $27 million in contracts have been traded at leading operators Kalshi and Polymarket on the superstar's next destination.

Key Takeaways

• Trading volume has spiked since James announced his departure from the Los Angeles Lakers.
  
  
• Golden State is the leading destination at Kalshi and Polymarket.
  
  
• Polymarket customers are also showing strong support for Miami.

ESPN’s David Purdum shared Tuesday evening that more than $12.8 million in prediction market contracts related to James’ next team had been traded at Kalshi in the preceding two days. That pushed the overall total over $17 million.

The trading volume surpassed $23 million as of Wednesday morning.

The LeBron James next team odds show that the Golden State Warriors are the favorite (38% at Kalshi, 34% at Polymarket). Traders at both platforms also believe the Cleveland Cavaliers are the next most-likely team (34% at Kalshi, 33% at Polymarket), and there’s a sizable discrepancy after them.

The Warriors climbed as high as 58% on Polymarket and 50% on Kalshi within the last week after reports suggested that Golden State was hoping to pair James with Stephen Curry and Draymond Green. 

If there is a team that is going to challenge the Warriors and Cavaliers, it appears to be the Miami Heat (21% at Polymarket, 18% at Kalshi). James won two championships with the franchise in 2012 and 2013 and would have the chance to play with Bam Adebayo and the recently acquired Giannis Antetokounmpo.

The Heat had less than a 1% chance on Polymarket of landing James as recently as Monday. Kalshi never dropped them that low, but did have them at just 5% a week ago.

Where is the money going?

Kalshi does not show trading volume for individual outcomes on its platform, but Polymarket does.

Polymarket customers have bought a hair under $4.7 million in trades. The Los Angeles Lakers – who already announced James’ departure – have the highest trading volume at $776,706 (16.6% of the total volume).

The Heat lead the top three contenders with $407,443, which is 8.7% of the total volume. The Warriors are next with $359,374 (7.7%) in trades, followed by the Cavaliers’ $184,356 (3.9%).

The San Antonio Spurs are fourth in probability to sign James at Kalshi and Polymarket, although they have not been linked to him by prominent reporters. The Minnesota Timberwolves (3% at Kalshi, 2% at Polymarket) and Washington Wizards (3% at Kalshi, 1% at Polymarket) have.

Polymarket reported $128,654 (2.8%) of trades backing the Timberwolves and $112,492 (2.4%) supporting the Wizards.

NBA Finals probabilities

With heavy player movement, NBA Finals odds and probabilities are constantly changing. However, Kalshi and Polymarket share a common view of the favorites to lift the Larry O'Brien Trophy in 2027.

The Oklahoma City Thunder (25% at Kalshi, 21% at Polymarket) and San Antonio Spurs (21% at Kalshi, 18% at Polymarket) are separated from the rest of the league. The defending-champion New York Knicks are third at 11% on both platforms, followed by the Boston Celtics (10% at Kalshi, 8% at Polymarket).

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

The Golden State Warriors are looking to make a splash in free agency or through trades this offseason, but first things first: they have to make sure to keep some of their own key players. And so, two days after agreeing to an extension with Kristaps Porziņģis, the Warriors have reportedly re-signed guard De’Anthony Melton.

According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, Melton’s new deal is for two years and $11 million, with a player option in the second year. It’s a pay bump of a few million for Melton, who had just declined a player option that would pay him $3.3 million in the upcoming season.

Melton has been open about enjoying his time with the Warriors and hoping to stay long term. He first signed with the team ahead of the 2024-25 season, but suffered a season-ending ACL injury early in the year, and was later traded. Despite that, he returned to the Warriors a year ago, and fit right in, averaging 12.3 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.6 steals per game, in 23.0 minutes. Melton’s three-point stroke fell off dramatically last year (he shot 29.4% from deep, after entering the year with a career 36.9% mark), but he did a wonderful job of running the team when Steph Curry was on the bunch (or sidelined with an injury).

During a hot stretch late in the year, it looked like Melton had played himself well out of the Warriors price range. But a cold stretch to end the season, mixed with his injury concerns, kept him at a price that the Warriors could afford. Given his skills, veteran reliability, and respect within the locker room, Steve Kerr and Mike Dunleavy Jr. have to be thrilled that Melton is returning.

Of course, the Warriors bringing back two of their older, oft-injured players, does nothing to change the biggest issue facing the team: age and injuries. But there’s plenty of time left in the offseason to address that.

Editor's note: Find July 1 live updates from NBA free agency here.

As LeBron James enters the free agent market as the most accomplished 41-year-old in NBA history, teams with championship aspirations are no doubt inquiring about his availability as he and agent Rich Paul scope out the lay of the land as teams chase and sign players in order to dethrone the champion New York Knicks.

With James, this decision isn't about money; if it were, he would have immediately re-signed with the Los Angeles Lakers, who were told to plan to play their 2026-27 season without the NBA's all-time leading scorer.

Loads of money for LeBron: Lakers, Nets, Bulls and Pistons

James is a Bird Rights free agent, meaning Los Angeles could have given him the value of his cap hold, which is $57.75 million for the upcoming season. A two-year deal with a player option could have been an option as well, in case he wants to retire after one more season.

There are few teams with the cap space to sign James, including the Brooklyn Nets, who are in total rebuild mode, putting them at a distinct disadvantage.

The 2026-27 NBA salary cap was set at $164.961 million, so the Chicago Bulls and the Detroit Pistons can easily create cap space by waiving or trading players to get those salaries off the books.

Mid-level exception contenders: Warriors, Celtics, Heat and more

Golden State, which has been rumored to covet James' services, will need to jump through some hurdles to acquire him. The Warriors are among nearly half the league that can offer a full mid-level exception. That list of teams also includes the Boston Celtics, Miami Heat, Philadelphia 76ers, and Dallas Mavericks.

This year's mid-level exception is set at $15.044 million, and, of course, James must decide if an opportunity justifies getting maximum value for his services, but ESPN.com reported that he is willing to accept a minimum contract to play for a contender.

Veteran minimum or bust: Cavaliers, Nuggets, Thunder

Speaking of the minimum, there are three teams that can offer James exactly that: The Cleveland Cavaliers, Denver Nuggets, and Oklahoma City Thunder. The Cavaliers, of course, would be a homecoming for James, as he spent 11 of his 23 seasons with the team and led them to their only championship in 2016. Cleveland is coming off a thumping in the East finals by the Knicks, and a third act of James would immediately put them as the conference favorite.

But for those teams to make room for James, they would not only have to offer him the minimum but also decide whether going further into another tier of salary cap space hell, known as the apron, is worth it. The Thunder seem content with where they are after signing their stars, including NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, to long-term extensions last year.

Wherever James ends up playing will be a fascinating case study in how he fits with a new roster and whether he immediately puts a team over the hump to get his elusive fifth championship ring.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: In LeBron James free agency, these teams have the most, and least, money to spend

The Los Angeles Lakers moved on from LeBron James by making the first big splash of NBA free agency. The team filled a void in its starting lineup by acquiring Walker Kessler in a trade with the Utah Jazz that also includes a massive new contract extension for the 24-year-old center.

Kessler will join the Lakers through a sign-and-trade agreement, according to multiple reports, in which the Lakers will give the Jazz two future unprotected first-round picks and two first-round picks swaps and sign Kessler to a new 4-year, $130-million contract.

Since Kessler was a restricted free agent, the Jazz had the right to match any contract offer he received from another team. The two sides had been in protracted negotiations on a new extension, with Utah hoping to keep Kessler. But the Lakers' offer proved too good to pass up with talks stalled.

Did Los Angeles give up too much to acquire the center they've needed since trading Anthony Davis? Or did the Jazz give up on Kessler too soon coming off a major injury?

USA TODAY Sports breaks down the Lakers' big move, with trade grades for both teams now that Kessler is going from the Jazz to Los Angeles:

NBA FREE AGENCY LIVE UPDATES: Latest LeBron rumors, signings, trades

Walker Kessler trade details

• Lakers receive: Restricted free agent Walker Kessler (will sign new 4-year, $130-million contract as part of sign-and-trade)
• Jazz receive: Unprotected first-round picks in 2031 and 2033 and first-round swaps in 2028 and 2030

Los Angeles Lakers Walker Kessler trade grade: B-

The Lakers coveted a new starting center to team with Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, and they're making a huge bet Kessler is the two-way piece that can best complement them inside.

General Manager Rob Pelinka gave up a lot to acquire Kessler, who played in just five games last season due to a shoulder injury. But the 24-year-old averaged a double-double (11.1 points, 12.4 rebounds and 2.4 blocks) over 54 games during the 2024-25 campaign. If Kessler quickly returns to form, he can be a dynamic lob threat for Doncic and a premier offensive rebounder, while also providing elite rim protection and defensive cover for the Lakers' backcourt.

But the Lakers are spending most of their salary cap space for the foreseeable future on the trio of Doncic, Reaves and Kessler, and they won't have much draft capital moving forward to build around them. They are making more moves along the periphery of the roster, but questions will likely linger into the regular season about whether this new Los Angeles nucleus can compete with the Spurs and Thunder long-term.

Utah Jazz Walker Kessler trade grade: B

The Jazz lost one of the successful first-round draft picks that have come to the team through its extended rebuild, but they acquired a significant haul of new draft capital in the process.

There is an argument, given Kessler's recent injury history and limited offensive game, that the Jazz just acquired two unprotected first-round picks and two pick swaps for the right not to overpay Kessler. Utah reportedly had a 5-year, $140-million offer on the table, according to ESPN. The Lakers bested that, and the Jazz did well to get assets in return.

Though Utah seems ready to make a playoff push this coming season after re-signing Lauri Markkanen and trading for Jaren Jackson Jr. in recent years, tying up so much money in three frontcourt players could have been problematic in the future. Losing Kessler will hurt Utah's short-term outlook, and finding a replacement won't be easy. Just ask the Lakers.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Walker Kessler trade grades: Did Lakers give up too much in Jazz deal?

In need of bench scoring and depth in the backcourt behind their starting backcourt, one of the Lakers’ first signings this offseason will be a backup guard.

According to Shams Charania of ESPN, the Lakers have agreed to a four-year, $60 million deal with Quentin Grimes.

Free agent guard Quentin Grimes has agreed to a four-year, $60 million to join the Los Angeles Lakers, with a player option, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/5mcp4pULuD

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2026

The Lakers had been linked to Grimes during free agency, so this move does not come as a total surprise. With both Marcus Smart and Luke Kennard leaving in free agency, the Lakers had a need for guard depth. Along with Grimes, the team signed Collin Sexton, getting two young, athletic players to fill that void.

Now Grimes will reunite with his former teammate Luka Dončić. They played together briefly in Dallas during the 2024-25 season. Ironically, both were traded in pretty terrible deals for the Mavs with Grimes dealt for Caleb Martin days after Luka joined the Lakers.

Grimes had some big scoring nights last season in Philadelphia. He had 20-plus points in 15 games with his best performance coming against the Blazers where he scored 31 points in a win. Across the season, Grimes averaged 13.4 points, 3.6 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game last season. He also shot 33.4% from beyond the arc.

Overall, Grimes had an up-and-down postseason with the Sixers, but he had some great scoring games. He scored 18 points in a pivotal Game 5 win over the Celtics. In that matchup, he was red-hot from deep, knocking down four 3-pointers.

Over his career, Grimes has averaged 11.1 points per game while shooting 44.6% from the field and 36.6% from the 3-point line.

Grimes reached unrestricted free agency this summer by signing a qualifying offer of $8.7 million last season after failing to reach a deal with the Sixers last summer.

With Grimes on the Lakers, they have added another guard with some youth and athleticism. These are two things they have desperately been lacking over the past few seasons. The Lakers are betting on those two aspects helping the team improve over Smart and Kennard from last season.

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

Jalen Duren might have been eager to test the free agent market in a search to maximize his earnings on a new long-term deal, but that market has all but disappeared two days into free agency. There were few teams with salary cap space to spend, but there were plenty of teams interested in landing a difference-making center.

When it was reported that Duren was interested in meeting with the Sacramento Kings, it made sense because, well, they’re the Kings. When LeBron James made it clear he was moving on from the center-needy Los Angeles Lakers, the fit didn’t seem like it could get better. It was clear throughout the season that the Boston Celtics viewed center as the weakest spot on their roster, and the organization telegraphed that they would work to land a permanent solution in the offseason. You can toss some teams with money to spend and the ability to create more in the mix — the Chicago Bulls and the Brooklyn Nets chief among them.

In the two days since free agency began, all those teams (save the Kings) have found their answer at center, and it wasn’t Jalen Duren.

The Lakers swung a huge trade to land defensive powerhouse Walker Kessler from the Utah Jazz. The Boston Celtics landed New York Knicks champion Mitchell Robinson on a new three-year deal. The Bulls and Nets went bargain shopping and signed Zach Collins and Moe Wagner, respectively.

Restricted free agency is a nasty piece of business from the player’s perspective. Your team holds all the leverage and you have few avenues to dictate your own market. Jalen Duren is coming off an All-NBA season and technically qualified for a supermax contract. The Pistons are reportedly not even offering him the standard max. They telegraphed that even if Duren found a team willing to offer him a deal, they would match it. They made clear that any sign-and-trade would have to blow them away to even entertain the possibility.

I’m not surprised Duren is unhappy with the contract Detroit has put in front of him, and I understand he was trying to create leverage by exploring the market for a team that would pay him more. But it appears the league either values Duren differently or fully understands the strong position Detroit found itself in.

Duren now finds himself as the lone starting-level center still on the market. And there is one team he will likely be starting for — the Detroit Pistons.

What that contract arrangement looks like remains to be seen. Will a livid Duren do something as drastic as signing his qualifying offer, playing out one more year in Detroit and getting out at the earliest convenience? Probably not. That would be leaving more than $150 million dollars on the table.

He could sign for the full five years at between $32-38 million, have generational wealth and still be in his prime when he is up for his next monster deal. Or it could fall somewhere in between, fewer years, quicker pathways to a big payday, player options, etc.

But it appears that for all his agent’s posturing and trying to work the media to their fullest advantage, this is going to end up where it was always most likely to land — with Jalen Duren catching lobs from Cade Cunningham and Duren looking at another year in the playoffs where he can really show what he can do.

The floodgates were fully open for the Lakers’ free agency moves Wednesday morning. 

After securing Walker Kessler, Sandro Mamukelashvili and Quentin Grimes on long-term deals, the Lakers agreed to terms on a two-year deal with veteran guard Collin Sexton.

ESPN was first to report that Sexton is signing a two-year, $19 million deal. 

Sexton, the No. 8 pick in the 2018 draft, is coming off of averaging 15.4 points and 3.3 assists in 68 regular season games (22 starts) for the Hornets and Bulls in 2025-26.

He has career averages of 18.3 points (47% shooting; 50.4% on 2-pointers and 38.9% on 3-pointers), 3.6 assists and 2.7 rebounds during an eight-season NBA career that’s taken him to Cleveland, Utah, Charlotte, Chicago and now Los Angeles.

Sexton is expected to slot in as the backup ball handler behind star guards Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.

---

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Mamuuu! Nooo!

Shams Charania of ESPN has broken the news that newly minted free agent Sandro Mamukelashvili has officially signed a $52 million dollar deal with the Los Angeles Lakers, locking the centre-forward up for the next four years. It seems that as Toronto takes from one LA team, the other one takes back, and in a very vulnerable position for the Raps.

The potential effects of Mamu’s departure on the team have already been discussed: the loss of size and a respectable shooter is not something the Raptors can take lying down, and brings even more urgency to the Raptors’ quest to fill out their centre rotation. Trayce Jackson-Davis is now the team’s third stringer, who after playing only 17 games for the team, could see a huge uptick in minutes. All that considered, some additional urgency is probably not a bad thing for this team. The marathon to getting a positionally sound roster together is one that is going painfully slowly, but appears to be quite calculated, picking up Kawhi Leonard along the way.

But, the Raptors have only one seven footer, and ESPN shows Jamison Battle as the fourth string centre. That is an unacceptable state for this team to be in, long term. With even Jonathan Mogbo departing, the Raptors need more size of the bench, and a more reliable centre, full stop. We could see in the upcoming weeks more aggressive pursuit of Myles Turner, as Jalen Duren and many other high profile free agent centres have either been linked with new teams, or have already inked deals. The Raptors will have to make new moves sooner than later.

For more than his play, I’ll miss Mamu. The player seemed nothing but kind in his personal life, and injected excitement into a Raptors’ team that is only now beginning to find its identity. I wish him the best in Los Angeles, but reflect on the way we could have kept the good times going.

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Golden State fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

The Golden State Warriors opened the offseason with a big move, signing their trade deadline acquisition, Kristaps Porziņģis, to a two-year extension worth $40 million. The reunion wasn’t at all surprising, though I think the price tag probably raised a few eyebrows.

There are reasons to love and be skeptical about the extension. Porziņģis fit in brilliantly with the Dubs on both ends of the court, and showed just how dynamic of a force he can be in their systems. On the other hand, he also displayed the serious health concerns that have plagued him throughout the last decade.

So with all that in mind … how do you grade the extension?

The Los Angeles Lakers have agreed to terms on a four-year, $60 million contract with a free agent who’s also a former teammate of their superstar guard. 

The franchise will sign former 76ers guard Quentin Grimes, who was an unrestricted free agent after one-and-a-half seasons in Philadelphia. 

Grimes, 26, played with Lakers star guard Luka Dončić for a brief period to start the 2024-25 season in Dallas after being traded from the Detroit Pistons to the Dallas Mavericks during the 2024 offseason. 

The 6-foot-4 guard out of Houston, who was the No. 25 pick in the 2021 draft, has averaged 11.1 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.3 assists during his NBA career. 

Grimes is coming off of averaging 13.4 points, 3.6 rebounds and 3.3 assists in 2025-26 with the 76ers. 

He’s coming off a down shooting year, making a career-low 33.4% of his 3-pointers, but has been a reliable perimeter shooter for most of his career. 

Grimes shot 37.5% on 3s during his first four seasons in the league. He’s shot at least 38% on catch-and-shoot 3s in four of his five seasons.

Grimes is also a reliable corner 3-point shooter.

Free agent guard Quentin Grimes has agreed to a four-year, $60 million to join the Los Angeles Lakers, with a player option, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/5mcp4pULuD

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2026

At 6-foot-4 with a 6-foot-8 wingspan, Grimes has shown he can be a strong perimeter defender, especially off of the ball when he doesn’t have lapses.

After starting his career with the Knicks before being traded to the Pistons ahead of the 2024 trade deadline, Grimes hasn’t spent more than one-and-a-half seasons with a single team.

The Pistons traded him to the Mavericks during the 2024 offseason. And then the Mavericks traded Grimes to the 76ers ahead of the 2025 trade deadline.

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