Category: NBA

Two-time NBA All-Star and one of the league’s most controversial players off the court, Ja Morant, was traded by the Grizzlies on Monday.

Morant was dealt to the Trail Blazers, uniting him with Portland stars Damian Lillard, Jrue Holiday and Scoot Henderson, in exchange for Jerami Grant and Kris Murray, ESPN’s Shams Charania first reported.

The deal ends a turbulent tenure for Morant in Memphis, where he became a household name while simultaneously finding himself in increasingly significant trouble due to gun-related incidents off the court as well as injury issues. Morant appeared in just 79 games over the past three seasons due to suspensions and injuries.

At his best, Morant is one of the top players in the NBA, and his early career reflected the talent that he possesses.

He won Rookie of the Year and Most Improved Player in his first two seasons in the NBA, which included a 2021-22 season in which he averaged 27.4 points, 6.7 assists, 5.7 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game.

Morant was named to the NBA All-Star Game in 2022 and 2023, as well as earning All-NBA Second Team honors in 2021-22.

But things quickly turned for him in 2023, when, in March of that year, Morant was suspended for eight games for conduct detrimental to the league and then started the 2023-24 season with a 25-game ban.

Both stemmed from Morant flashing a firearm on livestreams on his social media.

He was also suspended for one game by the Grizzlies after an incident in November with head coach Tuomas Iisalo following a loss to the Lakers.

Now with Morant and the remaining two years and $87 million left on his contract gone, the Grizzlies have disbanded the core group of players that was once the cornerstone of the franchise, which included Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr.

The Portland Trail Blazers have acquired guard Ja Morant in a trade that will send Jerami Grant and Kris Murray back to the Memphis Grizzlies, according to multiple reports.

ESPN's Shams Charania was first to report the deal.

Morant will receive a fresh start after his time in Memphis was filled with highlight reels and controversy, which was marked by off-the-court issues that led to three suspensions in the past three years. The two-time All-Star was suspended for eight games in March 2023 after he displayed a firearm in a live-streamed video from a Denver-area nightclub.

Just four months later, the NBA suspended him again, this time for 25 games, for another video in which he was showing a firearm. This season, he was suspended for one game for conduct detrimental to the team following a postgame incident with head coach Tuomas Iisalo. Morant has only played in 79 games during the past three seasons due to injuries and off-the-court issues.

Ja Morant trade details

• Portland Trail Blazers: Ja Morant
• Memphis Grizzlies: Jerami Grant and Kris Murray

Ja Morant contract details

Morant signed a five-year, $197.2 million contract in July 2022 and is in the third year of that deal. Morant made $39.4 million for the 2025-26 season, is due $42 million and $44 million over the next two seasons and is scheduled to hit free agency in the summer of 2028.

Ja Morant age

Morant is 26 years old. He was drafted by the Grizzlies with the second overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft after two seasons at Murray State. During his sophomore season with the Racers, Morant averaged 26.8 points, 11 assists and 6.2 rebounds a game, earning Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year honors and being named a first-team All-American by the Associated Press.

Ja Morant stats for 2025-26

Playing in only 20 games this past season, Morant averaged 19.5 points, 8.1 assists and 3.3 rebounds in a career-low 28.5 minutes per game. He shot 41% from the floor and only 24% from 3-point range and was shut down in March due to a UCL sprain in his left elbow.

Ja Morant career stats

During his seven-season NBA career, Morant has averaged 22.4 points and 7.4 assists per game. The two-time All-Star was named the 2019-20 Rookie of the Year and Most Improved Player for the 2021-22 season.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Grizzlies finally end Ja Morant era with stunning trade to Trail Blazers

CBAMavs here and I’m back after a long hiatus. This is a small preview at the last minute to help you know what the Mavericks can legally do to improve the roster for the 2026-27 season. It was important to wait until after the draft to use the actual numbers for the draft picks.

This is what the Mavericks’ current cap sheet looks like:

Under or Over?

The Mavericks are slightly under the salary cap ($2,960,632) but will operate over the cap. This is because staying over the cap allows them to take advantage of different salary cap exceptions that they’d have to renounce to actually dip below the salary cap. To operate under the cap, the Mavericks would have to renounce all their free agent’s cap holds (Middleton, Powell, Bagley, Williams, Cisse), lose their Traded Player Exceptions (TPE) ($20,830,154) [Davis], ($6,000,000) [Hardy], ($2,296,274) [Exum] and lose access to the Non-Taxpayer Mid-Level Exception (NT-MLE) ($15,048,000 up to 4 years) and the Bi-Annual Exception (BAE) ($5,478,000 up to 2 years). The Mavericks would gain back the Room Exception ($9,369,000 up to 3 years) by going under the cap, but the Room Exception + the cap space acquired is less than the Non-Tax Mid-Level Exception by itself.

And they would be able to use these since the Mavericks currently sit $45,616,047 below the 1^st apron.

This is what the Mavericks Cap Sheet looks like if they used the NTMLE, the BAE, and their largest TPE.

They would still be $4,259,893 below the 1^st Apron even after using these exceptions. As they will be operating over the cap and are $45,616,047 below the 1^st Apron. How can the Mavericks use that Apron Room?

Free Agents

Own Free Agents

Cap Holds

• Khris Middleton $51,018,518 (Full Bird)
• Marvin Bagley $2,450,001 (Non-bird rights)
• Brandon Williams $2,450,001 (Full Bird)
• Dwight Powell $7,600,000 (Full Bird)
• Moussa Cisse $2,185,633 Restricted Cap Hold 

Re-signing these players

Bird Rights: We can offer them anything they’d like, up to their specific max. 0-6 years’ experience is 25%, 7-9 years’ experience is 30%, and 10+ years’ experience is 35%. Not that any of our players deserve anything close to a max, though.

Non-Bird rights mean the Mavericks can only give a 20% raise. For Bagley, that means the Mavericks can only offer up to $3,697,105 using the non-Bird rights. This is likely not enough, so they would have to use another exception to sign Bagley if they wanted to keep him.

Signing other Free Agents

NT-MLE: 15,048,000 (up to 4 years with 5% raises) (total for 4 years/$64,706,400)

BAE 5,478,000 (up to 2 years with 5% raises) (total is 2 years/$11,229,900)

The MLE (and BAE) can be split among multiple players. The first year salary is what is used to reduce the MLE/BAE.

In the new CBA, the MLE and BAE can also be used at Traded Player Exceptions, in addition to the normal path of using them to sign a free agent.

Trading for Players

Trade rules below the 1^st Apron

• Up to $7.25 million in outgoing salary can bring back 200 percent plus $250,000
• $7,250,001 to $29 million will be padded by a flat $7.5 million
• Above $29 million will be limited to 125 percent plus $250,000

How Traded Player Exceptions work?

• They are only able to absorb contracts
• TPE cannot be combined with anything. 
• It can bring back its own value + 250k

Mavericks TPEs

• $20,830,154 (+ $250k = $21,080,154) [Anthony Davis]
• $6,000,000 (+ $250k = $6,250,000) [Jaden Hardy]
• $2,296,274 (+ $250k = $2,546,274) [Dante Exum]

At the end of the day, the Mavericks can use these different avenues to maximize their roster, but will have to stay below the 1^st Apron $209,000,000.

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James Harden declined his player option and plans to sign a new deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers, per ESPN’s Shams Charania. Harden’s player option was worth $42.3 million dollars next season.

Cleveland Cavaliers' James Harden is declining his $42.3 million player option for 2026-27 and the sides are working through a new multiyear deal together, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/UiE1bn3BnP

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 29, 2026

Harden’s new deal could be in the $28-30 million a year range, according to The Athletic’s Joe Vardon.

“Harden’s yearly salary is expected to drop into the $28 million to $30 million range, but he can sign a contract that extends for up to three seasons.”

Editor’s note: The Athletic has since updated their story and changed Harden’s expected salary to $32-$38 million.

Wait a minute…🤔

(h/t to a concerned reader) https://t.co/kQ2n6QSIUVpic.twitter.com/WPRW0GmLR5

— RealCavsFans.com (@realcavsfans) June 29, 2026

The Cavs understood this was part of the deal when they traded for Harden in February. This was never going to be a one-year rental. Cleveland is working to restructure a team-friendly contract that keeps both sides happy. Harden gets long-term insurance while the Cavs are able to cut costs.

Harden’s new deal could help them get under the second apron and put them in a position where ducking the first apron becomes possible. Though that would require additional moves. The Cavs have decisions to make regarding Keon Ellis and Dean Wade’s future.

Cleveland had the highest payroll in league history last season. This culminated in a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals, where they faced a swift exit at the hands of the New York Knicks.

Harden averaged 16 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 4.3 turnovers in the Conference Finals. He shot 38.9% from the field and 17.9% from the three-point line. No one on the roster can feel proud of the way that series went down. The eventual champs ran them out of the gym.

The Cavs are hoping to take another step next season. They’re betting on internal growth, generally indicating that the core of this team will be back for another run. Signing Harden to a new deal is another sign of this. Of course, things can change quickly, and actions speak louder than words.

Harden is likely entering the final chapter of his career. He turns 37 in August, and a three-season deal would take him to the edge of his 40s. This could be the last major deal that Harden gets to sign as an NBA player.

A former NBA All-Star and No. 1 overall pick has declared himself a pending free agent, and perhaps unexpectedly so.

Ben Simmons is planning to attempt an NBA comeback this offseason and he's already targeted the Miami Heat as a potential destination, he told Men's Health in an interview published on Monday, June 29, ahead of the start to the NBA's free agency period.

Simmons, who turns 30 years old next month, didn't play in the NBA this past season and instead pursued a career in professional fishing. He last played for the Los Angeles Clippers, appearing in 18 games after the Brooklyn Nets bought out his contract during the 2024-25 season. Simmons became a co-owner and angler for Sport Fishing Championship's South Florida Sails in December 2025.

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“I plan on getting as strong as I can physically, getting my (butt) on the court, and then the team realizing that my abilities will be needed,” Simmons said in regards to a potential return to the NBA. “I don’t have a plan on where.”

“Maybe I’ll go back to Philly,” he added. “Miami would be nice. And not because it’s Miami – I like Erik Spoelstra, I like the Heat, I like their organization, I like the culture.”

Simmons, the No. 1 pick by the Philadelphia 76ers in 2016, was once one of the top defensive players in the league, with point-forward capabilities that offset his inability to shoot from the outside on offense. Persistent injury problems eventually limited his long-term effectiveness.

The 6-foot-11 Australian appeared in more than 50 games just once over his five most recent NBA seasons, and missed the entire 2021-22 campaign due to an extended holdout and back injury with the 76ers.

Ben Simmons fishing career

Simmons began pursuing a professional fishing career while not playing in the NBA during the 2025-26 season, according to reports. He became a co-owner and angler for the South Florida Sails of the Sport Fishing Championship in December 2025.

The team won the Blue Marlin Open at Walker's Cay in the Bahamas in May with Simmons participating. PGA Tour golfer Scottie Scheffler also owns a team on the sportfishing circuit.

“Who would’ve thought we’d be on ESPN for some fishing?” Simmons told Men's Health.

Ben Simmons contract

Simmons noted in the interview that he's an unrestricted free agent and coaches have told him there's a spot in the NBA for him if he's healthy. The five-year maximum contract extension he signed with the 76ers was set to expire after the 2024-25 season, prior to Simmons agreeing to a buyout with the Brooklyn Nets.

Ben Simmons stats

Simmons has career averages of 13.1 points, 7.4 rebounds and 7.2 assists on 55.8% shooting. He averaged 5 points, 5.6 assists and 4.7 rebounds per game with the Nets and Clippers during the 2024-25 season.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ben Simmons plotting NBA comeback, eyes Miami Heat as landing spot

How long before they get Knick’d?

The city is honoring the Knicks’ legendary championship clinch by installing temporary street signs feting them in Manhattan – but New Yorkers say it’s only a matter of time before the instant-classic markers are clinched by die-hard fans.

The 18 blue and orange signs, dispersed across Sixth and Seventh avenues Monday, will remain up for a month, with each honoring a member of the team.

“I probably would have been up attempting to” snag Jalen Brunson’s sign if people weren’t around, quipped fan Caleb Vasquez to The Post.

“It’s amazing,” he said of the street-sign gesture. “It’s been 53 years, it’s the least we could do to celebrate the team.”

Syd Bland, 29, a project manager from Brooklyn, said of Brunson’s sign at Seventh Avenue South and West 11th Street, “Listen, it’s 3:02 right now on a Monday.

“It’s going to be gone by 11:58 tonight.”

A 41-year-old artist named Faust added, “To be honest, I was walking up Sixth Avenue, and I thought it already got taken.

“Funny enough, I think on Bowery there was a street sign named after the Ramones, and that was the most stolen street sign in New York history. So I wouldn’t be surprised if this one takes the new crown.”

City Hall and the Department of Transportation, which produces the signs, did not respond to a Post request for comment about what steps they might be taking to combat the potential thefts.

A female director at JPMorgan Chase was already infamously caught on video emptying a celebratory public Knicks trash can on the street — then stealing it during the team’s parade — a move that got her fired.

Each new Knicks city street sign will feature a player’s name and will correspond to their jersey number – with the likes of Jalen Brunson taking Seventh Avenue South and West 11 Street and Karl-Anthony Towns repping Seventh Avenue and West 32 Street.

“This New York Knicks team brought so much life to our streets during their magical playoff run, so it’s only right we return the favor,” Department of Transportation Commissioner Mike Flynn said in a statement. 

“With each postseason win, more and more New Yorkers came together in the streets, on sidewalks and in plazas to watch the Knicks play and celebrate their improbable comebacks. New Yorkers will never forget this historic championship run or the players that brought them together for the most joyful 10 weeks we’ve ever experienced.”

The DOT signs will be up for four weeks, a rep for the city said, adding to iconic 34th Street being painted in the team’s colors through the 2026-27 NBA season.

The champs’ respective street signs can be found as follows:

• Sixth Avenue and West Houston Street – Jordan Clarkson #00  

• Sixth Avenue and Bleecker Street – Dillon Jones #1  

• Sixth Avenue and Minetta Lane – Miles “Deuce” McBride #2  

• Sixth Avenue and West 3rd Street – Josh Hart #3  

• Sixth Avenue and West 4th Street – Pacôme Dadiet #4  

• Sixth Avenue and Washington Place – Jose Alvarado #5  

• Sixth Avenue and West 8th Street – OG Anunoby #8  

• Sixth Avenue and West 9th Street – Kevin McCullar Jr.# 9  

• Seventh Avenue South and West 11th Street – Jalen Brunson #11  

• Seventh Avenue and West 13th Street – Tyler Kolek #13  

• Seventh Avenue and West 20th Street – Jeremy Sochan #20  

• Seventh Avenue and West 23rd Street – Mitchell Robinson #23  

• Seventh Avenue and West 25th Street – Mikal Bridges #25  

• Seventh Avenue and West 32nd Street – Karl-Anthony Towns #32  

• Sixth Avenue and West 44th Street – Landry Shamet #44  

• Seventh Avenue and West 50th Street – Trey Jemison III #50  

• Seventh Avenue and West 51st Street – Mohamed Diawara #51  

• Seventh Avenue and West 55th Street – Ariel Hukporti #55  

Aaron Friedman, a 45-year-old software engineer, agreed with other locals that there is “a high likelihood” for theft.

“I think people are going to try,” added a 35-year-old fan named Ricky.

“I was thinking I might pop out … when they’re taking it down, but I doubt they’ll give it to me,” he said of city workers.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani said in a statement, “This championship belongs to every fan who packed our parks and plazas and every neighbor who high-fived a stranger after another impossible comeback.”

“These street signs are a tribute to the players who delivered the championship generations of fans waited their whole lives to see and the city that stood behind them every step of the way,” he said.

“Long after the confetti is gone, New Yorkers will be able to walk these streets and remember the team that brought our city so much joy. Knicks in five.”   

The Golden State Warriors are looking to make some loud moves during this offseason period, but every team needs to make some quiet ones, as well. And the Dubs did just that on Monday, when, per a Keith Smith report, they extended the Qualifying Offer to a trio of young players: Quinten Post, Taran Armstrong, and Nico Mannion.

Post is the most notable name in that trio, as the seven-foot marksman started 35 games for Golden State a year ago. The 52nd overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, Post has played in 109 games for the Warriors, and has averaged 7.8 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 0.5 blocks per game, while shooting 36.4% on threes.

The Qualifying Offer, which is a one-year deal based on what a player was making the prior year, should be about $2.64 million for Post. Should he accept the deal, he’ll return to the Warriors on a one-year contract for that price, and enter unrestricted free agency next offseason. If he rejects the contract (which is more likely), then he becomes a restricted free agent, and the Warriors will have the opportunity to match any contract he is offered this summer.

As for Armstrong and Mannion, this is just about keeping their rights should they return to the NBA at some point down the road. Neither player was on Golden State’s roster last season, as Armstrong (who has yet to make his NBA debut) briefly signed a two-way contract, while Mannion (the team’s second-round pick in 2020) hasn’t been in the NBA since the 2020-21 season. Neither player figures into Golden State’s plans this year: Armstrong signed a two-year deal in Australia last month, while Mannion has been playing in Europe for five years.

Bob Iger is said to be eyeing a new Magic Kingdom in Las Vegas — an NBA franchise.

The former Disney boss — and Thrive Capital founder Josh Kushner, brother of President Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner — have enlisted bankers as they weigh a push for a majority stake in a potential Las Vegas expansion team, Bloomberg reported Monday, citing people familiar with the private talks.

No bid price has been disclosed, and the NBA has not yet approved a Las Vegas franchise.

The possible play would run through Thrive Eternal, Kushner’s new long-term investment vehicle aimed at buying stakes in sports teams, cultural brands and other assets built to outlast the tech cycle, according to the report.

Iger rejoined Thrive as an adviser after stepping down as CEO of Disney in March.

The reported pursuit would mark another high-profile ownership bid in what has quickly become a crowded race for one of the most coveted prizes in professional sports ownership.

The NBA’s Board of Governors voted in March to formally study expansion in Las Vegas and Seattle, with Commissioner Adam Silver saying the league hopes to determine by the end of the year whether to add one franchise, two franchises or none at all.

Las Vegas has long been viewed as the leading contender after evolving into one of the NBA’s showcase destinations.

The city hosts the league’s annual Summer League, staged the NBA Cup’s semifinal and championship games and already has an NBA-ready venue in T-Mobile Arena.

The Iger-Kushner team would face stiff competition.

Vegas Golden Knights owner Bill Foley unveiled his own expansion effort earlier this month, proposing to base a franchise at T-Mobile Arena.

Basketball Hall of Famer Magic Johnson has also been linked to a separate ownership group exploring a Las Vegas bid.

LeBron James, who for years publicly expressed interest in owning an NBA team in Las Vegas, poured cold water on speculation about his interest earlier this year, saying he was not pursuing an ownership bid.

For Iger, the effort would represent his latest move into sports investing after ending his second stint atop Disney in March.

The longtime entertainment executive helped transform Disney into a media powerhouse through acquisitions including Pixar, Marvel, Lucasfilm and most of 21st Century Fox, while overseeing ESPN’s decades-long relationship with the NBA.

Away from Disney, Iger and his wife, Willow Bay, acquired a controlling stake in the National Women’s Soccer League’s Angel City FC.

His relationship with Kushner has also deepened in recent years.

Iger first joined Thrive Capital as a venture partner after retiring from Disney in 2022. He famously came back to Disney’s board when it recruited him to replace Bob Chapek later that year.

Although he returned to Disney, Iger remained an investor in Thrive after joining a syndicate that purchased a minority stake in the venture capital firm in 2023.

His return this spring coincided with the launch of a new arm called Thrive Eternal. Its first announced investment was a minority stake in Major League Baseball’s San Francisco Giants.

Last year, Thrive Capital quietly bought a small stake in the NBA’s Miami Heat.

Kushner has built Thrive into one of Silicon Valley’s most influential investment firms through early bets on companies including Instagram and OpenAI, while increasingly expanding beyond traditional venture investing into sports and entertainment.

Thrive declined to comment. The Post has sought comment from Iger and the NBA.

The NBA rumors are flying and speculation is swirling with the start to the league's free agency period. There's just one catch.

At the moment, only a few teams actually have an abundance of salary cap space to spend on free agents this year. Instead, blockbuster trade discussions and contract extension negotiations (and the subsequent fallout from them) are dominating the lead up to NBA free agency in 2026.

Giannis Antetokounmpo was already traded from the Milwaukee Bucks to the Miami Heat and LaMelo Ball went to the Minnesota Timberwolves thanks to the first of two major trades by the Charlotte Hornets. The ripple effects from those moves have started.

Draymond Green could be positioning the Golden State Warriors to get LeBron James and moves involving stars like Jaylen Brown, Kawhi Leonard and Ja Morant are among those anticipated in the coming days. The NBA's negotiating window for free agents officially opens on Tuesday, June 30 at 6 p.m. ET and a wave of transactions are expected to follow.

Here's a ranking of the eight NBA teams most likely to shape free agency this year:

NBA GAMBLING SCANDAL: Malik Beasley indicted as part of alleged sports betting scheme

Ranking NBA teams to watch during free agency

1. Golden State Warriors

The Warriors' interest in LeBron James, and a report that they could also be eyeing reuniting James with former Lakers' teammate Anthony Davis, have quickly turned Golden State into the team that can make the biggest splash this offseason. The potential of teaming Steph Curry and Draymond Green with James is there if James is willing to accept less money than he's used to making.

2. Boston Celtics

The future of Jaylen Brown now hovers over the Celtics offseason after he was so publicly dangled in Giannis Antetokounmpo trade talks. The team is still reportedly exploring moving him. Can he and the franchise reconcile at this point? Many front offices around the league are watching closely to see if they can pounce on a potential ending. GM Brad Stevens previously said Boston is also in the market for reinforcements inside this offseason.

3. Los Angeles Lakers

The Lakers will either convince LeBron James to stay or be one of the few teams in the league with a significant amount of cap space to build around Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. Either way, their next move will be fascinating. Los Angeles is likely in the market for a center, despite DeAndre Ayton's decision to opt in to his contract for the 2026-27 season.

4. Los Angeles Clippers

The Clippers are reportedly interested in trading Kawhi Leonard as part of a pivot to get younger, though his desire for a new contract could limit potential suitors. They also could have cap space to operate with this offseason. The franchise is still awaiting the results of an NBA investigation into its agreement with Leonard and possible collective bargaining agreement violations related to Leonard's endorsement deal with Aspiration.

5. Detroit Pistons

The Pistons followed a tremendous regular season with a playoff run that highlighted how limited they are offensively outside of star Cade Cunningham. Surrounding him with a better supporting cast appears to be a priority after Detroit offloaded Isaiah Stewart's contract and traded for Isaiah Joe. The Pistons reportedly covet Tyler Herro, who was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for Giannis Antetokounmpo.

6. Toronto Raptors

The Raptors are one of the teams in the running for Leonard after winning a title with him in 2019 and they've been mentioned in speculation related to several possible trades this offseason. Toronto has a collection of players, draft picks and contracts, most notably, RJ Barrett, to put together a package for any stars that come available. The Raptors' motivation to compete with the Knicks and Cavaliers in the East could prompt a major move.

7. Portland Trail Blazers

The Trail Blazers have a new owner who is used to winning with his NHL team and has money available to spend under the NBA salary cap. They've been mentioned as a team interested in making a major deal after the franchise's first playoff appearance in five years. Portland can use the contracts of Jerami Grant, draft picks and several players from their young nucleus, and it seems to be in the mix for Brown.

8. Brooklyn Nets

The Nets could be one of the few teams with actual cap space to spend after already acquiring Julius Randle from the Minnesota Timberwolves via trade. Michael Porter Jr. is on an expiring contract worth $40.8 million this season and could be an attractive trade option in exchange for Jaylen Brown, or up until the trade deadline. The Nets could also sign him to a contract extension after he had a career year in Brooklyn last season.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NBA free agency: Ranking 8 teams poised to make biggest moves

Former NBA stars Malik Beasley and Ed Davis have been indicted in connection with an alleged illegal sports betting and bribery scheme.

Beasley and Davis are facing charges alongside four alleged co-conspirators, identified as William Brown, Robert Gorodetsky, Ernesto Plascencia and current NBA player agent Paolo Zamorano, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York announced Monday.

Prosecutors claimed Beasley agreed to alter his performance during multiple games while playing for the Milwaukee Bucks from 2023 to 2024 and accepted bribes from his co-defendants, who used that “non-public information” to place bets based on his performance “with the intention of profiting off the scheme.”

“As alleged, the defendants turned professional basketball into a criminal betting operation, bribing then-NBA player Malik Beasley to fix his performance in multiple games in order to place fraudulent wagers, enrich themselves and cheat legitimate sportsbooks,” U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. said in a statement.

The group is accused of attempting to “unlawfully earn hundreds of thousands of dollars” through this “illegal betting ring,” according to James Barnacle Jr., the assistant director in charge of the FBI’s New York field office.

“As alleged, Malik Beasley allowed himself to be bought and altered his gametime performance to line pockets of Ed Davis and his other co-conspirators,” he said.

Prosecutors said “several” defendants were arrested Monday and will be arraigned at an unspecified later date.

“Bribery and insider betting schemes like this one involving former NBA players and a current NBA player agent who exploited inside NBA information for profit erode the integrity of American sports and victimize the sports-watching public,” Nocella added.

The indictment listed multiple examples of Milwaukee Bucks games that were influenced by this alleged scheme, including a match against the Cleveland Cavaliers on January 26, 2024.

Prosecutors alleged Beasley told Davis he planned to underperform during that game in exchange for a bribe payment, and that this information was passed along to the other co-defendants, allowing them to place “fraudulent wagers,” many of which were “successful.”

Other impacted Bucks games included a match against the Charlotte Hornets on February 27, 2024, and another against the Los Angeles Clippers on March 10, 2024, according to the indictment.

NBA spokesperson Mike Bass said the organization is “in the process of reviewing the federal indictment unsealed today involving Malik Beasley and Ed Davis.”

“Beasley last played in the NBA during the 2024-25 season and Davis last played in the league during the 2021-22 season. We will continue to investigate this matter and cooperate with the relevant authorities. We take these allegations with the utmost seriousness, and the integrity of our game remains our top priority,” Bass told The Independent.

The Independent has contacted Beasley’s attorney for comment. The Independent was unable to immediately identify attorneys for Davis, Brown, Gorodetsky, Plascencia and Zamorano.

“We’ll review the indictment and vigorously the charges and maintain Malik’s innocence,” Beasley’s attorney Steve Haney told The Athletic.

Beasley joined the Milwaukee Bucks in 2023 following stints with the Los Angeles Lakers, Utah Jazz, Minnesota Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets. The 29-year-old moved to the Detroit Pistons for the 2024-2025 season, and earlier this year, he signed with the Santurce Crabbers, a Puerto Rican team co-owned by music star Bad Bunny.

Davis, 37, most recently played for the Cleveland Cavaliers during the 2021-2022 season. He and Bealsey were teammates on the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2020 and 2021.

Reasons for the Clippers to trade Kawhi Leonard are apparent. So are reasons to keep the seven-time All-Pro forward who turned 35 on Monday.

For now, the team is engaged in discussions and entertaining offers for Leonard, who is highly regarded despite being central to a league investigation into allegations of salary-cap intervention.

Representatives for Leonard, who has one year remaining on a three-year, $152.4 million contract, have informed other teams he prefers to remain with the Clippers and would only sign an extension with the Toronto Raptors or San Antonio Spurs if the Clippers trade him, ESPN reported. Leonard helped both of those teams to NBA titles, the Raptors in 2019 and the Spurs in 2014. He was Finals MVP both years.

However, the Athletic reported that the Dallas Mavericks offered to trade power forward P.J. Washington, shooting guard Klay Thompson and draft picks for Leonard. Mavericks president Masai Ujiri held the same position with the Raptors when they won the 2019 championship.

Read more:Plaschke: Clippers' Kawhi Leonard was the worst free-agent signing in L.A. history

If Leonard doesn’t agree to a contract extension with Dallas, he essentially would be a one-year rental and not worth as much in trade capital. Ujiri engineered the trade in 2018 that brought Leonard to the Raptors without the player agreeing to an extension, and the result was a championship followed by Leonard bolting to the Clippers.

Another factor in assessing Leonard’s trade value and the Clippers’ motivation to move him is the ongoing NBA investigation involving team owner Steve Ballmer, Leonard and the now-bankrupt sustainable financial technology firm Aspiration.

Triggered in October when the “Pablo Torre Finds Out” podcast detailed a $28 million endorsement contract Leonard received from Aspiration, the NBA hired a prominent law firm to conduct the probe. Findings could be announced soon because NBA commissioner Adam Silver said June 2 that it was time to “wrap it up.”

Aspiration had a $300 million, 23-year endorsement deal with the Clippers and Ballmer personally invested $60 million into the company, whose co-founder Joseph Sanberg was convicted of two counts of wire fraud and sentenced to 14 years in federal prison. Ballmer admits introducing Leonard to Aspiration executives but has denied that he knew details of the endorsement deal that Leonard never fulfilled.

Read more:Questions over Kawhi Leonard payments put focus on NBA salary cap

Silver has not stated that the NBA would hold up any trade involving Leonard because of the investigation. Still, the Clippers expressed at the end of the regular season that keeping the 14-year veteran was a priority.

“Our plan is to win with Kawhi,” Clippers president Lawrence Frank said.

Leonard is coming off his best season of six with the Clippers, averaging a career-high 27.9 points over 65 games. He has averaged 20.7 points a game during his career.

The Raptors are rumored to be dangling former Lakers forward Brandon Ingram and first-round draft picks

Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

As LeBron James dominated the news cycle regarding his future on the eve of NBA free agency, the Lakers retained a different piece of their lineup.

Deandre Ayton is picking up his player option for $8.1 million and returning to the Lakers, according to people not authorized to publicly discuss on decision.

The 7-foot Ayton averaged career low in points (12.5), rebounds (8.2), minutes per game (27.2), but played a career-high 72 games and shot a career-best 67.1% from the field. He averaged 10.0 points and 9.6 rebounds in the playoffs.

As for James, he’s an unrestricted free agent who earned $52.6 million last season.

Read more:Swanson: You’re up, Rob Pelinka. To avoid Ned Colletti’s fate, the Lakers’ GM has to deliver this offseason

Lakers president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka said during his season-ending press conference with the media in May that they would give James time away with his family to decide his future.

But there has been so much speculation about James’ future, with the most persistent reports the Golden State Warriors are interested in signing James.

Several NBA executives told The Times they can see James staying with the Lakers on a one-year deal for $30 million if L.A. is willing to pay him that amount. Another executive said he could see James playing two more seasons. The executives could not discuss potential free agency moves publicly because of NBA rule restrictions.

“LeBron, we probably haven’t seen a player that has honored the game to the extent that he’s honored the game. He’s given so much to his teammates, to this organization,” Pelinka said back in May. “And the thing we want to do more than anything else is honor him back. And I think the first order of business there is allowing him to spend the time he needs to decide what his next steps are.”

The NBA free-agency period opens Tuesday at 3 p.m. PDT, allowing teams to officially begin negotiating. But contracts can’t be officially signed until the moratorium is lifted on July 6.

Sign up for our weekly newsletter on all things Lakers.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

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NBA guard Malik Beasley and former forward Ed Davis have been indicted on multiple gambling charges by federal prosecutors, stemming from a game-manipulation scheme. 

Key Takeaways

• Malik Beasley allegedly conspired with former NBA player Ed Davis to manipulate at least three games. 
  
  
• The co-defendants will be arraigned at a later date. 
  
  
• This is one of multiple NBA betting schemes. 

Beasley, Davis, and four co-conspirators, including NBA agent Paolo Zamorano, were charged in a Brooklyn federal court with fraud conspiracy, bribery in sporting contests, honest services wire fraud conspiracy, and money laundering conspiracy, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York and the FBI announced on Monday.

Several defendants were arrested on Monday and will be arraigned at a later date. 

Beasley is accused of agreeing with Davis to purposely underperform or overperform in NBA games so a group of bettors, including Zamorano, William Brown, Robert Gorodetsky, Ernesto Plascencia, and other co-conspirators, could wager on his player props using non-public information to profit from the scheme. 

Major profits

Federal prosecutors allege that bettors made hundreds of thousands of dollars from the NBA scheme. If convicted, Beasley and his co-defendants face 20 years in prison for the wire fraud, 20 years for money laundering, and another five years for bribery. 

“As alleged, the defendants turned professional basketball into a criminal betting operation, bribing then-NBA player Malik Beasley to fix his performance in multiple games in order to place fraudulent wagers, enrich themselves and cheat legitimate sportsbooks,” United States Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. said in a statement.

“Bribery and insider betting schemes like this one involving former NBA players and a current NBA player agent who exploited inside NBA information for profit erode the integrity of American sports and victimize the sports-watching public.” 

Game manipulation 

Beasley agreed to manipulate at least three games during the 2023-2024 season, when he played for the Milwaukee Bucks, according to federal prosecutors. 

In a game on Jan. 26, 2024, against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Beasley allegedly took a bribe from Davis to stay under his rebounding total for the game, information Davis shared with the group of bettors. Beasley finished with three boards. 

A month later, Beasley told Davis that he would go under his point total but over on rebounds for a promised bribe in a contest against the Charlotte Hornets. Davis again shared this non-public information with multiple co-conspirators. Beasley finished with six points and four rebounds in a 123-85 Bucks victory. 

Prosecutors also outlined a March 10, 2024, game against the Los Angeles Clippers in which Beasley said he would go over his rebounding total. He grabbed four boards in a 124-117 win on the road, while the group of bettors allegedly cashed in. 

“These defendants allegedly operated an illegal betting ring in an attempt to unlawfully earn hundreds of thousands of dollars,” FBI Assistant Director in Charge James Barnacle said.

“As alleged, Malik Beasley allowed himself to be bought and altered his gametime performance to line pockets of Ed Davis and his other co-conspirators. The FBI continues to dismantle fraudulent schemes that erode the integrity of any institution, including our nation's professional sports leagues.”

NBA schemes

Beasley was under investigation last year by the NBA for betting on games and player props. He intended to sign a contract with the Detroit Pistons before the league began looking into possible gambling policy violations, but Beasley missed all of last season. 

He had a brief stint in the Puerto Rico pro league before being released. Davis hasn’t been on an NBA roster since the 2021-22 season, but he played 11 seasons in the league and was teammates with Beasley in Minnesota. 

This gambling scandal comes on the heels of two other major NBA betting schemes. Former Toronto Raptor Jontay Porter was banned from the league for betting on games, including wagering on his own team. He later pleaded guilty to wire fraud charges, admitting that he took himself out of two games to help a group of bettors profit from his player prop unders to pay off gambling debts. 

Former Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier was arrested in October 2025 during a massive FBI takedown and faces fraud and bribery charges for allegedly fixing a game while he played for the Charlotte Hornets in March 2023. Rozier has pleaded not guilty and will stand trial in February. 

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