Ex-Miami Heat Security Guard Sold Stolen LeBron Jersey, Feds Say

A former Miami Heat security guard made his initial appearance in federal court for being accused of selling a stolen LeBron James Heat NBA Finals jersey and more than 100 other Heat game-worn jerseys and items, the Justice Department announced Tuesday.

Marcos Perez, 62, is accused of violating Title 18 of the U.S. Code, Section 2314, which concerns interstate transportation of stolen property. A conviction would carry a maximum prison sentence of 10 years and a fine of $250,000. The charging document was filed by U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne and Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert F. Moore in a Florida federal district court on Monday.

Prosecutors say that Perez, a former Miami Police Department officer, knowingly transported stolen goods worth millions of dollars from Kaseya Center., which was previously known as American Airlines Arena and FTX Arena. He then sold the items to online brokers, pocketing about $2 million. The DOJ executed a search warrant at Perez’s Miami residence in April and seized about 300 stolen game-worn jerseys and memorabilia. According to the feds, the Heat confirmed the authenticity of the items.

Perez is depicted as selling stolen items well below their market value. For instance, he allegedly sold the James jersey for about $100,000, and it was later sold at a Sotheby’s auction for $3.7 million.

Perez worked for the Heat from 2016 to 2021 and then worked as an NBA security employee from 2022 to 2025. His assignments included game-day security, which meant he had access to a secured equipment room containing, the DOJ says, “hundreds of game-worn jerseys and other memorabilia that the organization intended to display in a future Miami Heat museum.”

In a statement posted on X, Miami Police Department chief Manny Morales said Perez “separated from the Miami Police in 2016.” He added that “any betrayal of the public’s trust, past or present is a stain on the badge and the oath we all take to serve with integrity and honor.”

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Jimmy Butler hilariously adds Draymond Green to Warriors' ‘Batman' universe

Jimmy Butler hilariously adds Draymond Green to Warriors' ‘Batman' universe originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Every superhero needs a sidekick. And a butler. And a multi-million-dollar military-grade supercar capable of causing mass destruction.

That’s what Warriors superstar Steph Curry has with his current ensemble of teammates.

Golden State’s veteran forward Jimmy Butler famously declared himself the “Robin” to Curry’s “Batman” after joining the Warriors midway through the 2024-25 NBA season, and then named guard Buddy Hield “Alfred,” Batman’s butler in the comic books.

Well, a new character just dropped.

Butler, who currently is traveling through China, declared in a social media post Wednesday that veteran forward Draymond Green has been cast as the Batmobile.

“Robin, he [going to] Robin the s–t out of this motherf–ker this year. Batman [going to] do his job. Draymond is uh … Draymond’s the Batmobile, you know. He’s like the one who’s got to get us to where we need to go. He do a little bit of everything: Shoot them thangs, ‘pew pew,’ somebody’s shooting at us, he rolling over [and] protecting us. You know what I’m saying?

“Golden State through, we’re on the way. We’re on the way, I’ll tell you that. Buddy was just here in China, too. I don’t know what the f–k for, but Buddy got some love out here.”

The Warriors’ “Batman” universe is expanding, but will it be enough to defeat The Joker and the other villains in the Western Conference?

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Likely Jonathan Kuminga reunion with Warriors could create unwanted spectacle

Likely Jonathan Kuminga reunion with Warriors could create unwanted spectacle originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

There is time for the Warriors and Jonathan Kuminga to find an arrangement that satisfies both, but the clock on their mutual desires is fast approaching JK’s jersey number: 00.

Their arranged marriage, distinguished more by turbulence than compatibility, lurched past its fourth anniversary last week. The growing belief around the NBA is they will wobble into Year 5, which would be the uneasiest by far.

On one side, the Warriors will be trying to harmonize a squad capable of squeezing one more drop of glory from the Stephen Curry era, which lifted the franchise to global icon status.

On the other side, Kuminga wants to prove he is a star and, therefore, worthy of a star’s contract, and his disposition will be monitored more closely than his statistics and impact.

The two sides have spent four seasons trying to make something of mismatched methods. Kuminga is a terrific scoring soloist, capable of getting to his spots and attacking the rim like a young Kawhi Leonard, but Golden State’s offense is designed to operate as an ensemble, with Curry as the conductor. That won’t change. Nor should it, as Curry continues to play at All-Star level.

Though a sign-and-trade deal remains a remote possibility, all indications are Kuminga will have to postpone his dreams of a life-changing payday.

“There will be some teams with money next year,” one Western Conference executive tells NBC Sports Bay Area. “Kuminga might have to just have to ride this out one more year and see what happens. It might come to fruition. Maybe he becomes more like ‘the guy’ there. There are people who believe he should play more, that he should do this more or do that more.

“But you still got Steph there. You got Jimmy (Butler) there.”

A fifth year of Warriors-Kuminga matrimony would invite all manner of vulture curiosity, as both parties will be under the brightest, and sometimes harshest, of lights. The Warriors are willing to move on, and Kuminga is eager to do the same. Living emotionally separate under the same roof, sharing the same locker room is bound to present, um, challenges.

The skills of Golden State coach Steve Kerr and the team’s veteran leaders – Draymond Green, Butler and Curry – will be tested. Can they orchestrate successful alchemy? Can Kuminga suppress his personal desires for the sake of the team? Can the Kerr-Kuminga coexistence maintain a peaceful, productive coexistence?

Kuminga wants to be a starter. That role was available last season, when he started the first three games at small forward, with Green at power forward and Andrew Wiggins at shooting guard. Butler now is entrenched at small forward since the February trade that sent Wiggins to Miami. The Warriors gained a playmaker but lost spacing. Kerr won’t tolerate the clogged spacing that would come with a Green-Kuminga-Butler frontcourt, so that option is out.

“He’s a (scoring) monster at the four,” a former NBA player-turned-analyst, referring to Kuminga, tells NBC Sports Bay Area. “But that’s Draymond position. I hate Draymond’s game. Hate his game. But his IQ makes him a Hall of Famer. It’s through the roof. And that team needs it.”

Green’s defense and court savvy were as much a part of Golden State’s 2014-15 resurrection as the gravity generated by Curry’s presence. Andrew Bogut and Green made the same impact on defense that Klay Thompson and Curry did on offense. The result was the best team in the NBA.

“They had a top-five offense, and a top-five defense,” the executive recalls. “And they were smart. The smartest team in the league. Back then, they were just smarter than you. With Jonathan, I think they’re questioning that. And they have Jimmy, Steph and Draymond, probably three of the smartest guys out there.”

Kuminga’s poor 3-point shooting (30.5 percent) makes him a misfit as a three in the Warriors’ system, but his greatest sins in the book of Kerr are mental errors. Those liabilities sometimes offset his assets. It’s one of the quickest ways in the league to fracture trust among coaches and teammates.

Is there any doubt that one glaring mistake by Kuminga will intensify the scrutiny and raise the temperature of the marriage?

At no point during these four seasons has Kuminga risen to the level of “distraction” to the greater goals of the Warriors. Even when displeased with circumstances, JK generally puts his head down and comes to work – even when he’s out of the rotation. Team leaders do what they can to keep him engaged.

But if the marriage continues into a fifth season, after a summer of unmet hopes for both parties, tranquility for all parties will be hard to achieve. A divorce is not a matter of if, but when.

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Knicks assistant coach target Mike Weinar staying with Pacers; Chris Jent remains candidate

With the Knicks finding their top defensive coach in Brendan O'Connor, the focus goes to the offense, but a potential name has dropped out of the running.

Sources tell SNY's Ian Begley that the Indiana Pacers' Mike Weinar has removed himself from consideration for a top Knicks assistant job running the offense. Weinar made his decision on Tuesday to remain with the Eastern Conference champion Pacers to coach alongside head coach Rick Carlisle.

The news was first reported by The New York Post's Stefan Bondy.

Weinar has been an assistant coach under Carlisle for seven seasons from 2018 to 2025 with the Dallas Mavericks and Pacers. The 41-year-old coach is under contract with the Pacers and would presumably be allowed to leave if for a promotion/raise.

A name that remains a candidate for the position is Chris Jent, who is currently under contract with the Charlotte Hornets. As Begley notes, Jent was on Brown's staff with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Jent was an assistant coach with the 76ers, Magic, Cavaliers, Kings, Hawks, Lakers and Hornets from 2003 to 2025. He was the interim coach for the Magic during the 2004-05 season, where he went 5-13. 

SiriusXM's Frank Isola first reported Jent being a top candidate.

Brown will keep some coaches from Tom Thibodeau’s staff, including Darren ErmanMark BryantMaurice CheeksRick Brunson and Jordan Brink.

Former Miami Heat security officer charged with stealing, selling millions of dollars of memorabilia

A former, long-time Miami Heat security officer appeared in court Tuesday, charged with transporting and transferring stolen goods in interstate commerce.

Following an investigation by the FBI's Miami office, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Florida, charged Marcos Thomas Perez, 62, of Miami, with allegedly "stealing millions of dollars' worth of Miami Heat game-worn jerseys and other valuable memorabilia, which he later sold to online brokers." Perez is a 25-year veteran of the Miami Police Department who worked as a security officer for the Heat from 2016 to 2021 and then worked as an NBA security employee from 2022 until earlier this year. From the U.S. Attorney's press release:

"Perez worked on the game-day security detail at the Kaseya Center, where he was among a limited number of trusted individuals with access to a secured equipment room. This equipment room stored hundreds of game-worn jerseys and other memorabilia that the organization intended to display in a future Miami Heat museum."

Perez is accused of stealing more than 400 game-worn jerseys and other memorabilia, some of which he then sold online — about 100 of those items were sold, many over state lines, which added to the charge against him. What's more, because he was trying to do this relatively low-key, he was often selling items for well below market value.

"As an example, Perez sold a game-worn LeBron James Miami Heat NBA Finals jersey for approximately $100,000. That same jersey later sold at a Sotheby's auction for $3.7 million," the U.S. Attorney's office said in a press release.

Police executed a search warrant at Perez's home on April 3 and recovered about 300 more items of memorabilia, which the Heat confirmed had come from their equipment room.

Making sense of Celtics' pair of roster moves: ‘It comes down to financials'

Making sense of Celtics' pair of roster moves: ‘It comes down to financials' originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

When the Boston Celtics acquired Georges Niang and Anfernee Simons this offseason in separate deals, fans and media immediately speculated whether either player would be sticking around for very long. Sure enough, Niang’s tenure with the Celtics lasted about a month, as the team traded him to Utah on Tuesday.

The trade — which will bring rookie RJ Luis Jr. to Boston — was part of a pair of Celtics moves on the day, with the other being the signing of Chris Boucher for one year at relatively short money ($3.3 million).

“It comes down to financials,” Celtics insider Chris Forsberg said on Arbella Early Edition. “I know that’s frustrating and I know people get upset about it. But if we’re just being honest about where this season is — and I will still die on this hill, I think they’re gonna be way more fun than people think, I think they’re gonna be way more competitive out of the gates. I don’t know where it’s gonna go, but I do think the most important thing is long-term, making sure this team is able to kick it back into championship mode when Jayson Tatum is healthy.”

🔊 Celtics Talk: Payton Pritchard on Celtics’ summer changes, NBA’s new heave rule and Kyrie wanting to swing on him | Listen & Subscribe | Watch on YouTube

With Tatum most likely out for the entirety of next season as he recovers from his torn Achilles, the Celtics are now below the second apron and could still get under the first apron. Getting out of the NBA’s luxury tax entirely still remains possible, too.

“Might as well get the books right,” Forsberg added. “Might as well potentially get under that tax long-term. They’re about $12 million away now. There are pathways to get there at some point this season, and now all of a sudden you’re out of the repeater [tax], and all of a sudden you can spend bigger to build a new championship sort of nucleus around Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown when it’s time to go.”

Forsberg said that with the way the second apron was designed, an offseason like this one — which saw the Celtics part ways with Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holliday, and now at least one of the returning players from those deals — was inevitable.

“I know the new ownership’s gonna get crushed coming into a year like this. This was going to happen regardless of who owned the Celtics,” Forsberg said. “Everyone understands the situation they’re going through. And whether it was Wyc [Grousbeck], whether it was Bill Chisholm, there was going to be cuts to this roster to set them up for the future.”

As for that roster, Forsberg said the team at least added an experienced player to their frontcourt in Boucher, something that’s sorely needed.

“This is the sort of guy Joe [Mazzulla] will like,” Forsberg said. “Plays hard, plays physical, stretches the floor. I’m not gonna tell you that he’s going to turn the trajectory of this team around. It’s gonna come down to what the returning guys do. But it is a guy who can at least fill some minutes at that frontcourt spot and be pretty valuable to you there.”

Boston Celtics trade Georges Niang back to Utah Jazz for R.J. Luis Jr., then sign Chris Boucher

This is a nice bit of work by the Boston Celtics to upgrade while saving money, and the Jazz get a little bonus for helping out.

First, the Celtics are trading veteran Georges Niang and two second-round picks as a sweetener to the Utah Jazz for RJ Luis Jr., a story broken by Shams Charania of ESPN. This was a salary dump move by the Celtics that gives them more room below the second apron of the luxury tax and saves them more than $40 million in salary and tax (due to the repeater tax), and it sends Niang back to the team he played four seasons with from 2018 through 2021.

Then the Celtics used that freed-up cap space to sign veteran big man Chris Boucher for the veteran minimum, a story also broken by ESPN’s Charania. This was an upgrade for Boston — Boucher was one of the best free agents still available. He is a veteran, rotation-level stretch four who averaged 10 points and 4.5 rebounds a game last season for Toronto, while shooting 36.3% on nearly four 3-pointers a game. On a Boston team that is a little thin across the front line, Boucher becomes a valuable player for them. Also, Boucher and Payton Pritchard were teammates for a season at Oregon.

Luis Jr. is on a two-way contract and will fill the Celtics' final open two-way slot. Last season, he played at St. John's, where he averaged 18.2 points and 7.2 rebounds per game.

Utah gets two second-round picks and brings in Niang using the John Collins trade exception they had. Niang is an expiring $8.

Niang, who is on an expiring $8.2 million contract, averaged 9.9 points a game last season between Cleveland and Atlanta, averaging 21 minutes a night off the bench (Niang ended up in Boston as part of the Kristap Porzingis to the Hawks trade). "The Minivan" is the kind of reliable veteran stretch four a playoff team likely will want to add to the roster, so look for the Jazz to flip him somewhere before the trade deadline.

Chicago Bulls bringing back historic pinstripe jerseys

How much of a statement their play will make next season is up for debate, but the Chicago Bulls' statement uniforms are winners.

The Bulls are bringing back the pinstripes.

This design is inspired by the jerseys worn by the team during the Jordan comeback championship era from 1995-97, as well as in 2007-08 and 2012-13.

Chicago brought back Dennis Rodman to show off the vintage look jerseys.

The team will wear the jersey on select Statement Edition game nights, which will be announced at a later date (after the NBA releases the upcoming league schedule in the next few weeks).

I'll tune into those games just to see the jerseys back on the court.

Cavaliers' Darius Garland may not be ready for start of training camp after toe surgery

"I feel great. The recovery process is going well."

That is all Darius Garland would say to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com about surgery on his big toe back in June after that injury severely limited him in the playoffs, a key reason for the Cavaliers' early second-round exit. Fedor next asked Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson about Garland's recovery and learned the All-Star point guard may not be ready for the start of training camp. Here is what Fedor said on the Wine and Gold podcast about talking to Atkinson.

And I asked him, I said, "You know, as a coach, you lost Ty Jerome and Darius Garland is obviously recovering from toe surgery. Are you anticipating Darius being ready for training?" And he said, "No, I don't decide these things. It's going to be up to Darius and the training staff led by Steve Spiro." But he said, "I don't expect him to, and I want him to take his time with this, and we're not going to push it. We're not going to rush it...

"We have Don (Donovan Mitchell). We have Lonzo (Ball). We have CP (Craig Porter Jr.). We are kind of covered. We also have Evan (Mobley), where we can throw it to him in a trail position and have him be a play-maker."

The Cavaliers should not rush it. How important Garland is to the Cavaliers' success was clearly evident in the playoffs — they need him fully healthy. Last season, Garland averaged 20.6 points and 6.7 assists per game, shooting 40.1% from 3. In the playoffs that fell off to 18 points and 5.2 assists a game, but he played in just five postseason games because of the turf toe injury and was far less efficient, shooting just 28.6% from 3.

Cleveland enters the season as the clear favorite to grab the No. 1 seed in the East this coming season, but they need to prove they can carry that over to the playoffs this time. Coming off a 64-win season and with a very deep team, Atkinson can afford to monitor and rest players more while still racking up plenty of wins to get the top seed. What matters more is a rested and healthy Cavaliers team heading into the playoffs, because that team has a legitimate chance to make the Finals. What matters is the big picture.

And if that means Garland misses some of training camp, that's just fine.

Celtics trading Georges Niang to Jazz for rookie RJ Luis Jr.: Report

Celtics trading Georges Niang to Jazz for rookie RJ Luis Jr.: Report originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Minivan is on the move once again.

The Boston Celtics are trading forward Georges Niang and two future second-round picks to the Utah Jazz in exchange for guard RJ Luis Jr., ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Tuesday.

The Celtics acquired Niang — a Methuen, Mass., native — from the Hawks earlier this offseason in a three-team trade that sent Kristaps Porzingis to Atlanta. By sending Niang and his expiring $8.2 million contract to Utah, Boston drops further under the second apron of the NBA’s luxury tax and saves more than $40 million on its luxury tax bill, per ESPN’s Bobby Marks.

RJ Luis Jr. began his college career at UMass (2022-23) before transferring to St. John’s (2023-25). The 22-year-old went undrafted in 2025 before signing a two-way contract with the Jazz in June.

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US sports lobby Home Office for travel exemption after golf caddie refused UK entry

  • Criminal conviction meant Eric Larson was barred

  • NFL teams play in UK and have been alerted to situation

Sports organisations in the US will press the Home Office to apply exemptions to new travel rules for American citizens entering the UK, after Harris English’s caddie missed out on around £130,000 by being denied access for the Scottish Open and the Open Championship.

The case of Eric Larson has alerted sport governing bodies such as the NFL and NBA, which stage games in London, that sportspeople or staff can be prohibited from entering the UK under electronic travel authorisation (ETA) rules if they have a criminal conviction. Larson was sentenced to 13 years in prison in 1995 for involvement in drug dealing and rebuilt his career as a caddie for several leading PGA Tour players after serving 10 years.

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Pritchard explains why Celtics' expectations won't change despite busy offseason

Pritchard explains why Celtics' expectations won't change despite busy offseason originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Payton Pritchard won’t be backing down from the challenge ahead.

The reigning Sixth Man of the Year saw a handful of his championship-winning teammates leave town this offseason.

Jrue Holiday was shipped to the Trail Blazers, Kristaps Porzingis is now on the Hawks, Luke Kornet signed with the Spurs and Al Horford remains unsigned, so the Celtics will look a lot different this fall. That all came after Jayson Tatum suffered a torn Achilles, which will likely cost him the entire season.

Those moves aren’t shaking Pritchard’s confidence in the guys still left on the roster, though.

In the latest episode of the Celtics Talk Podcast, Pritchard sat down with Celtics Insider Chris Forsberg. The Oregon alum shared why, even in an offseason of retooling the roster, the Celtics enter next season with the same goal in mind. What message would he have for Celtics fans who might not feel the same way?

“We’re definitely trying to be a playoff team. We’re trying to win a championship,” Pritchard said. “It’s not even about playoffs, we have one standard in Boston and it’s to win a championship. Everybody in that locker room will have the goal of competing for a championship. And we will do everything in our power necessary to go for that. That’s what (the fans) should know.”

🔊 Celtics Talk Podcast: Payton Pritchard on Celtics’ summer changes, NBA’s new heave rule and Kyrie wanting to swing on him | Listen & Subscribe | Watch on YouTube

The Celtics, fresh off a championship in 2024, are on a sustained run of dominance in the NBA dating all the way back to their 2008 title. In the past 18 years, the Celtics have 17 playoff appearances with four Finals trips and nine Eastern Conference Finals berths. They’ve made the playoffs in 11 straight seasons dating back to 2015.

All that is nice, but winning titles has long been the main goal in Boston, for the Celtics and all the other teams. Pritchard, since being drafted in 2020, has quickly realized that.

Next season, he’ll have to chase that goal without some of his longtime teammates in Kornet, Holiday and Porzingis. While sad to see them go, Pritchard is happy for them to be getting bigger opportunities elsewhere.

“I mean, it definitely sucks,” Pritchard said about the offseason changes. “You become brothers with your teammates, you’re with them all the time. So, definitely going to miss them. It’s part of the business side so you have to move on.

“But you see a guy like Luke (Kornet) get paid, you know, you have to be happy for him for all the work he’s put in to earn that.

“I’m personally really going to miss Jrue. Jrue’s like a big brother, somebody I learned a lot from. One of the best teammates that I’ve ever had, and competitors. He’s the reason why we won a championship, so going to miss him a lot.

“Obviously, KP (Kristaps Porzingis), the type of person he is. Boston fans loved him, and a heck of a talent. We’re definitely going to miss those guys but it’s part of the NBA. We have to regroup, got to find new identities, new people need to step up and we got to get back to that level.”

With so many minutes now up for grabs, Pritchard plans on continuing his ascension. Last season, he averaged career-bests in points (14.3), rebounds (3.8), assists (3.5), steals (0.9) and shooting percentage (47.2).

“I feel like everybody should be excited,” Pritchard said. “There’s a lot of opportunities across the board. For me, personally, I’m excited every year. Because it’s an opportunity to prove myself again, to show that I can take another step. And that’s my goal every year. I’m definitely hungry and motivated this year, been working really hard. So I’m excited.”

Pritchard also shared his thoughts on the NBA’s potential new heave rule, Jayson Tatum’s injury and what Kyrie Irving said about his half-court shot in the 2024 NBA Finals. Check out the full episode here or on YouTube.

Spurs go all-in on De'Aaron Fox, reportedly agreeing to four-year, $229 million max extension

When the basketball gods handed San Antonio the No. 2 pick and the chance to draft highly-touted point guard Dylan Harper, there were questions in other front offices if the Spurs might play hardball in negotiations with De'Aaron Fox and not give him the max that was expected after a mid-season trade for the former All-Star.

No, they paid him the max. The Spurs and Fox agreed to a four-year max contract that could be worth up to $229 million, his agent Rich Paul told ESPN's Shams Charania. (The actual total will likely be closer to $22.4 million, the $229 million figure is based on the salary cap going up 10% next year, while the NBA projects it will rise by 7%.) This is a straight four, with no options for the player or team, and kicks in for the 2026-27 season, keeping Fox under contract until the summer of 2030.

The Spurs traded for Fox at the deadline in a massive three-team deal (which included Zach LaVine to the Kings) after Fox's representatives reportedly told Sacramento management he would not sign an extension with the team. Fox had previously questioned if the Kings were committed to "competing at a high level." San Antonio was Fox's preferred landing spot, giving him the chance to pair up with Victor Wembanyama on a team building a contender.

However, Wembanyama and Fox only played five games together before the French center was out for the season due to blood clots in his shoulder. Fox averaged 19.7 points per game shooting 27.4% on 3-pointers — both numbers well below his career averages — in 17 games before ending his season in March to undergo finger surgery.

San Antonio is a patient organization and coach Mitch Johnson is expected to spend this season figuring out how Fox, Harper and reigning Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle fit together — and especially how they mesh with Victor Wembanyama. The expectation around the league has been that the Spurs will eventually have to move on from at least one of their guard trio, although this Fox contract ends right when Harper's second contract would kick in, so the timing may work out. Fox, especially if his numbers dip, will be challenging to trade on this new contract. Wembanyama can sign an extension after next season, and it would kick in for the 2027-28 season.

So far the trade from Sacramento to San Antonio has worked out as well as Fox wanted. Now he needs to earn that money on the court.

Warriors reportedly out on plans to trade Jonathan Kuminga this summer, he will be with team

As the offseason has marched on, the chances of a Jonathan Kuminga sign-and-trade — giving him the fresh start he seeks — seemed to fade. There were talks with the Suns (Royce O'Neale, Nick Richards and three second-round picks is the reported offer) that went nowhere. There were talks with the Kings, where the offer reportedly was Malik Monk, another player (maybe Dario Saric) and a lottery-protected first-round pick, but the Warriors rejected it, saying they want the pick to be unprotected. Talks died there.

Now, the Warriors are done with trade talks and are going to bring Kuminga into camp, one way or another, reports veteran Bay Area journalist Tim Kawakami of the San Francisco Standard.

The word I got when I checked in with a Warriors source on Sunday: Kuminga won't be traded this summer. He'll be back on the Warriors' roster to start the season. And it'll either come when he signs the Warriors' offer or accepts the $7.9 million one-year qualifying offer...

But several sources have indicated that the Warriors have been unenthusiastic about the general idea of a Kuminga sign-and-trade from the outset. The broad context is that Joe Lacob remains a fan of Kuminga's and is determined to either keep the 22-year-old on the roster or get real value in return. And he's willing to wait it out.

As Kawakami admits, this sounds a lot like a negotiating tactic — this is what you leak to put pressure on the Kings to take the protections off their pick and get a deal done. If we can all see that, so can the Kings, and they can afford to be patient and wait this out. Golden State is patient as well, despite having as many as six roster spots to fill (it currently has just nine players under contract) and with reported deals hanging out there with Al Horford and De'Anthony Melton just waiting on the Kuminga situation to resolve.

The Warriors' standing offer to Kuminga is reportedly two years, $45 million with a team option on the second year, but they want Kuminga to waive the no-trade clause that would automatically come with this contract. Kuminga has no plans to do that, why would he give up the leverage he has in this situation? For his part, Kuminga has postured that he would sign the qualifying offer and bet on himself (a move neither side prefers but remains an option).

Kawakami made a reasonable compromise suggestion: Golden State partially guarantees the second year of that contract, say for $15 million (give or take). That bumps Kuminga's guaranteed money up so he gets some added security, that guarantee isn't enough to scare off a team trading for Kuminga that wants to retain him, but it also eliminates the no-trade clause (which is tied to Bird rights, which would be lost if Kuminga were traded then waived for nothing).

However, there is little pressure on either side to compromise right now, the drop-dead date for Kuminga to accept the qualifying offer is Oct. 1, close to when training camps start. Until then, expect a lot more posturing.

Falcons RT Kaleb McGary agrees to two-year extension

The Falcons have agreed to terms with offensive tackle Kaleb McGary on an extension, the team announced. The deal is for two years and $30 million, per multiple reports, locking in McGary through 2027.

He was entering the final year of his contract, scheduled to make $14.5 million in base salary this season.

McGary, Chris Lindstrom, Jake Matthews and Matthew Bergeron have spent three seasons together with more to come. Ryan Neuzil will take over full time at center this season, replacing Drew Dalman.

McGary has served as the team's starting right tackle since the Falcons drafted him in 2019. He will protect Michael Penix's blindside, with the quarterback being a lefty.

McGary has appeared in 93 games, with 92 starts in his career.

"I think he’s a special player," Matthews said of McGary, via Tori McElhaney of the team website. "[I] just respect him. Going into seven years with him, I really think he's really improved a lot, and I'm expecting him to be solid and one of the staple guys on this offensive line."