Category: NBA

The Knicks have signed center Trey Jemison III and forward Tosan Evbuomwan to two-way contracts, sources tell SNY NBA Insider Ian Begley. 

Jemison, a 6-foot-11, 270-pound big man, will provide New York with some additional front-court depth.

Evbuomwan's signing was originally announced on Tuesday as an Exhibit 10 contract, but Begley reported it will be a two-way deal.

Jemison, 25, has appeared in 63 NBA games (14 starts) with four organizations over the past two seasons. He played 22 games with the Lakers and 16 games with the Pelicans a year ago, averaging 10.3 minutes with 2.5 points and 2.8 rebounds during his time with both franchises.

The center saw his most extensive action with the Memphis Grizzlies during the 2023-24 season, making 14 starts out of 23 appearances, averaging 7.4 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.2 blocks, and 1.2 assists in 24.9 minutes. He went undrafted in 2003 out of UAB, appearing for the Suns' Summer League squad before latching on with the New Orleans Pelicans' G League affiliate.

Evbuomwan, 24, has made 45 career appearances over the past two seasons, including eight starts. He last played with the Nets during the 2024-25 season, averaging 9.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.0 assists in 23.8 minutes off the bench. The 6-foot-8 forward went undrafted out of Princeton in 2023.

The Knicks will enter the preseason with two players signed to two-way contracts. (NBA teams are allowed to carry a maximum of three players on two-way deals.) Kevin McCullar Jr. is expected to return on a two-way deal to fill the final spot, Begley noted.

Jonathan Kuminga would agree to Warriors' contract if change is made, per agent originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

It appears there is just one hurdle remaining in the Warriors’ Jonathan Kuminga contract saga.

Golden State has negotiated with its prized restricted free agent for months, and with Kuminga still unsigned midway through September, the sides could strike a deal if one change is made to the Warriors’ latest offer.

ESPN’s Anthony Slater joined “NBA Today” on Tuesday, where he shared what Kuminga’s agent, Aaron Turner, told him about the Warriors’ latest contract offer, which Slater and Shams Charania reported Monday is for three years and $75.2 million.

“I actually talked to Aaron Turner, Jonathan Kuminga’s agent, this morning, and the messaging they’re adopting this week is ‘Turn the [team option] to a [player option’ and it’s done,” Slater said. “And that messaging is generally saying, if it’s a team option on [that deal], if that’s suddenly a player option, not only will Jonathan Kuminga sign it, they’re saying, but he will be completely bought in on the mission they’re asking of him.

“Which is, using Turner’s messaging, that is to get Steph Curry and Draymond Green a fifth ring, [and] Jimmy Butler his first ring.”

NBC Sports Bay Area’s Dalton Johnson confirmed Kuminga and Turner’s willingness to take the Warriors’ offer if the team option is changed to a player option.

The Warriors, as ESPN reported Monday, have not budged in their desire to maintain a team option in the deal, but also have offered Kuminga a three-year, $54 million fully guaranteed non-team-option contract as well.

However, if Golden State were to give Kuminga the player option he desires in their three-year, $75.2 million offer, it could go a long way toward strengthening the relationship between the young forward and the organization for the 2025-26 NBA season and beyond.

“That’s an understanding of him that it’s a show of goodwill if they set it to a player option, for what they’re calling ‘years of confusion’ over his role and a willingness to suppress some of his personal ambitions, which are obviously very much a part of the holdup here, accept what probably is going to be a bench role, what’s probably going to be fluctuating minutes and accepting what will very likely be a tradable contract,” Slater added.

It’s unclear if the Warriors will budge, but if they do, a deal could be imminent.

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Jonathan Kuminga ‘absolutely miserable' with Warriors, per ESPN's Tim MacMahon originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

A divorce between Jonathan Kuminga and the Warriors seems inevitable, but when that could be now has become the question.

Despite Golden State reportedly upping its contract offer to Kuminga to three years and $75.2 million with a team option for the third season, ESPN’s Tim MacMahon believes it’s not all about the money to the 22-year-old forward.

“You’re making this about the money. He’s miserable. he is absolutely miserable,” MacMahon said Tuesday on ESPN’s “The Hoop Collective” podcast. “It’s a bad situation. It’s a breakup that needs to happen sooner than later. It is a terrible situation for him. He was getting DNP-CDs in the playoffs.

“The coach doesn’t want him. The coach doesn’t believe in him. The coach has publicly said over and over that he does not fit with the core of this team.”

Kuminga registered DNPs in Golden State’s most important contests to conclude the 2024-25 regular season and into the postseason.

This after an already up-and-down four-year career with the Warriors after being selected by the team No. 7 overall in the 2021 NBA Draft. Despite showing flashes of his potential at times, Kuminga never maintained a consistent role in coach Steve Kerr’s rotation.

But when the Warriors needed him most — in their second-round playoff series against the Minnesota Timberwolves with an injured Steph Curry sidelined — Kuminga stepped up and showed out for Golden State, although it wasn’t enough to advance to the Western Conference finals.

Kuminga seemingly used that impressive postseason performance to his advantage as he entered restricted free agency this offseason, seeking a larger role and a contract that gives him stability with an organization.

But with training camp two weeks away, the situation remains unresolved.

How much longer will Kuminga remain “miserable”? Hopefully, for the sake of all parties involved, not long.

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Kings unveil new purple-infused City Edition uniforms for 2025-26 NBA season originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Purple is so back.

To celebrate “916 Day,” the Kings on Tuesday unveiled their City Edition uniforms for the upcoming 2025-26 NBA season.

The purple-infused jerseys are a modern remix of the 2022-23 gray design that implements the Kings’ beloved victory beam.

“Sacramento” is inscribed across the chest in refreshed lettering, paired with a new palette of deep ink purple and bright violet accents — shades that never have been used in franchise history.

Along the side panels of the jersey and shorts read “Sacramento Proud” repeatedly, which per a press release from the team, is a reminder that the City Editions are more than a uniform, but also “a celebration of identity and belonging.”

Perhaps the cherry on top is the phrase, “We’re going to keep the team in Sacramento,” at the bottom right corner of the jersey in small text but with a large, powerful meaning that is a nod to a nearly decade-long community-led effort to keep the Kings in California’s capital after real threats of relocation.

The Kings will debut these new threads on Wednesday, Nov. 12, when they host the Atlanta Hawks at Golden 1 Center on their complementary court. They will wear the uniforms 10 times at home and nine times on the road.

Sacramento opens the 2025-26 regular season on the road on Oct. 22 against the Phoenix Suns at PHX Arena.

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Warriors reportedly want ‘maximum' salary cap flexibility for 2027 offseason originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Warriors have their eyes on both the present and the future, and for good reason.

Golden State, with its veteran core of Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green, has the pieces to potentially compete for another championship in the 2025-26 NBA season. Still, that very core also has a combined age of 36, which means the dynastic franchise has to start preparing for a very different-looking future.

And as The Athletic’s Sam Amick reported in a story on Tuesday, it appears the Warriors already have.

“[The Warriors] want to maintain maximum flexibility for that 2027 summer (as it stands, they only have [Moses] Moody’s $13.4 million and [Buddy] Hield’s $10 million player option on the books by then),” Amick wrote. “The Warriors, who are well aware that Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo and Denver’s Nikola Jokić both have player options for the 2027-28 season, are hardly alone on this star-hunting front.

“High-profile teams like the Lakers and Clippers have sent similar signals in recent months.”

The 2027 offseason is a pivotal one for Golden State, as Curry, Butler and Green’s contracts all are set to expire that summer or, in Green’s case, potentially in 2026 if he were to decline his player option for the 2026-27 season.

As Amick mentioned, the Warriors currently only have two players (Moody, Hield) under contract for the 2027-28 season, and barring moves in the near future, could have an abundance of cap space to pursue, potentially, superstars like Antetokounmpo and Jokić, should they become available.

It’s no secret how the Warriors feel about Antetokounmpo, who they reportedly have been interested in potentially acquiring before, but regardless of whether he or Jokić become available that summer, Golden State should have enough flexibility to pursue whoever they want.

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What reportedly could change Warriors' mind on Kings' Jonathan Kuminga trade originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The most likely outcome regarding Jonathan Kuminga’s restricted free-agency saga remains a return to the Warriors.

However, there could be a pathway that leads Kuminga 80 miles northeast to Golden State’s NorCal neighbors in Sacramento. The Warriors earlier this offseason shut down sign-and-trade talks with both the Kings and Phoenix Suns, per multiple reports, who showed the most interest in the 22-year-old wing after not being moved by any of their offers.

But as The Athletic’s Sam Amick reported in a column published Tuesday, one tweak to Sacramento’s offer could have moved the needle for Golden State.

“As it relates to the Kings, who have offered veteran guard Malik Monk and a protected 2030 first-round pick to the Warriors while agreeing to give Kuminga a three-year, $63 million deal, their insistence on including protections on the first-rounder remains the main obstacle to a possible deal, Amick wrote. “If the protections were dropped completely, there are some stakeholders who believe the Warriors would likely change their stance.”

Amick added, citing team sources, that the Kings are under the impression that Kuminga wants to play for them.

Kuminga met with Sacramento’s brass in late July, per ESPN’s Anthony Slater, and had a good discussion with general manager Scott Perry, assistant GM B.J. Armstrong and coach Doug Christie. Kuminga was intrigued by the idea of a larger role, something not feasible with Golden State, and was “open-minded” to the idea of joining the Kings.

As Amick notes, another roadblock of a potential Kuminga-to-the-Kings deal is the fact that the Warriors also likely would have to trade Moses Moody or Buddy Hield to stay under the first apron of the luxury tax.

But there’s more.

Monk’s four-year, $78 million contract that he signed with Sacramento runs through the 2027-28 season, when he has a player option of $21.5 million. But the Warriors have been adamant about having financial flexibility during that 2027 summer to maintain the ability to potentially seek big-name superstars such as Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nikola Jokić, who both have player options entering the 2027-28 season.

As it stands, the most likely outcome is Kuminga signs the Warriors’ one-year $7.9 million qualifying offer before the soon approaching Oct. 1 deadline.

But as we’ve come to learn this offseason, nothing is off the table.

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What reportedly could change Warriors' mind on Kings' Jonathan Kuminga trade originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The most likely outcome regarding Jonathan Kuminga’s restricted free-agency saga remains a return to the Warriors.

However, there could be a pathway that leads Kuminga 80 miles northeast to Golden State’s NorCal neighbors in Sacramento. The Warriors earlier this offseason shut down sign-and-trade talks with both the Kings and Phoenix Suns, per multiple reports, who showed the most interest in the 22-year-old wing after not being moved by any of their offers.

But as The Athletic’s Sam Amick reported in a column published Tuesday, one tweak to Sacramento’s offer could have moved the needle for Golden State.

“As it relates to the Kings, who have offered veteran guard Malik Monk and a protected 2030 first-round pick to the Warriors while agreeing to give Kuminga a three-year, $63 million deal, their insistence on including protections on the first-rounder remains the main obstacle to a possible deal, Amick wrote. “If the protections were dropped completely, there are some stakeholders who believe the Warriors would likely change their stance.”

Amick added, citing team sources, that the Kings are under the impression that Kuminga wants to play for them.

Kuminga met with Sacramento’s brass in late July, per ESPN’s Anthony Slater, and had a good discussion with general manager Scott Perry, assistant GM B.J. Armstrong and coach Doug Christie. Kuminga was intrigued by the idea of a larger role, something not feasible with Golden State, and was “open-minded” to the idea of joining the Kings.

As Amick notes, another roadblock of a potential Kuminga-to-the-Kings deal is the fact that the Warriors also would likely have to trade Moses Moody or Buddy Hield to stay under the first apron of the luxury tax.

But there’s more.

Monk’s four-year, $78 million contract that he signed with Sacramento runs through the 2027-28 season, when he has a player option of $21.5 million. But the Warriors have been adamant about having financial flexibility during that 2027 summer to maintain the ability to potentially seek big-name superstars such as Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nikola Jokić, who both have player options entering the 2027-28 season.

As it stands, the most likely outcome is Kuminga signs the Warriors’ one-year $7.9 million qualifying offer before the soon approaching Oct. 1 deadline.

But as we’ve come to learn this offseason, nothing is off the table.

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Ramp to Camp: What's one thing you want to see from D-White this season? originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

It’s been quite a run for Derrick White since he arrived in Boston.

An NBA title and a gold medal. All-Defense status and a lucrative long-term contract extension. It feels a little bit greedy to wonder what more he can do to help the Celtics when his mere presence seems to elevate everyone around him.

For Day 12 of our Ramp to Camp series, and continuing our “What’s Next?” week for the key members of the 2025-26 Celtics, we’re putting the spotlight on White.

While it feels like White is one to shun individual honors, it’s pretty obvious that the only major honor that has eluded him in recent seasons has been an All-Star nod. Some poorly-timed cold streaks have conspired against him — along with the fact that Boston’s roster has been overflowing with talent — but it sure feels like there will be an opportunity to earn that All-Star selection this season.

The absence of a rehabbing Jayson Tatum to start the season combined with a talent drain cased by the second apron is going to allow White even more freedom on the offensive end. How might White’s production spike?

You probably need only rewind to March 5, when the Celtics played the Blazers without both Tatum and Jaylen Brown. White erupted for 41 points on 14-of-26 shooting while making nine 3-pointers (while added four “stocks” too). He combined with Payton Pritchard for the first 40/40 game in Celtics history.

In eight regular-season games played without Tatum last season, White averaged 20.8 points, 5.8 assists, and 3.5 rebounds per game. The Celtics were +75 in his 274 Tatum-less minutes. That feels like the sort of stat line that would get the attention of All-Star voters.

In 16 regular-season games without Brown last season, White was at 17.9 points, 5.2 assists, and 4.7 rebounds. The Celtics were +143 in 555 minutes of floor time. The theme: White was more than capable of elevating when the Celtics were without one of their stars.

An All-Star nod would be a reflection of White’s ability to help keep this team afloat while navigating Tatum’s absence. If the Celtics outkick outsiders’ tempered expectations, then core members like White could be rewarded with trips to Los Angeles.

Much like with Brown elevating to the 1A role, we’re intrigued to see how White fares in a brighter spotlight. Teams will game-plan more to take away those clean 3-point looks, but White is so good at simply making the right play.

Will his scoring bump up to that 20-point range? Will his assist numbers spike to career-high levels? We’re intrigued to see how his efficiency fares with more usage and whether he can keep the turnovers down.

You know the defense is going to be there. He’s averaged better than a block per game in each of the past two seasons while establishing himself as the best — and craftiest — shot-blocking guard in the league. 

We’re also interested to see how White’s leadership grows. Entering Year 9 at age 31, he has the resume to be more vocal if he desires, even if he typically leads by example with his smart play. White can help steer this ship through some rocky waters as younger players try to find their identities on a new-look roster.

Everyone in Boston knows White’s value. An All-Star nod would be an acknowledgment that the rest of the league knows, too.

Let’s check in with our panel on the one thing they want to see from White this season:

Darren Hartwell, Managing Editor

Assertiveness. It took almost two seasons for the Celtics to convince White to shoot whenever he had an open look, and he blossomed into Boston’s third-best scorer as a result.

With Tatum out, he’s now the second-best scorer and will be asked to shoulder an even greater offensive load. Beyond taking open shots, it’d be great to see White look to create his own offense more frequently.

Michael Hurley, Web Producer

Keep being Derrick White. Maybe that sounds like an unserious response, but if I’m looking at Derrick White, I don’t want him to change a thing about his game. Good player. Stay that way.

Sean McGuire, Web Producer

I’d like to see White turn into a high-volume scorer behind Jaylen Brown. He’s been a consistent scorer, having averaged 16.4 points per game during a career season in 2024-25. That’s what was needed from him then, but it’s not what is needed now.

White had 17 games with 20 points or more but just four with 25-plus points and two of 30-plus. Given Boston will be without three of the team’s top six scorers from last season (Tatum, Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday) White will need to pack a bigger punch in that department. 

Josh Canu, Media Editor

Be an All-Star. Derrick White is the No. 2 option for the Celtics this season. He has shown that when one of the Jays is out, he can pick up the slack. Now he has to do it every night.

I want to see if White is able to maintain his defensive impact while absorbing a bigger offensive role. If he finds that balance, he will be an All-Star this season.

Max Lederman, Content Producer

I want to see White average 22-plus points per game this season. He has the ability, but can he consistently score for the C’s without any diminishing returns on the defensive end?

Adam Hart, EP, Content Strategy

I’d like to see him avoid a joyless cold streak. It’s sad to know he’s not having a blast out on the court.

Some Warriors coaches reportedly didn't prefer Jonathan Kuminga in 2021 draft originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

As the Jonathan Kuminga free-agency saga continues with the Warriors, it was revealed that some within the organization reportedly would have preferred to select a different player with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. 

“A few” members of the Warriors’ coaching staff voiced a preference to draft eventual Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner instead of Kuminga, but Golden State owner Joe Lacob was the “driving force” behind selecting the Congolese forward, ESPN’s Anthony Slater and Shams Charania reported, citing sources, in a piece published Monday. Wagner was drafted one pick later by Orlando with the No. 8 selection. 

“Lacob has remained a staunch Kuminga supporter and vocal believer in his long-term future,” Slater and Charania wrote. “He voiced an unwillingness to include Kuminga in a proposed trade from Chicago for Alex Caruso a couple of seasons back, sources said, and was still glowing about Kuminga’s performance in May after he rose from out of Steve Kerr’s first-round rotation to the team’s leading scorer in the second-round loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.” 

Despite being drafted back-to-back, the two forwards have had vastly different experiences in their four years of NBA service. 

In four seasons with the Magic, Wagner has played 291 games and was in the Orlando starting five for each game he played. In contrast, Kuminga has played 258 regular-season games with the Warriors and has started in just 84. 

Wagner signed a five-year, $224 million contract with Orlando prior to the 2024-25 NBA season. Golden State has reportedly offered Kuminga a three-year, $75.2 million contract. 

Kuminga’s usage has fluctuated throughout his four-year career with the Warriors. In the 2023-24 season, he logged a career-high 26.3 minutes per game and played in 74 of the 82 regular-season games. That number saw a downtick to 24.3 minutes per game last season, as he battled injuries and rotation changes while appearing in just 47 games, a career low. 

The 22-year-old restricted free agent’s playing time under coach Steve Kerr took its biggest hit after the Warriors acquired Jimmy Butler from the Miami Heat at the NBA trade deadline in February. 

Kuminga played in just three of the seven games in the first-round NBA playoff series against the Houston Rockets. That changed in the next series, as he broke out in the Western Conference semifinals against the Timberwolves in large part due to the hamstring injury to superstar Stephen Curry in Game 1 at Minnesota.  

In Curry’s absence, Kuminga was the Warriors’ leading scorer in the series, averaging 20.8 points per game. 

An obstacle to the re-signing of Jonathan Kuminga for the Warriors is the question of a substantial role for the forward, a key concern for Kuminga and his camp in free agency according to Slater and Charania. 

On the other hand, there has been no question about Wagner’s role with the Magic. Last season, the forward averaged 24.2 points per game, the second-most for the Magic behind NBA All-Star forward Paolo Banchero. 

Unlike Kuminga, Wagner did not face much competition for rotation minutes early in his career. In their rookie seasons, Orlando finished with a 22-60 record, the second-worst in the NBA in the 2021-22 season. In contrast, the Warriors went on to win the NBA Finals in that season, a much harder team to play vital rotation minutes for as a rookie. 

Although there was little difference in their draft position, there is a large gulf between Kuminga and Wagner in terms of contract size and team role in their young careers.

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