Category: Basketball

Dang I wonder what the LA Clippers are up to after the Golden State Warriors buried their season last year! Continuing our Rival Report series, we’re getting you up to speed on Pacific Division foes’ moves in the draft so you can know who the heck they’re loading up with for the future.

It’s time to check out the fascinating situation with the Clips.

First, some necessary context. Yes, the Warriors sent the Clippers home in the play-in tournament last April. We remember. More importantly, so do they. But knocking a team out of a play-in game also means they weren’t good enough to avoid one. The Clippers finished 42-40, started the season 6-21, and mounted a genuinely impressive second-half run that ended the moment real stakes arrived. They showed you something; but was nowhere near enough.

That tension is what the entire offseason is built around. Seems like we’re pretty close to the end of the Kawhi Leonard-era in LA. Kawhi is entering the final year of his deal at $50.3 million, coming off a career-high 27.9 points per game season, and the exit signs are everywhere.

This is what a franchise transition looks like when nobody wants to say it out loud yet. Which brings us to Keaton Wagler. A 19-year-old guard from Shawnee, Kansas who entered college ranked 261st in his recruiting class. That kind of rise doesn’t happen by accident. One season at Illinois later, he’s the fifth pick in the country, the Jerry West Award winner, the Big Ten Freshman of the Year, and the author of a 46-point game against Purdue where he went 9-for-11 from three. He led the Illini to their first Final Four since 2005 while averaging 17.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 4.2 assists on 44.5% shooting from the field and 39.7% from beyond the arc. This is the franchise’s highest selection since Blake Griffin went first overall in 2009.

Keaton Wagler is a 6’6” point guard who is a triple-double threat and possibly the best shooter in the class

His incredible shooting, court vision, and rebounding has landed him 5th overall to the Los Angeles Clippers pic.twitter.com/sj33Ct7qYC

— clippa twitta (@clipfullyloaded) June 24, 2026

Every evaluator comes back to the same point. He already plays like an NBA guard. The vision is real. The handle is tight. He drills pull-up threes, makes the right read under pressure, and does it all while playing off the ball, which matters enormously next to Darius Garland. The concerns are legitimate too. He weighed 188 pounds at the combine. He barely ran a fast break all season. The floor will get faster and the bodies will get bigger and strength is the work that’s ahead of him. But the floor is high because the tools are real.

The second round added frontcourt depth in Baba Miller and Nick Martinelli, a direct acknowledgment that the center position is where this roster breaks down most visibly. The draft-and-stash of French center Narcisse Ngoy, who heads to Auburn next season before his NBA rights ever get exercised, is the kind of patient asset management you do when you’re thinking in years, not months.

The honest counterpoint is that losing Kawhi might actually accelerate the thing they’re already building. And even the people who cover this team closest seem to understand that. Robert Flom at 213hoops, one of the sharpest Clippers-specific voices in the game, laid out the offseason roster picture plainly after the draft concluded:

Considering Wagler will play a lot of shooting guard next to Garland, and Sanders, Christie, and Miller can play up or down, the Clippers are relatively set at wing, even if they probably would prefer to bring Dunn off the bench. Garland and Wagler together also make the Clippers ready to go at point guard, though they could probably use a third-string veteran in case of injury.

The obvious areas of need are in the frontcourt, especially considering Yanic’s injury and Baba Miller probably not being ready for NBA rotation minutes. Bringing back John Collins and Brook Lopez would pretty much round out the roster, but that would mean running back the same team from last year, more or less, with only the draft picks being new pieces of note. I can’t see the Clippers going in that direction based on how they’ve talked about their roster and pivoting towards more of a Garland-centric timeline.

The Clippers are molting as the Kawhi-era begins to evaporate dramatically. It’s being replaced, piece by piece, with something younger and leaner and less certain. Wagler and Garland are a real backcourt and the draft capital is stacking. The plan is visible if you squint at it right.

Keep your friends close. Keep the Clippers close enough to know that the most dangerous version of this team isn’t the one saying goodbye to Kawhi Leonard. It’s the one that’s already moved on without admitting it. In the NBA, “not yet” has a funny way of becoming “right now.”

To paraphrase the words of international assassin hero John Wick, “Yeah, I’m thinking I’m running it back.”

The Detroit Pistons are re-signing free agent wing Kevin Huerter to a three-year, $27 million deal. That’s a decent return for a core rotation player and represents about a 40% paycut from the long-term deal Huerter just concluded.

The 6-foot-6 Huerter was acquired at the trade deadline for Jaden Ivey, Dario Saric, and a pick swap. Huerter played about 500 minutes across 25 games for the Pistons, averaging 8.6 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.5 assists. Heurter started his career as a noted 3-point marksman, but the shot has abandoned him over the years, including his time in Detroit.

He shot just 29% from deep on over four attempts per game for the Pistons. He did shoot 61% on twos and has been a high-efficiency interior player because he knows how to take advantage of his opportunities.

It might be a sign that the Pistons are largely OK with running back a 60-win team and hoping the addition of another shooter — in this case Isaiah Joe, is the piece that makes everything else fall into place.

Or perhaps this is a precursor to something larger. The calm before the storm.

His shot has never looked broken, it’s just been unreliable. And even without his three going down consistently, he provides enough on both ends of the court to make him a valuable rotation piece. However, I struggle to understand a lineup that employs all three of Duncan Robinson, Kevin Huerter, and Caris LeVert. Obviously, you’d take Robinson of any of the three, but it makes me wonder if Detroit is keeping Heurter because they have plans to route Robinson or LeVert in a separate deal.

Ahead of a big storm, there are signs. The temperature drops. Clouds gather. The air feels different.

When it comes to the NBA, something similar is brewing.

For the last few weeks, there has been an eerie silence around LeBron James, who has been the center of the NBA’s universe for two decades. Initial talks with the Lakers went nowhere. James has apparently gone radio silent.

It’s the quiet before the storm.

On Monday, the warning alarms were blaring.

Draymond Green declined his $27.7 million player option with the Golden State Warriors to become a free agent. His motive is clear: If Green re-signs with the Warriors for less money, they’d have the financial flexibility to offer James the $15.1 million non-taxpayer midlevel exception.

To increase the atmospheric pressure, the Warriors are pursuing a deal to acquire Anthony Davis from the Wizards in exchange for Jimmy Butler, whose salaries ($58.5 million and $56.8 million, respectively) are nearly identical, though the latter’s agent rejects this narrative.

The Warriors also have four unprotected first-round picks they could use to sweeten the pot on a trade involving Butler, who’s recovering from a torn ACL, though it’s unclear how much of their future they’d be willing to leverage for this.

James and Davis won a championship together in 2020. They’re good friends, having spent five-and-a-half seasons together.

In other words, the Warriors are putting together a full-frontal blitz to lure James from Los Angeles, where he has spent the last eight years, his longest consecutive stretch in any city over his 23-season career.

This is the once-in-a-lifetime storm no one saw coming. It was talked about. It was imagined. But no one actually thought it could make landfall.

Not even James, who said on his 40th birthday that retiring with the Lakers “would be the plan.”

Not even Green, who told The California Post last season, “I’ve always wanted to [play with James],” but added, “I don’t see a path to it.”

The weather has shifted. The perfect conditions were created. And now it’s time to brace for impact.

For James, going to the Lakers makes the most sense for his brain, but going to the Warriors would make the most sense for his heart.

With the Lakers, he could earn the most money; say, something in the ballpark of $25-$35 million. His family lives in Los Angeles. He arguably has the best chance to win a championship alongside the 27-year-old Luka Doncic.

But if he chooses the Warriors, he’d finally be rid of the omnipresent awkwardness that hung over LA’s locker room like a dark cloud after they made Doncic their priority.

If he chooses the Warriors, it would wash away the resentment of having to nickel-and-dime with a Lakers franchise he led to its first championship in 10 years.

With Golden State, everything would be clean. There would be no pollution.

Golden State is where he’d have the most fun. James has said Steph Curry is the player he’d most like to play alongside. James and Green are so close that they call each other brothers, and James and Davis would be reunited after the latter was traded from the Lakers to the Dallas Mavericks.

Sure, the Warriors would be fielding a geriatric starting lineup next season with James turning 42, Curry turning 39, Green turning 37 and Davis turning 34.

But they’re all winners. There’s enough institutional knowledge there to take over the league with their creaky bodies. No one would want to face them in the postseason.

They’d be a walking ad for muscle relaxants. They’d be the Old Men Versus The Sea, if you will. They’d be so much fun.

Ten years ago, NBA commissioner Adam Silver would’ve probably had to figure out a legal way to block James from teaming up with Curry. But now, that would be a fascinating experiment. Could the league’s biggest legends overtake the young bucks?

James has already started leaning into that narrative.

His obsession is golf. Since the season ended, he has allowed his beard to turn gray. He’s somehow both a 65-year-old retiree and an elite athlete with 2% body fat who can still single-handedly lead a Lakers team past the Houston Rockets in the playoffs.

In other words, he’s unpredictable. This could be the version of a midlife crisis for arguably the greatest player of all time.

Perhaps at this point in his career, chasing happiness is more important than chasing championships. Perhaps joining the enemy would be his path to the most joy.

James played the Warriors in four straight Finals from 2015 to 2018. He called himself the greatest player of all time after leading the Cleveland Cavaliers to overcome a stunning 3-1 series deficit against them en route to the franchise’s first championship. The Warriors have been his ultimate measuring stick.

Now they could become something else — his final act.

Everything we thought we knew could be in flux.

The water is receding. The tidal wave is building. The Western Conference could look very different next year.

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Spurs forward Julian Champagnie agreed to a three-year, $45 million contract to stay in San Antonio, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania on Monday.

In doing so, they locked down a critical piece of their young core through the 2028-29 season.

The Spurs declined Champagnie’s $3 million team option to construct a new deal.

Champagnie, who turned 25 Monday, gets a new contract with a unique structure that gets him paid early, with $42 million in new money, and gives his team flexibility as it look for a title.

Champagnie has come a long way since being waived by the 76ers in 2023. In the Spurs’ run to the NBA Finals, Champagnie averaged career highs in minutes (27.6), points (11.1), and rebounds (5.8). He played in all 82 games and set a franchise single-season record with 195 3-pointers.

Champagnie moved to the starting lineup in February and the Spurs went on a tear as the best team in the NBA in the second half of the season.

Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson has called Champagnie an “unsung hero” for the team this past season, where they made it all the way to the NBA Finals before falling to the Knicks in five games. In the Western Conference Finals against the Thunder, Champagnie averaged 17.3 points per game over Games 5-7.

Champagnie went undrafted out of St. John’s in 2022 before entering a two-way deal with Philadelphia, which waived him the following year to make room to sign Mac McClung.

The Spurs claimed Champagnie two days later, and he’s there to stay for the next three years.

The NBA off-season has officially started and we’ve already seen some pretty big moves just today: The Atlanta Hawks declined their option on Jonathan Kuminga’s contract making him a free agent, Andrew Wiggins signed a 3-year, $64 million deal to return to the Miami Heat, and the biggest of them all (so far) is that Ja Morant was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for Jerami Grant and Kris Murray.

BREAKING: The Memphis Grizzlies are trading two-time NBA All-Star Ja Morant to the Portland Trail Blazers for Jerami Grant and Kris Murray, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/FJOTzGe5Tr

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 29, 2026

While all of that is very exciting, and there will surely be more on the way (probably as I’m writing this article), we have to address our biggest elephant in the room: Walker Kessler. We’ve known for a while now that the Jazz front office and Kessler’s management team are not aligned in contract extension talks. Reportedly, Kessler and his camp want around $30 million a year and the Jazz are more comfortable offering around $22 million a year.

There is always the chance that Kessler signs the $7 million qualifying offer, which would allow us to have him on the roster next year but it would make him an unrestricted free agent after the 2026-2027 season. There’s a lot of salary cap science that goes into these kinds of decisions, but I think I can speak for most Jazz fans when I say that having Kessler on this team is better than not having him on this team.

It should be noted that, in theory, the Jazz could go over the $165 million salary cap and into the luxury tax/aprons by re-signing Kessler to the contract that he wants. When you have a player’s Bird rights you are 100% within your right to do that as an organization, the question then becomes “would the Jazz do it?”

I would love to live in a world where the answer is “yes” and we can see what a healthy squad can do now that we landed our big fish in Jaren Jackson Jr. and drafted Darryn Peterson with the #2 overall pick in this year’s NBA Draft, but someone has to keep their feet on the ground, and today that’s going to be me.

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I want to brace for impact as much as possible, so if we can’t come to some sort of agreement with Kessler and his camp, I think we should be looking for some replacement options. Full disclosure – I don’t think that any of these would be able to be the same kind of player that Kessler is, but with the opportunity in front of us to win games and potentially make the playoffs, we have to do what we can to capitalize. Without further ado, here are some of the best (realistic) fits we could add to this team during the off-season, in my opinion.

Kevon Looney

It was recently announced that the Pelicans would not be bringing Looney back to New Orleans, so that means that his rebounding talents are up for grabs. He isn’t exactly a spring chicken, but he’s on the right side of 30 for now.

In very limited minutes last year (14 per game) he was able to pull down 5.6 rebounds a night, and considering that we now employ Jaren Jackson Jr., having someone who can do that specific thing is vital. If he’s given any sort of real minutes on this team he would be liable to grab 8+ rebounds a night. He would also bring a certain level of grit that this young team would benefit from.

Sandro Mamukelashvili

After declining his player option, Sandro is going to have plenty of suitors calling his line. He had a bit of a renaissance year averaging 11 points and 5 rebounds a night while shooting 38% from 3 in 80 games for the Raptors last year. He was also in contention for 6th Man of the Year for most of the season, and with an expanded role here I think that he could deliver even more.

With the league trending the way that it has for the past decade, providing elite spacing for your ultra gifted offensive players is paramount. If we could offer a lineup with spacing that includes Markkanen, JJJ, and Mamu, then guys like Ace Bailey, Keyonte George, and Darryn Peterson would have a field day. I’m not saying that I need it, but I kind of need it.

Jock Landale

Landale is in a very similar spot to Mamu; he had a great outing in Memphis and Atlanta last year, showed his scoring ability (10 PPG), his rebounding effort (5.7), and shot well from 3 (38% on 2.8 attempts a game). I think it would be a lot to ask Landale to be as good of a backup as Nurkic was last year, but he just might have to.

In an ideal world, Landale would be a compliment to our Center room including Kessler and Nurkic, but he may just have to step up if we call his name.

Neemias Queta

This one will need some outside interference to accomplish, but it isn’t outside the world of possibility. At the time of writing, the Boston Celtics just picked up the team option on his contract, but there has been a lot of smoke to the idea of Rudy Gobert making his way to Boston in exchange for Derrick White.

IF that were to happen, Queta becomes a bit redundant in their offense. I’ve written about Queta on my personal blog, and my feelings about him have only gotten stronger since publishing that piece. Queta became a full-time starter for the Celtics last year and averaged 10/8/1.3 blocks a night. He displayed much more rim presence than before, he’s an incredible lob threat, and he would be able to step into Kessler’s role effortlessly.

It would require trading someone like Brice Sensabaugh or Isaiah Collier to make the salaries match (not to mention the draft capital that Brad Stevens would extort), but again, desperate times.

Robert Williams III

For this last potential selection there are plenty of reasons to be worried, but if things worked out for us, we could be in a very good position.

In a bench role for the Trail Blazers last year (17 minutes per game), Time Lord averaged 6 points, 7 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per night. He also managed to add to his game this deep into his career by shooting 39% from 3 (don’t get your hopes up too much, it was about 0.5 attempts a game).

The biggest, and most glaring, issue here is that he hasn’t been able to stay healthy for his career. He did play 59 games last year for Portland, but he’s only managed to play 50+ games in a season 3 times in 8 years, and the last time he did that prior to this year was the 2021-2022 season. I’m sure that Boston Celtics fans could tell you what I’m going to tell you now: the juice is worth the squeeze. Adding Time Lord to this team would only add dimensions to our offense and give another weapon to Keyonte George. It also gives our Center depth different looks and allows us to play different schemes with him and Nurkic. Time Lord’s ability to still be this effective of a defender despite all of his injury history is remarkable and I think that we could be the ones to benefit from the rest of the league’s skepticism. I mean, you watch the tape and tell me that you wouldn’t want to see him in Utah.

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The off-season is just as fun as the regular and post-season for me, but how are you feeling about it? What trades do you expect to happen? Do you think that the Jazz can get active in the trade market? Sound off in the comments!

Be kind. Tell somebody you love them.

After months on the trading block, Ja Morant is finally on the move.

The Memphis Grizzlies are shipping two-time All-Star guard to the Portland Trail Blazers for forwards Jerami Grant and Kris Murray.

That ends a seven-year run for Morant in Memphis, a tenure that was marked by stark inconsistencies. After winning the Rookie of the Year award following his debut campaign in 2019-20, Morant flashed moments of basketball brilliance. But repeated off-court issues and injury concerns derailed his final seasons with the Grizzlies.

Here are grades for all parties in the Ja Morant trade to the Portland Trail Blazers:

What's next? Ja Morant trade from Grizzlies to Blazers sparks reactions and rumors

Memphis Grizzlies' Ja Morant trade grade

For the most part, Morant’s market had dried up to the point that simply moving him is a measure of success. This is tough for any team: when it is forced to accept pennies on the dollar for a player who previously had plenty of promise and potential, it's going to be a difficult sell to fans.

But it became clear that Morant was no longer a long-term fit with the franchise. So moving off of the $87.1 million he was due over the next two seasons should be considered a win. Recouping any assets rather than letting him languish for two seasons and walk without anything in return is also a win.

Grant brings a veteran presence to an extremely young Grizzlies team that will need some help with ball handling and offensive creation. Grant averaged 18.6 points and 3.5 rebounds mostly off the bench in 2025-26. He’s under contract this season and has a $36.4 million player option for 2027-28. Murray is a reserve off the bench and will be a restricted free agent at the end of the season.

Honestly, neither player necessarily feels like a long-term piece for Memphis, which is fully rebuilding, and that’s fine. Considering that the objective was to reset the culture and move Morant, this deal got the job done.

Grade: C+

Portland Trail Blazers' Ja Morant trade grade

This is where the deal becomes more interesting. And, frankly, given Morant’s issues with availability, it makes it a little trickier to project.

Morant played just 20 games last season – though much of that appeared to be Memphis keeping him sidelined to preserve whatever shards of value Morant still had. In fact, he has played just 79 of a possible 246 games over the last three seasons, or a total of just 32.1% of possible games.

The most games Morant has ever played in a single season has been 67, during his rookie year.

Yet, Morant is still only 26 years old. In theory, he should have plenty of basketball left. If Portland can get Morant to mature and if he's able to find good luck with his health, this could be a solid low-cost move – at least in terms of assets shipped out.

Grant clearly was not a long-term fixture with the Trail Blazers and Murray is easily expendable.

The interesting thing is that now the Trail Blazers suddenly have an abundance of guards – and ones with talent. Morant’s weakness is his shooting. He’s best at getting to the rim, and his perimeter jumpers are shaky, at best. But if Portland starts him alongside sharpshooting point guard Damian Lillard, it could provide a compelling duo of shot creation. Lillard also masks Morant’s spotty jumper.

Morant, however, is a liability on defense, as is Lillard. This only puts even more pressure on centers Donovan Clingan and Robert Williams as rim protectors.

The other part about this is that with Lillard, Morant, Jrue Holiday, Shaedon Sharpe and Scoot Henderson, who improved significantly last season as the year wore on, Portland now has players that it could potentially move in a complementary deal – say, one for Jaylen Brown?

If that’s the eventual end game, and the Morant deal facilitates that, then it’s a big win.

But if Morant doesn’t mature and is constantly sidelined, this could be another frustrating chapter for teams employing him.

Grade: B

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ja Morant trade grades: Blazers stuff backcourt as Grizzlies reset franchise

The first official deal of free agency is reportedly in agreement for the Utah Jazz.

On Monday afternoon, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that center Jusuf Nurkic intends to sign a two-year, $22 million dollar contract to stay in Utah.

Free agent center Jusuf Nurkic intends to sign a two-year, $22 million contract to return to the Utah Jazz, sources tell ESPN. Nurkic thrived in coach Will Hardy's system and was excited about the Jazz new look roster. Utah officials worked through the deal with Klutch Sports CEO… pic.twitter.com/X3AxMhjQZH

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 29, 2026

According to Charania, “Utah officials worked through the deal with Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul on Monday.”

Nurkic is coming off a surprising stellar season in his first year playing for the Jazz.

In 2025-26, Nurkic averaged 10.9 points, 10.4 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game. He recorded three straight triple doubles in January, becoming the first Jazz player ever to accomplish the feat.

In February, Nurkic underwent a nose surgery that sidelined him for the rest of the season. Reports show that there are no long-term health concerns associated with the surgery.

The next move in the Jazz’s free agency saga will have to deal with Nurkic’s big man partner, Walker Kessler. According to Sam Amick, Kessler was “frustrated” with how his restricted free agency has been handled.

The Los Angeles Lakers seem to be the main team interested in Kessler, however, they cannot offer him a contract until July 6, leaving time to potentially sign a different center before then.

Jimmy Butler trade speculation has gotten loud enough that his agent decided it was time to step in.

Over the past 24 hours, the Golden State Warriors have been tied to a complicated offseason scenario involving Anthony Davis, LeBron James and Butler’s contract. The rumored framework centers on Golden State pursuing Davis from the Washington Wizards, with Butler potentially being used as the necessary salary-matching piece in a blockbuster deal.

The reported endgame would be even bigger: acquire Davis, then use his presence to help convince James to join Stephen Curry and Draymond Green in the Bay Area.

Butler’s camp, however, is pushing back on the idea that the six-time All-Star is already being quietly moved toward the exit.

Bernie Lee, Butler’s agent, responded to the rumors in a statement to ESPN’s Anthony Slater, stressing that the Warriors have told Butler their plan remains centered on helping him recover from his ACL injury and return to the court with Golden State.

“I don’t want to get into a constant cycle of responding to this stuff,” Lee said, before adding that the Warriors have been “resolute” in their plan to support Butler through rehab and continue with him in pursuit of a championship.

That was the key part of the message.

Lee was not just dismissing a random trade machine idea. He was addressing a rumor that has gained momentum because of how easily Butler’s salary fits into a potential Davis pursuit. If Golden State wants to land another star making major money, Butler becomes the obvious name people attach to the deal.

That does not mean the Warriors are actually ready to move him.

Lee also framed Butler’s injury recovery as part of the reason patience is required from the organization and fan base. Butler, he said, remains focused on “getting back between the four lines” and doing his part — with the Warriors.

Butler himself recently acknowledged the reality of the NBA business. Asked about trade speculation, he told Slater that being moved would not be new to him, but added that it was good to know he was wanted in Golden State.

“If I get traded, I get traded,” Butler said. “Their job is to win. Can I help them do that? Yes.”

That is what makes this situation so tricky.

The Warriors may genuinely want Butler back. Butler may genuinely want to stay. But Golden State is also trying to maximize the final years of Curry’s championship window, and rumors involving Davis and James are not going away quietly.

For now, Lee’s statement draws a clear line from Butler’s side: the focus is rehab, return and competing with the Warriors.

Whether Golden State’s front office stays on that same line is the question that will define the rest of its offseason.

The first domino has fallen for the Spurs in free agency, and it’s a move we all saw coming. Today (June 29) is the deadline for the early termination of contracts, and as predicted, the Spurs have used it to decline the team option on Julian Champagnie’s contract to re-sign him to a longer deal. According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, Champagnie will sign a new three-year, $45 million deal with the Spurs, which lasts through the 2028-29 season.

Just in: San Antonio Spurs forward Julian Champagnie intends to sign a new three-year, $45 million contract with the franchise through 2028-29, sources tell ESPN. The Spurs declined Champagnie’s $3 million team option to give him a new deal. Waived three years ago, Champagnie has… pic.twitter.com/IgM5oXWeAG

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 29, 2026

This is quite the steal for a starting-caliber forward who can defend and consistently shot around 40% from deep in both the regular season and playoffs for a Finals team. Champagnie appeared in all 82 games for the Spurs for the second straight season, starting in 68 of them and eventually becoming a full-time starter, superceding Harrison Barnes in the rotation. He averaged 11.1 points on 38% from three, 5.8 rebouds and 1.5 assists in the regular season. He shot even better in the playoffs, scoring 11.2 points per game on 40% from three.

The new deal is not just well deserved, but it’s also a continuation of his very Spursian story. Originally undrafted out of St. John’s University, he signed a two-way contract with the Philadelphia 76ers in the summer of 2022. He hardly played for them at all before he was waived in February to make room for Philly to sign Mac McClung entirely so he could represent them in the Dunk Contest at All-Star weekend, just to then waive him too.

This deal puts Champagnie in Spurs lore as one of their classic cases of players being cast off by their prior teams, just for the Spurs to pick them up off the scrap heaps and make others regret missing out. He arguably could have demanded more from the Spurs or on the open market, so the fact that he accept such a team-friendly deal suggests he values winning and feels a sense of loyalty to the Spurs for believing in him.

Free agency officially begins tomorrow at 5:00 PM, when teams can begin talking to other teams’ free agents. The moratorium period lasts until July 6. Other news to watch for, beyond the Spurs signing any new free agents, will be Victor Wembanyama’s rookie contract extension and the Spurs picking up the rookie options on Stephon Castle, Dylan Harper and Carter Bryant (although they technically have until October 31 to get that done).

In the meantime, welcome back, Julian! It’s as if you never left. Enjoy your best birthday present yet!

Deandre Ayton is opting to stay with the Los Angeles Lakers, though it’s to be seen whether the Lakers will opt to keep with the former Arizona big man.

Ayton has exercised his player option to return to the Lakers for a second year, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Monday. Ayton will make $8.1 million in 2026-27.

In his first season with the Lakers, the 28-year-old Ayton averaged 12.5 points and 8 rebounds per game over 72 regular season games. Ayton’s scoring and rebounding averages were the lowest of his career.

Ayton played well in the Lakers’ NBA playoffs first round win over the Houston Rockets, posting three double-doubles but struggled in the Western Conference semifinals against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

While it was expected that Ayton would opt in to his player option, the Lakers may decide they’re better off trading him and finding a new starting center. Ayton’s salary puts him at good value for teams in need of a reliable big man.

Los Angeles Lakers center Deandre Ayton is opting into his $8.1 million player option for the 2026-27 season, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/YCEkd3wgmj

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 29, 2026

Ayton, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, played his first five seasons with the Phoenix Suns, followed by two seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers.

In his one season at Arizona (2017-18), Ayton earned Pac-12 Player of the Year and Consensus First Team All-American honors.

Landry Shamet is staying in New York, agreeing to a four-year, $24 million contract with the Knicks, confirms SNY NBA Insider Ian Begley.

The deal was first reported by ESPN's Shams Charania.

Begley also reports that Shamet's decision to re-sign with the Knicks and avoid free agency means that he turned down the opportunity for bigger offers elsewhere to defend the title -- offers that were coming had he become a free agent.

Instead, the shooting guard will remain in New York for the long-term after spending the last two seasons with the Knicks and averaging 7.5 points in 101 games (12 starts). 

According to Begley, bringing back Shamet was a priority for the club. He becomes the second player to return after winning the NBA Finals following the contract extension to Jose Alvarado.

If the Knicks stay under the second apron, it will be very difficult for them to retain Mitchell Robinson now, per Begley.

Shamet has played for six teams in his eight-year career and has averaged 8.4 points across 449 games (109 starts). During that time, he's also made the playoffs seven times and is a great option off the bench.

New York Knicks champion Landry Shamet is staying in the Big Apple after the threat of free agency came with his team option declined earlier in the month. ESPN insider Shams Charania was the first to report the news.

“Just in: Free agent guard Landry Shamet intends to sign a new four-year, $24 million deal to return to the New York Knicks, sources tell ESPN. Shamet’s agent, George S. Langberg of GSL Sports Group, worked with Knicks executives on Monday to land the long-term commitment,” Charania tweeted.

Shamet, 29, averaged 9.3 points per game in 51 appearances with the Knicks this season. He emerged in the postseason, appearing in all 19 games for the Knicks as a key reserve. He proved that he belonged with stellar play on both ends of the floor, especially on defense.

“I’m talking about his whole career because he’s been a journeyman, but he probably deserved more of an opportunity because what he does out on the floor on both ends is very hard to find in this league, especially at his size, with is mental and physical toughness. We gave him an opportunity and showed him we loved him. He embraced it and he ran with it,” Knicks head coach Mike Brown said during the NBA Finals.

Posting and Toasting community, what do you make of Shamet’s new contract with the Knicks? How do you feel about him returning to the team for the next four years? Let us know in the comments section.

Ja Morant’s name has been in NBA trade rumors for at least a year. Finally, the Memphis Grizzlies pulled the trigger on a deal no one could have seen coming.

The Portland Trail Blazers acquired Morant from Memphis for Jerami Grant and Kris Murray, according to Shams Charania. The Blazers are reportedly set to start Morant and Damian Lillard in the backcourt next to Deni Avdija and Donovan Clingan, with Scoot Henderson, Jrue Holiday, and Toumani Camara filling out the rotation. The Grizzlies start fresh for the Cam Boozer era by unloading Morant, who had been the troubled face of the franchise since he was selected No. 2 overall in the 2019 NBA Draft.

Morant reportedly didn’t garner much trade interest, but the Blazers made a bold move to acquire him without giving up any draft capital or key rotation pieces. Let’s grade this trade for both sides.

Trail Blazers grade for Ja Morant trade

Morant’s star has fallen significantly after making back-to-back All-Star teams in 2022 and 2023, as well as Second-Team All-NBA in 2022. Morant was once one of the brightest young stars in the league, but injuries, off-court issues, and a significant drop-off in two-point scoring efficiency have diminished his production.

This feels like an odd fit. Portland already has Lillard coming back from a torn Achilles next season at age-36, and he was a terrible defender even before the injury. Morant is another small and weak defender. How are the Blazers going to be able to stop anyone in the backcourt if the plan is for Lillard and Morant to start together? While this lineup could suddenly have a lot of ball handling and playmaking, it’s worth noting that Avdija’s All-Star leap last season only happened in a heavy on-ball role. I don’t like taking the ball out of Avdija’s hands, and hate the defensive pairing of Lillard and Morant even with Clingan at the rim and Toumani Camara and Jrue Holiday on the wings.

Credit the Blazers for not really giving up anything. Grant was a bad contract, and his touches needed to go to other players this season. Grant had two years, $70.6 million remaining on his deal. Murray will be more enticing for Memphis, but he was only a depth wing in Portland. The Blazers got a former star in Morant who is still young at 26 years old. There’s upside in the deal for Portland if Morant can approach getting back to his old self.

Morant has two years, $87 million left on his deal. Even if this doesn’t work out, Portland could always trade him as an expiring contract next season.

It really feels like there’s another shoe to drop with the Blazers after this deal. I had Portland on my list of Jaylen Brown trade suitors, and they could make some sense as a Kawhi Leonard destination, too.

I can’t ding Portland too much for this trade because they didn’t really give anything up, and they also unloaded a bad asset in the process. I just don’t love the on-court fit here, and I see no world in which a Lillard and Morant backcourt is viable even in the short-term. Let’s see what Portland has up its sleeve next.

Grade: C+

Grizzlies grade for Ja Morant trade

Memphis is Cam Boozer’s team now. I thought the No. 3 overall pick was by far the best prospect in the 2026 NBA Draft, and he’s going to be the face of the franchise with Morant out of the way. This return shows just how little interest there was in Morant. Memphis probably didn’t want to take back Grant, but they didn’t have any other options without giving up assets in the deal. My guess is Grant is immediately available to anyone who wants him, otherwise he will be a buyout candidate a year from now. Murray projects as a backup wing if he can fix his three-point shot. He’s only shot 25 percent from deep for his career.

This move is really all about addition by subtraction for Memphis. The Grizzlies have plenty of guards on the roster with Ty Jerome, Scotty Pippen Jr., Walter Clayton Jr., Cam Spencer, and Javon Small. Cedric Coward and Jaylen Wells can hold down the wing, while Boozer, Santi Aldama, Isaiah Stewart, and Zach Edey fortify the front court. If Boozer is as good as I think he’s going to be, Memphis will have a great young core in place. It didn’t need Morant messing with that.

Morant’s fall from grace in Memphis is just sad. The Grizzlies should have traded him sooner, but just getting off him at all right now is good work.

Grade: B-

The Memphis Grizzliesare trading Ja Morant to the Portland Trail Blazers, which may be just the start of future moves for the Blazers, if you believe some of the trade reactions.

As first reported by ESPN, the Grizzlies are sending the two-time All-Star guard and No. 2 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft to Portland for a swap that includes forward Jerami Grant and forward Kris Murray.

Morant is still on a contract he signed in July 2022, a five-year, $197.2 million deal. The 26-year-old is set to make $42 million and $44 million over the next two seasons and will be a free agent in the summer of 2028.

The trade comes just before the flurry of NBA free agency, which opens its negotiation period on Tuesday at 6 p.m. ET.

Here are the latest reactions to the Ja Morant trade and what it could mean going forward:

Ja Morant trade reactions and rumors

Ja Morant to Portland makes you wonder.

Jrue Holiday, Damian Lillard, and Scoot Henderson are all there as well.

Suddenly, a Jaylen Brown to Portland trade is not all that crazy to imagine.

— Brett Siegel (@BrettSiegelNBA) June 29, 2026

The Trail Blazers’ current guards on their roster:

Ja Morant
Damian Lillard
Jrue Holiday
Scoot Henderson
Shaedon Sharpe

Another huge move is certainly coming soon for Portland to clear this log jam. pic.twitter.com/v63wEFlYZ1

— Evan Sidery (@esidery) June 29, 2026

The Portland Trail Blazers envision a starting backcourt of Damian Lillard and Ja Morant alongside Deni Avdija on the wing. A very unconventional move that the franchise believes has upside. Ja Morant gets his fresh start. Jerami Grant and Kris Murray off to Memphis.

— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) June 29, 2026

Following the trade of Ja Morant to Portland, the Grizzlies have now traded all three of their former franchise cornerstones — Morant, Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr. — since being swept by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round of the 2025 playoffs.…

— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) June 29, 2026

Could Ja Morant be the ultimate buy low for the Portland Trail Blazers? https://t.co/EQFFScYgVo

— Kevin O'Connor (@KevinOConnor) June 29, 2026

The Sacramento Kings were eyeing the possibility of adding Ja Morant dating back to the last NBA trade deadline, but drafting Darius Acuff, Jr., recently cooled that talk.

— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) June 29, 2026

Scooby Axson contributed to this story.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ja Morant trade from Grizzlies to Blazers sparks reactions and rumors