Apr 10, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Ousmane Dieng (21) during the game against the Brooklyn Nets at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images
According to HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto, the Milwaukee Bucks have pulled their qualifying offer for former first-round pick Ousmane Dieng. Per Salary Swish, Dieng’s qualifying offer would’ve paid him $9.6 million for one season.
After being acquired at the trade deadline in a three-team deal, Dieng played in 30 games in Milwaukee (starting in 20 of them), averaging 26.8 MPG, 11.0 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 3.6 APG, shooting 42.3% from the field and 33.1% from beyond the arc.
This was the first time in his career that Dieng had any extended playing time in meaningful minutes. During his days with the Oklahoma City Thunder, his highest average minutes were 19.3 MPG. The young Frenchman showed flashes of his potential as an offensive creator with the Bucks, scoring a career-high 36 points and adding 10 assists in a close loss to the Houston Rockets on April 1. It wasn’t always pretty for Dieng, though, as he had seven games with four or more turnovers, including a seven-turnover game against the Brooklyn Nets.
While Dieng will hit the open market as an unrestricted free agent (UFA), that doesn’t rule out a return to Cream City, as the Bucks own his bird rights and can give him any amount of money they would like. Considering the Bucks weren’t willing to give him the qualifying offer outright, I imagine it will be less than that $9.6m figure. With Giannis gone and the Bucks headed towards a youth movement, I would hazard that Dieng is back in Milwaukee, as he’ll have a much bigger role than on some other teams.
Brew Hoop community, how do you feel about Dieng becoming an UFA? Let us know in the comments section below.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - MAY 09: Jalen Duren #0 of the Detroit Pistons waits during the fourth quarter of Game Three of the Second Round of the NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Arena on May 09, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Cavaliers defeated the Pistons 116-109. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Detroit Pistons are apparently on the verge of losing All-NBA center Jalen Duren as negotiations on a new contract have apparently reached a breaking point. It’s progressed to Duren planning to meet with the Sacramento Kings when free agency officially begins on Tuesday. That report comes from Chris Haynes. Earlier reports from The Athletic said Duren and the Pistons were far apart in negotiations and that Duren would look to engineer a sign-and-trade to secure a big payday outside Detroit.
“Due to sizable distance apart in negotiations, Detroit Pistons restricted free agent center Jalen Duren will meet with the Sacramento Kings at the start of free agency with the intentions of structuring a sign-&-trade out of Detroit,” Haynes reported on social media.
BREAKING: Due to sizable distance apart in negotiations, Detroit Pistons restricted free agent center Jalen Duren will meet with the Sacramento Kings at the start of free agency with the intentions of structuring a sign-&-trade out of Detroit. pic.twitter.com/rzUZWy2iJF
Still just 22 years old, Duren averaged 19.5 points and 10.5 rebounds while shooting 65% from the floor in his All-Star season with the Pistons. Because Duren made an All-NBA team, he is eligible for a supermax extension while it was reported the Pistons were angling to sign him for less than max with number floated at between $35-$40 million per year.
It’s important to note that the Pistons would need to find a deal construction that they are amenable to because the Kings don’t have the money to sign Duren in free agency. They are over the cap, so if Duren wants to sign with the Kings and the Kings want to sign Duren, they need to send assets back to Detroit.
While that gives Detroit considerable leverage, the Kings will be operating on the premise that a reunion between the Pistons and Duren would be untenable.
It’s also important to note that Duren only counts for half his new salary in a sign-and-trade deal, and that makes salary matching more complicated.
If the Kings sign Duren for $45 million, they will want to send $45 million back to Detroit, but only $22.5 million of that number would be applied to Duren. That would mean Detroit would attach more assets to send Sacramento’s way. I would imagine Caris LeVert would be a likely candidate.
So what assets do the Kings have to offer? They are awash in funky players and contracts. The conversation begins with Domantas Sabonis, Sacramento’s offensively gifted, defensively challenged center. He has two years of $45 million and $48 million remaining.
With the trade of Isaiah Stewart already locked in, losing Duren would mean Detroit would be looking at starting Paul Reed if they don’t make an addition at the big man spot. Sabonis
They also have DeMar DeRozan, an undersized veteran who could play power forward and handle some of the scoring and ball-handling load. He makes $25 million and only $10 million is guaranteed. Zach LaVine is an expiring $48 million deal and is yet another offensively gifted, defensively challenged player (to put it mildly).
Keegan Murray is a young piece that might provide some actual value, and he runs between $24 million and $31 million each of the next five seasons.
There is also nothing saying that this can’t be expanded to include multiple teams if a player like Murray or Sabonis isn’t what Detroit would be looking for. This also might be a bit of last-minute posturing as Detroit and Duren make their final plays before settling into a new long-term pact.
This is a developing story that has the potential to significantly alter the makeup of the Pistons. Stay tuned.
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
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.”
The Ja Morant era in Memphis has officially come to an end.
The Grizzlies have been trying to find a trade for Morant for the better part of a year and finally found a deal they liked, partnering with the Portland Trail Blazers, a trade first reported by Shams Charania of ESPN. The trade shakes out like this:
Portland receives: Ja Morant Memphis receives: Jerami Grant, Kris Murray
Since owner Tom Dundon bought the Trail Blazers during last season, he has wanted the team to make a bold move, a big splash signing or trade. That is exactly what it is — this is an aggressive swing for the fences, albeit one that carries some risk because of Morant's history of injuries and suspensions.
When he's at his best, Morant is one of the most explosive and entertaining players in the league, the 2020 Rookie of the Year and a two-time All-Star who still averaged 19.5 points and 8.1 assists a game last season.
While there have been questions about him having lost half a step, it's hard to judge because, due to injuries and suspensions, he has played in just 79 games across the last three seasons, including 20 last season.
Portland now has a backcourt of Morant, Damian Lillard (coming off a torn Achilles) and Jrue Holiday. Bringing in a veteran backcourt like that could leave Scoot Henderson as the odd man out (don't be surprised if other teams call and check on his availability).
Combine that backcourt with Deni Avdija and Donovan Clingan up front, and this becomes one of the more interesting teams to watch this season. If new coach Micah Nori can bring it all together, this team could be entertaining and win a lot of games. But with Morant and Lillard leading the way, missed time due to injuries will be a concern.
This also means Portland is out of the mix to trade for Jaylen Brown, the team would have needed Grant's salary to match up for that deal (same with the Aaron Gordon rumors out there).
Memphis has been looking to pivot to a fresh start for a while now, particularly building around the just-drafted Cameron Boozer, and this is the clean slate they needed. It's not near the return Memphis may have originally hoped for when it made Morant available, but the return on this trade — with no draft picks — speaks to his market.
Grant had a bounce-back season last year, averaging 18.6 points a game and playing almost 30 minutes a night. That said, he could be traded again before the season because the Grizzlies are stacked along the front line with Zach Edey and Isaiah Stewart at the five, then at the forward spots there are Cedric Coward, Boozer, Santi Aldama, Taylor Hendricks, Jaylen Wells, Olivier-Maxence Prosper, GG Jackson, and the just-drafted Karim Lopez. That's an overload.
DETROIT, MICHIGAN - APRIL 19: Kevin Huerter #27 of the Detroit Pistons plays against the Orlando Magic during game one of the first round of the eastern conference playoffs at Little Caesars Arena on April 19, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) | Getty Images
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.
Initial talks between LeBron James and the Lakers have gone nowhere. Corey Sipkin for NY Post
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.
Having long wanted to play with one another, Stephen Curry (right) and James led Team USA to a gold medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics in one of the greatest basketball games of all time. AFP via Getty Images
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.
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.
After having won a title together in 2020 for the Lakers, LeBron James and Anthony Davis (left) could reunite in Golden State alongside Curry and Draymond Green. Getty Images
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.
Having never played together, Green and James would relish the opportunity to put on the same jersey. NBAE via Getty Images
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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Jun 8, 2026; New York, New York, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Julian Champagnie (30) shoots against the New York Knicks in the third quarter during game three of the...
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.
Spurs forward Julian Champagnie (30) shoots against the New York Knicks in the third quarter during game three of the 2026 NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden. Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
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.
San Antonio Spurs forward Julian Champagnie (30) shoots the ball over New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) during the third quarter during game five of the 2026 NBA Finals at Frost Bank Center. Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
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
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.
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.
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!
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:
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.
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
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’s agent pushed back on Warriors trade rumors linking him to an Anthony Davis deal as LeBron James speculation grows. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
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.
NBA star Jimmy Butler before the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32 match between Brazil and Japan ZUMAPRESS.com
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.
New York Knicks vs Washington Wizards at Madison Square Garden: Forward Anthony Davis #23 of the Washington Wizards sits on the bench in plain clothes during the second half. Jason Szenes / New York Post
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.
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James, right, greets Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry after the Lakers defeated the Golden State Warriors AP
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.
Golden State Warriors forward Jimmy Butler III (10) holds his right knee as he goes down with an injury during the third quarter against the Miami Heat IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
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.
May 30, 2026; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Julian Champagnie (30) holds the NBA Western Conference Finals trophy after defeating the Oklahoma City Thunder in game seven of the western conference finals for the 2026 NBA playoffs at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
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
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!
OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA - MAY 5: Deandre Ayton #5 of the Los Angeles Lakers handles the ball while being defended by Isaiah Hartenstein #55 of the Oklahoma City Thunder during the first quarter in Game One of the Second Round of the NBA Western Conference Playoffs at Paycom Center on May 5, 2026 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Joshua Gateley/Getty Images) | Getty Images
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
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.
