Worldwide Sports News

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.

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.

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:

Landry Shamet will be back on Broadway. 

Shamet is planning on signing a four-year, $24 million deal to remain with the Knicks, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. 

The deal was hammered out on Monday, according to the report, and keeps Shamet in the Big Apple after being a key part of the first Knicks squad to win an NBA championship in 53 years. 

Shamet averaged 9.3 points per game during the regular season and 6.0 points per game during the playoffs, while shooting 45.3 percent from the field and 47.5 percent from 3-point range.