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The Utah Jazz signed Jaxson Hayes to a two-year $12 million deal, according to Tim MacMahon.

Source: The Jazz are signing former Lakers center Jaxson Hayes to a two-year, $12 million deal. The second season is a team option.

— Tim MacMahon (@BannedMacMahon) July 1, 2026

The second year is a team option, meaning Utah can release him after this upcoming season if they want.

The Hayes signing makes sense, as Utah now needs center depth after the Walker Kessler trade. Hayes played 66 games last season for the Lakers and started in 9 of them. He averaged 18 minutes per game while shooting 75% from the field, with 7.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 0.8 blocks. As of now, Hayes likely becomes the backup center behind Jusuf Nurkic if the Jazz decide to start Nurkic. But Hayes feels like he’s more of a third center on a good team.

The off-court issues are the biggest concern with Hayes, who has had domestic violence allegations in the past. We haven’t heard from the Jazz front office about those issues, but the Lakers have discussed those issues before. You can read about that here.

We can only hope that those things are behind Hayes and that he has changed his life after some harrowing details of his past were revealed.

In terms of basketball alone, Utah now has a center who can fill the void left by Walker Kessler. Hayes gives the Jazz flexibility in potential future trades, especially with his team option on his second year, while also keeping the Jazz cap low as they prepare for a future contract for Keyone George.

This is also probably a reflection of the Ainge’s view of centers. They might not think putting money into the center position is worth it unless you have a franchise-caliber player. Utah obviously didn’t think Kessler was at that level and can now fill gaps with moves like this.

Another All-NBA name is on the move.

After failing to deal him during their foray into the Giannis Antetokounmpo sweepstakes, the Boston Celtics have agreed to a blockbuster trade that ships star forward Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for veteran Paul George, two first-round draft picks and two second-round selections, a person with direct knowledge of the deal confirmed to USA TODAY Sports.

The person spoke under the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly comment on the matter.

The picks in the deal include a 2028 first rounder that would turn into a pick swap if that turns out to be more favorable for the Celtics and an unprotected first rounder in the 2031 draft. The second-round picks are in 2028 and 2030.

This is a clear signal that Philadelphia is looking to elevate itself into a championship contender in the East. The Sixers have made the playoffs eight of the last nine years but haven't advanced past the second round over that span. And with center Joel Embiid at 32 years old, Philadelphia’s window to win with the 2022-23 Most Valuable Player is winding down.

With Brown, the 76ers now have a three-headed force on offense with Embiid, Brown and two-time All-Star Tyrese Maxey, whose 28.3 points per game last season ranked fifth in the league — just 0.4 points per game behind Brown.

The Sixers have seen other teams in the East beef up, including the Heat acquiring Antetokounmpo, so this trade indicates that they feel they are among the top teams in the conference. Philadelphia also signed free agent Dean Wade, and VJ Edgecombe shined in his rookie season.

George’s contract had been rather cumbersome and the Sixers are able to both offload it and bring back a younger, more talented player in Brown. George is due $54.1 million next season and has a $56.6 million player option for 2027-28.

The deal also breaks up the nine-year partnership of Brown and Jayson Tatum as the faces of the franchise and presents something of a new era in Boston. The Celtics appear to be building more toward the future, but with Tatum in his prime at 28 years old, the trade of Brown is dissonant with the timeline to win now.

Brown was stellar for Boston this season, most of which was played without fellow star Tatum, who missed the first five months of the campaign recovering from his ruptured Achilles tendon suffered deep in the 2025 playoffs.

Brown averaged career-highs in points (28.7) and assists (5.1), while tying his career mark in rebounds (6.9), as the Celtics exceeded external expectations en route to a 56-26 record and the No. 2 seed in the East.

More: NBA free agency LIVE updates: LeBron rumors, Lakers make major moves

Boston raced out to a 3-1 series lead in the first round of the playoffs against the 76ers but lost three consecutive games to crash out.

That early exit led to several weeks of angst and uncertainty as the franchise weighed its future and roster construction. Despite Boston being just two years removed from an NBA championship, president of basketball operations Brad Stevens clearly felt the team was not built to compete for another title.

The Celtics engaged with the Milwaukee Bucks for Antetokounmpo but lost out to the Heat, who offered a blend of young players and draft capital. Brown was a significant part of those discussions and was eventually dangled out in trade talks.

Later, Stevens had called Brown integral to the team’s identity and culture, but he stopped short of reaffirming his future with the franchise.

"Jaylen Brown is a big part of us," Stevens said on June 24. "I’m never going to predict the future. Every indication, everything I think about over the last few years, has been building around those guys. You never know.

"But at the same time, the one thing I want to make very clear is how valued he has always been. He has been amazing. He has been an amazing teammate and a great person to be around."

Brown, the 2024 NBA Finals MVP, is a five-time All-Star and two-time All-NBA selection.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jaylen Brown traded to 76ers for Paul George in deal that reshapes Sixers and Celtics

The Spurs are bolstering their depth on the wing. 

San Antonio and forward Tobias Harris agreed to a two-year, $31 million contract on Wednesday, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania, adding a veteran presence to its young roster after falling short in the NBA Finals. 

Harris, who turns 34 later this month, served as a valuable role player for the Pistons over the last two seasons after coming over from the 76ers during the summer of 2024. 

Last season, Harris averaged 13.3 points per game on 46.9 percent shooting and 36.8 percent from 3-point land for Detroit, which went 60-22 during the regular season before falling in the Eastern Conference semifinals to the Cavaliers. 

Harris played some of his best basketball during the Pistons’ playoff run, scoring 20 points in eight straight games at one point, before losing minutes during Detroit’s final two games against Cleveland. 

He joins a San Antonio frontline that, aside from Victor Wembanyama, looked small at times during the Finals against the Knicks’ Karl-Anthony Towns, Mitchell Robinson and OG Anunoby. 

The Tennessee product’s ability to get hot from beyond the arc should also provide the Spurs, who were roughly average from deep last season, shooting 35.9 percent on 37.9 attempts per game, with some more offensive punch. 

Harris will compete for minutes with wings Devin Vassell, Julian Champagnie, Keldon Johnson and Harrison Barnes. 

The Harris addition is the first in what has been a relatively quiet offseason thus far for the Spurs. 

Earlier this week, San Antonio brought back Barnes on a one-year deal for $8 million in one of their few moves to date this summer. 

The Pistons’ loss of Harris adds to what has been an offseason of turnover for the franchise. 

Detroit traded away big man Isaiah Stewart to Memphis while bringing in Isaiah Joe in a trade with the Thunder and signing John Collins in free agency. 

There are also still questions as to the fate of young center Jalen Duren, who is a restricted free agent and had been seeking out sign-and-trade options earlier this week.

The Lakers’ two most recent draft picks highlight the team’s 2026 Summer League roster, announced by the team on Wednesday afternoon.

Both Adou Thiero and Cameron Carr will play in Summer League this season for the Lakers, which kicks off at the California Classic on Friday in before the team travels to Las Vegas starting on July 10.

Summer hoops on deck pic.twitter.com/u91xactHLp

— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) July 1, 2026

Thiero had an injury-riddled rookie season in LA. He did not play in Summer League last year due to a knee injury, which cost him the start of the season as well. Thiero only played in 25 games, most of that action coming in injury time.

Everything about Carr’s game seems to set him up to be an exciting Summer League watch. Paired with Thiero, the Lakers will have two very exciting, athletic wings.

Other noteworthy names on the roster include both of the team’s newest two-way signings, AK Okereke and Peter Suder, as well as Chris Mañon, one of the team’s two-way players from last season. Arthur Kaluma and Luke Goode both played for South Bay last season with the former also playing on the team’s Summer League side.

One of the most interesting names is Zhaire Smith. The former No. 16 overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft saw his career derailed by a near-fatal allergic reaction that forced him to be hospitalized and resulted in him losing 60 pounds. Since then, Smith has bounced around the G League and various NBA teams.

You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.

Stephen A. Smith has entered the Lakers group chat — and, as usual, he did not come quietly.

After a busy offseason Luka Dončić, Austin Reaves and Walker Kessler are looking like the Lakers’ top core trio, Smith called out the obvious visual shift in typical Stephen A. fashion.

“I’m saying it,” Smith said. “Your three best players are white dudes. This ain’t golf. And we got a whole bunch of brothers on Team USA. This is basketball, what y’all think this is?”

Subtle? It was not.

Smith was not alone, either. Bomani Jones joked that the Lakers “ain’t been this white since they left Minneapolis,” referencing the franchise’s George Mikan days and continued with, “if lakers-celtics became a nationwide thing again, me and the homies wouldn’t know who to root for.”

Online, fans quickly joined in with nicknames like “Snowtime Lakers,” “Tres Leches” and “Snowtown.”

The Lakers’ new core is an outlier in today’s NBA. In a league where roughly 70% to 78% of players are Black and only about 17% to 19% are white, a Lakers trio built around Dončić, Reaves and Kessler naturally stands out.

To Smith’s “this ain’t golf” point, the PGA Tour remains overwhelmingly white, with estimates around 80% of professional players identifying as Caucasian.

For a franchise long defined by icons like Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, and LeBron James, the Lakers’ new-look core is easy to notice.

But beneath the jokes is a real basketball question.

Former Laker Markieff Morris questioned not the race of the players but their toughness. While saying he liked the Lakers’ pickups, he warned that the team is “gonna be soft as hell” and said Dončić needs “a few dogs in that West.”

That may be the actual issue.

Dončić gives the Lakers an elite offensive engine. Reaves brings shot-making and secondary creation. Kessler adds size, rebounding and rim protection. Sandro Mamukelashvili, Quentin Grimes and Collin Sexton give Los Angeles more options.

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There is talent.

The question is whether there is enough toughness, athletic defense and edge to survive a Western Conference filled with teams that can punish weak links.

In many ways, the Lakers do look very different.

Now they have to prove they are just lighter in color, not lighter in the fight.

SACRAMENTO, CA — The Sacramento Kings were one of the biggest winners of the 2026 NBA Draft after drafting a Grade A group featuring Darius Acuff Jr., Emanuel Sharp and Alex Karaban.

Kings general manager Scott Perry introduced the 2026 draft class to Sacramento for the first time Monday as they got a taste of what it'll be like inside the Golden 1 Center.

It was a warm welcome for the players who were accompanied by family and supported by team members in attendance, including head coach Doug Christie and teammates Keegan Murray and Dylan Cardwell. It was all fun, but there was one point to drive home from the introduction: a new era is coming.

"As we approached this year's draft we had a clear vision of what we wanted to add to this organization," Perry said during his opening statement at the Kings' rookie introduction. "We prioritized talent, basketball IQ, competitiveness, character and the potential to make a long-term impact. Those are the traits that we believe are essential to building a long-term sustainable, winning organization. Equally important, we wanted to get players who we knew and believed fit our culture that we're establishing here in Sacramento. Darius, Alex and Emanuel all represent those values, and we're excited to welcome them to the Kings."

And each of those guys are excited to be in Sacramento. Of course, they get to see their NBA dreams fulfilled. But they understand and are bought into Perry's vision for winning basketball in Sacramento.

That's the focus going into the summer.

"Number one, winning. For sure, just trying to win every game. I think that's all of our goals," Acuff told USA TODAY Sports. "Just building that connection with them during this that we have in the summer."

It starts with the California Classic beginning July 4 through 6. Acuff told USA TODAY Sports that Kings fans deserve a winning culture and that's his goal.

"More than anything, I'm looking forward to playing in front of them," Acuff said. "It's a great atmosphere. The arena is amazing. Just like I said, playing in front of them, that's going to be the best part. You know, just winning for them. They deserve winning. These are great fans. They support. You can feel that energy and I'm looking to bring the same, for sure."

Acuff, 19, was a freshman standout at Arkansas under Hall of Fame head coach John Calipari. He averaged 23.5 points, 6.4 assists on 48.4% field goal shooting, including 44% on 3-point shots. He got buckets in styles, too. Inside, mid-range, from deep.

There's a shift in Kings basketball on the horizon.

Acuff, a Detroit native, told USA TODAY Sports that he planned to bring three attributes to Sacramento with him: swagger, winning and a new culture.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY Sports: Darius Acuff Jr. brings swagger, winning, culture to Sacramento Kings

The Denver Nuggets have entered the LeBron James sweepstakes, and while they may not be the obvious favorite, they might be one of the most fascinating fits on the board.

According to The Denver Post, the Nuggets have reached out to James to express interest in bringing the 21-time All-NBA forward to Denver as he moves on from the Los Angeles Lakers. James is leaving Los Angeles after eight seasons, one championship, the NBA scoring record and another strong individual year at age 41.

Now, the question is where he wants to finish.

Golden State, Cleveland, Miami and Minnesota have all been linked to James.

Rich Paul has made it clear this will not be a normal free agency decision, either. On a recent appearance, Paul said he has spoken with “about 12-14 teams,” which means nearly half the league has at least checked in on the idea of adding LeBron.

Paul also explained that James is not simply chasing the biggest contract.

“I think it’s more so having the ability to compete for the possibility to compete for winning a championship,” Paul said. “I think you can say being competitive. I think you can say having guys who understand how to play at a high level.”

That is where Denver becomes interesting.

The Nuggets cannot offer James the kind of money some other teams might without major roster gymnastics. Luckily, Paul also said maximizing money won’t be the deciding factor. If James is truly open to taking less for the right basketball situation, Denver has a real pitch: Nikola Jokic.

The basketball case is pretty easy to understand.

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James and Jokic would give Denver two elite passers who know how to make the game easier for everyone around them. Jokic would still be the center of the offense, but James could take pressure off him as another creator, especially in late-clock situations, transition chances and playoff matchups where Denver needs a different look.

The fit would not be seamless automatically. Denver’s offense runs through Jokic, and changing that would present many dubious realities. James would have to be comfortable picking his spots, playing off the ball more often and acting as a secondary playmaker instead of controlling every possession.

At this stage, that might be a reasonable role and would in a sense mimic his role with the Lakers last season. James averaged 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 7.2 assists last season. But on a Nuggets team with Jokic, Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon already in place, the appeal would be less about LeBron carrying the offense and more about giving Denver another high-level option in high leverage situations.

There is also history here. Nuggets president Josh Kroenke tried to recruit James in 2018 by sending him a throwback Denver jersey. James later called Kroenke a “very dear friend” and said the two had spent time together away from basketball.

ESPN’s Brian Windhorst has also called Denver a possible “outlier team” for James, especially if he is willing to take some kind of exception to play with Jokic.

Then there is, perhaps, the most important free agency factor of all: golf.

Paul joked that James would be fine as long as there is “indoor and outdoor golf.” Denver, somehow, checks that box.

Winter golf in Colorado is strange, weather-dependent and occasionally interrupted by snow, frost delays and frozen fairways that play like concrete. But between sunny winter days, year-round courses and indoor simulator spots around the city, LeBron’s golf requirement can technically survive the Rockies.

The Nuggets are still a long shot.

But they are not a joke.

If James wants a comfortable landing spot, title contenstion, and a chance to play beside Jokic, the Nuggets have a pitch worth listening to.

And apparently, they already have the communication lines open.