Lakers To Sign Matisse Thybulle To One Year Contract
The Lakers are signing forward Matisse Thybulle on a one-year, $3.3MM contract, ESPN’s Shams Charania tweets.
As The Athletic’s Jovan Buha points out (Twitter link), the Lakers will now have 16 players with guaranteed contracts. They’ll have to waive or trade at least one of them by opening night to reach the 15-man limit. The Lakers’ interest in signing Thybulle was reported by multiple outlets.
Since entering the league in 2019 in Philadelphia, Thybulle has established himself as a defensive ace, though his offensive contributions are modest. During his 377 career games, he’s averaged 5.0 points and 1.1 assists in 20.6 minutes per game.
Thybulle has spent the last 3 1/2 seasons with the Trail Blazers, though he hasn’t played much the past two campaigns. He was limited to 45 games due to ankle, knee and thumb injuries. He was healthy to finish the 2025/26 campaign and was playing rotation minutes for Portland down the stretch.
The addition of Thybulle could raise the possibility of the Lakers working out a sign-and-trade deal with Atlanta for Jonathan Kuminga. If the Lakers were to send out two players for salary-matching purposes in a sign-and-trade for Kuminga, it would open up a spot on the 15-man roster for Thybulle.
Thybulle joins a revamped Lakers roster with a number of options at the wing positions, led by Austin Reaves and free agent addition Quentin Grimes.
Warriors Notes: Cryer, Jones, Richard, Ike, Thompson, Preseason Schedule
Lottery pick Yaxel Lendeborg wasn’t the only notable Warriors performer en route to winning the Las Vegas Summer League title. Monte Poole of NBCSportsBayArea.com reviews the performances of four other players in the aftermath of the Vegas games, as well as the earlier California Classic.
LJ Cryer, an undrafted guard who appeared in 18 games as a rookie last season, continued to display his shooting prowess while averaging 14 points on 44 percent shooting, including 41.3 percent from deep. He also averaged 4.0 assists but his defensive shortcomings tend to somewhat offset his offensive contributions.
This year’s second-round pick, Lajae Jones, got off to a slow start but perked up in Vegas. Meanwhile, 2025 first-rounder Will Richard was noticeably stronger and played with more confidence, setting him up to make a bigger impact in his second season. Big man Graham Ike has good size and was active in the paint but remains a longshot to snare a roster spot, Poole adds.
Here’s more on the Warriors:
- Klay Th0mpson stated in a TikTok video relayed by Will Simonds of NBCSportsBayArea.com that he wouldn’t rule out a potential return to the Warriors. “Never say never,” Thompson replied to a Golden State fan’s comment about missing him. Unless he signs an extension with the Mavericks, Thompson will be an unrestricted free agent next summer, when his three-year, $50MM contract expires.
- If LeBron James joins the Warriors, he might face his former team in Golden State’s preseason home opener. The Lakers will face the Warriors on Oct. 6, the team announced in a press release (Twitter link). The Warriors will play home games against the Kings on Oct. 10 and the Trail Blazers on Oct. 16 to round out their preseason home schedule.
- ICYMI, Lendeborg discussed the Summer League team’s success and winning the Championship Game MVP.
Lakers Notes: Kuminga, Thybulle, Kaluma, Assistant GM Opening
Momentum has “stalled” on the Lakers‘ pursuit of free agent forward Jonathan Kuminga, according to Dan Woike of The Athletic. Rumors connecting Kuminga to Los Angeles have been ongoing since late June, but Woike hears that the Lakers and Hawks are still far apart on terms of a potential deal and L.A. isn’t “overly motivated” to include significant draft assets in any of its sign-and-trade offers.
However, Woike cautions that a potential Kuminga deal isn’t dead because it’s still the “biggest upside play” remaining for the Lakers’ offseason. Cleveland also reportedly has interest in Kuminga, but Woike can envision the Lakers reemerging as a possibility if the market remains slow.
Kuminga became a free agent when Atlanta declined its $24.3MM team option for next season. No team has enough remaining cap space to make the kind of offer that Kuminga is seeking, so he’ll have to rely on a sign-and-trade. It’s not clear how much interest the Hawks have in re-signing him, especially after adding forward Luguentz Dort in a three-team trade on Sunday.
There’s more on the Lakers:
- Woike confirms a recent report from The Stein Line that L.A. has interest in free agent wing Matisse Thybulle. He notes that injuries are the main concern with Thybulle, who played just 45 games over the past two years, but adds that he was healthy at the end of last season and could provide a low-cost three-and-D option. The team is also hoping to add another big man, team sources tell Woike.
- The Lakers may have to move quickly to sign Arthur Kaluma to a two-way contract before another team does, Woike adds. The 6’7″ forward, who played for the team’s G League affiliate last season, was one of the top players in Summer League, averaging 18.6 PPG while shooting 60.9% from the floor and 50% from beyond the arc. Woike notes that current two-way players Chris Mañon, AK Okereke and Peter Suder might be expendable, although Okereke impressed the coaching staff with his defense and shooting.
- Scouts in Las Vegas were wondering when president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka plans to name his second assistant general manager, per Woike. Rohan Ramadas was hired in May to run the team’s analytics department, and Pelinka said after the season ended that he also wants someone to oversee player development and scouting. The Lakers began conducting interviews for the position during the season, and league sources tell Woike that there’s external confusion about the process. He adds that Minnesota’s Steve Senior and Philadelphia’s Prosper Karangwa are believed to have turned down offers from L.A. to remain with their current teams.
Trail Blazers, Portland Officials “Very Far Apart” In Contentious Lease Talks
The Trail Blazers are “very far apart” in their negotiations with the city of Portland to provide public funding for renovations to the Moda Center, a team source tells Jason Quick of The Athletic.
City officials sent the Blazers a term sheet on Friday outlining a 20-year lease agreement that includes $600MM in public funds to upgrade the arena. Quick notes that Portland is asking the team to pay $3MM per year for a property tax offset, which would increase over time. The proposal also requires the team to hire union workers and set caps on cost overruns.
“The term sheet is a non-starter,’’ Quick’s source said. “I don’t know why they sent it to us, because they know very little of the stuff we would agree to. They are playing politics at this point.”
The team’s board of directors will meet later today to discuss the offer and prepare a response. The city has scheduled a vote on funding for August 12, and Quick notes that a deal must be reached by the end of the year for the offer to include state funds.
There are fears that failure to reach an agreement could result in the Trail Blazers leaving Portland when their lease at the arena expires in 2030. There’s “unspoken tension” that new owner Tom Dundon would consider relocating the team, but Quick hears from two high-ranking sources in the organization that Dundon has never mentioned that as a possibility.
“No one with the Blazers has ever said we want to move,’’ one of the sources said. “We don’t want that. We want to stay in Portland.’’
Quick points out that the relationship between the Blazers and city officials has become strained, with both sides accusing each other of operating in bad faith. Some council members believe the team hasn’t been open about how it plans to spend the money from the city.
“I think the Blazers have been behaving poorly,’’ councilor Mitch Green said. “They thought because they passed the state legislature (for $365MM in funding) that the deal was done. But we have a set of councilors who are asking tough questions. And this is Portland, Oregon, where people want more public transparency than there has been.’’
The Blazers contend they haven’t shared their renovation plans because they’re currently just “ideas or concepts,” and they’re upset that councilor Steve Novick threatened to sue the team last month for failing to properly maintain the Moda Center.
“We don’t even want to respond to the term sheet until they remove that gun to our head,’’ a team source said.
Another Trail Blazers source told Quick that they’re reluctant to go into detail with council about their renovation ideas until they’re sure that the information won’t become part of a lawsuit.
According to Quick, the Blazers’ plans include a new atrium entrance on the north side of the arena that would provide for easier traffic flow. They also want to place kitchens on all three levels to provide more concession options, eliminate some seating and create a bar area, and update the club-level seats.
Quick notes that team officials thought a deal with the city was secure after the state made a $365MM commitment in March to renovate the arena. However, that arrangement is contingent on Portland agreeing to provide $120MM, plus another $88MM from Multnomah County. The Blazers contend that a “handshake agreement” with all three entities took place and they don’t understand why things have changed.
Quick also hears that team officials have been examining recent arena deals in Oklahoma City and Utah as they explore their options, which may include trying to get a new facility in Portland.
“The city’s delay has given us time to study what a market deal is,’’ Quick’s source said. “And let’s just say the $600MM deal that was supposed to be done six months ago was a way-below-market deal.’’
Yaxel Lendeborg Leads Warriors To Las Vegas Summer League Title
Yaxel Lendeborg prevailed over Cameron Boozer in a battle of lottery picks as the Warriors topped the Grizzlies Sunday night to claim the Las Vegas Summer League championship, writes Ben Golliver of ESPN.
It was the second title in four months for Lendeborg, the 11th pick in the draft, who celebrated an NCAA championship with Michigan in April. Golliver notes that he joins Davion Mitchell as the only players ever to accomplish that feat.
“Coming into this program, I just wanted to prove that I’m a winner,” Lendeborg said. “Doing stuff like this — not caring about the stats and just caring about the outcome. I’m going to continue to push that into next season with the bigger Warriors. … At Michigan, we played team ball. Here, we play team ball. That’s what wins games and championships.”
Lendeborg was named Championship Game MVP after posting 21 points and 10 rebounds in the 94-90 victory. The Warriors finished with a 5-1 record in Las Vegas and became the third team with multiple LVSL titles since the league began in 2013.
Boozer, the No. 3 pick in the draft, led Memphis with 19 points, eight rebounds and four assists. His three-pointer late in the third quarter gave the Grizzlies a 76-66 lead, but Lendeborg sparked the Warriors’ comeback. Reserve guard Deivon Smith scored 21 points as Golden State had five players reach double figures.
The Grizzlies had several opportunities late in the game, but Boozer missed a three-pointer that would have given them the lead and Olivier-Maxence Prosper committed a turnover on an inbounds pass.
“Their butts got tight,” Lendeborg said. “They puckered up. Some of us are built for the moment and some aren’t. … Our spirit, our will, our desire to not lose is pretty much what helped us out.”
Lendeborg, who’ll turn 24 in late September, is expected to be a complementary player with the Warriors during the season, but he got to show off his complete array of skills during Summer League. During the six games in Las Vegas, he averaged 14.8 points, 6.8 rebounds and 4.0 assists in 28.3 minutes per night while shooting 45.9% from the field and 35.7% from three-point range.
He also admitted some satisfaction in getting the best of Boozer, whose Duke team defeated Michigan in February.
“I think about [revenge] every time I play [Boozer],” Lendeborg said. “Every game we play, them refs be saving him. … It is a competitive nature [with] everybody that gets drafted ahead of me.”
Stein’s Latest: Duren, Kessler, Z. Williams, Dort
The Pistons have made only “modest progress” toward reaching a new contract with restricted free agent Jalen Duren, sources briefed on the talks tell Marc Stein of The Stein Line (subscription required).
However, Stein hears that Detroit remains unwilling to consider a sign-and-trade that would send the 22-year-old center to another team. He notes that Pistons officials have repeatedly said that re-signing Duren is the main priority of the offseason, which has already seen John Collins, Isaiah Joe, Gary Harris and Taurean Prince added to the roster.
As Stein notes, Duren’s options remain limited with no rival teams possessing enough cap space to sign him to a competitive offer sheet. If negotiations continue to stall, Duren could consider accepting Detroit’s $9.6MM qualifying offer, which will remain in effect through October 1, as a path toward becoming unrestricted next summer. However, that move carries huge risks and it ensures that he’ll be playing for well below his market value during the 2026/27 season.
“Momentum” in negotiations with Duren was cited last week, but Stein’s report indicates that any progress has been minimal. After making the All-NBA third team, Duren is eligible for a 30% max deal that would pay him about $49.5MM next season and $287MM over five years, but the Pistons are hoping to convince him to accept a more team-friendly contract.
Stein shares more information from around the league:
- The Lakers met with Duren at the start of free agency, but Stein states that their main target was always Walker Kessler, even though they understood the price would be high. L.A. parted with fully unprotected first-round picks in 2031 and 2033, along with pick swaps in 2028 and 2030 in the sign-and-trade, which gave Kessler a pricey new deal worth $130MM over four years. Sources tell Stein that the Lakers were willing to pay a premium cost for Kessler because they only had to part with one first-rounder (in 2029) when they acquired Luka Doncic from Dallas in February of 2025.
- Stein notes that L.A.’s front office has been promising Doncic that it would acquire a high-level center since last summer, and they believe Kessler will be the best big man that Doncic has teamed up with throughout his career. Stein adds that Doncic commented on the Lakers’ offseason Sunday in a Golf Channel interview while attending the British Open, saying, “I think we have a really good team. I’m very excited to start a new season. Obviously last season didn’t end how we wanted, so I’m very excited for the new one.”
- Lakers president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka, senior advisor Kurt Rambis and assistant coaches Nate McMillan and Greg St. Jean attended a private workout by Ziaire Williams in Las Vegas before signing him to a one-year minimum deal that became official on Sunday, sources tell Stein. The L.A. contingent wanted to watch Williams in person to gauge his overall progress and the work he has done to improve his long-distance shooting.
- The Thunder’s motivation to trade Luguentz Dort to Atlanta on Sunday may have extended past the financial benefits. Stein cites a chart from Lev Akabas of Sportico (Twitter link) showing that OKC was far more effective in the Western Conference finals against San Antonio when Dort was on the bench.
Sam Presti Calls Lu Dort Trade ‘A Financial Decision’
After trading Luguentz Dort to the Hawks in a three-team deal that sent back three second-round picks to the Thunder, general manager Sam Presti gave an interview to Justin Martinez of The Oklahoman to discuss the trade.
Presti said at the end of the season that if anything was going to change the personnel makeup of the team he had so painstakingly constructed, it would be the financial realities affecting an increasingly expensive roster, and he doubled down on that stance when asked about it by Martinez.
“This was a financial decision,” Presti said. “The impression I have been given is that the savings generated this summer, and from being out of the tax the last several years, will be reallocated to future teams. Along with other new well-documented revenue streams, this will allow us to make more basketball-related decisions over the next several years.”
By trading Dort and taking no salary back, the Thunder will save $100MM in projected salary and tax penalties while giving themselves the space to sign a player with their 15th roster spot without going back into second-apron territory, according to Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron (Twitter link).
The move was not made due to second apron restrictions, however, but rather the luxury tax savings, Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman notes (via Twitter).
“We have a team that is capable of contention. And as I understand it, the decisions this summer have positioned us financially to maintain a team of this caliber,” Presti said.
Presti added that he has a longstanding relationship with Dort and had been incredibly impressed by his mentality and makeup.
“I just remember saying to him that this was the beginning and not the end, that on draft night things are aligned vertically 1-to-60, but the morning after everyone is lined up side by side horizontally at an imaginary starting line,” Presti reminisced. “It’s safe to say that he will finish amongst the top of that race. I love the guy, love what he’s about and we will miss him.”
As for what comes next, Presti noted that young guards Cason Wallace and Ajay Mitchell last season and in the playoffs that they’re ready to take on additional responsibilities. Rather than trying to fit one or the other into the role that Dort played so well, Presti says the team will have to adjust to the skill sets of those two.
“[It] has always been our belief, it is necessary to embrace change and not fall victim to trying to imitate ourselves or our previous play style,” he said.
Presti also noted that while financial constraints made it necessary to move Dort, Aaron Wiggins, and Isaiah Joe this offseason, those three were crucial to the team’s success in recent years and the decision to part with them was not easy.
Summer League Notes: Heat, Slawson, Celtics, Clifford
The Heat are generally considered one of the best teams at unearthing and developing young talent. With a suddenly very expensive roster, the need to find hidden gems has become more important than ever. Luckily, they came away quite impressed with their second-round pick from the 2026 draft, Ryan Conwell, according to Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald.
Conwell played in four total Summer League games between the California Classic and Las Vegas and showed his unwavering confidence as a shooter, attempting 36 threes in that time, though he only hit 11 of them. It wasn’t just his shooting that impressed Summer League coach Wayne Ellington, though.
“Defensively, he competes his butt off,” Ellington said. “And then, obviously, offensively he’s a force and he makes tough shots. He makes plays for others. He has a very strong offensive game and it’s only going to continue to grow.”
Trevor Keels and Jahmir Young, two unrestricted free agent guards, both had strong performances and remain eligible for two-way contracts, while Vladislav Goldin and Tre Donaldson were able to secure two-way deals this offseason.
Meanwhile, undrafted wing Tre White was one of the standouts on Miami’s roster, averaging 17.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.8 steals in Las Vegas while hitting 40% of his threes. Chiang notes that he could be a candidate for a two-way or Exhibit 10 contract.
“He’s got all the intangibles,” Ellington said of White. “He’s got size. He’s got the shooting ability. He’s got the IQ. So, he’s a guy that is going to continue to get better. He showed some flashes as well during the summer league, and I look forward to seeing what he can do in the future.”
We have more from around Summer League:
- Two-way restricted free agent Jalen Slawson had an eventful Summer League for the Pacers, leading the team in both points (20.8) and blocks (3.2) per game, despite hitting just 29.0% of his threes. His penultimate game provided the full Slawson experience, Dustin Dopirak writes for the Indianapolis Star, with big mistakes and even bigger recoveries. In his final game, he finished with 22 points and four blocks and continued to show the outline of an NBA rotation wing, according to Akeem Glaspie of the Star. The highs he shows will make it hard for the Pacers to part with him, despite some glaring weaknesses as well.
- The Celtics came into the summer festivities with four featured players: Hugo Gonzalez, Chris Cenac Jr., Dillon Mitchell, and Amari Williams. The former three clearly improved their stock, while Williams’ stayed relatively stable, Souichi Terada writes for MassLive. Meanwhile, John Tonje, who spent most of last season on a two-way contract, played well enough to at least be in the conversation for a coveted two-way spot for next year.
- Nique Clifford didn’t have eye-popping stats for the Kings this summer, but he worked on improving as a leader for the less experienced players on the roster, he said to Sean Cunningham of KCRA News (Twitter video link). “I would say just more assertiveness, being aggressive, not questioning plays,” he said of what the Kings were looking for from him this year as compared to last year. “If I see something, go make the play… [last year] you could mess up a little more, this year being a little sharper.” He also talked about the need to be more aggressive defensively rather than being on his heels and letting opponents attack.
Ziaire Williams Signs One-Year Contract With Lakers
July 19: The signing is official, per the NBA’s transaction log.
July 13: Free agent wing Ziaire Williams has agreed to a one-year, $3MM contract with the Lakers, sources tell ESPN’s Shams Charania (Twitter link).
Williams has spent the past two seasons in Brooklyn following a three-year run in Memphis. He’s entering his sixth season in the NBA.
It appears as though the $3MM figure Charania cited is rounded up. After using all their cap room on Walker Kessler, Sandro Mamukelashvili and Quentin Grimes and then signing Collin Sexton using the room exception, the Lakers can only offer the veteran’s minimum. For Williams, that would work out to $2,845,883, while Los Angeles will carry a $2,449,421 cap hit.
The Pelicans were also interested in signing Williams, who was selected 10th overall in the 2021 draft, per Dan Woike of The Athletic (Twitter link). However, the California native preferred to play closer to home and also wanted to be in a “winning situation,” Woike adds.
Williams, who played high school basketball with Bronny James at Sierra Canyon, averaged 10.2 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.4 steals in 22.9 minutes per game across 56 appearances in 2025/26 with the Nets. His shooting slash line was .425/.343/.850.
While Williams has been pretty erratic on offense to this point in his career (.422/.322/.824 shooting splits in 269 games), he provides plus length for a small forward at 6’9″ and developed into a solid defender with the Nets.
Brooklyn declined its $6.25MM option on Williams at the end of June, making him an unrestricted free agent. Woike subsequently linked the 24-year-old to the Lakers.
According to Charania (Twitter link), the Lakers continue to “strongly pursue” Jonathan Kuminga, whom the team views as a potential starter at forward. Woike suggests (via Twitter) Williams’ addition wouldn’t preclude the team from making a run at Kuminga, though it would almost certainly have to happen via sign-and-trade.
As Dave McMenamin of ESPN tweets, Williams will be the 15th player under standard contract with the Lakers. The team also has all three of its two-way slots filled, notes Law Murray of The Athletic (via Twitter).
In other Lakers news, Jovan Buha reports that Austin Reaves‘ new four-year contract actually came in slightly lower than anticipated (Twitter link). Rather than signing a full max deal worth about $185MM, Reaves’ contract came in at $180MM, giving the team a little bit more financial flexibility in future seasons.
McMenamin (Twitter link) confirms Buha’s reporting and says the marginal discount could enable to the Lakers to use the non-taxpayer mid-level exception in the 2027 offseason. ESPN’s Bobby Marks adds (via Twitter) that Reaves will earn the full $41.2MM max in 2026/27, but he received a 4% raise in year two rather than the maximum allowable 8%. Next season’s cap is projected to rise by 5.5%.
Southeast Notes: Antetokounmpo, Fontecchio, Penda, Hawks
By all indications, the Bucks made an effort to do right by Giannis Antetokounmpo when they traded him to the Heat, a team at or near the top of his personal wish list. That willingness to accommodate, at least to an extent, Antetokounmpo’s preferred landing spot does beg the question of why, then, team president Pat Riley ended up having to trade nearly every asset he had to get the two-time MVP, Ira Winderman writes for the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
“As far as what we gave up, we gave up a significant price,” Riley said before discussing how the addition of the 13th overall pick helped add a little value to the deal. “Was it a nickel more, a dime more, a quarter more, whatever it is. But, you know, Jon Horst is a great GM.”
As Winderman acknowledges, the players the Heat gave up in the deal – Kasparas Jakucionis, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kel’el Ware, and Tyler Herro – hadn’t been able to help lead the team to playoff victories in recent years. But all four players have positive value, and when the draft compensation is accounted for, it’s a significant all-around package. Miami got by far the best player in the deal, but the move will also limit the front office’s flexibility considerably moving forward.
At the end of the day, the decision to possibly overpay in a deal to bring the NBA champion to Miami comes down to one thing, according to Riley.
“He’s worth it — period,” Riley said. “That’s how I look at it.”
We have more from the Southeast Division:
- Despite making the biggest move of the summer, the Heat still face some offseason uncertainty, including the potentially forthcoming decision from LeBron James. Outside of whether James will choose to return to Miami, one significant question the team has to answer is how it will generate enough three-pointers to keep up with modern offenses. One player who has gone somewhat overlooked in this regard is 30-year-old wing Simone Fontecchio, according to Winderman. The Italian forward’s decision to re-sign on a one-year, minimum contract this summer received little fanfare, even from Riley, but he’s a career 36.7% three-point shooter who will likely get better looks than ever playing off the Antetokounmpo-Bam Adebayo tandem going forward.
- There are three goals for a second-year player at Summer League, Jason Beede writes for The Orlando Sentinel: look like a standout player on the floor, show improvement on both ends, and provide glimpses of what the upcoming season could look like. Magic forward Noah Penda accomplished all three, according to Beede, showing a much-improved outside shot and better defense. “Being able to space the floor was a big improvement that I had to [make] during the summer,” Penda said. “… As a second-year (player), you just want to make the right play and show that all the things that are categorized as rookie mistakes — you want to raise that and show growth and poise during the games.“
- By swapping Zaccharie Risacher for Luguentz Dort and Ryan Nembhard, the Hawks were able to add even more toughness to their increasingly gritty identity, Lauren Williams writes for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Dort enters a rugged perimeter unit with Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Dyson Daniels, and third-year guard Devin Carter, all of whom pride themselves on their toughness and physicality defensively. Nembhard is small but feisty, with quick hands and a high work ethic. He also posted an assist-to-turnover rate of nearly 4-to-1 as a rookie last season. There’s still a roster crunch to sort out, but Atlanta has given itself an impressive amount of lineup versatility and mix-and-match ability with its moves over the last couple of years.