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Heat In Contact With Precious Achiuwa

September 8th, 2025 at 12:04pm CST by Luke Adams

12:04pm: According to Jackson’s source, the Heat have not made a contract offer to Achiuwa due to their proximity to the luxury tax but expressed a possible interest in doing so in the future.

Jackson hears that Achiuwa “would welcome” a return to Miami, noting that the Nigerian big man still has a home in the area. The Heat will remain in contact with Achiuwa, who has received interest from “several other teams,” Jackson adds.

10:49am: The Heat have been engaged in ongoing discussions with free agent forward/center Precious Achiuwa, reports Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel (subscription required). According to Winderman, Achiuwa is one of multiple big men the team has been in touch with as it considers ways to upgrade its frontcourt rotation.

As Winderman details, Bam Adebayo has expressed a desire not to play significant minutes at the five, but Miami doesn’t have many other established options in the middle, with second-year center Kel’el Ware and rookie two-way big man Vladislav Goldin among the only alternatives. Nikola Jovic and Keshad Johnson are other frontcourt candidates for the Heat, but both are somewhat undersized for the center spot.

Reports last month indicated that the Heat were considering free agent big men, including Kai Jones and Trey Lyles. Former Heat center Thomas Bryant also remains unsigned, Winderman notes, though the club’s level of interest in him is unclear.

While Miami currently has an open spot on its projected 15-man regular season roster, adding a 15th man on a minimum-salary contract would push the team’s salary over the luxury tax line. As a result, the front office has considered the idea of waiving Terry Rozier, Winderman writes.

Buyout talks with Rozier haven’t gained any traction, Winderman clarifies, but the guard’s $26.64MM salary isn’t quite fully guaranteed — Rozier’s partial guarantee is worth $24.92MM, so waiving him would generate about $1.72MM in extra cap flexibility, which would give the Heat enough room below the tax line to replace him with a new 14th man.

According to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald (Twitter links), the idea of cutting Rozier has been discussed “a lot” internally, but there are other pathways the Heat could take. Waiting until December, when a prorated veteran’s minimum contract would fit under the tax line, is one possibility.

Miami could also temporarily exceed the tax line by signing a 15th man now, then duck back below the tax by waiving Rozier on or before January 7, since his partial guarantee won’t increase at all by then. However, as Winderman points out, if Rozier were to suffer a season-ending injury, the Heat would be required to pay his full salary, which would mean they’d need to find another way to get out of tax territory.

Achiuwa, who will turn 26 later this month, began his career with the Heat as the No. 20 overall pick in 2020. He was sent to the Raptors as part of the Kyle Lowry sign-and-trade during the 2021 offseason and has spent the past season-and-a-half with the Knicks after being traded from Toronto to New York along with OG Anunoby in December 2023.

Achiuwa is a bit undersized for a center and isn’t a threat as an outside shooter, but he’s an athletic, high-energy player who rebounds well and is a versatile, switchable defender. In 57 games in 2024/25, he averaged 6.6 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 1.0 assists in 20.5 minutes per contest, with a .502/.278/.594 shooting line.

Nets Officially Re-Sign Ziaire Williams

September 8th, 2025 at 10:30am CST by Luke Adams

10:30 am: As we speculated below, the Nets did in fact increase Williams’ two-year deal to $12.5MM, confirms Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). The contract still features a second-year team option.

9:54 am: Over two months after their agreement was first reported, the Nets have officially finalized their deal with free agent swingman Ziaire Williams, the team confirmed today (Twitter link via Erik Slater of Clutch Points).

While the Nets didn’t provide any details on the contract besides referring to it as a “multiyear” arrangement, reporting on June 30 indicated that Williams would be signing a two-year, $12MM deal, with a second-year team option.

For what it’s worth, Nets big man Day’Ron Sharpe reportedly agreed to the same terms, and when he officially re-signed last week, the total value of his contract was bumped slightly from $12MM to $12.5MM. It’s possible Brooklyn will do the same for Williams.

A former No. 10 overall pick who was acquired from Memphis in a trade during the 2024 offseason, Williams averaged 10.0 points and 4.6 rebounds in 24.5 minutes per game across 63 outings (45 starts) for Brooklyn in 2024/25.

While his 34.1% three-point percentage wasn’t great for a wing, it was a noticeable step up from the 30.1% mark he posted in his first three NBA seasons, and he showed off impressive defensive versatility, even handling center duties in a pinch. The former Stanford standout came at No. 43 on our list of this summer’s top 50 free agents.

Assuming Williams’ first-year salary comes in around $6MM, Brooklyn will still have just over $16MM in cap space available after officially re-signing Williams, Sharpe, and Cam Thomas. The team, which will also have the $8.8MM room exception at its disposal once it uses up its room, could increase its cap space by waiving one or more players who have non-guaranteed salaries.

It’s also worth noting that a player who re-signs with his previous team on a one-year contract or a two-year deal that includes a second-year team option typically has the right to veto a trade during the following season. However, a player can agree to give up that right as part of the contract negotiation. I expect the Nets asked Williams to waive his trade veto rights, but we don’t have confirmation on that yet.

Kevin Love Reportedly Unlikely To Open Season With Jazz

September 7th, 2025 at 7:24pm CST by Rory Maher

On July 7, veteran forward/center Kevin Love was traded to the Jazz in the three-team deal that sent Norman Powell to the Heat and John Collins to the Clippers.

About a month later, Marc Stein of The Stein Line reported that Love was “actively exploring potential pathways out of Utah,” including a buyout. However, Stein didn’t list any possible suitors for Love, who remains on the Jazz’s roster a few weeks before training camps are set to open.

Love is on an expiring contract, which will pay him $4.15MM this season.

Within a story about the types of skill sets the Nuggets might consider targeting with their 15th standard roster spot, Bennett Durando of The Denver Post reports that Love is “widely expected to be traded or bought out by” the Jazz before the 2025/26 season begins, and when that happens, he’s likely to land with a contending team.

That doesn’t mean Love will end up in Denver; Durando makes it clear he’s just floating an idea. But it’s interesting — albeit unsurprising — that Love is reportedly unlikely to stick with the Jazz, who had the worst record in the NBA last season (17-65).

Forward depth may not be Denver’s highest priority, but Durando notes that reserves Peyton Watson, DaRon Holmes II, Zeke Nnaji and Hunter Tyson are all young and relatively inexperienced. Perhaps most importantly, Watson is the only player of the group who has shown he can be a rotation regular to this point.

Love, meanwhile, turned 37 years old today (happy birthday) and is entering his 18th NBA season after being selected fifth overall in the 2008 draft. The five-time All-Star hasn’t played much the past few years, largely serving as a veteran mentor in Cleveland and Miami, though he did finish runner-up for Sixth Man of the Year in 2021/22.

Durando also points out the Love has a longstanding relationship with head coach David Adelman, who was an assistant for part of Love’s tenure in Minnesota.

For what it’s worth, Durando says point-of-attack defense and point guard depth are the other two areas the Nuggets might want to address at some point. As our Luke Adams noted in his Offseason Check-In, Denver has been a taxpayer for three straight years and is operating just over the luxury tax threshold, so the team may be motivated to finish the season below the tax — an important first step toward resetting the repeater clock.

Dylan Harper Undergoes Thumb Surgery, Hopeful For Opener

September 5th, 2025 at 6:05pm CST by Eli Cohen

The Spurs‘ No. 2 pick in the 2025 draft, Dylan Harper, underwent surgery on Friday, reports Shams Charania for ESPN (via Twitter). The procedure addressed a partially torn ligament in the guard’s left thumb.

The hope is that the surgery will allow Harper to return in time for San Antonio’s October 22 season opener against the Mavericks. However, it will prevent the rookie point guard from participating in training camp, a crucial development step for any young player.

According to Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News, Harper sustained the injury during an offseason workout in the Spurs’ practice facility on Wednesday. Team sources suggest Harper is considered unlikely to play during San Antonio’s preseason, McDonald adds.

The highly touted guard was expected to come off the bench behind De’Aaron Fox to start the season. If Harper is forced to miss regular-season time, the team will have to rely on its guard rotation of Jordan McLaughlin and reigning Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle to handle backup point guard duties (Castle also figures to start alongside Fox).

Thomas Sorber Diagnosed With Torn ACL, Will Miss Season

September 5th, 2025 at 4:58pm CST by Eli Cohen

Thunder rookie Thomas Sorber has been diagnosed with a torn ACL in his right knee, which he sustained during an offseason workout on Thursday, reports Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Twitter link). The team announced in a press release that Sorber will miss the entire 2025/26 season while he recovers from the injury.

Sorber averaged 14.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.5 steals and 2.0 blocks per game during his one-and-done season at Georgetown before a left foot injury that required surgery caused him to miss the latter part of 2024/25.

The Thunder selected Sorber 15th overall in the 2025 draft. The big man will become the second straight Oklahoma City first-round pick to miss his rookie year, after last season’s 12th overall pick, Nikola Topic, missed his debut season with an ACL injury of his own.

With the Thunder’s extensions for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, and Jalen Williams signed, Sorber was expected to play a part in determining the future of the big man rotation and Isaiah Hartenstein‘s long-term status with the team.

The Thunder will now have to wait another season to see what he can provide them on the floor, though they have plenty of on-court insurance this season in Hartenstein and Jaylin Williams.

Clippers Owner Denies Any Wrongdoing In Kawhi Leonard’s Deal With Aspiration

September 5th, 2025 at 9:00am CST by Arthur Hill

Clippers owner Steve Ballmer explained the origins of Kawhi Leonard‘s endorsement deal with Aspiration during an interview with Ramona Shelburne of ESPN Thursday night on SportsCenter, but he denied that the team did anything inappropriate to circumvent the salary cap.

During the 16-minute interview, Ballmer said the company asked him to provide an introduction to Leonard, which he did in November 2021, shortly after Leonard agreed to a four-year, $176MM contract with the team. Ballmer added that he didn’t have any knowledge of the terms of the endorsement contract that Leonard eventually signed and stated that he had no further role in that process.

Two months before that introduction, Aspiration reached a $300MM deal with the Clippers that included sponsorship in their new arena and a jersey patch. Ballmer told Shelburne that Aspiration was hoping to acquire naming rights for the arena and offered more money than Intuit, which was ultimately chosen.

“We were done. We were done with Kawhi, we were done with Aspiration. The deals were all locked and loaded,” Ballmer said. “Then, they did request to be introduced to Kawhi, and under the rules, we can introduce our sponsors to our athletes. We just can’t be involved.”

Ballmer also detailed his involvement in a Department of Justice investigation into Aspiration, which filed for bankruptcy in March. Its list of creditors includes KL2 Aspire LLC, with Leonard named as the manager or member. The company owed $7MM to KL2 Aspire LLC.

Aspiration co-founder Joe Sanberg pleaded guilty in August to two counts of wire fraud for defrauding investors and lenders of more than $248 million.

“We even found the email that makes the first introduction. It was early November,” Ballmer said. “The introduction got made and then they were off to the races on, on their own. We weren’t involved. I eventually learned that they had reached a deal. I have no idea what the deal was.”

Ballmer added that he has no further knowledge of the arrangement between Leonard and Aspiration, which was brought to light in a report by Pablo Torre earlier this week claiming that it was a “no-show” deal and Leonard didn’t actually perform any services for the company.

“These were guys who committed fraud. Look, they conned me. They conned me,” Ballmer said. “I made an investment in these guys thinking it was on the up-and-up, and they conned me at this stage. I have no ability to predict why they might have done anything they did, let alone the specific contract with Kawhi.”

Shelburne points out that there have been numerous allegations about Leonard’s dealings with the Clippers since he joined the team as a free agent in 2019. The NBA conducted an investigation into charges that he and his uncle, Dennis Robertson, made improper requests while negotiating with teams that summer. Those requests reportedly included part ownership of the team, use of a private plane, a house and guaranteed endorsement deals.

Shelburne adds that the Clippers were cleared of any wrongdoing, but the league indicated that it was willing to reopen the investigation if any new information came to light.

“They know the rules,” Ballmer said. “They meaning Kawhi and his representatives, including his uncle. We know the rules. And if anything’s not clear, we remind ourselves what the rules are and we make absolutely clear we’re going to abide by those rules and they understand them as well. And it’s important for them to abide by them, which they have.”

Ballmer also stated that he hasn’t talked to Leonard about Torre’s accusations and he doesn’t plan to, per Law Murray of The Athletic.

“It’s really his business with Aspiration,” Ballmer said. “So I wouldn’t ask about it, no.”

The NBA has opened an investigation into the Clippers’ and Leonard’s dealings with Aspiration, and Ballmer suggested that he welcomes the probe, telling Shelburne that if a similar story had surfaced about another team and its star player, he’d want the league to “investigate (and) take it seriously.”

Knockout Round Set For EuroBasket; Spain Fails To Qualify

September 4th, 2025 at 4:32pm CST by Rory Maher

Led by a double-double from Jazz center Jusuf Nurkic (15 points, 12 rebounds), Bosnia and Herzegovina defeated Georgia by a score of 84-76 on Thursday morning to become the 15th team to qualify for the EuroBasket knockout round, as Michalis Gioulenoglou of Eurohoops writes.

Raptors big man Sandro Mamukelashvili finished with a game-high 20 points for Georgia.

Despite the loss, Georgia became the 16th and final team to qualify for the round of 16 later in the day after Spain fell to Greece, FIBA announced (via Twitter). Led by Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, who had a team-high 25 points, 14 rebounds, and nine assists, Greece eked out a 90-86 victory to claim the top spot in Group C.

Spain and Georgia finished with identical 2-3 records in Group C and Spain had a far better point differential (+43 vs. -19), but the Georgians defeated the Spaniards in their head-to-head matchup, earning the tiebreaker.

It’s a disappointing exit for the defending champions — the Spanish national team has been a perennial powerhouse in both European and international competitions, having won four of the previous six EuroBasket tournaments, including the most recent one in 2022. According to Armando Caporaso of Sportando (Twitter link), it has been nearly 50 years since Spain failed to advance past the first stage of the tournament (1977).

The matchups and the full bracket for the EuroBasket’s single-elimination round of 16 have now been set. The breakdown is as follows:

First quarter of bracket:
- Lithuania (B2) vs. Latvia (A3)
- Greece (C1) vs. Israel (D4)
Second quarter:
- Turkey (A1) vs. Sweden (B4)
- Poland (D2) vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina (C3)
Third quarter:
- Germany (B1) vs. Portugal (A4)
- Italy (C2) vs. Slovenia (D3)
Fourth quarter:
- Serbia (A2) vs. Finland (B3)
- France (D1) vs. Georgia (C4)

The win-or-go-home games involving teams from Groups A and B will take place on Saturday, while the teams in Groups C and D will square off on Sunday. The full schedule for the weekend, including tip-off times, can be viewed here.

The quarterfinals in the top half of the bracket will be played next Tuesday, followed by the quarterfinals from the bottom half of the bracket on Wednesday. The teams that come out of the first and second quarters will face one another in one of the semifinals next Friday, while the winners of the third and fourth quarters will face off in the other semifinal on the same day. The final will be played on Sunday, September 14.

FIBA has also confirmed the final placement of the teams eliminated prior to the round of 16. Those teams, who were classified based on their group position, overall record, and point differential, were ranked as follows:

Spain (2-3 record, +43 point differential)
Belgium (2-3, -40)
Estonia (1-4, -45)
Montenegro (1-4, -77)
Great Britain (1-4, -130)
Iceland (0-5, -76)
Czechia (0-5, -96)
Cyprus (0-5, -165)

While Grizzlies forward Santi Aldama (Spain), Bulls center Nikola Vucevic (Montenegro), and Hawks guard Vit Krejci (Czechia) have been eliminated from the tournament and Wizards center Alex Sarr (France) and Clippers guard Bogdan Bogdanovic (Serbia) have been ruled out due to injuries, the remaining 23 active NBA players in the tournament should all be in action this weekend.

Luke Adams contributed to this story.

Grizzlies Sign Olivier-Maxence Prosper To Two-Way Deal

September 4th, 2025 at 3:59pm CST by Rory Maher

3:59pm: Prosper’s two-way deal with the Grizzlies is official, the team announced (via Twitter).

11:48am: Free agent forward Olivier-Maxence Prosper intends to sign a two-way contract with the Grizzlies, agents Todd Ramasar and Mike Simonetta tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).

According to Charania, Prosper mulled multiple contract offers before ultimately choosing Memphis. The Grizzlies were among the teams that conveyed interest in acquiring Prosper via trade before Dallas decided to waive and stretch his contract last Friday, Charania adds (via Twitter).

However, the Mavericks were said to be reluctant to part with one of their two remaining second-rounders to shed Prosper’s salary, and instead stretched it over three years, with annual cap hits of about $1MM through 2027/28.

Dallas needed to open up room under the second tax apron — at which the team is hard-capped — to re-sign Dante Exum.

Prosper has been an unrestricted free agent for a handful of days after being cut by the Mavs. The 6’8″ Canadian spent one year at Clemson and two seasons at Marquette prior to being selected No. 24 overall in the 2023 draft.

Prosper played a very modest role over his first two NBA seasons, averaging just 3.5 points and 2.2 rebounds in 10.0 minutes per game across 92 regular season outings, with a .396/.260/.658 shooting line.

He also played 25 G League games with the Texas Legends as a rookie in 2023/24. The 23-year-old averaged 18.3 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 2.0 APG and 0.9 SPG on .498/.418/.762 shooting in those contests.

As our tracker shows, Prosper will fill the Grizzlies’ third and final two-way spot.

Free Agent Ben Simmons Considering Retirement

September 4th, 2025 at 1:45pm CST by Arthur Hill

1:45 pm: Agent Bernie Lee has informed the National Basketball Players Association that he is no longer representing Simmons as the two-time All-Defensive member weighs his next steps, according to NBA insider Marc Stein (Twitter link).

8:06 am: Veteran free agent Ben Simmons remains unsigned, and it’s possible he’ll decide to end his career instead of joining a team before the start of training camp. A source tells Stefan Bondy of The New York Post that Simmons is unsure “if he wants to continue” playing in the NBA.

The Knicks are among the teams that have expressed interest in the former No. 1 pick, but they can only offer a veteran’s minimum contract that would be worth a little more than $3MM. That might not be enough to lure Simmons, who is only 29 but has dealt with numerous injuries in recent years. Bondy points out that Simmons has made more than $200MM in his career and may not want to continue pushing his body after undergoing multiple back surgeries.

Another source tells Bondy that along with Simmons, New York is still considering Landry Shamet and at least one other free agent to fill a roster opening. The front office has also contacted representatives for Malik Beasley, Bondy adds, but his status remains uncertain due to his involvement in a federal gambling probe. Beasley may get a more lucrative offer if teams are confident that he’ll be able to play.

Simmons split last season with the Nets and Clippers, averaging 5.0 points, 4.7 rebounds and 5.6 assists in 51 games. It was the most games he has appeared in since 2020/21, which was his last All-Star season.

In addition to their financial limitations, the Knicks may not be able to offer consistent playing time to Simmons, Bondy notes. Guerschon Yabusele and Jordan Clarkson have already been added in free agency this summer, joining the core of a team that reached the Eastern Conference Finals last season.

Bondy states that another team still has interest in signing Simmons, but he doesn’t specify who it is. The Kings and Warriors have been mentioned as possibilities, and they both have roster spots available.

Second-Rounder Mashack To Open Season With Memphis Hustle

September 4th, 2025 at 12:43pm CST by Rory Maher

Former Tennessee guard Jahmai Mashack, whose NBA rights were acquired by the Grizzlies after he was selected 59th overall in June’s draft, will open the season with the team’s G League affiliate, the Memphis Hustle, according to Chris Herrington of The Daily Memphian (Twitter link).

Herrington’s report was confirmed by Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal (via Twitter).

According to Cole, the Grizzlies are still high on Mashack, who impressed during a five-game Summer League showing, averaging 9.0 points, 4.4 assists, 4.0 rebounds, 2.0 steals and 1.2 blocks in 23.7 minutes per contest (.462/.417/.600 shooting line). But after reaching an agreement to sign Olivier-Maxence Prosper, the Grizzlies no longer have an open two-way spot, which leaves Mashack as the odd man out for now.

As Herrington notes, Mashack’s NBA rights are still controlled by the Grizzlies — he’ll be a domestic draft-and-stash player of sorts and not a free agent.

Gui Santos (Warriors) and Nikola Djurisic (Hawks) are two other recent examples of second-round picks who spent their first post-draft seasons in the G League — for what it’s worth, both players later signed standard contracts rather than two-way deals.

Mashack, who turns 23 years old in November, spent four college seasons with the Volunteers, mostly in a reserve role until he was a senior in 2024/25. In 38 starts last season (28.2 MPG), the 6’4″ wing averaged 6.0 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 1.5 APG and 1.7 SPG, with a shooting line of .454/.351/.723.

Mashack had been one of four 2025 draft picks who remained unsigned, and technically that’s still the case. But it certainly sounds like he’ll sign a G League contract before the season begins rather than an NBA deal with the Grizzlies.

Still, it’s worth noting that two-way contracts are non-guaranteed and don’t count against the salary cap, so it wouldn’t be surprising if Mashack ends up with the Grizzlies at some point in ’25/26. A multiyear standard deal toward the end of the season with subsequent seasons being non-guaranteed or partially guaranteed is another possibility.

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