Newsstand Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Heat’s Tyler Herro Optimistic About Potential Extension

September 30th, 2025 at 8:56am CST by Luke Adams

Heat guard Tyler Herro isn’t participating in training camp this week as he recovers from ankle surgery, but October 1 is an important date for him — he’ll become eligible to sign a veteran contract extension that could be worth a maximum of $149.7MM over three years.

Herro will have a window of about three weeks this fall to sign a new deal. If he and the team don’t have an agreement in place by Oct. 20, he won’t be eligible to sign an extension until the 2026 offseason, as he enters the final year of his current contract.

However, Herro expressed optimism on Monday about his odds of working something out with the Heat before opening night, as Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald relays.

“I expect to get something done. But we’ll see what happens,” Herro said. “I think they’re supposed to meet on Wednesday.

“… It is important for me,” he continued. “I’ve been here six years. I feel like I’ve earned it. I’m not saying what I’ve earned, but I’ve earned something. I think I deserve it, and I want to be here ultimately. I’ve vocally said that.”

Herro, who will earn $31MM this season and $33MM in 2026/27, is coming off the best season of his NBA career. He earned his first All-Star nod and set new career highs in points (23.9) and assists (5.5) per game, along with games played (77) and field goal percentage (47.2%).

That big year doesn’t mean the Heat are prepared to reward him by offering that full $149.7MM, but Herro suggested on Monday that he won’t necessarily be pushing for that maximum extension either. The 25-year-old told reporters that it’s not “$50 million (per year) or nothing,” and added that he has “a number in my mind,” but if he and the team don’t agree to terms, he won’t be frustrated by that outcome.

“I’m not going to hinder this season on getting an extension or not. I’m not going to lose my joy,” Herro said, jokingly referencing a comment former teammate Jimmy Butler made last season. “… I’m excited to play. At the end of the day, I have two years on my contract. And if we don’t get something done, I’m not going to be a problem throughout the organization. I’m happy to be here. … I would love to get something done, like I said, but we’ll see what happens.”

Jazz’s Kessler ‘Frustrated’ By Extension Talks

September 29th, 2025 at 2:34pm CST by Rory Maher

Tony Jones of The Athletic reported last week that the Jazz and fourth-year center Walker Kessler are not expected to reach an agreement on a rookie scale contract extension before the regular season begins, despite having “multiple meetings”over the summer.

According to Jones, part of the reason a deal hasn’t been reached is because the Jazz are trying to maximize their salary cap flexibility next summer. As a restricted free agent in 2026, Kessler would have a cap hold of just $14.9MM — a potential extension would likely feature a much more lucrative starting salary and would replace that cap hold.

Kessler admitted at Monday’s media day that extension talks haven’t been going the way he’d hoped, per Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune.

“I don’t want to talk about it after today, just because I think during the season … I don’t want it to be a distractor for me or for my teammates,” Kessler said.

“But that being said, I’m definitely a little frustrated with how,” he continued, trailing off before finishing, “… if I don’t (receive an extension).”

Kessler declined to answer when asked if Utah had told him it wouldn’t offer him an extension, Larsen writes. Jones reported that the Jazz did offer the 24-year-old an extension and value him highly, but the two sides weren’t close to an agreement.

According to Larsen, Kessler and his camp are looking for a long-term contract “approaching or perhaps even eclipsing” nine figures.

“I don’t want to negotiate publicly, but we’re big fans of Walker,” president of basketball operations Austin Ainge said. “We’ve talked with him and his people this summer and hope to have him around long term, whether that’s an agreement now or later.”

Despite the uncertain contract situation, Kessler said he loves being in Utah and playing for the Jazz, Larsen adds. The former Auburn and North Carolina big man will earn $4.88MM in 2025/26, which is the final season of his rookie scale deal.

Kevin Durant Expects To Sign Extension With Rockets

September 29th, 2025 at 12:59pm CST by Luke Adams

Nearly three months after being officially traded from Phoenix to Houston, Kevin Durant remains on an expiring contract. However, the new Rockets forward, who is celebrating his 37th birthday on Monday, told reporters at media day that he anticipates extending that contract sooner or later in order to remain in Houston.

“I do see myself signing a contract extension,” Durant said (Twitter video link via Danielle Lerner of The Houston Chronicle). “I can’t tell you exactly when that’ll happen, but I do see it happening.”

Based on the latest projection of a $166MM salary cap for 2026/27, Durant is currently eligible for an extension worth up to $119.1MM over two years. That projected total would increase slightly to $120.85MM on January 6, six months after the trade.

However, reporting during the summer suggested the Rockets may be reluctant to give Durant a maximum-salary deal that covers his age-38 and -39 seasons. There has been speculation that an extension could come in closer to $100MM over two years, which would represent a slight step down from his current $54.7MM salary.

Whatever Durant’s next deal looks like, it sounds like he’s confident he’ll get something done with the Rockets. As Lerner relays in her full Houston Chronicle story, the 15-time All-Star also spoke on Monday about why Houston was one of his preferred landing spots when the Suns put him on the trade block during the offseason.

“Just seeing the quick progression of this franchise, where it was right after that James Harden/ Chris Paul era and seeing when (head coach) Ime (Udoka) got here and how he turned it around so fast,” Durant said. “I have some connections here within the organization, people I’ve worked with around the league already, so it felt organic and natural coming into the gym and getting to be a Houston Rocket for the first time. I always had respect for this coaching staff, this fan base, this state, this city. So it feels great.”

Nick Smith Jr. Signs Two-Way Deal With Lakers

September 29th, 2025 at 12:37pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Lakers have added Nick Smith Jr. on a two-way contract, the team announced in a press release (Twitter link via Khobi Price of the Orange County Register. In a corresponding move, the Lakers waived big man Kylor Kelley.

Smith was waived by the Hornets last week due to Charlotte’s roster crunch and glut of guards. The 21-year-old was the No. 27 overall pick in the 2023 draft. He appeared in 60 games last season, including 27 starts, and averaged 9.9 points, 2.1 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game.

Smith had been on a guaranteed standard contract prior to being waived but was eligible to sign a two-way contract as a third-year player. He’ll fill the Lakers’ open two-way contract slot alongside Christian Koloko and Chris Manon while also filling the 21st spot on their preseason roster. He replaces Kelley, who was signed late last month on an Exhibit 10 deal.

Kelley appeared in 11 NBA games (two starts) last season with the Pelicans and Mavericks, averaging 3.1 points and 3.5 rebounds in 11.5 minutes per night. He was also in the Lakers organization last season, though he didn’t appear in an NBA game with them. He was on their training camp roster but was waived before opening night. He then joined their G League affiliate.

With the South Bay Lakers last season, the 27-year-old appeared in 32 games (27 starts) and averaged 11.5 points on a career-high 68.2 percent shooting from the field, 7.3 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 2.4 blocks in 26.7 minutes.

If he clears waivers and rejoins South Bay, he’ll be eligible for a bonus worth up to $85,300 if he remains with that team for at least 60 days.

Warriors Sign Payton, Richard; Will Bring Back Melton

September 29th, 2025 at 12:30pm CST by Eli Cohen

September 29, 12:30 pm: The Warriors’ deals with Payton and Richard are now official, according to the team (Twitter links). Since both contracts are worth the minimum, making them official won’t affect Golden State’s other signings.

September 28, 7:42 pm: Free agent guards Gary Payton II and De’Anthony Melton have committed to deals with the Warriors, reports ESPN’s Shams Charania (Twitter link).

The terms of the deal were not included in the report, though they’re likely to be worth the veteran’s minimum. These signings have long been expected around the league, with the understanding being that the Warriors were waiting to complete them until after they finalized their restricted free agency standoff with Jonathan Kuminga.

Payton, a nine-year NBA veteran, has spent a little over four seasons with the Warriors over the course of his career. While he has dealt with injuries in recent years, he appeared in 62 games last season for Golden State, averaging 6.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 0.8 steals in 15.0 minutes per contest while serving as a versatile, defensive-minded guard/forward who can attack in transition.

Melton is another defensive guard with some injury concerns that have popped up in recent years. He signed with the Warriors ahead of the 2024/25 season, but tore his ACL in just his sixth game with the team, ending his season. Golden State included him in its December trade with the Nets for Dennis Schröder.

During his time with the Warriors, Melton averaged 10.3 points, 2.8 assists, and 1.2 steals in 20.2 minutes per night. He has only played in 45 games over the last two seasons and will be hoping for a bounce-back year in terms of health.

The Warriors are also signing rookie Will Richard to a four-year contract, Charania reports (via Twitter). The No. 56 pick in the 2025 draft will receive two fully guaranteed years in the deal.

Richard is a four-year college player who spent his final three seasons for Florida. As a senior in 2024/25, he averaged 13.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.7 steals per game and played a key role on the championship-winning team. In six Summer League games for the Warriors, Richard averaged 11.5 PPG, 4.3 RPG, and 1.8 SPG.

Word of these three deals follows the report earlier in the day that free agent big man Al Horford had agreed to a multiyear deal with the Warriors. Judging by the four signings, the Warriors appear to be targeting defense, especially along the perimeter, and some level of versatility as they look to round out their roster.

Anthony Slater of ESPN notes (via Twitter) that Horford, Payton, Melton, and Richard will occupy roster spots nine through 13 for the Warriors, and that the 14th spot is currently left for the resolution of the Kuminga standoff.

ESPN’s Bobby Marks adds (via Twitter) that as long as the Warriors don’t sign Kuminga to a deal with a starting salary higher than approximately $23MM, they would have the ability to add a 15th player and remain below the second tax apron. That projection assumes Horford receives the full taxpayer mid-level exception, which would hard-cap Golden State at the second apron.

Sixers Decline To Extend Grimes’ Qualifying Offer Deadline

September 28th, 2025 at 4:19pm CST by Rory Maher

The Sixers will not extend Quentin Grimes‘ October 1 qualifying offer deadline, sources tell Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (all Twitter links). Philadelphia made the 6’5″ wing a restricted free agent when it tendered him a qualifying offer in June.

Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer first reported that Grimes’ agent, David Bauman, had asked the 76ers to extend the QO deadline, which requires the consent of both the player and the team. Fischer confirmed the news on Saturday and specified that Bauman was looking to push back the deadline one week, to Oct. 8.

Fischer’s latest update doesn’t come as a surprise, since he previously said Philadelphia hadn’t shown any interest in granting Bauman’s request.

According to Fischer, the Sixers and Grimes’ camp remain “far apart” in contract negotiations. As multiple reporters have indicated, Grimes appears headed toward re-signing with Philadelphia on a one-year deal — the only question is whether he accepts his $8.74MM QO, which comes with an implied no-trade clause, or signs a more lucrative one-year contract and waives his right to veto a trade.

Either way, we now have confirmation that Grimes’ situation should be resolved by Wednesday.

Pacers Sign Guard Delon Wright

September 27th, 2025 at 4:39pm CST by Earnest Marshall

September 27: The Pacers have signed Wright to an Exhibit 9 contract, Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files tweets.

September 25: The Pacers are planning to sign Delon Wright to their training camp roster, per Pacers insider Tony East (Twitter link). That signing is pending a physical.

Originally, the Pacers agreed to sign Monte Morris to their training camp roster, but as general manager Chad Buchanan told reporters on Thursday, that signing is no longer taking place due to a calf injury.

While there are no details yet on Wright’s contract, it seems likely that he agreed to a deal similar in structure to Morris’, which was expected to be a one-year, non-guaranteed pact.

When the Morris news broke, it was reported that he would compete in training camp for a roster spot with James Wiseman and Tony Bradley, whose contracts are not fully guaranteed. The Pacers have 13 players on standard, guaranteed contracts. They also have three players signed to Exhibit 10 deals.

Wright began last season with the Bucks before being traded to the Knicks ahead of the deadline. He averaged 3.1 points per game across 40 appearances with both teams. He was a bit more productive in New York, averaging 4.3 points and 2.1 assists per night and making six playoff appearances.

If Wright is on an NBA roster this year, it will be his 11th season in the league; if he sticks with the Pacers, it will be his 11th different team. He holds career averages of 6.7 points, 3.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists per contest.

Dennis Smith Jr. Signs With Mavericks

September 26th, 2025 at 3:12pm CST by Earnest Marshall

September 26: Smith has officially signed with the Mavs, the team announced today (via Twitter).

September 18: The Mavericks are signing Dennis Smith Jr. to a one-year contract, according to Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link). Dallas selected Smith with the No. 9 overall pick in the 2017 draft and he spent the first season and a half of his career there.

Dallas has 15 players on standard contracts before signing Smith, including Brandon Williams, who is only guaranteed for $200K until opening night.

Smith’s contract is presumably non-guaranteed or partially guaranteed, setting up an opportunity for him to earn a spot on the opening-night roster if he performs well enough in training camp.

Before the Mavericks waived and stretched Olivier-Maxence Prosper‘s contract to bring back Dante Exum, they reportedly toyed with the idea of moving Jaden Hardy. It’s unclear whether that’s still on the table at all, but if the Mavericks wanted to keep both Smith and/or Williams, it would mean moving Hardy or another player via trade to clear up a spot.

A 6’2″ guard out of NC State, Smith averaged 14.5 points and 4.9 assists in 101 games (all starts) with the Mavericks from 2017-19. He was moved at the 2019 deadline to the Knicks in exchange for Kristaps Porzingis. Since then, he hasn’t played more than 58 games for a franchise, having become a journeyman guard from 2019-24.

Smith had perhaps his most impressive season of his career in 2022/23, when he emerged as one of the premier guard defenders in the league while playing for the Hornets and averaging 8.8 points and 4.8 assists per contest. However, the Hornets didn’t bring him back and he spent the following season for Brooklyn before not playing in the NBA last season.

In all, Smith holds career averages of 9.7 points, 4.2 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 1.2 steals across 326 career games (152 starts).

Grizzlies Announce Injury Updates On Clarke, Edey, Jackson

September 26th, 2025 at 2:51pm CST by Rory Maher

Grizzlies big man Brandon Clarke is undergoing an arthroscopic procedure to address synovitis in his right knee, the team announced in a press release (via Twitter).

Clarke’s 2024/25 season was cut short in March when he suffered a PCL sprain in his right knee.

While that injury has fully healed, per the Grizzlies, he experienced synovitis — inflammation that affects the synovial membranes in joints — during recent training sessions. Memphis says it will provide a return timeline after the procedure, but Clarke is expected to make a full recovery.

Shams Charania of ESPN, who first reported the news, hears that Clarke is expected to miss a minimum of six weeks, which is when he will be reevaluated (Twitter link).

It’s another unfortunate setback for Clarke, who has been plagued by various injuries throughout his career, including a torn Achilles tendon that cost him most of ’23/24.

In the same press release, the Grizzlies also provided injury updates on center Zach Edey and forward/center Jaren Jackson Jr., both of whom are recovering from offseason surgeries.

Edey, who underwent left ankle surgery in June, has been cleared to ramp up basketball activities. However, he remains several weeks away from returning, as he is expected to make his season debut in six-to-nine weeks.

If Edey is ready to play in six weeks, he would be back in early November. The more conservative end of that time frame would see the former Purdue star return around the end of that month.

Jackson, who had surgery in July to repair a turf toe issue, will also begin ramping up his on-court activities. He’s expected to return in four-to-six weeks, which means he could miss a little bit of time to open ’25/26.

On a more positive note, first-round pick Cedric Coward will be a full training camp participant after recovering from a left shoulder injury he sustained last year at Washington State.

With Clarke, Edey and Jackson likely to miss the start of the season, Memphis’ frontcourt depth will be tested early on. Santi Aldama and Jock Landale are among the players who could receive more playing time in their stead.

Blazers’ Scoot Henderson Suffers Torn Left Hamstring

September 26th, 2025 at 1:46pm CST by Rory Maher

Guard Scoot Henderson sustained a torn left hamstring during a workout this week, the Trail Blazers announced in a press release.

According to the team, Henderson is expected to resume basketball activities in four-to-eight weeks. Portland will provide additional updates on Henderson’s status “as appropriate.”

Crucially, the announcement doesn’t say that Henderson is expected to return in four-to-eight weeks — it’s just when he’ll resume basketball drills. It’s safe to say that, at minimum, Henderson will miss the start of his third NBA season.

A 6’3″ point guard, Henderson was a highly touted NBA prospect who spent two years with the now-defunct G League Ignite prior to being selected No. 3 overall in the 2023 draft.

Henderson got off to a pretty slow start as a rookie, putting up solid counting stats (14.0 points, 5.4 assists, 3.1 rebounds) but struggling with turnovers (3.4) and efficiency (.385/.325/.814 shooting line) in 62 games (28.5 minutes per contest).

While 21-year-old’s per-36 numbers were quite similar in year two, he showed improvement defensively, took a little better care of the ball, and was more efficient (.419/.354/.767 shooting) in 66 contests, most of which came in a reserve role (26.7 MPG).

The Blazers were already going to be shorthanded in the backcourt after re-signing franchise icon Damian Lillard, who was waived by Milwaukee after suffering a torn Achilles tendon in the playoffs, this offseason.

With Henderson out as well, offseason additions Jrue Holiday and Blake Wesley are candidates for more playing time at the point.