Trail Blazers Sign Henri Drell To Exhibit 10 Deal

11:30am: It’s an Exhibit 10 deal for Drell, Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report confirms (via Twitter).


7:19am: The Trail Blazers have signed free agent forward Henri Drell to a one-year, non-guaranteed training camp contract, according to RealGM’s transaction log.

Drell, 24, is a 6’9″ Estonian wing who spent several years playing overseas before joining the Windy City Bulls in the G League in January 2022. His play for Chicago’s G League affiliate across parts of three seasons eventually earned him a shot at the NBA level — he signed a two-way contract with the Bulls last December and spent the rest of the season with the club, though he logged just 30 total minutes across four NBA appearances.

Drell had his most productive G League season in 2023/24, averaging 14.5 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.8 steals in 32.6 minutes per game, with a shooting line of .435/.309/.757, across 42 Showcase Cup and regular season outings. However, the Bulls opted not to tender him a qualifying offer in June, so he became an unrestricted free agent, though he did play for Chicago in the Las Vegas Summer League last month.

The Trail Blazers now have 19 players under contract, including 14 on guaranteed standard deals, Dalano Banton and Devonte’ Graham on non-guaranteed contracts, and Justin Minaya and Bryce McGowens on two-way pacts. Yongxi Cui is also expected to sign an Exhibit 10 contract with the club.

It’s unclear if Drell’s deal includes Exhibit 10 language. If it does, he could be a candidate to have his deal converted to a two-way contract before the regular season begins.

Theo Maledon Signs With ASVEL

Veteran NBA guard Theo Maledon is returning to his home country for the 2024/25 season, having reunited with ASVEL on a one-year deal, according to an announcement from the French club.

The 34th overall pick in the 2020 draft, Maledon has appeared in 177 total NBA games over the past four seasons, spending time with the Thunder, Hornets, and Suns. He posted career averages of 7.8 points, 2.9 assists, and 2.8 rebounds in 21.2 minutes per contest, with a subpar shooting line of .372/.310/.793.

Maledon, 23, began the 2023/24 season on a two-way contract with Charlotte. He was waived in December and was claimed by Phoenix at that time, but the Suns later cut him in March, making him an unrestricted free agent.

Maledon began his basketball career with ASVEL in 2017, playing first for the junior team and later being promoted to the senior club. He won a French League championship in 2019 and was named the LNB Pro A Best Young Player for that season.

ASVEL, which also competes in the EuroLeague, had a strong season domestically in 2023/24, posting a 25-9 regular season record before losing to Paris Basketball in the semifinals of the LNB playoffs. However, the team struggled in EuroLeague play, finishing 17th out of 18 teams with a 9-25 mark. The hope is that Maledon can help them be more competitive in 2024/25.

“I am convinced that Theo has not yet reached his full potential, and he will have the opportunity to show it this season in an environment that he knows perfectly,” ASVEL coach Pierric Poupet said as part of a larger statement.

Eastern Notes: Sixers, Pagliuca, Young, Murray

The Sixers’ roster has one glaring absence — a traditional power forward. KJ Martin is the only power forward listed on Philadelphia’s roster, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer notes, and he’s 6’6”.

The Sixers have a roster opening and there are a number of power forward options. They have some interest in reuniting with Marcus Morris Sr. and are also considering Davis Bertans, as Pompey previously reported.

However, a number of other Eastern Conference elites — including the Celtics and Knicks — thrived in the regular season and playoffs with lineups that didn’t include traditional power forwards. With that in mind, the Sixers could employ Paul George, Kelly Oubre Jr or Caleb Martin at that spot, Pompey suggests.

We have more Eastern Conference news:

  • Celtics manager general partner Steve Pagliuca is also co-owner of Atalanta, an Italian Serie A soccer team. Atalanta prevailed in the Europa League this season, giving Pagliuca two championships to celebrate. “I don’t know if it’ll ever happen again,” Pagliuca told James Horncastle of The Athletic. “I just have to be grateful that I was able to be a part of that with all the great people at the Celtics and all the great people at Atalanta.”
  • Trae Young said it was disappointing his partnership with Dejounte Murray on the Hawks didn’t produce the desired results, he told the Sixers’ George on his latest Podcast P broadcast (Youtube link). “It’s tough cause we wanted to win. We’re not the first duo that couldn’t work and we’re not going to be the last,” Young said of his two seasons with Murray. The Hawks dealt Murray to the Pelicans for a package that included forward Larry Nance Jr., Dyson Daniels and two first-round picks.
  • In case you missed it, there’s only one team in the NBA that currently has cap room — the Pistons. Get the details here.

Team USA Notes: Curry, LeBron, Durant, Haliburton, Banchero

Could some of the gold-medal winners from Team USA pair up in the future on an NBA team? Sam Amick of The Athletic explores that topic, noting that superstar-laden teams are sometimes born out of their bonding experiences with USA Basketball.

A LeBron JamesStephen Curry pairing seems unlikely now that LeBron’s son is on the Lakers roster and Curry would like to finish his career with the Warriors. Could Golden State eventually wind up with Durant-Curry reunion or a Devin BookerCurry backcourt? Suns owner Mat Ishbia has squashed talk of trading his stars but Amick speculates that could change if Phoenix flops in the postseason again.

We have more USA Basketball-related news:

  • If Kevin Durant wants to play for Team USA in Los Angeles, team officials would like to have him back, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst (hat tip to Zach Bachar of Bleacher Report).  “I would not rule out KD playing, and I talked with Team USA officials, and they would give him a provisional yes right now,” Windhorst said on The Hoop Collective. Durant has already set the Olympic record with four gold medals in men’s basketball. Durant, who averaged 13.8 points and 3.2 rebounds in Paris off the bench, will be 39 in 2028.
  • Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton hopes to retain his spot on Team USA in future Olympics, according to Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files. He informed managing director Grant Hill that he’d welcome an invite to the Los Angeles Games. “I’ve told Grant — I’ve said it many times — I want to represent USA Basketball for as long as I can,” Haliburton said. He was essentially the 12th man on this year’s squad, averaging 8.8 minutes in three appearances. He was dealing with a minor leg injury during the tournament.
  • Magic forward Paolo Banchero, a member of USA’s last World Cup team, was under serious consideration for the Paris Olympics, according to Joe Vardon of The Athletic. He’s a player Hill wants to feature in future Olympics. In the same piece, Vardon speculates which players from this year’s gold medal squad might be back for 2028.

Western Notes: Durant, Holmgren, Williams, Wolves, Grizzlies

Kevin Durant admits that retirement has crossed his mind, the Suns superstar revealed on the latest episode of TV One’s “Raising Fame” (hat tip to Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic).

“As I get older in the league and the league is getting younger, I tend to think about retirement more,” the Suns forward said. “… Should I stop thinking about it? What is that? But it creeps in my mind for sure.”

Durant, 35, remains one of the league’s most productive players — he averaged 27.1 points, 6.6 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game last season. He has also battled his share of injuries in recent years, though he was durable enough to start 75 regular-season games for the Suns in the 2023/24 season. Durant is entering the third year of his four-year, $194.2MM contract.

Durant has been in the league since 2007, when he was the second overall pick of the draft.

We have more from the Western Conference:

  • With the Olympics still fresh on everyone’s mind, will a couple of Thunder players represent Team USA in 2028? Joel Lorenzi of The Oklahoman explores that question in his latest mailbag. Lorenzi speculates that Chet Holmgren has a strong chance to be on that 12-man U.S. roster, noting that his skill set translates well to the international game. He’s a shot-blocker and rim protector who stretches out defenses with his range at the offensive end. Jalen Williams could also be in the mix as a combo wing if his game continues to develop as expected.
  • The Timberwolves and the WNBA’s Lynx have agreed to a multiyear corporate sponsorship deal with Sezzle Inc., which includes a jersey patch sponsorship, according to Nick Williams of the Star Tribune. Terms of the sponsorship deal were not disclosed but those sponsorship deals around the league are expected to average $10MM for the upcoming season. The Wolves, according to Williams, are expected to earn near the average via their sponsorship.
  • The Grizzlies, who were overwhelmed by injuries to key players last season, didn’t do much this offseason beyond drafting two-time National Player of the Year Zach Edey to fill their void in the middle and re-signing Luke Kennard on a one-year deal. They also hired six new assistant coaches. Damichael Cole of the Memphis Commercial Appeal gives the front office high marks for its approach to this offseason.

Traded First-Round Picks For 2025 NBA Draft

The 2025 NBA draft is still over 10 months away, but a number of teams have already traded away their first-round picks for ’25, and more clubs may do so before this season’s trade deadline.

We’ll use the space below to keep tabs on each team’s first-round pick for 2025, continually updating it as necessary throughout the year.

We’ve listed all 30 teams here, so even if a team hasn’t traded its first-round pick, that will be noted. We’ll also provide details on the protections for each traded pick, including what happens to the pick in 2026 if it doesn’t change hands in 2025.

Here’s the full breakdown on the status of each 2025 first-round pick:


Note: Teams marked with an asterisk (*) have traded away their 2026 first-round pick (either unprotected or with protection) and can’t freely trade away their 2025 first-rounder due to the Stepien Rule.

Atlantic

  • Boston Celtics: Own pick.
  • Brooklyn Nets: Own pick.
  • New York Knicks: Traded to Nets (unprotected).
  • Philadelphia 76ers: Traded to Thunder (top-six protected).
    • If this pick lands in its protected range, the Sixers would instead owe the Thunder their 2026 first-round pick (top-four protected).
  • Toronto Raptors: Own pick.

Central

  • Chicago Bulls: Traded to Spurs (top-10 protected).
    • If this pick lands in its protected range, the Bulls would instead owe the Spurs their 2026 first-round pick (top-eight protected).
  • Cleveland Cavaliers: Traded to Jazz (unprotected).
  • Detroit Pistons: Traded to Knicks (top-13 protected).
    • If this pick lands in its protected range, the Pistons would instead owe the Knicks their 2026 first-round pick (top-11 protected).
  • Indiana Pacers (*): Own pick.
  • Milwaukee Bucks: Traded to Nets (top-four protected) or Pelicans (5-30 protected).
    • The Bucks’ obligation to whichever team doesn’t receive this pick will be extinguished.

Southeast

  • Atlanta Hawks: Traded to Spurs (unprotected).
  • Charlotte Hornets: Traded to Spurs (top-14 protected).
    • If this pick lands in its protected range, the Hornets would instead send the Spurs their 2026 and 2027 second-round picks.
  • Miami Heat: Traded to Thunder (top-14 protected).
    • If this pick lands in its protected range, the Heat would instead owe the Thunder their 2026 first-round pick (unprotected).
  • Orlando Magic: Own pick.
  • Washington Wizards: Traded to Knicks (top-10 protected).
    • If this pick lands in its protected range, the Wizards would instead owe the Knicks their 2026 first-round pick (top-eight protected).

Northwest

  • Denver Nuggets: Traded to Magic (top-five protected).
    • If this pick lands in its protected range, the Nuggets would instead owe the Magic their 2026 first-round pick (top-five protected).
  • Minnesota Timberwolves: Traded to Jazz (unprotected).
  • Oklahoma City Thunder: Own pick.
    • The Thunder have the right to swap their own first-round pick for the Rockets’ pick (top-10 protected) or the Clippers’ first-round pick. If the Rockets receive the Thunder’s pick, they would have the right to swap it to Brooklyn for the Suns’ first-round pick.
  • Portland Trail Blazers: Traded to Bulls (top-14 protected).
    • If this pick lands in its protected range, the Trail Blazers would instead owe the Bulls their 2026 first-round pick (top-14 protected).
  • Utah Jazz: Traded to Thunder (top-10 protected).
    • If this pick lands in its protected range, the Jazz would instead owe the Thunder their 2026 first-round pick (top-eight protected).

Pacific

  • Golden State Warriors: Own pick.
  • Los Angeles Clippers (*): Traded swap rights to Thunder.
    • The Thunder have the right to swap their own first-round pick for the Rockets’ pick (top-10 protected) or the Clippers’ first-round pick.
  • Los Angeles Lakers: Traded to Hawks (unprotected).
  • Phoenix Suns: Traded to Nets or Rockets (unprotected).
    • The Thunder have the right to swap their own first-round pick for the Rockets’ pick (top-10 protected) or the Clippers’ first-round pick; the Rockets have the right to swap whichever pick they end up with to Brooklyn for the Suns’ first-round pick.
  • Sacramento Kings: Traded to Hawks (top-12 protected).
    • If this pick lands in its protected range, the Kings would instead owe the Hawks their 2026 first-round pick (top-10 protected).

Southwest

  • Dallas Mavericks: Own pick.
  • Houston Rockets (*): Traded swap rights to Thunder (top-10 protected).
    • The Thunder have the right to swap their own first-round pick for the Rockets’ pick (top-10 protected) or the Clippers’ first-round pick; the Rockets have the right to swap whichever pick they end up with to Brooklyn for the Suns’ first-round pick.
  • Memphis Grizzlies: Own pick.
  • New Orleans Pelicans: Own pick.
  • San Antonio Spurs: Own pick.

Information from RealGM was used in the creation of this post.

League Announces 2024 NBA Cup Schedule

After previously announcing the dates and groups for its second annual in-season tournament, the NBA today revealed the schedule for the group play portion of the event. The group play stage of the tournament, which is now known as the Emirates NBA Cup, will begin on November 12 and run through December 3.

The group play games will take place on four Tuesdays and three Fridays during the fall. The NBA put out its schedule by date and by team.

Each Tuesday will feature a nationally televised doubleheader on TNT, while ESPN will nationally broadcast doubleheaders on the Fridays. NBA TV will also air three tournament games on the afternoon of November 29 (Black Friday), prior to ESPN’s doubleheader.

The quarterfinals will take place on December 10 and 11, with the semifinals to follow on Dec. 14 and the final to be played on Dec. 17. The higher-seeded teams will host the quarterfinal matchups, while the semifinals and final will take place in Las Vegas.

The NBA Cup will tip off with a pair of nationally televised marquee matchups on November 12, with Paul George and the Sixers hosting the Knicks in Philadelphia, followed by Klay Thompson and the Mavericks visiting the Warriors in the Bay Area.

The Lakers, the champions of last year’s inaugural in-season tournament, will be featured in nationally televised games on Nov. 15 (at the Spurs), Nov. 26 (at the Suns), and Nov. 29 (vs. the Thunder).

The full NBA regular season schedule for 2024/25 will be announced on Thursday, according to the league.

Pistons Only Team With Cap Room Remaining

Now that the Jazz have used up their cap room by renegotiating Lauri Markkanen‘s contract and completing a series of minor signings, only one NBA team is still operating under the cap: Detroit.

The Pistons currently have a team salary of $130,348,501, giving them $10,239,499 in space below the cap ($140,588,000). They could increase that figure to nearly $18MM by waiving Paul Reed‘s non-guaranteed $7,723,000 salary, though there’s no indication they plan to do so.

With 14 players on standard contracts, the Pistons have an opening on their projected 15-man regular season roster for 2024/25 and could – in theory – make an aggressive offer to a free agent using their remaining cap room. But the unrestricted free agents who remain unsigned will likely end up on minimum-salary deals or something very close to it, so Detroit is unlikely to make a $10MM offer to any of them.

The lone standard restricted free agent, forward Isaac Okoro, makes sense as a target, given his age, defensive pedigree, and familiarity with new head coach J.B. Bickerstaff, who coached him in Cleveland. But there haven’t been any hints that the Pistons are considering an offer sheet for Okoro, and they’d probably have to waive Reed to put together an offer strong enough to dissuade the Cavs from matching.

In all likelihood, the Pistons will simply hold their remaining cap space open for now, keeping an eye on the trade market for opportunities that could net them additional assets, like their previous deals for Tim Hardaway Jr. and Wendell Moore.

In past years, it wasn’t unusual for teams to hold significant chunks of cap room open into the regular season, knowing they could use that space at the trade deadline to accommodate salary-dump deals. But the new CBA requires teams to spend up to at least the minimum salary floor before opening night — if they don’t, they lose that cap room and make themselves ineligible to receive the end-of-season payout from taxpaying teams. That’s likely one reason why the league-wide cap room has dried up so early in the year.

The minimum salary floor is $126.5MM this season, so the Pistons have surpassed that threshold.

While the Pistons are the only team with cap room available, clubs operating over the cap and well below the luxury tax line still have a good deal of flexibility to take on extra salary in trades due to the more generous salary-matching rules in the current CBA.

Those rules allow teams below the first tax apron to take back up to 200% of their outgoing salary (plus $250K) for any amount up to $7.5MM; the outgoing salary plus $7.5MM for any amount between $7.5MM and $29MM; and 125% of the outgoing salary (plus $250K) for any amount above $29MM.

For instance, if the Jazz were to trade Jordan Clarkson and his $14,092,577 salary, they could take back up to $21,592,577 (Clarkson’s salary, plus $7.5MM). By comparison, if the Pistons were to trade Hardaway ($16,193,183), they could take back up to $26,682,682 using their leftover cap room. That cap room certainly gives Detroit more financial flexibility in trade talks, but not necessarily significantly more.

And-Ones: Toscano-Anderson, 2024 Draft Class, Durant, FAs

Veteran swingman Juan Toscano-Anderson, who appeared in 11 games with Sacramento last season and spent much of the year playing for the Mexico City Capitanes, will be part of the G League United roster that plays a pair of exhibition games against Mega Basket in September (Twitter link).

In past years, the G League Ignite participated in those exhibition contests against international clubs — the most notable games occurred in 2022 when Scoot Henderson and the Ignite matched up against Victor Wembanyama and Metropolitans 92. However, with the Ignite no longer active, the NBAGL will put together an All-Star team of sorts for this year’s event.

Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

  • Asked during an appearance on Podcast P with Paul George about No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher and the rest of the prospects selected near the top of his year’s draft, Hawks guard Trae Young suggested that there may not be any franchise players in the 2024 class. “Some guys might surprise us, but a lot of us look at them as role players,” Young said (hat tip to Clutch Points). “… Whether it’s Reed (Sheppard), who is going to be a hell of an NBA player or Alex (Sarr), who didn’t play well in Summer League, but is going to be a hell of an NBA player, a lot of these guys could be just role players, so I feel like the GMs this year were all probably just trying to figure out who is going to be the best role player for their team.”
  • Suns star Kevin Durant has become a minority stakeholder in the French soccer club Paris Saint-Germain, according to an announcement from his investment firm Boardroom (Twitter link). Sources with knowledge of the deal tell Peter Rutzler and Shams Charania of The Athletic that Durant and Boardroom bought a “single digit millions” shareholding in the club. Durant visited with the team while he was in France for the Olympics.
  • Who are the top free agents still available? Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report considers that question, ranking Cavaliers restricted free agent Isaac Okoro atop his list, followed by Markelle Fultz, Lonnie Walker, Cedi Osman, and Justin Holiday. Okoro, Fultz, and Osman are the only players from our June list of this summer’s top 50 free agents who are still seeking new deals.