Mobile Menu
HEADLINES

Sixers Rumors

Quentin Grimes, Sixers Still ‘Very Far Apart’

September 24th, 2025 at 8:56pm CST by Arthur Hill

8:56 pm: Confirming that the Sixers have offered Grimes a one-year contract worth more than his qualifying offer (which would require him to waive his no-trade clause), Tony Jones of The Athletic reports that the Sixers and the RFA wing also have mutual interest in working out a longer-term deal.

While both sides are amenable to the idea of working out a four-year agreement, they’re far apart on what the money in such a contract would look like, Jones adds.

3:01 pm: Restricted free agent Quentin Grimes and the Sixers are still “very far apart on a deal” to resolve their summer-long standoff, Shams Charania of ESPN said in an appearance on NBA Today (Twitter video link).

Agent David Bauman told Charania that today was the first time the team made a “formal, hard offer” since free agency began. Bauman said Grimes won’t attend Philadelphia’s media day on Friday and he doesn’t plan to accompany the team this weekend to Abu Dhabi, where they’ll play two preseason games against the Knicks.

Charania points out that the Sixers have less incentive to offer a lengthy contract to Grimes after landing dynamic shooting guard VJ Edgecombe in the draft. Coupled with uncertainty over the health of stars Joel Embiid and Paul George, Philadelphia may not want to add another expensive deal to its payroll.

Charania suggests that the likely resolution appears to be Grimes either accepting the team’s $8.7MM qualifying offer, or possibly a larger one-year deal where Grimes would waive his no-trade clause. Either way, he would become an unrestricted free agent next summer when more teams will have money to spend.

Grimes was acquired from Dallas in a February trade, joining a team that was decimated by injuries and had difficulty fielding a competitive roster. He immediately became the Sixers’ offensive star, averaging a career-best 21.9 PPG in 28 games while shooting 46.9% from the field and 37.3% from three-point range.

He had hoped those numbers would lead to a lucrative new contract, but he ran into a difficult market for a number of restricted free agents. Josh Giddey reached a new deal with the Bulls, but Cam Thomas accepted his qualifying offer with Brooklyn and Jonathan Kuminga remains in a standoff with Golden State.

Charania also provided an update on Kuminga, saying he’s the only projected member of the Warriors‘ roster who is not attending a mini-camp that Jimmy Butler is holding in San Diego this week.

Kuminga is still locked in a “stalemate” with the team, and Charania said agent Aaron Turner told him on Wednesday that the Warriors’ insistence on a team option “still remains critical” in keeping the two sides from reaching an agreement.

Repost Share Send via email

Sixers Sign Four Players

September 23rd, 2025 at 4:36pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

September 23: Philadelphia has waived Martin, who is expected to join the Delaware Blue Coats, Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports tweets.

September 22: The Sixers have signed a quartet of free agents, forward Emoni Bates, point guard Kennedy Chandler, wing Malcolm Hill, and forward Jaylen Martin, according to the team.

Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports (Twitter link) that all four players have been inked to Exhibit 10 deals.

The 6’10” Bates, still just 21, was selected with the No. 49 pick out of Eastern Michigan in 2023 by Cleveland. He played sparingly with the Cavaliers across his first two pro seasons as a two-way signing. In 25 appearances, he averaged 3.1 points and 0.8 rebounds per game.

The six-foot Chandler played for the Grizzlies 2022/23, suiting up for 36 contests. Chandler has been plying his trade in the G League ever since, suiting up for the Memphis Hustle, Long Island Nets and Raptors 905.

Hill, a 6’6″ swingman, played in just 24 games for Atlanta and Chicago from 2021-23. He was also signed to the Pelicans on a 10-day deal in 2024, although he never appeared in a game on that deal. A journeyman since going undrafted out of Illinois in 2017, Hill has played for NBAGL affiliates more than he has seen NBA action. Most recently, he played for New Orleans’ G League club, the Birmingham Squadron.

Martin split his rookie season in 2024/25 between the Nets and Wizards on two-way deals. In 16 games, he averaged 4.9 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 1.1 APG and 0.6 SPG.

Igor Milicic previously signed an Exhibit 10 contract with Philadelphia, while Izan Almansa reportedly agreed to an Exhibit 10 deal as well, though it has yet to be officially completed.

If an Exhibit 10 recipient is cut by his NBA squad before the season and then spends at least 60 days with that team’s G League affiliate, he’ll earn a bonus worth up to $85,300.

Repost Share Send via email

2025/26 NBA Over/Unders: Atlantic Division

September 18th, 2025 at 12:00pm CST by Luke Adams

With the 2025/26 NBA regular season set to tip off next month, we’re getting serious about predictions for the upcoming campaign and continuing an annual Hoops Rumors tradition.

With the help of the lines from a series of sports betting sites – including BetMGM and BetOnline – we’re running through the predicted win totals for each of the NBA’s 30 teams, by division. In a series of team-by-team polls, you’ll get the chance to weigh in on whether you think those forecasts are too optimistic or too pessimistic.

In 2024/25, our voters went 13-17 on their over/under picks. Can we top that in ’25/26?

We’ll begin our series today with the Atlantic Division…

New York Knicks

Boston Celtics

Philadelphia 76ers

Toronto Raptors

Brooklyn Nets

Repost Share Send via email

And-Ones: Roster Holes, G League Trades

September 15th, 2025 at 10:37pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

With the start of training camp mere weeks away, Kevin Pelton of ESPN takes a look at the biggest 2025/26 roster holes for all 30 NBA teams.

Beyond the reigning champion Thunder, who will be bringing back their full playoff lineup and whose perceived biggest need is a fresh arena, Pelton believes every club has personnel issues.

Among top East contenders, Pelton posits that Cleveland could use some help along the wing with injured swingman Max Strus expected to be out for multiple months. Pelton notes that New York may want to add more proven veteran help to shore up its bench. In the West, Pelton observes that the Rockets and Nuggets could use help at the point, while Minnesota could benefit from some additional depth on the perimeter.

There’s more from around the basketball world:

  • The Pistons‘ G League club, the Motor City Cruise, has traded the returning player rights to big man Cameron Martin and guard Javante McCoy to the Nuggets‘ NBAGL affiliate, the Grand Rapids Gold, for the rights to center Charles Bediako and a 2026 international pick, Motor City has announced (Twitter link).
  • Raptors 905, the Raptors‘ NBAGL affiliate, is trading their rights to guard Kennedy Chandler to the Sixers‘ G League club, the Delaware Blue Coats, in exchange for wing Patrick McCaw and a future first-rounder, reports Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca (via Twitter). Murphy tweets that some EuroLeague teams considered bringing McCaw aboard earlier in the offseason. McCaw has been in the G League for four seasons, and Murphy is unsure if he’ll continue suiting up close to NBA scouts or will take a more lucrative offer elsewhere.
  • In case you missed it, newly crowned EuroBasket MVP Dennis Schröder cited Hall of Fame countryman Dirk Nowitzki as the major inspiration who helped turn Germany into an international force.
Repost Share Send via email

Germany Defeats Turkey For EuroBasket Gold; Schröder Named MVP

September 14th, 2025 at 3:16pm CST by Luke Adams

A back-and-forth battle between a pair of 8-0 teams went down to the wire in Sunday’s EuroBasket championship game, with Kings point guard Dennis Schröder helping to secure a gold medal for Germany by scoring the final six points and turning an 83-82 deficit into an 88-83 victory over Turkey.

Schöder (16 points, 12 assists), former NBA wing Isaac Bonga (20 points, 4-of-4 three-pointers), and Magic forward Franz Wagner (18 points, eight rebounds) were the standout performers for Germany, which has won two of the past three major international basketball competitions.

Although the Germans didn’t make the podium at the Paris Olympics last summer, the country is now the defending FIBA World Cup (2023) and EuroBasket (2025) champion and has posted a 21-2 record in those three tournaments, per HoopsHype (Twitter link).

Germany outlasted a Turkish national team that was led by Rockets center Alperen Sengun (28 points), former NBA forward Cedi Osman (23 points, 6-of-9 on three-pointers), former NBA guard Shane Larkin (13 points, nine assists, six rebounds), and Sixers big man Adem Bona (12 points, 5-of-5 shooting).

While they weren’t able to claim their first EuroBasket championship, Turkey matched their best-ever result by taking silver. The Turkish team lost to Yugoslavia in the 2001 final, which was the only other time the country made the championship game.

Schröder was named the EuroBasket Most Valuable Player after leading the Germans to their first title in the event since 1993. He scored at least 16 points in all nine games, averaging 20.3 points and 7.2 assists per contest.

The 2025 EuroBasket All-Star Five was made up entirely of NBA players, with Lakers guard Luka Doncic (Slovenia) and Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (Greece) joining Schröder, Wagner, and Sengun (Twitter link).

Antetokounmpo and the Greek national team beat Finland in the third-place game earlier on Sunday.

Repost Share Send via email

Fischer’s Latest: Kuminga, Bulls, Knicks, Bryant, Sixers, More

September 12th, 2025 at 4:12pm CST by Luke Adams

The Bulls are unlikely to emerge as a viable sign-and-trade suitor for Warriors restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga after agreeing to re-sign their own RFA (Josh Giddey), according to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link). However, Fischer suggests that Chicago is worth keeping an eye on as a future landing spot for Kuminga, given that the Bulls project to have significant cap room beginning in 2026.

The fact that the Bulls and many other teams around the NBA should have cap space available next summer is one reason why Kuminga is “strongly considering” accepting his $8MM qualifying offer, which would allow him to hold an implicit no-trade clause for the coming season and reach unrestricted free agency in 2026, Fischer writes. While Kuminga’s preference would be to negotiate a longer-term deal, the Warriors haven’t yet seemed inclined to budge off their two-year, $45MM offer that includes a second-year team option.

Still, there’s a sense that a resolution on Kuminga might not be far off. Anthony Slater of ESPN said during an NBA Today appearance (YouTube link) that there have been “renewed efforts” this week to bridge the gap between the two sides, while Fischer says people connected to the negotiations believe there could be movement within the next week.

Here’s more from Fischer:

  • The Knicks weighed the possibility of signing free agent big man Thomas Bryant but ultimately decided to prioritize depth in the backcourt and on the wing, league sources tell Fischer. The team reached non-guaranteed deals this week with Malcolm Brogdon, Landry Shamet, and Garrison Mathews, who will each compete for a roster spot.
  • Following up on his report about Sixers veterans Andre Drummond and Kelly Oubre Jr. being on the trade block, Fischer clarifies that the front office doesn’t appear to be operating with any sort of “clear-cut directive” to move either player. Trading Drummond and/or Oubre without taking back any salary would help create a more favorable cap/tax situation as Philadelphia looks to re-sign restricted free agent Quentin Grimes.
  • The Kings‘ decision to waive Terence Davis, who had a non-guaranteed contract, likely signals that they don’t expect to need his outgoing salary for matching purposes in a trade before the season, Fischer observes. “The only reason for Sacramento to have kept Davis this long was to have potentially used him in a trade,” one league source told The Stein Line.
  • Celtics big man Luka Garza had hoped to suit up for Bosnia and Herzegovina at this year’s EuroBasket tournament but has yet to be cleared by FIBA, according to Fischer, who explains that Garza’s appeal will be heard after EuroBasket ends. If he gets clearance, Garza could represent Bosnia and Herzegovina at the 2027 World Cup.
Repost Share Send via email

Turkey Ousts Greece, Will Vie For EuroBasket Gold

September 12th, 2025 at 2:59pm CST by Luke Adams

Turkey jumped out to a 12-point lead in the first quarter of Friday’s EuroBasket semifinal vs. Greece and never looked back, expanding that lead in each quarter en route to a 94-68 blowout win.

The victory secures Turkey’s spot in the EuroBasket championship game on Sunday. It will be the first time since the country hosted the tournament in 2001 that it has competed in the gold medal game — Turkey lost to Yugoslavia 24 years ago and has never won a EuroBasket title.

Rockets center Alperen Sengun had another big game on Friday, racking up 15 points, 12 rebounds, and six assists as Turkey outscored Greece by 24 points during his 33 minutes of action. However, the team’s leading scorers were forward/center Ercan Osmani, who had 28 points on 11-of-15 shooting, and Cedi Osman, who scored 17 points on 7-of-12 shooting and was a team-best +32.

Osmani was also the primary defender against Greek star Giannis Antetokounmpo, who had his worst game of the tournament with just 12 points on 6-of-13 shooting. The Bucks forward, who had scored at least 25 points in each of his five previous EuroBasket games, had 12 rebounds and five assists, but committed five turnovers and was a -30 in 30 minutes.

Turkey and Germany will square off for EuroBasket gold on Sunday with their matching undefeated (8-0) records on the line. The Germans have three active NBA players and two former NBAers on their roster, including Franz Wagner of the Magic and Dennis Schröder of the Kings; Turkey’s roster features two current NBA players – Sengun and Sixers big man Adem Bona – and five ex-NBA players.

Greece, meanwhile, will go up against Lauri Markkanen and the Finnish national team in Sunday’s third-place game.

Repost Share Send via email

Atlantic Notes: Z. Williams, Simmons, Celtics, Sixers

September 10th, 2025 at 12:41pm CST by Luke Adams

Nets swingman Ziaire Williams waived his right to veto a trade as part of his new two-year contract agreement with the Nets, per Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter link).

A player who re-signs with his previous team on a one-year deal or a two-year deal that includes a second-year option is typically given an implicit no-trade clause, but a team can ask the player to give up that no-trade clause upon signing. Because Williams – whose contract features a second-year team option – agreed to do so, he would lose his Bird rights if he’s traded ahead of February’s deadline.

Brooklyn has been looking to maintain trade flexibility while re-signing its free agents to short-term deals — the team has gotten Williams and Day’Ron Sharpe to waive their trade veto rights and sought to get Cam Thomas to do the same. However, Thomas opted to accept his qualifying offer, taking a lesser 2025/26 salary in order to maintain full control over a potential trade.

Here’s more from around the Atlantic:

  • Following up on reports indicating that Ben Simmons rebuffed interest from the Knicks and is no longer being represented by agent Bernie Lee, Stefan Bondy of The New York Post directly connects the two developments — a source tells Bondy that Lee dropped Simmons as a client after the former No. 1 overall pick “sent signals that he wasn’t interested in whatever came from his agent’s conversations with the Knicks.”
  • A panel of NBC Sports Boston staffers, including NBA insider Chris Forsberg, consider which of the Celtics‘ two-way players is most likely to help the team this season. The consensus is that big man Amari Williams, the 46th overall pick in June’s draft, has the clearest path to regular playing time, given the key frontcourt players Boston lost this offseason.
  • Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer (subscription required) explores some burning roster-related questions facing the Sixers ahead of the 2025/26 season. Outside of the obvious uncertainty related to Joel Embiid‘s and Paul George‘s availability, Mizell considers what the backcourt rotation will look like and how the team will replace Guerschon Yabusele‘s production following his departure in free agency.
Repost Share Send via email

Rockets Notes: Eason, Durant, Playing Time, Owens, Sengun

September 10th, 2025 at 9:55am CST by Dana Gauruder

Many people around the league believe the Rockets will work out a long-term extension with Tari Eason before finalizing a new deal with Kevin Durant, according to William Guillory of The Athletic.

ESPN’s Brian Windhorst recently reported that Durant and the Rockets are expected to reach an extension agreement at some point.

Eason has an expiring contract — the Rockets exercised a $5.68MM club option on the final year of his rookie deal for 2025/26. The fourth-year forward averaged a career-high 12.0 points and 1.7 steals per game while making 57 appearances last season.

Here’s more on the Rockets:

  • In the same story, Guillory opines about a pleasant dilemma: Does Houston have too many good players? Guillory believes coach Ime Udoka will have a difficult time figuring out how to divvy up minutes among so many players capable of heavy minutes on a good team.
  • Mark Owens, a Houston-area boxing trainer, has become a vital asset to the Rockets — the team’s director of performance, Willie Cruz, describes Owens as “an extension of our strength coaches.” Danielle Lerner of the Houston Chronicle (subscription required) profiles how Owens, who served a federal prison term, turned his life around and helped the Rockets become one of the more physical teams in the league.
  • Former Sixers forward Furkan Korkmaz is playing alongside Rockets center Alperen Sengun for Turkey in the EuroBasket tournament. Korkmaz called Sengun, not Joel Embiid, the best center he’s played with in his career. “He’s a special kid and every day he’s trying to give his maximum,” he said in a video posted by Eurohoops Turkey.
Repost Share Send via email

Sixers’ Andre Drummond, Kelly Oubre On Trade Block?

September 8th, 2025 at 1:30pm CST by Rory Maher

During his latest Bleacher Report live stream (YouTube link), NBA insider Jake Fischer said there have been persistent rumblings that the Sixers may be considering a salary-dump deal to give them more financial flexibility to re-sign restricted free agent Quentin Grimes.

“There has been buzz all summer long about the Sixers looking to potentially move one of, if not both, Andre Drummond and/or Kelly Oubre,” Fischer said. “If they are able to find a deal for one of those two guys as we get closer to camp, that would open up some more wiggle room for Philadelphia to be able to pay Grimes a little bit more (money).”

Both Drummond ($5MM) and Oubre ($8.4MM) exercised their player options for 2025/26 and will be unrestricted free agents next offseason.

This isn’t the first time Drummond has been mentioned in trade rumors this summer — Tony Jones of The Athletic reported on June 30 that Philadelphia was trying to move the two-time All-Star center. But we haven’t heard anything else on that front until now.

Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron (Substack link) noted a few days ago that the Sixers could potentially dip below the luxury tax line while re-signing Grimes if they traded both Drummond and Oubre. Gozlan pointed to the Nets — the lone NBA team with cap room remaining — as a potential match.

A source confirmed to Net Income of NetsDaily.com that acquiring Drummond (along with other assets) would be the type of move Brooklyn is looking for.

Oubre is also no stranger to trade rumors and makes logical sense as a player on an expiring contract who could be moved. But we haven’t seen any reports linking him to a specific team.

When our Luke Adams discussed yesterday in a Front Office article what a contract compromise might look like between Grimes and the Sixers, he floated the possibility of a four-year, $65MM deal with a partial guarantee in year four.

For what it’s worth, Grimes recently took to Instagram to post a picture of himself in a Sixers uniform, as Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports relays (via Twitter).

Repost Share Send via email
Load More Posts