Trae Young Rumors | Hoops Rumors

FA/Extension Rumors: Giddey, Suns, Young, Doncic

July 16th, 2025 at 2:11pm CST by Luke Adams

Restricted free agent Josh Giddey hasn’t been attending Bulls Summer League games despite being in Las Vegas this past week, but there are no signs that contract talks between the two sides have “ever become contentious,” writes Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune (subscription required).

According to Jamal Collier of ESPN, Giddey had lunch with Bulls head coach Billy Donovan in Vegas and the guard’s agent was scheduled to meet with team executives at some point this week.

As Poe notes, there’s a significant gap to bridge in the contract negotiations between Giddey and the Bulls. While the 22-year-old is reportedly seeking an annual salary in the range of $30MM per year, the Bulls would prefer something closer to $20MM per year, says Poe. Reaching a compromise will likely take some time, but multiple sources tell Collier that they anticipate the point guard and the club to come to terms on a new contract sooner or later, and Poe hears the same thing.

Here are a few more notes and rumors on free agents and other NBA contract talks:

While the Suns are expected to add a guard to their roster to replace Bradley Beal, Gerald Bourget of PHNX Sports tweets that neither Chris Paul nor De’Anthony Melton seems likely to end up in Phoenix. John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7, meanwhile, says (via Twitter) that the Suns don’t have interest in former No. 1 overall pick Ben Simmons.
Trae Young was involved in recruiting Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Luke Kennard to Atlanta this offseason and is excited about what the Hawks‘ new-look roster is capable of, Marc J. Spears of Andscape said during a TV appearance on ESPN on Monday (Twitter video link). However, according to Spears, there haven’t been any “substantive talks” yet about a contract extension for the four-time All-Star. Young holds a player option for 2026/27, so he could become an unrestricted free agent as soon as next July.
Appearing on NBA Today on Tuesday (YouTube link), ESPN’s Brian Windhorst noted that even if Luka Doncic intends to sign an extension with the Lakers this summer, it may not happen right away once his restrictions lift on August 2 (six months after his trade to L.A.). As Windhorst observes, Doncic will be overseas with the Slovenian national team preparing for this year’s EuroBasket tournament and typically hasn’t made a habit of finalizing NBA contracts until after his time with the national team is over.

Southeast Notes: Magic, Porzingis, Daniels, Whitmore

July 10th, 2025 at 9:52am CST by Luke Adams

Jeff Weltman has served as the Magic‘s president of basketball operations since 2017. During that time, Orlando has made four playoff appearances but has yet to advance past the first round of the postseason. In Weltman’s view, the current version of the Magic looks more capable of achieving that feat than any other roster he has overseen during the past eight years.

“For me personally since I’ve been here, I think this roster has a chance to do some special things, more so than any other that we’ve had since I’ve been here,” Weltman said, per Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (subscription required). “It looks good on paper. It’s the job of our players, our coaches and all of our staff to bring everything we have to bear to get this team as far along as we can.

“The nice thing about the team that I get excited about is it’s still very young and there’s still a lot of growth baked in. I look forward to the next few years unfolding, but obviously starting right now.”

Orlando has traded for standout wing Desmond Bane and signed veteran point guard Tyus Jones this offseason, adding them to a core headlined by Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, and Jalen Suggs. Banchero has also received a new long-term extension.

Here’s more from around the Southeast:

Speaking to Lauren Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (subscription required), new Hawks big man Kristaps Porzingis expressed excitement about the coming season in Atlanta and spoke about what he thinks he can bring to the club. “I think I’ll fit right in here and add more like diversity, maybe even more offense,” Porzingis said. “And, yeah, I think there’s going to be more like layers to this offense that’s already pretty powerful. But yeah, I think we can really be a force offensively.”
After being named the NBA’s Most Improved Player for 2024/25, Hawks guard Dyson Daniels tells Tomer Azarly of ClutchPoints that he believes he still has room to keep getting better and that he has bigger goals ahead, including becoming an All-Star and winning a championship. The Defensive Player of the Year runner-up also credited Trae Young for the role he played in Daniels’ breakout season. “He made my life a lot easier and our games kind of really complement each other,” Daniels said. “Him on the offensive end, me on the defensive end helping him out.”
The acquisition of Cam Whitmore from Houston is a low-risk and potentially high-reward for the Wizards, according to Josh Robbins and Kelly Iko of The Athletic, who consider how the trade fits into Washington’s long-term plan and suggest head coach Brian Keefe could frequently deploy wing-heavy lineups that lack a traditional power forward next season.

Hawks Sign Luke Kennard On One-Year Contract

June 30th, 2025 at 8:16pm CST by Dana Gauruder

July 8: The Hawks have made it official with Kennard, the team announced in a press release.

“We’re excited to add Luke to our group,” Hawks general manager Onsi Saleh said in a statement. “Luke is a great connector. He’s an elite shooter and proven play-maker with a high basketball IQ and team-first mentality. He fills multiple needs for us, and we believe he’s going to make our team better.”

June 30: The Hawks are signing free agent wing Luke Kennard on a one-year, $11MM contract, ESPN’s Shams Charania reports (via Twitter).

Quite a few teams were rumored to be interested in Kennard and he chose to go to the Hawks, who also agreed to a sign-and-trade on Monday to acquire another prominent wing, Nickeil Alexander-Walker.

The Hawks will use a majority of their mid-level exception to sign Kennard. The 29-year-old has long been regarded as one of the top 3-point shooters in the league. He has knocked down 43.8 percent of his 3s during his 460-game career.

Kennard appeared in 65 games with the Grizzlies this past season, the most action he’s seen since he played 70 games with the Clippers in 2021/22. He averaged 8.9 points, 2.8 rebounds and 3.3 assists while making 43.3 percent of his long-range shots in 2024/25.

Kennard will provide guard/forward depth to a Hawks team that’s clearly looking to move up in what appears to be a wide-open Eastern Conference.

Give Trae Young an assist: He helped recruit Kennard to Atlanta, Charania adds in another tweet.

Nickeil Alexander-Walker Heads To Hawks In Sign-And-Trade

June 30th, 2025 at 7:37pm CST by Dana Gauruder

July 6: The sign-and-trade deal sending Alexander-Walker to Atlanta is complete, according to press releases from the Hawks and Timberwolves.

June 30: Free agent guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker has agreed to a four-year, $62MM deal with the Hawks, ESPN’s Shams Charania reports (via Twitter).

The contract includes a fourth-year player option and a trade kicker, according to Charania (Twitter link).

The Hawks will acquire Alexander-Walker via a sign-and-trade using the $25MM trade exception created by last year’s Dejounte Murray trade, according to cap expert Yossi Gozlan (Twitter link). This will generate a trade exception for the Timberwolves worth half of Alexander-Walker’s starting salary.

The Timberwolves are also receiving cash considerations and a future second-rounder, Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic tweets. The pick is the Cavaliers’ 2027 second-rounder, according to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Twitter link).

By going the sign-and-trade route, Atlanta will be able to preserve its non-taxpayer mid-level exception and still has room under the luxury tax line to make use of it.

The Hawks were considered the frontrunners to acquire Alexander-Walker after the Timberwolves reached agreements with two of their other prominent players, Naz Reid and Julius Randle. According to insider Chris Haynes (Twitter link), Trae Young was instrumental in recruiting NAW to Atlanta.

Alexander-Walker emerged as one of the biggest names on the free agent market due to his three-and-D skills. He had a 23-point, six-assist outing against OKC in the Western Conference Finals.

The 26-year-old appeared in every regular season game this season, including 10 starts, averaging 9.4 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.7 assists. He made 38.1 percent of his threes and has knocked down 36 percent of them in his career. He now slots in as the Hawks’ sixth man, backing up Dyson Daniels at shooting guard.

Kings Rumors: Sabonis, PG Targets, Westbrook, Kuminga, LaVine

June 26th, 2025 at 12:14am CST by Luke Adams

The Kings are viewed as “open for business” this offseason and appear willing to discuss a wide variety of potential trade scenarios, according to Sam Amick of The Athletic.

However, while that stance suggests Sacramento wouldn’t immediately shut down inquiries on Domantas Sabonis, team and league sources tell Amick that the club has continued to “signal a commitment” to its star center.

As Amick explains, Sabonis was frustrated by how the De’Aaron Fox situation played out, but he hasn’t asked for a trade and has had positive conversations with new head of basketball operations Scott Perry about the Kings’ plans going forward.

Here’s more on the Kings:

Following up on comments he made during a radio appearance, Amick confirms the Kings had some interest in Jrue Holiday before Boston agreed to send him to Portland, but were concerned about his age and contract. Amick also notes that some of the team’s “power-brokers” were interested in pursuing Hawks guard Trae Young, but the Kings opted against it due to his offense-first style of play and his sizable contract.
Confirming that the Kings have serious interest in Dennis Schröder and are eyeing Tyus Jones, as has been previously reported, Amick says former MVP Russell Westbrook is among the other free agent point guards the front office is considering. Westbrook is on track for unrestricted free agency after declining his player option with Denver.
While Amick classifies it as a long shot, he says the Kings will be among the teams with interest in Warriors restricted free agent forward Jonathan Kuminga this summer. Miami and Chicago have previously been mentioned as possible suitors for Kuminga, who is hoping for an increased role whether he remains in Golden State or ends up elsewhere.
Zach LaVine will become extension-eligible this offseason, but Sacramento has no plans to make a new deal for LaVine a priority, league sources tell Amick. The former Bull has one guaranteed year worth $47.5MM left on his current contract, with a $49MM player option for 2026/27.

Hawks Notes: Young, Draft, Porzingis, Lineups

June 25th, 2025 at 6:21pm CST by Arthur Hill

Speaking with reporters Monday at a news conference, Hawks general manager Onsi Saleh dispelled any speculation that Trae Young might be on the trade market, according to Lauren Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Saleh spoke highly of the four-time All-Star and indicated that he’ll remain in his role as the team’s on-court leader.

“We’re locked in with Trae. We talked last year (about) next season,” Saleh said. “We’re just locked in the next season, ready to move forward and be the best team that we could possibly be moving forward. And I think a lot of his leadership from last season went probably unnoticed to the common eye. Like the way that he helped develop our young guys and make them better was significant. So I mean just continuing on with that and hopefully just making our team better.”

Young posted typically great numbers in his seventh season with Atlanta, averaging 24.2 PPG in 76 games, claiming his first assists title with 11.6 per night and recording .411/.340./.875 shooting splits. He has one year left on his contract at almost $46MM, along with a nearly $49MM player option for 2026/27.

Saleh also said that ownership has given him permission to go into the luxury tax, which might be necessary if the Hawks use a significant portion of the $25MM+ traded player exception they generated in last summer’s Dejounte Murray deal.

There’s more from Atlanta:

The Hawks are parting with the 22nd pick in tonight’s draft as part of the Kristaps Porzingis trade, but Saleh is confident he can find help with the remaining selection at No. 13, Williams adds in the same piece. Saleh listed “competitiveness, toughness, resilience and adaptability” as the traits he looks for in prospects and said he concentrates more on finding the best player available than positional fit. “Ways to impact winning, I think, are just always important,” Saleh said. “Like, there’s skill sets that we probably would love to have, but at the same time, if somebody’s really good at something that impacts winning on either end of the court. That’s ultimately what we’re looking for, and that fits within the guys we currently have on our team.”
The Porzingis deal is a signal that the Hawks are ready to make a strong move in the depleted Eastern Conference, states John Hollinger of The Athletic. Hollinger views Porzingis as the best pick-and-pop partner that Young has ever teamed up with, as well as a dangerous three-point option when Young and Jalen Johnson are running various actions. He also provides elite rim protection and should help improve a defense that ranked 19th in efficiency this season.
The addition of Porzingis provides lineup flexibility, Williams notes in a separate story. He can either start at power forward alongside Onyeka Okongwu or he can be the center with Zaccharie Risacher remaining in the starting lineup.

Trade Rumors: Kings, Holiday, Young, Wizards, Celtics, Wolves

June 20th, 2025 at 2:02pm CST by Luke Adams

Asked during a radio appearance on Sactown Sports 1140 (YouTube link) this week about the Kings‘ offseason plans and whether new general manager Scott Perry might make drastic changes to the roster, Sam Amick of The Athletic said Sacramento is exploring “a lot” of possibilities.

“I don’t know how much they’re going to overhaul the roster,” Amick said (hat tip to Brian Robb of MassLive.com). “But I think they are looking at big stuff, I think they’re looking at small stuff. The point guard pursuit is very real. I don’t know where they will land on that front. It’s kind of an ‘If only Jrue Holiday was five years younger’-type thing. I think that type of option has been considered and explored, but is imperfect because of his age.

“If you go younger, a lot of Trae Young rumors. My understanding is that there’s not interest there unless it came attached to a bunch of first-round picks.”

While Holiday has been one of the NBA’s best two-way players for years, the Celtics veteran is entering his age-35 season and is owed $104.4MM over the next three years. Young, meanwhile, is one of the NBA’s top play-makers but isn’t a great defender and lacks positional size. The Hawks guard is owed $46MM in 2025/26 and could become an unrestricted free agent a year from now if he declines a player option worth nearly $49MM.

Here are a few more trade-related notes and rumors from around the NBA:

The Wizards have explored trading up from No. 6 in the hopes of landing a long-term point guard like Dylan Harper or Jeremiah Fears and have been willing to part with “surprising names” in their conversations about the second overall pick, reports Grant Afseth of RG.org. However, those efforts have been rebuffed, with the Spurs still considered likely to hang onto that No. 2 pick. As Afseth explains, stabilizing the point guard position has become a priority for the rebuilding Wizards, who have also done extensive due diligence on point guard prospects who may be on the board at No. 18.
Appearing on The Pat McAfee Show on Thursday (Twitter video link), ESPN’s Shams Charania reiterated that it will be very difficult to convince the Celtics to move either Jaylen Brown or Derrick White this summer. “I’m sure teams are throwing crazy offers for guys like Jaylen Brown and Derrick White, but it’ll take a pretty insurmountable package to get those guys out of Boston,” Charania said.
While the Timberwolves are reportedly hoping Suns forward Kevin Durant warms to the idea of playing in Minnesota, current Wolves star Anthony Edwards isn’t actively recruiting his former Olympic teammate, ESPN’s Marc J. Spears and Brian Windhorst said on NBA Today this week (YouTube link; hat tip to RealGM).

Hawks Hoping To Re-Sign Caris LeVert, Larry Nance Jr.

June 16th, 2025 at 6:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Hawks are interested in retaining two of their unrestricted free agents, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, who reported that Atlanta is looking to keep Caris LeVert and Larry Nance Jr., though the price tag on LeVert apparently rose during his strong late-season performances.

After getting traded from the Cavaliers, LeVert was a valuable member of Atlanta’s second unit. In 26 games, he averaged 14.9 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.9 assists per night. He also impressed the Hawks with his locker room presence.

LeVert, 30, is expected to receive offers from rival teams at the non-taxpayer mid-level exception of approximately $14.1MM. As we explained in late March, Atlanta holds LeVert’s Bird rights. That will allow the Hawks to exceed the salary cap to re-sign him. Scott anticipates a starting salary similar to the $16.62MM that LeVert made this season would help separate Atlanta from the competition.

Nance is another player valued for his off-court leadership. He was limited to 24 games this season due to a knee injury, averaging 8.5 points on 51.6 percent shooting from the field and 44.7 percent beyond the arc in 19.3 minutes per contest. However, Scotto also notes that Nance will have some suitors in the open market. Nance, 32, has bounced around the league, as Atlanta was the fifth uniform he’s worn since entering the NBA in 2015.

Not surprisingly, Clint Capela is considered a candidate to join another team in free agency. Capela lost his starting center job during the second half of the season to Onyeka Okongwu.

An even bigger issue looming over the front office, headed by new general manager Onsi Saleh, is how to navigate contract extension talks with four-time All-Star guard Trae Young. Their star guard has one guaranteed year remaining on his contract at $46MM, along with a nearly $49MM player option for 2026/27. His name has popped up frequently in trade rumors and the Hawks could explore that option as well.

Kings Reportedly Have Interest In Darius Garland

June 10th, 2025 at 9:21am CST by Luke Adams

The Kings, who are in the market for a point guard after trading De’Aaron Fox to San Antonio in February, have interest in Darius Garland and consider the Cavaliers guard a possible trade target, league sources tell Grant Afseth of RG.org.

Following the deadline deal that sent Fox to the Spurs, the Kings leaned more heavily on shooting guards and forwards like Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, and Malik Monk for ball-handling responsibilities, with reserve point guards like Devin Carter and Markelle Fultz playing limited roles.

Bolstering the point guard spot will be a priority for Sacramento this offseason, as new head of basketball operations Scott Perry acknowledged earlier this spring. Tyus Jones is among the free agents believed to be on the Kings’ radar, but the trade market would give the front office more avenues to acquire an impact player at the position.

Multiple reports since the Cavs’ season ended have indicated that Cleveland appears to be more willing than in the past to entertain the idea of trading Garland this offseason. However, the 25-year-old underwent toe surgery on Monday and is expected to miss some time at the start of next season.

For the Cavs, finding a Garland trade that improves their roster – or at least doesn’t hurt it – while creating a more favorable cap situation going forward was always going to be difficult. His recovery from surgery will make that task even more challenging, since potential trade partners are unlikely to value him quite as highly until he’s back to 100%.

League sources tell RG.org that the Kings and Hawks have also had a conversation about what a Trae Young trade might look like, but those talks didn’t advance. Afseth describes the discussions as “due diligence” from Atlanta’s side and suggests that Perry wasn’t especially enthusiastic about the construct of the deal.

While Young has some fans in Sacramento’s front office, Afseth writes, the team is thought to prefer Garland over the Hawks star, at least prior to Garland’s surgery.

Southeast Notes: Young, Hornets, Magic, K. Johnson

June 6th, 2025 at 12:38pm CST by Luke Adams

A native of Norman, Oklahoma who played his college ball for the Sooners, Trae Young has some affinity for the local NBA team. However, while the Hawks guard will be rooting for the Thunder in the NBA Finals, he tells Lauren Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that seeing Oklahoma City make a serious run at a title really just makes him more determined to take his own team to those same heights.

“It’s even more motivating for me,” Young said on Wednesday at a sponsor event. “I want to win a championship bad. But the fact that it’s in my city and I’m just watching it now, if you thought I wanted it bad before, it’s even worse now. … Hopefully we’re here playing the Thunder next year, and I’m not having this (event) here in OKC. So, we have this party there in Atlanta. I love Atlanta.”

The Hawks have missed the playoffs in each of the past two seasons and haven’t won more than 43 games in a season since Young was drafted in 2018, but the star guard remains optimistic about the franchise’s direction.

“We had the No. 1 pick (Zaccharie Risacher) last year that made strides and almost won Rookie of the Year, got second,” Young said. “We have a lot of young, young, really good players. We have a great coach. We have a lot of stuff, and we have a big summer ahead, for sure.”

We have more from around the Southeast:

Dylan Cardwell (Auburn), Steven Crowl (Wisconsin), Chucky Hepburn (Louisville), and Jalon Moore (Oklahoma) visited the Hornets for a pre-draft workout earlier this week, while Obinna Anochili-Killen (Marshall), Eric Dixon (Villanova), Kobe Johnson (UCLA), and Julian Reese (Maryland) auditioned for the team on Thursday, reports Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer (Twitter links). Charlotte controls the fourth, 33rd, and 34th overall picks in this year’s draft. Among those prospects, Dixon is the highest-rated on ESPN’s big board at No. 45.
Keith Smith of Spotrac and Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron (Substack link) both previewed the Magic‘s offseason this week, discussing Paolo Banchero‘s upcoming rookie scale extension, looking at Orlando’s rising payroll, and considering how the team might use its multiple first-round picks (No. 16 and No. 25) in this year’s draft.
Although he played limited minutes in just 16 NBA games as a rookie in 2024/25, Heat forward Keshad Johnson feels he has “grown mentally” since entering the league, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. “I’ve learned a lot about basketball, Xs and Os,” said Johnson, who played well for the Sioux Falls Skyforce in the G League. “Just being in the NBA, at first it started off fast. But it started to slow down as time got going. Just getting comfortable. Skill-wise, I feel like the mental aspect of learning cheat codes and things like that.” The Heat hold a minimum-salary team option on Johnson for the 2025/26 season and must exercise or decline that option by June 29.