Magic Sign Johnell Davis, Waive Justin Minaya
The Magic have signed Johnell Davis to an Exhibit 10 deal, reports Jason Beede for the Orlando Sentinel (via Twitter). In order to do so, they have waived Justin Minaya, who was also on an Exhibit 10 contract.
Orlando formally put out a press release confirming the transactions.
Davis, who was not selected during the 2025 draft, played five years in college — four at Florida Atlantic University, and his final season at Arkansas, where he averaged 12.0 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 3.4 steals. The 6’4″ guard played three games for the Magic during Summer League, scoring 4.3 points and adding 2.3 assists in 17.9 minutes per game.
Minaya spent three seasons with the Trail Blazers for a total of 57 games, but struggled to find real minutes. He is now eligible to earn a bonus of up to $85,300 if he stays with the Magic’s G League affiliate, the Osceola Magic, for at least 60 days. The same will be true of Davis, should he be waived before the end of training camp.
Heat Sign Nikola Jovic To Four-Year Extension
Oct. 3: Jovic’s four-year extension with the Heat is now official, per the team’s Twitter account.
Oct 1: Nikola Jovic has agreed to a four-year, $62.4MM rookie scale extension with the Heat, agents Jeff Schwartz, Sean Kennedy and Jared Mucha of Excel Sports Management tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link). It’s a straight four-year deal with no option for either the team or the player, a source informs Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel (Twitter link).
The 22-year-old power forward is coming off his best statistical season — averaging 10.7 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game while shooting 45.6% from the field and 37.1% from three-point range — but he was limited to 46 appearances after breaking a bone in his right hand in February. He was able to return for the playoff series against Cleveland and scored 24 points in Game 4, Charania states in a full story.
Jovic was primarily used off the bench last season, starting just 10 games after making 38 starts the year before. He said at Monday’s media day that he hopes to have a chance to compete for a starting role in training camp.
Jovic will make $4.4MM this season in the final year of his rookie contract. The extension will run through the 2029/30 season, and Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald notes that he’s currently the team’s only player who’s under contract past ’28/29.
The Heat selected Jovic with the 27th pick in the 2022 draft, but he battled injuries as a rookie and only appeared in 15 games. His role has expanded over the past two seasons, and the extension appears to cement his status as part of the team’s foundation moving forward.
Jovic is the fifth member of the 2022 draft class to receive an extension, joining Paolo Banchero, Chet Holmgren, Jabari Smith Jr. and Jalen Williams, as our tracker shows. Teams have until October 20, the day before the start of the regular season, to finalize rookie scale extensions. Players who don’t receive them will become restricted free agents next summer if their teams extend qualifying offers.
As Winderman recently noted, Miami also has important extension decisions upcoming with Tyler Herro and Norman Powell that will determine the team’s financial flexibility for at least the rest of the decade.
Trail Blazers Sign Andrew Carr To Exhibit 10 Contract
The Trail Blazers have officially signed rookie forward Andrew Carr, the team announced today in a press release.
While details of the deal weren’t revealed, reporting in June indicated that Carr would be signing a non-guaranteed Exhibit 10 contract with Portland. The expectation is that he’ll be waived before the regular season begins and then report to the Rip City Remix, the Blazers’ G League affiliate. If he spends at least 60 days with the Remix, he’ll earn a bonus worth up to $85,300.
Carr spent the last five college years playing college basketball, including two seasons with Delaware, two with Wake Forest, and a “super senior” season with Kentucky in 2024/25. The 6’9″ forward started 29 of 35 games he played for the Wildcats, averaging 10.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.7 assists in 24.0 minutes per contest, with a .544/.324/.748 shooting line.
Carr suited up for the Blazers’ Summer League team in Las Vegas in July. He played a modest role in five outings, averaging 3.0 points and 2.6 rebounds in 12.2 minutes per game while struggling with his shot (.375/.143/.500).
Portland had an open spot on its 21-man preseason roster, so no corresponding move was necessary to make room for Carr. The roster is now full.
Bulls Exercise Matas Buzelis’ 2026/27 Option
The Bulls have exercised their third-year rookie scale team option on forward Matas Buzelis, tweets Keith Smith of Spotrac.
The move guarantees Buzelis’ salary for the 2026/27 season. Last year’s 11th overall pick will earn $5.46MM in his second NBA season in ’25/26 and is now locked into a $5.72MM salary for ’26/27. Chicago will have until November 2, 2026 to decide whether or not to pick up his fourth-year option for ’27/28, worth $7.58MM.
Buzelis, who will turn 21 later this month, got off to a slow start as a rookie, scoring double-digit points just four times in his first 45 games and averaging 5.0 points and 2.7 rebounds per game with a 38.6% field goal percentage during that stretch.
However, he had a strong finish to the year, putting up 13.3 PPG and 4.5 RPG with a .494/.373/.817 shooting line over the course of his final 35 games. That second-half production propelled Buzelis to a spot on the All-Rookie second team.
Buzelis projects to be a significant part of the Bulls’ future, so this decision comes as no surprise, and it seems pretty safe to assume his fourth-year option will be exercised a year from now too. In that scenario, the 6’10” forward would become eligible for a rookie scale extension during the 2027 offseason and would reach restricted free agency in 2028 if he doesn’t sign a new contract before then.
Teams have until October 31 to make their decisions on rookie scale team options for the 2026/27 season. Buzelis is the fourth player to have his option picked up.
Wizards Sign Leaky Black, Waive Jonathan Pierre
The Wizards have made a minor change to their training camp roster, announcing today (via Twitter) that they’ve signed free agent forward Leaky Black to an Exhibit 10 contract and waived camp invitee Jonathan Pierre.
Black, who went undrafted out of North Carolina in 2023, spent his rookie season on a two-way contract with the Hornets, then played last season for the Capital City Go-Go, Washington’s G League affiliate. He made 26 NBA appearances for Charlotte in 2023/24, averaging 2.7 points and 1.8 rebounds in 10.9 minutes per game.
In 44 games last season for the Go-Go, Black averaged 7.9 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.2 steals in 26.7 minutes per contest. Known more for his play on the other end of the court, the 6’6″ forward made the ACC’s All-Defensive team twice as a Tar Heel, in both 2022 and 2023.
In all likelihood, Black will be waived at some point before opening night and will end up rejoining the Go-Go as a returning-rights player. His Exhibit 10 deal will make him eligible for a bonus worth up to $85,300 on top of his G League salary if he spends at least 60 days with the Wizards’ affiliate.
Pierre, who will qualify as an affiliate player, will also likely land with Capital City this fall in order to earn his own $85,300 Exhibit 10 bonus.
Washington still has a full 21-man preseason roster.
Suns Pick Up Ryan Dunn’s 2026/27 Option
The Suns have exercised their 2026/27 rookie scale team option for forward Ryan Dunn, Spotrac contributor Keith Smith tweets.
Phoenix had until the end of the month to decide whether to pick up Dunn’s $2,784,240 salary for next season.
Dunn, the 28th pick of the 2024 draft, had a solid rookie season. He appeared in 74 games, including 44 starts, and averaged 6.9 points and 3.6 rebounds while shooting 43.0% from the field. His long-range and free throw shooting need to improve, but he has established himself as a hard-nosed defender.
He’ll likely battle veteran Royce O’Neale for a starting spot in this year’s lineup.
All of the 2026/27 rookie scale option decisions, which must be finalized by October 31, can be found right here.
Sixers’ Quentin Grimes Signs Qualifying Offer
7:03 pm: Grimes has officially re-signed with the Sixers, the team confirmed in a press release.
3:00 pm: Sixers restricted free agent Quentin Grimes has decided to sign his one-year, $8.74MM qualifying offer, agent David Bauman tells ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Wednesday was the deadline for Grimes to make a decision on that qualifying offer. Accepting it ends a three-month standoff between the 25-year-old guard and the team and will put him on track to reach unrestricted free agency during the 2026 offseason. He’ll also have the ability to veto any trade during the 2025/26 season.
Grimes, 25, spent the first three-and-a-half seasons of his NBA career with the Knicks, Pistons, and Mavericks before being dealt from Dallas to Philadelphia in a trade for Caleb Martin at February’s deadline.
Primarily a three-and-D wing to that point, Grimes took on more ball-handling and play-making responsibilities for a banged-up 76ers team missing several of its top scorers and put up big numbers down the stretch. As a Sixer, he averaged 21.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.5 steals in 33.7 minutes per game across 28 outings (25 starts) while posting a shooting line of .469/.373/.752.
That strong finish for Grimes complicated his contract negotiations with Philadelphia this summer. Based in large part on what the former Houston Cougar showed in the second half of ’24/25, his camp initially sought an annual salary in the range of $30MM before eventually lowering that asking price to $20-25MM per year, according to Charania.
The Sixers, however, wary of their tax/apron situation – and, presumably, of overpaying Grimes based on two months of production for a lottery-bound team – never came close to meeting that asking price. According to ESPN and other outlets, Philadelphia were willing to offer a four-year, $39MM deal or a one-year contract that would’ve paid a little more than his qualifying offer. Both offers would’ve required him to forfeit his implicit no-trade clause.
In his latest report, Charania says the 76ers’ one-year offer was worth just $100K more than the qualifying offer. Grimes’ camp, meanwhile, countered with a one-year, $17MM proposal or a two-year, $34MM deal with a second-year player option, Bauman told Charania. The club turned down both offers.
The 76ers will now retain Grimes’ Bird rights and believe they’ll be in good position next summer to either re-sign him in unrestricted free agency or work out a sign-and-trade deal with another team, Charania writes.
If Grimes agrees to a trade during the season, his new club would only have his Non-Bird rights at the end of the season. Non-Bird rights allow for a raise of up to 20%, so in that scenario Grimes’ team would need to use cap room or another exception to offer him a starting salary exceeding about $10.5MM when he reaches free agency.
The Sixers now have a team salary of $194.8MM, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link). That puts them well above the tax line of $187.9MM, but below the first tax apron of $195.9MM.
Grimes was one of four restricted free agents whose stalemates with their respective clubs lasted into mid- or late-September. Grimes and Nets guard Cam Thomas ultimately accepted their qualifying offers, while Bulls guard Josh Giddey and Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga worked out multiyear deals.
Nevada Assistant Kyle Guy Joining Pacers On Exhibit 10 Deal
Kyle Guy, who was hired in April as an assistant coach at Nevada, will sign an Exhibit 10 contract with the Pacers, the school announced (via Twitter). The plan is for the 28-year-old guard to play for Indiana’s G League affiliate in Noblesville, according to Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star (Twitter link).
Guy, who was named Most Outstanding Player at the 2019 NCAA Tournament after winning the national title with Virginia, began his coaching career as a mentor/special assistant with UVA in 2024. He left after one season “to pursue a new coaching opportunity” and landed at Nevada as an assistant to Steve Alford.
Guy played two seasons with Sacramento after being selected with the 55th pick in the 2019 draft. He also spent part of the 2021/22 season with Miami before heading overseas. His most recent stint as an active player was in 2024 in the Spanish ACB League.
He appeared in 53 total NBA games over three seasons, averaging 3.1 points per night while shooting 36.1% from the field and 30.3% from three-point range.
The Pacers have a full 21-man roster, so another move will be necessary before Guy’s contract can be finalized. Once he joins the G League team, he’ll be eligible for a bonus worth up to $85,300 if he spends at least 60 days there.
Warriors Officially Sign De’Anthony Melton, Seth Curry
As expected, the Warriors have officially signed free agent guard De’Anthony Melton, the team announced today in a press release (Twitter link).
According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link), Melton’s new minimum-salary deal will cover two seasons, with a player option on year two. That means he’ll earn $3,080,921 in 2025/26, with a $3,451,779 option for ’26/27.
Because it’s a multiyear contract, the Warriors’ cap hit in year one will be Melton’s actual salary instead of just $2,296,274, the minimum for a veteran with two years of NBA experience. That will move Golden State slightly closer to its second-apron hard cap.
Melton, 27, signed a one-year, $12.8MM contract with the Warriors last offseason and got off to a good start with the team, averaging 10.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.8 assists in 20.2 minutes per game through his first six outings. However, he tore his ACL in that sixth game, ending his season. He was later traded to Brooklyn in a deal for Dennis Schröder and finished the season with the Nets.
Melton remains in the late stage of his rehab from that ACL tear, according to Anthony Slater of ESPN, who reports (via Twitter) that Golden State expects him to miss the start of the regular season. The Warriors like the progress Melton has made, Slater adds, but will take a cautious approach with his return.
The club also confirmed (via Twitter) that it has signed Seth Curry, whose agreement was previously reported. Curry was reportedly expected to receive a non-guaranteed Exhibit 9 deal, which won’t count against the cap.
With the Warriors seemingly unable to carry a full 15-man roster into the regular season, the expectation is that Curry will be waived before the start of the season and potentially return a little later this year, once the team can fit a prorated minimum-salary deal below its hard cap.
The Warriors now have a full 21-man preseason roster.
Jonathan Kuminga Signs Two-Year Contract With Warriors
October 1, 12:54 pm: Kuminga’s two-year contract has a base value of $46.8MM, Hoops Rumors has learned. His cap hit is $22.5MM in year one, with a $24.3MM team option in year two.
The $48.5MM figure reported by Charania below would only be accurate if Kuminga were traded on January 15, the first day he’s eligible to be moved. In that scenario, he’d earn a trade bonus worth about $1.7MM.
September 30, 10:31 pm: The signing is official, according to a team press release (Twitter link).
September 30, 5:49 pm: Restricted free agent forward Jonathan Kuminga has agreed to return to the Warriors on a two-year, $48.5MM contract that includes a team option, ESPN’s Shams Charania reports (Twitter link). The deal also features a 15% trade kicker, per ESPN’s Bobby Marks (YouTube link).
Between the start of free agency and Tuesday, Golden State increased its two-year offer by a total of $8MM, according to Charania, who notes that Kuminga will receive approximately $15MM more this season than he would have on his $8MM qualifying offer.
Had Kuminga signed the qualifying offer, he would have held an implicit no-trade clause during the 2025/26 season and would have become an unrestricted free agent next summer. He waived that no-trade clause as part of his new two-year agreement.
Kuminga and his agent had been seeking a player option as a prerequisite to spurning the qualifying offer, but ultimately settled for one of Golden State’s offers that included a team option. Kuminga chose this two-year deal over the Warriors’ previous three-year, $75MM offer so he can maintain a higher level of control over his immediate future, according to Charania.
The Warriors never wavered on that team option but both sides now understand the likelihood of exploring trades when Kuminga is eligible to be dealt on January 15, the ESPN insider adds (Twitter links).
Kuminga had a Wednesday deadline to sign the qualifying offer.
In terms of the roster, Golden State retains flexibility to sign a 15th player but likely not until the early part the regular season, assuming Al Horford receives the full $5.7MM taxpayer mid-level exception, Marks tweets. The veteran big man has agreed to a multi-year contract that will hard-cap the team at the second tax apron.
Kuminga’s restricted free agency was among the biggest subjects of discussion for much of the NBA offseason. The Warriors reportedly gave him three options as the deadline approached: a two-year, $45MM deal with a second-year team option, a three-year, $75MM deal with a third-year team option, or three years with no team option at a reduced rate of $54MM. Golden State ultimately reached an agreement with the former No. 7 overall pick by slightly increasing that first offer.
The Suns and Kings reportedly had interest in working out a sign-and-trade deal for Kuminga, but Golden State – trying to preserve its financial flexibility this season and in future offseasons – didn’t receive an offer to its liking from either Pacific Division rival.
Kuminga started 46 of 74 games during the 2023/24 season but had a reduced role in the 47 games in which he appeared in ’24/25, particularly after the team acquired Jimmy Butler. He only started 10 games while averaging 15.3 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists and played inconsistent minutes during the postseason. That was a factor in the contentious negotiations.
Kuminga now has strong incentive to post a strong, controversy-free season to pump up his value, whether he remains with the team or gets dealt.