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Heat’s Duncan Robinson Opting Out Of Contract

June 29th, 2025 at 1:07pm CST by Luke Adams

Heat forward Duncan Robinson is opting out of his contract for 2025/26 in order to become an unrestricted free agent, according to Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link), who says the veteran sharpshooter will work with the team to either figure out a new deal or accommodate a move elsewhere.

Robinson held an early termination option ahead of the ’25/26 season rather than a traditional player option. They have similar functions, but in order to become a free agent, Robinson will technically exercise the option to terminate his contract early, rather than declining that option and playing out his contract. If it were a traditional player option, exercising it would mean opting in.

Had Robinson opted into the final year of his deal, his $19.9MM salary for ’25/26 would have become partially guaranteed for $9.9MM, which would have forced Miami to decide whether to guarantee his remaining $10MM or waive him in order to create $10MM in savings.

Now that Robinson has opted out, he’s not guaranteed any of that money. But he the Heat could potentially work out a multiyear deal that features a more team-friendly cap hit and ensures that the 31-year-old still earns that $9.9MM — and then some.

The possibility of a new three-year deal to keep Robinson in Miami is one idea that has been floated, tweets Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press.

One of the NBA’s best three-point shooters, Robinson has fired up 7.2 attempts per game from beyond the arc in 423 regular season appearances and has knocked down 39.7% of them. In 2024/25, he averaged 11.0 points, 2.4 assists, and 2.3 rebounds in 24.1 minutes per game, with a shooting line of .437/.393/.887, across 74 outings (37 starts).

As Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald tweets, Robinson’s decision takes the Heat from $8MM over the projected luxury tax line to $12MM below it. That gives the team enough breathing room below the tax to either bring back the forward on a new contract or perhaps add a replacement via trade/sign-and-trade or the mid-level exception.

Kelly Oubre Exercising Player Option

June 29th, 2025 at 11:57am CST by Arthur Hill

Sixers forward Kelly Oubre has decided to pick up his $8.4MM player option for next season, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).

The option was included in a two-year deal that Oubre signed last summer. He will become a free agent in 2026.

Oubre, 29, appeared in 60 games this season, averaging 15.1 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 34.6 minutes per night with .470/.293/.751 shooting numbers. It was his second season with Philadelphia after joining the team as a free agent in 2023.

He suffered a sprained right knee in March and didn’t play after March 12, as Philadelphia held out several veterans to improve its lottery odds.

A report last month stated that the Sixers were expecting Oubre, Andre Drummond and Eric Gordon to all exercise their player options. Drummond announced his decision on Friday, while Gordon faces a deadline this afternoon to decide on his $3.5MM option.

The option decisions will affect the Sixers’ finances as they hope to be able to re-sign free agents Quentin Grimes and Guerschon Yabusele without creating an exorbitant tax bill. So it’s possible that Oubre, Drummond and/or Gordon could be traded to unload some salary.

Thunder Sign Jaylin Williams To Three-Year Extension

June 29th, 2025 at 11:37am CST by Luke Adams

11:37 am: Williams’ new contract is official, the Thunder announced today in a press release. The team completed the deal as a veteran extension, which is why it could be formally finalized now instead of having to wait until July.

9:47 am: The Thunder declined their minimum-salary team option on big man Jaylin Williams in order to negotiate a new deal with him, according to Shams Charania of ESPN, who reports (via Twitter) that the two sides have agreed to a three-year, $24MM contract.

The third and final season of the deal will be a team option, Charania adds (via Twitter).

A valuable frontcourt reserve in recent years for the newly crowned NBA champions, Williams was limited to 47 appearances in 2024/25 due in large part to a hamstring injury that delayed his regular season debut until December 23. However, he was effective when healthy, averaging 5.9 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.6 assists in 16.7 minutes per night, with a .439/.399/.767 shooting line.

Williams, who is celebrating his 23rd birthday on Sunday, didn’t have a major role during the postseason, but he played rotation minutes off the bench against Denver in the second round and appeared in 17 of the Thunder’s 23 total playoff games.

While the Thunder could have kept Williams on the roster at a bargain price for another season by simply picking up his $2.2MM option for 2025/26, doing so would have put him on track for unrestricted free agency in 2026. By declining the option, Oklahoma City had the ability to make the former No. 34 overall pick a restricted free agent this summer, improving the team’s negotiating position.

The Thunder have taken this route on team-option players like Luguentz Dort and Aaron Wiggins within the past few years, declining their options in order to sign them to multiyear contracts as RFAs.

Oklahoma City’s minor salary-dump trade of Dillon Jones on Saturday will allow the team to stay out of luxury tax territory while giving Williams a pay bump for 2025/26. The tax line is projected to come in at $187.9MM, while the Thunder currently have a projected team salary of $186MM, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks.

Lakers’ Dorian Finney-Smith Opting Out Of Contract

June 29th, 2025 at 11:08am CST by Luke Adams

Lakers forward Dorian Finney-Smith has decided to turn down his player option for the 2025/26 season, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link). The option would have been worth $15.4MM.

Finney-Smith’s decision will make him an unrestricted free agent and multiple teams are expected to pursue him when the free agent period officially opens on Monday evening, per Charania. However, a return to the Lakers remains in play for the 32-year-old as well.

Having been traded from Brooklyn to Los Angeles in December, Finney-Smith appeared in 43 games for the Lakers, making 20 starts. He averaged 7.9 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in 28.8 minutes per game, posting a shooting line of .442/.398/.714.

While Finney-Smith’s box-score numbers certainly don’t jump off the page, his midseason arrival helped fuel a defensive turnaround in L.A. and his reliable three-point shooting helped space the floor on offense.

His impact was reflected by his on/off-court numbers — no Lakers rotation player had a better regular season net rating than Finney–Smith’s +11.1 mark in 1,239 minutes. The club had a -3.5 mark in the 1,214 minutes he didn’t play after the trade.

If Finney-Smith doesn’t return to the Lakers, they’ll have more spending power in free agency, with the ability to use the non-taxpayer mid-level exception ($14.1MM) and perhaps the bi-annual exception ($5.1MM) too, notes ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link). However, it would mean losing a key member of their rotation.

Finney-Smith was the No. 20 free agent on our top-50 list entering the offseason. This summer may represent his best chance at one last big-time payday.

Lakers’ LeBron James Opting In For 2025/26

June 29th, 2025 at 10:17am CST by Arthur Hill

Lakers superstar forward LeBron James is picking up his $52.6MM player option for the 2025/26 season, his longtime agent Rich Paul tells Shams Charania of ESPN.

According to Charania, James will be closely monitoring the Lakers’ moves this summer in the hopes of vying for a title next season.

“LeBron wants to compete for a championship,” Paul told ESPN. “He knows the Lakers are building for the future. He understands that, but he values a realistic chance of winning it all. We are very appreciative of the partnership that we’ve had for eight years with [governor] Jeanie [Buss] and [president of basketball operations] Rob [Pelinka] and consider the Lakers as a critical part of his career.

“We understand the difficulty in winning now while preparing for the future. We do want to evaluate what’s best for LeBron at this stage in his life and career. He wants to make every season he has left count, and the Lakers understand that, are supportive and want what’s best for him.”

James continued to produce at an unprecedented level for a player of his age after turning 40 last December. He was a second-team All-NBA selection, averaging 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 8.2 assists in 70 games. He also earned All-Star honors for the 21st straight season.

James’ season ended in disappointing fashion as the Lakers were ousted by Minnesota in the first round of the playoffs and he suffered an MCL sprain late in the final game. He recently said the injury is healing and he expects to be ready for training camp.

Picking up the option and ensuring that he’ll be a free agent in 2026 is a change in strategy for James, who typically renegotiates to make sure he has another option season left on his contract. He’ll set a record by playing in his 23rd NBA season, but a report on Saturday stated that he has considered retirement every summer since 2023.

Notably, given Paul’s statement above, exercising that player option instead of signing a new deal means James will remain trade-eligible throughout the offseason. He’s one of just two NBA players with a formal no-trade clause in his contract.

Among the moves James will be watching is whether the Lakers can upgrade at center, either through free agency or trades. They were weak at the position after parting with Anthony Davis in the Luka Doncic deal and often played without a big man on the court in the postseason.

If Dorian Finney-Smith – who also holds a player option – returns, the Lakers will likely have the $5.7MM taxpayer mid-level exception available to spend in free agency. If Finney-Smith opts out and signs with a new team or if the Lakers shed salary elsewhere on the roster, they could open up the $14.1MM non-taxpayer mid-level exception.

Lakers’ Goodwin, Kings’ Jones Have Team Options Exercised

June 29th, 2025 at 9:05am CST by Luke Adams

The Lakers have exercised their minimum-salary team option for the 2025/26 season on guard Jordan Goodwin, while the Kings have done the same for forward/center Isaac Jones, according to Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter links).

Goodwin, 26, signed a two-way contract with the Lakers after the trade deadline in February and played well for the team in the second half of the season, earning a promotion to the standard roster in late March. In 29 total appearances (five starts), he averaged 5.6 points, 3.9 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 1.0 steal in 18.7 minutes per game, posting a solid shooting line of .438/.382/.818.

As our team option tracker shows, the move doesn’t assure Goodwin of his full $2.35MM salary for next season — only about $25K is guaranteed as a result of the option pick-up. He would have to remain under contract through January 7 in order to be guaranteed the full amount, so his roster spot could still be up in the air depending on how the rest of Los Angeles’ offseason plays out.

As for Jones, the undrafted rookie out of Washington State had a promising debut season for Sacramento in 2024/25, averaging 3.4 points and 1.4 rebounds in 7.6 minutes per game across 40 outings. He made 65.1% of his field goal attempts and was promoted to the 15-man roster in March when he reached his limit of 50 active games.

There have been conflicting reports on whether or not Jones’ $1.96MM salary for 2025/26 will be fully guaranteed as a result of the Kings’ option pick-up.

In other team option news, the Suns have officially picked up guard Vasilije Micic‘s $8.1MM option for next season, Smith notes (via Twitter). That was a required procedural move in order for Micic to be included in the Mark Williams trade with Charlotte.

Suns’ Gillepsie, Lakers’ Koloko Among Two-Way Players Receiving QOs

June 29th, 2025 at 8:59am CST by Luke Adams

A series of players who finished the 2024/25 season on two-way contracts have received qualifying offers from their respective teams, making them free agents, according to Keith Smith of Spotrac. Those players are as follows (all links go to Twitter):

Isaiah Crawford, Kings (link)
Collin Gillespie, Suns link)
Harrison Ingram, Spurs (link)
Daniss Jenkins, Pistons (link)
Spencer Jones, Nuggets (link)
Christian Koloko, Lakers (link)
Riley Minix, Spurs (link)
Jacob Toppin, Hawks (link)
Luke Travers, Cavaliers (link)
Tristan Vukcevic, Wizards (link)
Keaton Wallace, Hawks (link)

In each case, the player’s qualifying offer is equivalent to another one-year, two-way deal, with a small portion (approximately $85K) guaranteed.

While a rival team could technically sign any of these players to an offer sheet during free agency, we essentially never see that happen with two-way free agents. Most of them end up either accepting their two-way QOs or agreeing to new standard contracts with their current teams.

Gillespie, who turned 26 on Wednesday, is among the players who made a strong case for a promotion to a standard contract this past season. He averaged 5.9 points, 2.4 assists, and 2.4 rebounds in 14.0 minutes per game for Phoenix across 33 appearances (nine starts) and made 43.3% of his three-point tries.

Koloko (2.4 PPG and 2.5 RPG in 37 games), Vukcevic (9.4 PPG, 3.7 RPG, and .496/.373/.776 shooting in 35 games), and Wallace (5.4 PPG and 2.6 APG in 31 games) also played rotation minutes for their respective clubs in 2024/25.

Sunday is the deadline for teams to make qualifying offers to players who are eligible for restricted free agency.

Wizards Acquire Dillon Jones From Thunder

June 28th, 2025 at 8:38pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Thunder are sending Dillon Jones and a future second-round pick to the Wizards, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).

Oklahoma City confirmed the deal in a press release, announcing that it received shooting guard Colby Jones in return. Jones’ $2.22MM contract for next season is non-guaranteed, and he was waived immediately.

The second-rounder headed to Washington in the deal is for 2029 and originally belonged to Houston, according to Josh Robbins of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Dillon Jones, a 23-year-old swingman, was originally selected by Washington with the 26th pick last year, but he was traded to New York and then to Oklahoma City on draft night. He appeared in 54 games as a rookie for OKC, averaging 2.5 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 10.2 minutes per night.

Jones will be part of a youth movement for the Wizards, who had two first-round picks in this year’s draft, along with three last year. Jones is the second member of the 2024 draft class that Washington has added in a trade, joining AJ Johnson, who was acquired from Milwaukee in February.

The deal unloads salary and opens a roster spot for the Thunder, who had been set to have 15 players return from this year’s championship team. The move creates an opening for rookie center Thomas Sorber, who was selected with the 15th pick on Wednesday.

Dillon Jones will make a guaranteed $2.75MM in 2025/26, with team options worth $2.88MM and $5.2MM, respectively, for the following two seasons. The Wizards will have to make a decision on that ’26/27 option (worth $2.88MM) by October 31 of this year.

Colby Jones, 23, appeared in 15 games with Washington after being acquired in a three-team deal at the trade deadline. He averaged 8.7 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.5 assists with the Wizards.

Because Colby’s salary was fully non-guaranteed and Dillon is earning more than the minimum, the Wizards had to use a traded player exception to complete the deal. They used the one generated in February’s trade of Patrick Baldwin, the smallest of the three TPEs they controlled.

The Thunder will create a new TPE worth the difference between the two players’ 2024/25 salaries, approximately $502K. However, that exception is almost certainly too small to ever be used.

Garrett Temple Re-Signs With Raptors

June 28th, 2025 at 7:42pm CST by Arthur Hill

July 1: Temple has officially re-signed with the Raptors, per NBA.com’s transaction log.

June 28: Swingman Garrett Temple will return to the Raptors on a one-year, $3.6MM contract, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link). It’s a minimum-salary deal for Temple in his 16th NBA season.

Temple, who turned 39 last month, has been a veteran leader with a limited on-court role since signing with Toronto in 2023. He has appeared in 27 and 28 games the past two years and averaged 1.9 points, 1.0 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 8.1 minutes per night in 2024/25.

The Raptors are the 12th NBA team for Temple, whose career began when he signed with Houston after going undrafted in 2009.

Temple will be the 12th guaranteed contract for the Raptors, per Blake Murphy of Sportsnet (Twitter link). In addition, Jamison Battle has a $977,689 guarantee on his $1,955,377 salary for the upcoming season, which will become fully guaranteed on July 1. He’s due to make $2.3MM in 2026/27, but none of that is guaranteed if he gets released.

Toronto also has to determine whether to give a roster spot to Alijah Martin, who was the 39th pick in this week’s draft.

Kevin Porter Jr. To Decline Player Option

June 28th, 2025 at 7:04pm CST by Dana Gauruder

June 28: Porter has informed the Bucks that he won’t pick up the option and plans to test free agency, sources tell Eric Nehm and Fred Katz of The Athletic (Twitter link).

June 11: Bucks guard Kevin Porter Jr. is expected to decline his $2.55MM player option in order to become a free agent, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype tweets.

It certainly doesn’t come as a surprise, considering the contributions Porter made after being dealt from the Clippers to the Bucks. In 30 regular season appearances, Porter averaged 11.7 points, 3.9 rebounds and 3.7 assists in 19.9 minutes per game with Milwaukee. He averaged 11.2 points, 3.6 rebounds and 5.4 assists in five postseason outings.

Milwaukee hopes to retain Porter, according to Scotto. That makes plenty of sense, given Damian Lillard‘s Achilles tear, which will likely keep Lillard out of action all of next season. Porter projects as the Bucks’ starting point guard, unless they acquire one via a trade or free agency. Milwaukee does not have a first-round selection in this month’s draft.

Porter was dealt to the Bucks in February after appearing in 45 games with the Clippers.

He is a former first-round pick who played in Greece last season after multiple off-court incidents, including reaching a plea agreement for misdemeanor assault and harassment in January 2024 after allegedly attacking his then-girlfriend in September 2023. The Clippers gave him another NBA opportunity in July when they signed him to a two-year, minimum-salary contract.