Basketball Wiretap

Clippers Will Pursue Extension With Ivica Zubac

May 7, 2024 9:03 AM

LA Clippers front office executive Lawrence Frank covered a lot during his end-of-season media session. One of the topics was center Ivica Zubac, who had a career year. Frank said that the Clippers will have extension conversations with Zubac this summer.

The 7-foot center averaged a career-high 11.7 points per game last season. Zubac also grabbed 9.2 rebounds and blocked 1.2 shots per game.

Zubac has one year remaining on the three-year, $32.8 million extension he signed with LA in 2022. Zubac will make $11.7 million in 2024-25.

Law Murray/The Athletic

Tags: Ivica Zubac, Los Angeles Clippers, NBA, NBA Signing Rumor, NBA Misc Rumor

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Pat Riley: Heat Undecided On Offering Extension To Jimmy Butler

May 6, 2024 9:29 PM

Jimmy Butler is eligible for a two-year contract extension with the Miami Heat worth as much as $113 million to cover the 25-26 and 26-27 seasons. Pat Riley revealed that the Heat have not internally discussed that possibility yet.

"We have not discussed that internally right now," Riley said. "We have to look at making that kind of commitment and when do we do it. We don't have to do it until 2025, actually. But we'll see. We haven't made a decision on it, and we haven't really in earnest discussed it."

Butler's injury issues will potentially be a factor in Miami's calculus.

"That's a big decision on our part to commit those kinds of resources unless you have somebody who's going to be there and available every single night," Riley said. "That's the truth."

Riley also criticized Butler's comments about the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks.

"If I was playing, Boston would be at home, New York damn sure would ... be at home," said Butler.

"I thought, 'Is that Jimmy trolling or is that Jimmy serious?' If you're not on the court playing against Boston or on the court playing against the New York Knicks, you should keep your mouth shut on the criticism of those teams," Riley said.

ESPN

Tags: Jimmy Butler, Miami Heat, NBA, NBA Signing Rumor, NBA Misc Rumor

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Paul George Hasn't Begun Considering Free Agent Decision

May 5, 2024 8:14 AM

The Los Angeles Clippers were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs on Friday and enter an uncertain offseason with Paul George and James Harden becoming free agents. While Kawhi Leonard has already signed an extension with the Clippers, he was unavailable or the majority of the series, leaving the team in a diminished state.

George was asked whether he sees himself with the Clippers long-term alongside Leonard and Harden.

"Yeah," George said. "If it works that way, absolutely."

George is expected to be the most coveted free agent on the open market.

"I'm not even focused on that yet," George said. "I got a lot to kind of digest myself, so I haven't even got to that yet. Look forward to kind of going back, just letting everything kind of decompress, talk to my family, be around family support and then address the next step. ... Yeah, it's just not where I'm there. I'm not there yet."

Ohm Youngmisuk/ESPN

Tags: Paul George, Los Angeles Clippers, NBA, NBA Signing Rumor, NBA Misc Rumor

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Lonzo Ball Picks Up $21.4M Player Option For 24-25 With Bulls

May 4, 2024 4:42 PM

Lonzo Ball has picked up his $21.4 million player option with the Chicago Bulls for the 24-25 season.

Ball hasn't played since January 2022 and it is uncertain if he will play again.

Ball signed a four-year, $80 million deal with the Bulls during the 2021 offseason.

Adrian Wojnarowski/ESPN

Tags: Lonzo Ball, Chicago Bulls, NBA, NBA Signing Rumor, NBA Misc Rumor

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Magic, Sixers Known To Have Interest In Signing Paul George

May 4, 2024 8:52 AM

Paul George is widely expected to decline his $48.8 million player option for next season with the LA Clippers. After LA signed Kawhi Leonard to an extension, it was thought that George and the Clippers would agree to an extension. However, that hasn't happened, and George now appears poised to enter free agency this summer.

Two teams with known interest in George are the Orlando Magic and Philadelphia 76ers. Both teams have the ability to create the necessary cap space to sign the veteran wing to a deal worth up to his projected max salary of just over $49 million dollars for 2024-25.

George has continued to express he'd like to re-sign with LA. The Clippers have reportedly not offered him a max deal, and that's held things up. LA hopes that George, like Leonard did, will take less than the maximum to allow the team to dip below the second apron. That would free up the Clippers to make more roster moves to add talent around their stars.

Sam Amick and Law Murray/The Athletic

Tags: Paul George, Los Angeles Clippers, Orlando Magic, Philadelphia Sixers, NBA, NBA Signing Rumor, NBA Misc Rumor

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LeBron James Still Expected To Remain With Lakers Next Season

May 3, 2024 4:44 PM

LeBron James is widely expected to return to the Los Angeles Lakers next season though he has decisions to make on how much longer he wants to continue playing and whether he prefers to finish his career with the franchise.

James has a $51 million player option for 24-25 with the Lakers. James is expected to become a free agent and re-sign some type of multi-year deal and possibly seek a no-trade clause. James can only get a no-trade clause by becoming a free agent and can't do so as part of an extension.

"I think the expectation is that in one shape or another, LeBron James will be back with this Lakers' team," said Adrian Wojnarowski. "It probably includes declining that player option and doing a new deal. Whether that's a one-year deal or a two-year deal, however they want to structure it. I think there's a working expectation that he's back, but things can change. He can make a different decision later."

Both the Golden State Warriors and Philadelphia 76ers had interest in LeBron James ahead of this year's trade deadline

Adrian Wojnarowski/ESPN

Tags: LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers, NBA, NBA Signing Rumor, NBA Trade Rumor, NBA Misc Rumor

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Tobias Harris Expected To Leave Sixers In Offseason

May 3, 2024 11:56 AM

Tobias Harris is expected to leave the Philadelphia 76ers in free agency, sources tell Tim Bontemps of ESPN.

Harris is coming off a five-year, $180 million contract signed with the Sixers during the 2019 offseason when they also elected to let Jimmy Butler leave via a sign-and-trade. 

Harris averaged 10.8 points per game in the Sixers' first round series loss to the New York Knicks and was scoreless in Game 6.

Harris has been a source of frustration among Sixers' fans.

Tim Bontemps/ESPN

Tags: Tobias Harris, Philadelphia Sixers, NBA, NBA Signing Rumor, NBA Misc Rumor

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Bam Adebayo Eligible To Sign Three-Year, $165M Extension With Heat In Offseason

May 2, 2024 11:12 AM

Bam Adebayo will become eligible to sign a three-year, $165 million extension with the Miami Heat this offseason.

If Adebayo signs for his max, the new deal would begin with a $51.2 million salary in 26-27, when Adebayo will be 29 years old.

Adebayo signed a five-year, $164 million deal with the Heat in 2020.

Bobby Marks/ESPN

Tags: Bam Adebayo, Miami Heat, NBA, NBA Signing Rumor, NBA Misc Rumor

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Jimmy Butler Eligible To Sign Two-Year, $112.9M Extension With Heat On July 7

May 1, 2024 10:33 PM

Jimmy Butler becomes eligible to sign a contract extension with the Miami Heat this offseason on July 7th. Butler is signed for 24-25 at $48.8 million and holds a $52.4 million player option for 25-26.

Butler could sign a one-year extension for 26-27 at $58.6 million, or he could sign a two-year, $112.9 million option that covers both 25-26 and 26-27, which would void his $52.4 million option for 25-26.

Butler signed a four-year, $184 million extension with the Heat during the 2021 offseason after Year 2 of his four-year, $142 million deal signed in 2019.

Butler will turn 35 before the start of the 24-25 season.

Bobby Marks/ESPN

Tags: Jimmy Butler, Miami Heat, NBA, NBA Signing Rumor, NBA Misc Rumor

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LeBron James Declines To Answer Whether Game 5 Could Be Last With Lakers

Apr 30, 2024 10:31 AM

After the Los Angeles Lakers were eliminated from the playoffs by the Denver Nuggets in Game 5, LeBron James was asked to consider whether he may have played his final game with the franchise.

"I'm not going to answer that," replied James.

James has until June 29 to either opt into the final year of his contract with the Lakers for $51.4 million or become an unrestricted free agent.

The Lakers will try to retain James and are prepared to even offer him a three-year, $164 million deal.

James was also asked how he will approach his decision about playing next season.

"I don't have an answer ... to be honest. I haven't given it much thought," said James.

Dave McMenamin/ESPN

Tags: LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers, NBA, NBA Signing Rumor, NBA Misc Rumor

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Lakers 'Very Open' To Adding Bronny James Next Season

Shams Charania, Jovan Buha, Sam Amick/The Athletic

LeBron James Expected To Play Up To Two More Seasons, Lakers Could Offer Max Three-Year, $164M Deal

Shams Charania, Jovan Buha, Sam Amick/The Athletic

Kevin Durant Eligible To Extend With Suns Beginning July 8th

Brian Windhorst/ESPN

Spurs Could Pursue Chris Paul In Free Agency

Marc Stein/The Stein Line

Tobias Harris Expected To Receive Interest From Pistons

Keith Pompey/Philadelphia Inquirer

Mavericks Could Pursue Klay Thompson In Free Agency

Sam Amick/The Athletic

Steve Kerr: Warriors Need Klay Thompson Back

Kendra Andrews/ESPN

Chris Paul Will Not Retire In Offseason

Anthony Slater/The Athletic

Grayson Allen, Suns Agree To Four-Year, $70M Extension

Adrian Wojnarowski/ESPN

Warriors Converting Usman Garuba To Standard Contract

Shams Charania/The Athletic

Sixers Signing Ricky Council IV To Four-Year, $7.4M Deal

Shams Charania/The Athletic

Clippers Signing Kai Jones; Waiving Josh Primo

Shams Charania and Law Murray/The Athletic

Sixers Will Make Paul George 'Top Target' In Offseason

Keith Pompey/Philadelphia Inquirer

Jaylen Nowell, Pistons Sign Deal For Remainder Of Season

Michael Scotto/HoopsHype

Jrue Holiday, Celtics Agree To Four-Year, $135M Extension

Adrian Wojnarowski/ESPN

Grizzlies Sign Zavier Simpson, Jack White To 10-Day Contracts

RealGM Staff Report

Celtics Convert Neemias Queta To Standard NBA Contract

RealGM Staff Report

Isaiah Thomas, Suns Sign Contract For Remainder Of Season

Shams Charania/The Athletic

D'Angelo Russell Likely To Decline Player Option With Lakers, Become Free Agent

Brian Windhorst/ESPN

LeBron James Expected To Opt Out, Seek No-Trade Clause In Next Contract With Lakers

Brian Windhorst/ESPN