NBA Central

The Brooklyn Nets are reportedly interested in adding a role player before the end of free agency.

Per Hoops Hype's Michael Scotto, the Nets are eyeing a potential sign-and-trade for Cleveland Cavaliers small forward Isaac Okoro. Scotto also noted that the Cavs have been intrigued by Dorian Finney-Smith and Cam Johnson.

According to Scotto, Brooklyn is among the teams interested in Okoro, so the restricted free agent could have more buzz surrounding him in the coming weeks.

Okoro, the No. 5 pick in the 2020 NBA draft, has been a solid role player in his four NBA seasons. He's averaged 8.5 points on 46.7 percent from the field and 34.7 from deep in his career, but upped those numbers to 9.4 points on 49 percent from the field and 39.1 percent from three last season.

As one of the best remaining free agents on the market, Okoro will likely have teams bidding to take him from Cleveland. If he chooses, he can sign a one-year, $11.83 million qualifying offer that would make him a free agent next offseason.

Okoro has also reportedly received an offer between the $8 to $10 million range annually from the Cavs. The benefit of taking that deal with Cleveland versus the qualifying offer is that he'll have more financial security, but if he believes he can make more money next year, the one-year deal might be the route he decides to go.

While the Cavaliers could likely get a solid return for Okoro in a sign-and-trade with the Nets, it could be worth keeping him around after Cleveland's current group found some success last season.

The Cavs went 48-34 last season, beating the Orlando Magic in the first round before losing to the Boston Celtics in the second round of the playoffs. They will return a similar roster this season and look for success under new head coach Kenny Atkinson.

Chicago Bulls point guard Lonzo Ball revealed that he's progressing in his recovery from a knee injury and will be participating in 5-on-5 basketball soon.

"My first real test, I feel like, will be this August when I play 5-on-5 for the first time," Ball said on his podcast, What an Experience.

"But it's so far so good, everything has been going well," he added.

The latest on @ZO2_ injury and the next big step he’s taking pic.twitter.com/BCk6V0JCoi

— The WAE Show (@TheWAEShow) July 26, 2024

Ball's knee issues have prevented him from playing in an NBA game since Jan. 2022.

The 26-year-old underwent multiple surgeries on his knee, revealing in May that his meniscus had been torn enough times throughout his career that he received a donor meniscus and underwent a bone allograft to have new cartilage put into his knee.

Excitement surrounded Ball during his college days at UCLA, excelling with the Bruins and becoming the No. 2 overall pick in the 2017 NBA draft. While he never developed into an All-Star, he thrived on defense and honed his playmaking abilities to become an effective lead guard.

He averaged 13.0 points, 5.1 assists, and 1.8 steals per game on 42.3/42.3/75.0 shooting splits in his last season with the Bulls. Despite losing to the Golden State Warriors in his final appearance on Jan. 14, Chicago owned a 27-13 record at the time. The Bulls would go just 19-23 the rest of the way, falling to the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round of the playoffs.

While Chicago likely won't be competing for a playoff spot next season following the departures of DeMar DeRozan and Alex Caruso over the summer, Ball's potential return to the court would still be a welcome sight.

Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic reported on June 4 that the point guard may not be back in time for opening night, although there's an expectation that he'll play at some point during the 2024-25 season.

If his upcoming 5-on-5 work goes smoothly, he'll be one step closer to suiting up in an NBA game once again.

Evan Mobley's recent rookie-scale maximum contract extension features a 15 percent trade kicker, according to HoopsHype's Michael Scotto.

Per Scotto, the deal is also fully guaranteed and does not include a player option or a team option.

Mobley agreed to a five-year, $224 million contract with the Cavaliers on Saturday (via ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski). The deal could eventually be worth as much as $269 million due to incentives and bonuses.

Mobley's trade kicker will bolster the big man's earnings in a big way should he get moved at any point after the new contract kicks in.

Despite Cleveland's second-round playoff exit, the front office didn't take any drastic action to shake up the roster this offseason.

Cleveland lost to the Boston Celtics in five games, though the series initially appeared to be much closer. The Celtics held a 2-1 series lead heading into Game 4, although Donovan Mitchell was unable to participate due to a calf strain. Jarrett Allen was also unable to suit up in the second round due to a rib contusion.

With the shorthanded Cavaliers putting up a fight against the eventual champions, team president Koby Altman likely wants to see how his squad looks with his full core on the floor in the postseason before potentially making any seismic moves.

Mobley has established himself as one of the league's top defenders since he was selected with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2021 NBA draft, finishing third in Defensive Player of the Year voting in 2023. He also averaged 15.7 points and 9.4 rebounds per game on 58.0/37.3/71.9 shooting splits during his 2023-24 campaign.

Mobley squeezes inside for the And-1 as the Cavs look to make a 2nd half push!

Celtics - 72
Cavs - 66

BOS leads 3-1 | Game 5 on TNT pic.twitter.com/msT827r3gT

— NBA (@NBA) May 16, 2024

As the Cavaliers attempt to go on a deeper postseason run under new head coach Kenny Atkinson, Mobley will look to anchor the team's defense once again with his long-term future with the organization secured.

The Cleveland Cavaliers appear intent on at least starting the 2024-25 season with Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland as their starting backcourt.

Per Yahoo Sports' Jake Fischer, the San Antonio Spurs were a team that called Cleveland about Garland earlier this offseason. The Cavs "rebuffed any inbound trade interest" in the 24-year-old.

Garland is entering his sixth season with the Cavs. He averaged 18.0 points, 6.5 assists and 2.7 rebounds per game in 2023-24.

An All-Star in 2022, Garland has taken a backseat the last two seasons playing with Mitchell. Garland and Mitchell have never been a perfect basketball fit—nor were centers Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley—but that was under former head coach J.B. Bickerstaff.

"They want me to (shoot more), so that's why they be patting me on my chest and trying to hype me up to shoot more shots," Garland, a natural ball distributor, told reporters during the playoffs. "That's the thing — they think I'm not as aggressive right now."

There were reports of Garland being unhappy with his role since Mitchell came to Cleveland. The Athletic noted Garland's agent, Rich Paul, was expected to meet with Cavs management if the team signed Mitchell to a long-term deal.

Mitchell wound up signing a three-year, $150.3 million extension in July. Mobley signed a five-year max extension on Monday. Jarrett Allen still has two years and $40 million remaining on his current deal.

Garland has four years remaining on the five-year, $197 million extension he signed in 2022. Cleveland is committed to this roster based on the contracts for Garland, Mitchell and Mobley, but things could change as the season goes along and new head coach Kenny Atkinson gets a chance to see which on-court pairings work.

The Spurs clearly made point guard a priority this offseason. They signed Chris Paul in free agency to at least stabilize the position if they couldn't find a younger player who could step in as a starter right away.

San Antonio spent much of last season using Jeremy Sochan out of position at point guard before abandoning that experiment.

Garland would have helped to provide steadiness while easing the burden on star Victor Wembanyama.

Instead, the Cavs will roll with Mitchell and Garland for now as they look to improve on last season's second-round playoff loss to the Boston Celtics.

The Indiana Pacers and guard Andrew Nembhard have agreed to a three-year, $59 million extension, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported.

The contract is the maximum allowable over the three-year term, Wojnarowski noted.

Nembhard will play the 2024-25 season at a cap hit of just over $2 million.

The extension kick in for 2025-26, replacing his current $2.19 million club option with an $18.1 million cap hit, per ESPN's Bobby Marks:

Here is the breakdown of the extension:

2025/26- $18.1M

2026/27- $19.6M

2027/28- $21.0M https://t.co/uKOiunR33X

— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) July 24, 2024

The new deal will not impact the Pacers' 2024-25 salary cap, which is currently in luxury tax territory but $7.3 million below the first apron, per Spotrac.

After agreeing to the new deal, the Pacers are currently projected to have approximately $32.89 million in first apron space, and $44.8 million in second apron space, heading into the 2025-26 season, per Spotrac.

The team may need to use some of that space to re-sign or replace center Myles Turner, who is currently scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent in 2025.

The Pacers will also need to make a decision regarding point guard T.J. McConnell, whose current contract also expires at the end of the 2024-25 season. Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported in June that the Pacers are looking to lock in McConnell "long-term."

Another notable contract or trade to negotiate during the upcoming season is that of shooting guard Bennedict Mathurin, who is currently set to play the 2025-26 season in a $9.19 million club option.

The Pacers have not made any luxury tax payments since 2005, per Spotrac, but the team likely expects that to change going forward as the front office looks to build its roster around a core duo of Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam. Both Indiana stars are signed through at least the 2027-28 season.

With Turner and McConnell unsigned, the new contract makes Nembhard currently the third highest-paid player on the roster behind only Haliburton and Siakam,/ for the 2025-26 season.

That position raises questions about Nembhard's position on the Pacers' depth chart with Mathurin still on the roster.

Nembhard established himself as a key part of the rotation the Pacers hope can contend for a title last season. After starting the campaign on the bench, Nembhard slid into the starting five in February and kept his place for the rest of the season.

During the Pacers' 17-game playoff run, Nembhard averaged 14.9 points, while adding 3.3 rebounds and 5.5 assists, as Indiana made it back to the conference finals for the first time in a decade. He shot 56.0 percent from the field and 48.3 percent from the three-point line.

Now that the Pacers have committed to keeping Nembhard in Indiana for the next four seasons, the team will need to decide whether to play him alongside Haliburton on the first unit or have him drive offense on the second.

Nike unveiled the Giannis Freak 6 with two colorways, one representing the Milwaukee Bucks star's relationship with his late father and another that celebrates his energetic personality on and off the floor.

Nike officially unveils Giannis Antetokounmpo’s latest signature shoe, the Giannis Freak 6 ✍️

The latest “Roses” colorway represents his relationship with his late father, Charles Antetokounmpo🌹

The bright green new “Naija” colorway nods to his high-energy style🔋 pic.twitter.com/1NMTqN6wpz

— Nice Kicks (@nicekicks) July 23, 2024

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Nike unveiled the Giannis Freak 6 with two colorways, one representing the Milwaukee Bucks star's relationship with his late father and another that celebrates his energetic personality on and off the floor.

Antetokounmpo has been with Nike his entire NBA career. The apparel company released Antetokounmpo's first signature shoe in 2019, and the pairing has remained a highly successful one for both parties.

The latest release is expected to hit stores Aug. 16, less than a week after the end of the 2024 Summer Olympics. Antetokounmpo will likely debut the Freak 6s on the Olympic stage as he represents his native Greece in the coming weeks.

There aren't many major differences between the Freak 6s and their predecessor, with Nike taking an "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" approach to the design.

Antetokounmpo averaged 30.4 points, 11.5 rebounds and 6.5 assists per game playing in the Freak 5s, so suffice it to say they've got a good thing going.

Ahead of planned renovations for the area surrounding the United Center, the Chicago Bulls gave fans a first look at how the new arena will look.

The Bulls posted photos of the first phase of The 1901 Project Chicago on social media on Tuesday. The renovations will begin in spring 2025.

Set to begin in Spring 2025, the first phase of the #The1901ProjectChi includes:

• A 6,000-seat, theater-style music hall
• One-of-a-kind elevated park
• Reimagined parking
• Improved pedestrian experience
• Hotel and retail programming

Read more ➡️ https://t.co/XGKH42E9GK pic.twitter.com/t9gZpoR9bl

— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) July 23, 2024

The Bulls also released a video that showcased some of the features from the upcoming overhaul:

https://twitter.com/chicagobulls/status/1815772532970344621

The 1901 Project is described as "A transformative $7 billion private investment on Chicago's West Side celebrating Chicago's unique spirit. Spearheaded by the Reinsdorf and Wirtz families, The 1901 Project will transform the West Side with a jolt of new development, bridging neighborhoods and enhancing opportunities for residents, businesses and all of Chicago."

Per Brian J. Rogal of the Chicago Tribune, United Center CEO Terry Savarise estimated that the project will take at least a decade to complete. While the plan is for the majority of the funds to come from private investments, certain amenities like a new CTA Pink Line stop would require government investments.

An official proposal from the United Center has yet to be submitted to the local government, but Ciere Boatright, commissioner of the Chicago Department of Planning and Development, said it is in favor of the project.

"There has been no request for financial assistance," she said. "And from a land use perspective, this is an exciting opportunity to reverse decades of parking lot expansion and restore the traditional neighborhood development pattern."

The United Center opened in 1994 and is home to both the Bulls and the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks. The hope is that the 1901 Project turns the surrounding area into a sports-focused district.

"It's going to be a new neighborhood with the United Center as its anchor," Savarise said.

The Cleveland Cavaliers and Evan Mobley have agreed to a five-year, $224 million maximum rookie contract extension, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported Saturday.

The deal could be worth up to $269 million if Mobley makes the All-NBA team in 2024-25, per Wojnarowski and CapSheets' Yossi Gozlan.

Evan Mobley’s year-by-year salary projections on his five year, $224 million extension with the Cleveland Cavaliers. It can reach $269 million in value if he makes All-NBA next season.

The Cavs project to be taxpayers in 2025-26 but aren’t in danger of being in the second apron. pic.twitter.com/oE4GJtlYZV

— Yossi Gozlan (@YossiGozlan) July 21, 2024

Mobley is set to play 2024-25 on a $11.2 million club option. The Cavaliers are currently projected to have $9.7 million in space below the luxury tax next season, per Spotrac.

Mobley's reported $38.7 million salary for 2025-26 will put the Cavaliers above the luxury tax threshold, but Cleveland is projected to remain below the highly restrictive second apron of the tax, Gozlan noted.

According to Spotrac, the Cavaliers are currently projected to have just over $11.7 million in first apron space, and $23.6 million in second apron space, in 2025-26.

The team is also projected to have $7.4 million in luxury tax space that season, per Spotrac.

That projected wiggle room despite the increase in Mobley's annual salary is due in part to the projected rise of the NBA salary cap, as noted by ESPN's Bobby Marks.

Cleveland has $125M committed in 2025/26 between Evan Mobley, Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell.

Because the salary cap is projected to increase 10% in future years, the Mobley extension will actually dip below 25% of the cap starting in year 2.

Cleveland and the rest of the… https://t.co/oDfrdRBIFL

— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) July 21, 2024

Mobley's extension locks in the Cavaliers' star trio through at least 2028.

Darius Garland is heading into the second season of the five-year, $197 million deal he inked with the Cavaliers in 2022, while Donovan Mitchell signed a three-year, $150 million extension to keep him in Cleveland through 2029 earlier this month.

Those price tags will look less restrictive for the Cavaliers' cap situation in upcoming seasons. The cap is expected to increase by 10 percent per year, the maximum allowed under the current CBA, amid increasing media revenue.

That will allow the Cavaliers room to continue building the roster despite committing more than $38 million each member of the team's star trio.

The Cavaliers led the NBA in luxury tax payments between 2015 and 2017, paying out an NBA-high $54 million following their 2015 championship season, per Spotrac. The team has not crossed the luxury tax threshold since their most recent trip to the NBA Finals in 2018.

That could be set to change in 2025-26 if the Cavs pay to build a championship-caliber roster around their star trio. The cost will be worth it, especially if the Cavaliers are able to stay avoid the trade, draft and free agency restrictions mandated by the second apron, if Mobley, Garland and Mitchell can lead Cleveland on another deep playoff run for the first time since the LeBron James era.

Cleveland Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley was set to enter the final year of his contract in 2024-25, but he will be staying put well beyond that.

According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski Mobley has agreed to a new five-year rookie maximum contract extension worth up to $269 million. He was set to make $11.2 million in 2024-25 after the Cavs exercised the team option on his rookie deal.

Cleveland Cavaliers F/C Evan Mobley has agreed on a five-year, $224 million maximum rookie contract extension that could become worth as much as $269 million, Joe Smith and Thad Foucher of @wassbasketball tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/sHu5KSb8aM

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 21, 2024

Here’s the breakdown of the Evan Mobley rookie max extension:

2025/26- $38.66M

2026/27- $41.75M

2027/28- $44.85M

2028/29- $47.94M

2029/30- $52.03M

— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) July 21, 2024

The No. 3 pick in the 2021 draft, Mobley has been solid but unspectacular through his first three years in the NBA. He earned a spot on the 2023 All-Defensive Team with averages of 16.2 points, 9.0 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.5 blocks. However, he posted similar numbers this past season, leading some to believe that he may have already reached his ceiling.

Through 50 games in 2023-24, Mobley averaged 15.7 points, 9.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.4 blocks. He missed extended time after undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery midway through the year.

The Cavs are one of just a handful of teams to deploy two-big lineups, as Mobley has been paired with center Jarrett Allen in Cleveland's frontcourt throughout his career. The two of them helped the team rank seventh in scoring defense by holding opponents to 110.2 points per game.

Allen has two years remaining on his contract, though he has been rumored to be a trade candidate in recent months. The Cavs also fired head coach JB Bickerstaff and hired Kenny Atkinson as his replacement, so they are hoping he will be able to help Mobley and the rest of the team reach a new level.

At just 23 years old, Mobley still has the potential to develop into a more productive player. By locking him up for the next several years, Cleveland is banking on the belief that he will continue to grow and eventually become a superstar big man.

The Milwaukee Bucks worked out veteran guard Isaiah Thomas in Las Vegas on Wednesday, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium.

Bucks work out two-time NBA All-Star guard in Las Vegas: pic.twitter.com/8xCTrhPMr0

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 17, 2024

The Bucks also worked out a number of other veteran guards and wings, including Justise Winslow, Hamidou Diallo, Will Barton and Jaylen Nowell.

Thomas, 35, was a two-time All-Star in his prime, most famously averaging 28.9 points per game in the 2016-17 season for the Boston Celtics.

It was largely downhill from there, however, as he was traded that offseason to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the deal that sent Kyrie Irving to Boston. Thomas lasted less than a season with the Cavs and bounced around the NBA from there in stints with the Los Angeles Lakers (twice), Denver Nuggets, Washington Wizards, New Orleans Pelicans, Dallas Mavericks and Charlotte Hornets.

He didn't play in the 2022-23 campaign before catching on with the Phoenix Suns late last season, appearing in six games and averaging 1.9 points per contest. Since being traded from the Celtics, he hasn't appeared in more than 47 games in a single season.

It's unlikely he would see many minutes on a Bucks team that has options in the backcourt like Damian Lillard, Gary Trent Jr., Delon Wright and Pat Connaughton, among others, at the ready.

Milwaukee's 2023-24 season was an abject disaster after acquiring Lillard in an offseason trade. Head coach Adrian Griffin was fired midseason, his replacement Doc Rivers fared far worse and injuries to Dame and Giannis Antetokounmpo in the playoffs led to a first-round exit.

The Bucks were expected to be the primary threat to the Boston Celtics last season, though that didn't come to fruition. And the Eastern Conference only got stronger this summer, as both the New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers improved.

The Bucks have an excellent core in place, however, and shouldn't be overlooked. All that's left to do is round out the rotation with another veteran. Whether Thomas has much left to offer at this stage in his career remains to be seen.