Kyrie Irving will return to Mavericks; latest news, rumors, trades
NBA free agency is now underway as teams can begin negotiating contracts with free agent players. These deals can become official on July 6th. Between Friday and July 6th all deals can be agreed but are not binding agreements between team and player. They will become official once the contract is signed on July 6th or later.
A handful of teams, including the Houston Rockets, San Antonio Spurs and Sacramento Kings have significant leeway, while many others still have some work to do to retain their current players as the new collective bargaining agreement goes into effect Saturday.
Some of the top players to watch during free agency: James Harden and Fred VanVleet. Other players could make a splash in the offseason, such as Damian Lillard’s status with the Portland Trail Blazers.
Follow Yahoo Sports for the latest news on free NBA agencies.
Gabe Vincent is leaving Miami for a $33 million deal after postseason breakthrough with the Lakers
Gabe Vincent has a life-changing contract following a postseason breakthrough with the Miami Heat.
The free agent guard is joining the Los Angeles Lakers on a three-year, $33 million deal. This is reported by Athletic’s Shams Charania. Vincent’s previous career earnings totaled $3.5 million across more than three seasons with the Heat.
Vincent joined the Heat in a limited role as an undrafted free agent in the 2019-20 season. His game eventually earned him a part-time starting role and a two-year, $3.48 million contract for the 2021–22 and 2022–23 seasons. Last season, he started 34 times in 68 regular-season games, averaging 9.4 points, 2.5 assists and 0.9 steals per game while shooting 40.2% from the floor and 33.4% from the 3 point distance shot. Read more about Vincent’s deal.
Kyrie Irving agrees to re-sign with the Dallas Mavericks
Eight-time NBA All-Star point guard and former champion Kyrie Irving will return to the Dallas Mavericks on a three-year, $126 million contract, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania.
The Mavericks traded Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith, a 2029 first-round draft pick and two second-round picks for Irving last February after the 31-year-old made the most recent trade request.
Irving averaged 27 points (51/39/95 shootouts), six assists and five rebounds in 20 games in Dallas despite suffering from plantar fasciitis in his right foot at the end of last season. In their 27 games since Irving’s debut, the Mavericks finished 9-18, falling from sixth place in the Western Conference to 11th and bowing out for the first time since Superstar teammate Luka Dončić’s rookie season in 2019 playoffs out. Read more about Irving’s deal.
Cam Johnson agrees $108 million deal to stay with the Nets
Cam Johnson hit the jackpot.
The restricted free-agent forward agreed to a four-year, $108 million deal staying with the Brooklyn Nets, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Johnson will sign the contract after a midseason trade from the Phoenix Suns, who drafted him in 2019.
As a 3-and-D specialist, Johnson previously earned $18.6 million from his rookie contract over a four-year period. At the Nets and Suns last season, Johnson averaged 15.5 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.2 steals per game while shooting 47% from the field and 40% on 5.2 attempts per game .4% shot from 3-point range. Read more about Johnson’s deal.
Khris Middleton is staying with the Bucks in a $102 million deal
Three-time NBA All-Star and 2021 champion Khris Middleton has agreed to return to the Milwaukee Bucks on a three-year, $102 million contract. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports.
Middleton averaged 15.1 points (44/32/90 shootouts), 4.9 assists and 4.2 rebounds in just 24.3 minutes in 33 games for the Bucks last season. He missed the first 20 games of the year due to offseason surgery on his left wrist and another 18 games in the winter due to a sore right knee that necessitated arthroscopic surgery after Milwaukee’s disappointing first-round playoff loss to the Miami Heat.
A left MCL sprain also cost Middleton the final 10 games of the 2022 playoffs as defending champion Bucks lost a seven-game streak to the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Read more about Middleton’s deal.
Jakob Poeltl returns to the Raptors in an $80 million deal
Jakob Poeltl agreed He is said to have signed a four-year, $80 million deal to return to the Toronto Raptors ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowskitaking one of the best available big men off the market at the start of the NBA’s free agency period in 2023.
The 27-year-old Poeltl averaged 12.5 points, 9.1 rebounds, 2 .7 assists and 1.2 blocks in 26.5 minutes per game Poeltl comes into play at the close of business in February. Read more about Poeltl’s deal.
Kristaps Porzingis Receives $60M Extension From Boston Celtics
Former NBA All-Star center Kristaps Porzingis has agreed to a two-year, $60 million contract extension with the Boston Celtics, sources tell Yahoo Sports’ Jake Fischer.
The Celtics traded Marcus Smart and salary in a three-team deal that brought back Porzingis from the Washington Wizards and several first-round picks from the Memphis Grizzlies ahead of the NBA draft.
Porzingis will receive $36 million from the Celtics next season and the extension keeps him under contract through the 2025-26 season. Much of Boston’s rotation is signed for at least the next two seasons, with the exception of extension-eligible All-NBA forward Jaylen Brown and restricted free agent Grant Williams.
Jerami Grant is reportedly agreeing to a $160 million deal to return to the Trail Blazers
Forward Jerami Grant has agreed to a five-year, $160 million deal to return to the Portland Trail Blazers, reports The Athletic’s Shams Charania.
Grant, 29, spent last season with the Portland after transferring from the Detroit Pistons last offseason. He had a solid 2022–23 season, averaging 20.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game for the Trail Blazers. Read more about Grant’s expansion.
Bruce Brown, fresh off an NBA title with the Nuggets, is reportedly agreeing to a $45 million deal with the Pacers
Bruce Brown, a key contributor to the 2023 Denver Nuggets championship team, has reportedly agreed to a two-year, $45 million deal with the Indiana Pacers, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
The deal comes after that Brown declined his $6.8 million player option earlier this month. Brown enjoyed a breakthrough season in Denver after originally signing a two-year, $13.3 million deal with the Nuggets last offseason. Last season, he averaged a career-high 11.5 points per game in 28.5 minutes per game. Brown also averaged 4.1 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.1 steals per game this season. Read more about Brown’s deal.
Four-time NBA champion and 2017 Defensive Player of the Year Draymond Green has agreed to return to the Golden State Warriors on a four-year, $100 million deal, reports Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports. Green will have a player option in year four.
The 33-year veteran averaged 8.5 points (53/31/71 shooting splits), 7.2 rebounds and 6.8 assists in 31.5 minutes and saves in 73 games for the Warriors last season thus his eighth place on the all-defensive roster. Read more about the Green extension.
Kyle Kuzma returns to the Wizards in a $102 million deal
Kyle Kuzma returns to Washington Wizards ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports.
After turning down a player option with the Washington Wizards and going on as a free agent, Kuzma agreed to rejoin the team on a four-year, $102 million contract, his agent told Wojnarowski.
Despite the Wizards struggling and missing the playoffs in both seasons that Kuzma was there, he is having the best season of his career. Kuzma averaged 21.2 points per game, his career high, shot nearly 45% from the field and added 7.2 rebounds and a career-best 3.7 assists per game. Read more about Kuzma’s expansion.
The Nets pass Joe Harris to the Pistons to free up space on the cap
The Brooklyn Nets are trying to achieve some payroll flexibility before the free NBA agency officially opens. The team took a big step there According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Joe Harris will join the Detroit Pistons on Friday.
The Nets are also sending two second-round picks to Detroit as part of the deal. Harris has $19.9 million left on his contract, which expires after the 2023-24 NBA season. The move gives the Nets more cap leeway, potentially allowing the team to add multiple Impact players in the offseason.
James Harden is reportedly taking the player option to ease the trade with the Sixers
Former NBA MVP James Harden has secured a $35.6 million player option with the 76ers in anticipation of working with the team on a trade from Philadelphia. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports.
Harden, who turns 34 in August, averaged 21 points, a league-high 10.7 assists and 6.1 rebounds per game for the Sixers last season, making his tenth straight All-Star appearance. A tendon strain in his right foot and a sore left Achilles tendon cost him 24 regular-season games and a possible All-NBA appearance — a growing trend in his career. Harden was also sidelined from his previous two seasons with soft tissue injuries, and he has not made the All-NBA roster since his stint with the Houston Rockets in 2020. Read more about Harden’s options.