What Tyrese Haliburton, Rick Carlisle said about Pacers star's leg injury after Game 5 loss
Tyrese Haliburton went down in the first quarter of Game 5 of the NBA Finals on Monday with a lower leg injury in the Indiana Pacers' 120-109 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
He left the game and was seen with a wrap on his leg on the bench, but came back in and managed to play 34 minutes. However, it was obvious the Pacers' All-NBA point guard was hobbled and he finished the game without making a basket (0-for-6 from the field), scoring only on four free throws.
"He's not 100%. It's pretty clear... But a lot of guys in the series aren't," Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said after the loss. "But he's not going to miss the next game, he's not going to be out.'
After the game, Haliburton said the injury is the "same area" as the knock he took in Game 2. Carlisle said Haliburton "insisted" on playing despite the injury.
'It's the Finals. I've worked my whole life to be here," Haliburton said postgame. "I want to be out there to compete… I wasn't great tonight but any means… if I can walk, I want to play.'
He dished out six assists and had six rebounds but also committed three turnovers and was -13 for the game.
He'll have two days to rest up before the Pacers try to stave off elimination Thursday in Game 6 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
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NBA free agency 2025: James Harden, Kyrie Irving lead strong point guard class
Welcome to the exception that proves the rule. The NBA free-agent market this summer is generally quite underwhelming, but the point guard position is the one place that isn't true. Three All-Stars top the list, and seven players here grade out as worth more than the projected nontaxpayer midlevel exception based on my BORD$ formula. (More on the methodology here.) Advertisement That said, there may be less here than meets the eye. None of the three All-Stars seems to be a flight risk, so teams shopping in the point guard market will be working with a less impressive second tier of fringe starters and high-level backups. As always, I've included all free agents and potential free agents due to player options, team options and non-guaranteed contracts, except for absurd cases. For instance, Cleveland isn't cutting the non-guaranteed minimum deal of Craig Porter Jr. (a possible rotation player from the Cavs next season), and Miami has no incentive to waive Terry Rozier when $24.9 million of his $26.6 million contract is guaranteed anyway. Here's how BORD$ evaluates the market: 1. James Harden, Clippers, $52,481,063 (PO) Harden seems like a no-brainer to opt out of his deal for $36.3 million after making the All-Star team and leading the Clippers to 51 regular-season wins, especially since he is not extension-eligible. The Clippers might have a bit of pause before breaking the bank here. Harden turns 36 this summer, and in contrast to the efficiency of his MVP days, his current offensive value proposition is as a high-usage possession sponge who allows the Clippers to surround him with a lot of defensive players. He's also capped at a three-year deal by the over-38 rule and constrained by the fact that nobody else has cap space. Leverage-wise, the Clippers are in a much stronger position than Harden. Because of that, one wonders if the best arrangement would be something similar to Kyrie Irving's last deal, with three years at a bit over $40 million a pop and a player option on the last season. The Clippers could even frontload it and then decline the money by 8 percent each year, which would make their tax-apron dance more complicated in the short term but put them on firmer financial footing in the out years. Either way, signing Harden that long takes the Clippers nearly to the end of the window where they lack control of their draft picks. Advertisement 2. Kyrie Irving, PG, Mavericks, $42,385,836 (PO) BORD$ sees Irving being worth nearly the same amount as his player option for the coming year ($43.96 million), but BORD$ doesn't know that Irving tore his ACL and is likely to miss most of the season. Because of that, and the Mavs' tricky tax and apron situation for the coming season, it's possible that Dallas agrees to a deal where Irving opts out and re-signs at a lower number for more years. The most interesting way to do that would be for him to sign a two-year deal with a player option at a lower number (say, two years at $25 million each), and opt out of the deal next summer to re-sign in Dallas with Bird rights. That leap of faith would require a lot of trust on both sides; it also might prompt some questions from the league office since 'wink-wink' deals on future contracts are illegal. A way to do this that might survive more league scrutiny is for Irving to sign a three-year deal similar to his last one, but starting at a lower number than his player option and increasing by the maximum 8 percent per season. It could even include a partial or team option on a fourth year, when Irving would be 36. Regardless, for a team that enters the summer just $4 million from the second-apron line, trimming even a few million from Irving's number for the coming season is a big deal. Using my example above, a three-year, $114 million deal would slash $9 million from the Mavericks' 2025-26 cap number, allowing Dallas to use all of its taxpayer midlevel exception without cutting money elsewhere and permitting the Mavs to aggregate salaries in trades. One other note: The Mavs could potentially lower their luxury-tax bill by including a games-played incentive for the maximum allowable 15 percent of the value of the contract. The Mavs have a good idea of how many games Irving will play this coming season; setting a very makeable incentive just above that number (say, 30 games) would effectively diminish his salary for the coming season and then raise it for the out years on the deal when he's expected to be healthy. Advertisement Alas, the problem is that the incentive money still counts toward the tax aprons; it just doesn't count toward the tax payment itself if the incentives don't trigger. While the incentives trick could save the Mavs over $20 million in salary and luxury tax this coming season, it won't help navigate their apron issues. 3. Fred VanVleet, PG, Rockets, $36,986,737 (TO) VanVleet's $44.9 million option presents some very interesting options for the Rockets. One presumes Houston wants him back, and based on this BORD$ number, a fair three-year deal for VanVleet would land in the neighborhood of $105 million to $110 million. The Rockets have some leverage here given the lack of alternate landing spots for VanVleet in free agency, so let's say they can shave it to $100 million or so. But there are many paths to get there. One of them is to have VanVleet opt in to the $44 million but agree to a multi-year extension at a lower number; he would not be able to sign the extension until July, but the team and player could agree on terms before picking up the option. Tacking on two (or even three) years in the $28 million range could help the Rockets navigate a stretch where they are likely to become much more expensive; notably for the Giannis Antetokounmpo watchers out there, VanVleet's contract would be immediately tradable in this example. However, Houston may prefer to lower its immediate burden to navigate the tax aprons for the coming season. Based on VanVleet's present salary, Houston would go over the first apron if it uses its full nontaxpayer MLE this season; more importantly, perhaps, landing in the tax would start the clock on the repeater penalty as the young, talented Rockets look down the road at a far more expensive future. Because of that, 'decline and re-sign' is also likely on the table, where VanVleet re-ups and cuts his salary to about $31 million for the coming season, giving the Rockets more than enough room to spend up to the tax line. Or perhaps they choose a middle ground of this strategy, where VanVleet's new contract is frontloaded with 8 percent declines and starts at $36 million before landing at $31 million in 2027-28, and Houston accepts a bit less flexibility with the back end of the roster this season as a consequence. 4. D'Angelo Russell, Nets, $23,898,145 Russell's brand has taken a beating since he didn't fit in L.A. and has been exposed defensively in the postseason. But he's a good scorer and shooter whose shortcomings might be perceived differently if he were cast as a high-usage sixth man rather than a starting point guard. Russell was also outlier bad from 3 last year (a career low 31.4 percent), but that isn't the way to bet going forward. The Nets will have full Bird rights on him in addition to their jillions in cap space. While he doesn't exactly fit Brooklyn's timeline, re-signing him to use as a trade piece either in-season or next summer makes sense from a cap perspective and adds some floor for Brooklyn's offense as the Nets rebuild. Advertisement Notably, if Brooklyn struggles to find other uses for its cap space, it could sign Russell to a bloated one-year deal with a non-guaranteed second year, one that would effectively operate as a trade exception to use in-season or even next summer. Russell's cap hold is $28 million, but the Nets could pay him the max if they wanted; as long as they set aside $28 million of their cap space for his hold, they can finish their other business and then go as high as they want on Russell. Note that keeping Russell and Cam Thomas (below) on their books would take the Nets down to $40 million in room — still likely plenty for what they have planned this offseason. 5. Tre Jones, Bulls, $21,486,798 Does my computer secretly think the Bulls were awesome? Is this some kind of AI hallucination? Between this and Josh Giddey's valuation, I have questions. Here's the thing: Jones was really good last season when he got the chance to play, especially after the trade to Chicago. He averaged double-figures as a Bull, with 58-50-88 shooting splits. He had nearly six assists for every turnover! He made an amazing 55.8 percent of his shots from floater range! He's only 25! Is he actually good? One reason to go through exercises like BORD$ is to flag value situations you might have otherwise missed. Jones might not be a $21 million player, but there's also a decent chance he's seriously undervalued in the marketplace. Nobody thinks of him as a starter, and his reluctance to shoot from outside is a clear limitation. However, his defense, ball security and floater game low-key add quite a bit of value to offset his lack of dynamic shot creation. At the very least, he'd be a top-notch backup who would fit in several places. 6. Kevin Porter, Jr., Bucks, $18,683,958 (PO) There are many, many issues with Porter that don't involve the basketball court, but BORD$ just sees the basketball court, plus his age (25) and his huge production as a bench catalyst for the Bucks at the end of last season. Porter is a tricky case for Milwaukee because the Bucks have no Bird rights on him; if he opts out the Bucks will need to use exception money to bring him back. Milwaukee might have the $14.1 million nontaxpayer midlevel exception depending on whether Brook Lopez, Bobby Portis Jr. and Gary Trent Jr. are back, but it's also possible the Bucks are limited to the $5.7 million taxpayer exception. Advertisement If that's the case, the Bucks will likely be holding their breath hoping they can bring Porter back at that price, with a one-year deal with a second-year player option seeming the most plausible scenario. However, the stories about Porter from Cleveland and Houston may scare enough other teams that Milwaukee can keep him at that price. 7. Chris Paul, Spurs, $17,373,671 I'm a bit surprised Paul's free agency hasn't generated more discussion. The Point God doesn't really fit in San Antonio anymore after the Spurs traded for De'Aaron Fox last year and presumably will draft Dylan Harper soon. Paul is 40, but he can still help a lot of teams, as he showed with his steady handling of the Spurs in the first half of the season. Because of this, he seems like a prime candidate to chase a ring as either a fifth starter or key backup, especially since his game still fits in a lot of places. Putting a dollar value on this is the conundrum, since he's mostly looking at teams that couldn't afford him at this BORD$ number. How much of a discount would he take to, say, team up with the Wolves or Nuggets or reunite with the Warriors? Those destinations might not offer much more than the minimum. However, if Paul values dollars over jewelry, other landing spots come into view for the midlevel exception. San Antonio has no Bird rights on Paul. As a non-Bird free agent, he can be offered a maximum of $13,179,600, of which $627,600 would be likely incentives, plus another $1,255,198 in unlikely incentives, for a total of $14,434,798. Note that this total is very slightly more than the $14.1 million nontaxpayer MLE. 8. Ty Jerome, Cavaliers, $13,934,006 One of the most out-of-nowhere stories in recent league history, Jerome had been in the league for five mostly forgettable seasons before erupting in Year 6, finishing with a 21.0 PER as a key sub for a 64-win Cavs team. That immediately set in the previously unthinkable question of whether the Cavs could afford to keep him given their second-apron situation. Cleveland has early Bird rights on Jerome and is limited to a starting salary of $14.4 million on his next deal, but that's still more than the $14.1 million that teams with the nontaxpayer midlevel exception (MLE) can pay him. Additionally, the Nets are the only team with cap room, so Jerome's ceiling might be that $14 million mark anyway. Advertisement The question is whether the bids fall short of that figure. Jerome had a rough playoffs, and his injury history is likely to give teams pause as well. I'll ballpark his next deal at $35 million over three years, but are the Cavs the team that has the financial wherewithal to pay it? 9. Tyus Jones, Suns, $12,915,369 My numbers believe in Jones, even if much of the rest of the NBA doesn't seem to. He had to settle for a minimum deal with the Suns after he received a cold shoulder in 2024 free agency, and although Jones had a decent statistical season, he lost his starting job by the end of the season. He's probably looking at returning to a situation like the one he had in Memphis, where he was a high-level backup capable of starting for stretches but not somebody teams are planning around as the first option at point guard. Jones is also a small guard in his late 20s and saw his turnover rate creep up last season, and his defense has become iffier in recent seasons. On the other hand, he's never been regarded as a true 3-point threat, but in the last two seasons, he has hit 41.4 percent from 3 while bombing away at a career-high rate last season. Jones is too good to work for the minimum again, but he's probably looking at getting a chunk of the nontaxpayer MLE on a short deal to round out a contender's backcourt rotation. 10. Russell Westbrook, Nuggets, $10,049,164 (PO) Westbrook has opted out of his contract already, partly because he had the easiest opt-out decision in NBA history; his contract was for $3.3 million, but his minimum salary on a new deal would be $3.6 million. Westbrook had a bit of a rebirth with the Nuggets this past season; he still made head-scratching plays and turned it over too much, but he added some much-needed shot-creation juice to an ailing second unit, defended with zeal and made a quasi-respectable 32.3 percent of his 3s. One wrinkle to watch is whether he would come back to Denver on a one-year minimum with no options; setting up his deal that way, he would only count $2.1 million on Denver's cap despite making $3.6 million and offer the Nuggets significant savings in their annual battle with the tax aprons. However, Westbrook played well enough in Denver that he might be looking at the $5.97 million taxpayer exception for the coming season, from either the Nuggets or one of their rivals. 11. Spencer Dinwiddie, Mavericks, $9,087,787 Dinwiddie is suddenly important again in Dallas because of the knee injury to Irving, necessitating the Mavs having as many other ballhandlers as possible to offset his absence. Dinwiddie is 32 and has never been a particularly threatening floor spacer, but his shot creation, size and foul drawing have made him a valuable bench player year after year. Advertisement The tricky part is that the Mavs had Dinwiddie on a one-year minimum deal last year and have no Bird rights on him, and the Mavs likely will have only their taxpayer midlevel exception to use to sign players. A two-year deal for that $5.7 million taxpayer MLE with a second-year player option is probably the sweet spot. The Mavs' other business (such as, um, re-signing Irving) has to come first to make sure they're beneath the second apron. 12. Cameron Payne, Knicks, $8,764,429 The lithe lefty had a solid campaign (sorry) at the back end of New York's rotation, appearing in 72 games, launching his side-saddle 3s early and often and making 36.3 percent of them. Payne also quietly ran the point with aplomb, handing out nearly four dimes for every turnover. He turns 31 this summer and will be looking for a raise above his minimum deal of a year ago; the Knicks can only offer him a 20 percent raise on his minimum to $4.36 million for the coming year unless they use their $5.7 million taxpayer exception. More likely, getting that raise will involve relocating. 13. Dennis Schröder, Pistons, $7,839,347 This feels on the low side until you remember that my numbers include Schröder's disastrous two-month tenure in Golden State, when he and the Warriors' system went together like bananas and ketchup. Schröder was much better early in the year with Brooklyn and at the end in Detroit, and his fit as a high-minutes backup with the Pistons seems near-perfect. The Pistons have early Bird rights on Schröder and can go up to $22.8 million on a salary for him in 2025-26, effectively allowing them to price out any rival that tried to offer him the nontaxpayer MLE. On sheer value, that number above seems wild, but the Pistons are far enough below the tax line that they might want to start him at that number to have enough salary ballast for in-season trades. Consider a deal for that amount with a team option for 2026-27 for the same amount, for instance; it would allow Detroit to take back $30.3 million at any point in the next two years if the right player came along. Alternatively, the Pistons could skip the shenanigans and sign him to a more conventional deal. Given Schröder's age (he turns 32 in September), I'll ballpark his value at two guaranteed years for $10 million a pop on a deal that includes a third-year team option. Advertisement 14. Jared Butler, Sixers, $7,480,719 (TO) As a card-carrying Butler believer, it's nice to see BORD$ agree with me. He has a team option for $2.35 million, and the Sixers are desperate for inexpensive back-end-rotation talent, but there's a scenario where Philly declines the option and re-signs him to a longer deal as a non-Bird free agent. Between Butler's age (he turns 25 in August) and this BORD$ value, the Sixers should extend the deal for as long as they can. 15. Davion Mitchell, Heat, $7,187,097 (R) Mitchell looked like a minimum guy for 3 1/2 years, but he played much better for the Heat in the second half of the season and now seems primed to get a contract. His qualifying offer for the coming season is $8.74 million, which is probably worth locking in to keep matching rights on Mitchell and scare off any realistic competitive bidding process. Miami, however, should keep in mind that Mitchell shot way better with the Heat than he has anywhere else; it was a 30-game sample, and his career marks of 34.4 percent from 3 and a 53.0 true shooting percentage are probably more predictive than the 44.7 percent from 3 and 61.1 percent true shooting he posted in Miami. Between the BORD$ value and the qualifying offer above, the Heat might be looking at a slight short-term overpay. However, they could likely negotiate a three-year, $25 million or so deal for Mitchell, one that would give him security and still lock in the Heat at a reasonable number for his age 27 through 29 seasons. 16. Aaron Holiday, Rockets, $5,319,717 (TO) This is a low-key spicy decision for the Rockets because Holiday's team option is for $4.9 million, and BORD$ says he's worth slightly more. The result likely depends partly on other developments higher up the roster food chain, and one can make a case in either direction. For instance, even if Houston didn't wish to keep him, one consideration for the Rockets is that they might be able to trade Holiday for surplus value if they pick up the option, especially since the midlevel exception can be used in trades under the most recent collective bargaining agreement. On the other hand, Houston could also look at declining the option even if the Rockets wanted to keep him. How's that again? The logic is that the Rockets could re-sign Holiday to a new deal at a maximally allowed 20 percent raise ($5.6 million) in return for a similar team option a year from now, and wouldn't have to use any exception money to do it. Advertisement 17. Ajay Mitchell, Thunder (TO) A second-round pick who elbowed his way into the fringes of the Thunder's guard rotation and earned a roster contract, Mitchell is now at a very interesting decision point. The Thunder have a $3 million team option for him this coming season and seem primed for a 'decline-and-re-sign' scenario where they lock him up for more years at a reasonable number. You'll note that the Thunder paid him well over the rookie minimum a year ago, which allows them to re-sign him as a non-Bird free agent at a 20 percent raise on that number, or $3.6 million. One can envision a scenario where the Thunder sign him for three years, with the third as a team option (so they could decline it and take him into restricted free agency, rather than unrestricted free agency a year later), that starts at $3.6 million and decreases to $3.3 million and just over $3 million the next two years as the rest of the Thunder roster gets more expensive. Yes, they could also sign him to this contract with their nontaxpayer MLE, but using the non-Bird rights keeps their exception dollars free for more important roster decisions. 18. Tre Mann, Hornets (R) After three years of struggling to gain traction in Oklahoma City, Mann looked like he'd finally found a home as a bench scorer in Charlotte. Alas, he was injured after just 13 games and now hits free agency, and the Hornets are left to wonder how real this all was and how strongly to value it. Is it worth posting his $7 million qualifying offer to make him a restricted free agent? Or would the Hornets be loath to match an offer in that range anyway? Mann is also in a tricky role because he's not a pure point guard but isn't built like a wing. He's only 180 pounds soaking wet and wears giant, baggy shorts, so he looks like he teleported out of a Kris Kross video into 2025. Not every team will see him as a roster fit. Because of that, and the injury question, my best guess is that Mann signs a two-year minimum deal with a player option in Charlotte, one that allows him to get paid with the Hornets' Bird rights if his 2025-26 production matches the way he started 2024-25. Such an arrangement also limits Charlotte's exposure to committing to a bad contract off a small sample of games. 19. Jevon Carter, Bulls (PO) I'm sure you reacted to this the same way I did: The Bulls gave Jevon Carter a player option?! Yes, they did. Carter is a good shooter, a dogged defender and an elite worker (Full disclosure: We drafted him in Memphis in 2018 when I was vice president of basketball operations), but he was crowded out of Chicago's backcourt due to his lack of size and playmaking. On the books for $6.8 million for the coming season, he surely will grab that bag rather than risk an iffy free agency; look for his contract to end up in a lot of Bulls trade scenarios. Advertisement 20. Monté Morris, Suns Morris' puzzling drop-off with the Suns in 2024-25 was among many reasons the squad disappointed, with the eighth-year pro racking up DNPs after midseason and only playing 50 total minutes after the All-Star break. Morris' overall numbers weren't that bad, but a worrying regression in his 2-point shooting (42.2 percent in an injury-riddled 2023-24, 47.7 percent last season) may be a sign of waning athletic pop. At this point, he may profile more as a fifth guard who can fill in minutes during injuries and absences than as a player a team can count on in its top nine. But he still had a three-to-one assist-to-turnover ratio last season, and it's comforting to have a third point guard on hand who won't break anything. 21. Cory Joseph, Magic (TO) Joseph has a team option that the Magic should decline, even if they want to keep him. Simply declining it and bringing him back on a one-year minimum deal would shave $1.2 million off Joseph's cap number without costing Joseph a cent and leave the Magic able to much better navigate the tax and first-apron issues that await them in the wake of the Desmond Bane trade. As for the notion of bringing him back at any price, Joseph was one of last season's best stories at age 33, somehow landing a starting job on a playoff team after it seemed his career had one foot in the grave. Yes, the Magic needed to upgrade this spot, but Joseph is capable of providing rotation-caliber minutes. Other decisions in the backcourt may influence Orlando's choices, but it seems bringing him back on a one-year minimum is sufficiently low-risk to plow ahead. 22. Kyle Lowry, Sixers Lowry is 39 and is only 6 feet tall; the fact that he was in the NBA last season in any capacity is amazing. That said, his game finally seemed to hit the wall in 2024-25. Lowry dropped to career lows in PER (9.8) and true shooting percentages (52.5), while his 10.1 percent usage rate made it easy to forget he was on the court at all. He also missed a big chunk of the season with a right hip injury. It's not out of the question that he'd be back on a one-year minimum deal, but he might be a better fit on a team closer to contention than this version of the Sixers seems. 23. Delon Wright, Knicks Wright fell out of favor in Milwaukee due to a horrid shooting slump, but he played better with the Knicks and showed in the playoffs that his defense can still make an impact on many nights. While the 6-5 Wright is pretty strictly a low-usage fifth option now and profiles more as a combo than a true point guard, his nose for the ball and knack for crafty transition finishes remain. He just doesn't have the zip to get the cup like he used to, and the shooting (34.8 percent career from 3 on low volume) remains a limitation. 24. Jeff Dowtin, Sixers Is this guy good? Dowtin played 41 games for the spiraling Sixers and shot 40 percent from 3, posting a 16.1 PER and one of the lowest turnover rates at any position. The 28-year-old stringbean guard was on his last year of two-way eligibility and would need to be signed to a roster deal, and he might have to prove himself in the G League one more time to get it. But his finish to the season opened some eyes. Advertisement 25. Bones Hyland, Timberwolves Hyland signed a two-way contract in Minnesota last season but is no longer two-way eligible. He's a bucket-getter who averaged double figures his first two seasons in the league but didn't do it very efficiently (54 percent career true shooting mark) and was flammable on defense. Because he's only 24, he'd be an interesting end-of-roster experiment on a rebuilding team. 26. Brandon Williams, Mavericks (NG) Williams has a non-guaranteed deal for $2.3 million after the Mavs promoted him from a two-way late last season, and Dallas may consider keeping him on that deal after he posted 13 double-figure games for the Mavs' dilapidated late-season roster. Williams is still two-way eligible, however, so another option for Dallas would be to cut him and then, if he isn't claimed on waivers, bring him back on a two-way. The logic for Dallas to do that is because of its apron situation, which may result in the Mavs keeping only 14 players on the roster through the trade deadline. The Mavs owe Williams $200,000 if he isn't waived by July 7, so that's the likely trigger point for a decision, although the two sides could agree to postpone the date to allow more time to use his contract in a potential trade. 27. Jordan McLaughlin, Spurs The undersized McLaughlin fell out of the rotation in Sacramento but likely did enough after a midseason swap to the Spurs to keep himself on teams' free-agent boards this summer. McLaughlin is a safe pair of hands running the offense and can make an open shot, which makes him palatable as a third point guard despite his size and athleticism limitations. 28. Markelle Fultz, Kings Fultz is only 27, believe it or not, and still capable of eye-popping plays on the defensive end. Unfortunately, he still can't shoot, and it's swallowed up his game and made it hard to keep him on the court. It's not just 3s, either; he made only 24 of his 59 2-point attempts after joining the Kings late last season. His past two seasons have featured true-shooting percentages of 45.2 and 49.2, and that won't get it done. 29. Elfrid Payton, Pelicans (NGTO) Payton has a non-guaranteed $3.1 million team option for next season that the Pels will surely decline unless his contract is needed to complete a trade. While Payton succeeded in reminding teams he's still alive after not playing in the league since 2021-22, his play in 24 games with Charlotte and New Orleans didn't leave much of an impression. 30. Vasilije Micić, Suns (TO) A rare mistake by the Thunder front office, Micić has been dealt twice since Oklahoma City brought him over in 2023 and was arguably the worst regularly appearing guard in the league in 2024-25. The Suns will decline his $8.1 million team option in late June unless it is needed to complete a trade, and Micić is widely expected to return to Europe. Advertisement 31. Patty Mills, Clippers Mills turns 37 in August and took a job after the season as the general manager of the University of Hawai'i's basketball program, so either he's hanging up his sneakers or he's playing the long game on the regenerative powers of pineapple and poke. 32. Collin Gillespie, Suns (R-2w) How did the Knicks miss this guy? The Villanova grad finished last year on a two-way in Phoenix and shoved veteran Monté Morris out of the rotation by knocking down 43.3 percent of his 3s and scrapping enough on defense to mostly survive at 6-1. The Suns likely will make him a restricted two-way free agent, but he could push his way onto the roster. 33. Jahmir Young, Bulls (R-2w) Keep an eye on Young. He was one of the best players in the G League in his first season out of Maryland and was with the Bulls on a two-way contract to end last season. Chicago likely will make him a restricted two-way free agent this summer, and I presume the Bulls will bring him back; he may challenge for minutes as the year goes on. 34. JD Davison, Celtics (NGTO) Davison has a $2.2 million non-guaranteed team option for 2025-26, and because of that, Boston may pick up the option knowing that it can always cut him at no cost later. That 'later' could extend past opening day. If the Celtics are looking at saving every dollar, they could pick up the option on Davison and have his non-guaranteed deal fill the 14th roster spot, which would come slightly cheaper ($57,579) than the veteran minimum. When you factor in Boston's repeater taxes and the multipliers in the tax payment of the current roster, this turns into meaningful money. If Boston waives Davison, there's a small catch: Davison is two-way eligible for 29 other teams, but not for Boston because he has already served three years there on a two-way. If that were to happen, keep an eye out for Utah, which now employs former Boston personnel sage Austin Ainge as its team president, as a possible two-way destination. 35. Jalen Hood-Schifino, Sixers (R-2w) He never should have been a first-round pick, but Hood-Schifino is only 22 and has just two years of NBA experience, so it's a bit early to read last rites on his career. He finished on a two-way in Philly and showed some encouraging progress with his long-range shooting in the second half of last season. Philly likely will make him a restricted two-way free agent. Advertisement 36. Keaton Wallace, Hawks (R-2w) The older brother of Oklahoma City guard Cason Wallace, Keaton got his first taste of the NBA at 25 and was serviceable enough in 31 games (10.1 PER) that the Hawks probably will try to bring him back. Wallace is a big combo guard who can defend, but the lefty's iffy shooting (32.9 percent from 3) is probably the biggest roadblock to a roster deal. Atlanta likely will make him a restricted two-way free agent. 37. Tristen Newton, Timberwolves (R-2w) The 49th pick in the 2024 draft, Newton was somewhat surprisingly cut by Indiana from his two-way midseason, and Minnesota snapped him up. Newton is already 24 and was meh in the G League, but it feels early to write him off completely. The Wolves likely will make him a restricted two-way free agent. (Top photo of Kyrie Irving and Fred VanVleet: Sam Hodde / Getty Images)
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Miami Heat's fallback option emerges in the event of failed Giannis Antetokounmpo trade
Like just about every team in the league, the Miami Heat would love to trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo. But what if the Milwaukee Bucks aren't ready to trade the face of their franchise? Chances are, the Bucks aren't ready to trade the two-time MVP. So, if the Heat aren't able to pry Antetokounmpo away from Milwaukee, where should Miami turn next? According to Mike Scotto of Hoops Hype, the Heat could view trading for Jonathan Kuminga as a 'fallback option.' 'Miami has prioritized pursuits of Giannis Antetokounmpo (if he became available this summer) and Durant (whom they're actively trying to acquire) on their wish list ahead of Kuminga, who's viewed as a fallback option to the two superstars.' Hoops Hype on Miami Heat/Jonathan Kuminga Advertisement While every fan in Miami would instantly recognize Antetokounmpo or Kevin Durant, some non-basketball enthusiasts may need to be informed on the type of potential Kuminga offers. The seventh overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft will still be just 23 when next season starts, and he's averaged over 15.3 points per game across the past two years. He could very well be the next breakout star that takes the NBA by storm, but the Warriors aren't eager to just give the former first-round pick away either. Besides, why wouldn't the Heat have just demanded that Kuminga be the centerpiece in their previous Jimmy Butler trade with the Warriors? It's possible Golden State just wasn't ready to move on from their young wing prospect quite yet. We'll see if that changes this offseason. Related: Kevin Durant trade rumors deliver disappointing update for Heat, Rockets and Spurs fans Related Headlines
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Bill Simmons Reveals 'Stupidest' Thing About NBA That Continues to Bother Him
Bill Simmons Reveals 'Stupidest' Thing About NBA That Continues to Bother Him originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The NBA Finals continued Monday night with the Oklahoma City Thunder taking a 3-2 lead over the Indiana Pacers at Paycom Arena after a 120-109 win over their Eastern Conference opponents. Advertisement The game included 28 points from Pascal Siakam of the Pacers and 40 points from rising Thunder star Jalen Williams, who was one of two Thunder starters in double digits along with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who scored 31 points for OKC. The Thunder's win has sparked conversations about what a potential OKC championship would mean for a superstar dominated league, especially considering the controversy that has surrounded him for his alleged "foul baiting" on the court. On Monday, longtime NBA scribe Bill Simmons shared his thoughts on the one thing about today's NBA that appears to bother him more than any other in comments viewed over 670,000 plus times. Shai-Gilgeous Alexander takes it to the rack, finishing with his left hand against Aaron Nesmith of the Pacers on Monday. © Kyle Terada-Imagn Images "Can we ban the 'Face of the League' convo? Let's just make it illegal. It's the single stupidest NBA conversation," Simmons wrote on X Monday. Advertisement The conversation surfaced earlier this year when fans debated whether Celtics star Jayson Tatum was worthy of the moniker after he helped lead the Boston to the 2024 NBA title. "Honestly, it's between Luka, SGA, Wemby or Cooper Flagg right now," one fan said. "Lmao you started it," another reader said. "Ur just mad it ain't Tatum," another added. "We all know Adam Silver is the face of the league," another fan added. "Yep. The league doesn't need one face. Plenty of stars to drive the entertainment factor," another reader added. Related: WNBA Makes Big Angel Reese Announcement During Sky's Win Over Sun This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 17, 2025, where it first appeared.
