Sexton-Nurkić trade suggests more moves are coming

New York Times

7 hours ago

Free agency officially begins at 6 p.m. ET on June 30, but we've already seen some moves. LeBron James picked up his player option, while James Harden and Julius Randle are staying put. Ronald Martinez / Getty Images Chris Nicoll / Imagn
Collin Sexton might have the league's biggest differential between 'how good fans think he is' and 'how good coaches and executives think he is.' Still, BORD$ valued him at $22 million for the coming season, and Jusuf Nurkić at just $12 million.
The players have expiring contracts for nearly identical money, so that wasn't the logic in today's Jazz-Hornets trade. Thus, Utah throwing in a second-round pick on top seems like an overpay on value.
That said, this move portends other moves for both sides. Utah is now overloaded in the frontcourt and has a dearth of quality at the guard spot, while Charlotte finally has a perimeter shot creator behind LaMelo Ball but is now left with no viable starting center. This trade is likely the starting point for both team's offseasons, not the finish line.
Incidentally, both players are extension-eligible, so we'll see if their new teams view them as long-term pieces.
Jason Kidd, who was one of the greatest point guards in league history before moving to the sidelines to coach, said he wants No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg to get reps at his old position.
'I want to put him at point guard,' the Mavericks' head coach said. 'I want to make him uncomfortable and see how he reacts. Be able to run the show. Be able to play (shooting guard). Play (small forward). He's comfortable playing that. We want to push. I think he's going to respond in a positive way.'
Big men Anthony Davis, Daniel Gafford, and Dereck Lively II are all locks to be in the Mavericks' rotation next season, as is P.J. Washington. The Mavericks believe all of them can coexist.
The Mavericks only have one standard roster spot open going into the start of free agency next week. They are expected to use their $5.7 million taxpayer midlevel exception to sign a guard. Malcolm Brogdon, the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year in 2023 who spent last season in Washington, is one name to watch, according to league sources. D'Angelo Russell is another. NBA reporter Marc Stein called the Mavericks a 'leading suitor' to sign Russell. There is mutual interest between Dallas and the 29-year-old guard, according to league sources who have spoken with The Athletic.
Read more here.
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Cooper Flagg at point guard? A possibility for a 'sponge' on a veteran Mavs roster Thearon W. Henderson / Getty Images
Reports from local outlets have emerged that the Phoenix Suns would consider waiving and stretching Bradley Beal's contract, a move that could seriously hinder the Suns' flexibility down the line but would help them stay below the second apron in 2025-26. Of course, waiving and stretching Beal — a rule that would allow Phoenix to release Beal from his contract and then spread the $110 million it owes him over five years instead of two, lessening his cap number to approximately $22 million a year — isn't even possible without Beal giving back money, which would be out of character.
There is a niche rule in the collective bargaining agreement that prevents teams from waiving and stretching players willy-nilly. In this case, the Suns would be victims of it.
In any given season, the stretched money on a team's books can equal no more than 15 percent of that year's salary cap. The cap for next season is projected to be $154.6 million. Beal's stretched money, the previously mentioned $22 million, would equal 14.3 percent of that.
However, this is where the Suns shot themselves in the foot. In August 2024, they waived and stretched two players: Nassir Little and E.J. Liddell. Despite those moves running under the radar (and despite the eerily similar last names), these moves don't appear little now. Little's money is on Phoenix's books into the 2030s. Liddell's is there for the next two seasons. In 2025-26, the Suns owe the two a combined $3.8 million in dead money, which would combine with Beal's hypothetical dead money to make up more than 15 percent of next season's salary cap.
So for the Suns to waive Beal, they would have to get him to agree to give back a consequential portion of his contract — $2.7 million a year over those five years. It adds up to $13.8 million total.
Beal could make that money back (or he could possibly add to his income) after hitting the open market. I asked a few executives around the league what they believe Beal could be worth if he were a free agent. The consensus was in the range of the midlevel exception, which starts with a $14.1 million salary in 2025-26. But while certain winning situations or spectacular organizations would appeal to him, according to league sources, he's also not trying to leave his family or upend their lives.
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The Philadelphia 76ers are declining a $2.9 million team option on Lonnie Walker IV, league sources confirm. ESPN was first.
This move is rather expected because the Sixers need every dollar they can get, as I explain here.
The Warriors will exercise their team options on Gui Santos and Quinten Post for next season, according to a team source. Santos is on the books for $2.2 million (non-guaranteed) and Post at $1.9 million.
These pair of late second-round picks have made a rotation impact. Michael Reaves / Getty Images
With projected salaries of $240.2 million next season prior to Sam Merrill's new four year, $38 million contract, Cleveland is $21.6 million over the league's punitive 'second apron' to the salary cap, a level of spending that, when reached, brings about steep restrictions on how the Cavaliers can make changes to their roster.
That's the Cavs' projected payroll before addressing the free agency of backup point guard Ty Jerome, a Sixth Man of the Year finalist who will likely get lucrative offers on the market that would send Cleveland's already soaring projected tax bill of $92.2 million (penalties from being over the second apron) even higher.
Jerome had a career year last season, averaging 12.5 points and nearly reaching the 50-40-90 shooting trifecta (percentages for field goals, 3-point and foul shots). Cleveland's starter at point guard, Darius Garland, could miss the first month of next season as he recovers from toe surgery. While the Cavs haven't said this publicly, the newly acquired Lonzo Ball, if healthy, is a cheaper option than Jerome.
League sources said Cleveland is also receiving trade interest for backup big man Dean Wade, who is due $6.6 million this season and is a free agent next summer. If the Cavs trade Wade, second-year forward Jaylon Tyson could see a minutes increase after appearing in 47 games for Cleveland as a rookie.
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It appears Julius Randle's first-year salary on his new three-year, $100 million contract will be almost identical to the salary he was scheduled to make if he had opted into the final year of his old deal. The reason Minnesota is doing this as a new contract and not an extension, however, is to wipe away the $1.4 million in unlikely incentives from his last deal, which count toward the second apron regardless of whether Randle achieves them.
The Wolves will have $5.9 million in room below the second apron if they decline Luka Garza's team option (or $5.7 million if they decline Josh Minott's instead), which is exactly enough room to sign a player to the $5.685 million taxpayer midlevel exception to replace Nickeil Alexander-Walker.
The New Orleans Pelicans plan to decline the $3.15 million team option for veteran point guard Elfrid Payton, a league source confirmed.
The Gretna native will become an unrestricted free agent.
Since a Detroit free agent is in the news right now ...
If the Pistons renounce Malik Beasley, Dennis Schröder, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Paul Reed, they will have $16.9 million in cap room and the $8.8 million room exception. The former figure could give them a leg up in free agency on every other team pursuing free agents with their $14.1 million nontaxpayer midlevel exception.
Of course, the Pistons could also continue to operate as an over the cap team, re-sign one or more of Schröder, Hardaway and Reed with Bird Rights (they have no Bird rights on Beasley), and use their $14.1 million nontaxpayer midlevel exception in the market. Ezra Shaw / Getty Images
The U.S. District Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York has opened a federal investigation into free-agent guard Malik Beasley related to gambling, his lawyer, Steve Haney, confirmed to The Athletic on Sunday.
Haney said that Beasley, who spent last season with the Detroit Pistons, is a person of interest in the investigation, but that no formal allegations had been made and no charges filed.
'This is simply an investigation,' Haney said. 'At this point, Malik has not been charged with any crime and there has been no formal accusation of wrongdoing. Hopefully everyone will afford him that same presumption of innocence that everyone else deserves.'
A spokesman for the Eastern District declined to comment, as did Beasley's agent. A spokesperson for the Pistons confirmed the existence of a federal investigation but deferred further comment to the NBA.
'We are cooperating with the federal prosecutors' investigation,' NBA spokesman Mike Bass said.
The investigation was first reported by ESPN. More below.
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Malik Beasley under gambling investigation by U.S. District Attorney Alika Jenner / Getty Images
Anfernee Simons is smooth with the ball in his hands. He has proven himself as a big-time shot maker. He will likely fill up the basket next season.
He just might do that somewhere away from Boston.
Looking to continue shedding salary, the Celtics have explored the idea of flipping Simons' $27.7 million expiring contract, according to league sources. In such a move, they would be aiming to accomplish two organizational directives Brad Stevens emphasized after the first round of the NBA Draft on Wednesday: regaining more roster flexibility and setting up a path to retain free agents Luke Kornet and Al Horford.
Even after offloading the contracts of Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porziņģis in a pair of trades this week, the Celtics have significant work left to do if they aim to escape the luxury tax entirely. At the moment, they appear hopeful of accomplishing that goal, which would help them initiate the process of resetting the repeater tax. Though they currently sit about $15 million above the luxury tax threshold, they would need to cut more salary than that to position themselves far enough under the threshold also to afford to keep Kornet and Horford. Stevens, who called the veteran big men 'huge parts of this organization' on Wednesday night, has stated he would like to re-sign both players.
Read more here.
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The Rockets and Jock Landale have agreed to push back the guarantee date on Landale's $8 million contract to July 7, a league source tells The Athletic.
Landale's original guarantee date was previously supposed to be today. Megan Briggs / Getty Images
If you're wondering why Duncan Robinson would opt out of $19.9 million, as reported by ESPN, it's not so he could get more in the open market. That isn't happening.
Only $10 million of the money was guaranteed, however, so this is likely a chance for Robinson and the Miami Heat to re-up on a re-worked deal.
For instance, if Miami signed him on a two-year, $25 million deal with a player option for next summer, it would very conveniently leave the Heat with just enough room below the luxury tax line to sign a veteran minimum deal with their 15th roster spot ... and still give Robinson the money he would have made if Miami had waived him and he signed for the minimum elsewhere.
The other alternative pathway for Robinson would be if Miami wanted to involve him as matching salary in a sign-and-trade for a free agent, most notably Jonathan Kuminga. Putting Robinson and another small salary into a deal (such as Nikola Jović or Haywood Highsmith) would allow the Heat to take back roughly $22 million in 2025-26 salary and stay below the first apron, a requirement in sign-and-trades.
Working backwards, the mystery of why Miami picked up Keshad Johnson's player option may be a similar story. He can immediately be included as an extra $1.95 in matching salary in a bigger trade. Tyler McFarland / Clarkson Creative / Getty Images
The Phoenix Suns want to find Bradley Beal a new home. The situation — from a winning standpoint, from a personality one, from a financial one — continues to dive. Beal, whom the team traded for two summers ago, still has a couple of seasons and $110 million remaining on his contract.
Every possibility has floated to the surface.
Phoenix could try to trade Beal, as it did this past season, but his no-trade clause remains. The same that was true before the 2025 trade deadline is the case today, according to a league source familiar with Beal's thought process: Beal would be open to the right trade that sends him the right destination, but his preference is to remain in Phoenix, even if the team won only 35 games a season ago and just downgraded from Kevin Durant, who it dealt to the Houston Rockets last weekend.
Since leaving Washington in 2023, Beal's wife and kids have moved from D.C. to Los Angeles and then, before the start of this season, to Phoenix full time. Playing for another team would leave him with two options: He would have to either pull his kids out of school, moving them again, or leave his family altogether, neither of which excites him.
So the Suns have tried another strategy.
Read more about it here.
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Saturday afternoon, in a move first reported by The Athletic , the Philadelphia 76ers tendered Quentin Grimes an $8.7 million qualifying offer, making him a restricted free agent. That will allow Philadelphia to match any offer Grimes gets on the open free-agent market.
The Sixers have been in contact with Grimes and his camp, although the price may end up being steep. Grimes, 25, is looking for a contract that averages $25 million per season, league sources tell The Athletic. He has emerged as a dynamic scoring guard, and he gives the Sixers a mix of the ability to shoot from the perimeter and get to the basket and put pressure on the rim off the dribble. Last season, Philadelphia had too little of both skill sets on its roster.
Grimes is important to the Sixers because they need to retain all the talent they can — and he has emerged as a talent. Between Grimes, Tyrese Maxey, Jared McCain and the newly drafted VJ Edgecombe, the strength of Philadelphia's roster resides in its backcourt. Grimes is versatile enough to move to the small forward spot, which would allow head coach Nick Nurse to employ three-guard lineups. He's someone who also defends well enough to make an impact at the point of attack.
But while the 76ers can retain Grimes, they may not be able to re-sign unresticted free agent Guerschon Yabusele, which would be a big blow.
Read the rest of my 76ers offseason primer here. David Berding / Getty Images
With Naz Reid and Julius Randle in place, the Wolves will likely have to say goodbye to their other key free agent. Nickeil Alexander-Walker has likely priced himself out of Minnesota, which is trying to stay under the second apron to avoid repeater penalties on roster construction. Alexander-Walker is expected to land a deal for at least the nontaxpayer midlevel exception, which is too rich for the Wolves to go to and not go over the second apron.
The Wolves do have a few young guards and wings, including Terrence Shannon Jr. and Jaylen Clark, who the team believes are ready to step in and take Alexander-Walker's minutes should he move on.
As expected, the Phoenix Suns are holding onto center Nick Richards, league sources tell The Athletic . Richards' $5 million salary is expected to guarantee today for the 2025-26 season.