Warriors waive Chris Paul, making him free agent.
The Golden State Warriors are waiving guard Chris Paul, who had a Sunday deadline to guarantee his $30 million salary for this season, the team announced.Paul now becomes an unrestricted free agent.
The Warriors pushed back Paul's guarantee date to right ahead of free agency as they searched for ways to use his contract in a trade, but they were unable to find a deal.
Paul came off the bench for the first time in his decorated career last season, accepting a reduced role with the Warriors after he was acquired for Jordan Poole last summer.
The veteran point guard remained steady in his 19th NBA season, averaging 9.2 points and 6.8 assists in 26.4 minutes while helming a bench unit that was a bright spot for Golden State.
Paul, who turned 39 in May, ranks as the third-oldest player in the NBA -- behind only LeBron James and P.J. Tucker. He would become just the 11th player in NBA history to play at least 20 seasons in 2024-25.
Paul has been an All-Star 12 times, made the All-NBA team 11 times, was named to the All-Defensive team nine times and has led the league in assists five times. The only thing missing from his résumé is an NBA championship.
James Harden, Clippers agree to 2-year, $70M deal.
James Harden is planning to return to the LA Clippers on a two-year, $70 million deal, a league source told ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk on Sunday.Harden, who will turn 35 in August, averaged 16.6 points and 8.5 assists in 72 games for the Clippers this past season. He landed in Los Angeles after finally getting traded early in the regular season due to a falling out with president of basketball operations Daryl Morey over Harden's contractual situation last summer.
It was Harden's third change-of-address in under three calendar years after his long-term run with the Houston Rockets, where he became an MVP and helped revolutionize the way offense is played in the NBA.
While no longer posting big scoring numbers, Harden showed this past season that he remains a strong pick-and-roll operator and good 3-point shooter while accepting a smaller offensive role playing alongside Paul George and Kawhi Leonard.
Harden still ranked second in the NBA in points per isolation last season, a nod to his days as a 30-point scorer, but he also attempted 153 catch-and-shoot 3-pointers -- his most since 2017-18 -- as he spent more time off the ball in L.A. His 72 games played were his most in a season since 2018-19.
76ers frontrunners to sign Paul George, sources say.
The Philadelphia 76ers are strong frontrunner to land Paul George on a free agent deal, sources told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski on Sunday, after George informed the Clippers that he will be signing with another team.George's agent, Aaron Mintz of CAA, had a conversation with LA Clippers president Lawrence Frank on Sunday night that resulted in no new movement on a deal. The Clippers released a statement confirming that George will be leaving in free agency, saying the gap in contract talks was "significant."
The Sixers contingent is set to meet with George in California later Sunday night.
The Clippers have remained steadfast on a three-year deal, similar to the structure of Kawhi Leonard's three-year, $153-million extension he signed earlier this year. George, meanwhile, is seeking a four-year deal.
Without George, the Clippers are proceeding into free agency armed with a $12.9 million mid-level exception and a $4.7 million bi-annual exception available.
L.A. agreed to a two-year, $70 million deal to keep James Harden in the fold earlier Sunday, sources told ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk.
A nine-time All-Star, George averaged 22.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists last season while shooting career highs of 47.1% from the field, 41.3% from 3-point range and 90.7% from the free throw line.
Chris Paul to sign free-agent deal with Spurs.
Free agent point guard Chris Paul has agreed on a one-year, $11 million-plus deal with the San Antonio Spurs, sources told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski on Sunday.Paul was waived by the Golden State Warriors earlier Sunday.
The move teams Paul, a 12-time NBA All-Star, with one of the game's future stars in 20-year-old center Victor Wembanyama.
Caldwell-Pope finalizing free-agent deal with Magic.
Free agent Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is leaving the Denver Nuggets and finalizing a three-year, $66 million deal with the Orlando Magic, sources told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski on Sunday.Caldwell-Pope, 31, had been a lynchpin at both ends for the Nuggets since arriving in Denver two years ago, helping them to the 2022-23 title with his 3-point shooting and ability to guard opposing perimeter stars.
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Tracking the latest signings, rumors and news in NBA Free Agency 2024
NBA free agency will officially get underway June 30 at 6 p.m. ET as the negotiation period opens up for teams and players. There have already been some
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Paul George agrees to 4-year, $212M deal with 76ers, sources say.
Free agent forward Paul George has agreed on a four-year, $212 million maximum contract with the Philadelphia 76ers, sources told ESPN early Monday morning.George's deal -- which sources said includes a player option on the final season in 2027-28 -- brings him back to the Eastern Conference to partner with MVP center Joel Embiid and All-Star guard Tyrese Maxey in pursuit of upending the NBA champion Boston Celtics.
George and his agent, Aaron Mintz of CAA, met in Los Angeles with a 76ers contingent that included owner Josh Harris, president of basketball operations Daryl Morey, general manager Elton Brand and Sixers legend Julius Erving, sources said. The Sixers even brought a front office executive, Peter Dinwiddie, who is a familiar face and friend of George's from their years together with the Indiana Pacers, sources said.
The meeting came on the heels of months of unsuccessful negotiations between George and the LA Clippers on a deal to stay in his Southern California home.
Embiid, Maxey and George were All-Stars last season and form one of the most formidable big threes in recent NBA history -- featuring an ideal roster balance among an explosive lead guard in Maxey, an elite two-way wing player in George and a dominant big man in Embiid.
George, a 34-year-old nine-time All-Star, spent the past five seasons with the Clippers and averaged 23 points, 6 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.5 steals over 263 regular-season games with LA.
But now George, traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2017 before a trade to the Clippers two years later as part of LA's move to sign Kawhi Leonard as a free agent, has moved on. The Clippers and George had been speaking for months about a potential deal but never came close to an agreement. George wanted four years on a new deal, and the Clippers offered three, sources said.
The Clippers issued a statement Sunday saying that George had told them he planned to sign with another team.
"Paul is a tremendous talent and an elite two-way player. We feel fortunate for the five years we spent with him," the Clippers said. "Over that span, he went to three All-Star Games, made the most 3-pointers in franchise history and helped lead the team to a place it had never been. His performances in Games 5 and 6 against Utah in 2021 won't be forgotten by anyone associated with the Clippers.
"We traded a lot to pair Paul and Kawhi [Leonard], and in exchange, we had five seasons of contention. Even though we fell short of our ultimate objective, we appreciate the chances we had with Paul."
Now George will be hoping to reach that ultimate objective -- winning an NBA championship -- alongside Embiid and Maxey in Philadelphia. George's arrival could give the Sixers the firepower to take on the Celtics.
One important development late Sunday for George, sources said: the Sixers' agreement on a two-year, $16.3 million deal with shooting guard Kelly Oubre Jr. The 76ers also reached agreements with veteran guard Eric Gordon and center Andre Drummond on Sunday, sources said.
Since the Pacers drafted him 10th overall in 2010, George has become one of the NBA's preeminent wing players -- even while recovering from a devastating leg injury suffered ahead of the 2014 FIBA World Cup.
George is one of eight players to make at least nine All-Star teams since he entered the league, joining LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, James Harden, Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook and Anthony Davis. He's also a six-time All-NBA selection, including a first-team selection in 2019.
After missing most of the 2014-15 season, George has reestablished himself as one of the top two-way perimeter players in the league, averaging 22.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists this past season.
Tyrese Maxey agrees to 5-year, $204M extension with 76ers.
Philadelphia 76ers All-Star guard Tyrese Maxey has agreed in principle on a five-year, $204 million maximum contract extension, sources told ESPN on Monday.Maxey and his agent, Rich Paul -- the CEO of Klutch Sports -- waited a year on the deal to allow the Sixers to maximize salary cap space and now land on a deal in the wake of Maxey's breakout All-Star season at 23 years old.
Maxey can formalize the extension once the league's free agency signing moratorium ends on Saturday. The deal doesn't include an option, sources said.
Maxey is the franchise's future face and the connective tissue between All-NBA center Joel Embiid and the arrival of All-NBA forward Paul George in free agency. Maxey averaged 25.9 points and 6.2 assists for the Sixers a season ago -- including nearly 30 points a game in the Sixers' six-game opening round playoff loss to the New York Knicks.
Maxey was the 21st overall pick out of Kentucky in the 2020 NBA draft and has averaged 18.2 in his four seasons with the Sixers.
| |||||||
| 26031 | Boston Celtics | +300 | |||||
| 26037 | Denver Nuggets | +800 | |||||
| 26050 | Oklahoma City Thunder | +800 | |||||
| 26052 | Philadelphia 76ers | +800 | |||||
| 26049 | New York Knicks | +900 | |||||
| 26036 | Dallas Mavericks | +1000 | |||||
| 26046 | Milwaukee Bucks | +1000 | |||||
| 26047 | Minnesota Timberwolves | +1000 | |||||
| 26043 | Los Angeles Lakers | +2500 | |||||
| 26039 | Golden State Warriors | +3500 | |||||
| 26048 | New Orleans Pelicans | +3500 | |||||
| 26053 | Phoenix Suns | +3500 | |||||
| 26044 | Memphis Grizzlies | +4000 | |||||
| 26045 | Miami Heat | +4000 | |||||
| 26035 | Cleveland Cavaliers | +5000 | |||||
| 26041 | Indiana Pacers | +5000 | |||||
| 26042 | Los Angeles Clippers | +5000 | |||||
| 26051 | Orlando Magic | +5000 | |||||
| 26055 | Sacramento Kings | +6600 | |||||
| 26040 | Houston Rockets | +8000 | |||||
| 26056 | San Antonio Spurs | +10000 | |||||
| 26030 | Atlanta Hawks | +25000 | |||||
| 26034 | Chicago Bulls | +75000 | |||||
| 26032 | Brooklyn Nets | +100000 | |||||
| 26033 | Charlotte Hornets | +100000 | |||||
| 26038 | Detroit Pistons | +100000 | |||||
| 26054 | Portland Trail Blazers | +100000 | |||||
| 26057 | Toronto Raptors | +100000 | |||||
| 26058 | Utah Jazz | +100000 | |||||
| 26059 | Washington Wizards | +100000 | |||||
Klay Thompson to join Mavericks on 3-year, $50M deal.
Free agent guard Klay Thompson has agreed on a three-year, $50 million contract with the Dallas Mavericks, ending his historic 13-year run with the four-time champion Golden State Warriors, sources told ESPN on Monday.Thompson's deal was largely inspired over the chance to compete for a fifth title with the Western Conference champion Mavericks.
The deal, negotiated by his agent Greg Lawrence of Wasserman, will require a multiteam sign-and-trade scenario that will send Mavericks guard/forward Josh Green to the Charlotte Hornets for two future second-round picks, sources told ESPN.
Lawrence and Thompson met with Mavericks GM Nico Harrison and VP Michael Finley at the Bottle Inn in Hermosa Beach, Calif., to dig into the details of a Thompson-Mavericks partnership.
The Lakers were incredibly intriguing to Thompson, but the financial savings from living in Texas over California and the fact that the Mavericks were within three victories of an NBA championship played immense factors in his decision, sources said.
In the final year and months of Thompson's remarkable 13-year Warriors career, his relationship with the franchise became increasingly strained over contract discussions and his looming free agency. His departure became increasingly likely as the season progressed.
His unhappiness grew as his role with the team fluctuated throughout the season -- punctuated by him being pulled from the closing lineup in early February and moving to a bench role later that month.
Thompson, 34, averaged 17.9 points per game last season, his lowest since the 2012-13 season.
His Warriors tenure ends with his place in franchise and NBA history well-cemented. The trio of Curry, Thompson and Draymond Green accounted for 518 wins in the regular season and playoffs, sixth most by a trio all time. Their 98 playoff wins together rank third in NBA history and their four titles are tied with Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker for the most by an All-NBA trio over the past 50 seasons, according to ESPN Stats & Information research.
Dallas went from +1000 to +900 with the pick up
The Seattle Supersonics waived LeBozzie
