Basketball Wiretap

Vasilije Micic agreed to give up $6.1 million in his buyout with the Milwaukee Bucks, which allows the team to stretch his cap hit and stay at the 15 percent of the cap allowed in stretched salary.

Micic's remaining $2 million will be stretch over three seasons as opposed to Damian Lillard's over five. Micic plans to return to Europe to continue his career.

Micic was traded by the Charlotte Hornets to the Phoenix Suns ahead of the 2025 trade deadline and then back to the Hornets at the draft. The Bucks acquired Micic from the Hornets as part of the Pat Connaughton trade.

Malcolm Brogdon will likely remain unsigned until after Bradley Beal's situation is resolved. Brogdon has received interest from the Los Angeles Clippers, Phoenix Suns, Los Angeles Lakers, Golden State Warriors, Minnesota Timberwolves, New Orleans Pelicans, Sacramento Kings and Milwaukee Bucks.

The Washington Wizards are open to sign-and-trade discussions involving Brogdon.

Brogdon appeared in 24 games this past season with the Washington Wizards, averaging 12.7 points, 3.8 rebounds and 4.1 assists in 23.5 minutes. Brogdon is 32 and has played for four different teams over the past four seasons as he played out the remainder of his two-year, $45 million extension signed with the Indiana Pacers in 2021.

Paolo Banchero and the Orlando Magic have agreed to a five-year, $239 million maximum extension. The deal includes triggers to elevate his salary to the Rose rule max if he makes an All-NBA team.

The deal also has a player option for Banchero in 2030-31, which hasn't happened on a rookie max since Luka Doncic and Trae Young in 2021.

Orlando now has Banchero, Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs signed for the next five years.

Banchero averaged 25.9 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists last season. Banchero missed 34 games over the first two months of last season due to an oblique injury.

Kyle Lowry and the Philadelphia 76ers have agreed to a one-year deal. Lowry will be in his 20th NBA season and his third with the Sixers.

Lowry averaged 3.9 points, 1.9 rebounds and 2.7 assists last season for the Sixers. Philadelphia also has Tyrese Maxey, Jared McCain and VJ Edgecombe in the backcourt.

Lowry first joined the Sixers after the trade deadline in 2024 when he was bought out by the Charlotte Hornets following his trade from the Miami Heat.

The Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, Milwaukee Bucks and Minnesota Timberwolves are some of the team confirmed to have interest in Bradley Beal if he reached agreement with the Phoenix Suns on a buyout.

The Clippers still have $5.3 million to spend remaining from their non-taxpayer midlevel exception. The Clippers opened up potential minutes at guard with their trade of Norman Powell to the Miami Heat.

Beal is on a five-year, $251 million deal signed originally with the Washington Wizards. Beal has two years remaining on his contract totaling $110 million. Beal will have to take a significant reduction on the buyout in order for his contract to be stretched. Beal will then make some of that contract back up when he signs in free agency. 

In 53 games last season with the Suns, Beal averaged 17.0 points, 3.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists in 32.1 minutes while shooting 38.6 percent on three-pointers. Beal had a PER of 14.9 as his usage dropped from his All-Star performance with the Wizards. Beal had a True Shooting Percenage of .598.

Koby Brea and the Phoenix Suns have agreed to a Two-Way deal. Brea was the 41st overall pick in the 2025 draft out of Kentucky.

Brea averaged 11.6 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 28.1 minutes as a fifth-year senior with Kentucky after beginning his collegiate career with Dayton. Brea shot 32.5 percent on three-pointers.

Nikola Jokic publicly urged the Denver Nuggets to add depth to their roster this offseason and have responded by turning Michael Porter Jr., Russell Westbrook and Dario Saric into Cam Johnson, Bruce Brown Jr., Tim Hardaway Jr. and Jonas Valanciunas.

"The Nuggets have their new backcourt, and I was told that—and Mr. Jokic has not spoken on the record, at least in English, about this that I've seen—but I was told through secondhand that Jokic was very pleased with the Nuggets' moves," said ESPN's Brian Windhorst.

While Valanciunas would likely only play limited minutes in the playoffs, his presence would allow the Nuggets to reduce Jokic's minutes during the regular season. Last season, Jokic averaged a career high 36.7 minutes as the Nuggets needed him to play at an MVP level with heavy minutes to even qualify for a non-Play-In spot. Jokic played in only 34.6 minutes per game in 2023-24, which was up from the previous two seasons.

The Nuggets plan to offer Jokic a contract extension this offseason worth $206 million over three seasons.

The Golden State Warriors remain the clear favorite to sign Al Horford this offseason despite no agreement being reached one week into the start of free agency. The Warriors currently can only offer Horford the $5.7 million taxpayer midlevel exception.

Horford has also been considering retirement and also had been linked with the Los Angeles Lakers. The Denver Nuggets have also been mentioned as a possibility for Horford, but they continue working to convince Jonas Valanciunas to remain in the NBA.

Last season, Horford averaged 9.0 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists while shooting 36.3 percent on three-pointers for the Celtics.

James Harden and the Los Angeles Clippers have a mutual option on his contract for the 2026-27 season after they agreed to a two-year, $81.5 million deal. If Harden exercises his contract worth $42.3 million, he will have $13.3 million guaranteed if the Clippers decide to decline it. Harden will earn $39.2 million for the 2025-26 season.

Harden was traded to the Clippers during the 2023-24 season and re-signed on a two-year, $70 million contract.

Harden averaged 22.8 points on 41/35/87 shooting splits, 5.8 rebounds and 8.7 assists across 79 games on his way to an All-NBA Third Team selection as the Clippers exceeded expectations last season. 

The Phoenix Suns fully guaranteed the final season of Nick Richards' contract at $5 million. Richards could be a rotation center for a number of teams, but the Suns need a third center given Khaman Maluach's inexperience and the injury history of Mark Williams.

Richards averaged 9.5 points and a career-best 8.6 rebounds in his 36 games with the Suns following his acquisition from the Charlotte Hornets.

Richards, 27, is represented by Javon Phillips, Jared Mucha and Jeff Schwartz. Richards will be an unrestricted free agent next offseason.