Browsing: extension

Shaedon Sharpe has agreed to a four-year, $90 million extension of his rookie-scale contract with the Trail Blazers, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania — a move that keeps the hyper-athletic young swingman in Portland through the end of the decade, and that represents a vote of confidence that the seventh overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft can be a player of consequence for the next competitive iteration of the Blazers.

The new deal for Sharpe comes on the heels of extensions in Portland for general manager Joe Cronin and head coach Chauncey Billups after the 2024-25 NBA season. The Blazers finished 36-46 — their fourth straight sub-.500 season following the firing of longtime former head coach Terry Stotts. They improved dramatically over the course of the campaign, though, bouncing back from a 9-20 start to go 27-26 after Christmas. Portland posted the Westâ€s eighth-best record and net rating after Feb. 1, fueled by a defense that allowed fewer points per possession over its final 34 games than any team outside of Golden State, Oklahoma City, Orlando and Boston — all playoff teams (and, in the Thunder, the eventual NBA champions).

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While correlation isnâ€t causation, it seems notable that the Blazers†significant defensive uptick began in earnest when Sharpe moved from the starting lineup to the bench mid-season. After a 22-point beatdown by the Rockets stretched their losing streak to five games, the Blazers ranked 28th in the NBA in defensive efficiency. Billups sent Sharpe to the bench, explicitly calling out his shortcomings on the defensive end of the floor.

“We need to be better defensively. … He’s struggled a little bit,†Billups said, according to Sean Highkin of the Rose Garden Report. “As a head coach, as I’m trying to build and develop these guys, I don’t believe in playing on one side of the ball. I just can’t allow that. I can’t have that on my watch. Shae has to get better. I’ve seen him be so good so many different times, but he’s just struggled a little bit. And when he struggles, there needs to be consequences for that.â€

[Get more Trail Blazers news: Portland team feed]

Over the next six weeks, the Blazers went 13-5 with the leagueâ€s second-best defense — setting a template for an identity shift that continued this summer when Portland plucked ace defensive veteran Jrue Holiday from the fire-selling Celtics. Sharpe, for his part, responded to the demotion well, continuing to score well in a reserve role and maintaining his offensive potency after a late-season return to the starting five, averaging 21.5 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists in 35.2 minutes per game down the stretch.

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That sort of up-and-down season produced something of a conundrum for Portlandâ€s braintrust as Sharpe became eligible for an extension this summer. If the Blazers want to be a defense-first team, built around sturdy wings Deni Avdija and Toumani Camara and backstopped by 2024 lottery pick Donovan Clingan at center, and they have an eye on improving their collective long-range game — 19th in made 3-pointers per game, 26th in team 3-point accuracy — then would it make sense to throw the proverbial bag at a career 33% 3-point shooter that they had to bench for defensive malfeasance?

On the other hand: For an organization thatâ€s been searching for its next foundational star since before trading Damian Lillard, and thatâ€s still searching even with Dame now back in the building, might Sharpe be the best bet they can make at the moment? And might making it now — rather than letting Sharpe play out the season and enter a restricted free agency market where, unlike this frigid summer, more teams might have the financial flexibility with which to toss him an offer sheet if heâ€s coming off a breakout run — actually be the more prudent course of action? (Especially with extension decisions on the likes of Avdija and former No. 3 overall pick Scoot Henderson fast approaching.)

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All told, Sharpe averaged 18.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 31.3 minutes per game on .551 true shooting in his third professional campaign. The list of players to produce like that by their age-21 season includes only 26 other names; 24 of the 26 went on to become All-Stars, and Magic forward Franz Wagner was on pace to make it 25 last season, if not for a torn oblique muscle. (Weâ€ll keep a candle lit for you, John Collins.)

Thatâ€s not to say that Sharpe will wind up blossoming into a LeBron/Luka/KD/Tatum/SGA-level top-flight perimeter superstar. But when youâ€re talking about a 6-foot-5 wing with a near-7-foot wingspan and nuclear athleticism, whoâ€s still playing catch-up a bit after skipping college ball entirely, and whose development curve already compares favorably to where several somewhat similarly styled players were at the same age, you can understand a team deeming it reasonable to ante up, paying for the right to see if that kind of blossoming does happen — and to be able to reap the benefits if it does.

Thatâ€s the path the Blazers took, agreeing to terms that will carry Sharpe through his mid-20s, the anticipated upswing toward his athletic prime. Theyâ€re betting that Sharpe — who has reportedly turned heads in training camp — will continue his upward trajectory, taking the kind of leap that will solidify him as not only one of the most exciting young perimeter talents in the NBA, but as a bona fide cornerstone of the core theyâ€re building in Portland.

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“Shaedon, man — I think everybody knows the talent that he is and what he can do, but that boy can hoop,†the veteran Holiday recently told reporters when asked who had stood out to him in camp. “When you go up against him in practice, first-hand, every single day — heâ€s got it.â€

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How badly did Kevin Durant want to be back in Texas — the state where he played his college ball — and to be on a team with a legit title chance in the next couple of years? Hereâ€s the answer:

Durant took about $30 million less than his max in agreeing to a two-year, $90 million contract extension with the Houston Rockets, a deal first reported by Shams Charania of ESPN. The second year of that extension is a player option. Durant is in the final year of his current contract at $54.7 million and now is locked in with the Rockets for two years beyond that — and is taking a nearly $10 million a year drop from that salary to be part of a contender in Houston.

It was expected that Durant would get less than the max from Houston, but the expectation this summer was that he still wanted a nine-figure contract extension. This came in a little below that number, but it gives the Rockets flexibility in roster building over the next couple of years, such as signing Tari Eason to an extension but staying below the second tax apron.

Durant had Houston on his list of preferred destinations where he wanted to be traded out of Phoenix last summer, and he is a hand-in-glove fit for the teamâ€s needs — shooting and half-court offensive creation. The Rockets had an elite defense and a wealth of high-level young players and athletes — Amen Thompson and Alperen Sengun are at the top of that list — but their offense in the halfcourt became stagnant and ineffective (22nd in the league in halfcourt offense via Cleaning the Glass). Durant singlehandedly changes that and brings shooting to the table.

Durant is hopeful he can retire in Houston, he told Chris Mannix of SI.com.

“Iâ€m looking to be here as long as I can, play my last years of my career. Thatâ€s the intent. I know, I said that about Phoenix, too, but thatâ€s the intent. I would love to do that. I mean, Iâ€m 37 years old and Iâ€m going on 19 years in the league. I want to be solidified in a spot and build with a team with a group of guys thatâ€s going to be around for a while. So hopefully this is it.â€

Last season, in a rough season for the Suns, Durant, 37, still averaged 26.6 points, six rebounds, and 4.2 assists a game while shooting 43% from 3-point range. He is still one of the best pure bucket getters in the game and exactly what the Rockets need.

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Houston Rockets star Kevin Durant has agreed to a two-year, $90 million contract extension, with a player option for 2027-28, his business partner and Boardroom CEO Rich Kleiman told ESPN on Sunday.

Durant was eligible for a maximum contract extension of $120 million over two years but understood when he chose the Rockets as a trade destination that he would be sacrificing money on a new deal — in this case around $30 million — so that the two sides could partner for the long term and give the franchise team-building flexibility.

The 37-year-old Durant now holds the record for the highest career earnings in NBA history at $598.2 million based on current and future salaries, surpassing LeBron James ($583.9 million). Durant is earning $54.7 million this season and now has a total of three years and $144.7 million on his contract.

The Rockets acquired Durant in July as part of the largest trade in NBA history, a historic seven-team deal that sent Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, No. 10 draft pick Khaman Maluach and second-round picks Rasheer Fleming and Koby Brea to the Phoenix Suns. The addition of Durant elevated the Rockets — the reigning No. 2 seed in the Western Conference — as a legitimate NBA title contender, teaming the two-time champion and two-time Finals MVP with young stars Alperen Sengun and Amen Thompson.

A 15-time All-Star, Durant gives the Rockets a premier jump shooter and shot creator who fits seamlessly into the lineup. He shot an NBA-best 49.7% on jumpers and 53.1% on midrange shots last season and had the best shooting percentage on off-the-dribble jumpers (50.9%), according to GeniusIQ.

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Those are areas where Durant will make a consistent impact for the Rockets, who ranked 27th in effective field goal percentage on off-the-dribble jumpers and 24th in effective field goal percentage on all jumpers, according to GeniusIQ. The Rockets also ranked seventh in isolations per game but were 27th in points per direct isolation.

Last season, Durant averaged 26.6 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.2 assists in 62 games with the Suns. The future Hall of Famer has averaged at least 25 points on 50% field goal shooting and 40% on 3-pointers in three straight seasons, the longest streak in NBA history, according to ESPN Research.

Durant ranks eighth in NBA career points and can pass Wilt Chamberlain and Dirk Nowitzki on the all-time list this season if he scores at least 990. He has averaged at least 25 points per game in 16 consecutive seasons, the most in league history behind James (20 straight seasons). Durant has the most career points per game in Oklahoma City Thunder history, Brooklyn Nets history and Suns history and has the second-highest career points per game in Golden State Warriors history, trailing Chamberlain.

The Rockets have completed significant offseason business besides the Durant trade and extension. They reached new deals with coach Ime Udoka, Fred VanVleet, Steven Adams and Jabari Smith Jr., acquired Dorian Finney-Smith, Clint Capela and Josh Okogie in free agency, and re-signed veterans Jae’Sean Tate, Aaron Holiday and Jeff Green.

Houston has the fifth-best odds to win the 2026 NBA title at 14-1 at ESPN BET. The Rockets open their regular season Tuesday night on the road against the defending champion Thunder.

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Kevin Durant was part of history in July when he was the crown jewel of an NBA-record seven-team deal that delivered him from the Phoenix Suns to the Houston Rockets.

Now the 2013-14 NBA MVP has agreed to a two-year, $90 million extension with the Rockets, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania, turning a potential one-year stay into an opportunity to ride off into the sunset. The deal also contains a player option for the 2027-28 NBA season. The Rockets announced the extension Sunday but did not provide details on the deal.

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Durant turns 37 in September. He has played 17 seasons in the league, made 15 All-Star teams and earned NBA Finals MVP on both Golden State squads he won championships with.

Durant was on an expiring contract worth $54.7 million for the 2025-26 season. He was eligible to sign a two-year deal worth $122 million when he was traded. Had he waited until six months after that deal, he could have made an additional two million. Ultimately, that didn’t matter.

At this point, that kind of contract minutiae is secondary to Durant. He hopes to win a championship with the Rockets, who broke through under head coach Ime Udoka last season. Houston won 50-plus games for the first time in six seasons and secured the No. 2 seed in a strong Western Conference. Although the Rockets bowed out to the Warriors in the first round of the playoffs, the present and future are bright in Houston.

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Udoka was signed to a long-term extension that makes him one of the highest-paid coaches in the NBA, as reported by Charania on June 19.

The Rockets got older, essentially swapping a 23-year-old Jalen Green for Durant, but Father Time hasn’t stripped KD of his consistency. The versatile, 6-foot-11 forward has averaged at least 25 points, 50% shooting and a 40% 3-point clip in each of the past three seasons — that’s the longest such streak in NBA history, per ESPN Research, and Durant has strung it together from ages 34-36.

While Houston also gave up a tenacious but sometimes reckless 3-and-D wing in Dillon Brooks, it signed another productive, two-way veteran wing player in Dorian Finney-Smith.

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Plus, the Rockets beefed up the center position behind All-Star Alperen Åžengün with the sign-and-trade addition of Clint Capela. It’s a Houston reunion for Capela, who spent the first six years of his NBA career with the Rockets.

Houston’s newcomers will join not only Åžengün, but rising guard Amen Thompson — an NBA All-Defensive First Teamer — and Jabari Smith Jr., among others.

As for Durant, he’s getting ready to play for his fifth franchise. Before joining the Rockets, he suited up for the Seattle SuperSonics/Oklahoma City Thunder (2007-16), Warriors (2016-19), Brooklyn Nets (2019-23) and Suns (2023-25).

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Last season, Durant averaged 26.6 points, 6 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game in 62 outings. While the Suns had the highest payroll in league history, they finished just 36-46 and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2019-20.

Durant could put Phoenix’s disappointments in the rearview mirror with a memorable final chapter in Houston. The Rockets helped set him up for that opportunity with Sunday’s extension.

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Miami has talent on its roster — Bam Adebayo is widely respected as one of the better two-way centers in the league, Tyler Herro was an All-Star last season, and the addition of Norman Powell brings more scoring — but it doesnâ€t have a top-10 player, a championship cornerstone kind of player on the roster.

That appears to have impacted contract extension talks with Herro, as discussed by Tim Bontemps and Brian Windhorst at ESPN. Herro has two seasons and $64 million still on his contract and would like to discuss an extension, but that went nowhere, Windhorst reported.

“Tyler Herro is coming off an All-Star season and is definitely interested in extending with the Heat, but there havenâ€t been substantive talks to his point and a deal is doubtful, sources say.â€

Miami wants to keep max cap space heading into the summer of 2027 — when the class could theoretically include Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokic, Karl-Anthony Towns, Donovan Mitchell, James Harden, Trae Young, Kyrie Irving and others — Bontemps reports. Not having an extension with Herro adds flexibility (the only locked-in salaries on the Heat books in the summer of 2027 are Bam Adebayo at $53.8 million and Nikola Jovic at $14.9 million).

That cap space is more about flexibility, max players are not jumping teams via free agency very often under the current CBA. Plus, look at the names on that list. Jokic has said he wants to be a Nugget forever, and they just retooled the roster to better fit around him. Whatever happens with Antetokounmpo will be decided next summer when the Bucks offer him a max contract extension and he either signs it or Milwaukee entertains trade offers. New York is likely to extend Towns next summer. The rest of that list likely doesnâ€t get to true free agency, either.

What is clear is that when a big name becomes available via trade, the Heat will be one of the teams in the mix. A lot of those elite players would fit nicely next to Herro, but it looks like Miami wants to keep its options open.

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• Tim Bontemps

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  Tim Bontemps

  ESPN Senior Writer

  Tim Bontemps is a senior NBA writer for ESPN.com who covers the league and what’s impacting it on and off the court, including trade deadline intel, expansion and his MVP Straw Polls. You can find Tim alongside Brian Windhorst and Tim MacMahon on The Hoop Collective podcast.

• Brian Windhorst

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  Brian Windhorst

  ESPN Senior Writer

  • ESPN.com NBA writer since 2010
  • Covered Cleveland Cavs for seven years
  • Author of two books

Oct 17, 2025, 07:00 AM ET

This is peak extension season in the NBA.

Or, as one agent told ESPN this week: “The torture chamber.”

The deadline for extensions for most eligible players is Monday at 6 p.m. ET. At this point, it’s commonplace for there to be pessimism about deals getting done. But compromises — and deals, along with them — do happen regularly.

That said, even by normal standards, there is a lot of pessimism right now.

Here’s why: There’s the continued adaptation to the apron system, which has caused teams to be even more careful about long-term spending. And then there’s also a star-studded free agent class in the summer of 2027, when Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Donovan Mitchell, Anthony Davis and others could all be available to sign with any team.

The deals that do — and don’t — happen over the next few days set the stage for future negotiations, and they’ll signal what free agency could look like next summer.

So here’s a look at several of those situations, including an extension that, surprisingly, still isn’t done involving a future inner-circle Hall of Famer who changed teams this summer.

Will Kevin Durant extension talks have liftoff in Houston?

Tim Bontemps: The Rockets, under general manager Rafael Stone, have done an excellent job of managing their salary structure — and that will no doubt play a role in how Durant’s contract situation plays out, but also rookie scale extension candidate Tari Eason’s.

With Fred VanVleet now likely to opt into his $25 million deal for next season after tearing his ACL last month, the Rockets have roughly $70 million to get both Durant and Eason signed and remain under the dreaded second luxury tax apron — which will allow Houston to continue adding to a roster it hopes is good enough to compete with the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference.

If these negotiations were as simple as, “Give Kevin all the possible money” — like the Jimmy Butler III extension with the Golden State Warriors was after his acquisition via trade in February — the deal probably would have been done already. As a result, the expectation from rival teams is that Houston is trying to get deals done with both players and stay below the second apron next summer.

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Brian Windhorst: First off, the Butler extension with Golden State happened before the trade. It wasn’t until the Warriors raised their monetary offer that Butler acquiesced on his position that he didn’t want to go to the Warriors. An improved offer at the 11th hour, though it came without a player option, got the trade done.

As for Durant, who himself blocked a trade to the Warriors last winter, he and business partner/agent Rich Kleiman have been optimistic there will be a deal done eventually with the Rockets. As Tim implied, it is clear the Rockets are not offering Durant the two-year, $120 million max he is eligible for, otherwise the deal would be done. Durant has said on the record he sees himself staying in Houston.

There is clearly some haggling going on beneath the max, and the number could very well be predicated on what happens with Eason as the Rockets manage the apron. There probably isn’t drama here, but it is worth pointing out Durant probably doesn’t fear unrestricted free agency either.

The present and future balancing act for the Miami Heat

Windhorst: Tyler Herro is coming off an All-Star season and is definitely interested in extending with the Heat, but there haven’t been substantive talks to his point and a deal is doubtful, sources say.

In a vacuum, Herro is the player the Heat probably should be most interested in extending, and Herro saw former All-Star Bam Adebayo get a large extension last year. But it doesn’t appear to be in the offing.

As for two other extension candidates, recently acquired Norman Powell and Andrew Wiggins, long-term deals are also unlikely. Powell, whom the LA Clippers traded to Miami in part because they were dodging their own extension issue with him, could get a short deal, if anything. Wiggins, for his part, has a player option for $30 million in 2026-27, and while it’s possible the Heat might hope to negotiate a different number, they also might not.

And Tim about to tell you why …

Bontemps:The answer to what will happen with Miami’s top extension candidates can be found in the extension that Miami did sign at the start of training camp with forward Nikola Jovic, the No. 27 pick in the 2022 NBA draft. That four-year pact worth a little over $60 million starts out at $16.2 million in 2026-27, before dipping to $14.9 million in 2027-28 and then going back up again.

And why did Miami do that? Because, sources say, the Heat — like many other teams around the league — are planning for that aforementioned 2027 free agent class.

Will Jokic, Antetokounmpo, Jokic, Mitchell and Davis all hit unrestricted free agency that summer? It’s unlikely. Whether they do or not, several other star names could join them, including Stephen Curry, Karl-Anthony Towns, Kawhi Leonard, Trae Young, Zach LaVine, James Harden and Kyrie Irving.

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The fact that Paul George is the only All-Star to change teams via free agency in recent years is a sign this path is far less fruitful than it has been in the past (and look at how things have gone for Philadelphia since landing George last summer). And with the new extension rules that have made it more lucrative to re-sign with current teams, plenty of those players could be off the board by the time free agency arrives that summer.

But Miami will always be a destination for players. And, by maintaining flexibility for the 2027 offseason, the Heat are giving themselves the ability to retool their roster around Adebayo, and attempt to return to title contention. So while that doesn’t necessarily preclude a deal getting done with Herro or Powell, it’s hard to see Miami passing on its cap space until it knows it has a good reason to.

When a team signing a good contract makes it hard to get an extension done …

Windhorst: There is a 0.0% chance Austin Reaves signs a contract extension — and a 99.9% chance he opts out of his $14.8 million player option for next season. We could say “sources say” here because we did check on it, but it’s also a no-brainer.

Reaves has one of the best value contracts in the NBA because of contract extension rules. Players can get only 140% of their current salary in an extension, which means Reaves is up for a deal worth roughly $89 million over four years, per ESPN’s Bobby Marks. His market will be much higher. The Lakers have his full rights and are favorites to re-sign him, but everyone understands why he’s not signing now.

While we’re here, let’s also address Bulls’ guard Coby White, who will not be extending now either. White will earn $12.8 million this season and has outperformed his deal. Like Reaves, he is limited to how much he can sign for now. His extension number is capped at around $18 million if he were to re-sign in Chicago now. His market is also certain to be higher.

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Bontemps: There obviously has been an inordinate amount of attention paid to the upcoming free agency of LeBron James. But it might be even more interesting to see what happens with Reaves when he hits free agency next summer. If Reaves waits, he could get an annual salary starting at more than $40 million next season, after making less than that much combined over the first three seasons of his current deal.

The 6-foot-5 guard has been a huge success story since joining the Lakers as an undrafted free agent in 2021. He has steadily improved, averaging career-bests of 20.2 points and 5.8 assists last season while shooting 37.7% from 3-point range on more than seven attempts per game.

There were 10 players who qualified for the scoring title who averaged at least 20, 5 and shot 37% from the field: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Brunson, Darius Garland, Damian Lillard, Jamal Murray, Jokic, Curry, James and Herro.

Not bad company for a guy who will be an unrestricted free agent at 28, and therefore will have plenty of suitors.

Ditto for White, for all the reasons Brian said. Even after the Bulls got Josh Giddey’s four-year, $100 million deal done earlier this summer, they still have roughly $75 million in cap space available next summer, per Bobby Marks, to both keep White and retool the roster around him, Giddey and the team’s past two lottery picks, forwards Matas Buzelis and Noa Essengue.

A busy offseason could lead to a busy in-season in Atlanta

Windhorst:There is mutual interest between the Hawks and Kristaps Porzingis in extending his deal, sources said. But with Porzingis’ injury history and a radical change in circumstance following the offseason trade that brought him from Boston — and after Porzingis spent much of the summer in Europe playing for the Latvian national team — and both sides are comfortable seeing how the season progresses.

Unlike some others, Porzingis isn’t facing a Monday deadline to extend. With one season at $30.7 million left on his deal, he can extend any time between now and June 30.

The same timeline goes for franchise player Trae Young, whose situation is more intriguing. Unlike Porzingis, whose contract is up after the season, Young has a $49 million player option for next season that he’d prefer not to pick up and instead replace with a lucrative new deal.

In a different era, a multitime All-Star coming off his first max contract could expect to have his contract extended again at the max. But in the apron era and with the Hawks having to invest in younger players, Young is a bit of a tweener.

He’s a star but he’s not a superstar, and a new max contract at 30% of the salary cap would be superstar money. We probably will see this situation more often over the next few years with this class of sub-superstar players looking for their second max deal.

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Bontemps: The Hawks are also negotiating with reigning Most Improved Player Dyson Daniels, who does face the Monday extension deadline to extend his rookie contract.

Last fall, the Hawks got such a deal done at the buzzer with Jalen Johnson, a five-year, $150 million deal that, moving forward, looks like a very good piece of business for Atlanta.

For the much discussed, failed “two timelines” approach in Golden State, a similar situation is developing in Atlanta. The Hawks are excited about their young core of Johnson, Daniels, last year’s No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher, rookie Asa Newell and potentially a very high pick coming in next year’s draft via the New Orleans Pelicans.

But Young and Porzingis are the two best players on the current roster, and fit extremely well with the young players the Hawks have around them. Because of how the Hawks have managed their books over the past year, there’s a world in which the Hawks could get a Daniels deal done, figure out deals for Young and Porzingis next summer, and stay below the aprons.

That could give the Hawks the opportunity to do the thing every team in the league is trying to do and what few teams other than the Oklahoma City Thunder have successfully done under the new CBA: develop, and keep, depth on the roster.

An update on the expensive balancing act in New York

Windhorst: The Knicks have had some discussions about extending center Mitchell Robinson, sources say, but there hasn’t yet been traction toward a deal. Robinson is in the last year of a contract that pays him $13 million this season.

Towns has three years left on his deal, including this season, though 2027-28 is a $61 million player option. He has expressed a desire to stay in New York long term, but there’s no urgency from either side to get a new deal done.

Bontemps: One of a few reasons why the Knicks would be unlikely to do an extension with either Towns or Robinson is because they’re already playing a complicated game of limbo with the second apron.

Does that mean some sort of blockbuster trade is inevitable? Not at all. But the Knicks have repeatedly shown under team president Leon Rose that they are going to maintain as much roster flexibility as possible. Even the extension they did sign this summer, with Mikal Bridges, allows him to be traded before the trade deadline on Feb. 5, if the Knicks choose to.

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Charles Barkley: If the 76ers are healthy, they can win the East

Charles Barkley joins “The Rich Eisen Show” and explains why the 76ers can win the Eastern Conference this season.

And then there’s the guy who extended last year …

Bontemps: Yes, Joel Embiid participated in Sunday’s open-to-the-public scrimmage and could make his preseason debut in the Philadelphia 76ers’ final exhibition game against the Minnesota Timberwolves. But we learned long ago it is foolish to plan much in 76ers’ land beyond the next 24 hours.

That being said, Embiid playing in the scrimmage Sunday was a pleasant surprise, and falls in line with the general contours of how this preseason has played out for him and the 76ers: with Embiid regularly participating in practice, and seemingly building toward playing in next week’s season opener in Boston.

That’s a far cry from how his season began last fall, when Embiid signed a four-year, $240 million extension with Philadelphia only to then go through a disastrous campaign that ended with knee surgery in February.

Windhorst: The 76ers operate in a different world than much of the rest of the league. They’re so scarred from injury setbacks and so cognizant of the venom from fans that, as a defense mechanism, they’ve learned to make no promises and lower expectations.

That being said, Embiid is doing far more now than he was a year ago at this time. And while he hasn’t begun to practice fully yet, George’s participation level has also taken meaningful steps forward since training camp began.

More immediately, though, they are over-the-moon excited about the potential of rookie VJ Edgecombe.

Bontemps: To Brian’s point, it’s remarkable how different expectations are surrounding Embiid, George and the 76ers now compared to just a year ago. Then, the talk was about it being a “championship-or-bust” season, and how it was finally going to be the breakthrough season Embiid, the 76ers and Philadelphia had been waiting over a decade to witness.

But after the calamitous way last season played out, there are virtually no expectations this season. The league’s GMs, by a wide margin, voted Philadelphia as the league’s hardest team to project. Embiid being relatively healthy, and the 76ers returning to the playoffs, would be seen as at least somewhat of a success in the wake of how poorly the past 12 months have gone.

All of that is why rival scouts and executives are eager for Embiid in live action, to see whether he looks anything like the player he was before last season, or the one who struggled through those 19 games a year ago.

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Milwaukee Bucks guard AJ Green has agreed to a four-year, $45 million fully guaranteed contract extension with the franchise, agent Matt Bollero of ProMondo Sports told ESPN on Thursday.

Green represents a tremendous success story for the Bucks as an Iowa native who went from undrafted in 2022 to landing a two-way contract, then a standard deal and now a lucrative long-term pact.

Green is now under contract through the 2029-30 season in Milwaukee as the Bucks keep him from entering free agency next summer – a critical commitment given that the 26-year-old has emerged as the full-time starter for Doc Rivers entering the new campaign.

Green scored 541 points last season after scoring just 406 points in his first two NBA seasons, for an average of 7.4 per game. He is one of the elite shooters in the league as a career 42% 3-point shooter and has shot at least 40% on 3-pointers in all three seasons of his NBA career.

Green has only started eight regular-season games in his career, but during the first round of the playoffs in April, Rivers inserted Green into the starting lineup for a must-win Game 5 and Green responded with 19 points and played 46 minutes. His playoff production increased to 11.0 points while shooting 51% from 3 during a strong postseason, which he has followed up with a spot in the starting lineup for all four of the Bucks’ preseason games this month.

Green’s 42.7% 3-point mark last season was the sixth-best among players to attempt at least 300 3-pointers, according to ESPN Research, and he shot 44.9% on catch-and-shoot 3-pointers, which was fifth-best among players with at least 250 attempts.

ESPN’s Jamal Collier contributed to this report.

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Milwaukee Bucks guard AJ Green agreed to a four-year, $45 million, fully-guaranteed extension Thursday, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.

Green, 26, went undrafted out of Northern Iowa in 2022 and started his NBA career on a two-way contract. He leveled up to a standard deal, and now he’s graduated to an extension that will keep him under contract with the Bucks through the 2029-30 season, per Charania.

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The 6-foot-4 guard averaged 7.4 points in 22.7 minutes per game last season, his third and most productive in the NBA. He notably shot north of 40% from deep for the third year in a row, finishing third on the team with 155 made 3s, behind only Gary Trent Jr. and Damian Lillard.

Trent is back, but the 35-year-old Lillard signed a three-year, $42 million deal with the Portland Trail Blazers after the Bucks waived him at the start of free agency.

Locking up Green on Thursday gives Milwaukee a reliable catch-and-shoot option from beyond the arc for years to come. Green was set to become a free agent next summer.

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Green emerged as a key contributor for the Bucks last season. After scoring a combined 406 points over his first two seasons in the league, he collected 541 points in 73 games of action during the 2024-25 regular season.

He more than doubled his minutes per game from the 2023-24 campaign and turned in six outings with at least 15 points. Green connected on five or more threes in all but one of those performances.

Then, in the Bucks’ lone playoff series — a first-round loss to the eventual Eastern Conference champion Indiana Pacers — he averaged 11 points and 27 minutes with a 51.4% clip from downtown. He also chipped in 2.8 rebounds and two assists per game.

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Green even got the bump to the starting lineup in a win-or-go-home Game 5, during which he scored a playoff career high of 19 points, albeit in what was ultimately an overtime elimination defeat. He logged 46 minutes and went 6 of 10 from 3-point range in the loss.

Green had been eligible for an extension since July. Now, after starting all four of Milwaukee’s preseason games, he has a new deal heading into his fourth season in the league.

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From Connor McDavid and Kirill Kaprizov to Anthony Stolarz and Jake Walman, many impending free agents have already locked up contract extensions.

Tuch has pressed pause on negotiations with the Atlantic Division club, agent Brian Bartlett told Daily Faceoff on Thursday.

“We werenâ€t able to kind of get to what made a deal before the season. And then at this point, weâ€ve just put it on the back burner,” Bartlett told Irfaan Gaffar and David Pagnotta on the DFO Rundown Inside Edition.

Tuch, 29, is set to be among the most highly sought free agents if he makes it to July 1. At 1-3, the Buffalo Sabres could even make him a prize of the trade deadline if they choose to sell.

In 82 games last season, Tuch matched a career high with 36 goals to go with 31 assists. The Syracuse, N.Y., native is now in his fifth season with the Sabres after being dealt from the Vegas Golden Knights as part of the trade sending former Buffalo captain Jack Eichel the other way.

Bartlett said he and the team engaged in “consistent” communication regarding Tuch throughout the past off-season.

“We had some good conversations, got kind of the parameters of whatever everyone was thinking. Itâ€s very clear to us that the Buffalo Sabres would like Alex Tuch to re-sign long-term. Thatâ€s been communicated very well, very clearly, very effectively by (Sabres general manager) Kevyn Adams and the staff there,” Bartlett said.

“And I think hopefully weâ€ve communicated back to them that Alex would be very happy to stay in Buffalo, as well.”

In 540 career games with the Minnesota Wild, Golden Knights and Sabres, Tuch owns 168 goals and 217 assists for 385 points.

He was originally selected 18th overall by the Wild in the 2014 draft, but was traded to the Golden Knights ahead of their 2017 expansion draft and became a key part of the ‘Golden Misfits’ that went to the Stanley Cup Final in their first year of existence.

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• Bobby Marks

• Tim Bontemps

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  Tim Bontemps

  ESPN Senior Writer

  Tim Bontemps is a senior NBA writer for ESPN.com who covers the league and what’s impacting it on and off the court, including trade deadline intel, expansion and his MVP Straw Polls. You can find Tim alongside Brian Windhorst and Tim MacMahon on The Hoop Collective podcast.

Oct 16, 2025, 07:00 AM ET

The NBA season begins Tuesday, but that isn’t the only thing on the minds of league executives in the coming days.

The deadline for rookie extensions (and for veterans signed past this season) is 6 p.m. ET Monday, roughly 24 hours before the Houston Rockets travel to face the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder to tip off the 2025-26 season.

Heading into this season, we’ve already seen several players from the 2022 draft class sign extensions with their teams. Paolo Banchero, Chet Holmgren and Jabari Smith Jr. — the first, second and third picks in that draft by the Orlando Magic, Thunder and Rockets, respectively — signed long-term deals with those teams in July. As did Jalen Williams (No. 12 by OKC) this offseason and Nikola Jovic (No. 27 by the Miami Heat) last month. On Wednesday, the Sacramento Kings and Keegan Murray (No. 4) settled on a five-year, $140 million pact, per ESPN’s Shams Charania.

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Of the 15 players from that class who remain extension eligible between now and Monday, how many will also land long-term deals with their current teams?

Keep in mind, 14 out of the 25 players who signed rookie extensions in 2023 and 2024 signed on the last day eligible. And by Monday, teams will also have to reduce their rosters to 15 on standard contracts.

With all that in mind, we assessed the market for 10 of the biggest names in the rookie extension pool, laid out the most interesting negotiations left on the board and explained how we think they will each play out

Dyson Daniels, Atlanta Hawks

Hawks guard Dyson Daniels has been a huge success story for Atlanta. Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Why an extension could get done: Daniels is a huge success story for Atlanta. He came to the Hawks last summer as part of the trade that sent Dejounte Murray to the New Orleans Pelicans and became the NBA’s Most Improved Player last season while leading the league in steals (229, the most in a season by any player since Gary Payton in 1995-96). The Hawks were able to get a deal done at the deadline with Jalen Johnson last year, and it wouldn’t be hard to see them find a way to get one done for Daniels. — Tim Bontemps

Why it might not: His agent, Daniel Moldovan, is using the five-year, $150 million extension Jalen Suggs signed last year as the comparison for Daniels, while also assessing Trae Young’s uncertain future in Atlanta. Daniels was named first-team All-Defense, finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting and increased his offensive production from 5.8 to 14.1 points. But Young has a $49 million player option next season and has been eligible to sign an extension since mid-June. — Bobby Marks

What I would offer:Five years, $125 million. The contract would remain flat at $25 million per season. Factoring in the new contract for Daniels, and Young’s player option, Atlanta would be $26 million below the luxury tax and comfortably beneath both aprons. — Marks

Will it happen?: If last year’s negotiations with Johnson are a guide — where the two sides haggled over it and then got a deal done right before the deadline — then this one probably will go right up to Monday’s deadline. The guess here is something gets done, but landing on a number both sides agree on could be difficult. — Bontemps

Christian Braun and Peyton Watson, Denver Nuggets

Why an extension could get done: Braun has become an integral part of Denver’s operation, helping the Nuggets win their first NBA title as a rookie and then stepping into the starting lineup last season in Kentavious Caldwell-Pope’s spot at shooting guard. He’s the one clear long-term building block the Nuggets have. Watson, meanwhile, is a pogo-stick athlete who also brings an interesting skill set alongside Nikola Jokic, making him appealing for a long-term deal. — Bontemps

Why it might not:The Nuggets shaved nearly $17 million off their cap ledger for next season after they traded Michael Porter Jr. for Cameron Johnson. But Denver is projected to be $24 million below the apron, not including new contracts for Braun and Watson, as they enter the first year of Aaron Gordon’s extension. They could get $10 million in salary relief, but at the cost of waiving Jonas Valanciunas. The veteran’s contract is guaranteed if he is on the roster past 11:59 p.m. ET on June 29. — Marks

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What I would offer:Let’s first address the elephant in the room. Even if the Nuggets waive Valanciunas, Denver is still a second apron team if both Watson and Braun extend, and then the roster is filled out with players on minimum contracts. There is no dancing around that financial hurdle unless there is a trade to clear out money. As for Braun, team executives pointed to the five-year, $150 million extension Suggs signed with Orlando as the number to watch. But two red flags come with that. First, Suggs earned second-team All-Defense in 2024 and was paid because of his impact on the defensive end. Braun, on the other hand, averaged career highs in points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks last season and became the first player since Buddy Hield in 2018-19 with at least 400 fast-break points. Second, Orlando at the time had the financial wiggle room to start Suggs at $35 million per season and the flexibility to improve its roster. The Nuggets do not have the same flexibility. A five-year, $126.5 million extension for Braun that starts at $21.8 million would be a solid compromise for both sides. Braun’s salary next season ranks in the top 15 of shooting guards. Watson’s extension is more difficult to project because of his upside (he just turned 23) and his role coming off the bench. A four-year, $54 million extension would be team-friendly, considering next year’s salary is $3 million below the non-tax midlevel exception. — Marks

Will it happen?:Braun’s deal feels most likely to happen. He’s too important to what Denver is trying to do, and cost certainty on his deal ahead of restricted free agency next summer will be critical. Though Watson is an intriguing player, given how Zeke Nnaji’s extension has aged for the Nuggets, it would be a bit surprising if Denver does a similar thing with Watson now, particularly with how their finances look going forward. — Bontemps

Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren, Detroit Pistons

A deal for both Jaden Ivey (23) and Jalen Duren (0) will be difficult to accomplish. Grace Smith/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images

Why an extension could get done: Ivey was showing signs of improvement before an unfortunate leg injury cost him the final few months of last season. His skill set could pair nicely with Cade Cunningham in the backcourt moving forward. For Duren, the argument is simple: He’s a 21-year-old who averaged a double-double in his first season under J.B. Bickerstaff, and both sides hope he can continue to improve this season and beyond. — Bontemps

Why it might not:How much do the Pistons consider the broken left fibula Ivey suffered on Jan. 1? GM Trajan Langdon said before the start of training camp that there are no restrictions on Ivey, but that does not mean Detroit should take an aggressive stand with his next contract until it can evaluate him during the regular season. Duren’s future comes down to not wanting to pay a center the high premium. Since 2020, there have been only two bigs — Alperen Sengun and Jaren Jackson Jr. — who have signed a non-max rookie extension starting at $20 million or more. — Marks

What I would offer: The Pistons handed out a five-year, $269 million extension to Cunningham in 2024 but still have financial runway to sign both players to lucrative extensions and flexibility to improve either in free agency or a trade. A five-year, $112.5 million extension for Duren would start at $25.6 million and decline to $19.4 million in the last season. The contract takes into consideration what Duren accomplished in his first three seasons and also his upside. He is one of five players in NBA history with at least 100 career double-doubles before turning 22. The Ivey extension would be four years, $86.5 million, with an up-and-down structure. The first year’s salary would start at $23.9 million, then decline to $19.3 million in the last year. Including a prior injury exclusion (exhibit 3) would protect Detroit if Ivey suffers another injury to the same leg. — Marks

Will it happen?: It feels unlikely either of these will get done. There are just too many complicating factors in getting to a fair number for Ivey, making it more likely both sides will let this season play out and revisit next summer. And while Duren is young and showed improvement last season, there are questions about his rim protection long term and making a big bet on him now feels beyond what Detroit will ultimately do. It is also worth noting that this front office didn’t draft either of these players. — Bontemps

Tari Eason, Houston Rockets

Why an extension could get done: Eason is an analytical darling who has been consistent for the Rockets since being drafted No. 17 in 2022. Though it’s likely he again comes off the bench this season, combo forwards with his skill set and ability to disrupt play at both ends are highly valued, and Houston has shown an ability to continually get its young core players locked into good contracts. — Bontemps

Why it might not:The Rockets probably will consider Eason’s season-ending surgery on his left leg in the 2023-24 season and the 22 games he sat out last season because of the same leg. He played all 82 games in his rookie season but only a combined 59 in the past two. Eason has started only 16 games and probably will be in that sixth-man role again this season. Houston also signed Jabari Smith to an extension that starts at $23.6 million next season, and is expected to sign Kevin Durant to an extension. — Marks

What I would offer: Four years, $80 million. The apron era has taught teams to prioritize their own pending free agents and balance future finances. With Amen Thompson eligible to sign an extension next summer, it is hard to justify an average salary of $20 million or more for a player coming off the bench. — Marks

Will it happen?: This feels as if it will get done eventually. With Eason’s injury history, locking in some long-term financial security makes sense. Houston has locked up its young players under general manager Rafael Stone, so expect the Rockets to continue to do so. — Bontemps

Bennedict Mathurin, Indiana Pacers

Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said over the summer that Bennedict Mathurin, above, was going to be a starter with Tyrese Haliburton out for the season. Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Why an extension could get done:Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said over the summer that Mathurin, the first single-digit draft pick the Pacers have had in a couple of generations, was going to be a starter with Tyrese Haliburton out for the season. For a team that tends to keep its talent in-house, getting a deal done with Mathurin could make sense. — Bontemps

Why it might not:Mathurin’s minutes and production should increase this season with Haliburton out. But can Indiana afford to pay the wing starter money when $80 million is already committed to Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard and T.J. McConnell next season? Mathurin came off the bench in 60% of games played in the past three seasons. An extension would also put Indiana over the luxury tax and near the first apron in 2026-27. — Marks

What I would offer:Four years, $68 million. Mathurin’s production over the past three years should warrant an extension that pays an average of $17 million. The wing is one of four players of his draft class to score at least 3,000 points and he averaged 16 points for a second time in his three seasons in 2024-25, while leading all reserves in postseason points. But as we mentioned above, playing time next season and the Pacers’ payroll have to be taken into consideration. — Marks

Will it happen?:This one feels unlikely. Indiana, a team that hasn’t paid the luxury tax in decades, already has $160 million committed to seven players next season — leaving the Pacers with about $40 million to fill out the roster below the luxury tax, and without a clear starting center among the players currently under contract. Getting something done that Mathurin would accept now feels too rich for the Pacers within those constraints. — Bontemps

Mark Williams, Phoenix Suns

Getting Mark Williams on a long-term contract with the Suns makes sense after they sent two first-round picks to get him from the Charlotte Hornets in June. Photo by Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty Images

Why an extension could get done: Phoenix has already shown a commitment to Williams by sending out two first-round picks — the No. 29 pick this past June, plus a 2029 first-rounder — to get him from the Charlotte Hornets. So, with that investment already in the bag, getting Williams on a long-term contract with the franchise would make some sense. — Bontemps

Why it might not:Williams’ health might be the most scrutinized in the NBA. The Lakers traded for Williams in February, only for him to fail his physical. After the trade was rescinded, Williams averaged 28.6 minutes, 15.1 points, 10.7 rebounds and a career high 1.3 blocks. He has never played more than 45 games in any season and has missed 116 games with various injuries (back, left foot and thumb). A likely approach is to evaluate Williams this season and then engage in contracts next summer when he is a restricted free agent. — Marks

What I would offer: A three-year, $51 million extension. The contract would be a flat $17 million per season and include exhibit 3 (prior injury exclusion that protects the Suns if Williams has a foot or back injury). The last year of the contract would be non-guaranteed but would have a minutes clause that partially or fully protects the salary. For example, if Williams plays in 55 games in 2025-26, 2026-27 and 2027-28, the contract would be fully guaranteed. If Williams reaches the criteria in one of the next three seasons, the protection would increase from zero to $5.66 million. — Marks

Will it happen?: It’s hard to see it happening, even with the investment in draft capital the Suns put in to get Williams. He’s a talented lob catcher, but since he’s already dealing with injury issues out of the gate and has played in only 106 games in his career, this seems as if it will be a wait-and-see situation. — Bontemps

Shaedon Sharpe, Portland Trail Blazers

Guard Shaedon Sharpe is a 6-foot-6 multifaceted wing who averaged 18.5 points last season. Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

Why an extension could get done:Sharpe was general manager Joe Cronin’s first draft pick in 2022, and will play this season — his fourth in the NBA — at just 22 years old. He’s also a 6-foot-6 multifaceted wing who averaged 18.5 points last season. Add that up, and it’s easy to see why Portland would want to keep him as part of its program moving forward. — Bontemps

Why it might not:Cap flexibility next offseason. Even after trading for Jrue Holiday and then signing Damian Lillard, Portland has $129 million in salary. The salary cap is projected to be $166 million. But Sharpe has a $25.2 million cap hold as a free agent, meaning Portland is already over the cap. The Blazers would have to let Sharpe walk in free agency to free up room. — Marks

What I would offer: Four years, $105 million. The contract seems rich, but I am betting on Sharpe’s upside. In his first two seasons combined, he scored 1,299 points, and scored 1,335 points last season. He became the first Trail Blazer to have seven career 30-point games before turning 22. The contract would start at $29 million and then decline each season, with the last year being $23.5 million. The Trail Blazers would be $40 million below the luxury tax, leaving them enough room to sign Toumani Camara to a contract and also have access to the non-tax midlevel exception. — Marks

Will it happen?:The bet here is this one gets done. The Blazers have added veterans to augment their young core, but Portland has expressed a belief that it can build upon its strong second half from last season. Keeping Sharpe and building on that momentum moving forward is part of that plan. — Bontemps

Walker Kessler, Utah Jazz

Getting Walker Kesslerâ€s extension done would ensure Utahâ€s rebuild would be anchored by a player who has shown dominant rim protection prowess under coach Will Hardy. Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Why an extension could get done:Getting Kessler’s extension done would allow the president of basketball operations, Austin Ainge, to ink a player who was a key part of the Rudy Gobert trade three years ago and keep him with the franchise through the end of the decade. It would also ensure Utah’s rebuild would be anchored by a player who has shown dominant rim protection prowess under coach Will Hardy. — Bontemps

Why it might not:Getting selected outside of the lottery and then outplaying your first-round contract comes with a downside. Because Kessler was selected with the 22nd pick in 2022, his free agent cap hold next season is a modest $14.7 million. That means if the Jazz signed Kessler to a starting salary of $25 million for next season, they would then lose $10 million in cap flexibility. Including the Kessler hold, Utah projects to have a minimum of $50 million in room. — Marks

What I would offer:Five years, $116 million. The extension would be a win-win for both sides. For Kessler, the $20 million starting salary next season ranks in the top 15 among all centers. The Jazz, on the other hand, would lose only $4 million in cap flexibility next summer. — Marks

Will it happen?:This one is unlikely. Both sides have signaled it won’t happen, and Kessler’s low cap hold for next summer without an extension will make him a valuable trade option or a valuable player for the Jazz to retain and build around as they begin to move into the next phase of their rebuild under Ainge. — Bontemps

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