The contract includes a player option in 2027. Lillard now will have a 2025-26 set salary of $70M between his Portland and Milwaukee deals, and a salary of $141M over the next two years, according to Charania. The 35-year-old point guard is heading back to where his career began when the Trail Blazers selected him with the sixth overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft. Lillard is unlikely to play much if at all this season as he recovers from Achilles surgery, but looks to finish his career right where he started it. The deal includes a no-trade clause.

Harper only appeared in two games after dealing with a groin injury, and he played a total of 42 minutes across his appearances. He clearly didn’t need to be out there, and the Spurs decided it wasn’t worth risking further injury. David Jones-Garcia should return to the starting lineup as he continued to make a case of Summer League MVP.

Beal will have a player option for the second season of his deal with the Clippers, so if he has a bounce-back year, he could certainly decline the option and sign a larger deal next summer, which makes this a great scenario for him. Beal should start at shooting guard, likely alongside James Harden, Kawhi Leonard, John Collins and Ivica Zubac, making this one of the best lineups in the league in 2021. How well will it work next season? That’s on coach Tyronn Lue to figure out. This is certainly a fun collection of talent. Bogdan Bogdanovic and Kris Dunn will likely lose out on minutes with Beal in the mix.

The expectation is that LeBron will be with the Lakers for training camp. If you follow every single rumor that happens during the NBA offseason and read between the lines, you can see that LeBron has been pulling some stunts to create some drama. But if you look at the bigger picture, there isn’t really a move that makes sense for both the Lakers and another team that LeBron will also agree to, since he has a no-trade clause. The reality is that LeBron will be a Laker next year in what could be his final NBA season.

According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the procedure was done to clean up bone spurs in Lively’s right foot. The expectation is that he should be ready for the start of training camp in late September. Also, NBA insider Marc Stein reported that the handling of Lively’s injury led to a disagreement between members of the Mavericks’ medical staff. Four staff members, including director of athletic performance Keith Belton, were dismissed in May. With Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis recovering from knee and eye injuries, respectively, three of Dallas’ critical players are using the offseason to recover. In the case of Irving, he is not expected to be available until well into the 2025-26 season.

With the Jazz in the midst of a rebuild, there have been questions regarding Markkanen’s future with the franchise. However, while John Collins and Collin Sexton were traded this offseason and Jordan Clarkson’s contract was bought out, the team reportedly does not plan to move Markkanen. “It would be too much to describe Markkanen as untouchable, but the Jazz still project the All-Star forward as a key player in their future core,” MacMahon wrote. In addition to how he’s viewed within the franchise, Markkanen’s contract may deter some teams. Last August, he agreed to a five-year extension worth $238 million. Utah still needs some veterans to lead the way for their young roster, which is why Markkanen remains so valuable to the franchise.

Given how well Filipowski has played in Utah’s three games in Las Vegas, Monday’s overtime defeat may be the last time he plays until the start of the 2025-26 season. The second-year forward/center was outstanding against the Spurs, producing another efficient offensive effort while also grabbing 11 rebounds. Filipowski’s emphatic dunk with 1.9 seconds remaining in overtime tied the game at 91, but a Riley Minix turnaround as time expired gave San Antonio the win.

Irving was injured in early March and does not have a concrete timeline for returning to game action. However, Harrison’s words about the point guard will spark optimism regarding his return to the court. “Kyrie’s ahead of schedule, but we kind of knew he would be because of the way he attacks his rehab,” Harrison said, according to the Dallas Hoops Journal. “He’s going two or three times a day. As much as he wants to rush it, we don’t want him to. But he’s going to be fine.” Due to Irving’s injury, the Mavericks signed D’Angelo Russell in free agency and re-signed Dante Exum. They’ll handle the point guard responsibilities while Dallas awaits Kyrie’s return, with Russell being worth the risk in standard league drafts.

According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, George injured his knee during a recent workout. The 76ers wing only appeared in 41 games in his debut season with the team, as groin and knee injuries sidelined him for good in March. George initially hyperextended his left knee during the preseason, and it remained an issue throughout the year. With Joel Embiid also recovering from offseason knee surgery, the 76ers could be without two of their stars when training camp opens in September.