Sunday: Free agency began after midnight ET Friday: Moratorium ends at noon ET; signings and trades can be made official July 13: Deadline to withdraw qualifying offers to restricted free agents
7:30 p.m. ET:ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports that the Phoenix Suns and shooting guard Devin Booker are close to finalizing a four-year max contract extension. Booker was the 13th pick in the 2015 NBA draft.
1:33 a.m. ET:Yahoo! Sports reports that the LA Clippers re-signed shooting guard Avery Bradley to a two-year, $25 million deal. The Clippers acquired Bradley in the January 2018 Blake Griffin trade with the Detroit Pistons. Bradley played only six games before undergoing season-ending core surgery.
5:11 p.m. ET: The Minnesota Timberwolves have agreed to a one-year, $5 million deal with forward Anthony Tolliver, according to multiple reports. News of Tolliver’s agreement with Minnesota came on the same day the franchise rescinded its qualifying offer to forward Nemanja Bjelica, sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
9:51 p.m. ET: The Orlando Magic will re-sign restricted free agent Aaron Gordon to a four-year, $84 million contract, according to Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated. Gordon made a career-high 115 3s last season at a 33.6 percent clip, the first time he cleared 30 percent in four NBA seasons.
11:56 p.m. ET:According to ESPN’s Ian Begley, the New York Knicks are interested in free-agent small forward Mario Hezonja. The fifth pick in the 2015 draft by Orlando, Hezonja is also interested in meeting with New York, who just used the ninth pick of the 2018 NBA Draft on forward Kevin Knox.
11:38 p.m. ET: The Denver Nuggets will re-sign free agent Will Barton to a four-year deal worth $54 million, according to ESPN’s Chris Haynes. The fourth year is a player option. Barton will be Denver’s starting small forward in 2018-19.
4:39 p.m. ET: The Phoenix Suns have waived point guard Tyler Ulis, league sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Ulis’ $1.5 million salary for next season would have become guaranteed on Sunday if the team did not release him. Suns general manager Ryan McDonough said Friday that the team was looking to acquire a point guard in free agency.
1:41 p.m. ET:LeBron James‘ camp and the Cleveland Cavaliers front office have maintained a dialogue since the end of the season, but the two sides will not have a face-to-face meeting when free agency opens at 12:01 a.m. ET, sources told ESPN. It is unclear at this point if an in-person meeting between James and the Cavs has been scheduled for down the line.
1:18 p.m. ET: The Atlanta Hawks have waived guard Isaiah Taylor, who averaged 6.6 points and 3.1 assists in 67 games last season. Had Taylor remained on the roster beyond Saturday, $300,000 of his $1.5 million salary for 2018-19 would have become guaranteed.
6:43 p.m. ET:DeAndre Jordan will not pick up the option of the final year of his four-year, $87.6 million contract with the LA Clippers, league sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. This clears the way for Jordan to begin negotiations with the Dallas Mavericks as a free agent. The Mavs had previously explored trade options for the Clippers big man had Jordan opted to play the final year of his deal.
12:32 p.m. ET:LeBron James will not pick up the player option on the final year of his contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers and will become an unrestricted free agent, according to ESPN and multiple reports, though it doesn’t necessarily mean he’s leaving. Because of the difficulty of completing a sign-and-trade deal, James opting out actually limits his options for leaving the Cavs to teams with cap space to sign him outright, leaving LeBron’s likely outcomes as joining either the Los Angeles Lakers or Philadelphia 76ers or returning to Cleveland.
June 28 updates
1:44 p.m. ET: The Dallas Mavericks have made center DeAndre Jordan their primary target as free agency nears, league sources told ESPN. Jordan, who infamously spurned the Mavs in 2015 free agency after making an oral commitment to come to Dallas, has a deadline of 11:59 p.m. ET Friday to decide whether to opt in to the final season of his contract that would pay him $24.1 million.
12:54 p.m. ET:New York Knicks center Enes Kanter is leaning heavily toward exercising his $18.6 million player option for 2018-19, sources told ESPN’s Ian Begley. Kanter will continue to survey the market until his Friday deadline, sources said, but barring an unforeseen significant change, he will opt in.
11:57 a.m. ET: Paul George has informed Oklahoma City Thunder officials that he will not be opting in for the final year of his contract and will become an unrestricted free agent, league sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. George, who will decline a $20.7 million salary for the 2018-19 season, remains seriously interested in returning to the Thunder in free agency, with the Los Angeles Lakers also receiving serious consideration, sources said.
June 27 updates
10:01 p.m. ET: The Los Angeles Lakers re-engaged the San Antonio Spursin pursuit of a trade for All-NBA forward Kawhi Leonard, league sources told ESPN. The Spurs have wanted to find a way to repair the franchise’s relationship with Leonard, but an overwhelming Lakers offer could convince San Antonio to part with its franchise star, league sources said.
7:10 p.m. ET: The Cleveland Cavalierswill pick up the $2.5 million team option on Kendrick Perkins‘ contract for 2018-19. The decision is a salary-cap ploy to try to aggregate the veteran center’s salary along with an existing contract to pursue a trade around the league, multiple league sources told ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.
5:07 p.m. ET: The Cleveland Cavalierswill extend a $3.4 million qualifying offer to restricted free-agent forward Rodney Hood ahead of Friday’s midnight deadline, according to multiple reports. Hood, 25, came to Cleveland from Utah in the flurry of moves executed at the trade deadline by Cavs general manager Koby Altman.
4:35 p.m. ET: The Los Angeles Lakers have extended a $5.6 million qualifying offer to forward Julius Randle, making him a restricted free agent, the Associated Press reported. The Lakers will have the option to match any offer sheet Randle signs from another team, but his future in L.A. remains unclear, as the franchise has lofty aspirations in free agency.
2:20 p.m. ET: The Dallas Mavericks have withdrawn their $4.3 million qualifying offer to forward Doug McDermott, making him an unrestricted free agent, league sources told ESPN’s Zach Lowe. Dallas, however, still has interest in retaining the 2014 Naismith College Player of the Year.
12:40 p.m. ET: There is growing concern in Los Angeles that Paul George is no longer assured of signing with the Lakers, league sources told ESPN. George, 28, can decline his $20.7 million player option with the Oklahoma City Thunder and would officially hit the free-agent market Sunday.
4:22 p.m. ET: Saying there is “no pressure” on him entering free agency, Los Angeles Lakers president Magic Johnson said it will not be a failure if the team doesn’t land a superstar this offseason and that he and the Lakers should be judged on how they do next summer. Johnson added: “If I can’t deliver [after two summers] I’m going to step down myself.”
12:40 p.m. ET: With the deadline passing Saturday, Carmelo Anthonydid not exercise the early termination option on the final year of his contract to join the 2018 free-agent class. Anthony, officially a member of the Oklahoma City Thunder again next season, will earn $27.9 million in 2018-19 to complete the five-year, $120 million contract he signed with the New York Knicks in 2014.
1:20 a.m. ET:San Antonio Spurs general manager R.C. Buford stated the franchise’s desire to keep disgruntled All-Star forward Kawhi Leonard in the fold Thursday after the NBA draft but said the club “will explore all of our options.” Leonard wants to be traded to Los Angeles, preferably to the Lakers, sources have told ESPN.
4:33 p.m. ET: Dwight Howard and the Brooklyn Nets have mutually agreed to enter into buyout talks for his $23.8 million expiring contract. Howard, 32, would then enter free agency this summer. On Wednesday, the Charlotte Hornets and Brooklyn agreed to a trade that will send Howard to the Nets in exchange for center Timofey Mozgov, two second-round picks and cash, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
June 20 updates
9:16 p.m. ET:New York Knicks center Kyle O’Quinn has declined his $4.2 million contract for the 2018-19 season to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, league sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. O’Quinn averaged 7.1 points, 6.1 rebounds and 58 percent shooting in 18 minutes per game for the Knicks in 2017-18.
1:02 p.m. ET: ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said during an NBA draft preview show Monday night that Rockets guard Chris Paulwill return to the team and is putting all his focus into recruiting LeBron James to Houston.
June 18 update
4:28 p.m. ET:San Antonio Spurs forward Rudy Gay is declining his 2018-19 player option to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, league sources told ESPN’s Chris Haynes. Gay, 31, is turning down a salary of $8.8 million in order to hit free agency.
June 16 update
11:57 a.m. ET: Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard wants out of San Antonio, league sources told ESPN’s Chris Haynes. Leonard has Los Angeles — preferably the Lakers — at the center of his preferences for a trade destination, league sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, but a source with the Spurs said Leonard hasn’t asked them for a trade.
June 13 updates
10:33 a.m. ET:ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that a meeting — or a series of them — will be set between Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich and star forward Kawhi Leonard about whether a lasting trust and partnership can be rebuilt. Leonard is eligible to receive a five-year, $219 million contract extension this summer, but his future in San Antonio has come into question after his relationship with the franchise became strained last season.
8:45 a.m. ET: League sources told ESPN’s Chris Haynes that Warriors All-Star forward Draymond Greenwill turn down Golden State’s three-year, $72 million extension when it’s offered. That’s because if he earns MVP, Defensive Player of the Year or All-NBA Team honors next season, he will be eligible for a super-max contract of five years, $226 million.
3:45 p.m. ET:Jodie Meeks exercised his $3.5 million contract option to return to the Washington Wizards for the 2018-19 season, league sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Meeks will serve the remaining 19 games of a 25-game suspension for violating the NBA’s anti-drug policy to start the season. Meeks, 30, played 77 games for the Wizards last season, averaging 14.5 minutes and 6.3 points a game.
10:15 a.m. ET:Indiana Pacers forward Thaddeus Young is seriously contemplating declining his $13.7 million player option for the 2018-19 season and becoming an unrestricted free agent, league sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Young, 29, has until June 29 to make a decision on the option.
