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Shams Charania: Dallas Mavericks forward Naji Marshall has signed a three-year, $52.2 million contract extension, sources tell ESPN. The fully guaranteed deal takes Marshall through the 2029-30 season in Dallas.
Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant said Saturday that LeBron James and the new-look Philadelphia 76ers have the offensive firepower to compete for the 2027 NBA championship. What's more, Durant evoked his two Golden State Warriors championship teams, which also featured Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, when praising the combined scoring prowess of Philadelphia's James, Jaylen Brown, Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. "The last time they put three 20-point scorers on a team, they said it was unfair, which was the [Warriors] team I was on," Durant said at a USA Basketball event Saturday. "[The 76ers] have got four 25-point scorers on this team. So, hell yeah, I think they're going to be a contender. They're going to be a fun team to watch. It's going to be League Pass-worthy."
James, 41, announced on July 24 that he would join the 76ers rather than the Warriors, Cleveland Cavaliers or Miami Heat after weighing his latest free agency move for more than three weeks. While Durant, 37, said he had no advance notice about the decision, he believes the growing buzz around the 76ers is "only going to help" grow interest in the NBA. "I didn't know at all," Durant said. "LeBron is stealth like that. I know there's a lot of noise around him, but you never know what's on his mind. I'm happy for him. It's a great decision for him to go to a team that has a good chance to win. Philly is a great fanbase, a great market, and it's great for the league. There were so many eyes that were tuned in to his decision."
Durant and James won gold medals as teammates in the 2012 London and 2024 Paris Olympics. "It's really on [USA Basketball managing director] Grant Hill and what Team USA wants to do," Durant said. "I stay on top of my game and hopefully I get that call, but there's so many great players who deserve to be on the team."
Chet Holmgren, an All-Star big man set to enter his fourth season with the Thunder, offered best wishes to Luguentz Dort, Aaron Wiggins and Isaiah Joe, who left Oklahoma City in separate offseason trades. Dort, a perimeter stopper and longtime starter, and Wiggins, a reserve wing, will join the Atlanta Hawks. Joe, a backup shooting specialist, was sent to the Detroit Pistons. "That's how the business of this game goes," Holmgren said at a USA Basketball Foundation charity event in Southern California. "No team, all 17 guys, sticks together forever. But it doesn't make it hurt less when you see guys go. At the same time, I'm excited for [Dort and Wiggins] and the opportunity they're going to have in Atlanta. I'm happy for whatever major milestones they reach over there."
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"I have complete trust in our team and the moves they make," Holmgren said. "I trust what they're doing is to get it right. It's my job to be in the gym all summer to get my stuff right."
Holmgren, 24, averaged 17.1 points, 8.9 rebounds and 1.9 blocks to earn his first All-Star selection last season, but he struggled against the Spurs in the playoffs and finished with just four points and four rebounds in the Game 7 loss. "We learned the same lesson [in 2026] as the year that we won it: It was almost more of a reminder of just how hard it is to accomplish, and how much goes into it," Holmgren said. "There is no guarantee. You can put in all the work and still come up short. At the end of the day, you have to be okay with putting in the work with no guaranteed outcome. We came up short this year. That doesn't change the process."
Shams Charania: Free agent forward Jeremy Sochan has agreed to a one-year deal to sign with the Portland Trail Blazers, agent Deirunas Visockas of Gersh Sports tells ESPN. Sochan -- who has averaged 9.9 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.5 assists entering his fifth NBA season -- finished 2025-26 on the championship Knicks.
Shams Charania: Free agent Gary Payton II has agreed on a one-year, $3.9 million deal to return to the Golden State Warriors, sources tell ESPN. Payton returns to the Warriors for his seventh year in the Bay Area -- and his 11th NBA season.
Michael Scotto: Update: The Cleveland Cavaliers signed Mario Hezonja to a one-year, non-guaranteed deal with a trigger date, sources told @hoopshype . His $2.8 million salary becomes fully guaranteed if he remains on the roster past November 15th. ESPN first reported an agreement for both sides.
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Bulletproof evidence or full agreement on the findings and proposed settlement are the two paths to a faster conclusion. NBPA executive director David Kelly stated in the ESPN report that none of what he’s seen thus far from Wachtell Lipton’s findings is worthy of punishment, but we have no idea what he’s actually seen. There is a growing belief now, with reporting that the investigation is in fact over and the league is sifting through its findings, that the main delay will now stem from trying to find a punishment Ballmer will accept. At the end of the day, this is the richest owner in the league and the estimated third-richest owner in all of sports, and Silver will want to maintain that relationship.
Fast-forward to the current season. Once again, Clark wants to focus on her game, not get dragged into polarizing political debates. Once again, Cunningham is acting as the lightning rod, fearlessly wading into the debate regarding transgender athletes. As she told ESPN: “I want to protect young girls in a locker room, or young girls in sport who shouldn’t have to go against biological men.” Whether intentional or not, Cunningham has become the story instead of Clark, who’s averaging a career-best 21.5 points per game in her third season in the W. When the media tried to make Cunningham backtrack on her ESPN comments, she stuck by her position that little girls–and all women–need protection. “I said what I said. I think it’s kind of common sense.”
Looney has spent many years trying to contain Doncic as a defender and it is something he is happy to not have to do this season. The Lakers center made it clear that he is very excited to be able to team with the superstar guard as opposed to trying to defend him. “Playing against him sucks, especially being a big man,” Looney said on Mason & Ireland on ESPN LA Radio. “You’re in a lot of pick-and-rolls, you’re getting iso’d, he picks on people and you gotta guard him 1-on-1 and he’s probably the toughest guy to guard 1-on-1 in the league. Got to compete against him on the Lakers and in the playoffs when he was in Dallas. “I’m excited to be on his team, be able to learn from him, be able to play pick-and-roll with him. He’s probably the best pick-and-roll player in the league so being able to learn how he wants me to set screens and different things like that I’m excited about it. He’s one of the best guys in the league and it makes my life a lot easier playing with him so I’m super excited.”
The WNBA has suspended Seattle Storm co-owner Celeste Keaton from attending the team's next five home games after her exchange with two fans during Tuesday's matchup with the Indiana Fever, the league confirmed Thursday. According to multiple reports, Keaton had admonished a pair of fans who brought signs into Climate Pledge Arena supporting Fever guard Sophie Cunningham following her recent comments about transgender athletes. The fans told unDividedPod.com that Keaton directed expletives at them for a sign that thanked Cunningham "for speaking up for girls."