Bucks Sign Brayden Burries To Rookie Scale Contract
Brayden Burries, the 10th overall pick in June’s draft, has become the 23rd 2026 first-rounder to officially sign his rookie scale contract, the Bucks announced on Sunday (Twitter link).
A freshman at Arizona in 2025/26, Burries made an immediate impact in his first and only college season by averaging 16.1 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.5 steals in just 29.8 minutes per game and compiling a strong shooting line of .491/.391/.805. The performance earned the 6’4″ shooting guard a spot on the All-Big 12 first team and made him a lock to be a lottery pick in the 2026 draft.
The former Wildcat was widely projected by draft experts to be Dallas’ pick at No. 9, but he made it to Milwaukee at No. 10 after the Mavericks provided the first surprise of the first round by opting for Morez Johnson Jr. Burries was the first player drafted by the Bucks after the organization signaled a significant change of direction by agreeing to trade Giannis Antetokounmpo to Miami.
As our tracker shows, Burries and teammate Nate Ament were among eight 2026 first-round picks who had yet to sign their rookie scale contracts. Ament can’t sign quite yet — he isn’t technically a Buck, since he’ll be involved in the Antetokounmpo blockbuster that can’t be officially finalized until after the July moratorium lifts on Monday at 11:00 am Central time.
Burries’ new contract will pay him about $6.42MM in 2026/27, with a four-year total of $29.21MM.
Lakers Notes: Kessler, Ayton, Thiero, Contention
The Lakers‘ decision to enter into a sign-and-trade agreement with the Jazz to acquire restricted free agent center Walker Kessler was an all-in swing to establish a defensive infrastructure to complement offensive-first backcourt of Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.
Kessler is the exact type of defender you’d want to play alongside Los Angeles’ two lead guards, Sam Vecenie writes in a breakdown for The Athletic. The 24-year-old big man is a high-level interior rotator, making him a great help defender, and he has become more schematically versatile over his time in Utah, according to Vecenie, who predicts that Kessler makes at least one All-Defensive team during his time with the Lakers. However, Vecenie believes Kessler can be a great defender rather than an elite one, ranking his ceiling above players like Jarrett Allen and Isaiah Hartenstein but below Rudy Gobert.
Offensively, Kessler is a very strong screener, making him a good pick-and-roll partner for Reaves and Doncic, as well as a lob threat and an elite offensive rebounder. However, there are concerns with how limited his scoring game is overall, Vecenie notes. In half-court settings, excluding offensive rebounds, Kessler only took around four shots per game last year, and his limitations on that side of the ball could be a concern in the playoffs.
The contract Kessler signs will likely end up paying him fairly based on how he ranks among centers league-wide, but the draft picks sent to acquire him, which depleted the Lakers’ future-facing assets, make the move incredibly risky, Vecenie concludes, while adding that it very well could turn out to be the right choice. It must work for L.A. to make the most of its Doncic era.
We have more Lakers news and notes:
- By agreeing to trade Deandre Ayton to the Wizards for Jaden Hardy and two second-round picks, the Lakers were able to create $2.1MM in savings. That extra bit of space gave the team the financial flexibility it needed to add free agents Quentin Grimes, Sandro Mamukelashvili, and Kessler into their cap space, as Yossi Gozlan details for The Third Apron (Substack link). Without that trade, the Lakers wouldn’t quite have had enough room to complete their deals for Grimes (four years, $60MM), Mamukelashvili (four years, $52MM), and Kessler (four years, $130MM) based on their reported terms.
- 2025 second-round pick Adou Thiero didn’t play much in his rookie year, but he’s looking to step into a leadership role for the Lakers’ Summer League team, Thuc Nhi Nguyen writes for the L.A. Times. Thiero is also already forming an intriguing wing duo with rookie Cameron Carr, given the former’s rim pressure ability and the latter’s hair-trigger jump shot. “That’s a dynamic partnership between the two of them,” Summer League coach Ty Abbott said after Sunday’s victory over Miami at the California Classic. “They did a really good job of playing with each other. There’s a good connection there. Adou, being unselfish, finds him and they just kind of play from there. The connection that they have and their unselfishness for the two of them to work together, after, you know, five days, is great. Love to see that.”
- The Lakers are trying to do something they haven’t attempted in years: build a competitive roster without LeBron James. Even though James took a bit of a step back into a supporting role at times last season, his presence was a safety net for the team, especially when Reaves and/or Doncic missed time, Law Murray writes for The Athletic. Now, that safety net is gone and the roster doesn’t yet look like a finished product. The recent additions have little playoff experience, and several of them may be best suited for bench roles on a contender, according to Murray, who suggests the Lakers could use another forward who could give them 25 solid minutes per game.
Nuggets Open To Peyton Watson Sign-And-Trade?
The Nuggets have been clear in their desire to upgrade the roster around Nikola Jokic this summer, despite their limited resources. So far, their moves have been minor — they’ve agreed to re-sign Tyus Jones and add backup big man Marvin Bagley III — as they navigate the restricted free agency of breakout forward Peyton Watson.
While the team has signaled its intention to match any offer sheet given to Watson once the July moratorium ends, it appears they’re also willing to consider sign-and-trade scenarios, Sam Amick reports for The Athletic.
As Amick explains, there continues to be a gap in the negotiations between the two sides. Watson is reportedly seeking $25MM or more per year on his next contract, while the Nuggets would be deep in second-apron territory if they complete that sort of deal without cutting costs elsewhere.
Earlier in free agency, the Jazz decided to recoup significant assets in a sign-and-trade for center Walker Kessler rather than match a potential Lakers offer sheet. While that situation has some parallels to the ongoing Watson discussions, it’s unclear whether any suitor will be as aggressive with the Nuggets wing as the Lakers were with Kessler.
Only the Nets and Clippers have the potential cap room to accommodate an offer sheet, Amick writes. The Clippers have been rumored to have interest in adding the versatile wing but are also still dealing with their own restricted free agent, Bennedict Mathurin. Brooklyn hasn’t been meaningfully linked to Watson to this point.
The Nuggets would still prefer to retain Watson rather than lose him in a trade, Amick notes. Watson was a strong contender to win Most Improved Player last season before injuries derailed him, as he stepped into a larger role with Aaron Gordon injured and averaged 17.3 points and 5.3 rebounds in 40 games as a starter.
The Nuggets are also expected to make a run at free agent LeBron James, who would form a compelling duo with Jokic as two of the smartest play-makers in the league. It’s unclear how, or if, the fact that both James and Watson are represented by Rich Paul and Klutch Sports could factor into any such negotiations.
If the Nuggets were to use a Watson sign-and-trade to bring back any player salary, it would hard-cap them at the second apron, further complicating their options.
Northwest Notes: Gilgeous-Alexander, Bates, Mara, James
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was back in action on Friday for the first time since the Thunder‘s Game 7 loss to the Spurs in the Western Conference Finals, scoring 26 points as Team Canada beat Puerto Rico 110-84 in their World Cup qualifying game.
Not only did the two-time MVP get to play in front of his home country’s rambunctious fan base, but he was also competing alongside his cousin, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, an experience he’s not taking for granted, according to Jeff Patterson of The Oklahoman.
“We’ve been through every like step of our basketball career together,” Gilgeous-Alexander said, “and to still be doing it at a high level together is an experience that it’s hard to put into words and has me breaking character middle of the game.”
Gilgeous-Alexander also spoke about Kawhi Leonard heading back to the Raptors, noting that Toronto’s fans would always show out for their team but that adding a player of Leonard’s caliber will only enhance their passion.
We have more from around the Northwest Division:
- Tamar Bates‘ new two-way contract with the Jazz covers two years, Keith Smith reports for Spotrac (Twitter link). The 23-year-old guard had a strong G League season in 2025/26, but has yet to make his NBA debut. Bates is currently on Utah’s Summer League roster, though he didn’t play in Saturday’s opener.
- There was a school of thought last month that the Thunder‘s lottery selection of 7’3″ center Aday Mara was influenced by how Victor Wembanyama performed against them in the playoffs. However, the belief that Mara was drafted with Wembanyama in mind does the rookie a disservice and isn’t why Oklahoma City valued him so highly, Joe Mussatto writes for The Oklahoman. “I don’t think you can centralize everything around one particular team,” general manager Sam Presti said. “If somebody was building their entire roster around Denver or Boston or us, they’d be disappointed because those teams weren’t there at the end.” Instead, Mussatto writes, it was Mara’s intersection of offensive feel and rim protection on defense that made him such a draw for the Thunder’s brain trust, as the big man shows the kind of high-level passing ability that the Thunder traditionally value.
- LeBron James‘ agent, Rich Paul, broke down James’ free agent options via a white board during a recent podcast. One of the teams included was the Timberwolves, though Paul’s comments about the Minnesota possibility centered more on what James could do for the team than what the team could do for James, Chris Hine writes for the Star Tribune. While that may be a hint that the Wolves are a long shot, their front office has shown a willingness to chase stars even when the odds are against them, so Hine says to expect them to continue their pursuit until LeBron tells them they’re out.
Atlantic Notes: J. Brown, Tatum, James, M. Brown
News of the Sixers’ trade agreement for star wing Jaylen Brown sent shock waves across the basketball world, as it marks the dissolution of one of the most successful NBA partnerships of the generation.
Brown’s game is often scrutinized, but he’s coming off one of the most successful individual seasons of his career and he will bring attributes the Sixers desperately need to make their offense more dangerous, Adam Aaronson writes for the Philly Voice.
Brown’s tough shot-making should help Philadelphia achieve one of its primary goals – being less reliant on Joel Embiid‘s creation – and should allow the team to be more competitive when Embiid is off the floor. The longtime Celtics wing is also a strong on-ball defender and should be able to boost the Sixers’ perimeter defense, given his combination of size and speed.
As Aaronson writes, potential causes for concern include the diminished rim pressure volume Brown displayed last season, in conjunction with some questionable shot selection and struggles as an off-ball defender.
The important part is that the Sixers will be a better basketball team as a result of the trade, according to Tony Jones of The Athletic. Brown functions as a three-level scoring threat and is significantly more durable than Paul George, which is crucial for a team still reliant on Embiid. Just how good Philadelphia can be in 2026/27 will come down to how well Brown meshes with his new big man co-star.
We have more from around the Atlantic Division:
- Brown’s former Celtics co-star Jayson Tatum took to Instagram to offer a farewell to his teammate of nine seasons and championship partner. “Forever grateful for all that we accomplished together, for pushing me to be a better player,” Tatum wrote, as relayed by Bobby Manning of Celtics CLNS (via Twitter). “From first round exits to winning a chip together, I’m thankful for it all. Nothing but love and respect for you as a player and as a person.” The 28-year-old Tatum, who is looking to come into next season fully recovered from his Achilles tear, will be entering his first NBA season without Brown.
- Whether or not anything comes from the rumored mutual interest between the Sixers and top free agent LeBron James, the fact that they’re in the conversation at all speaks well of the offseason they’ve had, Jones writes for The Athletic. The Sixers seemed stuck heading into the offseason but suddenly can make a real fit-based pitch for James’ services, even if they still remain something of a long shot. That alone signals that the team is moving in the right direction.
- After missing his first two Summer League games, it’s unclear whether Nets rookie guard Mikel Brown Jr.‘s will make his debut on Monday, according to Summer League head coach Dutch Gaitley. “That is above my pay grade,” Gaitley said, per Brian Lewis of the New York Post (Twitter link). “I think the plan is that he is going to play; but I don’t make the final decisions.” The specific reason Brown sat out the first two games is unclear, though he missed a good amount of time in his lone college season due to a back injury.
Mitchell Robinson Reveals Cause Of Hand Injury
After agreeing to a three-year, $47.4MM contract with the Celtics, former Knick and NBA champion Mitchell Robinson published a lengthy Facebook post revealing the source of the hand injury that required surgery and seemed to impact his ability to catch the ball during the 2026 NBA Finals.
“After our victory in Cleveland, everything seemed to be going well. We were celebrating our achievement, but for me, things took a turn for the worse,” Robinson wrote. “Upon returning to New York, I received an unexpected phone call, and my family members contacted me, informing me that my youngest brother had been involved in a car accident
“… I immediately went into panic mode. I began returning calls and texts, and when I FaceTimed my brother, I thought he was deceased. He was wearing a neck brace, unresponsive, and not speaking. I broke down in tears, feeling like a failure for not being able to protect my siblings. Being 910 miles away, I felt helpless. In a moment of frustration, I banged my hand on my truck.”
In the post, Robinson revealed that it had been a difficult season emotionally, saying that he was “dealing with personal issues, relationship problems, and internal struggles” that affected his performance on the court. He also spoke of not being able to spend as much time with his daughter as he had in the past, “because I needed to focus and lock in so she can have a better future than I did.”
Robinson was able to play through the injury, taking the court for every game in the NBA Finals and averaging 13.4 minutes per night.
Overall, Robinson averaged 4.8 points and 5.5 rebounds in 13.9 minutes per game in the championship run. While the hand injury seemed to impact him at times, he was still able to grab one of the biggest offensive rebounds in Knicks history, climbing over Victor Wembanyama to grab the board off a missed free throw up three with 26 seconds left in Game 5 and kicking out to a teammate for more free throws and the chance to extend the lead (video link).
Robinson alluded to dealing with personal issues throughout the season on social media, but this was the first time he addressed them in specific terms.
Thunder Notes: Mara, Stirtz, Barnhizer, Depth, Kawhi Trade
First-round picks Aday Mara (10 points, four assists, three rebounds and two blocks in 22 minutes) and Bennett Stirtz (10 points, four assists, three rebounds and three assists in 24 minutes) put up decent numbers on Saturday in their Thunder debuts at the Salt Lake City summer league, but the team was overmatched by a more experienced Grizzlies group, writes Justin Martinez of The Oklahoman (subscriber link).
As Martinez notes, Oklahoma City is known for its outstanding team chemistry. The summer league team is just getting acquainted with each other, however.
“I think right now we’re just trying to figure out everything as a team,” Spanish center Mara said. “Our first practice together was like four or five days ago, so we’re trying to get to know each other better on the court. … I think it’s just about time and learning from each other.”
Here’s more on the Thunder:
- Brooks Barnhizer, a 2025 second-rounder (44th overall), is back with the team on another two-way contract. While he had a modest NBA role as a rookie, the 24-year-old wing had a productive season in the G League, averaging 18.2 PPG, 8.8 RPG, 4.3 APG and 1.6 SPG while shooting 56.9% from the field in 21 total games (33.1 MPG). The former Northwestern star knows he’s going to have to continue to work on his three-point shot to stick at the NBA level, Martinez adds. “I think my numbers shooting the ball in our facility were crazy this year,” Barnhizer said. “I’m just trying to really hammer that out. Obviously, if you want to play in the NBA, you have to be able to shoot. But also just defensively, I’m trying to be able to scale up and down. Being able to switch a lot, stuff like that.”
- Mara, Stirtz, Nikola Topic and Thomas Sorber will have a chance to earn minutes in 2026/27 after the Thunder agreed to trade Aaron Wiggins to the Hawks and Isaiah Joe to the Pistons in separate cost-cutting deals. While those moves were understandable from a financial perspective, the Thunder’s vaunted depth may not be as strong as it was in the wake of the trades, since those four young players are all unproven commodities in the league, observes Jenni Carlson of The Oklahoman (subscription required).
- The Thunder could benefit from the Clippers‘ trade that will send Kawhi Leonard back to Toronto for Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick and several draft assets, Martinez writes in another story. Los Angeles seems worse on paper in the wake of the deal, and Oklahoma City has the right to swap first-round picks with the Clips in 2027 as part of a previous trade.
Celtics First-Rounder Chris Cenac Jr. Signs Rookie Deal
Former University of Houston big man Chris Cenac Jr. has signed his rookie scale contract with the Celtics, per the NBA’s transaction log.
Boston selected the 19-year-old forward/center with the 27th overall pick in the 2026 NBA draft. The New Orleans native was considered a potential top-10 pick entering his lone college season, but his stock slipped a little in 2025/26.
While Cenac is viewed as more of a long-term prospect rather than a player who is expected to contribute right away at the NBA level, he could eventually end up looking like a steal after he was selected late in the first round. He averaged 9.5 points and 7.9 rebounds in 24.8 minutes per game as a freshman for the Cougars, with a shooting slash line of .485/.333/.621.
Assuming he received 120% of the rookie scale amount like virtually every first-rounder does, Cenac will earn a little under $3MM as a rookie next season and $15.3MM over his first four years. The third and fourth seasons on his contract are team options.
International Notes: Mykhailiuk, Markovic, Dёmin, Huertas, More
Jazz wing Svi Mykhailiuk has been thriving for the Ukranian national team during the July qualifying window for the 2027 FIBA World Cup, according to Eurohoops. During Sunday’s lopsided victory over Denmark, the 29-year-old guard/forward had 30 points (on 9-of-16 shooting), five assists, four rebounds, two steals and one block in just 23 minutes.
Mykhailiuk is coming off a solid season with Utah in which he averaged 9.4 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 50 games, including 41 starts (23.1 minutes per night). He posted an excellent shooting line of .478/.408/.893.
The terms of Mykhailiuk’s contract called for his $3.85MM salary for 2026/27 to become fully guaranteed if he remained under contract through June 30. The Jazz will hold a $4.025MM team option on him next summer.
Here are a few more notes related to international players:
- Shortly after signing a four-year standard contract with the Bucks, 2025 second-round pick Bogoljub Markovic impressed in Milwaukee’s summer league victory over Golden State on Saturday, per Eurohoops. The Serbian forward finished with 16 points (on 8-of-12 shooting), seven rebounds and three assists in 25 minutes. Russian guard Egor Dёmin, meanwhile, had a strong showing for the Nets in a three-point loss to Sacramento, recording 23 points (on 8-of-15 shooting) and seven rebounds in 24 minutes. Dёmin was the eighth overall pick in the 2025 draft.
- Longtime Brazilian point guard Marcelo Huertas, who spent two seasons with the Lakers from 2015-17, is returning to La Laguna Tenerife for an eighth consecutive season, the team announced in a press release. Despite being 43 years old, Huertas is coming off a very strong Liga ACB season in which he averaged 15.6 PPG, 5.6 APG and 2.6 RPG on .500/.405/.940 shooting in 29 games (23.4 MPG).
- Three-year NBA veteran Kostas Antetokounmpo has signed a three-year deal with Aris BC in Greece, according to an announcement from the team. The final season features a team option, sources tell Eurohoops. Antetokounmpo spent last season with Aris while on loan from Olympiacos. Aris also recently signed former NBA big man Khem Birch, who has spent the past two seasons with Fenerbahce.
Vanterpool Moving To Wizards’ Front Office; Caporn New Top Assistant
Wizards lead assistant coach David Vanterpool is transitioning to a position in the team’s front office, according to Josh Robbins of The Athletic, who reports that Adam Caporn will be Washington’s new top assistant.
Vanterpool has been with the Wizards since 2023 and has been the lead assistant under head coach Brian Keefe for the past two-and-a-half seasons. The 53-year-old, who has interviewed for several head coaching vacancies over the years, had previous assistant coaching jobs with Portland, Minnesota and Brooklyn.
Vanterpool, who also played and coached overseas, was the Thunder’s director of player personnel from 2010-12 and was considered a potential future general manager before he switched back to coaching, Adrian Wojnarowski reported for Yahoo Sports in 2013.
As Robbins notes, Caporn was already an assistant on Brian Keefe‘s staff. The 44-year-old Australian is also the head coach of the Boomers, Australia’s men’s national team.
Caporn got his NBA start as head coach of the Long Island Nets in 2021/22 and spent the following two seasons as an assistant in Brooklyn. He has been an assistant with the Wizards since 2024.
Shams Charania of ESPN reported on Saturday that Patrick Ewing is joining Washington’s coaching staff as an assistant, while Steve Clifford will be a coaching advisor.
