Basketball Wiretap

Moussa Cisse has agreed to a two-year offer sheet with the New York Knicks in restricted free agency. The Dallas Mavericks now have 48 hours to match the offer.

Cisse's salary would be half-guaranteed in the first season, while the 2027-28 season remains non-guaranteed. Cisse, who turns 24 in September, went undrafted out of Memphis last summer before signing a two-way contract with Dallas ahead of the season. The Mavericks extended him a qualifying offer earlier this offseason, making him a restricted free agent.

The 6-foot-11 center averaged 4.5 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in 13.9 minutes across 38 games last season. Cisse also averaged 14.8 points, 13.2 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 2.2 blocks in 27.7 minutes across 16 G League games.

Cisse could add frontcourt depth for the Knicks after the reigning NBA champions lost center Mitchell Robinson in free agency.

Cisse is represented by Yann Balikouzou. 

Caitlin Clark made history Friday night, becoming the first player in WNBA history to record 45 points and 10 assists in a single game as the Indiana Fever defeated the Seattle Storm 110-107. Clark hit the go-ahead 3-pointer from 26 feet with 39.1 seconds remaining after the game had been tied.

Clark's 45 points set a Fever franchise record, and she became the first player in league history to reach that total in fewer than 30 minutes. With six made 3-pointers, she also became the fastest player to reach 200 career 3-point field goals, doing so in 74 games. It marked her fourth career game with at least 30 points and 10 assists, a feat matched only four other times in league history.

Clark described sensing early on that the night would be a special one.

"Some nights, like, you know you have it, even before the ball tips," said Clark. "I felt like it was going to be one of those for me. I feel like you just have to believe you're going to have those type of nights, and you have to visualize having those types of nights. And I feel like that's what I did."

Clark shot 17-for-19 from the free throw line while repeatedly attacking the basket early, which opened up perimeter looks as the game progressed. She also finished with four steals and two blocks, including a critical defensive sprint-back block on Flau'jae Johnson that set up her decisive late 3-pointer.

Fever center Makayla Timpson, starting in place of injured Aliyah Boston, praised Clark's performance.

"Just greatness right here, man," said Timpson. "She does some crazy stuff out there on the court, man."

Clark scored 16 points in the fourth quarter alone after Seattle had taken an 88-82 lead through three quarters. She played through a minutes restriction tied to a back injury that had limited her to roughly 25 minutes per game over her previous two outings, but said there was no chance she would sit out the finish.

"Steph knows better than that," said Clark, referencing Fever coach Stephanie White. "Trainers know better than that. ... Didn't matter, I would play with one leg."

Teammate Kelsey Mitchell also turned in a standout performance, scoring 30 points and extending her franchise-record streak to nine consecutive games with at least 20 points, the ninth such streak in league history. Clark and Mitchell became the first teammates in WNBA history to score 40 and 30 points in the same game.

Fever coach Stephanie White reflected on the magnitude of Clark's performance.

"It's incredible," said White. "I mean, it's special. She does things that that we haven't seen. She had a lot of bounce early. You could tell she was feeling better. She was feeling good, and in the moment, sometimes it's surreal to see. I look down at the stat sheet at the end of the game, and it's like, holy [expletive], 45 and 10."

Clark said she plans to play Saturday against the New York Liberty in the second half of a back-to-back set.

"I still feel like I can play better," said Clark. "It's one of the hardest things, coming back from injury and being out of the groove and having time off. You just have to kind of continue to believe in yourself and believe in the work you put in. This is great, but we have another really difficult test tomorrow, so got to get ready for that."

De'Aaron Fox remains a critical part of the San Antonio Spurs' future, despite his difficult performance in the NBA Finals loss to the New York Knicks, sources tell The Athletic. The Spurs' stance has remained consistent since general manager Brian Wright publicly backed Fox in late June.

"We have the ultimate faith in De'Aaron and who he is as a player, what he's been for us and what he means to this team," said Wright. "And there's no wavering in that at all."

Fox is set to begin a four-year maximum extension worth $222 million signed during the 2025 offseason a few months after his trade from the Sacramento Kings. Fox struggled in the Finals, averaging 12.8 points while shooting 34.3 percent from the field and 25 percent from three-point range. His decision to attempt a layup that was blocked by OG Anunoby late in Game 4, with San Antonio holding a one-point lead and the shot clock off, became emblematic of the team's Finals struggles.

The Spurs have attributed much of Fox's decline to an ankle injury suffered in the second round against the Minnesota Timberwolves. He missed the first two games of the Western Conference finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder before returning for Game 3, playing through pain that significantly affected his shooting despite reasonable mobility.

Sources indicated the Spurs also understand Fox's contract makes him difficult to trade in the near term, making a strong statistical rebound next season important to any long-term backcourt transition plan. With Stephon Castle firmly established as a starter, sources said it's unlikely San Antonio would start all three of its top guards together unless one develops into a reliable knockdown shooter.

That dynamic likely limits rookie standout Dylan Harper's path to a starting role next season unless Fox is willing to shift into a bench role. Fox retains a clear advantage over both younger guards in his ability to control tempo and generate quality looks beyond initial actions, a skill set that remains valuable to San Antonio as Castle and Harper continue developing.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver said Tuesday night he expects the league's planned streaming hub for local broadcasts to launch in time for the 2027-28 season. Sources told Sports Business Journal that YouTube is currently viewed as a leading candidate to house the platform.

Following the collapse of Main Street Sports Group, 13 teams, including the Hawks, Hornets, Cavaliers, Pistons, Pacers, Clippers, Grizzlies, Heat, Bucks, Timberwolves, Thunder, Magic and Spurs, will operate under one-year broadcast arrangements with various outlets this coming season. The Heat, Pistons and Bucks have already finalized deals with local over-the-air channels, while the remaining 10 teams will choose between free TV options or paywalled streaming services.

That structure is expected to evolve for 2027-28, when those 13 teams could be joined by NBC's regional sports network partners, the Celtics, Warriors, 76ers and Kings, along with over-the-air teams such as the Jazz, Suns, Trail Blazers, Pelicans and Mavericks. That expansion would push the hub past 20 participating teams. Whether additional franchises, including the Lakers, who are set to earn $199 million and $209 million in rights fees over the next two seasons, eventually join remains dependent on whether the league's streaming partner can match those figures.

A larger pool of participating teams would likely increase the rights fee a streaming partner pays for the hub. League Pass, which currently blacks out local broadcasts, is expected to remain intact through Amazon regardless of the hub's structure. The new platform is expected to be geofenced, meaning fans would need to access it specifically for local team broadcasts rather than league-wide game coverage.

Silver addressed the league's progress on the initiative during Tuesday's comments.

"In terms of local television, I feel we are making progress there, without being specific about some of the media companies who are demonstrating interest," said Silver. "If you look at this lifecycle of the streaming companies and their interest in live sports, it was only a few years ago when some of those same companies were saying that didn't make sense within their business models; that they didn't really see an opportunity to acquire these kinds of sports rights. And then just jump a little bit, a few years later, and you see almost all of them now are very much engaged.

"So again, it's a long way of saying that I think the communal aspect, the community aspect of local sports is critically important in this country. It's important for college sports. It's important for professional sports, and I think the media companies, you know, with streaming leading the way, are going to see that value in the marketplace. So I'm even more optimistic than last we spoke about this that we are going to see solutions for the league."

ESPN has also expressed interest in participating in the hub. Chairman Jimmy Pitaro addressed the network's ambitions Thursday during an event hosted by CNBC and Boardroom, according to The Athletic's Mike Vorkunov.

"We've made our intentions very clear with with every league, including the NBA, that we want to be part of the solution here," said Pitaro.

CNBC's Alex Sherman, who interviewed Pitaro at the event, said ESPN had no prior knowledge of YouTube's discussions with the NBA and indicated the network would be open to a non-exclusive arrangement shared with another partner.

The drop in revenue from local television deals has contributed to the NBA's slower than anticipated growth and believed to be contributing to the push for expansion.

Dylan Harper may begin next season in a sixth-man role with the San Antonio Spurs, according to sources familiar with the team's thinking. The arrangement stems from a crowded backcourt that includes De'Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle, both of whom remain ahead of Harper in the pecking order for now.

Despite the likely bench role, evaluators around the league remain enthusiastic about Harper's trajectory. Scouts, coaches and front office executives were impressed by his paint finishing, point-of-attack defense and poise as a 20-year-old competing on the NBA Finals stage. Sources described Harper as being on a legitimate superstar track based on that performance.

Fox's continued advantage in tempo control and offensive organization gives him a clear edge over both younger guards for now, even after his struggles in the finals. That dynamic makes it unlikely Harper unseats Fox as a starter next season unless Fox is willing to move to the bench himself.

The Spurs are unlikely to start Harper alongside both Fox and Castle unless one of the trio significantly improves their perimeter shooting.

Victor Wembanyama's decision to forgo a potential supermax contract, made partly to help San Antonio maintain financial flexibility to pay Harper once his rookie deal expires, has helped establish an expectation of sacrifice across the roster. Sources familiar with Harper's thinking said he understands he may need to accept a reserve role next season as part of that broader team dynamic.

Harper addressed the subject last season when asked about a potential sixth-man role, telling The Athletic that he viewed Keldon Johnson, the reigning Sixth Man of the Year, as the team's true sixth man and considered himself simply one of the bench pieces. Johnson's uncertain extension outlook this offseason, however, adds another layer of complexity to how the Spurs ultimately configure their backcourt rotation heading into next season.

The Los Angeles Lakers promoted Zach Guthrie as an assistant coach and head of player development on JJ Redick's staff, sources told Shams Charania of ESPN.

Guthrie coached the South Bay Lakers to the best record in the G League last season.

LeBron James is genuinely close to reaching a decision on his next team, sources tell ESPN, with many league and team personnel hopeful an announcement will come next week. The update followed James' fourth public appearance around Fanatics Fest, where he again declined to reveal his choice.

James is choosing between the Miami Heat, Cleveland Cavaliers, Philadelphia 76ers, Golden State Warriors and Minnesota Timberwolves.

James closed out the event Friday with a live taping of "The Shop," his talk show that concluded an eight-year run with longtime co-host Maverick Carter. The episode marked a transition in hosting duties to actor Travis Bennett and comedian Steelo Brim, who pressed James for an answer in front of roughly 5,000 fans.

"We don't have an announcement to make just yet," said James, smiling as the crowd groaned.

Bennett referenced the growing pressure surrounding James' decision, including comments from NBA commissioner Adam Silver at a separate Fanatics Fest event Thursday.

"The whole world is waiting on this," said Bennett. "They're waiting to schedule the games."

Silver had addressed the scheduling implications of James' pending decision during a summit hosted by CNBC Sport and Boardroom.

James offered some insight into his decision-making criteria while sharing the stage with tennis star Novak Djokovic, referencing organizational culture as a key factor.

"Most important is I want to compete," said James. "I want to compete at a high level. I want to join a franchise that kind of shares the same motto as myself and that's practicing championship habits every day, but trusting the process more than anything."

His use of the phrase "trust the process," historically associated with the Philadelphia 76ers' rebuild under Sam Hinkie, drew a mixed reaction from the crowd. James later joked about the phrase's origins.

"I've been saying 'trust the process' since I was drafted in, like, 2003," said James. "I don't know if Embiid was even born yet."

James also addressed ongoing questions about retirement, pushing back on the idea that his age should dictate his next move.

"In sports, there's always conversations, like, 'When is he going to retire? He needs to retire. He's this age. He's that age,'" said James. "But, why? Why are we trying to force people that are still doing what they do at a high level, why are we trying to force a narrative of it's time to retire? You look at guys like Bruce Springsteen and some of the greatest musicians, the [Rolling] Stones, they've been on tour for 50, 60 years! So, I'm just trying to squeeze as much of the juice out of it as possible."

Giannis Antetokounmpo was officially introduced by the Miami Heat on Thursday, expressing intense motivation to add a second championship to his career. He addressed reporters while seated beneath the franchise's three previous championship banners at Kaseya Center.

"It's at like a million percent right now," Antetokounmpo told ESPN. "You walk through the hallways and you see the history and you see the players that have been a part of this organization and things that they've done. I want to make all the moves that they've made worth it.

"It's a place I feel like brings pressure, and I thrive under pressure. It brings the best out of me. I'm excited to be coached by [Erik Spoelstra]. I'm excited to be around the city. I understand the fans are very passionate, but right now, I'm hungry to win. I want to win and I will do whatever it takes for me to win."

Miami acquired Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis from the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for Tyler Herro, Kel'el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kasparas Jakucionis, three first-round picks, a pick swap and a second-round pick. Pat Riley called landing Antetokounmpo "nirvana" for the Heat after years of preserving assets for a potential superstar acquisition.

"He's right at the top," Riley told ESPN when asked how Antetokounmpo compares to past Heat greats. "With any of the players that we brought in, Zo, Dwyane, Shaquille, players of that ilk, LeBron, Chris Bosh, Bam [Adebayo] one day is going to be there, Butler. But I just have a feeling that this guy is a little bit more unique in his body and his size and all of the things that he can do on the court."

Antetokounmpo, 31, will pair with Bam Adebayo to form one of the league's most formidable frontcourts. Spoelstra said he plans to lean on both players' competitive intensity to build a strong defensive identity.

"They're elite competitors," said Spoelstra. "It matters to them to defend, and they're gnarly competitors. And if we're not defending the way that we want to, I'm sure that they're going to let everybody know. And that's how you build a great defense."

Antetokounmpo and Portis previously won a championship together in Milwaukee in 2021 before enduring three consecutive first-round exits and missing the playoffs entirely last season. Portis described his former teammate's mindset entering this new chapter.

"He's hungry," Portis told ESPN. "If it's one word I can say, I would just say hungry. Obviously last year, probably not the best year for any one of us. We didn't make the playoffs. It was kind of injury-riddled last year. Obviously the back and forth with getting traded, not getting traded, then get shut down by the team. So I think he has a lot of fuel to the fire and I think the [Miami] fans will be in for a treat."

Portis also expressed excitement about his own role in Miami alongside Antetokounmpo and Adebayo.

"I can see myself playing with either one of those guys," said Portis. "I'm a guy that comes off the bench and plays my role, be a star in my role each and every night. I'm always going to be Bobby. I'm always going to be myself. So I'm super excited for this new opportunity. I didn't want to be anywhere else but here if I got traded, so that's a match made in heaven for me."

Antetokounmpo said he embraced the pressure of joining a new organization at this stage of his career.

"I need pressure at this time of my career," said Antetokounmpo. "I think in order for me to go to the next level, I got to get out of my comfort zone, and I felt like Miami was a place for me to be. We are very like-minded as a team and me, and it was a no-brainer. I wanted to be here. I'm excited to be here and I want to get to work."

New NBPA executive director David Kelly said the league's second apron system has gone too far and needs to be addressed, speaking in a July 10 interview with The Athletic. Kelly and union president Fred VanVleet made clear their opposition to the system during last weekend's events in Las Vegas.

"It's not good for fans. Not good for players," said Kelly. "I don't think the (general managers) love it, although they may not say it on the record. Coaches don't love it. The only people who really seem to really love it are the owners. Then, I think it's gone too far. So whether it's an unwinding of it, or a softening of the apron, or tweaking it, we can call it whatever we will. But … I do think it's gone too far."

The current collective bargaining agreement guarantees players between 49 and 51 percent of basketball-related income, which totaled $11.676 billion for the 2025-26 season. Players actually exceeded that share this past season by $317 million, according to a league memo sent to teams.

Kelly argued the second apron creates problems beyond cost control, pointing to its impact on roster stability and free agency. Only the Oklahoma City Thunder currently carry a payroll above the threshold, set at just under $222 million for next season, and they are expected to eventually drop below it.

"I think those teams would generate more revenue, would grow the game, would have more fan interest, if they could invest (in their rosters)," said Kelly. "So you're preventing teams from investing in an investment that would actually generate more revenue for the owners, for the league and for the players. … So 51 percent of what? I think the game would be growing more."

Kelly pushed back on the league's argument that the apron system has driven competitive parity, noting that five different teams won championships in the five years preceding the 2023 CBA.

"If you look at the points in time when the game really grew, you had some dynasties and then you had some competition," said Kelly. "New teams that that came up. It was all about competition. You did not have an artificial sort of, like, break or gate on spending. And the game grew."

The current CBA runs through the 2029-30 season but allows either side to opt out a year early. NBA commissioner Adam Silver said this week that the second apron's effects were not an unintended consequence of the agreement.

Kelly took over as executive director on July 1 after being appointed in February, following Andre Iguodala's tenure as interim leader. The union has adopted a more assertive public posture recently, criticizing the league's 65-game rule and the Milwaukee Bucks' handling of Giannis Antetokounmpo's trade request.

Kelly said the union will attempt to resolve issues privately first but will not hesitate to go public if necessary.

"I think you have to be willing to fight," said Kelly. "Will we look for ways to partner with the league? Yes. Do we need the league? Yes. Does the league need the players? Yes. Does sometimes the league maybe forget that they need the players? Yes. In those instances, we'll have to fight."

Kelly also identified player health investment as a priority, citing a wave of Achilles injuries during the 2024-25 season as an area requiring better data and prevention. He said the union would consider allowing in-game wearable technology, currently prohibited under the CBA, if used appropriately.

"Not wearables for the sake of gambling. Not wearables and data that's for the sake of exploiting it, monetizing it, necessarily," said Kelly. "But wearables for the sake of improving player health so we have better games and better players."

VanVleet indicated the union is already preparing for negotiations on the next CBA, regardless of the 2029 opt-out timeline.

"We're getting ready for the next CBA," said VanVleet. "Like today."

The Denver Nuggets feel confident in its position to retain restricted free agent Peyton Watson despite growing interest from the Milwaukee Bucks, LA Clippers and Atlanta Hawks. League sources told The Athletic that Denver believes it simply needs to let the restricted free agency process play out.

The Bucks have emerged as a team exploring a potential sign-and-trade for the 23-year-old forward. The Clippers, currently in a holding pattern after their paused Kawhi Leonard trade with the Toronto Raptors, and the Hawks, who recently declined a team option on Jonathan Kuminga, have also expressed interest.

Watson broke out this past season, averaging nearly 15 points per game before a recurring hamstring strain sidelined him in February and ended his season in April. His absence exposed Denver's lack of athleticism during a first-round playoff loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Watson has become one of the best recent Nuggets draft picks, giving Denver a young wing archetype that is difficult to find across the league. 

Any of the three interested teams would likely need to pursue a sign-and-trade given Watson's restricted free agent status. Denver faces its own financial constraints in any potential re-signing, sitting above the luxury tax threshold and risking the $222 million second apron with an eight-figure contract for Watson.

The Nuggets have already committed significant money to Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon, along with a five-year, $125 million extension for Christian Braun last summer that has yet to match expectations. Denver also acquired Cam Johnson last summer in a deal sending Michael Porter Jr. to Brooklyn, a trade that has similarly underperformed, and lost Tim Hardaway Jr. to Miami in free agency this offseason.

Despite those financial pressures, sources say none of it will prevent Denver from ultimately re-signing Watson to a substantial deal. Watson is represented by Rich Paul, Calvin Andrews and Lucas Newton of Klutch Sports.