G League Wiretap

Las Vegas Golden Knights founder and majority owner Bill Foley announced Monday he is pursuing an NBA expansion franchise in Las Vegas, entering a bidding process that league projections suggest could generate offers between $7 billion and $10 billion.

The NBA's board of governors approved a vote in late March to explore expansion bids exclusively in Las Vegas and Seattle, with all 30 owners voting in favor of the initiative, according to ESPN's Shams Charania.

Foley has retained Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC as financial adviser and Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP as legal counsel. The law firm has prior involvement in NBA ownership transactions involving the Brooklyn Nets and San Antonio Spurs.

"Las Vegas has earned its place among great sports cities in America, and an NBA team belongs here," said Foley. "We built the Golden Knights into a championship organization from the ground up, and we are prepared to do it again -- with the same standard, the same commitment to this community, and the same insistence on winning. We have the market, a proven world-class arena and a best-in-class organization in place. Our intention is to be ready the day the NBA is ready."

Foley intends to base the team at T-Mobile Arena, which has hosted collegiate and professional basketball since opening in April 2016 and seats 18,000 for basketball. Foley said he expects the bid group to include "a limited number of strategic and minority partners" aligned with the franchise's long-term vision.

Forbes estimates Foley's net worth at $2.6 billion. He also owns AFC Bournemouth, FC Lorient, Moreirense F.C. and Auckland FC across four international soccer leagues.

Under Foley's leadership, the Golden Knights reached the Stanley Cup Final in their inaugural 2018 season before claiming the title in 2023. The franchise returned to the Final again this season and lost to the Carolina Hurricanes. Las Vegas has grown considerably as a sports market, adding the NFL's Raiders in 2020, with MLB's Athletics set to arrive in 2028.

"This is the NBA's decision to make," Foley said. "Our job is to provide the league a Las Vegas option that is ready, credible, and built to last."

Mohamed Diawara has agreed to sign a multi-year contract to remain with the New York Knicks worth more than $10 million. Diawara was set to become a restricted free agent after he was the 51st overall pick in the 2025 NBA draft.

Diawara appeared in 69 games, averaging 3.6 points and 1.4 rebounds in 9.2 minutes.

Diawara is represented by Olivier Mazet.

Trae Young and the Washington Wizards have agreed to a four-year, $212 million contract extension. Young declined his $49 million player option to become a free agent and sign an entirely new contract. The amount represents the most Young was eligible to sign in free agency with a rival team.

The Wizards acquired Young from the Atlanta Hawks in January.

Young played in only five games with the Wizards following his trade, averaging 15.2 points, 3.0 rebounds and 6.2 assists in 20.7 minutes.

Young was initially rumored to be re-signing with the Wizards on a three-year, $120 million deal. Young was also going to possibly take meetings with rival teams when free agency was set to open on June 30.

The Wizards will add to their core with the first overall pick in Tuesday's draft where they are expected to choose between AJ Dybantsa and Darryn Peterson.

The Boston Celtics and Miami Heat have been the only two teams involved in trade discussions where Giannis Antetokounmpo would commit long-term. The Milwaukee Bucks received interest from other teams during the NBA combine in May.

"There were a ton of teams that made offers that had robust interest in Giannis," said Shams Charania on the Pat McAfee Show.

The Bucks previously listened to trade offers on Antetokounmpo ahead of the trade deadline and decided to wait until ahead of the draft.

"Right now, the Heat and Celtics are the only two teams involved that have gotten the commitment from Giannis that he is willing to sign long-term," said Charania.

Antetokounmpo could become a free agent in 2027, which would be a considerable amount of risk for any team trading for him without a commitment that he'd view that destination as more than just a one-year rental.

Darryn Peterson revealed at NBA Draft media day on Monday that he met with the Utah Jazz over the weekend. Peterson is under consideration with the No. 1 overall pick and had previously met with the Washington Wizards, but had not yet met with the Jazz at No. 2.

The Wizards have given "increased consideration" to selecting Peterson at No. 1.

Peterson, a 6-foot-5 guard from Kansas, averaged 20.2 points per game as a freshman, the most in program history.

Peterson wants to play point guard in the NBA and he may have doubts on how he would fit alongside Keyonte George.

Jaylen Brown has been confirmed to be offered by the Boston Celtics to the Milwaukee Bucks for Giannis Antetokounmpo and he is reportedly "accepting" of the reality that he may be traded this offseason. Brown could be made available to other interested teams even if the Celtics are unable to execute an Antetokounmpo trade. 

Brown enjoyed his more central role with the Celtics this past season while Jayson Tatum rehabbed his torn Achilles until March. Brown was a second team All-NBA selection and was even in the MVP conversations at various points.

"From what I understand, Jaylen Brown is accepting this and realizes this is a chance to turn the page in his career and he may be getting his own team," said ESPN's Brian Windhorst on Monday's episode of First Take. "Which is something he's thought about for some time."

Brown is under contract through the 2028-29 season on his five-year, $303.7 million supermax contract signed with the Celtics during the 2023 offseason.

Brown becomes eligible for a two-year, $141.9 million contract extension in July that would extend his committed seasons to 2031 when he will be coming off his 33-year-old season. Brown is represented by Jason Glushon. 

The Celtics previously offered Brown in a trade package to the Brooklyn Nets in 2022 for Kevin Durant.

The Boston Celtics could explore a Jaylen Brown trade even if it isn't with the Milwaukee Bucks for Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Celtics somewhat slowly entered the bidding for Antetokounmpo over the past week and have reached the point of officially offering Brown.

"They were very cautious about putting Jaylen Brown in an official firm offer—I believe they have," said Brian Windhorst on Monday's episode of Get Up. "Jaylen Brown is on the table and he can be traded for Giannis Antetokounmpo in the short-term future."

The Celtics haven't publicly or privately dismissed the possibility of a Brown trade this offseason. Earlier in June, Windhorst reported that the Celtics weren't making Brown and Derrick White in available.

Brown is eligible for a contract extension this offseason and is signed until the 2029 offseason. 

"I am now speculating that if Jaylen Brown doesn't get traded for Giannis, they may trade him somewhere else," said Windhorst.

The Atlanta Hawks, Portland Trail Blazers and Houston Rockets are among the teams that have been linked with a trade for Brown.

Dusty May has agreed to leave Michigan to become head coach of the Dallas Mavericks. May led the Wolverines to the 2026 national championship and he exits the program several months later following the recruiting cycle. May previously was head coach of Florida Atlantic where he led the school to the 2023 Final Four.

May is the first college head coach to go directly to the NBA since John Beilein left Michigan to become head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers. 

May will inherit a Mavericks' roster led by Cooper Flagg. 

Masai Ujiri parted ways with Jason Kidd as head coach soon after he was hired to run the basketball operations department. Kidd had $40 million over four seasons remaining on his contract.

The Mavericks also had interest in hiring Jon Scheyer away from Duke.