The NBA is formalizing media rights contracts with ESPN, NBC and Amazon this week with sources telling the Sports Business Journal that it is the final stage of negotiations. Deals with the three providers are expected to return over $7 billion per year for the NBA.

ESPN will pay $2.8 billion annually, which is up from an initially reported $2.6 billion for the NBA's "A" package. That package includes the NBA Finals, a conference final, weekly primetime games, the WNBA and likely shared international rights.

NBC's "B" package is believed to be worth $2.6 billion annually would probably include a "Basketball Night in America" on Sunday nights following the NFL season, a total of two primetime windows a week, conference semifinals and a conference final. 

Amazon's deal is believed to be worth between $1.8B and $2B and would likely include the Emirates In-Season Tournament, the SoFi Play-In Tournament, first-round playoff games, the WNBA and international rights.

The final changes to the deals have been fluid and changing, but expected to be finalized in the coming days or week. Once the written bids are ratified, the NBA will take NBC's contract to Warner Bros. Discovery to see if they can match it in "total value."

WBD may enact legal action over the rights. It's believed that the TNT parent company could contest its right to match the NBC deal. The NBA and WBD apparently have different definitions of what matching a deal would consist of.

TNT is on the verge of losing the NBA after the 24-25 season with Tom Friend of the Sports Business Journal reporting on how Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav mishandled negotiations with the league.

While ESPN was firm on wanting to retain the "A" package and not letting it go to the open market by doubling its old rights fees from $1.4 billion per season to $2.8 billion, Zaslav believed he would only have to pay between $1.8 billion and $2.1 billion to retain the "B" package and refused to double it to $2.4 billion.

WBD entered negotiations believing they could ultimately match any offer the NBA received for the package, but the league's contention is they cannot necessarily match it on a dollar-for-dollar basis. 

The NBA subsequently agreed to a $2.6 billion deal with NBC that virtually make it impossible for TNT to equal.

WBD is believed to be preparing to sue the NBA over the issue. 

Kristaps Porzingis could return rom his calf injury as early as Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

Porzingis has been making progress with the injury and accelerating his on-court ramp up.

Porzingis suffered the injury in Game 4 of the first round of the playoffs.

The Boston Celtics will maintain a conservative approach with the return of Porzingis.

With the NBA set to begin new media rights deals at more than $7 billion per season in 25-26, the salary cap will increase significantly over the coming seasons.

However, the NBA and NBPA agreed to only increase the salary cap by 10 percent per season.

With a 10 percent increase per season, the salary cap will top $200 million beginning in the 28-29 season. The supermax that season at 35 percent of the cap will have a starting salary of $72 million and be worth $419 million over five seasons. The fifth-year salary on that supermax contract will be worth $95 million as the NBA approaches the point where some players earn nine figures per season by the 33-34 season.

The New York Knicks announced that Jalen Brunson and Bojan Bogdanovic have both undergone successful surgeries for their respective injuries.

Brunson had surgery on a fractured left hand. He'll be re-evaluated in six-to-eight weeks. This injury and subsequent surgery will likely keep Brunson from being a potential injury replacement for Team USA at the Summer Olympics.

Bogdanovic underwent surgery for ligament damage in his left wrist. Bogdanovic is also recovering from surgery on his left foot. He'll be re-evaluated in six-to-eight weeks after the wrist surgery. Bogdanovic is likely to miss the Olympic Qualifying Tournament in early-July for the Croatian National Team.

Tyronn Lue is set to enter the final season of his current contract with the Los Angeles Clippers in 24-25 if an extension isn't reached this offseason. Both the Los Angeles Lakers and Phoenix Suns had interest in Lue, but it was made clear that the Clippers wouldn't entertain letting him out of his contract.

The Clippers would like to extend Lue, but those conversations reportedly haven't progressed.

"They want to extend him," said Shams Charania. "To my knowledge, right there hasn't been any progress in those conversations."

Over the past year, the NBA has seen a large increase in contract values for head coaches from Monty Williams and Gregg Popvoich to Erik Spoelstra and Steve Kerr with top coaches making more than $10 million per season.

Game 7 between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets averaged a 4.1 rating with 8.41 million viewers across TNT and truTV.

The numbers represent the largest audience ever for an early round playoff game in TNT history.

It is also the most-watched game of the NBA season.

The game peaked with 11.3 million viewers, making it the fourth most-watched early round playoff game since 2012.

Game 7 between the Knicks and Pacers earlier in the day averaged a 3.4 rating with 6.45 million viewers on ABC, down 11% from last year. 

LeBron James has yet to make a decision on his $51.4 million player option with the Los Angeles Lakers for the 24-25 season, sources tell The Athletic.

James can opt-in or he can opt-out and become a free agent. If James were to have interest in playing for another team, the opt-in could be attractive as it would allow him to maintain his salary via trade. There are a limited number of teams with sufficient cap space to sign James to a contract anywhere close to his $51.4 million option.

James is expected to play up to two more seasons in the NBA.

While the top of the 2024 NBA draft remains fluid, there is a growing belief among rival teams that Alex Sarr and Zaccharie Risacher have emerged as the probable top-2 selections in some order by the Atlanta Hawks and Washington Wizards.

"Many around the league expect the Hawks to select Sarr with the top pick, as there are compelling reasons to consider him the best prospect in this class with his elite physical tools, mobility, defensive versatility, finishing ability and potential as a perimeter shooter," writes Jonathan Givony in his post-combine mock draft.

Sarr could fit alongside Jalen Johnson and Onyeka Okongwu in the frontcourt as the Hawks are expected to largely remake the rest of their roster. 

The Wizards at No. 2 are expected to select Sarr if he is not selected at No. 1, or Risacher. 

The New York Knicks can offer Jalen Brunson a four-year, $156 million contract extension this offseason and Newsday reports he is expected to sign it.

The extension will remove the fourth season from his current deal and tie him to the Knicks for the next five seasons.

Brunson could alternatively wait one offseason and sign a five-year, $270 million extension in the summer of 2025.

The Knicks signed Brunson during the 2022 offseason on a four-year, $107 million deal.