Basketball Wiretap

LeBron James had been pushing for former teammate Kyrie Irving to join him in a potential return to the Cleveland Cavaliers, according to league sources. The Dallas Mavericks, however, have shown no interest in engaging the Cavaliers on a trade, and Irving is believed to be comfortable remaining where he is.

That reported effort adds another layer to James' complicated free agency decision, one that continues to weigh a possible third stint in Cleveland against a return to the Miami Heat, where he won two championships and two MVP awards from 2010 to 2014.

Cleveland's roster already features high-usage playmakers in Donovan Mitchell and James Harden, meaning James' addition alone likely wouldn't resolve the team's most pressing need. The Cavaliers' actual weakness lies up front where Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley struggled to hold ground during their conference finals loss to the eventual champion New York Knicks.

Miami, by contrast, presents a more straightforward opportunity for James at this stage of his career. The Heat recently acquired two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, and pairing James with Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo would allow him to slot into a complementary role rather than shoulder primary playmaking duties, something he last did successfully during the 2019-20 season with the Lakers.

A former teammate told ESPN that James, soon to turn 42, no longer needs this final stretch of his career to be defined by another championship.

"To be the GOAT, you got to win championships, etc. Now that's settled," said the former teammate. "Now it's about his joy, his happiness. If it ends in a championship, great. But he won't be defined by how this ends."

That same source suggested Miami would allow James to focus purely on playing basketball without added pressure.

"He can play freely," said the source. "He can be Tom Brady late in his career, not worrying about being the hero."

Jae'Sean Tate and the Houston Rockets have agreed to a one-year, $3.07 million contract. The deal is partially guaranteed for $1.04 million.

Tate appeared in 46 games last season with the Rockets, averaging 2.8 points and 1.6 rebounds in 8.8 minutes. Tate's minutes have decreased each season of his career down from when he played in 29.2 minutes per game as a rookie and was a First Team All-Rookie selection.

Tate will be playing in his age-30 NBA season.

As LeBron James continues to wait to make his free agency decision, it has led to speculation that he is possibly waiting for one of the teams on his list to make a transaction that sways where he ends up signing. The potential of the Golden State Warriors trading for Anthony Davis was floated shortly after it was reported that James would not be returning to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Davis could sign an extension with the Washington Wizards beginning in August, which has been a potential inflection point in his future with the franchise and the possibility of a trade. In order to trade for Davis, however, the Warriors would have to send Jimmy Butler and multiple draft assets.

ESPN's Shams Charania refuted the notion of another transaction as being a factor in the current delay.

"We're literally just waiting on LeBron James," said Charania on the Pat McAfee Show on Thursday.

"You know that Warriors conversation, that was definitely alive right before free agency started. That's why Draymond Green opted out. He opted out of $27.7 million. That surprised the Warriors. That surprised everyone around the league. But that was done to give the Warriors the flexibility to try to get LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

"Those conversations for AD have gone nowhere for the Warriors, from my understanding. I don't sense any direction that they're picking back up in. I don't think that's going to be a conversation because it's at a point now where, if the Warriors were to get in that ballgame, they would have to give up multiple first-round picks, multiple draft picks, multiple swaps, all this other stuff. And then the question is just: do you want to give that price up?

"Now, when I talk to teams around the league, it's like, if you have a chance to get LeBron James and Anthony Davis, you probably give up that price. But if you're the Warriors, that's the give-and-take that you have there.

"So the domino effect, all that stuff that was in play before free agency started, now that we're 20 days in, there's nothing left. The teams are the teams. The information is the information. LeBron has everything he needs to make a decision. The conversations have happened.

"They're not, from my understanding, my sources tell me LeBron James, his agent Rich Paul, that inner circle, they're not waiting for another domino right now. They're not waiting for Anthony Davis to get traded anywhere. They're not waiting for anyone else to move around anywhere.

"Cleveland, Miami, Golden State, Philadelphia, Minnesota [are] set. Those are the teams. Wherever he ends up, I mean, you're looking at minimum deals, you're looking at exceptions. The contracts are not going to be this grand part of this deal.

"LeBron James was very clear from the very beginning: this is going to be based on a happiness in terms of a chance to contend for a championship, a chance to compete at a high level, and join a culture. That doesn't come from going to a team and then gutting that team of multiple different players.

"Now listen, if during the first week of July, LeBron James and Rich Paul told the Heat or the Cavs or the Warriors, 'Hey, we need you to do this and we're coming,' then those teams might have done that. But that message was not delivered. And so you just kind of have to read between the lines if you're some of these teams. You need to figure it out.

"But it's at a point now, July 23rd, it's really up to LeBron James. The entire NBA is waiting on LeBron James' decision."

James appeared at multiple events last week in New York City and hinted that his decision would be coming soon. 

LeBron James still had not announced a decision on his next team, 24 days after confirming he would not return to the Los Angeles Lakers fort he 2026-27 season. A source close to James offered a candid assessment of the situation.

"Nobody knows right now except LeBron," the source told The Athletic. "And I'm not even sure LeBron knows."

The prolonged wait has left the Cleveland Cavaliers, Golden State Warriors, Miami Heat, Minnesota Timberwolves and Philadelphia 76ers all in limbo as they wait to see whether James will sign or whether they need to pivot toward strengthening their rosters elsewhere. James addressed the timeline last Thursday during an appearance at Fanatics Fest in New York.

"I won't hold you guys up too much longer," said James.

James' agent, Rich Paul, has said he has already communicated everything necessary to the five teams considered front-runners for James' services. Paul addressed his approach during an appearance on his own podcast this week.

"Is there anything more we should be doing? We could be doing?" said Paul. "No. We don't need you to go above and beyond about anything. We understand it. It's clear. All the messages have been sent."

Speculation has continued to swirl in the absence of concrete information, including reports of a since-deleted Heat YouTube link referencing a July 27 press conference, which the team described as an honest mistake. Sources close to James also dismissed rumors that he had reversed a prior decision, calling those claims false.

Only two teams have made roster moves directly tied to pursuing James. Warriors forward Draymond Green, also represented by Paul, declined his player option in late June in coordination with Golden State's front office to create flexibility for potentially signing James and trading for Anthony Davis. Sources said there were no guarantees attached to that move. Meanwhile, James Harden has remained unsigned as part of a plan to preserve Cleveland's ability to sign James, a strategy Harden has publicly confirmed as the team's goal.

Olivier Sarr is close to signing with Real Madrid, according to Spanish newspapers.

The 27-year-old appeared in four games for the Cavs last season, averaging 3.5 points and 2.8 rebounds.

Sarr also played three seasons for the Thunder. 

Jordan Walsh and the Boston Celtics have agreed to a three-year, $16 million contract extension. The deal will begin with the 2027-28 season as the Celtics previously picked up their 2026-27 option on him in June. Walsh is represented by Ramon Sessions. 

Walsh appeared in 68 games last season with the Celtics, averaging 5.4 points and 4.0 rebounds in 68 minutes.

Walsh was the 38th overall pick in the 2023 draft out of Arkansas.

Walsh is now signed through 2030 and joins Neemias Queta with a multi-year extension this offseason with the Celtics. 

Former NBA guard Tyrese Martin has signed with Barcelona in Spain for the upcoming season. Martin finished last season on a two-way contract with the Philadelphia 76ers.

Martin has also played with the Brooklyn Nets and the Atlanta Hawks in the NBA. In 122 NBA games, the 6-foot-6 guard has averaged 6.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game.

Forward Mouhamadou Gueye is set to join Valencia Basket in Spain for the upcoming season. The Spanish club even announced the addition of Gueye, despite the 6-foot-9 forward not having been waived by the Charlotte Hornets yet.

Gueye finished last season with the Chicago Bulls. He's also played for the Toronto Raptors in the NBA, as well as four different G League franchises.

In order to satisfy trade rules as part of the four-team trade between the Bulls, Hornets, Brooklyn Nets and Minnesota Timberwolves, Gueye was sent from Chicago to Charlotte. The Hornets are expected to waive Gueye, as the team is facing a roster crunch.

The Golden State Warriors are open to signing a one or two-year extension with Steph Curry, according to Anthony Slater of ESPN.

Curry will be extension-eligible on August 29.

"If he wants a one-year extension at big money, if he wants a two-year extension - the Warriors are very open to that conversation. 

"I think they want to see how this roster looks in the short-term and long-term, and by the time we get to late August when he's eligible, Steph Curry and the Warriors will sit down and decide," said Slater.

Curry is currently on a one-year, $62 million deal. 

It was reported last week that the Warriors still need to add another star in order to have a shot at signing LeBron James. 

D'Angelo Russell and the Memphis Grizzlies are expected to work towards a buyout agreement or a trade.

Russell was traded by the Washington Wizards to the Grizzlies this offseason. Russell never appeared in a game with the Wizards.

Russell opted into the final season of his contract in June worth $6 million.