June 2025

There were 1,837 posts published in June 2025 (this is page 15 of 184).

Bulls reportedly dealing Lonzo Ball to Cavaliers for Isaac Okoro

The Chicago Bulls are trading Lonzo Ball to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Isaac Okoro, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.

Knee injuries sidelined Ball for two-and-a-half seasons while with Chicago. He returned in October 2024 and played 35 games this past season, averaging 7.6 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game. In February, Ball agreed to a two-year, $20 million contract extension after his name was a topic of speculation in the lead-up to the NBA trade deadline.

Ball was the second overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft by the Los Angeles Lakers. He spent two seasons there before being traded to the New Orleans Pelicans in 2019. Two years later, he was on the move again, this time as part of a sign-and-trade deal with the Bulls that saw Ball sign a four-year, $85 million extension.

Okoro, 25, has played five seasons in the NBA, all in Cleveland. In 55 games this past season he averaged 6.1 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game in just over 19 minutes of floor time.

Like Ball, Okoro recently signed an extension after agreeing to a three-year, $38 million pact with the Cavaliers in September.

Reds pitcher Nick Martinez nearly throws first no-hitter of 2025 in 8-1 win over Padres

It was close, but MLB will have to wait a little bit longer for the first no-hitter of the 2025 season.

On Friday, Cincinnati Reds pitcher Nick Martinez nearly earned that honor, throwing eight hitless innings in the Reds’ 8-1 win over the San Diego Padres. 

In the top of the ninth, with Martinez three outs away from making history, Padres catcher Elias Díaz hit a double to break up Martinez’s no-hit bid.

Even with the hit, Martinez had a career night. The 34-year-old recorded six strikeouts, two walks and one hit in 112 pitches. One of those strikeouts came at the end of the eighth, as Padres second baseman Jake Cronenworth struck out swinging to end the inning.

In the ninth, fatigue began to creep in for Martinez, who gave up a walk just before Díaz hit his double. Taylor Rogers came in to relieve Martinez and allowed two walks to give the Padres their sole run before he closed out the game.

The Reds earned the victory in part thanks to three home runs from first baseman Spencer Steer, who homered in the second, fourth and fifth innings to buoy Cincinnati’s seven-run win.

Martinez becomes the latest pitcher to fall just short of a no-hitter this season, with a few attempts taking place this past week. On Wednesday, the Texas Rangers’ Jacob DeGrom threw seven no-hit innings in a victory over the Baltimore Orioles before giving up a leadoff single in the eighth. Also this week, Milwaukee Brewers rookie Jacob Misiorowski threw six perfect innings before exiting.

If he had pulled it off, Martinez would’ve joined Cincinnati’s long and storied history of hitless games. The Reds have recorded 15 no-hitters in the modern era; most recently, Wade Miley threw a no-no in 2021, recording one walk and eight strikeouts in nine innings.

Top NBA free-agent centers: Would Myles Turner really leave an NBA Finalist?

The NBA’s runners-up have some business to tend to in a surprisingly deep — for this year’s class — positional group.

Let’s break down the potential top available centers in this year’s free-agent market, with the negotiating window opening at 6 p.m. ET June 30.

(Note: Positions are being determined off Basketball-Reference’s positional breakdowns, meaning a player will be listed at the position in which he played the most minutes.)

Free-agent position rankings: Point guards | Shooting guards | Small forwards | Power forwards

Status: Unrestricted free agent

Rule of thumb: When you’ve been historically underpaid, you’re the starting center for a Finals team, you’re one of the best defenders in the league, and you’re in your prime, you’re in line for a raise.

Turner, one of the league’s most potent 3&D centers, has undergone an offensive transformation over the past few years, to the point where the Pacers cannot lose him.

What makes sense: With not a lot of money on the market, and the fact that both sides seem motivated to continue their partnership, expect Turner and Indiana to find common ground on a new deal that looks significantly richer than the ones before.

Status: Player option
Value of option: $15,022,464

There’s no question some teams will view Reid as a starting center, especially given his touch from the outside. Yet, the Wolves have used him in a backup capacity throughout his career, which makes you wonder if Reid himself is open to chasing a starting role.

Reid is ingrained in the local community and seems to genuinely treasure being a Timberwolf. Of course, that doesn’t mean he’ll just sign whatever is in front of him, but it does seem likely he could be willing to sacrifice something to stick around.

What makes sense: The best path forward could be to wait until next summer by picking up his option and hope more teams have money to spend. That also gives him another year of data to determine whether he indeed wants to be a career backup.

Status: Unrestricted free agent

Lopez might be 37. He might be slow. He might be declining. But the man is still a physical behemoth who will clog the paint, block shots and drain a ton of 3-pointers.

Those are valuable marks in today’s NBA, even if Lopez doesn’t necessarily fit into the “switch everything” ideology. As such, there should be a market for a team, especially among good teams looking for someone reliable who has championship experience.

What makes sense: Staying with the Bucks another year isn’t a bad play, but if Lopez is looking for another title run, he’ll have to look outside of the organization and identify a team that’s closer.

Status: Unrestricted free agent

Capela is getting older and less dynamic, but he’s still a tough rebounder who challenges shots at the rim and remains a solid lob threat.

While his compensation level will diminish due to his age and a starting role no longer being a sure thing, plenty of teams should give him a look.

What makes sense: The Los Angeles Lakers will unquestionably have internal meetings about Capela, considering his theoretical fit with Luka Dončić. Should that be the path Capela chooses, there’s a world where he once again will produce impressive box scores.

Status: Team option
Value of option: $11,000,000

Wagner tore his ACL in December, so we should see teams offer him deals that greatly benefit them in terms of flexibility.

If we assume he returns to full health, Wagner immediately becomes one of the best backup scoring big men in the league, with the capability of stretching the floor and providing necessary spacing.

What makes sense: Despite the injury and the fact that he could be an unrestricted free agent next summer, the Magic should try to keep him long term. Perhaps Wagner is inclined to agree to a longer deal worth less money than he’s earning now in the hope that he can bounce back after his injury.

Status: Unrestricted free agent

Using last year’s Olympics as a display window, Yabusele made the most of his NBA return, becoming a key offensive contributor for the Sixers.

The 29-year-old, affectionately known as The Dancing Bear, is at a stage in his career when optimizing his own salary and role should be his top priority.

What makes sense: Yabusele should hear out the Sixers but absolutely seek the biggest payday possible, regardless of team, since he’s closing in on 30. For a guy like him, who can occasionally play recklessly, securing his own future is the goal.

Status: Team option
Value of option: $2,187,699

Williams, who was drafted in the second round in 2022, is in an interesting situation. If the Thunder pick up his option, he’ll enter 2026 as an unrestricted free agent. If they don’t, he’ll become a restricted free agent this summer. Williams is a solid talent, even if he isn’t playing a ton of minutes. The 6-foot-9 big man has multiple double-doubles to his name, which underlines the vastness of his skill set. Plenty of teams should have an eye on him.

Status: Exercised $5,000,000 player option

One of the greatest rebounders of his generation can dictate his own future, but the market for him hasn’t been strong these past few years.

If he sticks in Philadelphia, it’s likely he’ll get a ton of minutes should Joel Embiid not be available.

Top NBA free-agent small forwards: It’s tough to imagine LeBron James leaving the Lakers

There’s a legend at the top of the list, but things drop off pretty quickly after that.

Let’s break down the top small forwards in this year’s free agent market, with the negotiating window opening at 6 p.m. ET June 30.

(Note: Positions are being determined off Basketball-Reference’s positional breakdowns, meaning a player will be listed at the position in which he played the most minutes.)

Free-agent position rankings: Point guards | Shooting guards | Power forwards | Centers

Status: Player option
Value of option: $52,627,153

Another year, another LeBron James player option. The man likes his control, and who can blame him? After all, he’s 40 now and the most statistically accomplished player in NBA history. Keeping his own options open seems fair, especially as the end has to be near.

(Right? It has to be, doesn’t it? He’s 40 for crying out loud!)

James remains a top-20 player — some will argue he’s higher, and there’s certainly a case to be made for that — so his decision will have ripple effects for the Lakers, but it would be fairly surprising if wasn’t back with L.A.

What makes sense: His son, Bronny, is a Laker, so another year of on-court bonding should be of interest to James. More than likely, he opts out and signs a new one-plus-one deal, maintaining control of his future.

Status: Player option
Value of option: $8,382,150

The 29-year-old wing might not be an All-Star, but he can score at a fairly high level (16.6 points over his past three seasons), is a decent rebounder and will compete defensively even if that side of the floor doesn’t always come naturally to him.

That type of production isn’t always easy to install onto a team, as Oubre does need shots and touches without being super efficient, but if he were to accept a sixth-man role on a good team, perhaps there’s a path to success that could see him and the team he signs with level up.

What makes sense: The Sixers are a bit of a mess, but that also means they could have a need for scoring. If Oubre dreams of producing a lot of numbers, sticking around makes sense. If his priority is to join a good team, taking a smaller deal in Boston to serve as a one-year replacement for Jayson Tatum shouldn’t be ruled out.

Status: Unrestricted free agent

LeVert isn’t usually a pillar of efficiency, but this year he seemed more deliberate and careful with his shots, leading to one of the best years of his career, albeit in somewhat low volume.

The 30-year-old seems to be embracing his new life as a backup wing, one that suits him given that a starting spot is a bit too much for him.

What makes sense: There are minutes to be found in Atlanta, so sticking around isn’t the worst idea. He won’t be receiving starter-money offers regardless, so optimizing the situation should be his priority.

Status: Unrestricted free agent

Sometimes, you just need someone who is predictable and consistent within his own role. That’s Prince. He’ll take open 3-pointers — and make them at a high clip — play some out-of-position defense and give you a solid locker-room presence.

The best part? It won’t break the bank to bring him in, and he’s perfectly capable of playing off more dynamic players. He might not be a starter you rely on deep into the postseason, but he’s a card you can play when you need veteran leadership.

What makes sense: Prince joined Milwaukee last year in hopes of making a Finals push. While that didn’t materialize, the strategy wasn’t bad. Could he and the Denver Nuggets have a shared interest that could benefit both sides?

Status: Unrestricted free agent

Coffey got better this season, and a large part of that was his floor-spacing capabilities. The 6-foot-7 wing shot almost 40.9% from 3-point range on a career-high 3.4 attempts per game, which should make him interesting to multiple teams in need of a player who can bend defenses.

At almost 28, Coffey’s next contract will presumably take him through his prime years, so if he and his agent were to prioritize money, that’d be an entirely fair approach.

What makes sense: Sniff out the teams most desperate for 3-point shooting and leverage that need into the biggest payday possible.

Status: Team option
Value of option: $1,955,377

You’d be excused if you aren’t too familiar with Edwards’ game, as the rookie played for a Sixers team that most fans turned their attention away from after a gruesome start, middle and end to the year.

The 21-year-old did well under the circumstances. He scored at a decent clip (10.1 points), was a solid rebounder and proved to be able to hit outside shots with some regularity. While young, you can see the path toward a larger role.

What makes sense: Philadelphia represents an avenue for minutes and general opportunity, and it has the control to bring him back and perhaps keep him long term next summer. On the off chance the 76ers don’t keep Edwards, every team with an average age of under 26 should be calling his agent.

Status: Agreed to deal with Rockets

Tate lost a ton of minutes this season due to a crowded roster, and he’s knocking on the door of entering his 30s. That doesn’t mean he isn’t good, or that he won’t help a team. But it does mean he should be very gettable this summer.

Status: Restricted free agent

The athletic wing can play multiple positions and is still young.

While his game is still more theoretical than practical, there’s enough juice there for teams to keep squeezing. Who knows? In the right place and in the right role, perhaps there’s a breakout looming.