Calvin

Mavs C Richaun Holmes waived his $1.8 million trade kicker, sources told ESPN. That allowed the Mavs to beef up the offer sheet to Matisse Thybulle, but Portland opted to match. Mavs still have MLE to use and are $10.9M under the first apron/hard cap, per @BobbyMarks42 .

Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges has signed a $7.9 million qualifying offer for the 2023-2024 season, clearing the way for him to become an unrestricted free agent next summer, his agent, Rich Paul of Klutch Sports, told ESPN on Sunday.

With talks stalled on a new deal, Bridges' decision to end negotiations and stop pursuing an offer sheet or sign-and-trade deals as a restricted free agent set up the possibility that the Hornets could lose a 20 points per game scorer without compensation next year.

After signing the qualifying offer, Bridges, 25, has veto power over any trade this season.

Bridges negotiations were complicated by a felony domestic violence arrest and a plea of no contest that led him to miss the entire 2022-2023 season. Bridges has a 10-game NBA suspension awaiting him to start Charlotte's season.

Before his arrest a year ago centering on a domestic violence case against the mother of his two children, Bridges had been a restricted free agent on the cusp of a $100 million-plus deal. The NBA's suspension, handed down in April, was for 30 games but the league decided that 20 of those had already been served in his lost season.

Bridges was accused of assaulting his then-girlfriend in front of their two children in May 2022 and he was arrested a month later. He pleaded no contest to a felony domestic violence charge in November. As part of a deal with prosecutors, he was sentenced to three years' probation. The no-contest plea meant Bridges was accepting the conviction and punishment without formally admitting guilt.

Just In: Charlotte Hornets All-Star LaMelo Ball is finalizing a five-year designated maximum contract extension that is worth up to $260 million, league sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.

RFA Austin Reaves has agreed to return to the Los Angeles Lakers on a four-year, $56 million Early Bird maximum contract, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Agents Aaron Reilly and Reggie Berry of AMR Agency negotiated the new deal to keep Reaves in L.A. long term.

Free agent center Brook Lopez has agreed to a two-year, $48 million deal to return to the Milwaukee Bucks, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium .

https://hoopswire.com/celtics-intend-to-sign-jaylen-brown-to-extension-not-pursuing-bradley-beal/

The Celtics seem to believe they have their man in guard/forward Jaylen Brown. Or at least one of their two main men, along with fellow wing Jayson Tatum.Jaylen Brown tries to drive by Bradley Beal

As we relayed here, the Celtics are aiming to sign Brown to a supermax contract extension, and continue to build around Brown and Tatum.

And despite some chatter about Wizards guard Bradley Beal, who supposedly is available, the Celtics don’t seem to be interested, per Brian Windhorst of ESPN. This despite Beal’s close relationship with Tatum.

“My feel from talking to sources is that the Celtics are not necessarily in on this one,” Windhorst said on ESPN. “Their intention is to get Jaylen Brown on a contract extension this year. Even if they got Jaylen Brown done, the idea of bringing in Bradley Beal would be extraordinarily difficult because of the three contracts together.

“I don’t think any conversation that involves trading Jaylen Brown is something the Celtics are super interested in right now.”

Windhorst went on to say that a Beal trade will be difficult, given that he has a no-trade clause in his contract — and therefore could keep the Wizards from getting back “the haul” they likely would be seeking in return.