RealGM Basketball Wiretap

18 August 2025

• Nine Teams Could Have Significant Cap Space During 2026 NBA Offseason

  There are nine teams who project to have significant cap space during the 2026 offseason. Cap space will be more readily available next offseason than it was in 2025 after a 10 percent increase in the cap for this season and a projected seven percent increase for 2026-27, combined with fewer veteran extensions this year.

  The Brooklyn Nets, Charlotte Hornets, Chicago Bulls, Detroit Pistons, Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, Portland Trail Blazers, Utah Jazz and Washington Wizards.

  There were only three teams with salary cap space in 2025 in the Nets, Memphis Grizzlies and Milwaukee Bucks. The Nets used their cap space to take on Michael Porter Jr. via trade, while the Grizzlies used theirs to sign a renegotiate-and-extend contract with Jaren Jackson Jr. The Bucks unexpectedly created cap space by using the stretch-and-waive on Damian Lillard to sign Myles Turner.

  From 2013-14 to 2019-20, the league went through a period with an average of 17 teams per year with cap space. Since then, the average has decreased to 5.1 teams.

  The 2026 free agent class is expected to include Trae Young and LeBron James.

• NBC To Broadcast Four Games On MLK Day

  The NBA's new broadcast partner NBC will be taking over the national games for Martin Luther King Day. MLK Day will feature four national games between NBC and Peacock this season on Monday, January 19.

  The action will kick off with the Milwaukee Bucks at the Atlanta Hawks at 1:00 PM ET on Peacock. NBC will then pick up with a triple-header of games.

  The Oklahoma City Thunder will travel to play the Cleveland Cavaliers at 2:30 PM ET. The Dallas Mavericks will play at the New York Knicks at 5:00 PM ET. And the day will round out with the Boston Celtics at the Detroit Pistons at 8:00 PM ET.

  NBC will stream up to three games on Monday nights this season. Those games will be exclusively available on Peacock. The first set will be a double-header on Monday, October 27 and will feature the Cavaliers at the Pistons at 7:00 PM ET, followed by the Denver Nuggets at the Minnesota Timberwolves at 9:30 PM ET.

• Javonte Green, Pistons Finalizing One-Year Deal

  The Detroit Pistons and free agent wing Javonte Green are finalizing a one-year deal. Green played for the New Orleans Pelicans and Cleveland Cavaliers last season.

  In 68 total game last season, Green averaged 5.1 points and 3.2 rebounds. The 6-foot-5 guard/forward has also played for the Boston Celtics and Chicago Bulls during his six-year NBA career.

  Signing Green will bring the Pistons to 14 players on standard contracts for the upcoming season. Detroit has one open roster spot for the regular season and is over $20 million under the luxury tax.

• NBA Expected To Announce Full Schedule Next Week

  The NBA is expected to release the full schedule for the 2025-26 season at some point next week. International games have already been announced by the league, while Opening Night and Christmas Day schedules have also leaked.

  The NBA announced that the Detroit Pistons and Dallas Mavericks would play in the Mexico City game on November 1. The Orlando Magic and Memphis Grizzlies will meet in this season's European games on January 15 in Berlin and January 18 in London.

  Opening Night will reportedly feature the Houston Rockets at the Oklahoma City Thunder, on the latter's banner and ring night. The Golden State Warriors will play at the Los Angeles Lakers to close out opening night.

  Christmas Day will again feature a quintuple header. The schedule will feature the Cleveland Cavaliers at New York Knicks, San Antonio Spurs at Thunder, Rockets at Lakers, Mavericks at Warriors and Minnesota Timberwolves at Denver Nuggets.

• Daniss Jenkins, Pistons Sign Two-Way Contract

  Daniss Jenkins has re-signed with the Detroit Pistons on a Two-Way contract.

  Jenkins appeared in seven games with the Pistons last season while on a Two-Way contract. Jenkins appeared in 47 G League games, averaging 18.5 points, 6.1 assists and 3.5 rebounds in 35.7 minutes.

  Jenkins went undrafted in 2024 out of St. John's after previous stints with Pacific, Odessa and Iona.

• Pistons Waive Ron Harper Jr. From Two-Way

  The Detroit Pistons waived two-way player Ron Harper Jr. to clear a roster spot. Harper, originally undrafted out of Rutgers in 2022, signed with Detroit late last season on a two-way deal. The move creates flexibility for the Pistons' two-way contract situation heading into the upcoming campaign.

  Harper made just one appearance for the Pistons in April, scoring four points and collecting seven rebounds in 17 minutes. He played 23 games for Detroit's G League affiliate, the Motor City Cruise, averaging 17.4 points and 4.5 rebounds per game.

  The 24-year-old has played 11 NBA games throughout his career. Harper spent two seasons with the Toronto Raptors on a two-way deal and had a brief stint with the Boston Celtics' affiliate, the Maine Celtics, in 2024.

  Detroit extended a qualifying two-way offer to restricted free agent Daniss Jenkins, who spent last season under a two-way contract with the team.

  Jenkins showcased his abilities during NBA Summer League and remains unsigned despite the qualifying offer. With Harper's departure, Detroit now has the roster flexibility to accommodate Jenkins' return.

  The waiver clears the final obstacle for Jenkins to potentially return to Detroit's two-way roster after his strong summer league performance.

• Colby Jones, Pistons Agree To Two-Way Deal

  Colby Jones and the Detroit Pistons have agreed to a Two-Way contract.

  Last season, Jones appeared in 39 games with the Sacramento Kings and Washington Wizards. Jones averaged 4.0 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 13.2 minutes.

  Jones also appeared in 22 G League games, averaging 16.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.9 steals in 31.8 minutes.

  Jones was the 34th overall pick in the 2023 NBA draft out of Xavier and is represented by Jared Mucha and Sean Kennedy.

• Pistons Were Informed Of Malik Beasley Investigation Before Free Agency Opened

  Ahead of the opening of NBA free agency negotiations on June 30, the NBA reached out to the Detroit Pistons to let them know about the pending investigation into guard Malik Beasley. It had been assumed that Detroit would do what was necessary to re-sign Beasley, who was coming off a strong season for the team in 2024-25.

  With Beasley under investigation for gambling concerns related to NBA games, Detroit pivoted to other players in free agency. The Pistons have agreed to sign Caris LeVert, sign-and-trade for Duncan Robinson and to re-sign Paul Reed.

  The gambling investigation is just the latest in a long line of off-court issues for Beasley since he entered the NBA. When the Minnesota Timberwolves traded Beasley to the Utah Jazz, they had worried that he'd be able to keep his off-court life on the straight and narrow.

• Duncan Robinson Acquired By Pistons On Three-Year, $48M Deal; Simone Fontecchi Dealt To Heat

  Duncan Robinson has agreed to a three-year, $48 million deal with the Detroit Pistons on a sign-and-trade with the Miami Heat receiving Simone Fontecchio in return.

  The Pistons pivoted to Robinson after they had planned to sign Malik Beasley to a there-year, $48 million deal. Beasley is under federal investigation for gambling allegations.

  Robinson joins Caris LeVert as free agent addition for the Pistons.

• Dennis Schroder, Kings Agree To Three-Year, $45M Deal

  Dennis Schroder and the Sacramento Kings have agreed to a three-year, $45 million deal. The first two seasons of Schroder's deal are guaranteed while the third year is a partial guarantee. The Kings created enough room to sign Schroder outright instead of a sign-and-trade with the Detroit Pistons after trading Jonas Valanciunas to the Denver Nuggets for Dario Saric.

  Schroder, who is represented by Mark Bartelstein, averaged 13.1 points, 2.6 rebounds and 5.4 assists and a PER of 12.5 last season with the Brooklyn Nets, Golden State Warriors and Pistons.

  Schroder repaired his value with his strong performance with the Pistons during the final stretch of the regular season and into the playoffs.

  Schroder helps the Kings at point guard following their trade of De'Aaron Fox to the San Antonio Spurs.