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2022 NBA free agency rumors: Live updates as James Harden, 76ers discuss new deal; Bulls pay Zach LaVine

The 2022 NBA free agency period got started not with a signing, but with Kevin Durant's stunning request to be traded from the Brooklyn Nets. With Kyrie Irving also expected to follow him out the door, that drama and intrigue has stolen the show the last few days.  It's perhaps fitting, then, that the first few days of free agency have been highlighted with blockbuster trades, including the Minnesota Timberwolves acquiring Rudy Gobert from the Utah Jazz, the Atlanta Hawks adding Dejounte Murray from the San Antonio Spurs and Boston Celtics getting Malcolm Brogdon from the Indiana Pacers. 

But for all the movement via trades, there's still been plenty of movement in the actual free-agent market. Among the notable deals were Jalen Brunson joining the New York Knicks, John Wall to the Los Angeles Clippers and Otto Porter Jr. heading north of the border to the Toronto Raptors. 

Furthermore, the likes of Zach LaVine (Chicago Bulls) and Bradley Beal (Washington Wizards) have agreed to max deals to return to their teams, while Nikola Jokic (Denver Nuggets), Devin Booker (Phoenix Suns) and Karl-Anthony Towns (Minnesota Timberwolves) have agreed to max extensions. At this point, there aren't too many big names left on the market. One deal that does still have to be sorted out, however, is James Harden's return to the Philadelphia 76ers. He's meeting with the team in the Hamptons over the holiday weekend in order to figure out what will likely be a shorter-term deal. 

More on free agency: Top available players | FA Tracker | Winners and losers

Follow below for all the latest deals, updates and more as NBA free agency continues into the weekend.

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Live updates
 

Dragic joining Bulls

Veteran point guard Goran Dragic has agreed to a deal with the Chicago Bulls, according to Shams Charania. Dragic was traded to the Toronto Raptors last season, but played just five games and eventually agreed to a buyout. He later joined the Nets in hopes of winning a title, but that obviously did not go to plan. 

Dragic, now 36, is coming off the worst season in over a decade, as he averaged 7.5 points and 4.1 assists and just 37.7 percent from the field. It usually doesn't hurt to add a veteran point guard to the mix, but it's hard to expect much from Dragic at this point in his career. 

 

Celtics agree to deal with Hauser

The Celtics have made some big moves this summer to bring in Danilo Gallinari and Malcolm Brogdon. Now, as they try to fill out the rest of the roster, they've agreed to a three-year, $6 million deal with Sam Hauser, per Adam Himmelsbach

Hauser impressed in the G League last season, shooting 43.3 percent on nine 3-point attempts per game. His shooting ability earned him a call-up to the Celtics, but he played sparingly down the stretch of the regular season and was only used for mop-up duty in the playoffs. The Celtics are hopeful that he can play a bigger role next season, but he'll have his work cut out for him to earn rotation minutes on one of the deepest teams in the league. 

 

Kyrie to Hollywood?

The Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Lakers are making progress on a trade that would swap Kyrie Irving and Russell Westbrookaccording to Chris Haynes. Other pieces would have to be involved, but there is "palpable optimism" that the two sides can figure out a deal this summer. 

 

Suns add depth at the center position

The Phoenix Suns are trading for Australian center Jock Landale from the Atlanta Hawks, according to The Athletic. Landale averaged 4.9 points and 2.7 rebounds in 54 games for the Spurs last season.

 

Zion to sign max contract worth up to $231M

Zion Williamson agreed to a five-year rookie max contract extension worth up to $231 million with the New Orleans Pelicans, according to his agent. The deal will keep Williamson under team control through the 2027-28 season.   

 

Cody Martin staying in Charlotte

Restricted free agent Cody Martin has agreed to a four-year, $32 million deal to return to the Hornets, per Shams Charania. Martin has played his entire career with the Hornets since being drafted by them in the second round in 2019. Martin holds career averages of 5.8 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game. 

 

Harden meeting with 76ers to discuss new deal 

James Harden has already turned down his $47 million player option for next season, but he plans to ink a new deal with the Philadelphia 76ers. That process got underway on Saturday, as Harden began meeting with the Sixers in the Hamptons on Saturday in order to flesh out the details of a new deal, per Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports. By turning down his player option and instead signing a new deal, Harden opened up some financial flexibility for the Sixers to sign other players this summer. They've already added P.J. Tucker and Danuel House via free agency. 

 

Garland signs biggest contract in Cavs history 

Darius Garland has agreed to a five-year, $193 million maximum extension with the Cleveland Cavaliers, his agent Rich Paul confirmed on Saturday. Garland's deal, which could rise to $231 million if he makes an All-NBA team next season, stands as the biggest contract in Cavaliers franchise history. The No. 5 overall pick in 2019, Garland is coming off the best season of his career, as he averaged 21.7 points, 8.6 assists and 1.3 steals per game, while shooting 46.2 percent from the field and 38.3 percent from 3-point land. He also made the All-Star Game for the first time in his career, becoming the first Cavalier to make an appearance since LeBron James and Kevin Love in 2018. 

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Biyombo returning to Suns

The Phoenix Suns have agreed to a deal with Bismack Biyombo, according to Chris Haynes. Biyombo sat out the beginning of last season following the death of his father, and eventually signed with the Suns in January. He averaged 5.8 points and 4.6 rebounds in 36 games with the team. Now, the veteran big man will return to Phoenix. And depending on what happens with Deandre Ayton, he may be in line for a bigger role next season. 

 

Durant breaks silence following trade request 

We've heard a lot about Kevin Durant in recent days since he requested a trade away from the Brooklyn Nets earlier this week, but we hadn't heard from Durant himself. That changed on Saturday as Durant took to Twitter amid the rampant rumors regarding his future to share the following message to his millions of followers:   

 

NBA free agency winners and losers


Brad Botkin breaks down the biggest winners and losers after the first two days of NBA free agency, including the Celtics, 76ers, Zion Williamson, Gary Payton II, Knicks and Warriors.

 

Forbes heading to Minnesota

The Timberwolves continue to overhaul their roster as they move forward in hopes of becoming a playoff contender. After acquiring Rudy Gobert earlier in the day, Minnesota has also reportedly agreed to terms with Bryn Forbes on a free agent deal, according to The Athletic

 

Warriors sign DiVincenzo

After losing Gary Payton II, Juan Toscano-Anderson and Otto Porter Jr. so far this offseason, the Warriors added back to their bench depth with the addition of Donte DiVincenzo. The former Kings guard is joining the defending champs on a two-year, $9.3 million deal, a nice deal for both the team and the young guard who didn't get a qualifying offer from Sacramento. 

 

Kornet staying in Boston

Free agent center Luke Kornet has agreed to a two-year deal to return to the Boston Celtics, according to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports. Kornet spent time with the Celtics in each of the past two seasons, and he apparently showed enough for the team to want to bring him back. The Celtics have been busy, as they also traded for Malcolm Brogdon earlier today. 

 

Juan Toscano-Anderson thanks Warriors for his time with the team

After signing a deal with the Los Angeles Lakers in free agency, Juan Toscano-Anderson took to Twitter to thank the Golden State Warriors for his time with the team. He spent the past three seasons of his career with the Warriors, and he helped the team win a title this past season. Here's what he had to say to the Warriors: 

 

Derrick Jones Jr. staying in Chicago

The Bulls have been pretty busy since free agency began. They signed Andre Drummond yesterday, and then they inked Zach LaVine to a max contract extension earlier today. They're also bringing back Derrick Jones Jr. on a two-year deal worth $6.6 million, per Shams Charania. The second year of the deal includes a player option. Not bad value for the Bulls there. 

 

Jazz trading Rudy Gobert to the Timberwolves

In a shocking move, Utah is trading three-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert to the Timberwolves in exchange for Malik Beasley, Patrick Beverley, Walker Kessler, Jarred Vanderbilt and four first-round picks, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. Though the Jazz got some solid role players in return, this package hints that Utah may not be done dealing just yet. Perhaps the Jazz are also thinking of moving star guard Donovan Mitchell, who has been connected to the Miami Heat in a potential trade. We'll just have to wait and see how this plays out. 

 

Looney returns to Warriors on three-year deal

After showing how important he was during the Warriors title run this past season, Looney gets rewarded with a three-year, $25.5 million deal to return to Golden State, per Adrian Wojnarowski. Looney was a rebounding machine throughout the playoffs, and benefited off the defensive pressure Curry faced throughout the playoffs. He proved to be a key piece for the Warriors and now the defending champs will be getting their big man back. 

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Celtics acquire Brogdon in trade with Pacers

In what's been a long awaited departure, Malcolm Brogdon is finally getting traded from the Indiana Pacers, and he'll be landing with the Boston Celtics where he'll now be the team's new lead point guard, per Adrian Wojnarowski. All it took for Boston to get him was Daniel Theis, Aaron Nesmith and a 2023 first-round pick. That's a huge win for a Celtics team that could've desperately used the two-way ability of Brogdon in the NBA Finals against Steph Curry and the Warriors. Earlier Friday, they also agreed on a deal with Danilo Gallinari, who will provide more shooting and size to their rotation. Now they'll enter next season reloaded and ready to get back and take care of some unfinished business. 

 

Hawks trade Huerter to Kings for Harkless, Holiday, future pick

The Atlanta Hawks aren't done making trades this summer. After acquiring All-Star guard Dejounte Murray from the San Antonio Spurs, the Hawks are now trading Kevin Huerter to the Sacramento Kings in exchange for Justin Holiday, Maurice Harkless and a future first-round draft pick, per Adrian Wojnarowski. The future draft pick is lottery protected in 2024, and it becomes top-12 protected in 2025 and top-10 protected in 2026.

 

Wall agrees to deal with Clippers

John Wall has officially found a new NBA home. The veteran guard agreed to a two-year, $13.2 million contract with the Los Angeles Clippers, per Klutch Sports. The news comes a few days after Wall and the Houston Rockets reached a buyout agreement that allowed him to become an unrestricted free agent. Wall has played just 72 games over the past four seasons due to a combination of injuries and Houston's disinterest in using him, but perhaps he'll be able to jumpstart his career again in L.A. 

 

Nurkic staying in Portland

Free agent center Jusuf Nurkic has agreed on a new four-year, $70 million deal to stay with the Portland Trail Blazers, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. Nurkic has been with the Blazers since the 2016-17 season, and he has developed into an integral piece of the team, as he has started in every game he's played since the '17-18 season. Now he'll get to continue to play alongside Dame Lillard and co. for the forseeable future. 

 

LaVine gets the bag in Chicago

Zach LaVine isn't going anywhere. The star guard agreed to a five-year, $215.2 million maximum contract to remain in Chicago, his agent confirmed to Shams Charania. The fifth year of the deal includes a player option. LaVine has developed into one of the most explosive offensive players in the league, and now he'll get to continue his career with the Bulls and help them try to make it back to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1998. 

 

Bruce Brown headed to Denver 

Bruce Brown's time with the Brooklyn Nets has come to an end, as he has agreed to a two-year deal with the Denver Nuggets worth more than $13 million, per ESPN's Malika Andrews. The agreement includes a player option for the second year of the deal. In Denver, Brown will get to play alongside reigning two-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic. 

 

Otto Porter to Toronto

After helping the Golden State Warriors win the NBA title last season, veteran forward Otto Porter Jr. has found a new home. According to Chris Haynes of Yahoo, Porter has agreed to a two-year deal with the Toronto Raptors. The second year of the deal will reportedly include a player option. Solid pickup for Toronto. 

 

Bol Bol staying in Orlando 

Bol Bol will be staying in Orlando, as the big man reportedly agreed to a two-year deal with the Magic. Bol was traded from the Nuggets to the Magic in February, but he has yet to play in a game for the team after having right foot surgery. He'll help to bolster Orlando's frontcourt moving forward. 

 

Pinson to stay in Dallas 

Free agent guard Theo Pinson is returning to the Dallas Mavericks on a one-year deal, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. Pinson only appeared in 19 games for the Mavs last season, but they need to keep up their guard depth following the loss of Jalen Brunson, who signed with the Knicks in free agency. 

 

Robinson returning to Knicks

The New York Knicks and free agent center Mitchell Robinson reached an agreement on a new four-year contract worth $60 million, according to his agent. The big man averaged 8.5 points, 8.6 rebounds and 1.8 blocks in 72 games for New York last season.

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Rubio returning to Cleveland 

It looks like Ricky Rubio will be returning to Cleveland, as the veteran guard is nearing a multi-year deal with the Cavaliers, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. Rubio played in 34 games for the Cavs last season before tearing his left ACL. The Cavs traded him to the Indiana Pacers as an expiring contract at the deadline, but both sides were obviously interested in a reunion. Rubio will help to provide some veteran leadership on a young Cavs team. 

 

Payton signing with Blazers

Gary Payton II played a key role en route to the Warriors' championship last season. Now, the free-agent guard will take his talents to Portland as he agreed to a three-year, $28 million deal with the Trail Blazers.

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