The start of NBA free agency is just two days away and Friday marks the deadline for when players can opt in to the last remaining year on their contracts or become free agents.
LeBron James and DeAndre Jordan opted out of their deals on Friday. And with the recent moves by the Clippers and Mavericks, it seems likely that Jordan is on his way out of Los Angeles.
Paul George has opted out of his deal and will be free to go wherever come July 1, and it's been reported the Thunder, Lakers, 76ers and Rockets are all looking to sign the five-time All-Star.
• NBA Free Agency 2018: Top 50 Players Available
Free agency gets started at midnight on Sunday, but players won't be able to officially sign deals until noon on July 6.
Here are the latest news and rumors from around the league.
7 p.m.
• The Mavericks and Dirk Nowitzki have mutually decided to decline his $5 million option for next season. They will plan to settle on a new contract in July. (Marc Stein, The New York Times)
6 p.m.
• Clippers center Deandre Jordan will opt-out of his $24.1 million deal and become an unrestricted free agent. A pathway has been cleared to negotiate a deal with the Mavericks. (Adrian Wojnarowski, ESPN)
• Lakers guard Lonzo Ball has a torn meniscus in his left knee. He is expected to be ready for training camp next season. (Shams Charania, Yahoo Sports)
• The relationship between the Spurs and Kawhi Leonard "cannot be repaired," and the 76ers want Leonard "badly." (Marc Stein, The New York Times on The Dan Patrick Show)
4 p.m.
• The Clippers are willing to take back Wes Matthews in a potential deal for center DeAndre Jordan, which does not rule out the possibility of a sign-and-trade between the Clippers and Mavericks, according to the New York Times' Marc Stein. Jordan has until midnight on Friday to decide whether or not to opt into his $24.1 million player option for next season. Dallas has long been a theoretical destination for Jordan, and the Mavs have pursued him in free agency before.
• The Pacers guaranteed Bojan Bogdanovic's $10.5 million contract for next season according to Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports.
• ESPN's Zach Lowe reported that there is some mutual interest between Jamal Crawford and the Warriors in a minimum deal for next season. Crawford recently declined his $4.5 million player option.
3 p.m.
• Free agent wing Gerald Green will meet with the Houston Rockets at the start of free agency, according to ESPN's Chris Haynes. The Houston native averaged 12.1 points in 41 games for the Rockets last year and will have several teams interested in signing him.
2 p.m.
• Bucks restricted free agent Jabari Parker could be pursued by the 76ers, Jazz, Kings, Nets, Bulls, Hawks, Pacers and Suns. (Gery Woelfel)
• Enes Kanter announced on Twitter that he will opt in to his $18.6 million player option for the 2019 season.
• The Sacramento Kings will not offer Bruno Caboclo a qualifying offer after the two sides "agreed to move on," according to ESPN's Chris Haynes. Caboclo, who was acquired in a trade with Toronto last season, will become an unrestricted free agent.
• The Pacers declined Joe Young's option for next season, making him an unrestricted free agent. (ESPN)
• Spurs big man Joffrey Lauvergne has declined his $1.6 million player option for 2019 and plans to sign with Euroleague club Fenerbahce. (ESPN)
• LeBron will reportedly meet with his closest confidants in "The Decision Cave" in the Caribbean to decide his free agency decision. James opted out of his $35.6 million player option Friday morning. (Brian Windhorst via Bleacher Report)
• Danny Ainge said that a blockbuster deal involving the Celtics is unlikely despite Boston's stash of assets and reported talks with San Antonio to acquire Kawhi Leonard. (Chris Forsberg, ESPN)
10 a.m.
• LeBron James's agent told the Cavaliers he will not exercise his $35.6 million option and will become an unrestricted free agent. (Joe Vardon, cleveland.com)
• Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports reported Enes Kanter plans to exercise his $18.6 million option to stay with the Knicks next season, but Kanter has since denied the report.
• The Hornets won't tender a qualifying offer to forward Treveon Graham, making him an unrestricted free agent. (Shams Charania, Yahoo Sports)
• The Rockets will have to guarantee Aaron Jackson's $1.4 million salary if they want to use him in trades after exercising their team option for next season. (Shams Charania, Yahoo Sports)
Thursday, June 28
• The Lakers haven't offered Brandon Ingram in any trade talks but might if it was necessary to acquire Kawhi Leonard. (Tania Ganguli, The Los Angeles Times)
• Pacers forward Thaddeus Young has exercised his $13.7M player option and will bypass free agency this summer. (Adrian Wojnarowski, ESPN)
• Leonard reached out to LeBron James to express that he's interested in playing with the Cavs star. (Yahoo Sports)
• The Spurs and Lakers believe that a deal for Leonard would "clinch" a free agent commitment out of LeBron James to Los Angeles. (ESPN)
• While San Antonio was looking to repair its relationship with Leonard, an "overwhelming Lakers offer" could convince the Spurs otherwise. (ESPN)
• The Cavaliers no longer have a chance of acquiring Kemba Walker. (ESPN Cleveland)
• The Spurs are engaged in trade conversations with several teams concerning Kawhi Leonard, including the Lakers and Celtics. The urgency to get a deal done is on the Lakers end now because San Antonio "can still play the long game" while Boston is "extremely cautious" because of the uncertainty around Leonard's future plans and health. (Adrian Wojnarowski, ESPN.com)
• The Pacers are targeting restricted free agent Aaron Gordon. (Adrian Wojnarowski, ESPN)
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