I’m not one for the heat.
Sure, there are absolutely people that won’t — or can’t — tolerate it more than me, but high temperatures aren’t for me. The first day or two of 90-plus degree weather can actually feel refreshing. After all, early July in a way still feels like we’re recovering from the cold of winter.
Then a stretch of hot days hits. We’re in that period right now, and boy, I’m already ready for fall weather. Of course, I’m not wishing time away, but I’m also not looking forward to being outside during the dog days of August (or July). I suppose it’s time to bear down and (slightly) crank up the air conditioning.
NBA
Pistons sign PF John Collins to three-year, $51 million contract
The Pistons have a new starting power forward.
Tobias Harris was a stalwart in the role the past two seasons for Detroit, but he’s a free agent. His shooting and leadership will be missed by the still-young Pistons, though Collins, 28, offers more upside.
It’ll take some digging, however, to uncover any remaining potential in Collins. The forward peaked in an abbreviated 2020 campaign with the Hawks in which he posted 21.6 points and 10.1 rebounds per game. From there, it was reasonable to expect further improvement, but it never materialized. Eventually, Collins and his salary were dumped on the Jazz.
Following that trade, Collins was a solid rotation player — starter, even — for Utah and the Clippers, though he’s clearly lost some of his luster (and talent). For $51 million the contending Pistons are hoping to usher in a new Collins — an efficient and, hopefully, winning player.
Opportunities should be abundant for Collins in Detroit. Cade Cunningham is the obvious lead dog, but the team’s newest acquisition should match or even exceed his career average of 11.2 shot attempts per game. Defense is a question mark with Collins, though he’ll be surrounded by a strong infrastructure on that end with the Pistons. We could see the most valuable version of Collins to date over the course of this deal.
Or his muted decline could continue. If so, Collins’ new salary can be used as matching money in a trade. The outcomes here are extensive.
Collins averaged 13.6 points and 5.3 rebounds per game last year with the Clippers.
Bulls sign SG Norman Powell to two-year, $45 million contract
Why?
Earlier this year, Chicago seemed to opt for a new path, a new direction. It was supposed to pivot the Bulls to a younger, less competitive roster. That started with a series of moves and hirings. Then, Chicago selected the promising Caleb Wilson with the No. 4 overall pick in the draft. The Bulls made sense.
Now, it feels like Chicago is going backwards while thinking it’s moving forward. In a vacuum, this deal is good value for the franchise. Powell has become one of the better scorers in the NBA, while shooting at a highly-efficient mark, at least outside the paint. He would truly move the needle on most teams in the league.
The Bulls aren’t one of those teams. The new NBA lottery odds will impact team building, but Chicago should nonetheless be aiming to bottom out. The organization had been in a rut for years, focused on staying competitive despite a limited ceiling. Where did that get Chicago?
Are we headed down that path again? Probably not, though it’s hard to tell at this point.
Chicago had cap space it needed to spend, but why not spend it on younger players? At the very least, the Bulls could’ve served as a bad-contract landing spot, taking in bloated deals alongside draft capital. Instead, the Bulls are adding Powell, 33 — a good player that doesn’t really accomplish anything for his new team.
Maybe Chicago will trade Powell this winter or next, but I doubt it obtains anything close to an unprotected first-round selection. Maybe the Bulls get lucky, win 35 games and earn another top-five pick next spring. Maybe this works out in the end.
That’s a lot of maybes. What’s more likely, however, is the Bulls not being rewarded for bad process in this case. What’s more likely, is Chicago continuing to toil away as an NBA wasteland.
Nets sign C Moe Wagner to two-year, $19 million contract
I would’ve supported and perhaps even loved this deal a year or two ago.
In 2024, Wagner was coming off a season in which he played 80 games and shot 60.1 percent from the field. His 2025 performance, particularly as scorer, was even better, though he appeared in just 30 contests. Last season, the center played in 36 games, seeing his output dip across the board.
Wagner is on the downside of his career now. He’s not a terribly impactful player on both ends at this point, either, making this a curious pact by Brooklyn. At 29, it’s unlikely Wagner rediscovers his magic, if you will, from a few years ago. The Nets would’ve been better served handing Wagner’s incoming minutes to young prospects or a different, better free agent.
Wagner recorded 6.9 points and 3.2 rebounds per game last year with Orlando.
Rockets sign SG Marcus Smart to two-year, $13 million contract
Smart declined his $5.4 million player option with the Lakers before accepting this deal, which also includes a player option.
The guard was crowned Defensive Player of the Year in 2022, an honor that was undeservedly bestowed to him. Since, then public opinion has gone the other way on Smart, to the point he’s become underrated.
The 32-year-old lacks juice on offense, but he’ll join what’s sure to again be a strong Houston defense. Smart again averaged over a steal per game (1.4) last year, a feat he’s achieved every season as a pro. It doesn’t stop there, either, as he’s a capable secondary ball handler — a task many Rockets weren’t up to a season ago.
Minutes could be hard to come by on a suddenly deep Houston team, though that shouldn’t be an issue for Smart. He’s capable of cracking the rotation and also likely prioritizes winning above all else. Reuniting with head coach Ime Udoka should also be a bonus.
Smart averaged 9.3 points, 2.8 rebounds and 3.0 assists last season with Los Angeles.
Magic sign C Nikola Vucevic to one-year, $3.9 million contract
It doesn’t feel like Vucevic spent nearly nine seasons with the Magic. From 2012-2021, the center suited up and started in every game he played for Orlando, offering premium scoring and strong rebounding at center.
This time around, the 35-year-old won’t be walking into a starting role, but he adds needed shooting and scoring at the position. Vucevic is also a tough-minded player, so he’ll fit into strengths already held by Orlando. In essence, the Magic can play a similar style with either Wendell Carter or Vucevic on the floor at the pivot.
With Vucevic in the lineup, the Magic will hope that his tenure with the Celtics last season was a mirage. The veteran struggled to fit in with Boston, though he was a reliable stalwart for the Bulls prior to that disappointment. At this price and stage of his career, anything is fair game, however.
Vucevic averaged 15.1 points and 8.4 rebounds across 64 games last year.
Rockets sign SG Bogdan Bogdanovic to one-year, veteran’s minimum contract
The Rockets, after losing Fred Van Vleet to a preseason ACL tear, didn’t have enough quality play in the backcourt last year. Too much was placed on Reed Sheppard’s plate, and other rotation regulars were upsized into guards they weren’t meant to be.
Van Vleet will be back this season, and now Houston has Bogdanovic to further augment its perimeter unit.
The 33-year-old took a nosedive with the Clippers last year, shooting just 38.8 percent from the field with a career-worst assist-to-turnover ratio. He surely can no longer be counted on as a starter or even premium bench piece, but over the course of an 82-game slate, Bogdanovic still has a few bits to offer.
Despite his recent shooting regression, he’ll still serve as a needed spacer alongside Van Vleet, Amen Thompson, Kevin Durant and Alperen Sengun. Defense is and always has been an issue for Bogdanovic, but he’ll be surrounded by waves of big, skilled defenders in Houston. The issue to avoid for the Rockets is another fall off the cliff from the veteran.
If that does occur, it won’t come at a sizeable cost. The veteran’s minimum is perfect for a player like Bogdanovic at this stage of his career. In actuality, this is the rare partnership of that kind that has a better chance of producing a rotation member than a complete flameout.
Bogdanovic averaged 7.4 points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game last season.
Magic sign PG Jevon Carter to one-year, $3.5 million contract
It’s no surprise why Carter continues to stick around in the NBA. The 30-year-old isn’t an elite scorer or athlete, nor is he imposing in size. The veteran is, however, one of the hardest-playing guards in the league.
A pest at worst and a thorn in an opponent’s entire operation at best, Carter is a devastating defender over the entire 94 feet. His defense has shown no signs of slippage with age, as he averaged 0.8 steals per game last year in just 16.4 minutes. Takeaways don’t tell the whole story with the undersized guard, either.
Carter has developed into a passable shooter, too. Orlando surely appreciated his intense defense in the 30 games it had the veteran for last season, but it arguably needs his shooting more. A career 37.7 percent shooter from three, Carter offers reasonable but unspectacular spacing next to Anthony Black in the Magic’s second unit.
This season, Carter’s rotation spot could be in jeopardy, potentially depending on how Jase Richardson progresses. Regardless, he’ll fill a vital energy role when on the court. Carter is certainly worth a roster spot for another season.
The 2018 second-round pick posted 6.4 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game last year.
76ers sign C Ariel Hukporti to one-year, $3.4 million contract
Hukporti is the first casualty of the Knicks’ efforts to stay under the second apron.
New York had the ability to tender the center $2.65 million qualifying offer, but that would’ve significantly increased the franchise’s luxury-tax bill, not to mention hinder its roster-building tools. As such, Hukporti became a free agent, allowing him to land in a similar role he held with the Knicks.
Joel Embiid is the obvious lynchpin in Phialdelphia’s frontcourt, but his on-court availability had been sporadic at best. Hukporti, along with Adem Bona, should see ample opportunities behind Embiid. Still 24, Hukporti possesses stout physical traits, and could see further improvement on offense. Last year, he improved his free throw percentage from 46.2 to 78.8, albeit in limited opportunities.
Hukporti posted 2.2 points and 2.9 rebounds per game last year with the Knicks.
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