The Sixers have nearly emptied their non-taxpayer mid-level exception, and the last few dollars are all that remain.
Philadelphia has committed most of that money to Dean Wade and Anfernee Simons, with only about $44,000 still available, according to Hoops Rumors. That isn’t enough to bring in another player right now, but it could matter later in the season. Hoops Rumors noted the leftover amount may be enough down the line for a prorated minimum signing or even a two-way conversion without the Sixers needing to tap another exception.
Wade’s deal runs four years and is worth $38.7 million, with a partial guarantee of $1.65 million in the final season. Simons, meanwhile, got a player option for 2027-28.
Wade spent his first seven seasons with the Cavaliers before heading to Philadelphia and reuniting with former Cavs GM Mike Gansey, who was hired as Sixers head of basketball operations just weeks earlier.
In Boston, Ron Harper Jr. is officially back.
The Celtics finalized his contract Monday, and Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reported the team upgraded the original arrangement. What had been a three-year deal is now a four-year contract worth approximately $13.7 million. The first two seasons are fully guaranteed, the third year is non-guaranteed and the fourth is a team option.
Harper earned his way into a longer stay after making an impact late last season. He spent much of the year with the Maine Celtics in the G League before carving out a role with Boston down the stretch.
He’s not being handed a featured job, but the Celtics clearly see enough to keep him in the fold a while longer.
New York also made a move to keep one of its younger players in place.
The Knicks finalized Mohamed Diawara’s new contract Monday, and Fred Katz of The Athletic reported it’s a four-year deal worth roughly $11.2 million. The first two seasons are fully guaranteed, and his starting salary is above the veteran minimum.
Diawara, 21, showed enough during his rookie season to earn the investment. He appeared in 69 games and flashed the kind of versatility that can make a three-and-D wing valuable in today’s NBA.
The production wasn’t loud, but the Knicks liked the upside enough to make sure he remains part of their long-term plans.
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Brad Stevens May Have Quietly Solved A Celtics Problem Nobody Saw
Brad Stevens spent the offseason quietly reshaping the Celtics frontcourt, and the work may matter more than it first looked. Boston brought in Mitchell Robinson, then locked up Neemias Queta and Ron Harper Jr., giving the roster a different kind of depth around the basket without making the kind of splash that usually dominates summer headlines.
The appeal is in the cost as much as the fit. Steph Nohs salary model paints Queta as a major value on his new extension, while Harper Jr. landed a four-year deal that still leaves the Celtics with room to breathe. For a team always balancing talent with the cap, those moves could end up looking like one of the cleaner roster wins of the offseason. [Read more 🡒]
Jayson Tatum Finally Addressed The End Of The Two Jays
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Tatum and Jaylen Brown were the face of the franchise through two trips to the NBA Finals, and their run together reached its peak with the 2024 title, when Brown took home Finals MVP honors. Even with that shared history in the rearview, the emotional weight of what comes next is still settling in, and Tatum's comments only underline how much Boston's identity has shifted. [Read more 🡒]