Derrick White was instrumental to the Boston Celtics securing this season's NBA championship and is being rewarded.
White agreed to a four-year, $125.9million contract extension with the Celtics on Monday, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
The deal includes a player option and marks a significant raise for White, whose last contract was a four-year, $70million extension signed back in 2020 with the San Antonio Spurs.
The Celtics acquired White, who turns 30 years old on Tuesday, from the Spurs at the 2022 trade deadline, and he was named to the NBA's All-Defensive second team in each of his first full two seasons in Boston.
The fearless defender came up with a clutch hustle play late in the first half of the Celtics' series-clinching Game 5 win over the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals, diving on the floor to secure a loose ball and chipping a tooth in the process. He had 14 points, eight rebounds and two steals in that victory as Boston captured its 18th NBA title.
White started all 19 games for the Celtics during their play-off run, averaging 16.7 points, 4.3 rebounds and 4.1 assists. He led Boston with 65 made 3-pointers in the play-offs, shooting 40.4 per cent from beyond the arc.
This came after he shot 39.6 per cent on 3-pointers during the regular season, with averages of 15.2 points, 5.2 assists and 4.2 boards in 73 games.
Armed with three-time All-NBA first-team selection Jayson Tatum, fellow All-Star and Finals MVP Jaylen Brown and White, the defending champion Celtics enter the 2024-25 season as the team to beat in the Eastern Conference, but the Philadelphia 76ers are looking to knock them off their perch after acquiring Paul George on Monday, and teaming him with 2022-23 NBA MVP Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey.
Lakers, LeBron James agree to two-year deal
LeBron James will spend at least one more season with the Los Angeles Lakers, where he'll be able to play alongside his son, after reportedly agreeing to a new contract on Wednesday.
ESPN reports James will sign a two-year, $104 million deal that includes a player option for the 2025-26 season as well as a no-trade clause.
The agreement allows the Lakers to have the first father-son pair of teammates in NBA history after the team selected Bronny James Jr. in the second round of last week's draft.
LeBron James, who turns 40 in December, will be entering his 22nd NBA season and seventh with the Lakers, and remains among the league's elite players even at his advanced age. The NBA's all-time leading scorer averaged 25.7 points, 7.3 rebounds and 8.3 assists in 71 games last season despite playing through a lingering left ankle injury for much of the campaign.
James was one of only three players, along with NBA MVP Luka Dončić and Denver Nuggets star center Nikola Jokić, to average at least 25 points, seven rebounds and eight assists per game in 2023-24.
The four-time MVP and NBA champion also achieved a pair of unprecedented feats last season, as he became the first player in league history to be named to 20 All-Star teams as well as the first to reach 40,000 career points.
James won his fourth career NBA title by leading the Lakers to a championship during the COVID 19-affected 2019-20 season, and helped the club to a surprise run to the 2023 Western Conference finals. The Lakers were eliminated in the first round of this year's play-offs, however, after losing to the Nuggets in five games.
The Lakers took Bronny James with the 55th overall pick after he spent one season at the University of Southern California. The younger James suffered a frightening cardiac arrest during a practice session last summer, but was later medically cleared following a surgical procedure and appeared in 25 games for the Trojans.
Hield drains six three pointers to lead Bahamas to 96-85 win over Finland to open Olympic Tournament Qualifying 1 in Spain
The Bahamas opened up their Olympic Basketball Qualifying Tournament 1 Group B campaign with a 95-86 win over Finland in Valencia, Spain on Tuesday.
The Bahamians opened up a one point (27-26) lead at the end of the first quarter before their Finnish counterparts drastically improved their play in the second period on the way to a 28-20 victory for an overall 54-47 lead at the end of the first half.
Bahamas came back into the contest with a dominant third quarter in which they doubled Finland’s production 26-13 before a 23-18 advantage in the fourth quarter secured an eleven-point victory to open their campaign.
Buddy Hield was the main scorer for the Bahamians six three pointers on his way to 24 points along with six rebounds and three assists while Villanova University-bound Valdez “VJ” Edgecombe Jr had 20 points, four rebounds and two steals.
Big man Deandre Ayton and sharpshooter Eric Gordon were also key contributors. Ayton, the Portland Trailblazers center, recorded 19 points and nine rebounds while Gordon, who recently signed with the Philadelphia 76ers, had 16 points and four assists.
The Bahamas will next play Poland on Wednesday with a win securing them a spot in the semi-finals of Olympic Qualifying Tournament 1.
In Group A play of Olympic Qualifying Tournament 1 on Wednesday, Spain hammered Lebanon 104-59.
Each Olympic Qualifying Tournament features six teams divided into two groups of three.
Each team plays each other once before the top two teams from each group advance to the semi-finals.
From there, the two semi-final winners will square off for one spot at the Paris Olympic Games.
Mitchell agrees to extension to remain with Cavaliers
Cleveland Cavaliers president of basketball operations Koby Altman told reporters Monday that the team felt good about signing Donovan Mitchell to an extension.
A day later, the deal was done.
Mitchell agreed to a three-year, $150.3million contract extension with the Cavaliers on Tuesday, according to multiple reports.
The 27-year-old had said previously that he is happy with the Cavaliers, and Altman said on Monday, he is "very, very much pro-Cleveland."
Mitchell's deal includes a player option, and was structured in a way to be favourable to both him and the Cavs.
It was reported that the extension is for three years instead of four years because in the 2027-28 season, Mitchell will have 10 years of service, and then is able to sign or be extended for 35 per cent of the salary cap. So, in July of 2026, he will be eligible to sign a four-year extension, with a projected max in 2027-28 at $65.5million.
The 13th overall pick of the 2017 NBA draft, Mitchell was acquired by Cleveland from the Utah Jazz shortly before the 2022-23 season.
A five-time All-Star, Mitchell averaged a team-high 26.6 points in 2023-24, as well as career highs of 6.1 assists, 5.1 rebounds and 1.84 steals.
A left knee injury, however, limited him to 55 games, and a left calf strain forced him to sit out Cleveland's final two play-off games, as the Cavs were eliminated by the eventual champion Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference semi-finals. He had averaged 36.8 points on 51.9 per cent shooting, 6.4 rebounds and 5 assists in his previous five play-off games.
In seven pro seasons, he has career averages of 24.8 points, 4.3 boards and 4.6 assists.
A week after Cleveland was ousted, J.B. Bickerstaff was fired as coach, and the Cavs hired his replacement, Kenny Atkinson, on June 24.
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