James became the first case, the Clippers signed a heavy contract, the No. 1 pick was bought out, and Yang Hansen took advantage of the time and place

On June 30, 2025, the NBA offseason trading market continued to be active. As the deadline for the team and players to decide whether to implement the next season options and the team provides qualification quotes to potentially restricted free agents, the editor has compiled the main trading information in the past 24 hours so that fans can quickly understand the latest updates of each team and player:

James executes player options for the new season. The subsequent retirement or departure of the Lakers will be determined

According to famous reporter Shams, James has decided to implement the player options worth $52.6 million next season, which means he will continue to play for the Lakers. This is the 23rd season of his career, and he will become the first player to compete for 23 seasons. It is worth noting that the remarks of James' agent Ritchie Paul have attracted widespread attention. He said that James currently attaches more importance to actual championship opportunities and is clear about the Lakers' current lineup and future plans. Paul mentioned that the James team is evaluating the most favorable options at the moment of their career. In other words, James is eager to win the championship again, but considering the Lakers' current lineup configuration, James is not optimistic about the team's prospects for winning the championship, and he is still in a wait-and-see state.

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In addition, James did not choose to sign a 1+1 contract with the Lakers this time, but chose to execute the player option. You should know that since 2014, James usually has 1+1 contract signing between the Cavaliers and Lakers. The purpose of this is to maintain the flexibility of the contract and force the team to react in strengthening. If it is a bad team that he is not satisfied with, he can directly fire the boss and look for better opportunities. However, this time he did not do so.

Based on various signs, James may face two directions after the new season: choosing to retire on the spot (this is also the opinion of his family) and switching to other teams with the ability to win the championship, and he is likely not to continue playing for the Lakers.

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Harden's contract renewal of the Clippers attracted attention. The Clippers' reinforcement has become an urgent task

According to Shams, Harden decided to refuse to implement a player option worth $36.35 million, and instead signed a two-year contract with the Clippers with a total value of $81.5 million, including player options and some guarantee terms in the second year. This decision means Harden will receive a salary increase. In the 2024-25 season, Harden played 79 regular season games for the Clippers, averaging 22.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, 8.7 assists and 1.5 steals per game; during the playoffs, Harden averaged 18.7 points, 5.4 rebounds, 9.1 assists, 1.3 steals and 1 block in 7 games. Although Harden is nearly 36 years old, his skills and form are still at a high level, ranking fifth and first in the league in the regular season and playoff assists respectively. Since Harden will be 36 years old in August and is limited by the 38-year-old rule, his contract will not exceed two years, which also confirms the saying "What limits Harden's contract years is never his own skills and status, but those rules and regulations outside of it."

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The Clippers not only retained the current and future recruitment flexibility, but also obtained a full middle-class special case of $14.1 million.

However, the hidden dangers faced by the Clippers cannot be ignored. Harden is nearly 36 years old and Kat is 34 years old. The health and attendance of the two veterans have become potential risks to the team. Therefore, it is particularly important to increase the substitute to share the ball's rights and avoid excessive overdrafts. Based on this, the Clippers' signings and strengthening have become the top priority. At this stage, the Clippers have two potential recruitment targets:

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Paul: According to NBA famous reporter Jake, Paul revealed early on that he hopes to return to Los Angeles to reunite with his family and stay in Los Angeles to play, and the Clippers have also shown interest in this.

Alexander Walker: With Reed and Randall renewing their contract, Alexander Walker's situation in the Timberwolves will become quite embarrassing, and he may leave the team by signing first and then changing, and the Clippers may become his potential next home.

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The Trail Blazers buy out Ayton. Yang Hansen welcomes more opportunities to play. According to Shams's report, 26-year-old No. 1 center Ayton was brutally bought out by the Trail Blazers. After the clarification period, he will become a complete free agent. Head coach Billups publicly expressed dissatisfaction with Ayton's attitude, pointing out that his career over the past two years was full of lateness, emotional out of control and injuries. The team finally decided to reach a buyout agreement with him because it was unable to handle the expiring $35.6 million contract.

In addition, it is reported that Ayton has become a potential target for the Lakers to strengthen the center position. It is worth noting that Ayton and Doncic's agent are the same, which may help facilitate the deal.

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The Trail Blazers will build the team next with a young center as the core. After Ayton left the team, the team still has four centers, including Hansen Yang, Klingen, Rowe and Reese. It should be noted that Rees and Rowe are over 27 years old. In the past two seasons, Rowe has played in only 26 games due to a knee injury, while Rees averaged only 4.2 points per game in 46 games, which is extremely inefficient. It is obvious that Yang Hansen has the right time and place to get more playing time and performance opportunities. I hope Yang Hansen can seize the opportunity to shine. Dear fans, what do you think of the prospects of this young domestic center? Welcome to leave a message in the comment section to share your thoughts.