With Summer League now in the rearview mirror, the "dead period" has arrived in the NBA world. There are a few prominent free agents still on the market but, for the most part, the transaction cycle has slowed considerably, leaving a yearning for buzz behind the scenes. One area where there can be intrigue is with extension negotiations for established players, and there are new updates for three prominent players as of late July.
Mikal Bridges
The New York Knicks are coming off a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals, and Mikal Bridges was a real part of that success. Bridges, who was acquired in a blockbuster trade with the Brooklyn Nets prior to last season, is entering the final season of a four-year deal worth more than $90 million that will pay him roughly $25 million for the 2025-26 season. However, the Knicks would clearly have interest in securing a more long-term commitment from Bridges, especially given the hefty price they paid in the trade with Brooklyn.
Keith Smith of Spotrac recently spoke to a Knicks executive about Bridges and shared an interesting sentiment.
“We hope to get something done," said the Knicks executive. "When you make the commitment to trade for a player like we did with Mikal, you do it with the intention of them being on the team for a long time."
Bridges can sign a deal for four years and more than $150 million, though it is unclear if the Knicks would be willing to meet that price. Bridges had something of a "down" season in 2024-25, despite the team success, and it is a very interesting situation to monitor.
Coby White
In the same piece from Keith Smith of Spotrac referenced above, he spoke to a Chicago Bulls executive about the future of ace guard Coby White.
“The contract is what it is," the exec shared. "We probably can’t extend him, because the rules don’t allow for us to pay him enough. But we want Coby to be a Bull for a long time. He knows how we feel about him.”
The Bulls are limited to a deal up to four years and less than $90 million for White. As the executive noted, that seems like too much of a discount for White to accept, especially in a rising salary cap environment. As such, White could be hitting free agency after his deal expires next summer, but the Bulls can hope and dream that White might choose the long-term security of an extension on the table now.
De'Aaron Fox
Keith Smith of Spotrac also talked to a San Antonio Spurs executive in recent days, focusing on De'Aaron Fox. The star guard is up for an extension in San Antonio, and the Spurs could offer Fox as much as four more years worth more than $200 million. However, things could be complicated by the addition of Dylan Harper and the breakout of Stephon Castle, and Smith shares the following from the executive.
“When we made that trade, we knew what the contract status was, of course," the exec said. "We see De’Aaron as someone who can grow with our young players and be a real leader for us. We’re hopeful we can make something happen to keep him in San Antonio for a long time."
Fox reportedly turned down an extension with the Sacramento Kings worth more than $50 million annually, which eventually helped to lead to the trade to San Antonio. Fox is in a strong negotiating position after the Spurs gave up significant capital to acquire him, but perhaps there is a middle ground between a more team-friendly deal and the absolute max Fox could command.