Here is your NBA Morning Brief covering all the latest NBA news, scores, trades, injuries, and standout performances from around the league.
TOP NBA Story of the Day: Buss family feud escalates over forced Lakers sale
The Buss family has decided to sell its remaining 17.8% ownership stake in the Los Angeles Lakers to new majority owners Josh Kushner and Bob Iger, according to Shams Charania.
Earlier reports suggested that the Buss family trust – composed of siblings Jeanie, Jim, Johnny, Janie, Joey, and Jesse – received the majority votes required to allow the trustees to execute the sale. Four out of six votes were needed to enact the tag-along provision of Mark Walter’s sale to Kushner and Iger.
Once this transaction is completed, Jeanie Buss will no longer be able to remain governor, as NBA guidelines require controlling owners or governors to own at least 15% of a franchise.
However, in a letter obtained by CNBC’s Alex Sherman, Jeanie’s lawyer, Adam Streisand, claimed that the Lakers governor has not agreed to sell the team and that any vote suggesting otherwise “would be and is void.”
According to Streisand’s letter, a 2017 court order still recognizes Jeanie Buss as the controlling shareholder of her family’s stake in the Lakers, noting that their portion of the franchise cannot be sold without her approval.
Big breaking news:
— Alex Sherman (@sherman4949) August 17, 2026
I've obtained a letter from Jeanie Buss's lawyer to the lawyers of her siblings demanding any vote to sell the team is "void" and reiterating that she's the controlling shareholder — which trumps any "vote."
Story developing …https://t.co/TxJGaLX2zn
NBA MOVES & TRANSACTIONS: Watford chooses NBA over EuroLeague, Highsmith back in Phoenix
Trendon Watford will continue his career in the NBA despite being followed by the EuroLeague teams. The 25-year-old has signed one-year, $2.9 million deal with the New Orleans Pelicans.
Watford spent the 2025/26 season with the Philadelphia 76ers, where he averaged 6.5 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.5 assists across 53 regular-season appearances.
Just days after being waived by the Phoenix Suns, Haywood Highsmith signed a new one-year deal with the Arizona-based franchise.
After being part of the Miami Heat for four seasons, Highsmith was traded last summer to the Brooklyn Nets. However, he got injured and never appeared for them in regular season game, before they waived him in February. Suns picked him up on a two-year deal, but released him few days ago. Now he signed new contract with the team.
In small sample size of seven regular-season games, he averaged 5.4 points and 1.9 rebounds while shooting 57.1% from three-point range.
Free agent F Haywood Highsmith has agreed to a one-year deal to return to the Phoenix Suns, his agent Jerry Dianis tells ESPN. pic.twitter.com/IpkzmLnRju
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 17, 2026
NBA RUMOR MILL: Miami Heat ‘desperate’ for Klay Thompson
The Miami Heat are highly interested in acquiring Klay Thompson, though the way they want to acquire the veteran guard remains a major obstacle.
According to NBA insider Marc Stein, the biggest problem is the Dallas Mavericks’ stance on Klay Thompson, as they prefer to find a trade for the four-time champion rather than negotiate a contract buyout.
“All we know is, Miami is desperate for Klay Thompson, but they want to sign him as a free agent. They would not be the only team interested”, Stein said.
NBA MARKET WATCH: Cap space watch
As the 2026 NBA offseason begins to take shape, cap space is quickly becoming one of the most decisive factors in how the league’s free agency and trade market will unfold.
A clear divide is emerging between teams that are financially flexible and those operating near the second apron, where every move requires far more precision and long-term calculation. That gap is already shaping conversations across front offices, especially as teams begin prioritizing either aggressive roster upgrades or preservation of future flexibility.
Several franchises enter this phase of the offseason with significant cap room, positioning themselves as potential accelerators of the market. These teams are not necessarily chasing star-level free agents, but instead are strategically placed to absorb contracts, facilitate multi-team trades, or take advantage of opportunistic signings once the market begins to move.
On the other end of the spectrum, contending teams remain heavily restricted by apron-related limitations, which continues to push them toward smaller, targeted improvements rather than major roster overhauls. In many cases, this is forcing front offices to explore creative mechanisms such as sign-and-trade structures or veteran minimum additions to address clear roster needs.
The next phase of the offseason will likely be dictated by how quickly the cap-space teams decide to act. Historically, once the first major domino falls, it creates immediate ripple effects across the league, unlocking stalled negotiations and forcing other organizations to adjust their strategy in real time.
For now, the market remains in a holding pattern — but the financial landscape is already clearly defining who will have the power to shape it.
