Deals, steals and early trades underway

Victor Wembanyama has another big man to help him out in San Antonio, the Houston Rockets continued their offseason overhaul and Orlando and Atlanta made moves with eyes on contending this coming season, as the NBA's free agency period got underway on Monday.

The Spurs lured center Luke Kornet away from Boston with a four-year, $41 million deal, a person with knowledge of the agreement told reporters. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the team cannot announce the deal until the league's signing moratorium for most contracts is lifted on Sunday.

Kornet was part of Boston's 2024 NBA title team and has shot 68 percent from the field in 205 games, mostly off the bench, over the last three regular seasons. He is likely to add frontcourt depth to the Spurs, who are hoping to have Wembanyama — the 2023-24 NBA Rookie of the Year and an All-Star this past season — back and ready to go after he was diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis in his shoulder back in February.

The Rockets, meanwhile, added veteran forward Dorian Finney-Smith on a four-year, $53 million deal shortly after free agency opened. ESPN first reported the deal, and a person with knowledge of the agreement confirmed the terms to reporters.

Houston becomes Finney-Smith's fourth team after stints with Dallas, Brooklyn and the Los Angeles Lakers. He'll be added to a Rockets lineup that, earlier this summer, landed Kevin Durant in a blockbuster trade with Phoenix, though that deal cannot receive formal approval from the NBA until next week.

Finney-Smith averaged 8.7 points and was a 41 percent shooter from 3-point range this past season.

ESPN also reported that the Rockets' run on free agents continued with the addition of Hawks center Clint Capela, who spent the first six years of his career in Houston, before playing the last five seasons in Atlanta. Capela agreed to a three-year deal with the Rockets, ESPN said.

Dallas, which needed some point guard help, especially because the newly re-signed Kyrie Irving — rehabbing from an ACL tear — may not be ready to play until about midseason, agreed with D'Angelo Russell on a two-year contract worth nearly $13 million.

Russell would provide backcourt depth to a club with an imposing front line that, if healthy, would include No 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg, 10-time All-Star Anthony Davis and promising young center Dereck Lively II.