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Warriors Notes: Stephen Curry, Kerr, Podziemski, Seth Curry

October 18th, 2025 at 11:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

It’s becoming more common for NBA stars to keep playing effectively after their 40th birthday. That’s still nearly three years away for Stephen Curry, and the Warriors star told Mark Medina of EssentiallySports that he plans to take care of his body so there will be a choice to make when the time arrives.

“All I’ll say is that I just want the option and if I’m at a legitimate ability to be able to play,” Curry said. “I don’t know if it’ll make sense or if I would want to, whatever the case is. But if I can make the decision and the decision is not made for me, that’s a big, big point.”

Curry is still at the top of his game as he enters his 17th year in the NBA. He was a second-team All-NBA selection last season and an All-Star for the 11th time. He appeared in 70 games, averaging 24.5 PPG in 32.2 minutes per night, and remains one of the league’s most feared long-distance shooters, connecting at 39.7% from beyond the arc while leading the NBA in three-pointers attempted and made.

Intense offseason workouts are among the secrets to Curry’s longevity. His trainer, Brandon Payne, told Medina that this summer focused on strength training and speeding up his decision-making process.

“A lot of it is the foundational work that I’ve put in since I started,” Curry said. “One, I still love it. I’m blessed with being with a team around me that has helped take the spirit that I’m trying to put into it and give me the framework that keeps the body limber and loose and the injury prevention stuff. The rest of it is a toughness to get out there and do the work. I still love and want to keep it going.”

There’s more on the Warriors:

Steve Kerr ponders his future with the organization in an article by Anthony Slater of ESPN that examines the coach’s long, successful relationship with Curry. Kerr, who’s entering the final year of his contract, said he wouldn’t choose to leave Golden State for another coaching job. “Management and ownership would have to want it to continue,” he said. “I would have to want it to continue. Steph would have to. I’m not finishing my contract and saying, ‘All right, I think I’ll go leave for such and such job around the league somewhere. That’s not happening.”
Brandin Podziemski left Friday’s preseason finale with an injury, Slater tweets. He suffered a left hip contusion in a first quarter fall and had to be helped to the locker room by trainer Rick Celebrini.
Seth Curry, who was waived Saturday as the Warriors made their final roster cuts, can’t return until sometime in November at the earliest because the team can’t fit his pro-rated veteran’s minimum salary under its second apron hard cap. That’s why he didn’t see any playing time during the preseason, per Sam Gordon of The San Francisco Chronicle. “Because he got here late and just because of the nature of everything, I’m trying to see other people as well,” Kerr said. “I’m not worried about Seth. He’s not worried about it. He’s coming along nicely.”

Spurs Notes: Biyombo, Kornet, Harper, Waters

October 18th, 2025 at 9:53pm CST by Arthur Hill

Veteran big man Bismack Biyombo, who earned a spot on the Spurs‘ roster for the upcoming season, is valued by the organization for more than just his on-court contributions, writes Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News. McDonald points to a preseason game this week where Biyombo enjoyed playing the role of teacher as he was on the court with four young players who are headed for the G League.

“It’s a great group of young guys just to be around and help them out,” Biymobo said. “I think when you enjoy doing what you do, then you can’t call it work. And I enjoy working with good people.”

Biyombo was out of the NBA in February when he received a call from the Spurs, who were seeking help at center after trading Zach Collins to Chicago. Biyombo signed a 10-day deal with the expectation of being a backup, but he was promoted to the starting lineup when San Antonio lost Victor Wembanyama for the season with deep vein thrombosis.

He re-signed this summer on an Exhibit 9 contract that only guaranteed him a spot at training camp. The Spurs saw his influence as a leader late last season and decided to keep him on the roster.

“He is very selfless,” Julian Champagnie said. “He goes on the floor with those young guys and teaches them. He’s directing traffic. Stuff like that’s really valuable.”

There’s more from San Antonio:

“French Vanilla” is the catchy nickname Spurs fans have given to the combination of Wembanyama and free agent addition Luke Kornet, McDonald adds in a separate story. The former Celtics center was brought in primarily to be a backup for Wembanyama, but they’ve been effective in their minutes together. “Having two rim protectors can give you a lot of versatility to make things hard for the teams,” Kornet said. “Then should be a fun time trying to figure it out offensively how to best fit that together.”
San Antonio has several options at point guard, but Dylan Harper is best positioned to be Wembanyama’s long-term partner, observes Jared Weiss of The Athletic. The No. 2 pick in this year’s draft was sidelined for a while following thumb surgery, but he’s already showing signs of stardom since returning. “There’s a reason that there are expectations and thoughts of him before he got to this gym, and I think it’s our job to continue to cultivate that and support that and challenge him,” coach Mitch Johnson said. “He’s obviously shown a knack for sound decision-making and making plays with the basketball in his hands.”
Lindy Waters III will undergo a minor laser eye procedure to correct an issue that was found in his preseason physical, according to Jared Weiss of The Athletic (Twitter link). Waters won’t be available for opening night, but he’s expected to return later in the week.

Celtics Notes: Harper, Simons, Queta, Rotation

October 18th, 2025 at 8:45pm CST by Arthur Hill

Ron Harper Jr.‘s path to landing a two-way contract with the Celtics began at last year’s training camp, writes Souichi Terada of MassLive. After being waived last fall, Harper played for Boston’s G League affiliate in Maine until the Pistons offered him a two-way opportunity in January. He became a free agent again this summer and was happy to learn that the Celtics were interested in a reunion.

“As soon as my stint was over with Detroit, I was gathering options and my agent mentioned Boston really would love to have me back,” Harper said. “In the back of my mind it was just like, last training camp I was really grateful because I learned a lot of things. They were coming off an NBA championship, so just being in here, being around the program, just to being able to see and being able to learn things. So I feel like that was a big part of me getting a two-way in Detroit, of me getting that opportunity. And then when the opportunity came to come back, it was something I jumped on very quick.”

Harper signed a training camp deal in September and made a strong impression during the preseason. He’s expected to split his time between the NBA team and the G League club, and he hopes to prove he’s worthy of a long-term future in Boston.

“They emphasized to me that my decision-making, with the ball in my hands, being primary, secondary ball-handler and just being able to defend and hit threes,” Harper said. “So just being able to perfect all of those things, it’ll carve out my role perfectly.”

There’s more from Boston:

Anfernee Simons was a proven scorer in Portland, but he understands that he needs to improve his defense and find ways to contribute to winning with the Celtics “no matter what that looks like,” per Jay King of The Athletic. Simons is encountering a different style of coaching with Joe Mazzulla, who has constantly challenged him since training camp began. “I knew that I was going to get pushed in ways I’ve never been pushed and maybe play a different way that I’ve never played in my career, where I was always the guy making every single play, and it was always dependent on me, especially the last couple years,” Simons said. “And, so, now we got a whole bunch of veteran players that know how to play and know how to move the ball and know how to just play basketball a little bit more. And, so, that’s what I was excited about — being a part of that.”
The loss of several frontcourt players for financial reasons opened the door for Neemias Queta to become the starting center, notes Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. The Celtics want Queta to handle the basics of protecting the rim, rebounding and staying out of foul trouble, and he has filled that role during the preseason. “We’re going to be hard on Neemi and I’m really looking forward to coaching him throughout the year,” Mazzulla said. “But as I told him, this is what you worked your whole life for, a chance to start for the Celtics, and you see this with players when they step into different phases of their career. It’s easy to be the rookie, kind of easy to be the fourth-string big, and then it’s kind of easy to be the backup. And now you have to develop a mindset to deliver every night, and I think he has that.”
Mazzulla may use a 10- or 11-man rotation for most of the season, Brian Robb of MassLive states in a mailbag column. Robb believes Luka Garza, Xavier Tillman, Chris Boucher and Josh Minott have all shown they’re capable of playing, so Mazzulla may mix and match his big men to find the right combinations.

Extension Rumors: Daniels, Ivey, Duren, Eason, Braun, Sharpe

October 18th, 2025 at 7:39pm CST by Arthur Hill

After talking to agents and executives around the league, Jake Fischer of The Stein Line states in his latest Substack column (subscription required) that there will likely be few, if any, rookie scale extensions reached before Monday’s deadline that carry an average annual value larger than $25MM. Fischer adds that teams have become more cautious about handing out large deals because of the restrictions that accompany the first and second aprons.

He points to Hawks guard Dyson Daniels as someone who should be in good position to match the five-year, $150MM extensions that teammate Jalen Johnson and Orlando guard Jalen Suggs both received last offseason. However, sources tell Fischer that Atlanta’s front office is willing to let Daniels test restricted free agency next year if he won’t sign on the team’s terms.

Fischer notes that Daniels’ agent, Daniel Moldovan, also represents Josh Giddey, who just went through a months-long standoff with the Bulls in restricted free agency. Fischer adds that Daniels would likely be entering a more robust market for restricted free agents than the one that Giddey faced.

Fischer offers more information on players eligible for rookie-scale extensions:

Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren haven’t made much progress in their extension talks with the Pistons, sources tell Fischer. He suggests that management might be extra cautious with Ivey following arthroscopic surgery on his right knee this week. Ivey’s camp expects an active market if he does hit free agency, even though he’s also coming off a fractured left tibia that cost him most of last season. Sources describe negotiations with Duren as “tepid” so far, per Fischer, who adds that his representatives are asking for a new deal worth much more than $30MM in AAV and are also optimistic about his prospects on the open market.
Tari Eason is hoping for at least $20MM per year in his talks with the Rockets, sources tell Fischer, while the team is offering a new deal that’s “significantly lower” than the five-year, $122MM that Jabari Smith Jr. accepted this summer. The outcome of the Eason negotiations will affect what Houston is willing to give Kevin Durant in his extension talks, Fischer adds. With Amen Thompson expected to receive a max extension next offseason, Houston is being careful about not overloading its salary commitments. Fischer talked to capologists who said they would recommend limiting any Durant offers to $80MM over two years. As Fischer notes, it’s not certain that Durant would remain with the Rockets at that figure.
It seems unlikely that Christian Braun will reach an extension agreement with the Nuggets, Fischer states. Sources tell him that Denver is already sending signals that it doesn’t want to become a taxpaying team next season, while Braun and his camp are hoping for a deal at $25MM in AAV. The Nuggets are also holding extension talks with Peyton Watson, but Fischer suggests a new deal with him may not happen unless they can’t agree to terms with Braun.
Fischer views Trail Blazers guard Shaedon Sharpe as the most likely remaining candidate to hammer out an extension before the deadline. Rival teams that Fischer contacted expect Portland to give Sharpe something in the neighborhood of $100MM over four years.
Suns center Mark Williams, Jazz center Walker Kessler and Pacers wing Bennedict Mathurin all appear headed for restricted free agency, Fischer states. Of the three, Fischer points to Mathurin as the most likely to change teams because of Indiana’s reluctance to add more long-term salary.

Raptors Bring Back A.J. Lawson On Two-Way Contract

October 18th, 2025 at 7:05pm CST by Dana Gauruder

7:05 pm: Lawson has officially rejoined the Raptors on a two-way contract, per NBA.com’s transaction log.

9:10 am: The Raptors are re-signing guard A.J. Lawson on a two-way deal, HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto tweets.

Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca first reported that the Raptors were expected to bring back Lawson on a two-way contract.

Lawson was on the team’s camp roster but was cut on Thursday and will clear waivers later today. The team didn’t have the ability to convert him directly to a two-way contract because he hadn’t been on an Exhibit 10 deal.

Lawson, 25, is a Toronto native who holds three years of NBA experience. He signed a two-way deal with his hometown team last December and was promoted to a multiyear standard deal in April, just before the season ended. However, Lawson’s salary for 2025/26 was non-guaranteed and the Raptors opted for financial flexibility due to their current cap/tax situation.

In 26 games with the Raptors last season, Lawson averaged 9.1 points and 3.3 rebounds in 18.7 minutes per contest on .421/.327/.683 shooting. He has also played for Dallas and Minnesota.

Toronto has a two-way opening, so a corresponding move won’t be necessary. The Raptors currently have 14 players on guaranteed contracts on their standard roster and will likely remain one below the maximum entering the season.

Suns Waive McDermott, Mariano To Set Roster

October 18th, 2025 at 6:50pm CST by Luke Adams

After signing them on Friday, the Suns have officially waived forward Sean McDermott and wing Nathan Mariano, according to the transaction log at NBA.com.

McDermott, 28, appeared in 18 games for the Grizzlies on a two-way deal back in 2020/21, but hasn’t been in the NBA since then. The former Butler Bulldog spent a few seasons in the G League with the Memphis Hustle before continuing his career overseas, playing in Italy and Turkey the past two years.

Marino, 22, is a 6’9″ wing. He has spent several seasons playing professionally for Franca in Brazil, his home country.

Both players are likely to suit up this fall for the Valley Suns. The Exhibit 10 contracts they signed with Phoenix will make them eligible for bonuses worth up to $85,300 if they spend at least 60 days with the Suns’ G League team.

[RELATED: 2025/26 NBA Roster Counts]

As a result of the cuts, Phoenix now has 14 players on standard contracts and three on two-way deals, so the team’s roster is set for the regular season. The Suns could fill their 15th standard roster spot before their season gets underway next week, but likely won’t do so since they’re operating slightly over the luxury tax line.

Heat Notes: Smith, Herro, Rozier, Jaquez

October 18th, 2025 at 6:30pm CST by Arthur Hill

Dru Smith continues his remarkable recovery from the Achilles tear he suffered last December and will begin the regular season without a minutes restriction, writes Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. Heat coach Erik Spoelstra confirmed that Smith received full medical clearance, but he plans to be cautious in how he uses the shooting guard, who has suffered two major injuries in the past two seasons.

“He’s not on a minutes restriction,” Spoelstra said, “but we want to be responsible right now. All of these are big victories. He’s way ahead of schedule. We want to keep on just stacking up these wins.”

Winderman suggests that Smith may be in the starting lineup for Wednesday’s opener at Orlando, considering the injuries that have already affected Miami’s backcourt. Tyler Herro is recovering from ankle surgery, while Davion Mitchell and Kasparas Jakucionis both missed time during the preseason due to physical issues.

Smith said he has already overcome the mental aspect of returning to the court following a major injury.

“While I’m out there, I’m not thinking about it at all,” he said. “I’ve been doing a lot more stuff pre-wise — like pregame, before the game, just to stay on top of everything, just take all the precautions that I can, to make sure that my body is ready whenever I do get out there. And after that, I’m just playing basketball. At the end of the day, I can’t control it. It is what it is, so I might as well just try to be myself.”

There’s more from Miami:

It’s almost certain that the Heat won’t agree to an extension with Herro before Monday’s deadline, league sources tell Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Chiang hears that Heat officials want to see how Herro follows up his career-best season before committing to a pricey extension, and one source says the team didn’t make a formal offer during recent negotiating sessions. If no deal is reached, Herro will become eligible for a four-year extension worth up to $206.9MM next summer and could raise that ceiling to a five-year, $380MM super-max deal if he makes an All-NBA team.
Terry Rozier made his preseason debut Friday night after returning from a strained hamstring. The 31-year-old guard, who’s in the final year of his contract and faces an uncertain future in Miami, told Winderman in a separate story that he wants “a fair chance” to prove himself after a forgettable 2024/25 season. “Last season it was rough, definitely for me,” Rozier said. “So I had a whole lot of the whole summer just to reflect on what I want to do and what I want to bring to this team. I’m ready. Like I said, just hopefully I get the equal opportunity, equal as everybody. But if not, I’m still going to be here in voice and be that vet.”
Jaime Jaquez Jr. hopes to rediscover the success of his rookie season by attacking the basket more often rather than spotting up for threes like he did last year, Winderman adds in another piece. “I just stopped putting pressure on myself to make or miss threes,” Jaquez said. “Make it, miss it, stop letting it affect me. I think last year I was trying to put so much emphasis and pressure on myself to try to just be that. And this year, I’m just focusing on my strengths, and one of those strengths is just getting downhill, creating for my team and sometimes for myself.”

Celtics Make Cuts To Set Regular Season Roster

October 18th, 2025 at 6:09pm CST by Luke Adams

The Celtics officially waived forward Hason Ward and wing Aaron Scott from their Exhibit 10 contracts on Saturday, according to NBA.com’s transaction log. Boston also moved forward with its plan to sign-and-waive RJ Luis, officially placing him back on waivers today.

As a result of the cuts, the Celtics’ roster now appears ready to go for the regular season. The team is carrying 14 players on standard contracts, including 12 on fully guaranteed salaries and Jordan Walsh and Neemias Queta on partially guaranteed deals. Additionally, all three of the club’s two-way slots are filled.

Boston isn’t expected to fill its 15th standard roster slot early in the season due to its proximity to the luxury tax line. Any player the Celtics sign into that slot would cost them exponentially more in tax penalties.

Ward, Scott, and Luis are all expected to report to the Maine Celtics, Boston’s G League affiliate. They’ll be eligible for bonuses worth up to $85,300 on top of their standard NBAGL salaries if they spend at least 60 days with Maine.

This is the second time this month that Luis has been waived by the Celtics — they needed to bring him back on an Exhibit 10 contract in order to make sure he was eligible for the bonus he’ll get for spending two-plus months with the G League team.

Cavs Sign, Waive Zeke Mayo

October 18th, 2025 at 5:59pm CST by Dana Gauruder

5:59 pm: Mayo has been waived, per NBA.com’s transaction log, putting him on track to sign a G League contract and join the Charge.

10:14 am: The Cavaliers have added guard Zeke Mayo on an Exhibit 10 contract, Spotrac contributor Keith Smith tweets.

Mayo, an undrafted rookie out of Kansas, was a member of the Wizards’ Summer League team. He played one season for the Jayhawks, averaging 14.6 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.9 assists while shooting 42.2% from deep. He had 18 points and six rebounds in an NCAA Tournament first-round loss to Arkansas.

Prior to that, Mayo spent three seasons with South Dakota State and was named the Summit League Player of the Year in 2024.

The 6’4” guard will likely be waived and join the Cleveland Charge, the Cavs’ G League affiliate. He could earn a bonus worth up to $85,300 with the Charge if he sticks with that team at least 60 days.

Hawks Convert Wallace To Standard Contract, Houstan To Two-Way

October 18th, 2025 at 5:44pm CST by Luke Adams

5:44 pm: The Hawks have officially promoted Wallace from a two-way contract to a standard deal and converted Houstan from an Exhibit 10 deal to a two-way contract, according to the transaction log at NBA.com.

3:17 pm: Point guard Keaton Wallace and forward Caleb Houstan have both made the Hawks‘ regular season roster, but their contract situations will change before opening night.

Wallace is having his two-way contract converted into a one-year standard deal, his agents at Excel Sports Management tell ESPN’s Shams Charania (Twitter link). Houstan, meanwhile, will have his Exhibit 10 contract turned into a two-way deal, according to Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN (Twitter link).

Players on two-way contracts can’t be active for more than 50 games and aren’t postseason-eligible, whereas no such restrictions exist for standard roster players, so the decision suggests that Atlanta is prioritizing Wallace’s availability from game to game over Houstan’s, at least to open the season.

Wallace, who appeared in 31 games with the Hawks on a two-way contract last season, made his case for a promotion by averaging 5.5 points, 5.0 assists, and 1.5 steals in 16.6 minutes per game across four preseason outings. He did struggle with his shot this month, knocking down just 30.8% of his attempts from the floor, including 8.3% of his three-pointers.

The Hawks don’t really have a traditional point guard backing up star Trae Young, with Dyson Daniels and Luke Kennard among the players excepted to take on ball-handling responsibilities, so there could be a path for Wallace to earn some minutes for the club.

As for Houstan, the former Magic sharpshooter has three years of NBA service under his belt, so this will be his final season of two-way eligibility. He joins Eli Ndiaye and Jacob Toppin as Atlanta’s two-way players.