NBA Rumors - HoopsRumors.com

Latest On Grizzlies, Ja Morant

November 2nd, 2025 at 10:14am CST by Rory Maher

Appearing on SportsCenter on Sunday morning (YouTube link), ESPN’s Shams Charania provided more details on what led to Ja Morant receiving a one-game suspension for what the Grizzlies called conduct detrimental to the team.

“There has been tension in the last several days around Ja Morant and his feelings toward head coach Tuomas Iisalo‘s rotation patterns, his plays, but it really culminated after — and during — the loss to the Lakers on Friday night,” Charania said.

“In the post-game locker room, Morant and Iisalo had an exchange where Iisalo called out Morant’s leadership and effort in front of the whole team,” Charania continued. “And as teammates and staffers all looked on, Morant responded in what the team deemed an inappropriate and dismissive way, according to sources.

“And that’s when the Grizzlies, their team officials huddled up. They levied a one-game suspension on Ja Morant he will serve on Sunday in Toronto.”

Charania was then asked how the Grizzlies and Morant planned to proceed after the incident.

“For now, Morant is expected to rejoin the team on Monday at home against the Detroit Pistons,” Charania replied. “The sides are looking to move past this and move on. … Teams across the league though are monitoring this, keeping an eye on where this relationship stands between Ja Morant and the Grizzlies.”

Morant, a two-time All-Star, has gotten off to a slow start in 2025/26, averaging 20.3 points per game but shooting just 40.6% from the field, including 15.6% from three-point range. The 26-year-old point guard’s assists (6.7), rebounds (3.3) and minutes (28.5) per game are all at career-low levels through six contests.

The Grizzlies are currently 3-3. They have been hit hard by injuries again this fall, with multiple key players sidelined to open the season.

Hoops Rumors Mailbag: Mavs’ Backcourt, Raptors, Barrett

November 2nd, 2025 at 9:10am CST by Rory Maher

Our latest Front Office mailbag covers questions about the Mavericks' backcourt, the Raptors' slow start to the season, and what an RJ Barrett trade might look like. The questions have been lightly edited for clarity.

Ben asks:

With Kyrie Irving out for most (if not all) of the season, Dallas is a bit lacking in the ball-handling department, which probably coaxed them into experimenting with Cooper Flagg at point guard. It's early, but this doesn't seem to be working out particularly well. How much patience do you expect coach Jason Kidd to have with this setup before the lineup gets adjusted, and do you expect the Mavericks to target any point guards before the deadline?

Unlock Subscriber-Exclusive Articles Like This One With a Trade Rumors Front Office Subscription

BENEFITS

Access weekly subscriber-only articles by Luke Adams
Join exclusive weekly live chats with Arthur Hill
Remove ads and support our writers.

Heat Notes: Powell, Rozier, Herro, Jakucionis, Morant, LaRoche

November 2nd, 2025 at 8:22am CST by Rory Maher

Heat guard Norman Powell is in the final year of his contract, which will pay him $20.48MM in 2025/26. He will remain extension-eligible through June 30, 2026, and if a deal is not reached he will become an unrestricted free agent.

According to Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald, Powell recently made it clear he hopes to sign a long-term extension with the Heat.

“I love it here. I love everything about the Heat,” Powell emphasized. “I loved them before. They were on my list before I signed my extension in Portland. I wanted to come here and play for the Heat. So I’m excited. I like the culture. I like what they have going on here. I like the mentality and the approach. I feel like they take guys to the next level. They push them past their own expectations, they have high standards. And I always like being around people that have high aspirations and high goals for themselves. It fits who I am, so I want to be here. Hopefully they feel the same way.”

As Chiang writes, Powell was off to a hot start to the season, averaging 24.0 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.0 steals on .477/.500/.913 shooting in three games (31.0 minutes per contest) before suffering a right groin strain that has caused him to miss the past two. The 32-year-old is questionable for Sunday’s contest at the Lakers.

“Hopefully [the Heat] like everything that’s happened so far and what I bring to the table outside of just on the court,” said Powell, who recently described himself as “super low-maintenance.” “But just who I am every single day, stepping into the arena, integrating myself with the team and the staff and the members around. Hopefully everybody appreciates my presence and we’ll be able to get something done. But, yeah, I want to be here.”

Here’s more on the Heat:

Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel lists the short-term steps he believes commissioner Adam Silver should take to give the Heat more cap and roster flexibility in the wake of Terry Rozier‘s arrest — the veteran guard is facing two federal charges as part of an illegal gambling probe. While the information isn’t really relevant now, a source tells Winderman that the Heat considered waiving Rozier before the season began (a small portion of his contract was non-guaranteed at the time) and also had buyout discussions with the 31-year-old.
All-Star Tyler Herro (left ankle surgery) and rookie guard Kasparas Jakucionis (right groin strain) are traveling with the team on its current four-game road trip, which ends Wednesday in Denver, per Chiang of The Miami Herald. “It’s good for them,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said about Herro and Jakucionis joining the team on the road. “For us, sure, it’s always good to have them around. But I think it just speeds up the whole process when they’re around the guys, around the game, around the whole travel routine, and participating in some of the things that they can do, which they did this morning.” Both players are out on Sunday, though Jakucionis is closer to making his season debut — the 2025 first-round pick is considered day-to-day.
Although the Heat have expressed “more than passing” interest in Ja Morant in the past, Winderman doesn’t expect the team to explore the possibility of buying low on the Grizzlies guard in the wake of his latest off-court incident, which resulted in a one-game suspension for detrimental conduct following a disagreement with the coaching staff.
Speaking of the Grizzlies, former Memphis assistant coach Noah LaRoche is now a consultant with the Heat, who have implemented the movement-heavy offense LaRoche was in charge of last season with Memphis, sources tell Brian Windhorst of ESPN. It’s only been five games, but the Heat currently rank seventh in the league in offensive efficiency after finishing 21st, 21st and 25th in the league in that category over the past three years, Windhorst notes. “You know Spo is running the polar opposite of the system that [Heat president] Pat Riley used to run, where he called every play and each play design was exact,” a league executive said. “And it makes me further appreciate and respect that the organization is about the right s–t. They’re about exploring and teaching in Miami.”

Suns Notes: Green, Brooks, Livers, Williams

November 1st, 2025 at 10:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

Jalen Green won’t be active when the Suns host San Antonio on Sunday night, but he appears to be getting closer to making his season debut, writes Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Phoenix was counting on Green to help carry the scoring load after acquiring him from the Rockets as part of the Kevin Durant trade, but he has been out of action with a strained right hamstring. He took an important step toward returning on Saturday by participating in five-on-five drills.

“It was full-court before practice,” coach Jordan Ott said. “So that part is good. We’ll have to take a look tonight after this and into (Sunday).”

Green was extremely durable during his time in Houston, playing in all 82 games the past two seasons, but he’s been dealing with the hamstring issue since early in training camp. He reaggravated it in early October when the Suns traveled to China for two games against Brooklyn.

There’s more from Phoenix:

Dillon Brooks will miss his fourth straight game on Sunday, Rankin states in the same piece, and his diagnosis has been changed from right groin soreness to a core muscle strain. “The soft tissue piece to it,” Ott told reporters before Friday’s game. “His pain tolerance being super high and trying to put a timeline on when Dillon Brooks can physically get out there. We know he’s going to step out there. That’s the thing we’re learning (about) Dillon in this process as he returns back.” Brooks was averaging a career-high 19.3 PPG before getting hurt.
Two-way player Isaiah Livers sat out the second half Friday with a right hip contusion and is considered doubtful for Sunday, Rankin adds. Livers missed all of last season with an injured right hip, but Ott said there’s no cause for concern. “Just got hit on his hip,” he explained. “Sounds like he’ll be day-to-day. It’s nothing from his surgery. Just an unlucky spot.”
Ott plans to build up Mark Williams‘ minutes as the season progresses, Rankin tweets. Williams, who has been plagued by injuries throughout his career, is averaging just 24.4 minutes per night through five games. “We’re going to be smart. We know it’s an 82-game season,” Ott said. “It’s going to continually be a talking point with our group based on how he played that night and physically how he feels the next day. Ideally, it continues to go up to where it’s lifted. We’re going to be pretty strategic in how we use him because we want him healthy, want him to play game after game after game.”

Southwest Notes: Mavericks, Gafford, Irving, Rockets, Morant

November 1st, 2025 at 9:45pm CST by Arthur Hill

Tonight’s game in Mexico City is an important part of the NBA’s international outreach and a chance for the Mavericks to build their fan base in the neighboring nation, writes Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News (subscription required). The Mavs’ contest against Detroit marks their eighth appearance in Mexico and the NBA’s 33rd overall since 1992.

“For fans outside of the U.S., the opportunity for them to enjoy a live experience of an NBA game is very limited,” said Raul Zarraga, vice president and managing director of NBA Mexico. “This is part of our commitment to provide this live experience to fans all around the world.”

Dwight Powell, the only player left on the roster from the Mavericks’ last trip to Mexico during the 2019/20 season, recalls the crowd being “extremely energetic.” Zarraga said Mexican fans as a group don’t have a strong rooting interest in any franchise, but they tend to like the three Texas teams as well as those with successful histories such as the Bulls, Lakers and Heat.

One of tonight’s top attractions will be No. 1 draft pick Cooper Flagg, who’s looking forward to playing in front of an international crowd.

“I’ve been to Cancun one time for a vacation, but other than that, I’ve never been to Mexico,” Flagg said. “I’m excited. I’ve heard it’s really beautiful. Detroit’s a really good team, so it should be a competitive, high-level game.”

There’s more from the Southwest Division:

Daniel Gafford is in the Mavericks‘ starting lineup as he makes his season debut, but coach Jason Kidd said he’ll be restricted to about 15-18 minutes, per Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal (Twitter link). D’Angelo Russell is also active after being listed as questionable with a left knee contusion.
Asked about Kyrie Irving at tonight’s pregame press conference, Kidd hinted that his star guard could be back in action before the end of the year, Curtis tweets. “We just can’t wait to get Kai back, at some point,” Kidd said. “Hopefully it’s in the year of ’25, not ’26. We’ll see what happens, but I think those two (Irving/Flagg) will be a perfect match in the backcourt.”
Rockets coach Ime Udoka is still working out his rotation and is trying to create more playing time for backup center Clint Capela, according to Danielle Lerner of The Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). Udoka added that there’s still no timetable for Dorian Finney-Smith, who is recovering from offseason ankle surgery, but he and Jae’Sean Tate will get a chance to earn rotation roles when they’re fully healthy. Tate is currently restricted to 15 minutes per game.
The Grizzlies have already reached a turning point in their season after today’s one-game suspension of Ja Morant, contends Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. Cole states that Morant seemed “disengaged” during Friday’s loss to the Lakers, and he was upset after a post-game interaction with coach Tuomas Iisalo, who is known for being direct with players. Cole adds that the season could unravel quickly if Morant, Iisalo and Jaren Jackson Jr. don’t work together as leaders.

Central Notes: Bulls, Giddey, Robinson-Earl, Mitchell

November 1st, 2025 at 8:21pm CST by Arthur Hill

Isaac Okoro saw plenty of the Bulls‘ relentless fast-paced attack while playing for the division rival Cavaliers, so he’s glad he doesn’t have to defend against it anymore, writes Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times (subscription required). Chicago has been exhausting opponents and putting up huge scoring numbers on its way to a 5-0 start.

“It wears you out throughout the game,” Okoro said. “I remember when I was in Cleveland last year and we were playing here, it was like, ‘The Bulls are going to play fast, just try and slow them down in transition.’ But that pace really gets to you. It gets you fatigued by the fourth quarter and then you lose your legs, your shot starts coming up short, and now being here now, playing with that pace and seeing teams fold by the fourth quarter, you see the legs go. You see the hands start going on the knees, and that’s what you want to see. You want to see the opponent tired because that’s when you start killing them.”

Cowley notes that the up-tempo style has become more effective because the Bulls are getting an enormous scoring contribution from their reserves. After ranking 14th in bench points last season with 36 per game, Chicago has moved up to second at 49 PPG. He adds that those numbers could increase further when Coby White and Zach Collins recover from early-season injuries.

There’s more from the Central Division:

Josh Giddey‘s long contract standoff was the Bulls‘ top story of the summer, but so far his new deal looks like a bargain, observes Joel Lorenzi of The Athletic. Giddey posted a career-high 32 points Friday night, along with 10 rebounds and nine assists, and Lorenzi states that he has taken full control of the offense in his second season with Chicago. “Being in a place where, obviously the contract stuff is out the way now, that’s off my back this season,” Giddey said. “I’m in a place where I’m wanted. I love being here. I’m happy here. Having confidence from your teammates and your coaches to trust me to go out there and make plays. That’s what you need as a player.”
Jeremiah Robinson-Earl was headed for the G League before Obi Toppin‘s injury gave him a path to join the Pacers, according to Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star. Robinson-Earl said he’s “grateful for the opportunity” after signing a 10-day hardship contract earlier today. “He’s proven and shown to be an adaptable guy,” coach Rick Carlisle said. “Over the last day and a half since he’s been here, he’s picked things up very quickly. He’s a very fundamentally sound player. He shoots it, he passes it, he makes the right play. Knows who he is as a player and plays to his strengths.”
Donovan Mitchell joined the Cavaliers‘ growing injury list for Friday’s loss to Toronto. He sat out the game with left hamstring tightness, per The Associated Press, joining Darius Garland, Jarrett Allen and Max Strus on the sidelines.

Trae Young Has Sprained MCL, Will Be Reevaluated In Four Weeks

November 1st, 2025 at 6:48pm CST by Arthur Hill

Hawks guard Trae Young has been diagnosed with a sprained MCL in his right knee and will be reevaluated in four weeks, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link). An MRI conducted Friday was reviewed by multiple doctors, who determined that he avoided major structural damage to his knee, Charania adds.

The Hawks issued a statement (via Twitter) confirming Charania’s report and saying Young suffered no other damage to the knee beyond the MCL sprain. The team added that he has already begun rehabilitation.

Young injured his knee in a collision with teammate Mouhamed Gueye in the first quarter of Wednesday’s game at Brooklyn. He didn’t return to that game and was held out of Friday’s contest at Indiana.

Young is off to a slow start this season, but he’s nearly irreplaceable for an Atlanta team that’s expecting to become a contender in the East. He’s averaging 17.8 points and 7.8 assists through five games while shooting career lows of 37.1% from the field and 19.2% from three-point range.

Nickeil Alexander-Walker moved into the starting lineup Friday night, taking Young’s place alongside Dyson Daniels in the Hawks’ backcourt. Keaton Wallace played nearly 17 minutes off the bench, his highest total of the season by far, and he figures to see an expanded role until Young returns.

While being without Young for approximately a month will be inconvenient for Atlanta, there’s a sense of relief in knowing that it’s not a long-term injury. If Young had been lost for the season, it likely would have affected his upcoming decision on a $49MM player option for 2026/27 as well as his extension talks with the team.

Knicks Notes: Coaching Change, Towns, Hart, Robinson

November 1st, 2025 at 6:14pm CST by Arthur Hill

After they got off to a 2-3 start, including a 10-point loss at Chicago on Friday, Steve Popper of Newsday wonders whether the Knicks‘ offseason coaching change was necessary or if they were trying to fix something that wasn’t broken.

Management decided to replace Tom Thibodeau after he took New York to the conference finals last season and brought in Mike Brown, who promised to give more minutes to bench players and institute an up-tempo style. Popper points out that the Knicks still have a roster filled with players who were acquired to fit Thibodeau’s slower-paced, defensive-minded approach. When they faced the Bulls, who are built for a faster style of play, they gave up 135 points.

Popper states that the adjustment has been particularly difficult for Karl-Anthony Towns, who is projected to spend more time at power forward after primarily being used as a center last season. Popper believes Towns is miscast by being asked to run the floor in transition like a wing.

Towns didn’t address his individual role after Friday’s loss, but his comments reflected the overall frustration of the team.

“Just obviously we’re not happy,” he said. “We had three winnable games and we didn’t do enough to close the game out. For someone like us, that was our identity last year — close games we usually win. So obviously it’s a different feeling not being able to close the games out.”

There’s more on the Knicks:

Josh Hart told Brown that he doesn’t want to move back and forth between starting and sixth-man duties, so he’s now a full-time reserve, Popper adds in the same piece. Hart said even though it was his idea, there might be times that he struggles with not being a starter. “I think throughout the season it’ll be a battle of, you know, kind of fighting the egotistical view of it,” he said. “I think I did have a good year last year. And you know, with a different role, now it’s totally different. I think the biggest thing, I’ve had to sacrifice my whole career. I talked about it the whole time last year. You know, that’s something that I try to do every year and try to make sure whether I’ve got to sacrifice or not, make the team the best that we can be. So it’s never like, OK cool and it’s seamless. There’s going to be days where I’m just like, ‘Man, that’s some bull.’ You know what I mean? But it’ll be a constant thing of fighting that, but making sure I know that this is what’s best for the team and locking in on that.”
Hart told reporters on Friday that he’s not considering another surgical procedure for an injured finger on his shooting hand, per Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. Hart wants to avoid a prolonged recovery that could sideline him for several months.
Brown was sharply critical of the Knicks’ defense following the loss to Chicago, relays Kristian Winfield of The New York Daily News. The Bulls scored 72 points in the first half and finished the game with six players in double figures. “Our defense tonight was nonexistent and it starts with guarding the basketball,” Brown said. “We have to be better guarding the basketball. And it has to be with a sense of physicality because if we don’t, teams are gonna do exactly what Chicago did tonight on the offensive end of the floor.”
After missing four games due to left ankle injury maintenance, Mitchell Robinson made his season debut on Friday, posting four points and 11 rebounds in 20 minutes. He’s being listed as questionable for Sunday’s rematch with the Bulls in New York, according to James L. Edwards of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Southeast Notes: Bane, Penda, Ball, Young

November 1st, 2025 at 5:08pm CST by Arthur Hill

Desmond Bane‘s three-point shot isn’t falling so far this season, but the Magic guard remains confident that it will come around soon, writes Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel. Bane was acquired from Memphis over the summer to improve the team’s outside shooting, but he’s only connecting at 25% from beyond the arc while taking 4.7 per game, which is the lowest total since his rookie season. It’s a small sample size and Bane was a career 41% three-point shooter with the Grizzlies, so he isn’t worried.

“It’ll come,” he said. “I’ve had multiple stretches like that. It’s basketball. Some nights you get a ton and some nights you get a few.”

Beede notes that Bane hasn’t been getting the open looks that he’s used to since joining the Magic. Defenses are playing him tightly at the three-point line, and he has responded by driving more often and finding open teammates, which led to seven assists in Friday’s victory at Charlotte.

However, the Magic don’t have many accomplished three-point shooters and they’ll eventually need Bane to fill that role.

“He’s one of those guys that he’s such a threat on the three-point line that he’s able to get downhill, but, in my opinion, one of the reasons we got him was because of his three-point shooting,” Wendell Carter Jr. said. “We’ve got to find ways to get him cleaner, easier looks, instead of off the dribble, even though he can do both.”

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

After not being used in the first three games, rookie forward Noah Penda is increasing his role in the Magic‘s rotation and played 17 minutes on Friday, Beede adds in the same story. “We’ve thrown him in different situations and one thing about him is he can guard multiple positions,” coach Jamahl Mosley said. “He’s not afraid of the moment and does a great job crashing the glass. He’s doing all of the things that we’re asking him to do when he steps on the floor.”
Hornets guard LaMelo Ball will play tonight against Minnesota after being listed on the injury report with a right ankle impingement, according to Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer (Twitter link). In his pregame press conference, coach Charles Lee talked about the importance of Ball staying healthy after missing 60 and 35 games the past two seasons (Twitter video link).
The Hawks haven’t provided an update on Trae Young, who suffered a sprained right knee on Wednesday. Young didn’t play Friday night and has already been ruled out for Sunday’s game at Cleveland, tweets Brad Rowland of Locked on Hawks.

Jared Rhoden Signs With Paris Basketball

November 1st, 2025 at 4:00pm CST by Rory Maher

Free agent guard Jared Rhoden has signed a contract with Paris Basketball, the French team announced in a press release. No details were provided on the duration of the deal.

Rhoden, who went undrafted in 2022 out of Seton Hall, has spent parts of each of the past three seasons in the NBA, appearing in 45 regular season games for Detroit, Charlotte and Toronto over that span. The 26-year-old finished last season on a two-way contract with the Raptors.

A 6’6″ shooting guard, Rhoden underwent surgery in late April to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder and was subsequently waived on July 1. The Raptors re-signed Rhoden to an Exhibit 10 deal for training camp, but he was released again a few days before the 2025/26 season began.

Rhoden appeared in 10 games with the Raptors last season, averaging 11.4 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in 21.5 minutes per night, with a shooting line of .506/.324/.880. He bumped those averages to 19.0 PPG, 6.9 RPG, and 3.4 APG in 31.4 MPG on .507/.393/.648 shooting in 26 regular season outings for the G League’s Raptors 905.

Paris Basketball competes in the EuroLeague and France’s top domestic league, the LNB Élite.

Load More Posts