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Nuggets Pick Up 2025/26 Options On Braun, Strawther, Watson

October 10th, 2024 at 11:04am CST by Dana Gauruder

The Nuggets have picked up the 2025/26 rookie scale team options for Christian Braun, Julian Strawther and Peyton Watson, the team announced (via Twitter).

The front office’s decisions on their contracts come as no surprise, since the trio will all play prominent roles in Denver this season. Braun and Strawther are battling for the starting job vacated by Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, while Watson is one of the team’s top reserves.

Braun’s fourth-year option is worth $4,921,797, while Strawther’s third-year option is worth $2,674,148. The fourth-year option on Watson’s contract is pegged at $4,356,476.

Those were the only option decisions Denver needed to make before the Oct. 31 deadline.

Braun and Watson will be eligible for rookie scale extensions next offseason. The Nuggets will have until the end of October 2025 to make a decision on Strawther’s fourth-year option for 2026/27.

Nuggets Sign Richardson, Funk, Bediako To Exhibit 10 Deals

October 8th, 2024 at 5:42pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Nuggets have signed Will Richardson, Andrew Funk and Charles Bediako, according to a team press release. All three players signed Exhibit 10 deals, according to the Denver Gazette’s Vinny Benedetto (Twitter link).

The Nuggets made room for the trio by waiving Gabe McGlothan, Jaylin Williams, and Jahmir Young.

Richardson went undrafted in 2023 before signing with the Grand Rapids Gold last season. The former Oregon guard averaged 7.0 points, 2.1 rebounds and 2.9 assists in 17.8 minutes per contest for Denver’s G League affiliate.

Funk also went undrafted last year before joining the Nuggets during training camp. Funk, who played college ball at Bucknell and Penn State, also appeared in four of the Nuggets’ Summer League games in 2023. He eventually signed a two-way contract with the Bulls in February, but was waived in July.

The seven-foot Bediako played two college season at Alabama. Bediako, who was also undrafted in 2023, has appeared in Summer League games for both the Spurs and the Magic. Denver’s intent to sign Bediako was previously reported.

It’s likely all three will be waived. They’ll each be eligible for a bonus worth up to $77.5K if they join the Gold and remain with the G League club for at least 60 days.

NBA GMs High On Thunder’s Offseason Moves, Celtics’ Title Chances

October 8th, 2024 at 9:40am CST by Luke Adams

The Thunder made the best roster moves during the 2024 offseason, according to the NBA’s general managers. Within his annual survey of the league’s top basketball decision-makers, John Schuhmann of NBA.com writes that 37% of his respondents picked Oklahoma City as having the best summer, with the Sixers coming in second place at 33%. The Knicks got 20% of the vote share, while no other club received more than a single vote.

It was one of many favorable outcomes in the survey for the Thunder, who were overwhelmingly selected as the team with the best young core — 60% of GMs selected OKC, compared to 20% for the second-place Magic.

New Thunder guard Alex Caruso was chosen by general managers as the most underrated offseason acquisition, receiving 23% of that vote share, while last year’s Most Valuable Player runner-up Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was picked as this year’s MVP favorite (40%), narrowly edging Mavericks star Luka Doncic (30%).

The Thunder also received a handful of votes from the league’s GMs as the team that will win the 2025 NBA Finals, but at 13%, they finished a distant second to the Celtics, who earned a whopping 83% of the vote. Besides those two clubs, only the Mavericks (3%) received a vote to become this season’s champions.

Here are a few more interesting results from Schuhmann’s GM survey, which is worth checking out in full:

New Sixers forward Paul George got 60% of the vote as the offseason acquisition who will have the biggest impact in 2024/25, followed by new Knicks Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns at 13% apiece. The Towns trade, meanwhile, was named the most surprising offseason move, eking out George leaving Los Angeles for Philadelphia (27% to 23%).
Unsurprisingly, Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama was the overwhelming choice (77%) for which player the GMs would most want to start a franchise with. Gilgeous-Alexander and Nuggets center Nikola Jokic each earned three votes in that category, while Doncic got one.
The league’s general managers are high on No. 3 overall pick Reed Sheppard — the Rockets‘ guard is their pick to win the Rookie of the Year award (50%) ahead of betting favorite Zach Edey of the Grizzlies (30%). Sheppard also comfortably received the largest vote share (43%) when the GMs were asked which rookie will be the best player in five years. Spurs guard Stephon Castle (17%) and Hawks forward Zaccharie Risacher (13%) were the runners-up in that category.
There was no consensus among the GMs on which 2024 draftee was the biggest steal. Wizards guard Carlton Carrington, Kings guard Devin Carter, Pacers wing Johnny Furphy, Lakers forward Dalton Knecht, Timberwolves guard Terrence Shannon, and Thunder guard Nikola Topic each received three votes to lead the way.
Among newly hired head coaches, Mike Budenholzer of the Suns is the one GMs feel will have the biggest impact on his new club. Budenholzer received 40% of the vote, beating out Kenny Atkinson of the Cavaliers and J.B. Bickerstaff of the Pistons (20% apiece). Meanwhile, Spurs guard Chris Paul (30%) and Raptors guard Garrett Temple (20%) are the active players that GMs feel would make the best head coaches down the road.
Asked what they’d change about the NBA, 20% of GMs said the rules related to the tax aprons, trades, and roster construction are too restrictive and/or should be “indexed to (a) team’s market,” per Schuhmann, making it the top response.

Nuggets Waive Three Camp Invitees

October 8th, 2024 at 7:11am CST by Luke Adams

The Nuggets have waived forwards Gabe McGlothan and Jaylin Williams, along with guard Jahmir Young, according to NBA.com’s official transaction log. McGlothan, Williams, and Young were in camp with Denver on Exhibit 10 deals.

With the Nuggets carrying 15 players on guaranteed contracts and three on two-way contracts, it always appeared the plan was to have the trio eventually report to the Grand Rapids Gold, Denver’s G League affiliate. That’s likely to be the next stop for all three players, who will receive Exhibit 10 bonuses worth $77.5K apiece if they spend at least 60 days with the Gold.

Young got a chance to play 14 minutes in the team’s second exhibition game in Abu Dhabi against Boston on Sunday and delivered eight points, two rebounds, and two assists. However, Williams (not to be confused with the Jaylin Williams in Oklahoma City) didn’t see action in either of those preseason contests and McGlothan appeared only very briefly in Friday’s game, checking in with three seconds left in the fourth quarter.

The cuts leave Denver with 18 players on its roster, three shy of the preseason limit. The Nuggets have reportedly reached an agreement to sign big man Charles Bediako and it wouldn’t be a surprise if they rotate other players in and out of those back-end roster spots before the season begins, primarily for G League purposes.

Signing and waiving players on Exhibit 10 contracts before the season allows teams to secure players’ NBAGL rights and/or ensure those players will receive bonus money for spending 60+ days with the team’s G League affiliate.

Charles Bediako Signing With Nuggets

October 6th, 2024 at 4:02pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Free agent center Charles Bediako is signing a contract with the Nuggets, Bediako’s agent Daniel Green informs Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

The terms of the deal have yet to be divulged. But given the timing – and the fact that Denver is carrying 15 players on guaranteed contracts and three on two-way deals – it’s likely to be a training camp contract, probably with Exhibit 10 language. The Nuggets don’t have an open roster spot, so someone will need to be cut to make room for Bediako.

Bediako went undrafted out of Alabama in 2023, but ultimately latched on with the Spurs on a two-way deal for the 2023/24 season. However, he was cut near the end of December after tearing his meniscus.

The raw seven-footer didn’t appear in any NBA games for San Antonio, but did play in a total of 17 Showcase Cup and regular season bouts for the club’s G League affiliate, the Austin Spurs.

Across six regular season matchups with Austin after returning from his knee injury, Bediako averaged 1.3 points and 1.7 rebounds while playing just 4.2 minutes per game. Prior to the injury, he put up 7.7 PPG and 6.9 RPG in 19.0 MPG across 11 Showcase Cup outings.

Most recently, the 22-year-old spent his Summer League this past July suiting up for the Magic.

Denver is almost certainly bringing on Bediako with an eye toward having him play for the team’s G League affiliate, the Grand Rapids Gold. The Gold acquired Bediako’s NBAGL returning rights from Austin in July.

Northwest Notes: Murray, Jokic, Jazz, A. Mitchell

October 5th, 2024 at 8:49pm CST by Arthur Hill

Nuggets head coach Michael Malone tried to calm speculation about Jamal Murray‘s physical condition, telling reporters in Abu Dhabi that his star point guard hasn’t experienced any issues since training camp opened, writes Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. Murray’s subpar performance in last season’s playoffs and the Olympics led to suggestions that he might be dealing with an undisclosed injury.

“Knock on wood,” Malone said. “I have seen a healthy Jamal Murray. I’ve seen a guy that, as you pointed to that play, (has been) explosive. Making plays. And that’s always a micro-goal of any game that you go into during the preseason, is making sure you have player health.”

Murray only played 15 minutes in Friday’s exhibition game as Malone used 18 players. His most notable moment came when he dove for a loose ball, which Durando sees as a sign that he’s not nursing an injury. Murray’s long-term health is more important than ever after he signed a four-year max extension last month.

“You read reports from around the league and you see different players having some of those soft tissue injuries, which can linger for a long time,” Malone said. “Like Peyton Watson (hamstring) is dealing with right now. But right now it appears to me that Jamal is in a really good place mentally (and) physically. And I know that bodes well for us.”

There’s more from the Northwest Division:

Nuggets center Nikola Jokic isn’t concerned that playing in the Olympics will affect his performance this season, Eurohoops relays. Jokic pointed out to reporters that he was fine after representing Serbia in the 2022 Eurobasket tournament. “Last time I played for the national team, we won a championship,” he said. “Maybe that means something, maybe it doesn’t. Most players say a summer tournament helps you stay in shape. I’m not sure if that’s true, but I had a great time and feel I improved. Whether it affects my current basketball or not, who knows.”
Jazz coach Will Hardy will experiment with lineup combinations throughout the preseason, so the starting five of Keyonte George, Collin Sexton, Taylor Hendricks, Lauri Markkanen and Walker Kessler that he used Friday against New Zealand could change by opening night, per Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune. Hardy likes how Hendricks, a 2023 lottery pick, looks alongside Markkanen. “It allowed Lauri to guard more of the four, and Taylor to guard more of a perimeter player,” Hardy said. “I thought offensively, they fit decently, but we’ll have to monitor that as the preseason goes.”
Thunder coach Mark Daigneault singled out second-round pick Ajay Mitchell as someone who has made a strong impression in training camp (video link from Derek Parker of Draft Digest).

Northwest Notes: Hartenstein, Avdija, Westbrook, Nuggets, Jazz

October 4th, 2024 at 9:37pm CST by Luke Adams

Speaking to reporters this week for the first time as a member of the Thunder, Isaiah Hartenstein said all the right things about his potential role, as Rylan Stiles of SI.com relays.

There has been plenty of debate in Oklahoma City this summer about whether the team’s major free agent addition will start or come off the bench, given the presence of Rookie of the Year runner-up Chet Holmgren at center. For his part, Hartenstein sidestepped that discourse, telling the media that he trusts head coach Mark Daigneault‘s judgment in managing the lineup and rotation.

“Whatever he does, he’s a really versatile coach. I mean, you watched last year. Some games the guys who would start would start the second half,” Hartenstein said. “(I’m) just being here and doing whatever the team needs to win. If that’s coming off the bench or starting, I’m just here to help the team win. That’s the main thing.”

Here’s more from around the Northwest:

Having been traded from Washington to the Trail Blazers in July, Deni Avdija admitted it initially felt “kind of weird” to join a new team, but added that he’s adjusting quickly, according to Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian. “They’ve embraced me, they love me and they want me to get better,” Avdija said. “And I feel like that’s what you need as a new guy joining the team. I feel like my teammates support me, coaches. I feel at home.” Head coach Chauncey Billups referred to Avdija as a “Swiss Army knife-type of dude,” lauding the forward’s play-making, passing, screening, and shooting while noting that the plan is to use him “all over” the court.
The addition of Russell Westbrook represents the “ultimate chemistry experiment” for the Nuggets, according to Tony Jones of The Athletic, who says the move has the potential to blow up — or to help Denver win another title. Westbrook shot just 3-of-10 from the floor in his preseason debut on Friday in Abu Dhabi, but had 12 points and eight assists in 19 minutes, with Denver outscoring Boston by four points during that time. “I thought Russ had some good moments out there,” head coach Michael Malone said, per Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. “Obviously playing downhill, putting pressure on the defense, getting his teammates involved. So overall for his first game after a week or so of practice, I think there are gonna be some positives, and like everybody else in that locker room, there are plenty of things that we can clean up as well.”
Although Christian Braun started at shooting guard on Friday, Malone said that both Braun and Julian Strawther will get an opportunity to play with the Nuggets‘ starters during the preseason, tweets Durando.
Reporting throughout the offseason indicated the Jazz plan to lean heavily on their young players in 2024/25, which will serve the dual purpose of letting Utah thoroughly assess its recent first-round picks while also potentially lining up the club for another high first-round pick next June. Head coach Will Hardy‘s comments this week reinforced the notion that winning games isn’t “the absolutely priority” for the team this season, writes Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune. “Going into this season, I think our vision is very clear: This is an opportunity for us to really invest in our youth,” Hardy said.

And-Ones: G League Trades, Flagg, 2025 Draft, Howard, Parsons, More

October 4th, 2024 at 7:43pm CST by Luke Adams

The Rip City Remix – the Trail Blazers‘ G League affiliate – have completed a series of trades involving players who have signed Exhibit 10 contracts with NBA teams this fall, according to a press release from the team.

The Remix acquired Henri Drell‘s returning rights in a three-team trade with the Texas Legends and Windy City Bulls, sending the returning rights for Jazian Gortman, Anthony Duruji, and Jakub Urbaniak to the Mavericks‘ affiliate in the deal. Rip City also acquired David Muoka‘s returning rights from the Long Island Nets in exchange for George Conditt‘s rights and a 2025 second-round pick.

Both Drell and Muoka signed Exhibit 10 deals with Portland ahead of training camp and were recently waived. Now that the Remix control both players’ G League rights, it’s safe to assume they’ll report to the Blazers’ affiliate and will receive Exhibit 10 bonuses (worth as much as $77.5K) as long as they spend at least 60 days with Rip City.

The Remix also received the returning rights for Aleem Ford – along with the fourth overall pick in the 2024 G League draft and a 2025 international draft pick – from the Wisconsin Herd in exchange for Terence Davis‘ and Isiaih Mosley‘s returning rights. Davis recently signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Bucks, so it looks like he’ll ultimately land with the Herd.

Finally, Portland’s affiliate finalized a fourth trade that sent Antoine Davis‘ rights to the Stockton Kings in exchange for the rights to Stanley Johnson and Jayce Johnson, along with a pair of draft picks (Twitter link). None of those players have signed Exhibit 10 deals this fall, but it appears Sacramento’s affiliate plans to have Davis on its roster this season, given the handful of pieces it traded to get him.

Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

Duke freshman Cooper Flagg told Jonathan Givony of ESPN that it’s “absolutely not” a foregone conclusion that he’ll be the No. 1 pick in next June’s draft, a position that was echoed by Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer. “Of course he has to prove it,” Scheyer said. “I’ve seen guys who have been projected (No. 1), that have gone there, and then guys that are projected that don’t go because you assume it’s gonna happen. … I believe in Cooper at the end of the day. But again, we got a long way to go before we start thinking about that.”
In a separate Insider-only story for ESPN, Givony shared some takeaways from his recent visits to Rutgers, Duke, UNC, and UConn, four college programs who figure to be well represented in the first round of next year’s NBA draft. Within his section on Rutgers, Givony notes that multiple NBA scouts have told him they have Dylan Harper ranked atop their draft boards ahead of the NCAA season.
Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report provides his 2024/25 win-loss predictions for all 30 NBA teams, while John Hollinger of The Athletic names the Nuggets, Grizzlies, Clippers, Hornets, and Wizards as five clubs he expects to fall short of their preseason over/under projections.
Georgia businessman Calvin Darden Jr. was found guilty on Friday of fraud, bank fraud, money laundering, and two separate conspiracy counts for his role in defrauding former NBA players Dwight Howard and Chandler Parsons out of a combined $8MM in 2021. Brian Windhorst of ESPN has the details on the case.
Long Phi Pham, one of the gamblers who took part in a scheme to have former Raptors big man Jontay Porter exit games early for betting purposes last season, pleaded guilty this week to conspiring to commit wire fraud, reports Jennifer Peltz of The Associated Press. Pham, whose sentencing is scheduled for April 25, could face anything from a no-jail punishment to up to 20 years in prison.

And-Ones: NBAGL Trades, Extension Candidates, Woj’s Replacement, More

October 1st, 2024 at 9:29am CST by Luke Adams

Toronto’s G League affiliate – the Raptors 905 – has made a pair of trades in recent days, including a four-team deal that sent Kennedy Chandler‘s returning rights to the 905, according to Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter link). As we noted recently when the NBA’s Raptors signed and waived Chandler, their G League team still needed to acquire the guard’s rights in order to get him on the 905’s roster this fall.

That four-team trade also saw the Long Island Nets acquire Au’Diese Toney‘s returning rights and a 2025 first-round pick, the Birmingham Squadron (Pelicans) acquire Trhae Mitchell‘s returning rights, and the Rio Grande Valley Vipers (Rockets) land the rights to Devin Cannady and Markquis Nowell along with a 2024 first-round pick.

In the 905’s other trade, the Raptors’ affiliate sent Koby McEwen‘s returning rights to the Windy City Bulls in exchange for Evan Gilyard‘s rights, tweets Murphy.

Fred Katz of The Athletic identifies five of the most interesting extension-eligible veterans to keep an eye on this fall, singling out Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon, Grizzlies big man Jaren Jackson Jr., and Mavericks center Daniel Gafford, among others.
Who are the candidates to replace Adrian Wojnarowski as ESPN’s top NBA insider? According to reporting from Andrew Marchand of The Athletic and Michael McCarthy of Front Office Sports, while big-name NBA reporters like Shams Charania and Chris Haynes are possibilities, it’s also not out of the question that one of ESPN’s other top news-breakers, such as Jeff Passan or Adam Schefter, could end up in the role. Marchand says Passan is a candidate to switch from MLB to the NBA, while McCarthy suggests it’s not out of the question for Schefter to take on a dual role covering the NFL and NBA.
In an in-depth Insider-only article for ESPN, Bobby Marks takes a look at all 30 teams’ training camp rosters and examines the key dates and deadlines coming up for each of those clubs.
Taking into account their projected regular season win totals, John Hollinger of The Athletic picks five teams he expects to exceed expectations in 2024/25, including the Cavaliers, Suns, and Pistons.

Dikembe Mutombo Dies at 58

September 30th, 2024 at 10:05am CST by Arthur Hill

Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer Dikembe Mutombo passed away Monday morning from brain cancer at age 58, the NBA announced (via Twitter).

“Dikembe Mutombo was simply larger than life,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver said. “He was one of the greatest shot blockers and defensive players in the history of the NBA. Off the floor, he poured his heart and soul into helping others.

“There was nobody more qualified than Dikembe to serve as the NBA’s first Global Ambassador. He was a humanitarian at his core. He loved what the game of basketball could do to make a positive impact on communities, especially in his native Democratic Republic of the Congo and across the continent of Africa. I had the privilege of traveling the world with Dikembe and seeing first-hand how his generosity and compassion uplifted people. He was always accessible at NBA events over the years — with his infectious smile, his deep booming voice and signature finger wag that endeared him to basketball fans of every generation.

“Dikembe’s indomitable spirit continues on in those who he has helped and inspired throughout his extraordinary life. I am one of the many people whose lives were touched by Dikembe’s big heart and I will miss him dearly. On behalf of the entire NBA family, I send my deepest condolences to Dikembe’s wife Rose, and their children; his many friends; and the global basketball community which he truly loved and which loved him back.”

Mutombo was among the NBA’s most feared shot blockers during his 18-year NBA career, with those rejections often punctuated by his trademark finger wag. He was an eight-time All-Star, four-time Defensive Player of the Year and two-time member of the All-NBA team. He played for the Nuggets, Hawks, Sixers, Nets, Knicks and Rockets before retiring in 2009 at age 42. His number 55 was retired in both Denver and Atlanta.

Beyond his accomplishments as a player, Mutombo worked to improve living conditions in his native country and to encourage the development of basketball throughout Africa. He participated in the Basketball Without Borders program, served as a spokesman for CARE and was an emissary for the United Nations Development Program. He won the J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award in 2001 and 2009 and received a President’s Service Award in 1999.

Mutombo’s longtime friend, Raptors executive Masai Ujiri, addressed his passing when he heard the news at the team’s media day, tweets Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports.

“It’s really hard to believe. It’s hard for us to be without that guy,” Ujiri said while fighting back tears. “You have no idea what Dikembe Mutombo meant to me. He made us who we are. That guy is a giant, an incredible person. Who are we without him? Today is not a good day, for sports, for us, for us in Africa. … But we’ll celebrate him and celebrate him big. Big. That guy is bigger than life, I’m telling you. … As big as his big shoes were, as big as his hands were, he was bigger as a person. And his heart was bigger.”

Our condolences go out to Dikembe’s family and friends.