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Nuggets Notes: Westbrook, Clippers, Jokic, Malone, Fouls

October 27th, 2024 at 1:47pm CST by Rory Maher

Russell Westbrook‘s debut with the Nuggets — a 15-point home loss to the Thunder on Thursday — wasn’t ideal. The former league MVP recorded six points, five rebounds, five assists, one steal and two blocks in 21 minutes, but he shot just 2-of-10 from the floor (1-of-6 from three-point range) and 1-of-4 from the foul line, and Denver was outscored by 24 points when he was on the court.

As Law Murray of The Athletic writes, Saturday’s five-point home loss to the Clippers was a reminder of why L.A. wanted to move on from Westbrook over the offseason. Although he made some impressive defensive plays, including two steals and one block, he went 0-of-8 from the floor, only scoring two points on a pair of free throws, with one rebound and two assists. The Nuggets were minus-13 in his 19 minutes.

Kris Dunn, whom the Clips acquired for Westbrook in a sign-and-trade with Utah (Westbrook was subsequently waived by the Jazz; that’s how he signed with the Nuggets), finished with 11 points (on 4-of-6 shooting) and six rebounds in 19 minutes. Denver’s bench unit — Westbrook, Julian Strawther, Peyton Watson and Dario Saric only scored 11 points (on 3-of-18 shooting) and had five rebounds in 58 combined minutes.

That’s not to say the Clippers didn’t appreciate Westbrook’s time with the team. According to Murray, the nine-time All-Star is “beloved by many” members of the organization, and he had some great games in the 2023 postseason. But after trading for James Harden last fall, Westbrook’s on-court fit became awkward at times, and he struggled mightily in the 2024 playoffs vs. Dallas. Paul George — Westbrook’s strongest internal supporter — leaving for Philadelphia in free agency also played a factor in the Clippers trading Westbrook, Murray notes.

Here’s more on the Nuggets:

Three-time MVP Nikola Jokic raised concerns about Denver’s outside shooting following the loss to Oklahoma City. On Saturday, he nearly single-handedly got the Nuggets back into the game by converting a career-high seven three-pointers and scoring a game-high 41 points, according to Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. However, the Nuggets failed to hold a slim lead down the stretch, and were torched by Clippers guard Norman Powell, who scored 22 of his 37 points in the fourth quarter.
Head coach Michael Malone took responsibility for Powell’s fourth-quarter explosion, Durando adds. “Norman Powell kicked our (butts) in the fourth. … We continued to foul jump-shooters. Lack of discipline there,” Malone said. “That’s concerning because the same guys are making the same mistakes over and over. And if a guy is considered a run-off, we can’t let him keep shooting 3s. … But as I told our team, when a guy has a fourth quarter like that, it’s on me to make sure that we’re doing something to get the ball out of his hands. And I didn’t do that. So I take ownership for that, and I have to do a better job.”
Will the Nuggets benefit if NBA referees continue calling fewer fouls like they did at the end of last season? Durando explores that topic in a subscriber-only story for The Denver Post.

Thunder Notes: Caruso, Bulls, Giddey, Holmgren

October 27th, 2024 at 10:59am CST by Rory Maher

Alex Caruso, whom the Thunder acquired for Josh Giddey in an offseason trade with the Bulls, had nothing but good things to say about his former organization ahead of Saturday’s matchup in Chicago, writes Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. Bulls head coach Billy Donovan lavished Caruso with praise following Oklahoma City’s 19-point victory.

“He’s great; I love him,” Donovan said. “I obviously had the chance to coach against him for four years when I was at Florida and he was at [Texas] A&M, and I give him a lot of credit because the way he played in college was totally different than the way he’s played in the NBA. I think it just speaks to his IQ, his willingness to do whatever a team needs him to do to impact winning, impact his teammates. He’s the same guy every day. You feel fortunate when you get to be around a guy like that every day.

“And to his credit, he figured things out. ‘OK, these are the things I need to do,’ and a lot of times those things are not sexy, so to speak. That’s what makes him so unique; he’s willing to do things that a lot of times other players won’t, whether they’re incapable or unwilling.”

A former undrafted free agent who has earned All-Defensive nods each of the past two seasons, Caruso is in the final year of his contract, which will pay him $9.9MM in 2024/25.

Here’s more on the Thunder, who improved to 2-0 after Saturday’s win:

Giddey also had nothing but good things to say about the Thunder, per Rylan Stiles of Sports Illustrated. “When you play your former team, you obviously circle it on your calendar,” Giddey said before Saturday’s game. “But you’ll never, ever hear me say a bad word about that organization. Top to bottom, unbelievable people. I’m looking forward to seeing them all. I love that organization.” The sixth overall pick of the 2021 draft, Giddey will be a restricted free agent next summer after he did not sign a rookie scale extension before the ’24/25 season began.
Big man Chet Holmgren had some insightful comments about the Thunder’s reunion with Giddey after the game, according to Joel Lorenzi of The Oklahoman. “I think you can get wrapped up in the business of what this is,” Holmgren said, “because it is a business, and it’s an extremely serious business. But you can’t lose sight of the relationships that you build with guys you know along the way. I don’t think anybody’s ever played with the same 15, 17 people their entire career. That’s how the league works. People and teams have to do what’s best for them business wise. And you can’t hold that against anybody. When you get to go out there and hoop against guys that you know and you really like, you enjoy it all the same.”
Holmgren added muscle to his lean frame in the offseason and has dominated the paint in OKC’s two victories, Lorenzi adds. The former second overall pick is averaging 23.0 points, 15.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.5 steals and 3.0 blocks in the early going after an excellent rookie season in which he averaged 16.5 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 2.3 blocks.

Southeast Notes: Butler, Richardson, Coulibaly, Carter

October 27th, 2024 at 9:36am CST by Rory Maher

After struggling mightily in the Heat‘s home-opening loss to Orlando, star forward Jimmy Butler bounced back with a strong performance in Saturday’s victory over Charlotte, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald.

Butler had one of his worst games in a Heat uniform vs. the Magic, only scoring three points to go along with four rebounds and five assists in 26 minutes. On Saturday, the 35-year-old’s production was closer to his typical norm, as he put up 26 points, eight rebounds and eight assists in 37 minutes.

“Honestly, just doing all of that and it resulting in a win,” Butler said when asked about his big night. “That’s the reason that we all play the game. I’m just happy to get one in the win column.”

The six-time All-Star could be a free agent next summer if he declines his $52.4MM player option for 2025/26. Chiang recently reported that Butler would likely decline a maximum-salary extension even if he were offered it, but there’s no indication at this point that he plans to leave Miami.

Here are a few more notes from around the Southeast:

Heat swingman Josh Richardson, who underwent shoulder surgery in March, is close to making his season debut, Chiang notes in the same story. Richardson was sidelined for training camp and preseason as he recovered from the surgery, and has been dealing with heel inflammation after he was medically cleared to resume practicing. Richardson was upgraded to questionable for Saturday’s contest and warmed up before being ruled out, Chiang adds. “He’s making progress,” head coach Erik Spoelstra said of Richardson on Saturday morning. “So I’m encouraged by it. I know he is, as well. Don’t have a specific date, but he’s practicing and he’s doing everything right now.” Richardson, 31, will be an unrestricted free agent in 2025.
The Wizards dropped to 0-2 after Saturday’s loss to Cleveland, but French wing Bilal Coulibaly continues to show encouraging signs of progress in his second season, per Varun Shankar of The Washington Post (subscriber link). After dishing out a career-high six assists in Thursday’s opener vs. Boston, the 2023 lottery pick scored a career-high 23 points vs. the Cavs, going 9-of-16 from the field, including 4-of-9 from long distance.
Seventh-year center Wendell Carter Jr. displayed in the team’s season-opening victory in Miami why the Magic gave him a three-year extension, according to Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel. The Magic were plus-32 in Carter’s 27 minutes during the 19-point win, with the 25-year-old big man recording eight points, 14 rebounds, two assists and two steals. Carter is averaging a career-best 11.7 RPG through three games for the 2-1 Magic.

Pacific Notes: Hield, Wiggins, Powell, LeBron

October 26th, 2024 at 11:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

Buddy Hield has been one of the best acquisitions of the summer, providing instant offense for a Warriors team that hasn’t lost since the preseason started, writes Anthony Slater of The Athletic. After scoring 22 points in Golden State’s opener, Hield singed the Jazz for 24 points in the first half Friday night and now has 49 points in 35 minutes while shooting 12-of-16 from three-point range.

Slater notes that the only downside for the Warriors has been an awkward starting lineup that hasn’t quite meshed despite the team’s overall success. The unit features an excess of size with Jonathan Kuminga, Andrew Wiggins, Draymond Green and Trayce Jackson-Davis lining up alongside Stephen Curry. Golden State has fallen behind 12-5 and 13-6 in its first two games before rallying to take control. Coach Steve Kerr admits there are spacing issues, but he plans to keep the group together because of its defensive potential.

“That unit is still learning how to play (together),” Green said. “We didn’t have Wiggins all training camp. … Now this lineup is getting a chance to get minutes together. What you’ll start to see if we will start to settle in offensively. We’re coming out in the first quarter and everyone is trying to get to it: Go. Go. Go. Because we want that lineup to do well so bad. Everyone is coming out pressing. But once we settle down, that lineup takes over.”

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

Wiggins seems to have revived his career in the early part of the season, observes Sam Gordon of The San Francisco Chronicle. The much-maligned forward scored 20 points on 8-for-15 shooting in the Warriors‘ opener and followed that with 13 rebounds Friday night, which is a regular-season record for him. “He’s getting off to a great start,” Kevon Looney said. “… He came with a different focus. A different energy. He’s been locked in and it’s good to see all his hard work has been paying off.”
Norman Powell is helping the Clippers stay competitive while they wait for Kawhi Leonard to return from injury, per Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times. Powell shot 14-of-21 from the field and scored 37 points as L.A. picked up its first win Saturday at Denver. “I was just focusing on what the next play was, what the next read was and really just staying in the moment,” he said. “I don’t think about how much I’m scoring or what’s going on, missed shots, made shots, good games, bad games.”
Lakers coach J.J. Redick will be supportive if LeBron James is sincere about his goal of playing every game this season, tweets Dave McMenamin of ESPN. “Most players go into a season wanting to play 82 games,” Redick said. “So if that’s what he wants to do, great. I love it. I would love to have him for 82. We’ll manage the minutes accordingly.”

Central Notes: Giddey, Caruso, Trent, Middleton, Haliburton

October 26th, 2024 at 9:48pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Bulls don’t have any buyer’s remorse about parting with Alex Caruso to acquire Josh Giddey from Oklahoma City, writes Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. Chicago was criticized for not getting any draft compensation in the deal, but executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas explained that they valued Giddey highly enough to accept the trade without draft picks. Even though it’s early in Giddey’s Bulls tenure, his teammates seem to agree.

“I think the play-making is huge and a thing that is going to help us a lot,” Nikola Vucevic said. “He makes passes that not many people can see, and I think his size is something that people underestimate a little bit. For him it’s the same as it is for us, just getting used to playing next to each other. As a team we need to build that chemistry, but I think he’s a player that can help us a lot, especially with his vision. We want to play fast, and I think that’s his style as well.”

The Thunder were in Chicago tonight, creating a perfect opportunity to reflect on the deal. As one of the NBA’s best defensive guards, Caruso was a valuable part of the Bulls’ rotation for the past three seasons, so reporters asked coach Billy Donovan how he reacted when he learned about the trade.

“That’s hard, it’s hard, especially when you’ve been with him for three years and the relationship we built,” Donovan said. “The one thing for Alex in all this for me is I just hope that he’s really, really going to get compensated. He obviously got a great situation, but he’s also at the point where his age, some of the things he’s had to deal with health-wise too. He’s always played banged up and hurt. They came to me and thought this was best for a variety of reasons. I believe this is Alex’s last year of his contract, but they didn’t share with me the representation conversations.”

There’s more from the Central Division:

The Bucks were impressed by Gary Trent Jr.‘s defensive effort in his debut with the team, according to Eric Nehm of The Athletic. Trent was used as the primary defender on Tyrese Maxey, who had to carry the offense for the short-handed Sixers. “It’s hard guarding one of the quickest players in the NBA, full court, always being in front, navigating screens, putting your body on the line, and that’s what he did tonight and he was incredible,” Giannis Antetokounmpo said. “(Maxey) took a lot of shots. He made a lot of shots. He missed a lot of shots, but I think (Trent) was there for every one of them and he did an incredible job. He’s probably tired.”
Three-time All-Star forward Khris Middleton will miss the Bucks‘ game Sunday in Brooklyn as he continues his recovery from two offseason ankle surgeries, Nehm tweets. Middleton is considered day-to-day.
Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton vowed to work on his shot after being held scoreless Friday in New York, per Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star. Haliburton is shooting 1-of-16 from beyond the arc in the team’s first two games. “I’m going to get in the gym and I’m gonna shoot,” he said. “We’re all gonna shoot and we’re going to be ready to go on Sunday (against Philadelphia.) … I’m gonna get a lot of shots (Saturday). I’m gonna get a lot of shots on Sunday and I’m gonna be ready to go on Sunday.”

Knicks Notes: Towns, Bridges, Hart, Robinson

October 26th, 2024 at 8:37pm CST by Arthur Hill

Playing his first home game at Madison Square Garden on Friday night, Karl-Anthony Towns looked to be well worth the price the Knicks paid to acquire him from Minnesota, writes Andrew Crane of The New York Post. Towns was the centerpiece of the offense as New York dismantled Indiana by 25 points. He finished with 21 points, 15 rebounds, two blocks, a steal and 10 free-throw attempts while appearing comfortable operating under coach Tom Thibodeau’s system once again.

“I just always want to impose a lot of energy into the game and amplify my teammates,” Towns said, “and I thought that was a good opportunity [with the dunk] to get some energy instilled to us — and the crowd obviously was bringing a lot of energy.”

The Knicks were successful with Mitchell Robinson and Isaiah Hartenstein in the middle last season, but they haven’t had a center who can score like Towns for a long time. Jalen Brunson is excited about the potential for the offense as team chemistry continues to improve.

“I’m learning a lot,” Brunson said of playing with Towns. “He has so much gravity on the floor when he’s out there. People have to respect that. Obviously, he’s one of the best shooters in the league.”

There’s more from New York:

Mikal Bridges seems to have calmed any fears about his jump shot, per Peter Botte of The New York Post. There were concerns about Bridges’ shooting mechanics heading into the season, but he went 8-of-12 from the field on Friday and scored 21 points. “No one is gonna shoot great for 82 games,” Thibodeau said. “Oftentimes, you’re in preseason and just trying to work through things and get in a rhythm, and you’re trying to figure out a new system and new teammates. And each day, that gets better and better. But if you think logically, this guy has shot almost 38% from three for his career. Me, I’d bet on that.”
The Knicks displayed resiliency after getting blown out by Boston on opening night, notes Chris Herring of ESPN. The defense was much more aggressive, forcing a rare scoreless night by Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton. “Whenever you get your butt kicked on national TV in the NBA, it means you have to step it up,” Josh Hart said.
A source tells Stefan Bondy of The New York Post that Robinson is still expected to return from ankle surgery in December or January, but that timetable could change. Robinson hasn’t talked to reporters since undergoing the operation in May, but he updated his condition Thursday in a livestream video on social media. “You seen what happened when I rushed to come back? I was back out,” Robinson said. “At this point, I gotta make sure I’m good for life, too. C’mon, now. Let’s not be selfish here. … But we’re going to be good. We’re going to be all right. We’re going to be okay. Promise you, we’re going to be straight.”

Celtics Notes: Backup Big Men, Springer, Scheierman, Pritchard

October 26th, 2024 at 7:24pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Celtics used some rare double big lineups in Thursday’s victory at Washington, writes Brian Robb of MassLive. With Sam Hauser unavailable due to low back pain, Robb states that Jordan Walsh was expected to play a larger role. Instead, coach Joe Mazzulla opted for size when he went to his bench by playing Luke Kornet alongside Xavier Tillman. Neemias Queta came in next, which meant three of Mazzulla’s first four substitutions were big men.

Their presence limited veteran center Al Horford to 20 minutes and allowed him to spend more time on the perimeter. Having extra size in the game also solidified Boston’s defense after a shaky first quarter.

“I just liked our bigs’ ability to just kind of protect the rim and make multiple efforts and be physical on the offensive end,” Mazzulla said in explaining the move. “The guys did a great job fighting for spacing.”

Hauser is out for a second straight game on Saturday and it’s unclear how long the back issue might keep him sidelined, according to Souichi Terada of MassLive. Hauser told reporters that he dealt with soreness in his back throughout the offseason and training camp.

There’s more from Boston:

Jaden Springer has reportedly emerged as a trade candidate, but the Celtics viewed him as a potential rotation player heading into training camp, Robb adds in another piece. The fourth-year guard had a quiet preseason and didn’t play in two of the team’s final three exhibition games.
Scoring his first NBA points on a layup late in Thursday’s game has been the high point of Baylor Scheierman‘s professional career so far, notes Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. After receiving the game ball from his teammates in honor of the achievement, Scheierman talked about the adjustment of having limited playing time after being a star at Creighton. “It’s definitely different coming from college where you play a lot and coming to a team like this that has a lot of established guys,” he said. “But for me, I think it’s just a great opportunity to learn from guys who have made it in this league and obviously signed contracts for a lot of money and have learned at this level. I take it as a learning opportunity, being able to learn from them and grow so that when I get my shot down the line, I’m ready for it.”
Payton Pritchard, who has become famous for his long-range buzzer beaters, would like to see them count extra, Himmelsbach states in a separate story. “I honestly think maybe past half court they should look at adding it as a 4-point play,” Pritchard said. “I mean, it could be interesting. I’ve seen rules overseas that they have a 4-point line.”

Heat Notes: Ware, Defense, Love, Little

October 26th, 2024 at 6:11pm CST by Arthur Hill

The positive vibes that the Heat generated by winning the Summer League title in Las Vegas have carried over into the start of the regular season, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. That Vegas team included first-round pick Kel’el Ware and second-round pick Pelle Larsson, along with two-way players Josh Christopher and Keshad Johnson, and coach Erik Spoelstra said they’ve provided youthful energy since the start of training camp.

“What they have shown as a collective group as young guys, they’ve brought us some talent level that we’ve been able to restock our roster,” Spoelstra said. “They’ve given us an exuberance. But they’ve also found a way as a group to win, to impact winning, to find a way to gut out wins. I don’t know what it is, I just know it’s something. I think probably what’s different about this group is it’s been a pack, a pack of wolves. That’s what’s different.”

Ware was one of the stars in Las Vegas, earning a spot on the All-Summer League First Team after being drafted with the 15th pick. However, the 20-year-old center doesn’t have a clear path to playing time in Miami with Bam Adebayo, Kevin Love and Thomas Bryant ahead of him on the depth chart. He played the final 6:15 of a blowout in the season opener and will miss tonight’s game in Charlotte due to an illness.

“He’s put almost 10 pounds on since he’s been with us and he’s embraced how we do things,” Spoelstra said. “That was one of the encouraging things once we dove into his background — that he’s not afraid to work, particularly at [Indiana University].”

There’s more from Miami:

The Heat had two days off to recover from Wednesday’s 32-point loss to Orlando, Chiang adds in a separate story. Spoelstra concentrated on the need to become more aggressive defensively to create open-court opportunities. Chiang notes that Miami led the NBA during the preseason by forcing turnovers on 21.7% of possessions, but only managed five steals and nine deflections against the Magic. “You want them to feel you,” Spoelstra said. “It’s not necessarily going to be the metrics or steals or deflections every single time. It’s more about doing tough things, being physical, getting teams out of what they typically want to do at every point of attack that we’re there, and that wasn’t the case.”
Love will miss his second straight game tonight for personal reasons, according to Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press (Twitter link).
Nassir Little, who was with the Heat in training camp on a non-guaranteed contract before being waived last Saturday, will join the team’s G League affiliate in Sioux Falls, tweets Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. The 24-year-old forward spent last season with Phoenix after four years in Portland.

Cavaliers Notes: Bickerstaff, Allen, Mobley, G League Draft

October 26th, 2024 at 5:07pm CST by Arthur Hill

J.B. Bickerstaff wasn’t emotional about his return to Cleveland Friday night, writes Tom Withers of The Associated Press. Bickerstaff served as head coach of the Cavaliers for more than four years before being fired following last season’s second-round playoff loss to the Celtics. He wasn’t out of work long, as the Pistons tabbed him to fill their head coaching vacancy in early July.

“I didn’t recognize these (remodeled) halls back here trying to figure out where to go, but that’s it,” Bickerstaff responded when asked about being back at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. “I know there is a deal to be made about it. But honestly, all we’re trying to do is get together what we have, get better every day and spend your focus there.”

Bickerstaff took over the Cavs after John Beilein resigned midway through the 2019/20 season. He compiled a 170-159 record and oversaw a rebuilding project that resulted in playoff appearances his final two years. However, he was frequently a target of Cleveland fans who questioned his rotations, game strategies and other aspects of his coaching philosophy. Bickerstaff predicted a mixed response before the game, and that’s what he received during pregame introductions.

“We did a hell of a job here from where we started when our staff took over to where we finished,” he said. “In any kind of rebuild situation, if you could ask for that to happen, every GM in this league, every owner in this league, every player in this league would sign up for it. We got better every year. Every year we went further, so we did the job we were asked to do and I’m proud of that.”

There’s more from Cleveland:

Bickerstaff shot down speculation that he was criticizing Jarrett Allen for missing the series with Boston due a pierced rib he suffered in the first round, per Ethan Sands of Cleveland.com. After his dismissal, Bickerstaff appeared on a radio show and praised Luka Doncic for staying on the court despite injuries. Bickerstaff told reporters Friday night that his remarks shouldn’t have been interpreted as a shot at Allen. “Jarrett and I have a great relationship and always will, and none of the outside noise will impact that,” Bickerstaff said. “Those comments had absolutely nothing to do with Jarrett Allen. I love Jarrett Allen. We have a great relationship. … I would never say anything to slight him or question him, and I think that’s a lot of silly people that are just searching for something to be found who’ve got nothing better to do and looking for clickbait.”
Under new coach Kenny Atkinson, the Cavs are making a stronger effort to create scoring opportunities for Evan Mobley, observes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. It was evident in the season opener as Mobley took 14 shots and led the team with 25 points. “I’m just staying mentally in attack mode,” he said. “Always looking at the rim, always going to the basket, moving forward, looking to score and then looking for outlets after.”
The Cleveland Charge, the Cavaliers’ G League affiliate, made two trades in today’s G League draft (Twitter links). The first deal sent No. 3 pick Sean East II to the South Bay Lakers in a four-team trade in exchange for No. 5 pick Chandler Hutchison and a 2025 G League International Draft pick. The team also shipped No. 22 pick Trae Hannibal to Indiana in exchange for a second-round pick in the 2025 G League Draft (via Rio Grande Valley.)

NBA Teams With Open Roster Spots

October 26th, 2024 at 4:01pm CST by Luke Adams

Each of the NBA’s 30 teams is permitted to carry 15 players on standard contracts and three on two-way deals, which works out to a maximum of 540 players across 30 rosters.

Of those 540 potential roster spots, 524 are currently occupied, leaving 16 open roster spots around the NBA. Three of those open roster spots belong to a single team, while 13 other clubs have one opening apiece.

[RELATED: 2024/25 NBA Roster Counts]

Here’s the full breakdown:

Three open standard roster spots

New York Knicks

As we’ve previously discussed in stories about the Knicks, teams can only keep two or more spots on their standard rosters open for up to 14 days at a time, so New York will have to add two players to reach the 14-man minimum by November 5 at the latest.

The Knicks’ roster situation is further complicated by the fact that they don’t have enough room below their hard cap to fit two veteran minimum-salary contracts, meaning at least one of the two players they add to the standard roster will have to be a rookie whom they drafted.

Rookie big man Ariel Hukporti is the frontrunner to receive a promotion from his two-way contract, but it remains unclear who will join him by Nov. 5. Landry Shamet was the favorite to fill the other spot, but won’t be considered until he recovers from his dislocated shoulder. Matt Ryan has been rumored as a potential target, but it might make more sense to have him fill the two-way slot that Hukporti vacates.

One open standard roster spot

Boston Celtics
Cleveland Cavaliers
Detroit Pistons
Golden State Warriors
Houston Rockets
Indiana Pacers
Memphis Grizzlies
Miami Heat
New Orleans Pelicans
Philadelphia 76ers
Phoenix Suns
Sacramento Kings

Many of these teams are carrying an open roster spot for luxury tax reasons. The Celtics, Cavaliers, Warriors, Heat, Pelicans, Sixers, and Suns are all over the tax line, while the Pacers, Grizzlies, and Kings don’t have much breathing room below it. Most of those teams will add 15th men eventually, but they’ll be in no rush to do so yet.

The Pistons, meanwhile, still have about $10.2MM in cap room, which could come in handy in an in-season trade. They could add a 15th man if they want to, but they probably won’t do so unless there’s a specific target they really like, since bringing someone else on board would cut into their remaining cap space.

Of all the teams in this group, the Rockets may be the best bet to add a 15th man sooner rather than later, since they’re well above the cap and well below the tax, so there are no concerns related to finances or spending flexibility. Still, they have a deep roster, so there’s no point in filling that roster spot with someone who will just sit on the bench. The Rockets might keep it open unless they get bitten by the injury bug or have their eye on a specific prospect they want to develop.

One open two-way roster spot

Orlando Magic

In past seasons, a team without a G League affiliate of its own might be slow to fill its two-way contract slots, but all 30 NBA clubs now have affiliates in the NBAGL, so there’s no real excuse not to carry a full complement of two-way players.

With training camps set to get underway on Monday for G League teams and the season tipping off on November 8, it wouldn’t surprise me if Orlando fills its lone two-way opening within the next week or two.