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Southeast Notes: J. Johnson, Suggs, Ball, Mann, Okongwu, Banchero, Miller

October 25th, 2024 at 12:51pm CST by Arthur Hill

Jalen Johnson‘s five-year extension with the Hawks was one of the last deals to be announced on Monday because the paperwork reached the league office just minutes before the 5:00 pm Central deadline, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN. In an article co-written with Tim Bontemps, Windhorst states that the two sides didn’t come to an agreement until after Jalen Suggs reached an extension with the Magic. Both teams slightly increased their offers to get the deals finalized, sources tell Windhorst.

He adds that Hawks officials were relieved to get Johnson to commit to a five-year arrangement with no player option. Johnson is coming off a breakthrough season in which he averaged 16.0 points, 8.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.2 steals in 56 games, and at 23 he’s viewed as one of the young cornerstones of the franchise.

Scouts and executives from rival teams were impressed that Atlanta and Orlando were able to sign their young stars to contracts that will become less burdensome over time, Bontemps adds. The salary cap is projected to increase by up to 10% each season, but Johnson’s deal will stay flat at $30MM for each of the next five years, while Suggs’ salary starts at $35MM next season and declines until it reaches $26.7MM in 2029/30.

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

Hornets guard LaMelo Ball is wearing strong ankle braces to help avoid the injury problems that have ended his last two seasons, Bontemps reveals in the same piece. Ball was impressive with 34 points, eight rebounds and 11 assists in the season opener, and he got help from Tre Mann, who contributed 24 points off the bench and could be in line for a breakout season after being acquired from Oklahoma City in February. Sources tell Bontemps that Mann had offseason talks about a rookie scale extension with Charlotte, but wasn’t able to come to an agreement.
Center Onyeka Okongwu sparked the Hawks with 28 points, eight rebounds and three blocks in an opening night win over Brooklyn. He was happy to be able to play 28 minutes after missing time late last season with a toe injury and being used sparingly during the preseason, per Lauren Williams of The Journal-Constitution. “That was my main concern, just coming into this season,” Okongwu said. “It was my conditioning. I was blessed to spend my summer getting right, but I felt really good out there and I’m just happy we got the win.”
Magic forward Paolo Banchero has released the first installment of this year’s Andscape diary with Marc J. Spears. Banchero talks about growing up in Seattle, the adjustment to Orlando, the playoff series with Cleveland, advice from Jayson Tatum and Luka Doncic and a few other topics.
Brandon Miller will be reevaluated in a week after being forced out of Wednesday’s opener with a glute strain, the Hornets announced (via Twitter). Head coach Charles Lee talked to Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer about the challenge of replacing Miller.

Rockets Notes: Green, Sengun, Thompson, Sheppard, Adams

October 25th, 2024 at 11:46am CST by Arthur Hill

The Rockets‘ decision to give contract extensions to Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun was made after two of their future targets in free agency came off the market this summer, Brian Windhorst of ESPN states in an article co-written with Tim Bontemps. When the Cavaliers‘ Donovan Mitchell and the Celtics‘ Derrick White both reached extensions with their teams, Houston’s front office began to abandon its plan to save cap room for the 2025 free agency sweepstakes, sources tell Windhorst.

The new priority became working out extensions with Green and Sengun before Monday’s deadline, and both agreed to unique deals that are below the maximum they could have received. Green’s three-year extension starts at $33.3MM next season, and Windhorst hears that it could be combined with draft assets as the basis for a superstar trade next summer.

Sources also tell Windhorst that the Rockets have informed rival teams they don’t plan to make a major deal during the season, but they could be much more active once the offseason arrives.

Other executives around the league complimented the Rockets for convincing Sengun to accept a below-max deal, according to Bontemps, even though they had to give him a player option in the fifth year.

There’s more from Houston;

Coach Ime Udoka’s preference to play at a faster pace may require more minutes for Amen Thompson, observes Kelly Iko of The Athletic. The lack of fast-break opportunities was among the things that bothered Udoka about Wednesday’s season-opening loss to Charlotte. “We didn’t get stops,” he said. “We didn’t get out and run. Just as poorly as we played in transition, offensive rebounding was the same thing. Nineteen in the first half and only two second-chance points in the second. Dominated us on the glass there.” Iko points out that Thompson was part of five of the team’s six fastest two-man combinations last season.
Lottery pick Reed Sheppard is quickly adapting to life in the NBA, per Brian Barefield of Rockets Wire. Sheppard has a clearly defined role on a team that needs to improve its outside shooting. “It is easy when everyone knows how to play basketball the right way,” he said. “We have been playing with each other for a couple of months now, so being able to get in the gym every day and continue to get to know each other by learning more offense and defense with each other. We are just figuring out how each other plays, and it has been really fun. I feel like our chemistry gets better every day.”
Steven Adams was a game-time decision on Wednesday, but he has already been ruled out of Friday’s contest against Memphis due to a calf strain and recovery from the knee injury that forced him to miss all of last season, tweets Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle.

Dejounte Murray To Miss 4-6 Weeks With Hand Fracture

October 25th, 2024 at 10:21am CST by Arthur Hill

The fractured left hand that Dejounte Murray suffered in his Pelicans debut on Wednesday night will keep him out of action for four to six weeks, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link). Murray underwent successful surgery on the hand, Charania adds.

Murray injured his hand at some point in the fourth quarter of New Orleans’ victory over Chicago, according to Brett Martel of The Associated Press. He didn’t talk to reporters after the game, but CJ McCollum said Murray indicated during the game that the hand was bothering him.

“He looked at me and said his hand didn’t feel right,” McCollum said. “He just continued to play. … He battled through, he played and played well considering those circumstances.”

Despite the injury, Murray was giving the Pelicans the kind of steady backcourt presence they were seeking when they acquired him in an offseason trade with Atlanta. He had 14 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds while turning the ball over just once.

While Murray is sidelined, more ball-handling duties are expected to be given to Zion Williamson, who frequently ran the offense last season, writes Christian Clark of NOLA. McCollum and Brandon Ingram will also see more time in that role.

“I hate it for Dejounte and our group,” coach Willie Green said. “We are kind of just getting started, just getting going. But at the same time, we understand that in this league and in life, you’re going to face adversity. The good thing about it is it’s not a long-term injury that will keep him out for a whole season.”

There’s also a financial component to Murray’s injury, Clark adds. His contract includes approximately $1.9MM in incentives that are tied to him playing at least 65 games, so they won’t be available if he misses more than 17.

New Orleans is operating slightly above the luxury tax line, so Murray’s incentives will be very important in determining whether it’s headed toward being a taxpaying team. The Pelicans would only be in the tax by about $850K if Murray doesn’t achieve any of his bonuses, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks.

Clark points out that the Pelicans are one of two NBA franchises that have never paid the tax, so the team figures to explore cost-cutting moves whether or not Murray is able to return in time to reach the 65-game threshold. He will miss 15 games if he’s able to come back exactly four weeks from today.

Northwest Notes: Nuggets, Caruso, Holmgren, Randle

October 25th, 2024 at 10:00am CST by Arthur Hill

Offseason concerns about the Nuggets‘ shooting played out in an opening-night loss to Oklahoma City, writes Tony Jones of The Athletic. Denver shot 7-of-39 from beyond the arc and scored just 87 points as the Thunder pulled away in a battle of two of the West’s elite teams. Nikola Jokic admitted there are offensive issues that have to be worked out.

“We are not a good shooting team, I think, except probably (Michael Porter Jr.) and Jamal (Murray),” Jokic told reporters. “All of us are kind of streaky. Not streaky, you know, but just average shooters.”

OKC opted to throw frequent double teams at Jokic while daring players such as Christian Braun, Russell Westbrook and Peyton Watson to beat them from the outside, Jones adds. He notes that the Nuggets only got 16 points from their bench and often looked slower and less athletic than the Thunder.

Jones suggests that coach Michael Malone may need to consider breaking up his starting five and using Porter off the bench to provide a shooting threat for the second unit. However, Malone doesn’t sound ready to make drastic changes after one loss.

“The bottom line is that I have to figure out a way to get Julian (Strawther) going,” he said. “I have to figure out a way to get Dario Saric going. So you definitely have to take a lot of factors into account. I think the more our guys play together, the better off we will be.”

There’s more from the Northwest Division:

Alex Caruso‘s impact on the Thunder‘s defense was evident in his first game, observes Anthony Slater of The Athletic. Even though he went scoreless in 19 minutes, Caruso repeatedly found ways to disrupt Denver’s offense. Coach Mark Daigneault said that during a walkthrough after the morning shootaround, Caruso was already his most knowledgeable player on how to attack the Nuggets. “He’s on the side and he’s calling out what we should be doing,” Daigneault said. “Contact switch. Rotate this way. His fingerprints are all over everything.”
Chet Holmgren got bigger and stronger during the offseason, which should be helpful as he spends more time at center, Slater adds. Free agent addition Isaiah Hartenstein is out until at least December with a broken left hand and backups Jaylin Williams and Kenrich Williams are also currently sidelined. “I think it’s a testament to what he’s done with his body,” Daigneault said. “He just played minute for minute with Jokic, who is very physical, and didn’t flinch, almost got stronger … What he did minute for minute with Jokic is not to be taken lightly.”
After looking tentative in his Timberwolves debut, Julius Randle was back in All-Star form Thursday night with 33 points, five rebounds and four assists in a win at Sacramento, per Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. It was only Randle’s second game since injuring his shoulder last winter, and that type of production shows why the Wolves were willing to part with Karl-Anthony Towns to acquire him from New York. “We told him this morning, don’t fit around us, we’re going to fit around you,” Anthony Edwards said. “He showed us today.”

Mavericks Notes: Thompson, Doncic, Gafford, Lively, Hardy

October 25th, 2024 at 9:00am CST by Arthur Hill

The uniform was different, but otherwise Klay Thompson delivered a familiar performance Thursday night. Playing his first game for the Mavericks, Thompson hit six three-pointers and scored 22 points in 26 minutes in a win over San Antonio. In addition to providing the defending Western Conference champs with another outside shooting threat, Thompson showed he can still impact the game in other ways, collecting seven rebounds and three steals, writes Tim MacMahon of ESPN.

“Great debut,” he said. “It’s only one game in October, but it feels good just to get that first one out of the way. … Just a ton of excitement, really just an awesome feeling. And you only get the first time of something so often.”

Last night marked the first time Thompson has played alongside Luka Doncic, who missed the entire preseason due to a left calf contusion. They seemed to have instant chemistry, as four of Thompson’s threes came directly off Doncic passes.

“What an incredible talent,” Thompson said. “I mean, it doesn’t make any sense because what we’re taught growing up as far as being the best basketball player is you got to jump the highest, you got to run the fastest, but somehow Luka defies that. He plays at his own speed and manipulates the game as good as I’ve ever seen anyone do it. And it’s great to be a recipient of that and get great looks.”

There’s more from Dallas:

Even though he finished with finished with 28 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists, Doncic felt the effects of sitting out the preseason, per Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News. He shot just 8-of-21 on the night and felt like he played “terrible” despite nearly posting a triple-double. “I was telling someone that I was rusty the whole first half,” Doncic said. “The third quarter, it kind of opened up. The legs were back. It felt great just to be out there playing basketball.”
Head coach Jason Kidd wouldn’t reveal his starting center in his pregame meeting with reporters, according to Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal (subscription required), but he chose to go with Daniel Gafford and use Dereck Lively II off the bench. Both were productive, as Gafford had nine points, six rebounds and two assists in 18 minutes, while Lively put up 15 points, 10 rebounds and tied his career high with six assists in 27 minutes. “It’s an opportunity to start Gaff here, and we’ll look somewhere down the road to start D Live,” Kidd said. “But what I love about D Live coming off the bench is his energy, and that’s something that’s contagious. When you look at a team, there are going to be nights when we might be low energy, but D Live, as we’ve talked throughout preseason, we plug into him, and guys, you know, recharge or feed off that energy. He has a big responsibility with that second group.”
With a new three-year, $18MM extension in hand, Jaden Hardy appears to be an important part of the Mavericks’ second unit, Afseth adds. Kidd said Hardy has improved his play-making skills to complement his outside shooting as he begins his third NBA season.

Atlantic Notes: George, Embiid, Knicks, Hauser, Queta

October 24th, 2024 at 10:21pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Sixers star Paul George is continuing to progress well in his recovery from a bone bruise in his knee, but he will not be available for Philadelphia’s upcoming two-game road trip, ESPN’s Shams Charania reports (Twitter link). The next update on George’s availability will come early next week, per Charania.

Earlier Thursday, head coach Nick Nurse said both George and Joel Embiid were participating in “most of the action” at practice (Twitter link via The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Keith Pompey). The duo did not participate in the five-on-five scrimmages but were doing some live work.

As we previously relayed, the NBA officially launched an investigation into Embiid’s player participation. He has already been ruled out for the first three games of the year. Without George or Embiid in the season opener, the Sixers lost by 15 points to Milwaukee. They next travel to Toronto and Indiana.

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

The new-look Knicks were the talk of the offseason after making massive swings by acquiring Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges via trade. However, they were defeated by 23 points in the opener against the Celtics, allowing 132 points. According to the New York Post’s Peter Botte, the Knicks are aiming to recovery quickly, starting at the defensive end. “That’s championship-level basketball. For us, it was a punch in the mouth and we gotta respond,” guard Miles McBride said. “Obviously, it’s a long year. Can’t overreact to one game, but I don’t think that’s how you go into a year and set the tone.“
Bridges acknowledged that the Knicks know they’re a work in progress, according to SNY Knicks (Twitter video link). “It’s not going to be right away,” Bridges said. “It’s going to take time and building. You can be a mediocre, a solid to okay team, but that’s not what we’re striving to be. We have to continue and get better every day.” The Knicks made the second round of the playoffs last year but struggled with injuries through the end of the year.
Celtics wing Sam Hauser, who played 24 minutes in the season opener and scored 10 points, missed Boston’s Thursday game against the Wizards, observes Spotrac’s Keith Smith (Twitter link). He’s dealing with lower back soreness.
Neemias Queta made a case for more minutes in the Celtics‘ win over the Wizards on Thursday, Brian Robb of MassLive writes. Queta scored 12 points and seven rebounds in just 14 minutes played, holding his own against Washington’s bigs. As Robb writes, the 25-year-old could help ease Al Horford‘s workload with Kristaps Porzingis sidelined.

Southeast Notes: Bufkin, Wizards, Carrington, Magic, Heat

October 24th, 2024 at 9:03pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Hawks second-year guard Kobe Bufkin suffered a partially dislocated right shoulder during a practice, the team announced Thursday in a press release. It’s the second time Bufkin has dislocated his shoulder in the last six months — he previously suffered the same injury ahead of Las Vegas Summer League in July.

Bufkin has had a rough go with injuries over the course of his young career. He was limited to just 17 games in his rookie season in 2023/24 after dealing with a fractured thumb and sprained toe. He averaged 4.8 points in 11.5 minutes per contest in his healthy appearances.

According to the Hawks’ release, Bufkin and the team are determining treatment options and an update will be provided at a later date. He’s likely to miss at least a few weeks. In the wake of his injury, guard Dyson Daniels will continue to get expanded opportunities.

In addition to not having Bufkin for Friday’s game, the Hawks are also listing Bogdan Bogdanovic as out with right hamstring tendinopathy, according to Lauren Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

We have more from the Southeast Division:

The Wizards are once again expected to finish toward the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings this season, but The Athletic’s Josh Robbins observes that there’s now a sense of purpose in the rebuild. With younger players like Bilal Coulibaly and Corey Kispert under contract for the foreseeable future, and 2024 draft picks Alex Sarr, Carlton Carrington and Kyshawn George in the building, the Wizards have a sound core. “When I first came here, there really wasn’t infrastructure,” said forward Kyle Kuzma. “Everything was on the fly, you know? [Now, there’s] much more of a sense of purpose in that department.” In a similar story, The Washington Post’s Varun Shankar writes that 2023 hires Michael Winger (president of Monumental Basketball) and Will Dawkins (general manager) have been crucial in this process. Shankar also explores potential steps forward and considers which players could be on the move this year.
Sarr, this year’s No. 2 overall pick, made his NBA debut on Thursday against the Celtics. He finished with two points, five rebounds and two blocks. Carrington started the game next to Jordan Poole at the guard spot, while George played off the bench. According to Wizards PR (Twitter link), the team’s opening-night starting lineup (Sarr, Poole, Carrington, Coulibaly, and Kuzma) was the youngest in franchise history.
Carrington landed awkwardly following a layup attempt in the fourth quarter of the season-opening loss to Boston, Robbins observes (Twitter link). He was down for a while before limping off the court to the Wizards’ locker room. The rookie guard finished his NBA debut with three points, two assists and two blocks.
The Magic defeated the Heat in dominant fashion in their season opener, leading by as many as 32 points, with forward Paolo Banchero pouring in 33. According to Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel, the team’s three-point focus and depth were key takeaways, while Gary Harris‘s dominance from beyond the arc (he made six of his nine three-point attempts for 18 points) is something to note. “It sets the tone for what the standard is with this team,” Banchero said. “Everyone was telling each other this was a hell of a game setting the tone but this is setting the tone for how we’ve got to be every night.“
On the other side of the court, the 116-97 home loss to the Magic was a crushing blow to open the season for a Heat team that was enthusiastic about its new offensive system in the preseason. As Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes, Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo combined for just 12 points on 15.4% shooting in the loss. “Offensively, we have to trust some of the things that we’ve been working on in the preseason,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “It has looked a lot different than this. But obviously that’s a very good defense. That’s a top-five defense. They’re very active, long. So you have to trust what we do even more.“

Mavs’ Jaden Hardy Discusses Extension, Goals For Season

October 24th, 2024 at 7:51pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Former second-round pick Jaden Hardy signed a three-year, $18MM extension with the Mavericks earlier this week. Hardy, who is making just over $2MM this season, will earn a flat $6MM salary in each year of the extension, which kicks in during the 2025/26 season, tweets Keith Smith of Spotrac. As previously reported, the third year (2027/28) is a team option.

Hardy has made promising strides in Dallas over his first two seasons, averaging 7.9 points per game and making 37.9% of his three-pointers in 121 appearances since being the No. 37 overall pick. He appeared in 19 games during Dallas’s Finals run last season and led the Mavericks in scoring in the preseason with 15.0 PPG.

Fresh off his extension, he expressed gratitude to get the chance to stay with the team that offered him the runway to be a successful NBA player, as Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal writes.

“I’m super grateful for it to be in this position, to get to my second contract. Not a lot of players are able to do that,” Hardy said. “But I’m still not going to let this contract define me. I’ll keep working, I’m coming for more, and just staying humble.”

After securing a long-term deal, Hardy told Afseth he has a new goal in mind for this coming season.

“Really, this is where I want to be, ultimately. I can play my game and go out there freely,” Hardy said. “My main focus is winning the championship this year. But also, my goal is to win Sixth Man (of the Year).”

There are a few more interesting comments from Hardy and head coach Jason Kidd regarding the coming season.

Kidd on Hardy being extended:

“Yeah, well deserved. Just shows another case of patience. You look at the work he’s put in, and it’s well deserved for everybody around him.”

Kidd on what Hardy’s role will look like this coming season:

“Yeah, I think we’ll see how that goes with the different combinations that we’ll look at here early on. He’ll have an opportunity to play with [Kyrie Irving].”

Hardy on his communication with the coaching staff, per Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News:

“I’ve talked to Jason, asked him what it is that he wants to see from me. He just tells me that what I’ve been doing, to keep doing it. His big thing is for me to keep working and stay hungry.”

Rory Maher contributed to this post.

Pacific Notes: Tucker, Clippers, Kuminga, Durant

October 24th, 2024 at 6:44pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Following reports earlier this month that P.J. Tucker would remain away from the team, the Clippers granted permission for Tucker’s agent Andre Buck to speak with other clubs in order to facilitate a trade, according to NBA insider Chris B. Haynes (Twitter link). The two sides will continue to work together to find a new home for Tucker as he remains away from the Clippers.

As we noted in early October, it may be difficult to find a trade that is palatable for all sides involved considering Tucker is due $11.54MM this season and played sparingly last season. Tucker was originally traded to the Clippers early last season as part of the deal that sent James Harden to Los Angeles. However, he was unhappy with his limited new role, spending some time away from the team last season and even publicly discussing his desire to be traded.

Tucker and his expiring contract could hold appeal for a team looking to shed long-term salary or a contending team looking for defensive depth. However, he may very well need to be bought out in order to switch teams, something he’s seemingly been unwilling to do to this point.

We have more from the Pacific Division:

A former Clippers strength and conditioning coach, Randy Shelton, is suing the team and president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank for wrongful termination, among other things, according to NBA insider Chris B. Haynes (Twitter link). The staffer claims he was fired for complaining that Kawhi Leonard was being subject to unsafe and illegal treatments for his injuries over the years. The Clippers issued a statement refuting the claim. “Mr. Shelton’s claims were investigated and found to be without merit,” the statement reads (Twitter link via Haynes). “We honored Mr. Shelton’s employment contract and paid him in full. This lawsuit is a belated attempt to shake down the Clippers based on accusations that Mr. Shelton should know are false.” In a separate statement to Haynes, Shelton’s team responded. “We hope that our client’s lawsuit will serve as a wakeup call to the Clippers organization that their players are not just dollar values, but are humans requiring proper – and not hastened – health and recovery treatment for the careers and lives afterwards,” John David, one of Shelton’s representatives, said (Twitter link).
Shelton previously worked alongside Leonard at San Diego State and the Spurs, and he alleges that he was part of a multi-year effort to recruit the six-time All-Star to the Clippers that “leapt well beyond the bounds of the NBA constitution.” According to an ESPN story from Ramona Shelburne and Baxter Holmes, he is seeking “significant” but unspecified damages.
Because he didn’t agree to an extension before the regular season, Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga enters the final year of his contract with some variability in terms of what his next contract looks like, Anthony Slater of The Athletic writes. Kuminga recently addressed the lack of an extension: “I’m not really concerned about it. I’m just concerned about coming out here and performing every other day. I ain’t really thinking about that. The time came and nothing happened. So I’m not very concerned about it much anymore. I can just be me and not think about it. I’ve been through so much. A lot of people don’t know me, don’t know what I’ve been through. There’s not too many things that can break me.”
In an interview with Mark Medina of Sportskeeda, Suns star forward Kevin Durant said he doesn’t think about the hypothetical records he could have broken or added to if he hadn’t miss a season-and-a-half from 2019-21 due to an Achilles injury. “Nah, I never looked at it as, ‘Man, what if I had gotten this many points?’ It’s all part of the journey,” Durant said. “Getting hurt is a part of the journey. Getting hurt is a part of basketball. It’s something that I can [understand]. There’s some adversity that you need to go through in order for you to understand what this really means. I think those injuries were one of those things for me.“

Northwest Notes: Gobert, Reid, Braun, Jokic, Blazers

October 24th, 2024 at 5:21pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Rudy Gobert recognized that if he picked up his 2025/26 player option that would have been worth close to $47MM, it would have hindered the chances of the Timberwolves re-signing key pieces, including Naz Reid, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Julius Randle. That’s why, according to The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski, he sought after a “win-win” deal in re-signing for the three-year, $110MM deal that has an annual average value of $36.7MM.

“My next year contract was really high,” Gobert said. “So being able to allow the team to keep our guys, that was the win for the Timberwolves. But being able to keep me for a longer term was great for both of us.”

According to Krawczynski, Gobert recognizes he has a shot at a championship by sticking with the Timberwolves and continuing to build on the progress the team made last season en route to the Western Conference Finals. From the sound of it, he wasn’t interested in the idea of opting out of current contract and signing elsewhere to chase rings with another team.

The two sides were actually close to not agreeing to a deal, per Krawczynski, as Gobert sought a four-year contract that the Wolves weren’t comfortable offering. But Gobert, mindful of his appreciation for coach Chris Finch, his respect for teammate Anthony Edwards, and the fact that he wanted to help his teammates get paid, ultimately agreed to sign an extension just moments before opening night tipped off.

“It’s never been about money, but even more at this point in my career, it’s about being where I feel at home and where I can win championships,” Gobert said. “These guys, from players to coaches to organization embrace me and believed in me and gave me the opportunity to be the best version of myself on and off the court, and also make me grow.”

The Wolves’ situation serves as an example of how the NBA’s strict guidelines for apron teams are impacting decision making. The team already traded long-time franchise staple Karl-Anthony Towns to shed future salary, and Gobert’s decision to sacrifice short-term money showed he recognized the need for long-term security and a better chance to win and support his teammates in this newer era.

“For him to think about the next person, that’s dope,” Reid said. “That’s really unselfish. I know a lot of people wouldn’t do that, but he would. He’s showing it now. I’m happy that he’s thinking about me and this team. That means he wants to win.”

We have more from the Northwest Division:

Reid will continue to step more into the spotlight after a successful Sixth Man of the Year campaign last season. In an conversation with Sportskeeda’s Mark Medina, The longest-tenured Timberwolves player discussed the added responsibilities he’ll face with Towns out of the picture. “I’m super comfortable,” Reid said. “Me and KAT do a lot of similar things. With him being here and gone, it’s the same thing for me and the same mentality. I kind of view it as the same thing. More minutes. Same thing, though. Next man up. That’s my mentality.“
Christian Braun‘s young basketball career has been defined by winning. He claimed three straight state titles in high school, helped Kansas win an NCAA championship in his final collegiate season, then played a role on the Nuggets‘ title team in his NBA rookie season. That all led him to the point of potentially starting as Denver’s shooting guard this season, Bennett Durando of The Denver Post writes. If Braun does start in the team’s Thursday opener, it will mark just his 11th career start.
Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic found himself often playing alongside the second unit in staggered lineups during the preseason. One of the most natural fits was a lineup that includes Russell Westbrook, Julian Strawther, Peyton Watson and Dario Saric, Jokic is embracing the idea of mixing up the rotations a bit more this season, Durando writes in a separate story. “I think we should do that in a game, just to give teams (a) different look,” Jokic said. “I like it, just to play with somebody else. And why not?“
Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups was highly critical of his team after they lost by 35 points in the season opener to the Warriors, according to Rose Garden Report’s Sean Highkin. “I didn’t think one guy on our team played well in the game,” Billups said. “Man, it was crazy. It felt like we were two steps slow on everything. Defensively, offensively, we just waited to react to everything, and you can’t do that against a team like that. They beat us at every facet of the game. Every loose ball, they were the first team there. Getting down the floor after makes and after misses. Every single facet of the game, they beat us.“

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