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Anthony Edwards

Northwest Notes: S. Jones, Jay. Williams, Anderson, Henderson

By | at February 27, 2026 11:47 am

The Nuggets would have liked to sign two-way standout Spencer Jones to a team-friendly multiyear deal when they promoted him to the standard roster from his two-way contract earlier this month, writes Bennett Durando of The Denver Post (subscription required).

However, Denver’s ability to make it worth Jones’ while was limited due to the team’s proximity to the tax line, and the second-year forward decided to bet on himself by not settling for a below-market offer. The Nuggets ended up doing a straight conversion of the 24-year-old two-way deal, which means he’ll earn the veteran’s minimum for the rest of the season but will be eligible for restricted free agency this summer.

“It was preferred (this way). I kind of wanted the optionality,” Jones said, per Durando. “And I love Denver. But I just wanted to keep the optionality open. I was happy they were able to let me do that. I’m really happy with the decision. Like I said, I love it here. Definitely want to stay here.”

While Jones’ rest-of-season minimum salary is modest by NBA standards ($623,967), it’s about the same amount he would’ve received if he had spent the entire season on his two-way contract ($636,435). And now he’ll no longer be restricted by a 50-game regular season limit and playoff ineligibility.

“It’s great to not have that little asterisk with the two-way anymore,” he said. “To fully feel like you’re part of the team. Obviously, everybody had embraced me (before), but it’s nice to get that contractually.”

Here are a few more notes from around the Northwest:

  • With six regulars, including big men Chet Holmgren (low back spasms) and Isaiah Hartenstein (right soleus injury management) inactive on Wednesday, the Thunder still made the East-leading Pistons work hard to earn an eight-point win. As Rylan Stiles of SI.com notes, that was in large part due to the efforts of fill-in center Jaylin Williams, who had a career night with 30 points and 11 rebounds in the loss. Head coach Mark Daigneault described Williams’ performance as “unreal” and praised a few other role players, including Kenrich Williams and Brooks Barnhizer, adding, “It’s a game we can feel really good about despite the loss.”
  • Timberwolves players are “elated” that Kyle Anderson will be rejoining the team after he clears waivers, according to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic, who tweets that Anthony Edwards was FaceTiming with his former teammate on the way to the arena on Thursday. Anderson, who agreed to a buyout with Memphis and was placed on waivers, was a Timberwolf for two seasons from 2022-24.
  • With leading scorer Deni Avdija in and out of the lineup due to a back issue and Shaedon Sharpe possibly done for the season, the Trail Blazers will be relying heavily on Scoot Henderson during the home stretch as they try to secure a playoff berth, writes Sean Highkin of the Rose Garden Report (Substack link). Henderson has shown little rust since returning from a hamstring tear on February 6, Highkin notes, scoring double-digit points in each of his first eight games back. The former No. 3 overall pick could set himself up well in rookie scale extension talks this offseason with a strong finish to the season.
3 comments Denver Nuggets Minnesota Timberwolves Oklahoma City Thunder Portland Trail Blazers

Anthony Edwards Fined $25K By NBA

By | at February 26, 2026 3:29 pm

Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards has been fined $25K for “throwing the game ball with force into the spectator stands,” the NBA announced on Thursday (via Twitter).

The incident occurred at halftime during Minnesota’s three-point victory at Portland on Tuesday, per the league.

Edwards, the No. 1 overall pick of the 2020 draft, was fined several times during the 2024/25 campaign. However, aside from technical fouls, this is the four-time All-Star’s first fine of ’25/26.

When Edwards was named to the All-NBA Second Team in ’23/24, it increased the value of his rookie scale max extension from 25% to 30% of the ’24/25 salary cap. He’s now in the second season of that five year contract, and will earn $202.4MM over the next four seasons. In other words, the $25K penalty Edwards received won’t have much of an impact on his bank account.

Edwards looks like a strong candidate to make another All-NBA team this season, as he’s averaging a career-high 29.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.4 steals on .493/.400/.789 shooting in 49 games (35.6 minutes per contest). The Wolves are currently 36-23, the No. 5 seed in the Western Conference.

0 comments Minnesota Timberwolves

And-Ones: Durant, Olympics, U.S. Roster, Parker, Brooks

By | at February 23, 2026 10:33 pm

Four-time gold medalist Kevin Durant tells Vincent Goodwill of ESPN he wants to represent Team USA again at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. The 37-year-old Rockets forward, who is the U.S men’s team’s all-time leading scorer in Olympic competition, did add a caveat, however.

“Hell yeah, I want to play,” Durant said. “I would love to, but I’ve got to stay on top of my game. I’m not expecting, I want to produce on the floor and make (managing director) Grant (Hill) and whoever is making the decisions, want to put me on the team. I don’t want — not just for seniority. I want to still prove I can help the team win.

“Today, yeah I feel like I’ll put my name in that hat.”

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

9 comments 2028 Olympics Houston Rockets International USA Basketball

Timberwolves Notes: Gobert, Edwards, Conley, Reid

By | at February 22, 2026 11:00 am

Rudy Gobert was terrific in Friday’s victory against Dallas, but the four-time Defensive Player of the Year will have to walk a fine line for the rest of the season after his latest flagrant foul resulted in another one-game suspension, writes Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. Gobert will receive an automatic two-game suspension if he accumulates any additional flagrant foul points.

Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch believes the team’s starting center gets an unjust whistle from officials.

“Seemingly every time Rudy gets clocked in the head and the face, which is quite a bit, it’s always just, ‘Ah that’s just two guys, play on. It’s nothing,’” Finch said. “But yet the other way around, we seem to be penalized for it.”

The 33-year-old big man, who is having a strong season for the Wolves, agreed with his coach’s assessment, Krawczynski notes.

“Guys are coming at me every night, hitting me in the face, grabbing me,” Gobert said. “They purposely foul me. That was like five times tonight. Run into my knees trying to box me out. All these plays are dangerous, and I’m fine with it, you know? But it’s really hard when you get super penalized, and people can do anything without accountability on me. So hopefully they look at that and make it a little more fair.”

Here’s more on the Timberwolves:

  • Star guard Anthony Edwards, who had 40 points — including 14 in the fourth quarter — in Friday’s win, is optimistic about the team’s chances of making another deep playoff run, Krawczynski adds in the same story. “I feel like if we play every team how we play the best teams in the league, I feel like we’ve got a chance to go 25-0,” Edwards said. “It always starts with me. But if we come out and play every team like we play the top teams in the league, I feel like we’ve got a great chance.”
  • Point guard Mike Conley re-signed with Minnesota last week after being traded to Chicago and then Charlotte ahead of the deadline. The 19-year veteran knows he might not play many minutes going forward, but he says he’ll be ready when he’s called upon, according to Andrew Dukowitz of Zone Coverage (Twitter video link). “I’m getting older, man (laughs), that’s one thing, but I just think that it’s their opportunity more than it is mine,” Conley said of his backcourt teammates. “… They’re right before their prime or in their prime. They should be getting these runs, they should be getting these big minutes… I’ve done all that, and I can be the stop gap here and there or the pinch hitter when you need me or whatever you need, but I’m prepared for that… like I said, I’m just happy to be here and help the guys as much as I can.”
  • Backup big man Naz Reid is eyeing another Sixth Man of the Year trophy after winning the award two years ago, tweets Chris Hine of The Star Tribune. “Yeah, for sure. I need another one,” Reid said. “But that comes with winning. You gotta win as well. So those two things go hand in hand: winning and obviously having that award.” Reid, who threw down a poster dunk on Friday (YouTube link), is averaging 14.3 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 2.5 APG, 1.0 SPG and 0.9 BPG on .471/.387/.733 shooting through 57 games (26.3 MPG).
1 comment Minnesota Timberwolves

All-Star Notes: Wembanyama, Doncic, Jokic, Brown, Tanking

By | at February 16, 2026 10:01 am

Victor Wembanyama‘s commitment to bringing intensity back to the All-Star Game is a positive step toward making him the next face of the NBA, writes Jared Weiss of The Athletic. Wembanyama figures to be a regular participant in the event over the next 10 or 15 years, so it’s beneficial to the league that he genuinely cares about it.

“I’ve always thought to myself that if I was in there, I’m never stepping onto the court to lose or not (care),” Wembanyama said. “Just like at home, I’m never stepping into a board game not caring if I’m going to lose. So I’m thinking it’s (not) OK to lose, so I’m going to be out there, I might as well win.”

One of the dilemmas the league is facing is that long-time stars such as LeBron James, Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant are nearing the end of their careers and no obvious replacements have emerged who resonate the same way in the public consciousness. Wembanyama, who’s already an international sensation at age 22, is becoming the top candidate to fill that role.

“I am part of something. I’m part of a big-picture mechanism,” he said after Sunday’s games. “I think that, right now, it’s an era of very skilled bigs that this position is definitely evolving. Am I a symptom of that? Yes, because I’ve watched these guys growing up and got inspired by that. Am I participating in the change? I think I am. I’m pushing the boundaries in some way.”

There’s more from All-Star Weekend:

  • In a post-game interview, Anthony Edwards expressed disappointment that Luka Doncic and Nikola Jokic didn’t see more court time (Twitter video link). The Team World stars, who have both dealt with recent injuries, came out after 5:05 in the first game and didn’t return. “No shade towards Luka and Jokic, but they’re two of the best players in the league,” Edwards said. “They’re not trying to play in the All-Star game.”
  • During Saturday’s interview session, Jaylen Brown expressed interest in becoming a UFC fighter or a boxer after his basketball career is over, per Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops. “To be honest, I’ve toyed with this, and I’ve talked to some people,” Brown said. “Maybe in the post-career part of my life, I would love to partake in something like the UFC or even boxing. I’ve talked to (UFC president) Dana White about some stuff. We’ll see how things go.”
  • Finding a solution to the rampant tanking problem was among the most frequent topics of conversation at All-Star Weekend, according to The Athletic staff.
4 comments All-Star Game

New All-Star Format Earns Positive Feedback From Players

By | at February 16, 2026 8:00 am

The NBA may have finally found an All-Star Game format that works, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN. The U.S. vs. the World approach with a round-robin tournament of 12-minute games was a huge hit on Sunday, bringing the event’s competitive intensity to a level that hasn’t been seen in years.

The first three contests all came down to the wire, providing thrilling finishes that captivated the players as well as the fans. Anthony Edwards, who earned MVP honors while leading his USA Stars team to the championship, credited Victor Wembanyama with inspiring the rest of the All-Stars by going all out to win.

“[Wembanyama] set the tone, and it was definitely competitive with all three teams,” Edwards said. “He set the tone, man. And it woke me up, for sure.”

The Spurs star delivered on the promise he made Saturday to approach the event like a normal game and provide a few “exclamation-point plays.” He was noticeably upset when a defensive mix-up caused his World team to lose its opener on a three-pointer by Scottie Barnes.

“It’s a game we love — it’s a game I personally cherish — so being competitive is the least I can do,” Wembanyama told reporters.

Kawhi Leonard put on a show for his home fans in the third game, scoring 31 points in a 48-45 victory over Team World. He thanked commissioner Adam Silver for selecting him as an injury replacement.

“It was great; happy that Adam let me in,” Leonard said. “That’s what the home crowd wanted to see. I’m glad I was able to do something in that game.”

Leonard’s performance also made an impression on his fellow All-Stars.

“We were watching it … like, ‘Damn, this guy is killing,'” Barnes said. “We were just like in awe. In shock, too. When a guy has it going like that, it’s special. That’s what the people want to see.”

In addition to the competitive games, Sunday’s showcase put a spotlight on the league’s younger stars, with Edwards, Barnes, Tyrese Maxey, Cade Cunningham, Jalen Johnson and Chet Holmgren leading the Stars team to a dominant win over the veteran-laden USA Stripes contingent in the finals, notes Kelly Iko of Yahoo Sports.

Although no decision has been made, it seems likely that the new format will be retained next season when the All-Star Game moves to Phoenix.

“I think they ain’t really going to take in what I’m saying, but I like this format,” Edwards said. “I think it makes us compete because it’s only 12 minutes, and the three different teams separate the guys. I think it was really good … I feel like the old heads played hard, too. They were playing real good defense.”

10 comments All-Star Game

Anthony Edwards Named 2026 All-Star MVP

By | at February 15, 2026 7:02 pm

Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards was named All-Star MVP after his team – the USA Stars – defeated the rival U.S. squad – USA Stripes – 47-21 in the All-Star championship game. It’s Edwards’ first All-Star MVP award and his third All-Star appearance overall.

The first three games of the All-Star game rewarded the choice of format, with all three matchups decided by one possession.

In game one between USA Stars and Team World, Victor Wembanyama (Spurs) set the tone early, recording 14 points and three blocks while his teammate Karl-Anthony Towns (Knicks) contributed 10 points. Edwards led the Stars attack with 13 points, but it was Scottie Barnes (Raptors) who knocked down the game-winning three-pointer, completing a comeback to defeat his head coach, Darko Rajakovic, who was coaching Team World.

After the game, Edwards credited Wembanyama for doing what he said he would and amping up the intensity on the floor for everyone.

Game two between the two American teams also came down to the final shot, as Jaylen Brown (Celtics) led USA Stripes in scoring while Edwards and Cade Cunningham (Pistons) paced USA Stars with 11 points apiece. De’Aaron Fox (Spurs) hit the game-winning three-pointer for the Stars.

In game three, Kawhi Leonard (Clippers) took over for his home crowd, scoring 31 points in 12 minutes on 11-of-13 shooting while Wembanyama kept Team World in it with 19 points of his own. Leonard iced the game with a three-pointer over Towns to take USA Stripes to the championship game in a rematch with USA Stars.

In the fourth and final game, USA Stripes’ older legs appeared worn down by the previous two contests and the younger stars ran out to a 12-1 lead, led by Edwards and Tyrese Maxey (Sixers), who finished with a game-high nine points. They pushed the lead up to 26-9 on an Edwards three-pointer and eventually went on a 15-0 run, as Jalen Brunson (Knicks) and LeBron James (Lakers) were the only players to hit a field goal over the first seven minutes for USA Stripes. Donovan Mitchell (Cavaliers) finished the game with a team-high six points for USA Stripes.

22 comments All-Star Game Boston Celtics Cleveland Cavaliers Detroit Pistons Los Angeles Clippers Los Angeles Lakers Minnesota Timberwolves New York Knicks Philadelphia 76ers San Antonio Spurs Toronto Raptors

Timberwolves’ Rudy Gobert Calls Out Teammates For Lack Of Effort

By | at February 7, 2026 10:02 am

Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert called out his teammates’ lack of effort following a 119-115 home loss to the floundering Pelicans on Friday.

“At some point, if the players don’t have accountability, someone has to have accountability for the players,” Gobert said, per Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. “I’m on straight effort. I’m just talking straight effort. I’m not even getting to the basketball side of things, like there’s always mistakes are a part of the game, but the effort to me for a team that wants to play for a championship, it’s unacceptable.”

The four-time Defensive Player of the Year didn’t mention any player in particular. However, Krawczynski noted that while the team’s other stars — Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle — scored a combined 59 points, they didn’t appear locked in on the other end of the floor.

Gobert implored the coaches to bench players if they’re not giving their all.

“It should start with ourselves, but it seems like we don’t have that, so I think at some point (it has to come) from the coaches,” Gobert said. “It’s not an easy position for a coach to take guys out of the game. It’s not something that you want to do, but I think if the players don’t show any effort, at some point, no matter how talented we are as a team, if you don’t have that, you just can’t be a winning team.”

Minnesota has lost eight of its last 15 games, ranking 18th in the league defensively during that span. Gobert didn’t give himself a free pass after Pelicans forward Zion Williamson powered for 29 points, mostly near the rim.

“It starts with me. If I’m not showing effort, bench me,” Gobert said. “Take me out of the game. Everybody else will follow. Our best players, leaders, if we don’t show any effort, it doesn’t matter if you score 50, we’re not going to win.”

At 32-21, the Timberwolves sit in sixth place of the Western Conference standings, barely above the play-in line.

“We want to be a championship team. We want to lift that trophy in June,” Gobert said. “This is a lesson that we need to get right now. It starts at the top.”

19 comments Minnesota Timberwolves Newsstand

Giannis Antetokounmpo Rumors: Bucks, Heat, Wolves, Lakers

By | at February 5, 2026 9:03 pm

Although they entertained trade offers for the superstar forward, the Bucks ultimately decided to keep Giannis Antetokounmpo past Thursday’s deadline, pushing a decision on his future into the offseason.

The two-time MVP made an interesting social media post on Thursday afternoon (Twitter link). He wrote, “Legends don’t chase. They attract ” alongside a video clip from “The Wolf of Wall Street” in which Leonardo DiCaprio’s character repeatedly says, “I’m not leaving,” among other obscenities.

Sources close to Antetokounmpo reiterated to Chris Haynes of NBA on Prime (Twitter video link) that the 31-year-old “never requested a trade.”

“Obviously (Antetokounmpo) has been applying pressure over the last couple of years in hopes that the Bucks would turn this roster into a championship (contender),” Haynes said. “He wants to contend for a title for years and years in his prime.

“But right now he’s happy. I was told that he’s committed and focused on getting back healthy from that calf injury. He’s progressing really well, to the point where he might even play in the All-Star game on February 15.”

Here are some more Giannis-related rumors:

  • A source tells Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald that the Heat were informed “very late” Wednesday night that Milwaukee would likely be retaining Antetokounmpo beyond the deadline (Twitter links). According to Jackson, Milwaukee considered the Heat’s offer and Miami was willing to “do what it took” to acquire the nine-time All-NBA member, but the Bucks preferred to wait and see what types of packages they could get in the summer. While the Warriors reportedly got the impression earlier this week the Bucks didn’t plan to trade Giannis, that was not was not how the Heat viewed the situation until late Wednesday, Jackson adds.
  • One team that was in pursuit of Giannis told Ramona Shelburne of ESPN that Milwaukee never gave a threshold it wanted met in a deal, leaving the unnamed club skeptical that the Bucks ever intended to trade Giannis this week (Twitter video link).
  • Antetokounmpo recently made it known he was interested in teaming up with Anthony Edwards on the Timberwolves, team and league sources tell Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. According to Krawczynski, the Wolves canvassed the league to see what they could get for multiple key rotation players, but talks with the Bucks never reached an advanced stage. Krawczysnki hears that while new owners Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez were intrigued by the possibility of a Giannis trade, they also weren’t convinced that dealing away Jaden McDaniels, Naz Reid and Joan Beringer would have been a “prudent” decision, given Antetokounmpo’s age and injury history.
  • The Lakers intend to make a “hard push” for Antetokounmpo in the summer, sources tell Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times. The Lakers will have three first-round picks to trade in the offseason, as opposed to the one they had access to prior to the deadline. Turner hears New York and Miami are Giannis’ preferred landing spots, but the 13-year veteran hasn’t ruled out the Lakers as a possibility.
18 comments Golden State Warriors Los Angeles Lakers Miami Heat Milwaukee Bucks Minnesota Timberwolves

Team Rosters For All-Star Game Revealed

By | at February 3, 2026 7:01 pm

The rosters for the three-team 2026 All-Star Game were revealed by the NBA on Tuesday night (Twitter link).

The USA Stars, coached by the Pistons’ J.B. Bickerstaff, will be made up of the following eight players:

The USA Stripes, coached by the Spurs’ Mitch Johnson, will have the following roster:

The World team, coached by the Raptors’ Darko Rajakovic, will feature these nine players:

The U.S. All-Stars were assigned to teams based on age, with the younger group placed on USA Stars and the older group placed on USA Stripes. Team World is composed of international players.

The format for the Feb. 15 event consists of a round-robin mini-tournament with four 12-minute games.  The matchups are as follows:

  • Game 1: USA Stars vs. World
  • Game 2: USA Stripes vs. winning team of Game 1
  • Game 3: USA Stripes vs. losing team of Game 1
  • Game 4: Championship (top two teams from round-robin play)

If all three teams finish 1-1 after the round-robin games, the first tiebreaker will be point differential across each team’s two games.

15 comments All-Star Game Newsstand
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