Deandre Ayton Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Northwest Notes: Edwards, Thunder, Hartenstein, Ayton

November 17th, 2024 at 5:32pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards racked up 36 points in an overtime win over the Kings on Friday. He also racked up a fine, according to the NBA (Twitter link).

Edwards was docked $35K by the league for making an obscene gesture on the playing court. The incident, which saw Edwards give a Sacramento fan the middle finger (Twitter link), occurred during the first quarter.

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Chet Holmgren‘s pelvic injury has forced the Thunder to use smaller lineups. They got out-rebounded by 55 boards in the two-game span that followed Holmgren’s injury, Joel Lorenzi of The Oklahoman notes, but also forced 48 turnovers in those contests. “A little bit is just the mentality of trying to get our best players on the court, regardless of position,” coach Mark Daigneault said. “That’s been something we’ve prioritized for a period of time now, and that’s often been perimeter players at different times, as it is now.”
It may not be long before the Thunder are able to use more traditional lineups. Key free agent pickup Isaiah Hartenstein was spotted working out and dunking during the pregame against Phoenix on Friday, Lorenzi tweets. Hartenstein, the former Knicks center, fractured his left hand last month.
Trail Blazers center Deandre Ayton underwent imaging on his injured right index finger which revealed a deep contusion of the proximal phalanx, according to a team press release. Ayton sat out Sunday’s game against Atlanta and the team said additional updates will be provided as appropriate. The big man is averaging 13.3 points and 10.5 rebounds per game this season.

Northwest Notes: Billups, Trail Blazers, Holmgren, Nix

November 11th, 2024 at 9:42am CST by Arthur Hill

Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups tore into his team for failing to be competitive in Sunday’s loss to Memphis, writes Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report. Portland lost by 45 points while playing at home against a Grizzlies squad that was missing Ja Morant and Desmond Bane. Billups told reporters that he has no plans to rewatch the game, then criticized his players for their lackluster effort.

“We were soft as hell the whole game,” he said. “Nobody really fought. It was just embarrassing. That’s just not who we are. There’s no excuse for that. You have a lot of rough nights in this league, obviously. But I don’t even care. This wasn’t even that. Guys showed up because they had to be here but they didn’t want to play. They didn’t want to actually work. That’s embarrassing. It’s unfortunate that we had to go out there in front of our fans that paid their hard-earned money to come see their favorite team play. And you show up and do that. It was embarrassing.”

The poor performance and Billups’ reaction raise questions about how much longer he’ll be with the organization, Highkin adds. Billups is already considered likely to be replaced after the season ends, but Highkin suggests that more outings like Sunday’s may force general manager Joe Cronin to make a coaching change before the spring.

In addition to criticizing his players, Billups accepted part of the blame for what happened.

“We’ve lost by more points than this,” he said. “But it’s how. We’re laying down and caving in. At the end of the day, that’s on me. I’m the leader in this. This is our team, but I’m the head of this. I take that very personally. I don’t have one bone of that in my body. That’s on me. I’ve got to be better. I’ll have them a little more prepared next time.”

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The Trail Blazers are likely to be active on the trade market before the February 6 deadline, Highkin adds in a separate story. He expects Robert Williams III to be in demand if he stays healthy, considering the number of teams that need help at center. Highkin also believes contenders will keep calling about Jerami Grant and Matisse Thybulle, but he considers Deandre Ayton and Anfernee Simons less likely to be moved.
After suffering a right iliac wing fracture on Sunday that will sideline him for at least eight-to-10 weeks, Thunder big man Chet Holmgren shared his thoughts on the injury (Twitter link). “Can’t tell if I feel better or worse about this having been through something similar before,” he wrote. “On one hand I know how to approach it, I know what to do, what not to do and how beautiful the other side is. But on the other hand I’ve felt the frustration of this process, and the wear it puts on your mind. Most of all I’m hurt I can’t help my teammates and play for our fans and supporters for a while. Everyone who sticks with me and our team, along with my need for hoops, is a big part of my passion to return. Don’t pity me or feel bad, there’s lots of people out there right now with real problems that don’t heal. Anyways excuse my rambling just wanted to address our OKC fans and family.”
Daishen Nix, who signed a two-way contract with the Timberwolves this summer, had a huge game for the G League Iowa Wolves on Saturday. He posted 45 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists and capped off the night with a game-clinching steal and assist (Twitter video link from Charlie Walton).

Northwest Notes: Braun, R. Williams, Mitchell, K. Williams

November 10th, 2024 at 11:16am CST by Rory Maher

Third-year wing Christian Braun is learning from Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic in his first season as a full-time Nuggets starter, writes Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. Murray, whose locker is next to Braun’s, often tells the 23-year-old to stay in attack mode.

“‘Keep shooting the ball. Keep being aggressive. Get up more attempts,’” Braun told The Post. “Constantly. When he’s hurt. When he’s not playing. He’s, before the game, telling me he wants me to do this. During the game, he sees this. He’ll point it out. … It’s not just shooting. He wants to challenge me. ‘Hey, I want you to pick this guy up full court.’”

Braun has been one of the bright spots of the early portion of the season in Denver, establishing new career highs in several categories (16.6 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 1.0 SPG and 1.0 BPG on an elite .558/.500/.818 shooting line in 35.3 MPG) while being tasked with slowing down the opposing teams’ top perimeter scorer. He has also posted a positive plus/minus in each of the Nuggets’ nine games thus far.

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In his first regular season game in a little over a year, Trail Blazers big man Robert Williams made an immediate impact, per Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian (subscriber link). Williams only played six games last season due to a serious knee injury, then was slowed by a hamstring strain in training camp. In Friday’s loss to Minnesota, the 27-year-old notched 13 points, three rebounds, two assists, two steals and a block in 17 minutes, only missing one field goal attempt and converting his first career three-pointer. “Defensively, he’s all over the place,” head coach Chauncey Billups said. “He’s vocal. He’s talking. His activity, Rebounds, blocked shots, he kind of does it all. He’s got a knack for it. And then on the other end, you never look at him as a three-point threat, but he stepped up and knocked that one down.”
Williams’ return was obviously a welcome sight, but it will also impact the Trail Blazers‘ rotation. Minnesota’s lineup features plenty of size, so Billups felt comfortable playing Williams alongside Deandre Ayton or Donovan Clingan. However, that won’t always be the case, Fentress writes. “There’ll be some nights that it doesn’t happen, that we won’t play that way based on matchups,” Billups said. “But some teams, they present opportunities for you to do so.”
Thunder guard Ajay Mitchell, the No. 38 overall pick of June’s draft, continues to impress in his rookie season, according to Rylan Stiles of SI.com. Mitchell, who has played in each of the Thunder’s nine games during their 8-1 start, recorded 12 points (on 5-of-6 shooting), two rebounds, and career highs of seven assists and three steals in Friday’s victory vs. Houston.
Thunder swingman Kenrich Williams, who is recovering from arthroscopic knee surgery, is making progress toward a return. He was assigned to the Oklahoma City Blue — the Thunder’s G League affiliate — for a practice on Saturday before being recalled, Stiles tweets.

Blazers Notes: Williams, Roster, Billups, Clingan, Ayton, Camara

October 1st, 2024 at 8:11am CST by Luke Adams

After undergoing knee surgery last fall that ended his season early and limited him to just six appearances in 2023/24, Trail Blazers center Robert Williams has been taking part in five-on-five scrimmages in recent weeks and expects to be ready for the start of the season, writes Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report. While Williams may be held out of some activities during training camp and the preseason, he’s excited about nearing the end of a long recovery process.

“I’m in a great space right now,” Williams said on Monday. “Trying to stay on top of everything physically and mentally. It’s been a long seven months. A long fight back. But I’m just ready to get back on the court, man. You saw me smiling when I came in here. At one point, I couldn’t even walk, you feel what I’m saying? So I’m just ready to get back out there and show what I can do.”

Williams has been slowed by injuries over the course of his NBA career, having played more than 35 regular season games just twice in six years. However, he has made a significant on-court impact when healthy, earning a spot on the All-Defensive Second Team in Boston in 2022. The big man, who will turn 27 this month, expressed confidence in his chances of returning to that level.

“I feel like I’m there,” he told reporters, per Highkin. “I’ve been playing five-on-five a lot over the past month. But it’s been a nonstop grind since I hurt myself last year. Starting then, from the rehab process to getting back out on the court, everything I went through, it’s been a long grind. I feel like I’m ready.”

Here’s more on the Trail Blazers:

After finishing last season with a 21-61 record, the Trail Blazers know they’re unlikely to take a major step toward contention until young cornerstones like Scoot Henderson, Shaedon Sharpe, and Donovan Clingan are ready to contribute at a high level. “Until those guys take steps and start playing winning basketball, we’re not going to win at the level we need to,” general manager Joe Cronin said, according to Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian. “So, part of it’s up to them. When will you guys be ready? When will you take these next steps, and when can you really impact the game instead of just showing flashes or have a good five-game run.”
According to Highkin, Cronin likes the fact that the roster has some continuity heading into the 2024/25 season — the GM acknowledged that the team was somewhat “disjointed” after the front office made a pair of major trades just ahead of training camp last fall. The next step, per Cronin, will be to get a better sense of which players on the current roster are long-term keepers. “One thing we’re really hoping to find this year, throughout this season, and definitely by the end of it, is more clarity,” he said, per Fentress. “Last year, I don’t know how much clarity we walked away with. We saw flashes and capabilities, but we didn’t see sustained production or sustained cohesion. And I think this year, we need to build on that. We need to have a better feel and understanding of what we are, what moves we need to make, what additions we need to have, what’s going really well. We need just more focus on what our long-term outlook is going to look like.”
Head coach Chauncey Billups is entering the final guaranteed year of his current contract (the Blazers hold an option for 2025/26), but he’s not concerned about his “lame duck” status, he said on Monday. “You can be in the first year of your deal, you can be in the last year of your deal. It’s all the same,” Billups said, per Highkin. “You’ve got to go do a good job. And if not, we see it all the time. Coaches get fired and don’t even get to finish their first year. I don’t think about that, I don’t worry about that. What I’m most proud of is, I’m light-years ahead of where I was when I took this microphone three years ago.”
While Portland’s center logjam has been a popular topic of discussion leading up to training camp, there’s no tension between 2024 lottery pick Clingan and former No. 1 overall selection Deandre Ayton, who have been developing a bond ahead of their first season together, Highkin writes. “D.A. is awesome,” Clingan said. “He’s got a lot of energy. He knows the game very well. A lot of skill. To have someone to look up to like that is special. It means a lot to me.”
Second-year Blazers forward Toumani Camara said on Monday that he has fully recovered from the rib and kidney injuries that brought his rookie year to a premature end (Twitter link via Highkin). Camara fractured his left rib and sustained a small laceration in his kidney in March.

Northwest Notes: Bediako, Westbrook, Blazers’ Centers, Jordan

July 30th, 2024 at 10:05pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Grand Rapids Gold, the Nuggets‘ G League team, acquired the returning rights to center Charles Bediako in a deal with the Austin Spurs, according to OurSportsCentral.com. The Spurs‘ affiliate received the returning player rights of Jamorko Pickett and Reggie Kissoonlal.

Bediako went undrafted last year and had a two-way deal with San Antonio. He was waived by the Spurs in late December after suffering a left meniscus tear. Bediako played 11 games and averaged 7.7 points and 6.9 rebounds per game before the injury. He most recently played for the Magic in the Summer League, where he averaged 3.7 points and 2.3 rebounds per contest.

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Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups believes Russell Westbrook will be a good fit with the Nuggets, adding toughness and a mentality that will make the team better, he told Sean Keeler of The Denver Post. “Russ does help that (depth),” Billups said. “He helps bring some of those things. Obviously, (he and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope are) totally different players. But, yeah, losing KCP was — I’m happy and proud of him for getting to capitalize (financially) on the great years that he had here — but it’s a substantial loss.”
Deandre Ayton will be the Trail Blazers’ starting center, according to Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report, but the distribution of minutes for the post reserves is up in the air. Lottery pick Donovan Clingan will definitely soak up some of those minutes but Duop Reath is also deserving of playing time. It’s uncertain where Robert Williams III fits in, even when he finishes rehabbing from his latest knee injury.
DeAndre Jordan‘s one-year contract with the Nuggets is worth the minimum salary, Hoops Rumors has confirmed. Jordan’s deal was originally reported to be worth $3.6MM, which would have been possible if he were re-signed using his Early Bird rights, but it’s simply a veteran’s minimum contract, which will pay the veteran center approximately $3.3MM.

Northwest Notes: Ayton, Clingan, C. Williams, Porter

June 29th, 2024 at 10:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

The morning after Trail Blazers general manager Joe Cronin took UConn’s Donovan Clingan with the seventh pick in the draft, he felt it was necessary to call starting center Deandre Ayton and explain the move, writes Jason Quick of The Athletic. To his delight, Cronin found that Ayton wasn’t just understanding of the decision, but extremely supportive.

“He was like, ‘OK, where can we take this?’” Cronin said. “(He asked) How can he help me? How can I help him? What can we do together?’ His attitude was great about the whole situation.”

Quick notes that Ayton’s attitude was often a problem early in his career and even at times last season, but it has improved to the point where he’s now considered a “building block” of the franchise. Coach Chauncey Billups, who’s getting ready to fly to Spain to watch Ayton’s Bahamas team in an Olympic qualifying tournament, is excited about experimenting with Ayton and Clingan in a twin towers lineup.

“I’m willing to try things,” Billups said. “Several teams are playing big — Cleveland, Denver, Memphis … I’m going to try having (Clingan) and D.A. out there together. But it depends who is on the floor. Is it Jaren Jackson? Is it Aaron Gordon? Is it Evan Mobley?”

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Clingan emphasized his desire to win during an introductory press conference Saturday in Portland, Quick adds. He credited his late mother with teaching him the importance of defense. “You have to play great defense to win games, and I want to win games,” Clingan said. “I’ll take a block off the backboard over a dunk any day of the week.”
The Jazz don’t expect first-round pick Cody Williams to make an immediate impact like his older brother Jalen Williams did in Oklahoma City, but they recognize there are benefits to having a sibling who’s already in the NBA, per Sarah Todd of The Deseret News. “I think it is a great example for him,” general manager Justin Zanik said. “They’re going to be different. They’re not the exact same player at all. But just being able to be around that can continue to inspire and grow Cody’s passion for the game.”
The Nuggets need a roster shakeup this summer and their best option is to trade Michael Porter Jr., contends Troy Renck of The Denver Post. With Jamal Murray about to receive a max extension and Gordon possibly becoming a free agent next summer, dealing Porter would relieve some of the financial strain on an expensive roster. Renck hears that Denver has explored several trade options involving Porter and had interest in Alex Caruso before he was traded to the Thunder.

Northwest Notes: Dillingham, Wolves, Blazers, Thunder, Topic

June 27th, 2024 at 4:31pm CST by Luke Adams

Due to team-building restrictions from the second tax apron, the Timberwolves knew they were limited in their ability to acquire impact players this summer. Instead of standing pat, they decided to make another aggressive move, trading an unprotected first-round pick in 2031 and a top-one protected 2030 first-round swap to the Spurs for the rights to Kentucky guard Rob Dillingham, the No. 8 pick.

As Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic writes, Wolves president of basketball operations Tim Connelly views Dillingham as the top shot creator in the draft, a major need for a Minnesota team that struggled to score at times during the 2023/24 regular season and playoffs.

“I don’t know how we can achieve that in the next two or three years via free agency,” Connelly said. “We don’t want to trade our core guys. It’s pretty simplistic. I think we’ve checked a major box that we lacked last year.”

“He’s a guy who, from Day 1, is going to have a role and a responsibility,” Connelly continued, per Chris Hine of The Star Tribune. “Certainly it’s going to be hard for him. But I don’t think you’re that aggressive in the top 10 [of the draft] with a guy you don’t think can play right away.”

Here’s more from around the Northwest:

Somak Sarkar, the former Timberwolves employee who was fired for stealing thousands of files, had a felony third-degree burglary charge dismissed but pled guilty on Wednesday to a misdemeanor charge of unauthorized computer access, reports Baxter Holmes of ESPN. Sarkar is scheduled to be sentenced on July 9.
Asked about using the No. 7 pick on Wednesday to draft Donovan Clingan with centers Deandre Ayton and Robert Williams already on the roster, Trail Blazers general manager Joe Cronin downplayed the idea of a logjam up front, per Bill Oram of The Oregonian. “We’re not good enough to be content at any one position or even just at the starting positions,” Cronin said.
Cronin also made an interesting comment when discussing the rest of the Trail Blazers‘ offseason, telling reporters, “We’re committed to Scoot (Henderson) and Shaedon (Sharpe) being a massive part of what we’re doing, and how do we find ways to give them the support they need and maximize their development?” As Oram points out, there was no mention of guard Anfernee Simons there alongside his backcourt mates, which may be a hint that Portland doesn’t view Simons as part of the team’s young long-term core.
Serbian guard Nikola Topic, whom the Thunder selected 12th overall on Wednesday, said he has never been to Oklahoma and had no clue which team would draft him, writes Joel Lorenzi of The Oklahoman. Head of basketball operations Sam Presti said he doesn’t expect the 18-year-old to play in 2024/25 due to his partially torn ACL, but Topic will spend what could end up being a redshirt season around the team.

Rory Maher contributed to this post.

Northwest Notes: Cancar, Clingan, Edey, Caruso, Jazz, Nuggets

June 24th, 2024 at 7:51pm CST by Dana Gauruder

It appears Vlatko Cancar won’t be testing free agency. The Nuggets and Cancar are negotiating a new contract, The Athletic’s Tony Jones tweets.

Denver is declining the $2,346,606 option on Cancar’s current contract due to luxury tax concerns, but it appears that move is the first step in getting the forward back on a deal that would benefit both sides. If Cancar re-signs with the Nuggets on a minimum-salary deal, he would project to make $2,432,511 in ’24/25, while the team would carry a cap hit of $2,093,637.

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The Trail Blazers have worked out Donovan Clingan and Zach Edey and seem to be leaning toward drafting a center, The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor reports. The Blazers own the No. 7 and 14 picks. Clingan is expected to be off the board by the No. 7 pick but the Blazers are high enough on Edey that they may grab him with the first of those picks, according to O’Connor, who suggests that if they wind up with a center on draft day, they could look to move Deandre Ayton and/or Robert Williams.
While the Thunder have ample cap space this summer, they will be hard-capped at the first tax apron in 2024/25 due to the Alex Caruso trade, Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report tweets. That’s because they took on a higher salary than they’re sending out (Josh Giddey).
The Jazz hold the No. 10, 29 and 32 picks in the draft. How valuable are those latter two picks and should they try to deal them? Kevin Reynolds of the Salt Lake Tribune explores that topic.
Due to a lack of contracts they could package with their first-round pick at No. 28 to obtain another impact player, the Nuggets are likely to retain the pick and seek out another late-round gem, Bennett Durando of the Denver Post writes.

Northwest Notes: Ayton, Henderson, Billups, Murray, Hayward, Conley

April 7th, 2024 at 10:21am CST by Arthur Hill

Deandre Ayton and rookie point guard Scoot Henderson are developing the on-court chemistry that the Trail Blazers have been hoping to see, writes Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian. That duo led Portland to a pair of road victories this week, combining for 46 points, 17 rebounds and 12 assists on Wednesday at Charlotte and 53 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists on Friday at Washington.

Ayton said Henderson, who hit a game-winning shot to beat the Wizards, is learning how to impose his will on teams in his first NBA season.

“We’ve seen glimpses of it right now,” Ayton told reporters. “Scoot’s being extremely poised in certain situations in the game no matter the momentum and he’s just really taken over.”

The short-handed Blazers have relied on Ayton to become their on-court leader, Fentress notes. Jerami Grant, Anfernee Simons, Shaedon Sharpe, Matisse Thybulle and Malcolm Brogdon are all out of the lineup, leaving Ayton as the only player with significant NBA experience.

“DA doesn’t get the credit for being as smart as he is on the floor,” coach Chauncey Billups said. “He’s understanding the angle in which he has to set the screens for Scoot as teams try to go under him. I say it all the time with that pick-and-roll, it’s the point guard and the big guy, it’s a two-way relationship. It takes some time to get used to. You can see them starting to develop some chemistry in the coverages that teams play against us and against Scoot, which obviously is totally different than with (Simons). So, it takes some concentration to be honest with you, but I just love to see that chemistry developing between those two guys.”

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Billups called his selection to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall a Fame a bright spot in a difficult season for the Trail Blazers, Fentress adds in a separate story. “This definitely comes at a good time,” Billups said. “I think not just from me but just our group. Just to have some positivity. To have some good things to talk about about our organization, about our team. Because it has been a very tough year. But this has come at a really good time for all of us.”
Jamal Murray returned to the Nuggets‘ lineup on Saturday after missing seven games with inflammation in his right knee, per Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. Durando notes that Murray wore wraps on his knee and back during part of his pre-game warmup.
Thunder forward Gordon Hayward exited Friday’s game early due to soreness in his lower left leg, tweets Joel Lorenzi of The Oklahoman. He and Jalen Williams are both listed as questionable for today’s game at Charlotte.
Timberwolves guard Mike Conley flew from Phoenix to Memphis on Saturday so he could be part of a jersey retirement ceremony for former teammate Marc Gasol, according to Chris Hine of The Star-Tribune (Twitter link). Conley will catch a flight to Los Angeles in time for tonight’s game with the Lakers.

Trail Blazers Notes: Injuries, Sharpe, Henderson, Reath

March 25th, 2024 at 10:40am CST by Arthur Hill

At 19-52, the Trail Blazers don’t have much left to play for, but they don’t intend to shut down any of their injured players for the rest of the season, writes Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian. Portland started five rookies Saturday night because of injuries to rotation members, but coach Chauncey Billups hopes to eventually have his regular lineup together.

“I think we have so much growth and development that needs to happen,” Billups said. “Obviously, we know we’re not going to the playoffs. But these dudes need to get better. They need to get to know each other while paying. The only way you get better at basketball is playing basketball.”

Jerami Grant is dealing with a hamstring issue that has sidelined him for the past two weeks, and Malcolm Brogdon hasn’t played since February 2 because of tendinitis in his elbow. Billups expressed hope that both players can return before the end of the season, along with Shaedon Sharpe, who has been out since January due to core muscle surgery, and Anfernee Simons, who had an MRI on Sunday after leaving Friday’s game with a knee injury. Simons is listed as questionable for tonight’s contest, which suggests that the injury isn’t that serious. Deandre Ayton, who missed the past two games with tendinitis in his left elbow, is also questionable.

The Blazers ended the past two seasons by sitting out players to improve their lottery odds, but Billups would rather see progress from his current group than focus on the draft. His teams have been hit hard by injuries since he took over as coach three years ago, but he hasn’t lost 60 games in a season and he wants to avoid reaching that total this year.

“I hate that I’m used to it,” he said of dealing with injuries. “But I’ve learned that it’s something that I can’t control, obviously. I try to always be positive and give whatever I have to whoever is playing the best I can. But it has been tough.”

There’s more from Portland:

Sharpe has been assigned to the organization’s G League team, marking an important step in his comeback, per Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report. Sharpe will practice with the Rip City Remix while the Blazers are on a two-week road trip and if he responds well, he may be back in the NBA during the final week of the season.
Scoot Henderson is sad to see the G League Ignite shutting down after it helped prepare him for the NBA, Highkin adds in a separate story (subscription required). “The coaches, they don’t get enough credit for having to get guys from high school, to get them up to speed in a few weeks to play some grown men that have children to feed,” Henderson said. “You don’t see that. You see them getting beat a lot and having a horrible record. You don’t see the things that they go through day-to-day. From my viewpoint, they helped me in a huge way to be where I am right now. I can’t thank them enough.”
Andrew Lopez of ESPN traces the remarkable journey of Duop Reath from his childhood in war-torn South Sudan to becoming an NBA rookie at 27. Reath was playing in Australia when he got a scholarship offer from Lee College in Texas. He eventually transferred to LSU, spent some time in Serbia, China and Lebanon, landed a spot on the Australian Olympic team and played four years in Summer League before getting his NBA opportunity. “I felt a sense of gratitude,” Reath said. “Reflecting on my journey, I feel like every experience played a major role to put me in the position I am today.”