Jaylen Nowell Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Northwest Notes: Murray, Hyland, Wolves, Thunder

February 5th, 2023 at 11:00am CST by Luke Adams

Asked after Thursday’s win over Golden State about Nuggets players being willing to sacrifice individual opportunities for the sake of team success, Jamal Murray suggested that’s an important reason why the 37-16 Nuggets are tied for the NBA’s best record, writes Mike Singer of The Denver Post.

“We’re a championship team,” Murray said. “All that stuff, not being happy, has gotta go out the window or else we’re not going to win. It’s nice to have a coach that knows that and knows what we’re trying to accomplish.”

Murray’s comments could be interpreted as a dig at fellow guard Bones Hyland, who is reportedly on the trade block due in part to unhappiness about his role. However, according to Singer, Murray was talking more about teammates like Vlatko Cancar, whose commitment to doing what’s best for the club hasn’t changed even as his playing time has. Murray, who referred to Cancar as “selfless,” clarified on Saturday that he wasn’t taking any shots at Hyland, tweets Singer.

“It’s tough for Bones, man … No one wants to be in this position,” Murray said of his teammate, who has been a DNP-CD for Denver’s last two games as trade rumors swirl. “… He’s doing his best. Me and him are cool, we don’t have no problems. Just trying to keep him in good spirits and know that his time’s coming.”

Here’s more from around the Northwest:

Nuggets head coach Michael Malone also weighed in on Saturday on Hyland’s status as a trade candidate who has been out of the rotation this week. “It’s a real sensitive area for everyone involved,” Malone said, per Singer (Twitter link). “… Just trying to give him some space, but also let him know, yes, this is a business, but we also care about you. …. I put myself in his situation, and it’s not easy.”
In a Q&A with Chris Hine of The Star Tribune, president of basketball operations Tim Connelly said the Timberwolves have had “varying degrees of discussions” about contract extensions with D’Angelo Russell, Naz Reid, and Jaylen Nowell, and view all three players as “very important” to the team. Connelly also admitted he doesn’t particularly enjoy trade season. “The whole idea of trading guys is kind of gross,” he said. They’re human beings, not assets.”
Anthony Slater of The Athletic checks in on the Thunder‘s rebuilding process, which has been progressing ahead of schedule. While Shai Gilgeous-Alexander‘s emergence as an All-NBA caliber player has been the driving force behind Oklahoma City’s relative success (the team has surpassed its win total for each of the last two seasons with 30 games still to play), Slater notes that Josh Giddey has been a capable “co-pilot” and the team is putting together an impressive defensive-minded supporting cast.

Charania’s Latest: Anunoby, Collins, Poeltl, Hyland, More

January 30th, 2023 at 9:42am CST by Arthur Hill

The Knicks and Suns are among the teams interested in acquiring OG Anunoby, but it may be a few more days before the Raptors decide whether to make him available, writes Shams Charania of The Athletic. Sources tell Charania that Toronto won’t decide whether to be a buyer or seller until close to the February 9 trade deadline. That decision will affect the availability of Anunoby, along with Pascal Siakam, Fred VanVleet, Gary Trent Jr. and possibly others.

The Raptors were counting on another strong season after finishing fifth in the East last year, but they’re just 23-28 so far and stuck in 12th place. However, Toronto has won two of the first three games on its current road trip and still has a realistic shot to reach the play-in tournament.

President of basketball operations Masai Ujiri and general manager Bobby Webster want to take as much time as they can to evaluate the current roster before deciding whether to keep the core together or try to rebuild around Scottie Barnes. The Raptors are expected to seek a premium price if they do make their top players available, and Charania hears that the Knicks are willing to part with multiple first-round picks to land Anunoby.

The organization will also make a decision this summer on the future of head coach Nick Nurse, Charania adds. Toronto hasn’t released the details of Nurse’s most recent contract extension, but sources tell Charania it will expire after the 2023/24 season. He also hears from sources that Nurse has been the target of some of the frustrations this season, and the front office will consider whether a coaching change is in the team’s best interest.

Charania offers more inside information heading into the trade deadline:

The Hawks are still listening to offers for John Collins, but new head of basketball operations Landry Fields is telling teams that Collins is considered an important asset rather than a salary to dump. The Jazz remain interested in Collins, sources tell Charania, and when the teams discussed a deal early this season, Atlanta sought Malik Beasley and Jarred Vanderbilt in return. Utah reportedly asked for a first-round pick as well, which caused negotiations to stall.
Spurs center Jakob Poeltl is getting increased interest on the trade market, and Charania believes he could be headed to an Eastern Conference team such as the Celtics or Raptors.
The Nuggets are holding active trade conversations regarding Bones Hyland, and sources tell Charania that the Timberwolves are among the interested teams.
The Hornets are engaged in trade talks regarding Mason Plumlee and Kelly Oubre, according to Charania, and the Suns, Raptors, Jazz, Pacers and Spurs are among the teams monitoring Jalen McDaniels. Charlotte may value McDaniels too highly to consider a trade, but teams with cap space are expected to target him when he becomes a free agent this summer.
The Jazz are also interested in Mavericks forward Dorian Finney-Smith, and Charania reports that rival teams believe he would be available in a deal involving a star player. Executives tell Charania that Dallas has put a high price on Finney-Smith, who signed a four-year, $55MM extension last year.
Jaylen Nowell is strongly considering leaving the Timberwolves this summer in free agency if he doesn’t get an extension in Minnesota, according to Charania’s sources.

Northwest Notes: Nowell, Wolves Centers, Kessler, Blazers

January 26th, 2023 at 12:47pm CST by Rory Maher

Part of the reason the Timberwolves were willing to part with Patrick Beverley and Malik Beasley in the Rudy Gobert trade was because they wanted to give Jaylen Nowell an opportunity to have a regular spot in the rotation. The fourth-year guard admitted a couple weeks ago that his season was “not going well,” and Monday’s loss to the last-place Rockets was further evidence of that, writes Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic.

In nearly 19 minutes of action, Nowell finished 3-of-8 from the field for seven points, and committed three turnovers with zero assists. He also struggled defensively, Krawczynski notes, which has been an ongoing issue.

Obviously, the loss was not solely on the 23-year-old, who is set to hit unrestricted free agency in the summer. But if the Wolves want to make a real playoff push, they’ll need Nowell to provide a more consistent offensive spark off the bench, says Krawczynski.

Here’s more from the Northwest:

With Karl-Anthony Towns sidelined since late November due to a calf strain, and Gobert missing nine games with various injuries, the Timberwolves‘ center depth has been a positive in 2022/23, as Chris Hine of The Star Tribune details. Naz Reid, Nathan Knight and Luka Garza have all been given opportunities at various points during the season, and while they’re all trying to earn minutes, they also support each other. “You still want them to be successful,” Reid said, per Hine. “So you talk to each and every one of those guys. I might see something on the court, say something to them adjustment-wise of whatever the case may be and they might say something to me. At the same time, we’re all trying to help each other get better.”
Walker Kessler has had an impressive rookie season for the Jazz, and is already one of the top shot blockers in the league. He has been starting at center in place of the injured Kelly Olynyk (ankle), but how can he land the job full time? Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune has the story.
The Trail Blazers have had a rocky season, currently sitting at 23-25, the No. 12 seed in the West. While Damian Lillard has been as great as ever, scoring a season-high 60 points (on 21-of-29 shooting) in Wednesday’s win over Utah, there has been “little to zero” indication that Portland can make a legitimate playoff push, according to Jason Quick of The Athletic. Ahead of the trade deadline, Quick believes the simplest route to infuse more talent on the roster would be to land in the lottery again, as the Blazers will lose their 2023 first-rounder if they reach the playoffs. However, that’s complicated by the fact that Lillard wants to be “in the best position to win.”

Northwest Notes: Blazers, Sharpe, SGA, Nowell, Edwards

January 13th, 2023 at 10:58pm CST by Rory Maher

Trail Blazers forward Justise Winslow has been out since December 21 after suffering a Grade 2 ankle sprain. He’s making progress in his recovery, but he’s out for at least two more weeks, Portland announced in a press release.

The Blazers also provided an injury update on forward Nassir Little, who has been sidelined since November 29 with a hip fracture. There’s no official timeline for his return, but he has begun on-court contact work, per the team.

Here’s more from the Northwest:

Shaedon Sharpe‘s development is an exercise in patience, writes Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian. The No. 7 overall pick of the 2022 draft didn’t play any games in his one year at Kentucky, which makes him behind the curve in some regards. Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups says the 19-year-old won’t get minutes he doesn’t earn. “That’s going to be his year all year,” Billups said, per Fentress. “We as a staff have to have a level of patience with Shae and so do our veterans. But as I tell him, and our veterans tell him, ‘We’re trying to be the best team that we can be. We don’t have time to wait on you. You didn’t go to a team that is trying to lose and get the No. 1 pick. That’s not our situation. You have to catch up.’”
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is having a brilliant season for the Thunder and helped lead the team to back-to-back road victories over the Sixers and Bulls on Thursday and Friday. After Thursday’s victory, Gilgeous-Alexander expressed confidence about the team’s future, according to Thunder sideline reporter and digital editor Nick Gallo (Twitter link). “I think we’re gonna be a really good team a lot sooner than other people do,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “So I think it’s it’s pretty easy for me – I see the growth every day. I’ve seen the growth in the last five months, year, two years. And I’m super excited about it.” The Thunder are currently 20-23, the No. 11 seed in the West.
Timberwolves guard Jaylen Nowell is set to hit unrestricted free agency in the summer, but he’s not pleased with his season thus far, per Chris Hine of The Star Tribune. “Not going well,” he said. Nowell, who shot 39.4% from deep last season, is shooting just 28.5% from behind the arc through 42 games. Head coach Chris Finch believes the 23-year-old is making things difficult on himself. “I think he’s trying to force himself into the game,” Finch said. “What it’s doing probably is bleeding over into the great looks that he’s getting. He’s trying to get himself going by taking some tough shots out there with a lot of hands in his face and then when the ball comes back, or a different situation where he’s shooting it open, particularly from three, he hasn’t seen that go in.”
In the same story from Hine, Finch said Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards is dealing with a “deep bruise” in his left hip, but the former No. 1 overall pick has been “cleared of all tests.” Veteran guard Austin Rivers commended Edwards’ willingness to play through the injury, Hine tweets. “It just sets a tone like this dude’s invested. He’s here. This guy’s playing through injuries, no matter. The Houston game, a lot of guys would just sit out, like, ‘Hey, we’ll win without him.’ But Ant came out there and really showed us,” he said.

Northwest Notes: Nuggets, Caruso, Timberwolves, Williams

December 25th, 2022 at 1:34pm CST by Rory Maher

The Nuggets might to be turning a corner on the defensive end, writes Mike Singer of The Denver Post. Denver has won six of its past seven games to move to 20-11, and the team is 12th in defensive rating over that span, up from 23rd on the season, Singer notes.

As Singer details, the third quarter of Friday’s home win over Portland was a particularly impressive defensive stretch, with the Nuggets outscoring the Blazers 35-16. Michael Porter Jr., who made his return to the lineup after a 13-game absence with a left foot injury, played a big part in that effort, as did Jamal Murray, who sat out Tuesday’s game due to knee maintenance.

“When our defense turned up, the offense is great, but I just get so excited when I see five guys locked in, on a string,” head coach Michael Malone said, per Singer.

Porter described his injury as a form of plantar fasciitis, and he finished with 18 points and five rebounds in 27 minutes, Singer adds. Murray nearly notched a triple-double, recording 25 points, eight rebounds, 12 assists and a couple steals.

Here’s more from the Northwest:

In a subscriber-only story for The Denver Post, Singer says league-wide parity has contributed to a lack of sellers on the trade market thus far. The Bulls haven’t shown any interest in dealing away contributing players yet, but if that changes, Alex Caruso would be a nice bench upgrade for the Nuggets, according to Singer, who also thinks an upgrade over Zeke Nnaji and DeAndre Jordan at the backup five might be needed if Denver doesn’t trust either player for a postseason run.
Four Timberwolves role players — Jaden McDaniels, Naz Reid, Jaylen Nowell and Nathan Knight — have a special bond, and their camaraderie has helped the team during tense moments, per Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. “I want to see the whole team succeed. But those are guys that I’m very, very close with,” Nowell said. “They’re really like blood brothers. It hits a little different when you see your family being successful.” All four are at key junctures in their careers — McDaniels is eligible for a rookie scale extension in the summer, Reid and Nowell will be unrestricted free agents, and Knight is playing on a non-guaranteed deal.
Rookie big man Jaylin Williams, the 34th overall pick of June’s draft, sustained a concussion on Wednesday in a G League contest for the Oklahoma City Blue, the Thunder announced. The second-rounder is now in the league’s concussion protocol. Williams has only made seven NBA appearances thus far, averaging 3.0 PPG and 2.3 RPG in 8.7 minutes per contest, but he has been a regular with the Blue, the Thunder’s affiliate, averaging 14.1 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 5.3 APG and 1.4 SPG on .626/.364/.741 shooting in 11 games (30.6 MPG).

Timberwolves Notes: Outside Shooting, Nowell, Prince

November 6th, 2022 at 9:36am CST by Luke Adams

Having traded away solid three-point shooters like Malik Beasley and Patrick Beverley in the blockbuster Rudy Gobert deal, the Timberwolves have seen their outside shooting take a step back in the early part of this season, writes Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic.

In 2021/22, Minnesota ranked first in the NBA in three-point attempts per game and 12th in three-point percentage. So far in ’22/23, those marks have slipped to 12th and 24th, respectively, even after a solid showing vs. Houston on Saturday, when the team made 15-of-33 (45.5%) tries from beyond the arc.

While the personnel changes are one reason why the Wolves aren’t attempting or making as many three-pointers, several players on the roster are shooting below their previous rates, so some positive regression could be coming. Still, head coach Chris Finch said last week that he doesn’t necessarily expect this year’s team to shoot as much from outside as last year’s, stressing that good ball movement and quick decisions are more important for unlocking the offense.

“Too much thinking, I think, as a group, including myself,” D’Angelo Russell said of the offensive issues. “It’s part of the process. Everybody’s in positions that they’ve never been before.”

Here’s more on the Wolves:

Having lost tone-setters like Beverley and Jarred Vanderbilt, the Timberwolves need to commit to playing with the edge and intensity that championship-caliber teams do on a night-to-night basis, according to Karl-Anthony Towns. “I think just more for us to have a mindset that I think when I watch those teams play, they play as if everything is Game 7 of the Finals,” Towns said, per Krawczynski. “They treat everything with that kind of level of execution and discipline and seriousness. I just think that’s something we gotta reach, and it’s not going to come overnight.”
Jaylen Nowell, who is extension-eligible and can be an unrestricted free agent at season’s end, has a new agency, though he hasn’t technically changed representatives. As Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News relays (via Twitter), Nowell’s agent Ryan Davis has moved to LIFT Sports Management, which was founded by former NBA forward Mike Miller.
After signing a two-year extension with the Timberwolves over the summer, Taurean Prince is off to a hot start (.542/.459/.857 shooting) on the court, and his presence off the court has been just as impactful. Prince’s teammates refer to him as “the leader in the film room,” according to Chris Hine of The Star Tribune.“He’s just calling everybody out,” Nowell said. “Whoever it is, whether it’s the No. 1 guy or the No. 15 guy. He’s calling everybody out, and that’s where you get the respect from everybody.” Naz Reid also had praise for Prince: “He’s a great teammate, great vet. Nobody like him.”
In case you missed it, center Rudy Gobert entered the NBA’s health and safety protocols on Saturday.

Timberwolves Notes: Beverley, Nowell, Reid, Edwards

October 30th, 2022 at 12:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Patrick Beverley‘s appearance in Minnesota Friday as a member of the Lakers was a reminder that the Timberwolves miss their vocal leader from last season, writes Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. Wolves coach Chris Finch called Beverley a “tone setter” who held teammates accountable and brought a winning attitude to a franchise with little history of playoff success.

Beverley, who was traded to Utah and then L.A. during the offseason, hasn’t been able to transfer those qualities to his new team, which already has a hierarchy in place. The Lakers remain winless and Beverley is averaging 5.4 PPG while shooting a miserable 26.1% from the field and 17.6% from three-point range.

“We had a blast this past year,” Beverley said of his time in Minnesota. “A lot of good memories. Coming in from a halfway empty house at the beginning of the season and full crowd every time we step on the floor. The fans have been great. It’s a second home for me, for sure.”

There’s more from Minnesota:

The Wolves’ trade for Rudy Gobert created an opportunity for Jaylen Nowell, according to Chris Hine of The Star Tribune. Nowell has taken over the backup shooting guard role formerly occupied by Malik Beasley and is averaging 14.5 PPG through the team’s first six games. “[There was] doubt, frustration, irritation,” Nowell said of his first three NBA seasons. “All type of things. But when you stick with it, and you just continue to work, good things will happen to those who work and continue to stay positive-minded.”
The Wolves aren’t close to signing Nowell to an extension, Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News confirmed on his latest podcast (hat tip to HoopsHype). A report this week indicated that the team had extension talks with Nowell and Naz Reid, but Wolfson believes Reid is more likely to receive an extension at this point. Both players will be extension-eligible through the end of June.
Anthony Edwards should concentrate more on driving to the basket in late-game situations than firing up three-pointers, contends Patrick Reusse of The Star Tribune. Edwards is shooting 35.3% from long distance, but Reusse notes that his success rate with the game on the line hasn’t been good.

Northwest Notes: Nowell, Reid, MPJ, Billups, Jazz

October 28th, 2022 at 8:49pm CST by Rory Maher

After Shams Charania of The Athletic reported earlier this week that the Timberwolves have engaged in talks with center Naz Reid and guard Jaylen Nowell about possible contract extensions, Keith Smith of Spotrac decided to examine what extensions for the two 23-year-olds might look like.

As our Luke Adams wrote on Monday, veteran extensions for players on minimum-salary contracts like Reid and Nowell can begin at 120% of this season’s estimated average salary of $10,792,000, so 120% of that amount is $12,950,400. Therefore, a maximum four-year extension that includes 8% raises would be worth about $58MM.

It would behoove Nowell to wait until unrestricted free agency next summer rather than sign an extension, according to Smith, who believes Nowell could receive $15-20MM in annual average salary on a new contract if he has a breakout fourth season, as several teams are expected to have a significant amount of cap room in 2023 (it’s worth noting that Charania reported that Nowell was likely to opt for unrestricted free agency). Smith compares Nowell’s situation to Jalen Brunson‘s, who wound up signing a four-year, $104MM contract with the Knicks in free agency after a big season with Dallas in ’21/22.

As for Reid, Smith thinks a three-year, $22MM descending contract makes sense for the Wolves and Reid, comparing it to the three-year, $18.5MM extension Dean Wade received from the Cavaliers. Since Minnesota will be over the salary cap for the next handful of years, Smith says the Wolves should aggressively pursue extensions for both Nowell and Reid.

Here’s more from the Northwest:

Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. explained what happened when he suffered a back spasm during Monday’s game vs. Portland, which caused him to miss Wednesday’s game against the Lakers, per Mike Singer of The Denver Post (subscription required). “I couldn’t really move the same as I wanted to in the second half, so that’s when we were just like, ‘Let’s just calm it down for a couple of days,’” Porter said on Friday. “But it was just a little tweak in a muscle. It wasn’t anything related to a prior injury.” Despite the minor setback, Porter says he still expects to play the “vast majority” of Denver’s games in ’22/23 after appearing in just nine contests last season after undergoing a third back surgery.
Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups says that Damian Lillard missing most of last season after undergoing core muscle surgery forced Portland to acknowledge that the team around the star guard wasn’t good enough. The Blazers revamped their roster over the past year, adding Josh Hart, Jerami Grant, Gary Payton II, Justise Winslow and No. 7 overall pick Shaedon Sharpe, among others. “He’s the guy,” Billups told Sam Amick of The Athletic. “He’s our guy. We’re always gonna play through him. But we want to be good enough that when he goes 5-for-18 (from the field), that we can win a game. They’ve never been able to do that, you know what I’m saying? So it gives him confidence to know that (he doesn’t) have to be the best player in the league every night.” Lillard is currently sidelined with a right calf strain and will be reevaluated in one-to-two weeks, though he said he didn’t think the injury was serious.
The Jazz have gotten off to a surprising 4-1 start, but the “general consensus around the league” is that opposing teams will take them more seriously going forward, writes Sarah Todd of The Deseret News. Head coach Will Hardy is telling his players to keep proving people wrong. “He’s tired of looking at media or even his friends telling him, ‘Wow, you guys are winning, this is crazy,’” Malik Beasley said of Hardy’s message. “It’s not crazy. We’re not even playing well and we’re still winning.”

Wolves Have Discussed Extensions With Naz Reid, Jaylen Nowell

October 24th, 2022 at 9:18am CST by Luke Adams

The Timberwolves have engaged in talks with big man Naz Reid and swingman Jaylen Nowell about possible contract extensions, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Reid has been a regular part of the Timberwolves’ frontcourt rotation since 2019, averaging 9.5 PPG, 4.2 RPG, and 1.0 BPG on .490/.344/.720 shooting in 179 career contests (17.2 MPG) since making his debut in 2019. Nowell, who joined the team at the same time, has been a fixture on the wing, averaging 8.3 PPG in 122 career appearances (16.0 MPG), including 15.0 PPG through three games this season.

Reid and Nowell are both in the final season of four-year contracts they signed back in 2019. Because they’re on expiring deals, they’ll remain eligible to sign extensions all the way up until June 30, 2023, the day before they become unrestricted free agents.

Veteran extensions for players on minimum-salary contracts like Reid and Nowell can begin at 120% of this season’s estimated average salary. As we noted when the NBA set its salary cap for 2022/23, this season’s estimated average salary is $10,792,000, so 120% of that amount is $12,950,400. Therefore, a maximum four-year extension that includes 8% raises would be worth about $58MM.

It’s unlikely that either Reid or Nowell will get a four-year, $58MM offer from the Timberwolves, but it’s possible they’ll be able to reach a compromise somewhere below that maximum.

It sounds as if Reid is a more likely extension candidate than Nowell, who is expected to opt for unrestricted free agency next summer, sources tell Charania.

Western Notes: Nowell, KAT, Dinwiddie, Jazz

October 1st, 2022 at 7:19pm CST by Rory Maher

Timberwolves guard Jaylen Nowell is hoping to take advantage of a more consistent role in 2022/23 after the Rudy Gobert trade created the potential for additional playing time off the bench, according to Chris Hine of The Star Tribune.

“With the trade that happened, it definitely opened up a lot of opportunity for me,” Nowell said. “It’s my job to make sure I don’t take that for granted, I continue to get better as a player, and whenever I get on that court just be the best version of myself.”

Nowell, 23, averaged 8.5 PPG, 2.0 RPG and 2.1 APG on .475/.394/.783 shooting in 62 games (15.7 MPG) in ’21/22. He’s entering the final season of his non-guaranteed contract, which will pay him $1,930,681. He’ll be an unrestricted free agent in 2023, but he says he’s not focused on that.

“I definitely just try to keep that to the side,” Nowell said, per Hine. “Because I think if I’m focusing on that, I’m not doing my part as a teammate. So, you know, obviously it’s coming up. It’s just part of this business, but at the end of the day I’m focused on this year and how good we can be this year. I just want to be the best teammate and be the best player I can be so we can all succeed.”

Here are a few more notes from the Western Conference:

Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch is hopeful Karl-Anthony Towns will be able to start “low-level” basketball activities early next week after missing training camp practices with a non-COVID illness, Hine relays in the same story. The three-time All-Star will slide down to power forward this season with Gobert’s addition, though he’ll almost certainly play some center when Gobert rests. Minnesota will feature one of the biggest starting lineups in the NBA in ’22/23.
Spencer Dinwiddie says he’s no longer worried about his ACL injury, which he suffered in late December 2020, per Dwain Price of Mavs.com. “It’s a normal offseason, full training mode, not worried about swelling or taking a break, or two days on and one day off,” Dinwiddie said. “It’s let’s get to it.” After starting seven of his 23 games with the Mavericks last season, the 29-year-old will replace Jalen Brunson as a full-time starter in ’22/23, Price notes. “I don’t really see myself filling Jalen’s role per se,” Dinwiddie said. “There were a lot of games (last season) I finished games, there were games I played without Luka (Doncic) and without JB, and where I started games as well. But in terms of the mentality, green means go. Go make plays and try to win the game.”
Fourth-year guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker and a trio of rookies — Ochai Agbaji, Walker Kessler and Simone Fontecchio — are impressing the Jazz during training camp, writes Sarah Todd of The Desert News. “Nickeil is a very, very skilled, diverse offensive player,” head coach Will Hardy said. “He has good size, is a very good passer, he can put the ball in the basket. When he’s open and he shoots, I think it’s going in. He’s just really shown a confidence throughout open gym and training camp that I think has been really, really great for our group. His presence when he has the ball, sort of settles everybody down and he has been awesome.”