Lauri Markkanen Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Scotto’s Latest: Markkanen, Hornets, Murphy, Walker, Kuminga, More

December 18th, 2025 at 11:58am CST by Luke Adams

Utah will send its 2026 first-round pick to Oklahoma City if it lands outside the top eight, and if the season ended today, the 10-15 Jazz would have the NBA’s 10th-worst record, making their first-rounder likely to change hands. Given that context, executives around the league are wondering if Utah’s front office will be active on the trade market in the hopes of weakening the roster in the short term and ensuring the club keeps that pick, writes Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

However, according to Scotto, the Jazz continue to signal that they want to build around forward Lauri Markkanen, despite trade interest in the star forward. In the past, rival execs have viewed the Pistons, Spurs, and Grizzlies as potential suitors for Markkanen if he’s made available, Scotto notes.

As for Utah’s plans beyond this season, the team hopes to use its 2026 cap room to improve its roster, either via free agency or the trade market, Scotto writes. Retaining Walker Kessler still appears to be a priority too — the Jazz turned down a trade offer for Kessler from the Lakers similar to the one L.A. made for Mark Williams, sources tell HoopsHype. The Jazz could carry a cap hold of about $14.6MM for Kessler next summer before going over the cap to re-sign him at a starting salary higher than that.

Here’s more from Scotto:

The Hornets are hoping to get an extended look at their roster with LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, Kon Knueppel, and Miles Bridges all healthy and available. Still, Scotto hears that Miller’s inconsistent availability has executives around the NBA wondering if the former No. 2 overall pick might not be as untouchable in trade discussions as he once was.
The Warriors and Trail Blazers are among the teams who are high on Pelicans wing Trey Murphy III, but rival executives believe Golden State would prioritize making a run at Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo before giving up significant assets to land Murphy, Scotto writes. There’s also still plenty of skepticism that New Orleans would part with Murphy at all, with some execs speculating that it might take a package similar to what Memphis got for Desmond Bane.
Following up on his previous report stating that the Pacers are among the teams with interest in Keon Ellis, Scotto notes that Indiana forward Jarace Walker came up in trade discussions with the Kings. However, Scotto cautions that it’s unclear which team brought up Walker’s name in those talks that he describes as “exploratory.”
Checking in on Jonathan Kuminga, Scotto says the Kings continue to monitor the Warriors forward, but confirms that the Suns‘ interest level has decreased and that the Nets were never all that interested. The Pelicans have also been linked to Kuminga in the past, but it’s unclear whether they have interest now, Scotto adds.
Partizan Belgrade, the Serbian team recently linked to Malik Beasley, has also expressed interest in free agent point guard Cameron Payne, sources tell HoopsHype. As for Beasley, he has also drawn interest from Real Madrid and Bayern Munich in the EuroLeague, as well as the Chinese Basketball Association teams Liaoning, Guangdong, and Shanxi, per Scotto.

Concerns About Aprons, Depth Making Teams Warier Of Highly Paid Vets

December 12th, 2025 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

As teams around the NBA weigh potential trades or signings that would add a maximum-salary (or near-max) veteran to their roster, they’ve become increasingly wary of navigating the tax aprons, as well as maintaining enough flexibility to build a deep roster, according to executives who spoke to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst and Tim Bontemps.

“There are two major shifts happening,” a Western Conference general manager explained to Windhorst. “We have everyone being very mindful of the aprons and carefully slotting their players to fit. Then you have the nature of the game, where you need deep rosters to play this volume of games at the speed the league is playing.”

Stars are still considered vital to building a championship-caliber roster, Windhorst writes, but front offices are more concerned than ever about the potential availability of a player who will be earning upwards of 30-35% of the salary cap, as well as the cost of acquiring and retaining that player, in terms of either salary, draft picks, or both.

“The max-level guys who make tons of money can’t play as many minutes as they could before, so they become less valuable,” an Eastern Conference executive told Bontemps. “You can’t be committing that much of your money to guys who won’t play at all or cannot sustain the same number of games and minutes.”

“You just can’t paper over a guy on your roster that isn’t delivering value at the highest levels,” another Eastern exec added, per Bontemps. “You can manage missing the lower-end guys, but the long-term salaries making $30, $40, $50 million? There’s no getting over that. Those guys bury you in this system.”

Windhorst recently broached this topic in an episode of The Hoop Collective podcast, expressing some skepticism that there will be teams willing to make massive offers for Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo. However, in today’s ESPN article, Windhorst acknowledges that Antetokounmpo – a two-time MVP who is on the wrong side of 30, is on a super-max contract, and will likely warrant another huge extension in the near future – is among the potential exceptions, writing that the “old rules” still apply to a player of that caliber.

“I don’t think you’d see 29 teams make an offer like if, say, Victor (Wembanyama) was available, but there would be plenty of interest (in Antetokounmpo) and probably two to three teams would be willing to go all-in right now,” an East executive told ESPN. “Every player has risk, and he’d have some risk, but this is one you don’t have to work too hard to talk yourself into.”

Conversely, Mavericks big man Anthony Davis, whose 2025/26 salary is identical to Antetokounmpo’s and who is a year-and-a-half older, is the sort of player whose market would be less robust due to concerns about his availability and the percentage of a team’s cap he’d take up, says Bontemps.

“For a guy like Anthony Davis,” a Western Conference executive said, “it’s hard to justify them getting a 35 percent max when they aren’t playing a ton of minutes and games.”

Execs around the NBA may view Philadelphia as a cautionary tale. The Sixers are paying Joel Embiid and Paul George a combined $107MM this season — they’ve appeared in nine and eight games, respectively, and haven’t performed at their usual level.

Bontemps also points to Kings center Domantas Sabonis, Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr., and Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen as examples of players whose recent pay raises might make some teams less inclined to give up significant hauls for them if they were available. Sabonis will make $94MM in the two seasons after this one; Jackson has a four-year, $205MM extension starting in 2026; and Markkanen will make nearly $50MM annually through 2028/29.

“On their last contracts, they had good value,” an executive said of that trio. “(Now) they are all at a whole new threshold, where you look at them totally differently.”

While front offices may be proceeding with an abundance of caution on certain trade targets, that doesn’t mean that every star who ends up on the trade block will be available at a discount. Even for players with red flags, there could always be one team willing to make a more aggressive offer than what 28 others would consider rational. Still, Windhorst and Bontemps suggest this evolving league-wide sentiment is a factor that could impact the NBA’s trade market going forward.

“The aprons are causing people to think and act differently,” a scout told ESPN. “But there will always be teams that decide to strike while the irons are hot. … It’s an even bigger risk-reward calculation than it has ever been.”

Western Notes: Morant, Frank, K. George, Markkanen, Gillespie

December 4th, 2025 at 2:21pm CST by Luke Adams

Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant, who has been out since November 15 due to a right calf strain, has been participating in drills, though he isn’t going full speed or taking contact yet, head coach Tuomas Iisalo said on Thursday, per Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal.

While there are still some hurdles Morant needs to clear before he’s ready to return to the court for the Grizzlies, Iisalo feels good about the progress the 26-year-old has made, noting that Morant is considered day-to-day.

“He’s already moving and able to do some things with the team, so looking positive,” Iisalo said.

As Cole writes, even once Morant is available, the Grizzlies will still be short on point guard depth, with Scotty Pippen Jr. (toe), Ty Jerome (calf), and Javon Small (toe) all still inactive.

Here’s more from around the Western Conference:

While some sources who spoke to Joe Vardon of The Athletic said that Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank and other members of his front office are on track to sign contract extensions, other team sources said that talk of extensions is “premature,” according to Vardon. For what it’s worth, all of those sources stressed that Clippers owner Steve Ballmer values continuity, so there’s no indication that a front office or head coaching change is on the horizon despite the team’s poor start this season, Vardon notes.
Tony Jones of The Athletic provides an interesting, in-depth look at how Keyonte George‘s offseason trip to Lauri Markkanen‘s home country of Finland strengthened the chemistry between the two Jazz teammates and helped set up what has been a breakout season for George so far. Within the story, Markkanen also speaks about his desire to see Utah’s rebuild through. “For me, the journey of getting better and better as a team and then finally breaking through means a lot to me,” the star forward said. “I would love to be a part of the next great Jazz team.”
Suns point guard Collin Gillespie spoke to Mark Medina of RG.org about his increased role, learning from Devin Booker, and his goals for the rest of the season, among other topics. “I just want to continue to play good basketball and shoot the ball well and be efficient,” Gillespie said when asked about his individual goals. “I want to prove that I can be a consistent role player in the NBA. That’s really it. Everything that comes with winning and team success, everything else will come individually.”

Northwest Notes: Markkanen, K. George, A. Mitchell, Wolves

December 1st, 2025 at 11:17pm CST by Rory Maher

Although the Jazz are incentivized to tank again in 2025/26 so they keep their top-eight protected first-round pick instead of sending it to Oklahoma City, rival teams have gotten the impression Utah would like to be competitive again in the relative short term, Marc Stein writes in his latest Substack story (subscriber link).

According to Stein, it’s difficult for some teams to gauge the true intentions of new head of basketball operations Austin Ainge, but most of the opposing front offices Stein has spoken to have become “increasingly convinced” the Jazz would rather make a trade to enhance their core around Lauri Markkanen rather than deal away the Finnish star, who is averaging a career-best 27.9 points per game this season.

There has been speculation that Utah could look to move Markkanen within the next year, and Ainge didn’t entirely shut down that possibility in October. The 28-year-old forward is signed to a lucrative long-term contract which runs through the 2028/29 season.

Here’s more from the Northwest:

After struggling mightily in Sunday’s lopsided loss to Houston — he played through an illness and went scoreless on 0-of-6 shooting and committed eight turnovers in 19 minutes — Keyonte George bounced back in a major way in Monday’s victory over the Rockets, finishing with 28 points (on 8-of-14 shooting), eight assists and four rebounds in 37 minutes. The third-year guard is having a breakout season for the Jazz, averaging 22.5 points, 6.8 assists, and 3.9 rebounds on .440/.325/.898 shooting through 19 games (33.9 minutes per contest). George credits an open conversation with head coach Will Hardy at the conclusion of 2024/25 for changing his mentality and raising his expectations, he tells Marc J. Spears of Andscape. “Our relationship is on a whole other level now. My exit interview was brutal. Will shot it to me straight,” George said. “Will calls me late at night and tells me little things like, ‘Play defense,’ and then he hangs up. But also, we got to the realization where we have some great dialogue. He doesn’t like some stuff and I try to communicate what I was thinking and the group was thinking. That is important for me. With the position I’m playing, I’m a second him on the floor. He can’t play. So, I’m thinking for the group trying to execute what he wants every single possession. Our relationship from my first year to now it’s completely different.”
Ajay Mitchell, a 2024 second-round pick, unexpectedly received immediate rotation minutes while on a two-way contract last season with the Thunder. A toe injury forced him to miss a significant portion of his rookie year, but the Belgian guard was still promoted to a standard contract in February and then signed a team-friendly multiyear deal as a restricted free agent over the summer. Mitchell tells Justin Martinez of The Oklahoman (subscription required) that his lengthy absence helped prepare him for year two, and the former UC Santa Barbara star has made tremendous strides in his second season, boosting his production across the board and improving on both sides of the ball. “He’s just a really good basketball player,” reigning MVP and Finals MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said. “His feel for the game is what jumps out right away. He just understands how to play. It’s almost like when you’re playing with him, it’s like a pickup game. He doesn’t need a play called for him. He doesn’t need too much structure. He just goes out there and figures out a way, makes the right basketball play, plays hard and wins. He makes it easy for me.”
Down four points entering the fourth quarter on Sunday, Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch rolled out a lineup featuring Mike Conley, Donte DiVincenzo, Jaden McDaniels, Julius Randle and Naz Reid and swung the tide of momentum to a win, writes Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. That five-man group had only played 15 minutes together this season entering Sunday, but blitzed San Antonio during its six minutes together last night. “We’re a hard team to beat when we’re all involved, and it shows,” said Reid, who scored eight of his 15 points in a fourth quarter in which the Wolves outscored the Spurs by 20 points with him on the floor. “If we could do that more consistently, we’re going to be a really, really hard team to beat. It’s fun, especially when you’re doing it at home, getting the crowd involved and all that good stuff. It’s fun basketball.”

Northwest Notes: K. George, Bailey, A. Mitchell, Wolves

November 28th, 2025 at 11:19pm CST by Rory Maher

Third-year guard Keyonte George is having a breakout season for the Jazz, putting up career highs in every major counting stat while improving his offensive efficiency and competing harder on the defensive end, writes Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune.

George, who will be eligible for a rookie scale extension next summer, spoke to Larsen about the work he put in during the offseason to level up his game. He also discussed his relationship and on-court partnership with star forward Lauri Markkanen.

“Yeah, me and Lauri had a long, long, like three-hour conversation at his house right before camp,” George said. “We just laid it all on the floor: some of his individual goals, some of my individual goals. As far as the team: What is our goal? What would a good season, you know, look like for us? And obviously, we know there’s no expectations on our team, but I think just us talking that out was good. We constantly go to dinner on the road, we’re constantly having dialogue. Walking off the court, going on to the court, timeouts, we’re always talking to each other.

“Obviously, being with him for three years now, I understand his game a little bit more, and know some of the actions, know what side of the floor he wants the ball on. I know, like, for example, even though a man might be in front of him, I know I can kick the ball up the floor if he’s right in front of me, knowing that he’s got two directions to drive. So I’ve just honestly been giving him the ball in space and kind of letting him just be him. And then the catch-and-shoots, like you already know, he’s gonna let it rise. So if I can just give him the ball in space and throw it on time, on target, he’s able to get it off faster.

“I’ve got a whole ‘nother level to get to, but I’m obviously happy with my progress, not just with myself, but with the team. The results haven’t been where we want them to be, but we’re starting to realize the game within the game, and that’s when we’ll be able to get over the hump, whenever we continue to figure that out and play well.”

We have more from around the Northwest:

Rookie forward Ace Bailey sustained a right knee contusion in Friday’s game against Sacramento and was ruled out for the remainder of the contest, per the Jazz (Twitter link via Larsen). Bailey, the fifth overall pick in the 2025 draft, has been playing well since he entered Utah’s starting lineup a few weeks ago, averaging 14.4 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.4 steals on .523/.383/.778 shooting in the eight games leading up to Friday’s win (25.1 minutes per contest).
Second-year Thunder guard Ajay Mitchell also exited Friday’s game an injury — a left knee contusion — and did not return, the team announced. The Belgian combo guard is among the early frontrunners for the Sixth Man of the Year award.
After letting games slip away against Sacramento and Phoenix, Timberwolves point guard Mike Conley led a team dinner Tuesday night where several issues were discussed. Chris Hine of The Star Tribune has more details on the meeting, which involved more than just talking about the Wolves’ late-game troubles. “It’s OK to eat, enjoy each other and watch other basketball games and talk basketball and not be all about business all the time,” Conley said. “Sometimes you need that.”

Eastern Notes: Pistons, Markkanen, Banchero, Donaldson, Queta

November 24th, 2025 at 4:04pm CST by Luke Adams

Rival executives have frequently mentioned Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen as an ideal trade target for the Pistons, according to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link), who suggests that there are a number of reasons why Markkanen and Detroit would be a logical match.

As Fischer writes, the Pistons explored the market for floor-spacing big men over the summer, with Naz Reid, Myles Turner, and Santi Aldama among the players they considered pursuing at the time. Head coach J.B. Bickerstaff also coached Markkanen in Cleveland. And Pistons head of basketball operations Trajan Langdon wanted to go after Markkanen in restricted free agency in 2021 when he was working under David Griffin in New Orleans’ front office, sources tell Fischer.

Still, as Fischer points out, Langdon has projected patience both publicly and privately, so it would come as a bit of a surprise if his front office looks to make a massive in-season move on the trade market. Fischer also hears that the Jazz would likely seek Ausar Thompson in any deal involving Markkanen and says the Pistons have no interest in moving the promising third-year wing. Sources tell The Stein Line that Utah considered trading up for Thompson during the 2023 draft.

Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:

The Magic have ruled out Paolo Banchero (left groin strain) for a seventh straight game on Tuesday vs. Philadelphia, tweets Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel, but the star forward believes his return isn’t far off. “I think I’m in a good spot, just doing some movement stuff,” Banchero told Beede prior to Sunday’s loss in Boston. “The groin feels really good so the recovery’s been going well. … I’m definitely, pretty close. I don’t know when but definitely feeling close.”
The WNBA’s Portland Fire have hired Brittni Donaldson as an assistant coach and assistant general manager, as Sean Highkin of the Rose Garden Report relays (via Twitter). Donaldson, who spent two seasons on Quin Snyder‘s coaching staff as an assistant from 2023-25, took on a front office role this fall entering her third year with the Hawks. Her title was director of basketball development, methodology, and integration.
While it might be an overstatement to say that Neemias Queta is the Celtics‘ most irreplaceable player, it’s not entirely outrageous, according to Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston. Queta has been Boston’s starting center for all 17 games so far this season and the team has outscored opponents by 16.4 points per 100 possessions when he’s on the court. When he’s not playing, the Celtics are being outscored by 4.6 points per 100 possessions. After Queta left Sunday’s game with an ankle injury, Forsberg examines the Celtics’ options in the event the 26-year-old has to miss time.

Bontemps’ Latest: Davis, Morant, Markkanen, Kings, Nets, More

November 21st, 2025 at 1:07pm CST by Luke Adams

If the Mavericks decide to move Anthony Davis prior to the trade deadline, the expectation is that the return would resemble what Phoenix got for Kevin Durant rather than a haul that features several first-round picks, writes Tim Bontemps of ESPN. In other words, Dallas probably shouldn’t count on getting more than a couple solid players and a single first-rounder.

Although many of the sources who spoke to Bontemps had trouble coming up with many suitors who would make sense for Davis, a few of those sources speculated about whether the Bulls might make a play for the Chicago native.

“I could see it,” one Western Conference executive told ESPN. “(Josh) Giddey has worked well with (Nikola) Vucevic, but he could use a roll man to throw it up to.”

Bontemps’ sources put Ja Morant in a similar boat as Davis, predicting that the Grizzlies will explore the trade market for the point guard but will have trouble finding a package they like.

According to Bontemps, people around the NBA are also keeping a close eye on Lauri Markkanen, who is having a bounce-back season with the Jazz on the heels of a down year in 2024/25. After averaging 19.0 points per game on .423/.346/.876 shooting in 47 games last season, Markkanen has put up 30.6 PPG on .485/.385/.885 shooting through 14 outings this fall, so he’d have more trade value now — if Utah is open to dealing him.

“He’s putting up monster numbers,” a West executive said. “They’re running everything through him. If he goes to a place that he’s an additive piece … you have to have the right team around him to go after him.”

Here are a few more highlights from Bontemps’ look at all 30 NBA teams:

Scouts around the league are speculating about Doug Christie‘s job security in Sacramento and are waiting to see if the Kings begin looking to trade veterans like Domantas Sabonis, DeMar DeRozan, and/or Zach LaVine. “They’re a disaster,” an Eastern Conference scout told Bontemps. “They’re going nowhere fast. They just have to put a rock on the accelerator and keep going into the tank … they’re expensive, bad and aging.”
Multiple executives who spoke to ESPN believe the Nets have the least talented roster in the NBA. Brooklyn is off to a 2-12 start, with its only victories coming against fellow bottom-feeders Washington and Indiana.
There’s skepticism about whether 2024 lottery pick Rob Dillingham can become the Timberwolves‘ point guard of the future, Bontemps writes. Dillingham is still just 20 years old but is off to a slow start in his second season, having shot just 37.3% from the floor, including 20.0% on three-pointers. “I’m not sure that’s ever going to work,” one scout said. “Maybe things come around, but it’s hard to see it.”
According to Bontemps, there was “virtually no talk” during the preseason about a possible rookie scale extension for Jalen Duren, with the Pistons and the big man believed to be far apart on a potential deal. Duren, who turned 22 on Tuesday, has taken a significant step forward in the early going this season, with averages of 20.6 points and 11.9 rebounds per game, and appears to be in line for a significant payday next summer.
Scouts have been impressed by the work first-year head coach Jordan Ott has done with the Suns, who are outperforming expectations so far with a 9-6 record and could be a playoff contender. “They’ve been way better than I thought,” a Western Conference scout said. “They’ve got enough pieces around Devin (Booker) where they’ll win the games they should win. (Ott) has them playing the right way and competing.”

Northwest Notes: Hartenstein, Edwards, Hardy, Markkanen

November 8th, 2025 at 11:55am CST by Dana Gauruder

Isaiah Hartenstein erupted for a 33-point night in the Thunder‘s win over Sacramento on Friday. Along with his career high in points, Hartenstein grabbed 19 rebounds and blocked three shots.

“He was on one today,” Thunder guard Ajay Mitchell told Justin Martinez of The Oklahoman. “Hart is a great player. We were able to find him, and he had a great game. He made it very easy for us.”

Hartenstein is averaging a double-double for the banged-up Thunder, with 12.9 points and 11.7 rebounds per game in the early going this season.

“He’s played great as time has gone on here,” Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault said. “He’s getting better and better with his teammates here inside the system. He was obviously highly impactful at the beginning, but he’s only gotten better, especially on the offensive side of the floor.”

We have more from the Northwest Division:

In his second game back from missing four due to a right hamstring strain, Timberwolves star guard Anthony Edwards poured in 37 points in a 40-point romp over Utah. “He’s our leading light, and he’s got to be aggressive, and he’s got to be himself,” head coach Chris Finch told The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski. “That’s what we need. And I thought he played quick and clean. Thought we all did to start the game, and it was just really good, really fun to watch.”
Jazz coach Will Hardy has been very vocal this season and that’s by design, according to Andy Larsen of the Salt Lake Tribune. “It’s all intentional,” Hardy said. “There is a real process right now of trying to have all of our players, especially our young players, understand that every time you take the court, you’re trying to win.” Hardy’s team is currently holds a 3-6 record. “I feel like I need to give the team the urgency every single night to not let moments pass them by, to not take their minutes for granted, to not take this moment in their career for granted — because nothing’s guaranteed,” he said.
Lauri Markkanen was held to 12 points in 21 minutes on Friday but the Jazz forward is still averaging 28.3 points per game, which would easily be a career best. “He can truly play any style,” Hardy told Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated. “He can play with anybody there. You could name any All-Star player, and I would say Lauri could play with them. Because he doesn’t dribble too much, because he’s not really an iso player, because he’s not a pick-and-roll ball handler who needs X number of screens a night. It’s nice having somebody who’s that caliber player who doesn’t necessarily dictate your style. There are certain players that dictate the style you kind of have to play. Lauri gives us a lot of flexibility. It’s a real luxury as a coach and it would appear that that would be a luxury from a team-building standpoint.”

Warriors Notes: Horford, Kornet, Green, Markkanen, Lineups

October 24th, 2025 at 3:00pm CST by Luke Adams

The fact that Al Horford accepted a two-year, $11.7MM deal this summer to join the Warriors inspired some jealousy among multiple teams that had hoped to land the veteran center themselves, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst.

“Horford was one of the best signings in the league over the summer, it broke our hearts because we wanted him badly,” an Eastern Conference executive told ESPN. “And they got him for $5 million.”

As Anthony Slater of ESPN reports, team sources say that Horford was Golden State’s “absolute 1A” target during the offseason. The team also had interest in Luke Kornet, but he signed a lucrative contract with San Antonio that was out of the Warriors’ price range, so the team was thrilled that the taxpayer mid-level exception was sufficient to land Horford.

“(General manager) Mike (Dunleavy Jr.)’s been looking for a player like him his entire time here,” head coach Steve Kerr said. “Not just a pick-and-pop guy, but a legitimate big, who can make Draymond (Green)‘s job easier, who can make Steph (Curry)‘s job easier. It’s really hard to find those guys.”

Horford is expected to be inactive on Friday on the second end of a back-to-back as part of a plan to limit his workload in his age-39 season, Windhorst notes.

We have more on the Warriors:

Within an in-depth story about Horford’s arrival and the Warriors’ approach to roster-building, Slater points out that the organization continues to balance a long-term view with a win-now philosophy, as its decision to re-sign Jonathan Kuminga instead of signing-and-trading him showed. “That’s one of the beautiful things about having this organization,” Green said. “We’re not sitting here like, ‘Yo, give away everything because we don’t give a f–k about what this thing looks like in 10 years.’ We do. And so I think it’s only fair to Mike that he’s given a future, too. It’s important to do it the way that we’ve done it. We found a good balance to where we can compete and possibly win now and yet still have that flexibility and resources for the future.”
As Slater details, that resistance to going all-in was on display last year when Green discouraged the Warriors from giving up a massive package of young players and draft picks in a trade for Jazz star Lauri Markkanen. “I’m a big fan of [Markkanen’s] game,” Green said. “But I think if you want to do something so huge you better be certain that this is THE move. You usually don’t win those things against (Jazz CEO) Danny Ainge. I look at history.”
Assistant coaches Terry Stotts and Chris DeMarco convinced Kerr to use a bigger lineup of Curry, Green, Horford, Kuminga, and Jimmy Butler down the stretch on Thursday vs. Denver, according to Slater. The group helped erase a fourth-quarter deficit and secure the victory in overtime, posting a +47.1 net rating in eight minutes on the floor together. “Where we going to score?” Kerr said. “That was my biggest concern. Could we execute [offensively]? But [Stotts and DeMarco] reminded me we have Steph and Jimmy, and they’ll find a way to score. … It was really fun to watch a group that’s never played together close a game against one of the best teams in the league.”

And-Ones: Core Trios, MVP, Hayward, NBA App

October 15th, 2025 at 11:04am CST by Rory Maher

Tim Bontemps of ESPN ranks the core trios of every NBA team based on their current and future value. Unsurprisingly, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren of the defending champion Thunder sit atop Bontemps’ tiered list, followed by the Nuggets trio of Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon.

Bontemps’ final tier (“rebuilding”) is comprised of the Nets (Nic Claxton, Egor Demin, Nolan Traore), Trail Blazers (Toumani Camara, Donovan Clingan, Shaedon Sharpe), Jazz (Ace Bailey, Walter Clayton, Lauri Markkanen), and Wizards (Bilal Coulibaly, Tre Johnson, Alex Sarr).

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

Using six categories (narrative score, expected ridiculous stats score, team quality score, clutch score, player impact score, and perceived value score), Zach Harper of The Athletic takes a stab at predicting who will win the NBA’s MVP award in 2025/26. Jokic, who was the runner-up last season, earns the most points (55/60), followed by reigning MVP Gilgeous-Alexander (50/60) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (50/60), who finished third in voting last season. However, Harper’s “gut” says Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (45/60) will claim his first MVP.
Former NBA All-Star Gordon Hayward, who retired last summer after a 14-year career in the league, is returning to his alma mater in a new role. According to a Butler press release written by John Dedman, Hayward will be an executive basketball advisor for the Bulldogs’ men’s basketball program. In addition to advising in multiple areas, Hayward will also serve as a mentor to student-athletes, with a focus on leadership and professional development.
The NBA announced in a press release that it has launched a new multi-platform streaming offering as well as the “reimagined” NBA TV, both of which can be accessed via the NBA App. There’s also a new flagship program on NBA TV and the NBA App called “The Association,” which features MJ Acosta-Ruiz, David Fizdale, Rudy Gay, Chris Haynes and John Wall, among others.