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Northwest Notes: Nnaji, DiVincenzo, Clark, Avdija

February 26th, 2025 at 11:00pm CST by Rory Maher

Big man Zeke Nnaji has largely been outside of the Nuggets‘ rotation in 2024/25. However, a knee injury to Peyton Watson has opened up minutes at backup power forward, and Nnaji has been performing well of late, writes Bennett Durando of The Denver Post (subscriber link).

“This is probably the first time in a while that he has an opportunity to play big minutes, important minutes and a lot of minutes. He’s good,” Nikola Jokic said of Nnaji. “He’s decisive. When he’s open, he shoots. He’s aggressive. He’s attacking the boards. He’s still probably trying to kind of figure it out, but I think he’s doing a really good job.”

Nnaji, 24, was involved in trade rumors leading up to the deadline earlier this month in part because he has fifth-highest salary on the team. General manager Calvin Booth later confirmed that Nnaji came up in trade talks, but since he was rarely playing, his long-term contract was almost certainly viewed as a negative asset.

With Watson sidelined and Nnaji playing his preferred position, he has averaged 7.4 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.0 steal and 1.4 blocks on .566/.368/.700 shooting over the past 10 games (21.4 minutes per contest). Would Michael Malone be comfortable turning to Nnaji for spot minutes if he’s needed in the postseason?

“Without getting too far ahead of ourselves, just continue to be present,” Malone said when asked if there’s a path to playoff minutes. “Continue to be in the moment. And I think Zeke’s done that. Ever since Peyton Watson went out, Zeke’s been called upon. … He’s stayed ready. He’s gone out there and done his job. And he’s shown that he belongs out there. So I have all the confidence in the world if I have to call upon Zeke Nnaji at any point the remainder of this season, I feel really confident about doing that. And so do his teammates. I think that’s even more important.”

Here’s more from the Northwest:

  • Timberwolves guard Donte DiVincenzo has been out since Jan. 15 due to a left great toe sprain, but he has a chance to return to action soon. He’s officially listed as questionable for Thursday’s contest at the Lakers, the Wolves announced (via Twitter). ESPN’s Shams Charania reported earlier this week that both DiVincenzo and Julius Randle (right groin strain) could return at some point this week. Randle will be out Thursday, with two additional games (at Utah on Friday, at Phoenix on Sunday) scheduled on Minnesota’s road trip.
  • Jaylen Clark will reportedly be converted from a two-way contract to a standard deal, with Bones Hyland taking Clark’s old two-way spot. Asked about his impending promotion on Wednesday, the Timberwolves guard said he was thrilled by the news, according to Chris Hine of The Star Tribune (Twitter link). “I love being in Minnesota, I’m excited,” Clark said. “It feels like I’m officially a part of everything. I can play in the playoffs. It’s been cool. The journey has been long, but it’s been well worthwhile.”
  • Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija sustained a quad injury in the first half of Wednesday’s win in Washington. After initially being listed as questionable to return, he was later ruled out for the remainder of the contest (Twitter link). It’s unclear if the injury will cause Avdija to miss additional time, but hopefully it’s good news that he wasn’t immediately ruled out.
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Northwest Notes: Jokic, MPJ, Blazers, Timberwolves

February 26th, 2025 at 2:03pm CST by Luke Adams

Nikola Jokic continued to bolster his case for a fourth MVP award on Monday by racking up a career-high 19 assists in a road win over the Pacers.

Jokic, who grabbed nine rebounds in the victory, narrowly missed his 27th triple-double of the season, but the Nuggets star is now averaging a triple-double on the year, with 29.2 points, 12.6 rebounds, and 10.4 assists per contest. If he can maintain those averages, it would be the first time in his career that he has averaged a triple-double for a full season.

“The guy is just an amazing, complete basketball player,” head coach Michael Malone said, per ESPN. “And I think the most remarkable thing is not just 19 assists, but the satisfaction and joy that Nikola gets from making his teammates better. … He’s a humble person and understands that this whole thing is always much bigger than the individual. It’s the collective.

“But 19? … What is that? … He’s just an incredible player. And what a luxury to have when you can just play through him down the stretch of a close game and you know something good is going to happen each and every time.”

Here’s more from around the Northwest:

  • Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr., who missed the final three games before the All-Star break due to a minor hamstring injury, struggled upon returning last week, scoring 19 total points on 7-of-25 shooting (28.0%) in his first two games back. After contributing 19 points and 11 rebounds in Monday’s win over Indiana, Porter explained that he’s still working on getting his conditioning back to normal, according to Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. “I hadn’t ran at all for those three games I missed before the break, and then over the break, I didn’t run, so the first time I really ran was that first game back (last Thursday),” Porter said. “Now I’m just kind of getting my wind back and getting my groove back. It’s still not ‘a hundred a hundred’ percent, but it’ll be back in probably the next couple of games.”
  • How do the Trail Blazers stack up against the NBA’s other rebuilding teams? Sean Highkin of the Rose Garden Report (Substack link) considers that question, evaluating how the Blazers compare to Brooklyn, Utah, Charlotte, Toronto, and Washington in terms of young talent, future draft assets, and a few other variables. Although the Blazers have a solid base of young talent, they don’t have a clear-cut franchise player, their cap sheet isn’t clean as some of the others, and it’s unclear whether Chauncey Billups will be their long-term answer at head coach, Highkin writes.
  • The Timberwolves pulled off arguably the most impressive comeback in franchise history on Monday, rallying from a 25-point deficit to knock off the West-leading Thunder in overtime. Chris Hine of The Star Tribune has the story on the improbable, galvanizing victory, exploring how the Wolves got crucial contributions from role players like Jaden McDaniels and Nickeil Alexander-Walker and rookies Rob Dillingham and Terrence Shannon Jr.
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Northwest Notes: Nuggets, George, Trail Blazers, Williams

February 23rd, 2025 at 11:01am CST by Arthur Hill

Ater the Nuggets had a nine-game winning streak snapped by the Lakers Saturday night, Nikola Jokic suggested that the extended success may have been a mirage, writes Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. Many of those victories came during a soft part of the schedule, and the opposition is about to get much tougher with a four-game trip to Indiana, Milwaukee, Detroit and Boston.

“We had the nine-game winning streak against teams that were injured, and teams that were not really good or high in the standings,” Jokic said. “So maybe we tricked ourselves into (thinking) that we are playing good.”

Regardless of the circumstances, the Nuggets were able to briefly rise into second place in the West, although Saturday’s loss pushed them back down to third. To stay in that range, they’ll have to improve their performance against high-level opponents, as Durando notes that they’re just 10-14 against teams that currently have winning records.

“No one’s going to be scared that the Denver Nuggets are coming to town,” coach Michael Malone said. “So we have to play a lot better than we did tonight. We got away with it against Charlotte (on Thursday), but against the quality of opponent that we played (in the Lakers) … we have to understand that we can not just rely on our offense. We averaged 128 points per game on our nine-game win streak. And tonight, we had 100. So when we’re not scoring, when we’re not making shots, what are we going to do?”

There’s more from the Northwest Division:

  • Keyonte George‘s 30-point night in Saturday’s win over Houston shows that the Jazz guard may be more effective coming off the bench, observes Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune. George is naturally a volume shooter, and he gets more opportunities when he’s not on the court with all the other starters. “It’s time to make my presence felt, to understand who I am as a player,” George said. “I know the amount of work that I put in, physically, mentally. I just think, you know, it’s time. It’s time now.”
  • The Trail Blazers set a franchise record for largest margin of victory in Saturday’s 141-88 win over Charlotte, per Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report (subscription required). Portland out-shot the Hornets 20-5 from three-point range and scored 27 fast-break points in the first half, which is the highest mark in the league this season. “We’ve definitely been on the other side of that too many times as a group,” coach Chauncey Billups said. “It feels good to be on this side of it.”
  • The only downside for the Trail Blazers was the absence of Robert Williams, who was held out of the game due to swelling in his left knee, Highkin tweets. Billups isn’t sure if it’s a long-term concern and said the medical staff will be cautious.
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International Players Express Support For U.S. Vs. The World All-Star Format

February 17th, 2025 at 10:01am CST by Arthur Hill

As the NBA searches for ways to revive interest in its All-Star Game, one concept that gets frequent mention is a U.S. vs. the World format. Several international players expressed their support for that idea after Sunday’s mini-tournament, writes Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press.

“I would love to. My opinion is that it’s more purposeful,” said Victor Wembanyama, who figures to be a regular at the All-Star Game for the next decade or so. “There’s more pride in it. More stakes.”

Nine-time All-Star Giannis Antetokounmpo was even more enthusiastic about the idea in his post-game press conference.

“I would love that. Oh, I would love that,” he said. “I think that would be the most interesting and most exciting format. I would love that. For sure, I’d take pride in that. I always compete, but I think that will give me a little bit more extra juice to compete.”

As Reynolds points out, the NHL has been able to generate enormous passion by scrapping its traditional All-Star format and replacing it with the 4 Nations Face-Off Tournament. Saturday’s showdown between the U.S. and Canada in Montreal stoked an intense national rivalry and featured three fights in the first nine seconds of the game.

According to Reynolds, some NBA officials are watching the NHL’s success and considering how it could be adapted to basketball. There aren’t enough All-Star players from specific nations to divide them into four teams, but a matchup of American and international stars could create a fresh look for the annual showcase.

“Sometimes things just get old and kind of need a facelift,” Draymond Green said. “I know they’ve done different things to try to get it going. I think what’ll be interesting to see is how this 4 Nations thing turns out in hockey. If that turns out great, might have to peek an eye.”

Reynolds notes that this year’s rosters already feature six international All-Stars, with Wembanyama and Antetokounmpo joined by Nikola Jokic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Pascal Siakam and Alperen Sengun. Luka Doncic would likely be there if not for the injuries have plagued him this season, and Reynolds points to Karl-Anthony Towns, who plays for the Dominican Republic in international competitions, as another addition.

However, filling out the World roster could mean adding a few players who aren’t as deserving of All-Star status. It would also take away four spots from American players, who make up roughly 70% of the NBA, which is why there’s reluctance to try it out.

“Not to say we couldn’t figure out a way around this, but to the extent we want to have a fair process for picking All-Stars, if you’re picking half the players from a 30% pool and the other half from a 70% pool, it might not be fair to the players,” commissioner Adam Silver said recently. “So, that’s one thing we’re looking at.”

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Mavericks Notes: Doncic, Jokic, Welts, Armstrong

February 16th, 2025 at 3:24pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

By all accounts, now-Lakers star Luka Doncic was blindsided by his trade away from the Mavericks earlier this month. As Bennett Durando of The Denver Post relays, Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, a longtime friend of Doncic’s, spoke about the five-time All-NBA First Teamer’s reaction to the surprising deal during his Saturday presser at All-Star media day.

“He was building something there,” Jokic said. “I think he was hurt… I think as a trade, it’s not such a big thing, but if you trade someone like that, I think it kind of becomes a little bit of a big thing, and maybe players become a little bit serious about it.”

There’s more out of Dallas:

  • New Mavericks CEO Rick Welts, seen across the league as a financial wizard, is stewarding this new post-Doncic era on the business side, according to Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News, who wonders if Welts’ decision-making can help Dallas fans eventually move beyond the front office’s bold recent transactions. “I thought I’d seen everything in my 47 years in the NBA, but clearly this was different,” Welts said. “I probably underestimated the reaction. I think we’ve done the best we can, basically, with the staff and trying to do the right thing with everybody who touches the Mavericks.” Welts had previously led business operations for the Steve Nash-era Suns from 2002-11 and the peak Stephen Curry-era Warriors from 2011-21. As we outlined on Saturday, he played a big part in building out the modern format of the All-Star weekend during his 17-year tenure as an NBA executive.
  • Mavericks assistant coach Darrell Armstrong was arrested in the early hours of Saturday morning for alleged aggravated assault with a weapon, reports Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal. Afseth adds that Dallas has placed Armstrong on administrative leave following the booking. “The preliminary investigation determined the suspect and victim were in an argument when the suspect hit the victim with a gun and threatened to shoot them,” the Dallas police department told Afseth. “The suspect and victim are known to one another. This remains an ongoing investigation.”
  • In case you missed it, All-Star Mavericks point guard Kyrie Irving appears to have found peace in Dallas following rocky stints in Boston and Brooklyn.
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And-Ones: Shaq, TNT, MVP Race, All-Star Game, 2025 Draft

February 14th, 2025 at 12:58pm CST by Luke Adams

NBA studio analyst Shaquille O’Neal has reached an agreement on a new long-term deal with TNT Sports that will be worth in excess of $15MM per year, reports Michael McCarthy of Front Office Sports.

Although TNT Sports will no longer have the right to broadcast NBA games after the 2024/25 season, the show’s popular Inside the NBA studio show will remain on the air, with the company licensing it to ESPN beginning this fall. O’Neal’s agreement with TNT ensures that he’ll still be part of the show’s panel going forward.

O’Neal, Charles Barkley, and Kenny Smith have each reportedly talked to new NBA media rights partners NBC and Amazon, who will begin broadcasting games next season. However, Barkley and O’Neal have deals in place to remain with TNT and the expectation is that Smith will sign a new multiyear contract with the network too, according to McCarthy. As for host Ernie Johnson, he’s considered a “TNT lifer,” McCarthy writes.

We have more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

  • Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nuggets center Nikola Jokic earned the top two spots on 99 of 100 ballots submitted by media members to Tim Bontemps of ESPN (Insider link) in his latest Most Valuable Player straw poll. Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo claimed a single second-place vote, with Jokic coming in third on that voter’s ballot. However, it’s clearly a two-player MVP race between Gilgeous-Alexander, who received 70 first-place votes and 910 total points, and Jokic, who got 30 and 788, respectively.
  • The NBA and NBPA will speak to this year’s All-Stars this weekend to stress the importance of competing hard in Sunday’s All-Star event for the sake of both fans and the business, league sources tell NBA insider Chris Haynes (Twitter video link). The All-Star game has been a low-intensity affair for years, but the league is hopeful that a new mini-tournament format featuring three shorter games will help address that issue.
  • The 2025 NBA draft class continues to look stronger, according to Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo of ESPN, who write in an Insider-only story that NBA executives are enthusiastic about the overall depth in the class, not just the potential difference-makers at the top of their boards. The international class also may be better than initially believed, with as many as nine possible first-round picks in that group, Givony and Woo say. The ESPN duo has updated its full mock draft, from Duke freshman Cooper Flagg at No. 1 to South East Melbourne forward Malique Lewis at No. 59.
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Nuggets Notes: Murray, Jokic, Westbrook, Pickett, Strawther

February 13th, 2025 at 12:33pm CST by Rory Maher

Nuggets guard Jamal Murray made up for being ejected from Monday’s game against Portland by scoring a career-high 55 points in Wednesday’s rematch with the Blazers. Murray exchanged trash talk with Portland on Monday, earning technical fouls in the third and fourth quarters of the game.

“They shouldn’t have done that,” big man Zeke Nnaji said of the Blazers’ trash talk, per ESPN.com. “When he’s mad, there’s no one in the world that can stop him.”

In part due to Murray’s strong play, the Nuggets have now won eight straight games and trail Memphis by just a half-game for the No. 2 seed in the West. Murray shot 20-of-36 from the field, including 7-of-15 from three-point range, in 42 minutes on Wednesday. Denver outscored Portland by 26 points when he was on the court in the 11-point victory.

“It’s just all competitive spirit,” Murray said. “I came ready to play. Especially just being used to the playoffs and playing the same team over and over, and they know your plays and things get chippy and you have to see them again. So, I think just that kind of factor made me ready to go. I was truly prepared today.”

As ESPN’s story notes, Murray’s scoring outburst — the third-highest mark in franchise history — overshadowed Nikola Jokic‘s 25th triple-double of the season. Only Oscar Robertson (28 in 1961/62) and Russell Westbrook (27 in ’16/17) have recorded more triple-doubles before the All-Star break than Jokic has in ’24/25, per ESPN Research.

“Please, let’s never take Nikola’s greatness for granted,” head coach Michael Malone said. “We are witnessing history every single night. I don’t take it for granted. He’s incredible, and I really feel fortunate and blessed to have coached him for 10 years now.”

Here’s more on the Nuggets:

  • Malone told reporters on Wednesday, including Bennett Durando of The Denver Post (subscriber link), that Westbrook should return to action after the All-Star break. The former league MVP, who is on a two-year, veteran’s minimum deal with Denver, has missed the past seven games with a left hamstring strain. “Everything’s pointing forward to him being able to use this break, use this stretch of games when he’s been out rehabbing, to come out of the break and be active and be available,” Malone said.
  • After a storied five-year college career, second-year guard Jalen Pickett found himself outside of the Nuggets’ rotation as a rookie in ’23/24 and to open ’24/25. However, he has been been a steady hand of late for the second unit with Westbrook out, according to Durando (subscription required). “I’ve had a rough last year. And you’ve gotta just love that, being able to go through some challenges, find things that you’re good at,” Pickett said. “After such a successful college career, coming here and just basically starting over, it was tough at first. And then I just kind of fell in love with the grind, and just getting back in the gym and seeing where I could take my game.”
  • Will second-year wing Julian Strawther be part of Denver’s playoff rotation? Durando explores that topic in another subscriber-only story for The Denver Post. “He’s still a young player, and so you see the inconsistencies,” Malone said. “Two games ago, his first start, he’s down on himself, doesn’t play as well as we know he’s capable of playing. Doesn’t make shots. Then he rebounds in his second start. … I think for all young players, you go back to all guys, early stages are up and down. You have to live with those. Obviously, if and when we get to the playoffs, we’ll figure all that out. But he’s an important piece. He’s a guy that we, whether he’s starting or coming off the bench, we need him to be aggressive.”
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Nikola Jokic, Trae Young Named Players Of The Week

February 10th, 2025 at 2:37pm CST by Rory Maher

Nuggets center Nikola Jokic has been named the Player of the Week for the Western Conference, while Hawks guard Trae Young has won the award in the East, the NBA announced on Monday (via Twitter).

Jokic helped guide Denver to a perfect 4-0 record last week, averaging a triple-double (29.8 points, 10.8 rebounds, 10.3 assists) on remarkable efficiency (.657/.409/.818 shooting line, only 1.8 turnovers) in his four appearances. The Nuggets outscored their opponents by an average of 19.0 points per 100 possessions with Jokic on the court last week.

The three-time MVP has now been named the West’s Player of the Week three times in 2024/25; no other player in the conference has won more than once. Three players in the East (Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Giannis Antetokounmpo) have won the weekly award two times this season.

It has been a good day for Young, who was also named an All-Star on Monday. He’ll replace Antetokounmpo, who is dealing with a mild calf strain, in the exhibition game.

Young helped Atlanta go 3-1 last week, averaging 31.3 points, 10.5 assists and 1.8 rebounds on .482/.341/.853 shooting in those four games. The former Oklahoma standout is averaging a league-high 11.4 assists per game in ’24/25 (Jokic is second with 10.3).

Jokic beat out Devin Booker, Anthony Edwards, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, LeBron James, Anfernee Simons, and his teammate Michael Porter Jr. in the West. Jalen Brunson, Cade Cunningham, Garland, Jayson Tatum and Franz Wagner were the other nominees in the East (Twitter link).

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NBA Announces 2025 All-Star Game Rosters

February 6th, 2025 at 6:33pm CST by Tristan Tucker

The 24 players selected for the 2025 All-Star Game were drafted on a Thursday pre-game TNT show by coaches Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal and Kenny Smith, and later announced by the NBA (Twitter link).

The players were previously sorted into groups of starters and reserves, but that had no bearing on their team placement for the new mini-tournament in this year’s game.

Below are each team’s selections, sorted in order of pick:

Team Shaq

O’Neal had the first overall pick in the televised draft, selecting James, who holds the record for most All-Star appearances in a career. For the most part, O’Neal opted for the “old guard” of the NBA, so to speak. His team has a whopping 87 All-Star appearances (including this year) among its eight players.

The roster also unites a handful of players. Durant spent this week in trade rumors, with reports indicating he didn’t want to be traded to Curry’s Warriors. The two players were teammates for three seasons. This also will mark the first time James and Davis will play together since the blockbuster move that brought Doncic to L.A. Additionally, Curry, James, Durant, Tatum and Davis all played together on the 2024 U.S. men’s Olympic Team.

Team Kenny

In contrast to O’Neal’s roster, Smith opted for some of the younger stars across the league. Smith’s team has a combined 13 All-Star nods to their name — Williams, Mobley, Cunningham and Herro are all first-timers. Smith united a pair of Cavaliers, with Mobley and Garland joining forces.

Team Chuck

Barkley went for a mix of experience in his group. He secured the top three expected players in the MVP race this season between Jokic, Antetokounmpo and Gilgeous-Alexander. He also landed Wembanyama with the 12th overall pick. Barkley’s group has a combined 35 All-Star honors, with Sengun and Wembanyama as first-time All-Stars and Antetkounmpo (nine) and Jokic (seven) leading the way.

A fourth team coached by Candace Parker will play in the tournament. She’ll be coaching whichever team wins this year’s Rising Stars Challenge — those rosters were announced earlier this week. Two teams will meet in a semifinal (game one) while the other two also play each other (game two). The winning team from each game moves on to the final round.

The four teams participating in the NBA All-Star Game will compete for a prize pool of $1.8 million. Each player on the team that wins the final will receive $125,000, while members of the second-place team earn $50,000. Players on the third- and fourth-place teams will receive $25,000.

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Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo Earn Player Of The Month Honors

February 4th, 2025 at 2:18pm CST by Luke Adams

Two superstars with five Most Valuable Player awards between them have been named the NBA’s Players of the Month for January. Nuggets center Nikola Jokic earned the honor for the Western Conference, while Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo won it in the East (Twitter links).

Jokic came out on top of a group of nominees that included Devin Booker, Anthony Edwards, Jalen Green, James Harden, Norman Powell, Jaren Jackson Jr., Domantas Sabonis, and Victor Wembanyama, as well as Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who won the award for both Oct./Nov. and Dec.

Jokic comfortably averaged a triple-double in January, with 27.0 points, 12.8 rebounds, and 11.4 assists in 34.8 minutes per game across 14 outings. He also had red-hot .585/.440/.857 shooting line and added 1.9 steals per night as Denver went 10-4 in games he played. The team was 1-2 without him.

Over in the East, Antetokounmpo was selected over fellow nominees Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Jalen Brunson, Cade Cunningham, Darius Garland, Tyrese Maxey, Tyrese Haliburton, and Pascal Siakam.

The Bucks star led his team to a 9-6 record for the month, scoring 30.5 points per game on 60.0% shooting from the floor. He also registered averages of 13.2 rebounds, 5.7 assists, and 1.1 blocks per contest.

Antetokounmpo is the third different Eastern Conference Player of the Month so far this season, joining Tatum (Oct./Nov.) and Knicks big man Karl-Anthony Towns (Dec.).

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