Utah Jazz Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Jazz Waive Max Abmas, Cameron McGriff

October 14th, 2025 at 3:42pm CST by Luke Adams

The Jazz have cut a pair of players on non-guaranteed contracts, announcing today in a press release that they’ve placed guard Max Abmas and forward Cameron McGriff on waivers.

Abmas and McGriff signed Exhibit 10 contracts with Utah on October 6 and were with the team for its first three games of the preseason, though neither player saw the court in any of those contests.

Abmas spent his first professional season in 2024/25 playing for the Salt Lake City Stars, the Jazz’s G League affiliate. Across 50 outings in the Tip-Off Tournament and regular season, he averaged 13.8 points, 4.8 assists, and 3.0 rebounds in 26.4 minutes per game, posting a shooting line of .412/.372/.836.

McGriff has been playing professionally since going undrafted out of Oklahoma State in 2020, having spent time with a handful of G League teams and non-NBA clubs in Belgium, Puerto Rico, Greece, France since then. The 28-year-old also had a brief cup of coffee in the NBA in 2021/22, appearing in three games for Portland on a 10-day contract. He spent last season with the Indiana Mad Ants – the Pacers’ G League team – but had his returning rights traded to Salt Lake City during the offseason.

It seems relatively safe to assume both Abmas and McGriff are headed for the Stars as returning-rights players. If they remain with the Jazz’s NBAGL team for at least 60 days, they’ll each earn a bonus worth $85,300.

Utah now has two open spots on its 21-man preseason roster. It sounds like the team will probably use one of those openings to sign Pedro Bradshaw to an Exhibit 10 deal.

Northwest Notes: SGA, Bailey, Dillingham, Miller, Cooke

October 14th, 2025 at 3:16pm CST by Luke Adams

Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander doesn’t see himself playing until he’s 40 like current stars LeBron James and Chris Paul, he said within a GQ Sports cover story, per Yang-Yi Goh (subscription required).

“I definitely think I can,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “I won’t, though. A hundred percent.”

The reigning MVP just turned 27 in July, so he certainly has time to change his mind between now and the final years of his NBA career. However, he went on to explain that family considerations would be the main reason why he doesn’t think he’d want to extend his playing days that long.

“I won’t want to miss that much of my kid’s life,” he told Goh. “I won’t want to be away and miss his first basketball game every year, his first soccer game, football game, piano lesson, chess lesson, whatever it is. And there’s a certain point in your career where you reach your peak.

“I don’t fault guys for still playing. They love the game. But I just feel like I play this game, ultimately, to see what the best version of me can be. Once I figure that out and I start going down, then it’s like, Okay, well, what am I playing for now? As soon as that happens, I’ll be on the first ship out.”

Here’s more from around the Northwest Division:

Jazz rookie Ace Bailey is dealing with “some tendonitis” in both of his knees, Will Hardy said after the No. 5 overall pick was removed from Monday’s game vs. Portland. However, Utah’s head coach didn’t sound overly concerned about the issue. “He’s not going to be getting imaged or anything like that,” Hardy told reporters, including Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune (Twitter link). “It’s just trying to take care of him. He was a little sore during his second stint (on the court).”
After playing a limited role as a rookie, second-year Timberwolves guard Rob Dillingham is working on making the adjustments necessary to earn more regular minutes in 2025/26, as Chris Hine of The Star Tribune details. “I want to play,” Dillingham said. “So whatever I got to do to play, whatever (head coach Chris Finch) wants me to do — pass the ball, pick up (on defense), I’m just gonna have to do.” Finch offered more details on what he and the staff have told Dillingham to focus on: “Be ready to make shots off the ball, particularly when you’re playing out there alongside guys like Julius and Ant who are going to have the ball in their hands a lot. Keep it simple and use your speed, which is what we need you to do and what you have naturally comes to you.”
Timberwolves forward Leonard Miller, who suffered a finger injury early in training camp, was cleared for full-contact, five-on-five basketball activities on Monday, the team announced in a press release. Miller started on Monday against the Guangzhou Loong Lions and played well in a Minnesota blowout, racking up 15 points and 11 rebounds in 23 minutes of action.
The Oklahoma City Blue and Rip City Remix have completed a trade, tweets Rylan Stiles of SI.com. The Thunder‘s G League affiliate acquired the returning rights for Isaac Nogues and Henri Drell, along with a 2026 second-round pick, from the Trail Blazers‘ affiliate, in exchange for Javonte Cooke‘s returning rights. Cooke signed an Exhibit 10 contract with Portland two weeks ago, while Nogues and Drell are currently playing overseas.

Jazz, Pedro Bradshaw Agree To Exhibit 10 Deal

October 14th, 2025 at 12:34pm CST by Luke Adams

The Jazz and free agent swingman Pedro Bradshaw have agreed to an Exhibit 10 deal, agent Darrell Comer tells NBA insider Chris Haynes (Twitter link).

Bradshaw, who went undrafted out of Bellarmine University in 2021, actually began his career with Utah’s G League affiliate, the Salt Lake City Stars, as a rookie in 2021/22. He has since played for several other NBAGL teams and spent part of the 2024/25 season in Australia with the Cairns Taipans before finishing the year with the Rostock Seawolves in Germany.

A solid rebounder and shooter, the 6’7″ forward averaged 8.6 points and 6.2 rebounds in 23.9 minutes per game with a 40.2% three-point mark across 45 appearances for Indiana’s G League team in 2023/24. Last season for the Taipans, he registered averages of 10.7 PPG and 5.7 RPG with a .371 3PT%.

Salt Lake City acquired Bradshaw’s returning rights in a trade with the Noblesville Boom this summer, signaling that the Jazz expect to have him suit up for their G League affiliate this fall. If he spends at least 60 days with the Stars, Bradshaw will earn an Exhibit 10 bonus worth up to $85,300.

Utah currently has a full 21-man preseason roster, so someone will have to be waived to temporarily open up a spot for Bradshaw.

Jazz’s Georges Niang Out At Least 2-3 More Weeks

October 12th, 2025 at 7:00pm CST by Eli Cohen

Jazz forward Georges Niang will be reevaluated in two to three weeks as he works to come back from a fourth metatarsal stress reaction in his left foot, the team announced in a press release.

The injury, which Niang suffered during offseason training and conditioning, was announced on September 27. At that time, the Jazz said that Niang would be reevaluated in two weeks. The newest update confirms that he is progressing in his rehabilitation, but there is still no definitive return date.

Niang’s return to Utah this summer came in the form of a trade by the Celtics aimed at freeing up cap space, as he was dealt along with two second-round picks for rookie RJ Luis. Niang split last season between the Hawks and Cavaliers, and held season averages of 9.9 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game.

The career 39.9% three-point shooter played four seasons with Utah from 2017-21 and appeared in 23 playoff games for the team, averaging 5.0 points in 13.0 minutes. The Jazz, in the midst of a rebuild, reportedly value Niang for the impact he could have as a veteran among the many young players on their roster.

Injury Notes: Jazz, Williams, Sheppard, Furphy

October 12th, 2025 at 5:01pm CST by Eli Cohen

The Jazz are getting closer to full health, tweets Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune. According to Larsen, Lauri Markkanen, Walker Kessler, and Kyle Filipowski, who missed the start of training camp due to lower back, left shoulder, and left wrist injuries, respectively, were full participants in practice on Sunday.

The three big men were unavailable for Utah’s opening two preseason matchups, but are gearing up for their returns. Markkanen previously stated that while his injury was minor, he wasn’t sure of his exact timetable for return.

Larsen also notes that Kyle Anderson, who played at least 14 minutes in each of the opening preseason games, was not able to suit up for practice due to right knee tendinitis.

We have more injury notes from around the league:

Vince Williams Jr. missed the Grizzlies‘ game against the Hawks on Friday night, but according to head coach Tuomas Iisalo, his absence wasn’t a cause for concern. Iisalo said the decision was made because of “small precautions,” according to Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal (via Twitter), and added that it was “nothing serious at this moment.”
Ben Sheppard has been absent from each of the Pacers‘ two preseason games so far and is doubtful for Monday’s upcoming tilt against the Spurs, reports Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star (Twitter link). According to coach Rick Carlisle, Sheppard is still working his way back to being a full practice participant. The Pacers are very light on healthy guards at the moment; in addition to Tyrese Haliburton, Indiana is already missing T.J. McConnell, who will be out at least a month with a hamstring injury, as well as 2025 draft pick Kam Jones, who is sidelined due to a back injury.
Pacers sophomore Johnny Furphy is joining Sheppard on the injury report after he sprained his left ankle in Saturday’s contest with the Thunder, Dopirak writes. Furphy’s recovery timeline has not been reported yet, nor has the severity of the sprain.

Northwest Notes: Williams, Sharpe, Nuggets, Bailey

October 10th, 2025 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Thunder forward Jalen Williams, who is making his way back from surgery to address a torn scapholunate ligament in his right wrist, still isn’t shooting jumpers with that right hand, according to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon (Twitter link).

The Thunder have been cagey about Williams’ recovery timeline and haven’t indicated whether or not they expect him to available when their regular season begins later this month. Asked about Williams’ status on Thursday, head coach Mark Daigneault declined to offer any specifics.

“He’s progressing on a normal timeline,” Daigneault said (YouTube link). “… He’s where he should be.”

We have more from around the Northwest:

Amid rumors that he could command a rookie scale extension worth north of $100MM over four years, Trail Blazers guard Shaedon Sharpe kicked off the preseason in impressive fashion on Wednesday, scoring 22 points on 9-of-15 shooting and grabbing six rebounds in just 23 minutes of action. “He just looked very under control at all times,” head coach Chauncey Billups said of Sharpe, per Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report (Substack link). “Got to where he wanted to get to. I thought defensively, he was good. He went in and got some really good rebounds for us. I think Shaedon can be an exceptional rebounder with his physical gifts. He played a good game.”
Nuggets newcomer Cameron Johnson has played a pretty modest offensive role in his first two preseason games with the team, scoring just 13 points on nine total shot attempts. Head coach David Adelman isn’t worried about that, as Bennett Durando of The Denver Post relays. “We’re just getting him comfortable,” Adelman said on Thursday. “And Cam is one of those guys that plays for his teammates sometimes instead of force-feeding himself into the action. … We’ve gotta get him to his right hand more. I haven’t put in pet plays for him yet. But we’ll get there for sure. He’s a really special player in that you can plug and play him in a lot of ways.”
In a separate story for The Denver Post, Durando spoke to some of Bruce Brown‘s former coaches to get a sense of why he and the Nuggets have been such a perfect match for one another. Durando also reports within the story that Brown drew interest this offseason from the Lakers and Suns, among other teams, before agreeing to return to Denver.
The Jazz lost to Houston in their preseason opener on Wednesday, but rookie forward Ace Bailey poured in 25 points on 11-of-16 shooting while also chipping in six rebounds, three assists, and a pair of steals. Rockets forward Kevin Durant was among those who came away impressed by the No. 5 overall pick, per Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune. “Dynamic player. I think he’s going to be a hell of a player,” Durant said. “I love the coaching staff that he’s with. I love that he got drafted to Utah; they’ve got a good development program over there that I’m looking forward to seeing how he progresses. I’m expecting a big year from him and a big career.”

Fischer’s Latest: Braun, M. Williams, Kessler, Markkanen, Love

October 10th, 2025 at 12:52pm CST by Luke Adams

As was the case a year ago, some of the players eligible for rookie scale extensions this fall are seeking new deals with an average annual value of $30MM, according to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link).

One of those players, Fischer writes, is Nuggets wing Christian Braun. League sources who have spoken to Fischer suggest that the low end of an extension for Braun could be in the neighborhood of $25MM annually.

Braun, 24, made a strong case for a lucrative new contract in his first season as a full-time starter in 2024/25, averaging 15.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.1 steals in 33.9 minutes per game. All of those numbers were career highs, as were his shooting percentages of 58.0% from the floor, 39.7% on three-pointers, and 82.7% from the free throw line.

While Braun is a viable candidate for a new deal ahead of the October 20 deadline, teammate Peyton Watson appears unlikely to be extended before the season, according to Fischer, who explains that Denver’s cap and tax situation going forward will make the club reluctant to lock in too many role players on guaranteed multiyear deals.

Here’s more from Fischer:

The Suns aren’t considered likely to work out a rookie scale extension with center Mark Williams this month, Fischer reports. Sources tell The Stein Line that Phoenix would prefer to continue evaluating Williams during the 2025/26 season and see whether he can have a healthier year after not playing more than 44 games in any of his first three NBA seasons. The big man would be a restricted free agent next summer.
Confirming a prior report from The Athletic, Fischer writes that the Jazz and Walker Kessler have no momentum toward a rookie scale extension and that the young center is expected to become a restricted free agent in 2026. Not extending Kessler now would also make him easier to trade during the season if Utah decides to go in that direction. The Lakers have repeatedly been identified as a team with interest, and Fischer hears the Suns eyed Kessler before trading for Williams in June.
While the Jazz remain open to listening to inquiries on Lauri Markkanen, they’re not actively looking to move the standout forward, says Fischer. In the short term, Kevin Love is the more obvious trade candidate in Utah, Fischer continues, observing that Love’s 20-minute stint in Wednesday’s preseason opener had teams wondering if the Jazz were trying to showcase him for potential suitors. While I’d be surprised if Utah is able to get anything for Love on the trade market, finding a team willing to sign him to a minimum-salary contract could benefit the Jazz, since he’d be more inclined to give up money in a buyout if he has a new destination lined up.

Latest On Lauri Markkanen

October 10th, 2025 at 9:11am CST by Luke Adams

Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen, a standout for Finland during the team’s run to the EuroBasket semifinals last month, sustained a left wrist contusion during the tournament that has sidelined him through training camp and the first part of the preseason.

However, the injury is considered a minor one, according to Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune, who writes that Markkanen has still been doing workouts, is dribbling with both hands, and isn’t wearing any sort of visible protection on the affected wrist.

“It’s more maintenance,” head coach Will Hardy explained. “I’m lucky that I got to see this in San Antonio a bunch when guys were playing EuroBasket. They just competed really hard for a month and laid it all on the line. It’s nothing that we’re concerned about, but it’s just some bumps and bruises that we want to manage in this moment as he’s coming off of that. There’s nothing to be concerned about at all.”

For his part, Markkanen said that he expects to be available for opening night, though he doesn’t know how much he’ll play in any of Utah’s remaining three preseason games on Friday, Monday, and next Thursday.

“I’m not sure what the exact date is when I’m going to start, but [I’ve] been doing rehab every day and working out and feeling better,” he said.

As Larsen observes, most of the speculation involving Markkanen as of late has been centered around the possibility of a trade, rather than his health. Writing about potential players to watch at this year’s trade deadline, Chris Mannix of SI.com said earlier this week that Markkanen is the name he hears “most frequently” when he talks to people around the league, adding that Utah is thought to be “very” open for business on the Finnish forward.

The Ringer’s Zach Lowe, meanwhile, said in a recent podcast that he has a hard time imagining a scenario in which Markkanen is still on Utah’s roster in a year. New Jazz president of basketball operations Austin Ainge pushed back on that prediction, according to Larsen.

“I don’t agree with that,” Ainge said. “And I love Zach, but look, (I’m a) huge fan of Lauri. Lauri’s awesome. He’s really good, and Lauri could and hopefully is part of our next team when we’re going up.”

Still, Ainge didn’t entirely rule out the possibility of a deal involving the 2023 All-Star.

“I joke that, obviously, no one is untradeable,” Ainge said. “If a trade came in for me, I would convince (Jazz owner) Ryan (Smith) to take it. You know, this is how it goes.”

Markkanen was considered a prime trade candidate during the 2024 offseason, but signed a renegotiated and extended contract last August that made him ineligible to be moved during the 2024/25 season. He’s trade-eligible again now, but has continued to express a desire to stick with the Jazz, stating this fall, “I love to be in Utah.” Nonetheless, he acknowledged that he expects the trade speculation to continue.

“The rumors (have) already started, but I don’t pay attention to that. Pretty much anybody can get traded in this league,” Markkanen said, per Larsen. “So you just play to the best of your abilities, and enjoy the practices and games and time I get to spend in this facility and with these guys. And if something happens, then we adjust.”

According to Larsen, when the Jazz have received inquiries on Markkanen in the past, they’ve sought multiple draft picks and quality young players, but haven’t gotten a compelling offer that included both.

Jazz Sign Abmas, McGriff; Waive Crowl, Murrell

October 6th, 2025 at 10:50pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Jazz announced multiple roster additions and subtractions on Monday.

According to a press release, the team has waived seven-foot big man Steven Crowl and guard Matthew Murrell. The Jazz announced in a subsequent press release that they’ve inked a pair of new free agents, guard Max Abmas and forward Cameron McGriff, to contracts.

Crowl and Murrell had been signed to Exhibit 10 training camp contracts; the agreements for Abmas and McGriff are almost certainly non-guaranteed Exhibit 10 deals as well.

Abmas wrapped up a five-year NCAA career with a one-season stint at Texas in 2023/24. The six-footer spent the 2024/25 campaign playing for Utah’s NBAGL affiliate, the Salt Lake City Stars. Across 34 regular season outings, Abmas averaged 13.6 points, 4.2 assists, 3.3 rebounds and 0.9 steals per night.

McGriff, an undrafted 6’7″ swingman out of Oklahoma State, appeared in three contests for Portland in 2021/22. He has been kicking around the G League ever since, with stints on the Greensboro Swarm, Memphis Hustle, and – most recently – the Noblesville Boom to his credit. In 45 contests for Noblesville last year, McGriff averaged 12.5 points, 6.2 boards and 1.8 dimes per game.

Given that the Jazz’s G League affiliate already controlled Abmas’ returning rights and acquired McGriff’s from Noblesville in an offseason trade, it seems relatively safe to assume both players are ticketed for the Salt Lake City Stars. If they remain with the Stars for at least 60 days, they’ll each earn a bonus worth up to $85,300.

Players Seeking Paydays This Season

October 5th, 2025 at 5:03pm CST by Eli Cohen

While some players are still hoping to finalize rookie scale extensions before the season begins, the majority of contract situations around the league have been settled at this point. But business never sleeps in the world of the NBA, and many players will enter this season hoping to impress executives and land their next big payday.

Zach Harper of The Athletic details the top names playing for new deals this season, excluding the aforementioned rookie scale extension seekers.

One player not on a rookie-scale deal but still extension-eligible is Michael Porter Jr., whom the Nets recently acquired to add some scoring pop to the starting lineup. Porter’s deal runs for two more seasons and will pay him $38.3MM this year and $40.8MM in 2026/27.

The Nets’ roster remains a major work in progress, making future projections tricky, but at just 27 years old, Porter is in position to have a big year in Brooklyn and boost his stock entering a contract year next summer. The biggest question, according to Harper, is whether Porter’s next deal would remain in the range of the $40MM+ he’ll earn in 2026/27 or if he would take a modest pay cut to secure a longer-term contract.

Harper takes a look at three big men who could hit the open market next summer: Kristaps Porzingis, the Hawks‘ new starting center, longtime Bulls veteran Nikola Vucevic, and the Knicks‘ on-and-off starter Mitchell Robinson. All three have question marks surrounding them — for Porzingis and Robinson, those questions center around health, though Robinson could also be a cap casualty on New York’s increasingly pricey roster.

Vucevic has been in trade rumors for years, and with the Bulls taking more steps to embrace a youth movement than they have in the past, his time in Chicago could be coming to an end. Harper predicts an annual value of around $21MM for Vucevic on his next deal, which is about what he’ll earn in 2025/26.

Another group of players Harper looks at is a trio of high-scoring guards who will be free agents in 2026: Anfernee Simons and Norman Powell, who were acquired this summer by the Celtics and Heat, respectively, and Coby White, who has grown into a talented combo guard over his six seasons with the Bulls. Harper predicts a deal around $20MM annually for Simons, $75MM over three years for White, and a two-year, $50MM contract for Powell.

The 2026 free agency class will also be impacted by the decisions made by veterans with player options, such as Zach LaVine (Kings), Bradley Beal (Clippers), and Austin Reaves (Lakers). Cam Thomas (Nets) and Quentin Grimes (Sixers) will also reach unrestricted free agency after accepting their respective qualifying offers and will be looking to recoup the money they passed on this offseason.

Finally, Harper singles out four role players who could be coveted next season, depending on their performance this season: Rui Hachimura (Lakers), Tyus Jones (Magic), Keon Ellis (Kings), and Georges Niang (Jazz). The 25-year-old Ellis has broken out over the last two seasons and could command his first real payday of his career if he has a strong season off the bench in Sacramento. Harper speculates he could be in line for a deal similar to the three-year, $27.6MM contract Ty Jerome signed with the Grizzlies this summer.