Timberwolves Notes: Randle, DiVincenzo, Dosunmu, McDaniels
Julius Randle was among several Timberwolves players involved in trade rumors leading up to the deadline, and the speculation — combined with the disappointment of not making the All-Star team — seemed to weigh on him in recent weeks, writes Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic.
“Julius is a guy who plays with his heart on his sleeve,” head coach Chris Finch said. “He was kind of not himself recently. … He’s so important for us in so many ways. We just need him to come back to the pack, if you will.”
The veteran power forward had a triple double (18 points, 12 rebounds, 10 assists) in Monday’s victory over Atlanta and followed that up with what Krawczynski calls his best performance of the season in Wednesday’s win over Portland, finishing with 41 points (23 in the fourth quarter) and seven rebounds while being locked in on defense. Randle’s teammates know they need Randle to be at his best to make another deep playoff run.
“It gets everybody going. He can get as many triple-doubles as anybody,” Naz Reid said. “He plays fast, plays strong, spaces the floor, he gets everybody else involved. I think that’s the key to winning, as well, just being super aggressive while also making sure everybody around you comes with you.”
Here’s more on the Wolves:
- While Ayo Dosunmu has quickly made a strong impression with the team’s fans, Krawczynski expects Donte DiVincenzo to remain in Minnesota’s starting lineup. As Krawczynski writes, DiVincenzo isn’t a traditional point guard, but he brings consistent effort, energy and competitiveness, and has been a key member of a starting unit which ranks among the best in the league. The 29-year-old also has outstanding on/off numbers this season, Krawczynski notes.
- Dosunmu has helped unlock transition offense opportunities for Jaden McDaniels by constantly pushing the pace, Krawczynski adds. Finch wants McDaniels to attempt at least 10 shots per game, which has been an issue at times, but Dosunmu could help change that. “It’s been pretty good. He’s coming from Chicago, which plays super fast,” McDaniels said. “I know that some plays, he’s outrunning all of us. He’s helping us run, he’s helping us get better. I just like the energy he brings and the effort.”
- There has been a “collective weight” on the Timberwolves this season that wasn’t present in years past, according to Chris Hine of The Star Tribune, who wonders how far the team will need to advance in the postseason to alleviate that pressure.
GM Webster Discusses Raptors’ Performance, Barnes, More
Just before the All-Star break, Raptors general manager Bobby Webster sat down for an interview with Eric Koreen of The Athletic. Webster’s conversation with Koreen covers a number of topics and is worth checking out in full for Raptors fans. Here are a few highlights.
On the team’s performance thus far in 2025/26:
I go back and forth between, ‘We haven’t accomplished anything’ and, ‘It’s OK to enjoy some of the moments along the way.’ Scottie (Barnes) and Brandon (Ingram) being All-Stars is great, having Darko (Rajakovic) coach the World Team, Collin (Murray-Boyles) and Alijah (Martin) (playing in the Rising Stars event), that feels like a moment to recognize it, enjoy it and then get back to work. Those are the two mindsets I’ve vacillated between.
On Barnes’ growth and opportunities for improvement:
It’s always different when you draft a player. That’s what we have the benefit of with Scottie. We’ve studied him coming out of college. We drafted him coming out of the Tampa year. He comes here. We have success early. Now you think back to Scottie as a rookie to Scottie now, and the seriousness level on a consistent basis is what stands out. That energy and dynamic play every night really stands out to me and really impacts the winning on the court. He’s gonna continue to get better. He’s only 24. I don’t think your prime in the NBA is until 27, 28. Physically, he’ll get stronger. The game will continue to slow down for him. It’s our job to surround him with the right players, to complement him.
On what it would take for Toronto to make a major win-now trade:
(The team, conference and league context) all matters. What is the main driver? Seven different champions in the last seven years suggests there isn’t a huge dynasty in the current NBA. You want to be mindful of that. You have to stick to your guns on some of it as far as not overpaying, not chasing it. That’s sort of what I alluded to: We’ve kept our draft picks for a number of years on purpose. When you do go for it, is it a three- or four-pick trade, or do we peel them off one at a time? That’s what we did last time (with the acquisitions of Serge Ibaka and Kawhi Leonard).
There’s no right way to do it. Do you do it early? Do you do it in the middle? Do you chase late? We’ve looked at all the different builds that resulted in a championship team, and there’s no preferred route other than you have got to get it right. So when you do push them in, when you do consolidate, who is that player? Where is that player in his career? Does that skill set fit with the main guys? If anything, the trades in the past few years show that everything is fungible and you have to keep that flexibility.
And-Ones: Bonga, Tanking, Giannis
KK Partizan recently received lucrative buyout offers for Isaac Bonga from four unnamed NBA teams, according to Pedrag Saric of Meridian Sport (hat tip to Eurohoops). However, the Serbian club rejected those offers for the German forward, who played in the NBA from 2018-22, because Partizan didn’t want to lose its most consistent player.
Bonga is still just 26 years old and could receive NBA interest again this summer, assuming he stays with the Belgrade-based team for the remainder of the 2025/26 season. In 41 total games (26.3 minutes per contest) this season, Bonga has averaged 10.1 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.0 steal on .505/.312/.830 shooting.
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Tanking has come under increased scrutiny this season, in part because of the perceived strength of the 2026 draft class. “This draft has a chance to be legendary,” one NBA executive told Forbes contributor Adam Zagoria. How can the league combat teams trying to intentionally lose to boost their lottery odds? Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports lays out his idea to address the tanking issue.
- Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s investment in prediction market company Kalshi isn’t a great look for the NBA, says Dan Wetzel of ESPN.com. As Wetzel writes, Antetokounmpo’s minority stake in Kalshi technically doesn’t break any league rules, but it’s easy to see how it could cause fans to lose confidence in the integrity of the sport — one popular category a couple weeks ago was whether or not the Bucks‘ star forward would be traded.
- Speaking to the media on Saturday, Antetokounmpo said he would the welcome opportunity to be an owner in the NBA’s proposed European league, per Javier Molero of Eurohoops. “Being an owner? 100%,” the two-time MVP said. “If there’s an opportunity that comes across my desk to be an owner in sports, anything, I would consider it 100%. In the real NBA, I don’t know if I have that type of money. If I ever come into a position where I’m able to make that decision and it won’t affect my lifestyle, my family’s lifestyle, and it won’t be too risky for my wealth and network, I will consider doing it.”
Central Notes: Cunningham, Bickerstaff, Siakam, Bulls
Pistons guard Cade Cunningham will make his second straight All-Star appearance on Sunday. He tells Marc J. Spears of Andscape that being selected to the 2026 exhibition was one of his long-term goals, as the mini-tournament is being held at the Intuit Dome, where the men’s basketball competition will take place at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
“The L.A. All-Star Game was part of that plan,” Cunningham said. “I wanted to make sure I’m in there. And then win a championship and be an Olympic point guard. It’s all part of the long-term plan, for sure.”
Cunningham is having an excellent all-around season for Detroit, averaging 25.3 points, 9.6 assists, 5.6 rebounds and 1.5 steals on .462/.330/.802 shooting through 46 games (34.9 minutes per game). Head coach J.B. Bickerstaff made sure to point out that Cunningham excels on both ends of the court for the top-seeded Pistons.
“He is a [6-foot-6] point guard who dominates all areas of the offensive end of the floor,” Bickerstaff told Andscape. “But what I don’t think people talk about enough is his defense, his willingness to guard the other team’s best players.
“The impact that he has on that end of the floor – to me, he’s one of the top five two-way players in our league. There may be some guys that they talk about offensively, but his impact is on both ends of the floor. There’s not many guys in this league that are that way.”
Here’s more from around the Central:
- In an interview with Steve Bulpett of Heavy.com, Bickerstaff said he didn’t expect to be hired by the Pistons in the 2024 offseason after being let go by the Cavaliers. “I didn’t think I was going to get a job,” Bickerstaff told Heavy Sports. “There weren’t jobs available at that point. So I was just sitting at home and hanging out with my family back in Cleveland trying to figure out what was next. We were going to move to San Clemente, California. There’s a soccer academy there, and we were going to go there and let the kids go to the academy and train.” Bickerstaff has spearheaded a dramatic turnaround in Detroit, and he says he was able to grow from the experience of being fired by the Cavaliers. “That month that I had off gave me an opportunity to, like, evaluate myself and think about what I was going to be at the next opportunity and just understanding that the focus should always be on the process and not just focused on the results,” he said. “In my last year in Cleveland, I let that get the best of me, where it was like results, results, results. And we skipped some of the process stuff.”
- Pacers star Pascal Siakam recently spoke to Mark Medina of EssentiallySports at the Basketball Without Borders All-Star camp at the Lakers’ practice facility. Siakam was introduced to the NBA world when he attended a BWB camp in Africa in 2012. “I saw Luol Deng. I saw Serge Ibaka. I saw NBA players at that time. I thought, ‘This is cool.’ I saw NBA coaches. I had never been exposed to the NBA beforehand. I think that was my first time,” Siakam said. “I think I will always remember those memories and see how excited we were to get the opportunity. After that, my love for the game grew. We’re here now.” The All-Star forward also discussed his growth as a vocal leader, Tyrese Haliburton‘s impact on the team as he recovers from a torn Achilles tendon, and his excitement about playing with new starting center Ivica Zubac, among other topics.
- Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times grades the Bulls‘ trade deadline moves, giving the front office a D-plus because the series of transactions “came at least a season too late.”
Suns Notes: Highsmith, Ishbia, Brooks, 2027 All-Star Game
The Suns have long been fans of Haywood Highsmith, according to Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic, who hears from sources that the team has been eyeing the veteran forward for two years. Highsmith plans to sign a multiyear deal with Phoenix.
Rankin writes that the Suns view Highsmith as a strong fit due his “competitiveness and toughness.” Although Phoenix has a standard roster opening the team can use to sign Highsmith, the Suns are also expected to waive guard Cole Anthony, Rankin confirms.
Here’s more on the Suns:
- The Suns have already exceeded external expectations this season — they were only projected to win 31.5 games, and they’re currently 32-23, the No. 7 seed in the West and just three games out of the No. 3 spot. As Sam Amick of The Athletic writes, Mat Ishbia was widely criticized around the league for leaning into his Michigan State ties in his first couple years as owner, but instead of going away from those connections, he doubled down and went all the way in last offseason. Ishbia promoted Brian Gregory, his former assistant coach with the Spartans, to be the Suns’ new general manager, and worked with Gregory and CEO Josh Bartelstein to establish the team’s hardworking culture. “When people wanted to blame me last time, I wasn’t actually doing it my way,” Ishbia told The Athletic. “Now, I am, and there’s no question about it.”
- According to Amick, while James Jones was technically still Phoenix’s head of basketball operations last February, it was actually Bartelstein who spearheaded communications with rival teams interested in trading for Kevin Durant. League sources tell Amick the Rockets made a late pitch for Durant prior to last year’s deadline, offering a package that included Jalen Green and Jabari Smith Jr., but the Suns wanted Dillon Brooks in the deal and decided to wait until the summer to revisit trade talks. A Rockets source denies Smith was ever included in the offer, Amick adds.
- As impressive as Phoenix’s turnaround has been this season, the team still finds itself at an asset deficit after trading away so many draft picks and swaps to acquire Durant and Bradley Beal in the first place, Amick notes. The Suns will also carry Beal’s dead-money cap hit on their books for several more seasons, limiting their financial flexibility going forward.
- Speaking to the media on Saturday, All-Star guard Devin Booker says he has enjoyed playing with Brooks this season, as Rankin of The Arizona Republic relays (Twitter video link). “Dillon is a hardworking man. He’s someone to rally behind. He’s a fierce competitor. I wouldn’t want it any other way. I’d rather too competitive than to be the other way. It’s been a pleasure playing with him,” Booker said.
- Commissioner Adam Silver discussed the 2027 All-Star game, which Phoenix will host, at his Saturday press conference, per Rankin (Twitter video link).
Kai Jones Signs Two-Year Extension With Anadolu Efes
Former NBA big man Kai Jones has signed a two-year extension with Anadolu Efes, the Turkish club announced in a press release (Twitter link).
The 19th overall pick in the 2021 draft, Jones technically holds four years of NBA experience even though he didn’t appear in a game in 2023/24 — he signed a 10-day contract with Philadelphia near the end of that campaign.
Jones played 40 games for the Clippers and Mavericks in 2024/25, averaging 5.0 points and 3.1 rebounds while shooting 79.8% from the field in 11.7 minutes per contest.
The 25-year-old began last season on a two-way contract with the Clippers, then was waived on March 1. He caught on immediately with the injury-plagued Mavericks, who were desperately seeking frontcourt depth as they pushed for a play-in spot.
Jones spent four days working out for the Heat last August, but nothing came of his audition. He was reportedly close to signing with Italy’s Virtus Bologna before those workouts, but ended up joining Anadolu Efes the following month.
Jones has appeared in 26 EuroLeague games with Efes, averaging 3.8 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 14.2 minutes per contest. He rarely shoots (1.8 attempts per game), but has converted 45 of his 47 field goals (95.9%) thus far in 2025/26.
Anadolu Efes, which also competes in Turkey’s top domestic league, has struggled in EuroLeague action, compiling a 9-19 record.
Warriors Notes: Green, Horford, Santos, Dunleavy
Warriors forward Draymond Green believes complaints over a lack of intensity in the All-Star Game are a result of the league overscheduling players, relays Eden Collier of NBC Sports Bay Area. Speaking Friday on his podcast, Green recalled several All-Star appearances that featured a series of required events leading up to the game.
“I’ve been at this community thing, I’ve been at this event, I’ve been at this this sneaker deal thing, I’ve been at this this podcast thing,” Green explained. “By the time you get to the game … oh, I get 20 minutes to shoot the basketball.”
Green added that he prepares all day for a normal game, starting with morning workouts, followed by cardio, treatment, hot tub recovery, work in the weight room, shooting sessions, team meetings and then taping with trainers. That process is cut way short for the All-Star Game, so players are reluctant to compete at full speed for fear of injury.
“I’m going to go out here and play hard in this game that I prepared for, for 20 minutes?” he said. “That played a big part.”
Green’s solution is to let big-name players who weren’t selected for the All-Star Game handle the other events and have the All-Stars devote their time to the game.
There’s more on the Warriors:
- Green has been kept on the bench for the closing minutes of the team’s last two victories, Sam Gordon of The San Francisco Chronicle notes in a subscriber-only story. Green started the games as a small-ball center, but coach Steve Kerr opted to close with Al Horford in the middle surrounded by shooters and ball-handlers. “Al in the Phoenix game and last night was playing so well and I think without (Stephen Curry), it’s easier for us to score if Al is at the five and we space the floor around him,” Kerr said after Monday’s comeback win over Memphis. “… It’s harder to find lineup combinations without Stephen where we can play Dray at the four.”
- A roster shakeup caused by the season-ending injury to Jimmy Butler and the trade of Jonathan Kuminga to Atlanta has resulted in Gui Santos moving into the starting lineup for the last five games, Gordon states in a separate piece. For the first time in his career, Santos is being trusted to create opportunities for his teammates by driving to the basket. “Without Jimmy, we don’t have much size at the (small forward and power forward) spots,” Kerr said. “Gui is — you can see by the way he’s been playing. He’s been one of our best players. He’s consistent, gaining confidence by the day.”
- The Warriors have a chance to re-sign Kristaps Porzingis at a reduced price, and Horford could be a bargain if he picks up his $6MM option to return next season, but general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. needs to add more youth and athleticism to the roster, contends Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area.
Southwest Notes: Durant, Irving, All-Star Weekend, NBPA
Rockets star Kevin Durant doesn’t buy the argument that players used to compete much harder in the All-Star Game, according to Devon Henderson and Eric Nehm of The Athletic. Sunday will mark Durant’s 16th appearance in the contest, so he has a lot of personal experience to offer a comparison. In addition, he told reporters on Saturday that he watched “at least the first quarter of every All-Star Game from like the ’70s up until the late ’90s” to see if there was a noticeable difference in the level of play.
“I’ve been watching All-Star Games and the intensity the older generation been talking about,” Durant said before trailing off and shaking his head disapprovingly. “I don’t know if I’ve seen it.”
Henderson and Nehm note that ratings for the game have been falling dramatically amid the perception that the players don’t really care, with last year’s contest marking a 13% decline from 2024. However, Durant believes the players are easy scapegoats for the public’s waning interest in the event.
“I just feel like fans and media need something to complain about, and the All-Star Game don’t make them feel like it made them feel back when they were kids, so they need something to complain about,” he said. “I don’t think it’s that big of a deal, to be honest. The All-Star Game, the All-Star Weekend, it’s here to celebrate the game of basketball.”
There’s more from the Southwest Division:
- Posting on Twitch, Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving said he’s planning to provide an update after the All-Star break on his recovery from ACL surgery and the possibility of a return this season, relays Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News (Twitter link). There has been speculation for months that Irving may be able to return around this point of the season, but the team hasn’t announced any sort of timetable. “It’s not easy to come back from any injury,” Irving said (Twitter video link), “but you gotta be mentally, spiritually, physically ready and the frustrating portion has been not being able to push myself to that brink, where you’re just dog tired.”
- Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal (subscription required) asked Grizzlies players for their suggestions to improve All-Star Weekend, which include convincing star players to compete in the Slam Dunk Contest and adding a one-on-one tournament to Saturday’s schedule. Rookie guard Jahmai Mashack believes the addition of an international team this year will help to boost interest. “I like the idea of USA versus World,” he said. “That’s really cool. I just think players got to be more competitive. Once you go out there, you got to treat it like a real game. Maybe have the stakes be a little bit higher and give them something to compete for.”
- The Grizzlies‘ Santi Aldama and the Pelicans‘ Trey Murphy III have been selected as vice presidents for the NBPA executive committee, Cole tweets.
Spurs Notes: Wembanyama, Bryant, Harper, M. Johnson
The NBA’s All-Star Game has suffered from a lack of intensity over the past few years, but Victor Wembanyama plans to change that, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN. Speaking to reporters during today’s interview sessions, the Spurs star outlined what he expects to bring to Sunday’s contest.
“Exclamation-point plays, playing in a solid manner and sharing the ball with energy,” Wembanyama said. “If you share that energy, people feel like they have a responsibility to share it back to you.”
This is the second straight All-Star appearance for Wembanyama, who will be part of the World team in the game’s new format. There will be a round robin competition with four 12-minute games and the top two teams meeting in the finals. It’s the fourth different All-Star format in the last four years, and Wembanyama is optimistic that it will be successful.
“I’m confident in the way it’s going to go,” he said.
There’s more on the Spurs:
- Carter Bryant had a chance to win Saturday’s Slam Dunk Contest, but he couldn’t connect on his final attempt — a reverse slam off the backboard — and had to settle for a safer dunk just before time expired. It was a disappointment for the rookie forward, who got 50s from all the judges on his first dunk of the finals, a between-the-legs slam off the bounce. “If I put that dunk down, I win it,” Bryant told Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News (Twitter link). “That’s probably the dunk I’ve made the most out of all the dunks I did today in my life. I’ve been doing that dunk since I’ve been 14. Just didn’t get the ball. Didn’t roll my way.”
- Ron Harper Sr., who teamed with his sons, Ron Harper Jr. and Dylan Harper, in the Shooting Stars event, is happy that Dylan wound up in San Antonio, Orsborn relays (Twitter link). As the No. 2 pick in the draft, Dylan might have been given a larger role elsewhere, but his father believes he’s in a good environment. “I think the Spurs are a first-class place,” Harper Sr. said. “He has a chance to learn the ball game and play with some very good basketball players there. And if they keep continuing to build as a basketball club, they will have a chance.”
- In a full story (subscription required), Orsborn examines the bond that Mitch Johnson has been able to create with his players. In his first full season as head coach, Johnson earned a spot in the All-Star Game and will coach the Stripes team on Sunday. “We’d run through walls for him the same way he’d run through walls for us,” Julian Champagnie said.
Damian Lillard Wins Three-Point Contest
Damian Lillard isn’t playing this season while recovering from a torn Achilles, but his jumper was still sharp enough to win Saturday’s three-point contest at All-Star Weekend, writes Dan Woike of The Athletic. Appearing on an NBA court for the first time since he suffered the injury last April 27, the Trail Blazers guard sank 10 straight shots at one point during the final round to defeat Devin Booker and rookie Kon Knueppel.
It’s Lillard’s third victory in the past four years and it ties him with Larry Bird and Craig Hodges, the only other three-time champs in the history of the contest, which began in 1986.
“Every day I’m up early in the morning warming up and shooting the ball, off the dribble, catch-and-shoot, every style of shot you can shoot. I’m shooting them every day, hundreds of ’em,” Lillard said. “So I knew that this would not be an issue for me. I can’t say I knew that I would win ’cause you just never know. But I knew I would be able to be strong out there and have a chance. I came in confident.”
Lillard was a surprise inclusion in the field of eight contestants because of the injury and his long layoff. He jokingly told a league official that he was ready to go, and he later got the opportunity when another competitor dropped out.
“It felt like a game for me,” Lillard said. “Coming into it, I was like, I don’t know if you can compete harder at a three-point shootout, but I definitely cared more. I didn’t come in, ‘Oh, it is what it is.’ I was like, ‘No, I’m trying to win.’”
Woike notes that the favorite of the L.A. crowd was Heat guard Norman Powell, who spent three years with the Clippers before being traded last summer. Powell scored 23 points in the first round before being eliminated along with Donovan Mitchell, Jamal Murray, Tyrese Maxey and Bobby Portis.
“I just ran a little bit of time,” Powell said, per Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel (subscription required). “I slowed myself down a little too much, because last year I was sped up and going through the course too fast, so kind of said I’m gonna calm down, relax. and take my time with my shots. But, in the end, I ran a little bit of time.”
Second-year Heat forward Keshad Johnson won the Slam Dunk Contest, defeating Carter Bryant in the finals. Jaxson Hayes and Jase Richardson were eliminated in the first round.
The Shooting Stars competition went to the Knicks‘ contingent of Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns and Allan Houston, along with their celebrity passer, assistant coach Rick Brunson.