Trail Blazers Waive Javonte Cooke
4:45 pm: Cooke has been waived, per the official transaction log at NBA.com.
4:05 pm: The Trail Blazers plan to waive Javonte Cooke, who is on a two-way contract, league sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).
Cooke, 26, has spent the entire 2025/26 season with Portland. The 6’6″ shooting guard has made 19 appearances for the Blazers, averaging 1.2 points and 1.0 rebounds in just 4.9 minutes per game.
While Cooke has played a limited role in the NBA, he has put up big numbers in the G League for the Rip City Remix, Scotto notes. In 15 appearances (33.1 MPG) for the Remix this season, Cooke has averaged 22.7 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 3.1 APG, 1.9 SPG and 0.9 BPG on .458/.358/.750 shooting.
Cooke, who played for three different Division II colleges, went undrafted in 2022. He primarily played in the NBAGL in the three seasons leading up to ’25/26, but he also had a stint with the Brampton Honey Badgers of the Canadian Elite Basketball League in 2024.
As our tracker shows, the Blazers already had a two-way opening, and now they’ll have two once they officially waive Cooke. One of those two-way spots will reportedly go to former Thunder guard Chris Youngblood.
Tyus Jones To Sign With Nuggets
Free agent point guard Tyus Jones plans to sign with the Nuggets, his agent Kevin Bradbury tells Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).
As Vinny Benedetto of The Denver Gazette notes (via Twitter), the Nuggets had one opening on their standard roster, and they’ll use it to sign Jones, who was waived by Dallas on Saturday. The 29-year-old retained his playoff eligibility because he was released prior to Sunday’s deadline.
Jones’ deal will cover the rest of the 2025/26 season and he will earn a prorated portion of the veteran’s minimum, reports Bennett Durando of The Denver Post (Twitter link). If the signing is finalized on Monday, Jones will earn $877,209, while Denver will carry a cap hit of $554,273.
The 24th overall pick in the 2015 draft, Jones is in his 11th NBA season. He’s known for his ability to set up teammates and take care of the ball. The ex-Duke point guard holds career averages of 7.3 points, 4.3 assists, and just 0.8 turnovers in 20.7 minutes per game across 738 regular season appearances for Minnesota, Memphis, Washington, Phoenix, Orlando, and Dallas.
After four-year stints with both the Timberwolves and Grizzlies, Jones has bounced around the NBA in recent years, playing for four teams in the past three seasons. He opened this year with the Magic, having signed a one-year, $7MM deal with the team during the 2025 offseason, but had a disappointing year in Orlando, averaging just 3.1 PPG and 2.6 APG on .349/.281/.875 shooting in a bench role.
Jones was traded to the Hornets at the deadline in what was a salary-dump deal from the Magic’s perspective, allowing them to duck below the luxury tax line. Charlotte subsequently flipped him to the Mavericks in a separate trade.
At the time, reports indicated that Dallas had attempted to sign Jones last summer before ending up with D’Angelo Russell and that they’d be happy to have him on the roster for the rest of the season. Jones appeared in eight games with the Mavs, averaging 3.9 PPG and 3.8 APG on .382/.211/.500 shooting in 16.6 MPG.
However, Jones evidently preferred to catch on with a playoff team, and now he has agreed to join Denver, which won the championship in 2023 and was eliminated in the Western Conference semifinals each of the past two years in a pair of seven-game series.
Trae Young To Make Wizards Debut Thursday
4:21 pm: Young is expected to play between 17 and 20 minutes on Thursday, according to head coach Brian Keefe (Twitter link via Josh Robbins of The Athletic).
3:13 pm: Trae Young will make his Wizards debut on Thursday against Utah, tweets Shams Charania of ESPN.
A four-time All-Star, Young was traded to Washington on January 9 but has yet to play for the Wizards due to right knee and quad issues. He last suited up on Dec. 27 when he was still a member of the Hawks.
The Wizards announced on Feb. 19 that Young was making progress in his recovery from his right leg injuries and would begin to ramp up his on-court activities. According to Charania, the 27-year-old point guard will make his team debut two weeks after that update.
Young sprained the medial collateral ligament (MCL) in his right knee on Oct. 29. He returned to action on Dec. 18, appearing in five of Atlanta’s next six games, including one back-to-back, prior to being shut down with the right quad contusion.
The former fifth overall pick has appeared in a career-low 10 games (28.0 minutes per contest) thus far in 2025/26, averaging 19.3 points, 8.9 assists and 1.5 rebounds on .415/.305/.863 shooting splits. Young holds career averages of 25.2 PPG, 9.8 APG and 3.5 RPG on .432/.351/.873 shooting in 493 regular season games (34.3 MPG).
Given his length layoff, Young will likely be on a minutes restriction for Thursday’s home game vs. the Jazz. The Wizards will embark on a four-game road trip after that contest, starting with Sunday at New Orleans.
Anthony Edwards, Jalen Duren Named Players Of The Week
Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards has been named the Western Conference’s Player of the Week, while Pistons center Jalen Duren has claimed the award in the East, the NBA announced on Monday (via Twitter).
Edwards, who was named to his fourth straight All-Star team this season, helped Minnesota go 3-0 in a trio of road games played from February 23 – March 1. The former No. 1 overall pick averaged 28.7 points, 5.0 assists, 3.3 rebounds and 1.3 steals on .457/.357/.667 shooting in those three appearances (37.7 minutes per game).
Duren, a first-time All-Star in 2025/26, helped guide Detroit to a 3-1 record last week. The 22-year-old big man averaged 25.8 PPG, 13.8 RPG, 1.3 SPG and 1.3 BPG in 34.0 MPG. He shot 63.9% from the field and 73.5% on free throws over the four games.
According to the league (Twitter link), the other nominees in the West were Saddiq Bey (Pelicans), Luka Doncic (Lakers), Kevin Durant (Rockets) and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder). Jalen Brunson (Knicks), Duren’s teammate Cade Cunningham, Jonathan Kuminga (Hawks), Tyrese Maxey (Sixers) and Brandon Miller (Hornets) were nominated in the East.
Hoops Rumors Chat Transcript: 3/2/2026
Hoops Rumors hosted a live chat today at 3:00 pm Central time (4:00 pm Eastern).
Stein’s Latest: Flagg, Young, Middleton, Jones, Peterson
There’s rising optimism within the Mavericks organization that Cooper Flagg is close to returning from the midfoot sprain that has sidelined him since the All-Star break, Marc Stein of The Stein Line reports in his latest Substack post.
Flagg is unlikely to play on Tuesday against Charlotte — he’s listed as doubtful — but Dallas has three more road games this week — Orlando on Thursday, Boston on Friday and Toronto on Sunday. Flagg grew up in Maine, so suiting up for the Mavs’ lone visit to Boston would have special meaning to him, Stein notes.
Flagg hasn’t played since Feb. 10. The top pick in last year’s draft is averaging 20.6 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.1 assists.
Here’s more from Stein:
- Expect Trae Young and the Wizards to come to terms on a projected three-year contract extension this summer. Young holds a $49MM option on his contract for next season, which wouldn’t be exercised if he signs an extension. The Hawks’ unwillingness to sign Young to a new deal was the main reason the high-scoring point guard was dealt. What shouldn’t be expected is Young suiting up this season. Skepticism persists around the league that the team would let Young, who has been sidelined with knee and quad issues, play again this season and jeopardize their lottery pick. The Wizards have a tenuous hold on the NBA’s fourth-worst record and need to stay there or lower to ensure that its draft pick won’t fall beyond No. 8 in the lottery. Their pick is only top-eight protected — otherwise, it must be conveyed to the Knicks.
- As Stein reported over the weekend, Khris Middleton decided to remain with the Mavericks rather than pursue a buyout. Middleton would have sacrificed his Bird rights if he was bought out and waived. Middleton remains eligible for a potential sign-and-trade this summer but the Mavericks are interested in retaining Middleton — an unrestricted free agent after the season –depending on the state of the roster. Middleton has made a strong impression within the organization off the court and has also impacted them on the court, averaging 12.6 points and 4.0 rebounds in eight games.
- Tyus Jones was waived by the Mavericks on Saturday, allowing him to hook on with a playoff contender. Which one remains a mystery. The Rockets were expected to pursue a veteran point guard following the trade deadline but don’t have any plans in the short run to make a roster addition.
- At least one talent evaluator from a lottery-bound team says he wouldn’t take Kansas freshman Darryn Peterson with the top pick. Peterson’s spotty availability has raised some red flags. “Too many question marks,” the evaluator told Stein.
Suns Re-Sign CJ Huntley On Two-Way Contract
The Suns have brought back forward CJ Huntley on a two-way contract, the team announced today (Twitter link). ESPN’s Shams Charania (Twitter link) first reported the two-way agreement between the two sides..
Phoenix opened a two-way spot earlier in the day by promoting Jamaree Bouyea to the 15-man roster.
Huntley went undrafted last year out of Appalachian State. He signed a two-way contract with Phoenix shortly after the draft but was waived in mid-November to make room for Bouyea. Huntley did not appear in any NBA games before he was waived.
He hooked onto the Suns’ NBA G League affiliate, the Valley Suns, and has received steady playing time. In 38 games, Huntley has averaged 14.5 points and 7.6 rebounds in 26.1 minutes per contest.
Huntley played all five collegiate seasons at Appalachian State. In 2024/25, he averaged 15.7 points, 8.1 rebounds and shot 49.3% from the field and 35.6% from three.
Huntley will be eligible to be active for up to 12 regular season games for the Suns during the final weeks of 2025/26.
Suns Promote Jamaree Bouyea To Two-Year Standard Deal
1:10 pm: Bouyea’s promotion to Phoenix’s standard roster is official, according to the team (Twitter link).
9:19 am: Two-way guard Jamaree Bouyea will sign a two-year contract with the Suns, sources tell ESPN’s Shams Charania (Twitter link).
Bouyea, 26, has emerged as a valuable rotation piece after joining Phoenix on a two-way deal in November. He has appeared in 33 games and is averaging 6.5 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 15.5 minutes per night with .480/.317/.710 shooting numbers.
Bouyea will fit into the roster opening the Suns created on Friday by waiving Cole Anthony. Phoenix acquired Anthony from Milwaukee in a three-team deal at the deadline, but he never reported to the Suns.
As Charania notes, the new contract is a huge milestone for Bouyea, who has spent time with six teams over the past three-plus years on a variety of two-way and 10-day deals.
Bouyea was in training camp with Miami in 2022 after going undrafted out of San Francisco and was waived before the start of the season. The guard signed 10-day deals with the Heat and Wizards later in ’22/23, but didn’t get a second contract from either team. He returned to Miami during the summer of 2023, but was waived again before landing two-way contracts with Portland and San Antonio during the 2023/24 season. He got into five games with Milwaukee last season and briefly returned to the Spurs before becoming a free agent again.
The Suns now have a roster opening that can be filled on or before Wednesday, which is the cutoff date to sign players to two-way deals. Koby Brea and Isaiah Livers occupy the other two-way slots for Phoenix.
Kyle Anderson Signs With Wolves After Grizzlies Buyout
March 2: Anderson has officially signed with the Timberwolves, according to a team press release.
February 26: Veteran forward Kyle Anderson has agreed to a buyout with the Grizzlies and intends to sign with the Timberwolves after he clears waivers, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).
Anderson has been placed on waivers following his buyout agreement, the Grizzlies confirmed (via Twitter).
As Charania notes, Anderson previously played two seasons in Minnesota, including helping the Wolves reach the Western Conference finals in 2023/24.
Anderson opened the season with Utah, appearing in 20 games prior to being traded to Memphis earlier this month in the Jaren Jackson Jr. blockbuster. The 32-year-old’s second stint with the rebuilding Grizzlies will be very brief (he appeared in four games), as he’ll return to a Minnesota team hoping to make another deep playoff run.
According to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic (Twitter links), at least one other contending team was eyeing Anderson, who is a 12-year veteran. He was a locker-room leader in his first stint with the Timberwolves and amicably parted ways with the organization in 2024 (via sign-and-trade), Krawczynski adds.
Known for his versatility and solid defense, Anderson has averaged 7.5 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.2 steals in 20.4 minutes per game across his 24 appearances this season. He has shot 56.3% from the field and 67.4% from the free throw line.
As ESPN’s Bobby Marks tweets, Anderson was under contract through next season, but his $9.7MM salary for 2026/27 was non-guaranteed. He was still owed $2.3MM of his $9.2MM salary for this season, per Marks.
Anderson will be the latest addition for the Wolves, who traded for Ayo Dosunmu and Julian Phillips at the deadline, re-signed Mike Conley after trading him (he was involved in a second deal before being waived), and added Jules Bernard on a two-way contract, Marks notes (via Twitter).
As we relayed in a separate story, Memphis will fill Anderson’s roster spot by signing veteran big man Taj Gibson, who had been out of the league this season until now.
Giannis Antetokounmpo Expected To Return Monday
Giannis Antetokounmpo is expected to play on Monday in the Bucks’ home game against the Celtics, ESPN’s Shams Charania tweets.
Antetokounmpo hasn’t suited up since Jan. 23 due to a right calf strain. He has missed 15 games due to his latest injury but the Bucks have managed to hang around the fringes of the play-in tournament race without him, going 8-7 during that stretch.
Antetokounmpo has officially been listed as questionable to play tonight by the Bucks, Eric Nehm of The Athletic tweets.
Milwaukee currently trails the seventh- and eighth-place teams in the Eastern Conference, Orlando and Miami, by five games. Atlanta has a 3.5-game lead over the Bucks, while 10th-place Charlotte has a three-game cushion.
Antetokounmpo also missed three weeks of action in December. He’s averaging 28.0 points, 10.0 rebounds and 5.6 assists while appearing in 30 games. Having been out for 29 games, the two-time MVP is ineligible for postseason awards.
The Bucks theoretically could have improved their chances of making the lottery by having their star sit out the rest of the season, but that wasn’t on their agenda. How they finish up could determine their course of action regarding plans to continue to build around Antetokounmpo or whether he’ll be on the trading block this summer.
The superstar forward is signed through the 2027/28 season but holds a $62.8MM option on the final year of that contract. He’ll become extension-eligible this October.