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New Suns Center Mark Williams Vows He’ll Play Opening Night

October 4th, 2025 at 3:50pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Suns traded for oft-injured young center Mark Williams this summer. They’re taking a cautious approach with him during training camp but Williams says he’ll suit up for the regular season opener, Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic reports.

Williams was famously traded last season to the Lakers, who rescinded the deal for medical reasons. The Hornets successfully dealt Williams this offseason to Phoenix, which gave up this year’s No. 29 overall pick and a 2029 first-rounder as part of the package. Charlotte used the 2025 pick to draft Liam McNeeley.

Williams has participated in everything in training camp except live 5-on-5 action, according to Rankin.

“For me, it’s taking advantage of every opportunity out on the court and letting everything take care of itself,” Williams said. “They traded two first-round picks for me. I’ve talked to everyone from the top down.”

Williams averaged a double-double last season at 15.3 points and 10.2 rebounds per game while making 44 appearances, including 41 starts. He has seen action in a total of just 106 games in three seasons due to injuries to his foot, back, knee, ankle and thumb.

New head coach Jordan Ott said Williams has worked on “developing his strength” this offseason. It’s uncertain whether Williams will appear in a preseason game.

“We’re trying to assess exactly where he is. The goal is there at the end of camp get him as ready as he can. He’s on a good path,” Ott said.

Williams has added motivation to produce and show more durability. He’ll be a restricted free agent after this season if he doesn’t agree to a rookie scale extension on or before October 20.

“I’m in a good place,” he said. “They have a plan in place for me to be ready for opening night. Just doing everything in my power to be able to endure a full season so I’m excited for that.”

Central Notes: Holland, Pistons Offense, Essengue, Vucevic

October 4th, 2025 at 3:06pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Pistons second-year player Ron Holland added 15 pounds this offseason, in part because he might get some minutes at power forward behind Tobias Harris. Holland appeared in 81 games last season at the wing positions.

“That’s where the weight-gain things come in,” Holland told Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press. “Whatever position they need me to go in and play, I’m ready for it, whether it’s the one, two, three or four. I feel like if I go sub Tobias and I go guard some fours, I’ll be prepared for that.”

Here’s more from the Central Division:

The Pistons finished last season second in the NBA in fast-break points per game (18.5) and seventh in points off turnovers (19), Hunter Patterson of The Athletic notes. Now, coach J.B. Bickerstaff wants to parlay his defense into even more dynamic plays on the offensive end. “There’s a way that you can defend and still be explosive, and that’s what we aim to do,” Bickerstaff said. “What we want to do is make sure that our identity is on the defensive end. Then you can go from a great defensive team to an explosive offensive team.”
Noa Essengue, the 12th pick of the draft by the Bulls, is just 18 years old and will need some time to develop before he can make an impact, according to Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times. Essengue may wind up spending much of the season with the G League Windy City Bulls. “We’re not going to put high expectations on what’s going to happen,” executive VP of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas said. “We’re just going to see how he does in the rest of training camp and how he does in the preseason. We’ll make those decisions then.”
Nikola Vucevic‘s three-year, $60MM contract expires at the end of this season. The Bulls center was included in plenty of trade rumors this summer but didn’t get moved. He was in steady contact with the front office throughout the offseason, Cowley writes. ‘‘I had good communication with the front office throughout the summer,’’ Vucevic said. ‘‘As you guys all know, there were many rumors, different kinds. I always say it’s part of the job I’m in, we’re all in, and it comes with the territory. If a trade would have happened, it would have happened. It didn’t, and I’m glad to be here. I didn’t pay too much attention. Maybe before the draft [in June] because that’s when I thought maybe something could happen, but overall I tried to focus on the offseason, my family and the international stuff. It’s something that’s out of my control, so I didn’t pay attention to it too much.”

Southeast Notes: Kalkbrenner, Miller, Jovic, Middleton

October 4th, 2025 at 1:35pm CST by Dana Gauruder

There’s competition for the center spot on the Hornets’ roster and rookie second-rounder Ryan Kalkbrenner is making a strong bid to be part of the rotation, writes Rod Boone of the Charlotte Observer (subscription required).

The 34th pick of the draft is a seasoned Big East veteran out of Creighton and he’s making a strong impression during training camp.

“His basketball IQ stands out to me, his competitiveness stands out to me and I think his willingness to keep it simple stands out to me,” coach Charles Lee said. “I think that he’s in the right positions a lot of times because he’s willing to do whatever it takes to kind of help his teammates defensively and offensively. And so he’s been phenomenal — as have all the rookies. But he’s stood out.”

Kalkbrenner has been encouraged by the atmosphere during the first week of camp.

“It’s been great,” Kalkbrenner said. “I was thinking about this as we were wrapping up practice. As you go through this draft process, you don’t know what team you’re going to end up with, how the guys are going to be. And I couldn’t be happier with the group I’m with. Come in every day — I don’t always know what I’m doing, but they’ve been so helpful in helping me get better and improve. And I’m feeling much more comfortable because of that. So, it’s been great.”

We have more from the Southeast Division:

Hornets forward Brandon Miller missed a good chunk of last season due to a wrist injury. Miller, still just 22 and entering his third season, can not only be a future All-Star but a legacy player, in executive VP of basketball operations Jeff Peterson‘s estimation. “I don’t want to put a cap or a ceiling on him because Brandon can be as good as he wants to be. He can be a Hall of Famer,” Peterson said, per Langston Wertz Jr. of the Charlotte Observer. “And he knows the expectations on him this season. More importantly, he has those same expectations for himself.”
Heat forward Nikola Jovic has appeared in exactly 46 games in each of the last two seasons. Jovic also missed most of his rookie season with a back injury. He has dealt with hamstring, ankle, hand and nasal injuries the past two seasons but Jovic, who signed a four-year extension this week, disputes the notion he’s injury-prone, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes. “I broke my foot [when I] stepped on someone,” he said. “I broke my nose [when] someone elbowed me. I broke my hand because someone hit my hand. What was I supposed to do? If someone hits you, I can’t talk to my bone and tell it to not break. Hopefully, I’m preparing my body for the whole season and play as many games as I can.”
Wizards wing Khris Middleton is an anomaly on a roster filled with young players trying to prove their worth. That makes him an essential piece — a veteran those players can lean on for advice and guidance, according to Josh Robbins of The Athletic. “These guys are eager to play, and that’s what basketball players want to be around, people that are energetic, happy about playing basketball, being around basketball,” Middleton said. “That’s what I love about this group. They’re all young. They’re all learning. I just want to help guide them on their way. I don’t want to necessarily overstep and try to be the ‘super vet.’ I want to give them room and a path to let them grow and find their own journey, like my own vets did with me.”

And-Ones: Silver, NBA Europe, Lopez, Milton

October 4th, 2025 at 12:12pm CST by Rory Maher

Speaking at the Bloomberg Philanthropies Global Forum (Twitter video link via Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic), commissioner Adam Silver suggested teams competing in NBA-run leagues in other continents could eventually participate in official NBA games.

“You could imagine teams from Europe, potentially Africa, competing in (the NBA Cup),” Silver said (transcript via Eurohoops). “You possibly could see teams coming into our playoffs, top seeds from other leagues.

“But over time, I think, for example, certainly in Europe, as plane travel gets faster… I’m reading all the time about more opportunities in aviation. When I think of the flight from New York to LA, for example, there’s no reason that if we had four teams in Europe, you couldn’t travel, play the Knicks or Nets, travel to London, play three or four times in Europe, and come back home. So I think it’s very doable in our league.”

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

In an interview with Eduardo Tansley of The Athletic, NBA Europe and Middle East managing director George Aivazoglou discussed the three types of teams that could join the NBA’s proposed European league, as well as its big-picture goals. “I hope we establish European basketball from a sporting competitive level at the top, almost on par, in terms of interest as European football,” the Greek executive said. “We want to create a new era, an innovative product that would attract audiences from all over the world and across all demographics, not just hardcore basketball fans, who would also be very happy watching it. And (we hope) to ensure that the development of the talent grows even stronger, and ensure that the value that gets created gets redistributed to the European basketball ecosystem so that it continues to improve.” Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops passes along some other highlights from the interview for those who don’t subscribe to The Athletic.
Eric Gomez of ESPN.com recently wrote a feature story on projected 2026 lottery pick Karim Lopez, who could be the first Mexican first-rounder in NBA history. Lopez, a 6’9″ forward who plays for the New Zealand Breakers of the National Basketball League, hopes his favorite player is still around if he’s drafted next year. “I hope LeBron (James) is still there if I get to the NBA,” the 18-year-old said. “Anything can happen, but I hope he’s there so I can play with or against my idol. … I mean, in the end, I’m not (in the NBA) yet, I have to keep working to get to that moment and make my dreams come true.”
After seven seasons in the NBA, veteran guard Shake Milton signed a two-year deal with Serbian club Partizan Belgrade this summer. The 29-year-old says he’s still adjusting to the different playing style in Europe, according to Nikola Miloradovic of Eurohoops. “The biggest adjustment is just the different style of the game,” Milton told Eurohoops. “I’ve been playing one way for seven years, so now I have to adapt. It’s a challenge, but I’m excited. I’ve already started to make some adjustments, and the fun part is knowing I can get even better than I’ve been. I know it’ll all come together.”

Knicks Notes: McBride, Dadiet, Hart, Towns, Brogdon, Mathews

October 4th, 2025 at 11:20am CST by Rory Maher

If they want to keep Landry Shamet and Malcolm Brogdon on their regular season roster, the Knicks will have to make a cost-cutting trade due to the team’s proximity to its second-apron hard cap. Both players are currently signed to non-guaranteed training camp contracts.

Assuming they’re both healthy, Ian Begley of SNY.tv thinks the two veterans will make the final roster.

While Miles McBride has been floated as a potential trade candidate, in part because the Knicks would likely receive positive for him, Begley reiterates that he would be surprised if the 25-year-old gets dealt.

Due to his “production, age and contract,” McBride is coveted by multiple rival teams, according to Begley. However, people familiar with the matter tell Begley the Knicks also highly value McBride and have — to this point — shut down trade talks regarding the 6’2″ guard.

Second-year wing Pacome Dadiet appears to be more likely to be moved, as the Knicks have reportedly discussed him with rival clubs. The 20-year-old got a surprise start during New York’s preseason opener due to a minor hand injury to OG Anunoby.

But Dadiet didn’t play very well on Thursday, and head coach Mike Brown suggested ahead of Saturday’s contest that the French guard/forward may not be in the rotation going forward.

“In terms of Pac in the rotation, I wouldn’t take into account too much that Pac started in the last game,” Brown said, per Stefan Bondy of The New York Post (Twitter link).

Here’s more on the Knicks:

As expected, Anunoby was back in the starting lineup on Saturday, tweets Bondy. Mitchell Robinson got his second straight starting nod at center, while Josh Hart — who told reporters last week that he’ll likely have to wear a splint on his right ring finger this season after aggravating an issue which required surgery in July — was ruled out due to back spasms.
After being traded to New York last October, Karl-Anthony Towns feels more comfortable as a Knick entering his second year with the organization, he tells Steve Popper of Newsday (subscriber link). The five-time All-Star isn’t sure which frontcourt position he’ll log the most minutes at this season, but he’s willing to do whatever is asked of him. “I think for me, I’ve got a lot of experience playing both (power forward and center) now,” Towns said. “I’m still figuring all this out now for this year’s team. … I think it’s going to be a little more, feeling more seamless. Usually, you walk into a game, you know you’ll be the five today. You walk into a game, you know you’ll be the four today. I think for me, it’s going to be more of like I could be five for four minutes and then be four for two minutes, then go back to the five. So I think that’s going to be a little different for me, where I’m going to be so fluid on what my position is. I’m working on just making sure I’m ready for whatever the case may be with us, what I’m learning about our team and the way we want to play.”
Brown continues to experiment with different bench rotations during preseason, according to Bondy (Twitter link). Brown said Brogdon would receive first-half minutes on Saturday, while Garrison Mathews — another NBA veteran vying for a roster spot — will get first-half minutes in New York’s third preseason game next Thursday. Shamet received those minutes on Thursday.

Mavs Notes: Davis, Thompson, Camp, Marshall, Injuries

October 4th, 2025 at 9:42am CST by Rory Maher

As Grant Afseth of DallasHoopsJournal.com writes, the Mavericks hired Jay Triano as their top offensive assistant coach this offseason, and the changes he has implemented on that end of the floor have been evident in training camp. Triano used Domantas Sabonis as Sacramento’s primary play-maker during his time with the Kings, and star big man Anthony Davis will have a similar role this season with Dallas.

“Ball movement. Getting to our spots and creating lanes for our guys,” Davis said. “We have a lot of guys who love basketball and can play-make. So the emphasis has been getting to our spots on the floor, opening up lanes for everyone, and then attacking the basket. … With Jay Triano coming over and kind of how they used Sabonis as the hub, kind of the same thing. And guys just playing off of that.”

Head coach Jason Kidd and general manager Nico Harrison want Davis to be a more vocal leader, particularly since Kyrie Irving will be out to open the season as he continues to recover from a torn ACL, Afseth notes.

“I know they’re going to be looking on me to kind of lead them,” Davis said. “Just kind of what J-Kidd and Nico have been telling me to do all summer, so I’ve been texting these guys … and trying to get them ready for the season, especially with Kai out.

“I know they’re used to (Irving) kind of being the leader, but I’ve kind of just taken on that role with the help of actually Klay (Thompson) as well, as being two of the three oldest guys on the team. We’ve got a group of fairly young guys. I’m just trying to give them knowledge that I have and try to lead them to success.”

Here’s more on the Mavericks:

According to Christian Clark of The Athletic, Thompson believes the Mavs can win the championship this season, provided they stay healthy and Irving returns at some point. “There’s no reason we can’t be the highest rated defensive team in the NBA,” Thompson said. “In my experience, what helps to win is having a roster full of two-way players. We have that.”
Kidd was happy with the team’s performance during the first week of training camp, Afseth writes for Dallas Hoops Journal. “This group talks a little bit more, and that’s good. I don’t have to pull it out of them,” Kidd said. “The communication was good, guys are in, and the competition — everybody’s pushing each other. It’s good to see.” Kidd highlighted wing Naji Marshall as one of the standout performers, Afseth adds. “He was consistent all week on both sides of the ball,” Kidd said. “A lot of good things for Naji. I thought he was one of the guys that stood out this week.”
Center Daniel Gafford is expected to miss a few weeks after spraining his ankle. He’s not the only player dealing with an injury, as Brandon Williams recently sustained a hamstring strain that will keep him out of action for a week, per Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News. Dante Exum also missed the first two practices of training camp, Curtis writes, though the reason was not disclosed.

Ed Stefanski Joining Suns’ Front Office As Adviser

October 4th, 2025 at 8:16am CST by Rory Maher

Veteran NBA executive Ed Stefanski is being hired by the Suns as an adviser, league sources tell Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Twitter link).

John Hollinger of The Athletic reported (via Bluesky) in late August that Stefanski would be joining Phoenix’s front office.

Stefanski has held various basketball operations titles — including senior management positions — with the Nets, Sixers, Raptors and Grizzlies. He most recently served as a senior advisor to Pistons owner Tom Gores, acting as the de facto head of basketball operations for two years until Troy Weaver was hired as GM in 2020.

As Stein observes, Stefanski is the second recent hire to Phoenix’s new-look front office, joining Steve Nash in an advisory role. Following a disappointing 2024/25 campaign, the Suns reshaped their basketball operations department on May 1, when Brian Gregory replaced James Jones as general manager.

Sixers Notes: Grimes, Edgecombe, Barlow, Bona

October 3rd, 2025 at 10:00pm CST by Eli Cohen

Quentin Grimes officially taking the Sixers‘ qualifying offer signified the end of the longest-lasting restricted free agency standoff of the offseason. Despite Grimes possessing a coveted skill set in the league as a defender and shooter, his breakout second half didn’t translate to an offer sheet.

That’s partly due to team president Daryl Morey‘s preferred negotiation strategy and partially due to the financial and roster situation the Sixers find themselves in, according to Keith Pompey for the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Pompey writes that Morey’s philosophy tends to be to let the open market shape his offers, and with such little spending flexibility available league-wide, there was less incentive to offer a generous deal to the restricted free agent.

Pompey adds that between Paul George and Joel Embiid, the Sixers have two contracts that would be difficult to move, and with Jared McCain and rookie VJ Edgecombe filling the shooting guard depth chart on team-friendly deals, adding Grimes on a more lucrative contract that might need to be moved down the line could have proven burdensome.

Grimes averaged 21.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.5 steals over 28 games for the Sixers last season. However, Pompey cites an anonymous executive who believes that because that stretch of play came late in the season, when the team was fully tanking, those gaudy numbers were somewhat meaningless.

We have more from the Sixers:

The Sixers had their preseason opener in Abu Dhabi on Thursday, and with Embiid, George, Grimes, and Trendon Watford missing, fans were given a glimpse of what the deeper parts of the bench could offer. One particularly bright spot came from their third overall pick, Edgecombe, who finished with 14 points, six rebounds, and three assists. While still a work in progress, the athletic guard showed that at the very least, he’s already ready to be a rotation player, writes Tony Jones for The Athletic. Jones suggests that Edgecombe could be a starter on opening night and exhibited star potential. In a separate piece for the Inquirer, Pompey adds that the backcourt of Edgecombe and Tyrese Maxey showed that they could, in time, be one of the league’s best.
In the same piece, Pompey notes that two-way big man Dominick Barlow has impressed the team over the summer. His strong offseason carried over to Thursday’s preseason game vs. the Knicks, as he posted a stat line of six points, 10 rebounds, and two assists. “Barlow is standing out early on here,” coach Nick Nurse said earlier in the week. “He’s just really on the glass and making some shots and playing extremely hard. He was just involved in a lot of good stuff.” Pompey speculates that Barlow is making a strong argument to be converted into a standard contract sooner or later.
Finally, Pompey notes that second-year big man Adem Bona appears to have taken the lead when it comes to the backup center battle with veteran Andre Drummond. Bona needs to be better as a rebounder, Pompey writes, but his speed and athleticism stand out on a team that is looking to push the pace.

L.A. Notes: Doncic, Lakers, Lopez, Clippers

October 3rd, 2025 at 8:03pm CST by Eli Cohen

Getting the Lakers into peak physical condition appears to be head coach JJ Redick‘s primary goal entering the season, writes ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. Redick refers to it as being in “championship shape,” and notes that the directive is not only aimed at star Luka Doncic, though Doncic is one of the more visible examples of the fitness push.

As McMenamin writes, remaking his body through dieting and rigorous exercise routines has been the focus for Doncic this summer, both for himself and for the team as a whole.

“It’s not just physical shape, it’s mental shape, too,” the Slovenian star said. “Both are very important. We’re doing it in practice. It was great. Everybody’s in great shape. Everybody’s running a lot, so it’s been great so far.”

Despite Doncic’s efforts to reshape his body this offseason, he will not play in the Lakers’ preseason games this weekend, according to Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times (via Twitter), who calls it a collaborative decision with the Lakers’ performance team. Redick had previously said he’d be careful about overextending Doncic too early after the 26-year-old’s run with the Slovenian national team in EuroBasket.

While Doncic isn’t playing this weekend, Redick is expecting him to play at some point during the preseason, tweets Sportskeeda’s Mark Medina.

LeBron James, Marcus Smart, Adou Thiero, and Maxi Kleber are all expected to miss tonight’s game against the Suns as well.

We have more from the world of L.A. hoops:

The Lakers remade their roster this offseason, but there are still significant questions to answer, writes Eric Pincus for Bleacher Report. Health will play a key role in the team’s outlook, along with the natural wear and tear that can be expected for the 40-year-old James. However, the most pressing unknown revolves around the fifth starting spot. Pincus names Smart, Rui Hachimura, and Jake LaRavia as three players most likely competing for the role. Hachimura has experience with the team and has shown himself to be a consistent shooter, having made 41.8% of his three-point tries over the last two seasons in L.A. Pincus calls LaRavia a high-effort defender who can also shoot the ball at 6’7″, while Smart brings a perimeter defensive toughness that a team built around Doncic, James, and Austin Reaves could use. Pincus also throws Jarred Vanderbilt‘s name into the mix as a potential dark-horse option.
The Clippers brought Brook Lopez into the fold in an effort to reduce the burden on breakout defensive stalwart Ivica Zubac this season, writes Janis Carr for the Orange County Register. “We didn’t really have a backup center (last season), so when things got tough, we always had to get Zu back in the game,” head coach Tyronn Lue said. “I thought he played for too many minutes. If you asked him, he didn’t play enough, but for me it’s just too many minutes.” While Zubac was always up for the challenge and turned in the best season of his career, the Clippers now have the luxury of bringing a longtime starter and multi-time Defensive Player of the Year candidate off the bench in Lopez. As an added bonus, Lopez and Zubac have a Los Angeles-based history together. “I played with Zu with the Lakers almost 10 years ago now. I think it was his second year in the league, and he was a very talented, raw young player then,” Lopez said. “But to see his growth, it’s astonishing.“
Lopez wasn’t the only big-name acquisition for the Clippers this summer. They also added Bradley Beal, John Collins, and brought back Chris Paul. They now have one of the deepest benches in the league, but that brings with it questions about how the rotation will shake out, writes Law Murray for The Athletic. Murray predicts that Beal will be the starting shooting guard and suggests that Collins could have a chance to start at the four, sliding Kawhi Leonard to the three. However, with so many talented players, some will likely be squeezed from the rotation. When asked about his role with the team, Nicolas Batum said, “Ask (Lue) that question, I don’t know… I mean, I’m here to play basketball.” Murray writes that he considers Batum the most likely odd man out when everyone is healthy.

Heat Sign Nikola Jovic To Four-Year Extension

October 3rd, 2025 at 7:11pm CST by Arthur Hill

Oct. 3: Jovic’s four-year extension with the Heat is now official, per the team’s Twitter account.

Oct 1: Nikola Jovic has agreed to a four-year, $62.4MM rookie scale extension with the Heat, agents Jeff Schwartz, Sean Kennedy and Jared Mucha of Excel Sports Management tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link). It’s a straight four-year deal with no option for either the team or the player, a source informs Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel (Twitter link).

The 22-year-old power forward is coming off his best statistical season — averaging 10.7 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game while shooting 45.6% from the field and 37.1% from three-point range — but he was limited to 46 appearances after breaking a bone in his right hand in February. He was able to return for the playoff series against Cleveland and scored 24 points in Game 4, Charania states in a full story.

Jovic was primarily used off the bench last season, starting just 10 games after making 38 starts the year before. He said at Monday’s media day that he hopes to have a chance to compete for a starting role in training camp.

Jovic will make $4.4MM this season in the final year of his rookie contract. The extension will run through the 2029/30 season, and Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald notes that he’s currently the team’s only player who’s under contract past ’28/29.

The Heat selected Jovic with the 27th pick in the 2022 draft, but he battled injuries as a rookie and only appeared in 15 games. His role has expanded over the past two seasons, and the extension appears to cement his status as part of the team’s foundation moving forward.

Jovic is the fifth member of the 2022 draft class to receive an extension, joining Paolo Banchero, Chet Holmgren, Jabari Smith Jr. and Jalen Williams, as our tracker shows. Teams have until October 20, the day before the start of the regular season, to finalize rookie scale extensions. Players who don’t receive them will become restricted free agents next summer if their teams extend qualifying offers.

As Winderman recently noted, Miami also has important extension decisions upcoming with Tyler Herro and Norman Powell that will determine the team’s financial flexibility for at least the rest of the decade.

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