Knicks Have Spoken To Teams About Pacome Dadiet
The Knicks appear to be leaning toward hanging onto two of their veteran camp invitees for the regular season, according to James L. Edwards III of The Athletic, who hears from league sources that guards Malcolm Brogdon and Landry Shamet are the frontrunners to make the team.
Due to their lack of flexibility below a second-apron hard cap, the Knicks would have to make a trade in order to retain both Brogdon and Shamet. According to Edwards, the front office has had conversations with rival teams about second-year forward Pacome Dadiet, who would be one of the team’s prime trade candidates in that scenario.
Dadiet has had a good offseason behind the scenes, Edwards writes, which has perhaps made the Knicks less inclined to trade the Frenchman, who was the 25th overall pick in the 2024 draft.
However, his salary ($2.85MM) makes him a more logical trade candidate than fellow 2024 draftee Tyler Kolek ($2.19MM), given the slim margins New York is working with. Edwards also believes Dadiet is more likely than Kolek to warrant a worthwhile return on the trade market, though he cautions it probably wouldn’t be more than a second-round pick or two.
The Knicks are currently carrying 12 players on standard contracts, plus Brogdon, Shamet, Garrison Mathews, Alex Len, Matt Ryan, and Mohamed Diawara on non-guaranteed Exhibit 9 and/or Exhibit 10 deals. If New York retains Diawara (who is on a rookie minimum deal) and one of those vets, the team’s salary for its regular season roster would be about $148K below its hard cap.
If the Knicks were to trade Dadiet without taking back any salary, then kept two non-guaranteed vets alongside Diawara, that breathing room below the hard cap would increase to roughly $700K. If the club were to trade Kolek instead of Diawara and hung onto two vets and Diawara, the distance from the hard cap would shrink to just $44K. Trading Ariel Hukporti in order to keep both Brogdon and Shamet wouldn’t be an option, since Hukporti’s cap hit isn’t big enough to swap it out for an extra veteran minimum deal.
Unless the Knicks are inclined to make a much more significant deal, which seems unlikely, Miles McBride would be the only other trade candidate on the bench, but Edwards would be surprised if the front office makes a move involving McBride, who is expected to play a regular rotation role.
If the Knicks don’t find a trade they like ahead of the regular season, they’d only be able to carry one of Brogdon or Shamet into opening night, but the front office could continue exploring trades during the season in order to create some additional back-end roster flexibility and re-sign one of those players (or another free agent).
Al Horford Signs With Warriors
October 1: With Kuminga signed, the Warriors have now officially locked up Horford as well, the team confirmed in a press release (Twitter link).
According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link), Horford’s deal is a two-year contract worth the taxpayer mid-level exception that includes a player option on year two. The deal should have a total value of $11.65MM.
September 28: Free agent big man Al Horford has agreed to a multiyear deal with the Warriors, agent Jason Glushon tells Shams Charania of ESPN.
According to Charania, Horford will be Golden State’s starting center as he enters his 19th NBA season.
As ESPN’s Anthony Slater tweets, the Warriors targeted Horford early on in free agency, and just before training camp is set to begin, he has officially committed to signing a multiyear deal. The exact terms of Horford’s contract are still up in the air due to Jonathan Kuminga‘s restricted free agency, Slater adds.
A source tells Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe (Twitter link) that Jayson Tatum‘s torn Achilles tendon and the departures of Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis played a role in Horford’s decision to leave the Celtics after spending seven of the past nine years with the franchise, including winning a title in 2024. But it was still a difficult call to leave Boston, according to Himmelsbach, as Horford considers the city a second home.
Horford posted a thank you message (via Twitter) to both the organization and the city of Boston.
As Charania writes, the Warriors view Horford as an “ideal fit” next to Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green due to his “size, floor-spacing, passing and defensive instincts.” Despite being 39 years old, Horford remains a stout and versatile defender, Charania notes.
According to Charania, Horford mulled retirement before committing to the Warriors, the team he had been linked to throughout the offseason.
A 6’9″ forward/center from the Dominican Republic, Horford was selected No. 3 overall in the 2007 draft following three standout years at Florida, having won back-to-back national championships with the Gators. He has been a strong NBA player for essentially his entire career, making five All-Star appearances, one All-NBA team, and one All-Defensive team.
Horford’s teams have also been highly successful, making several trips to the Eastern Conference Finals. He was part of the Celtics club that lost to Golden State in the 2022 NBA Finals before helping Boston break through with its 18th title — and first since 2008 — in 2024.
De’Anthony Melton and Gary Payton II are also expected to sign with the Warriors in the coming days, with Curry’s younger brother Seth Curry another player who has been linked to Golden State. The Warriors have a pair of unsigned second-round picks (Will Richard and Alex Toohey) as well, plus a qualifying offer out to two-way RFA Taran Armstrong.
Wolves’ Miller Out At Least Two Weeks With Finger Injury
Timberwolves forward Leonard Miller sustained a finger injury at Tuesday’s practice, according to the team, which announced in a press release that he has been diagnosed with a right fifth finger laceration.
Miller will be reevaluated in two weeks, per the Wolves. That means he’ll miss the rest of training camp and at least four of Minnesota’s six preseason games.
Miller, who will turn 22 in November, was the 33rd overall pick in the 2023 draft. The 6’10” forward hasn’t seen much action at the NBA level in his first two professional seasons, playing just 84 total minutes in 30 appearances, including 32 minutes in 13 games in 2024/25.
The Canadian performed well in the G League last season, however, averaging 24.7 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.2 blocks in 37.5 minutes per contest over the course of 26 outings for the Iowa Wolves. He posted a shooting line of .505/.341/.851.
Although the finger injury might not sideline Miller for any of the regular season and wouldn’t have a major impact on the Wolves’ rotation even if it does, it’s a disappointing setback for a player who is looking to prove he deserves to continue hanging onto an NBA roster spot. Miller isn’t owed any guaranteed money beyond his $2.22MM salary this season, as his contract includes a team option worth $2.41MM for 2026/27.
Southwest Notes: Nunez, Castle, Morant, Lemons, Russell
Spurs draft-and-stash prospect Juan Nunez is expected be sidelined six months after undergoing right knee surgery on Tuesday, BasketNews relays.
FC Barcelona announced that a meniscal cyst was removed from Nunez’s knee, and the suture points of the meniscus from the first arthroscopy performed on March 11 were reinforced. The 21-year-old averaged 5.0 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game last season in the EuroLeague.
Nunez was selected with the 36th overall pick of the 2024 draft and was acquired by San Antonio in a draft-night trade with Indiana.
We have more on the Southwest Division:
- The Spurs’ backcourt plans have been put on hold due to injuries, Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News notes. De’Aaron Fox, who signed a four-year, maximum-salary extension this offseason, injured his hamstring during offseason workouts and has already been deemed doubtful for the Oct. 22 regular-season opener against Dallas. Dylan Harper, the second pick of this year’s draft, is rehabbing from left thumb surgery. That leaves Stephon Castle as the primary ball-handler in the early going. “I think what he has already done is just something we want to continue to grow him in,” coach Mitch Johnson said of last season’s Rookie of the Year. “He has already shown the chops to do it.”
- Grizzlies star guard Ja Morant intends to negotiate his next contract without an agent, according to Drew Hill of the Daily Memphian (subscription required; hat tip to RealGM). Morant was previously represented by Jim Hill and Mike Miller but parted ways with Miller in June. Morant, who signed a five-year, $197MM contract which expires after the 2027/28 season, has started an advisory firm with family ties, according to Joe Vardon of The Athletic. Phil Morant, his uncle, is the chief managing director of a new Memphis-based advisory firm, ILOC. His mother, Jamie Morant, is also an employee of the firm run on a day-to-day basis by former head of Grizzlies security Kevin Helms.
- The Rockets have added Robbie Lemons as an assistant coach, Danielle Lerner of the Houston Chronicle tweets. Lemons previously worked on Mike Brown’s staff in Sacramento, specializing in coaching analytics and strategy.
- D’Angelo Russell, signed to a two-year contract by the Mavericks as a free agent, doesn’t want to be just a stopgap until Kyrie Irving returns from a knee injury, he said this week, per Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal. “Obviously, with Kai out, there’s minutes available, but I’m not looking at it like I’m just holding down the fort,” Russell said. “I want to establish myself here, be consistent, and help us win games. When Kai comes back, I’ll adjust, but my mindset is to make an impact from day one.”
Knicks To Add Donovan Williams On Camp Deal
The Knicks and guard Donovan Williams have agreed to a training camp deal, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype tweets.
Williams averaged 17.8 points and 4.7 rebounds per game for New York’s G League team, the Westchester Knicks, last season. He also had stints in Canada and China, joining the Shanghai Sharks in February and then suiting up for the Scarborough Shooting Stars in the Canadian Elite Basketball League this summer.
Williams appeared in two NBA games with the Hawks during the 2022/23 season. He was also with the Warriors ahead of the 2023/24 season, but was a training camp cut.
He’ll likely be waived and then would be eligible for a bonus worth up to $85,300 if he rejoins Westchester and stays with the team at least 60 days.
Lakers Taking ‘Overly Cautious’ Approach With LeBron James During Camp
A glute issue sidelined LeBron James at the start of Lakers training camp and could jeopardize his ability to play in the season opener, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.
Lakers coach JJ Redick indicated that the 40-year James has “a little bit of nerve irritation in the glute.”
“It’s probably a little bit longer of a ramp-up leading into opening night for him,” Redick said. “Obviously in year 23, it’s uncharted territory here.”
James will make NBA history in his season debut, as no other player has played a 23rd year in the league.
“I’m still ramping things back up,” James said. “I’m not where I want to be. But I mean, I don’t want to be where I want to be right now in September. So, I got some time and I’m looking forward to the process of getting there.”
The Lakers’ approach regarding James’ training camp participation came at the urging of his camp. His representatives met with the Lakers’ brass with a directive for the team to be “overly cautious” with him in the early going to keep him fresh for a long playoff run. He suffered a Grade 2 MCL sprain in his left knee during last season’s playoffs.
Redick is still hopeful to have James available for one preseason contest.
“We would love to have that happen,” he said.
James exercised his player option this offseason and will make $52.6MM. That means he’ll be an unrestricted free agent after the season but James declares that won’t have any effect on this season.
“It will have no impact,” James told McMenamin. “I’m super excited about the challenges and the excitement of our team. We added some new guys. We got another year under our belt with our coaching staff from last year. Got a full year with Luka [Doncic] and another year with the guys that I’ve been with. So super excited about that. And I’m not worried about contracts at this point in my career. That doesn’t bother me at all. Super humbled to even have it, have a contract still and be able to play the game that I love still at this part of my career and take full advantage of it.”
As for retirement, James said his motivation to go through his usual offseason regimen will determine that decision.
“For me, it’s just, am I still excited about the process? Do I still get motivated about the process every single year?” James told ESPN. “Preparing my body. Preparing my mind. Working on my body, training, things of that nature, to get ready for a full season. I think once I kind of fall out of love with the process, then I’ll know for sure. Then, it’d probably be the end for me.”
Jared McCain Undergoes Thumb Surgery, Out 4-6 Weeks
October 1: McCain underwent surgery to repair a UCL tear in his right thumb on Tuesday, the team tweets. He’ll be reevaluated in approximately four weeks.
September 27: McCain is expected to undergo thumb surgery and will miss four-to-six weeks, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported on NBA Today (video link).
September 25: Sixers guard Jared McCain sustained a torn ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his right thumb during a workout on Thursday, reports Tim Bontemps of ESPN (via Twitter).
The Sixers officially confirmed the unfortunate news in a press release (Twitter link).
It’s yet another injury blow for the 76ers, who have dealt with numerous absences to key players over the years. That was particularly true in 2024/25, when Philadelphia went just 24-58 after handing out several lucrative contracts in the 2024 offseason.
It’s also an unfortunate setback for McCain, who was one of the early bright spots amid a disappointing start last season. The No. 16 pick of the 2024 draft, McCain was among the Rookie of the Year frontrunners to open ’24/25, averaging 15.3 points, 2.6 assists and 2.4 rebounds on .460/.383/.875 shooting in 23 games (25.7 MPG) prior to suffering a season-ending injury — a torn lateral meniscus in his left knee, which required surgery — in December.
McCain expressed optimism earlier this month about being ready for the start of training camp. Philadelphia’s media day is tomorrow.
Citing information from InStreetClothes.com, Derek Bodner of PHLY Sports writes that players who suffer a torn UCL during the season typically miss about seven-and-a-half weeks of action (Twitter link). That would theoretically put McCain on track to return in late November.
It’s unclear if McCain’s injury will impact the 76ers’ contract negotiations with restricted free agent guard Quentin Grimes, with the two sides reportedly “very far apart” in talks ahead of the October 1 qualifying offer deadline.
Heat Notes: Powell, Achiuwa, Rozier, Smith, Scouts
Forward Norman Powell had the best season of his career with the Clippers, but wasn’t selected for the All-Star Game. Traded to the Heat during the offseason, Powell enters this season with extra motivation, he told Marc J. Spears of Andscape.
“I definitely have a chip from feeling like I could have made it,” Powell said. “I should have made it last [season]. It added fuel to the fire this summer on how I am going to capitalize on this [season], that I have to make sure that I’m a surefire pick for an All-Star selection. Finding out that it is in L.A. would definitely be a little punch there to make it. To play All-Star Weekend in Intuit would be amazing. But yeah, I’m definitely excited about the opportunity to go at it again and have a chance to finally get selected.”
We have more on the Heat:
- Terry Rozier had the worst season of his career last year and fell out of the rotation. The veteran guard, who has one year left on his contract, comes into this season with something to prove. “I don’t know (why things went sour),” he told Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. “I was being a human. I’m glad I can still play basketball and do what I love and ready for a turnaround this season.”
- Dru Smith has endured major injuries during his career, most recently an Achilles tear. Yet he was re-signed in the offseason, in part because of the resiliency he’s shown, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald writes. “What he has is a superpower. I wish you could take some of that and just apply it to other players,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said when asked about Smith’s participation in practice less than a year after tearing his Achilles. “When I say superpower or superpowers, it’s a level of grit, it’s a level of fortitude, perseverance. However, you want to describe it, he has no quit in him.”
- Big man Precious Achiuwa signed as a free agent on a one-year contract and indicated that familiarity played a role, Miami Heat Spain tweets. He played with Miami during his rookie season. “It was a pretty easy decision because of how well this organization represents the type of player that I am. I also took into account the high competitive level of Spo, I want to forge myself around that,” he said.
- A couple of unnamed scouts gave their evaluations of Achiuwa and the Heat’s young players to Jackson, including whether Achiuwa was a better option than some of the other free agent big men the front office looked at.
Bulls Notes: Buzelis, White, Dosunmu, Jones, Expectations, Giddey
Bulls forward Matas Buzelis averaged 8.6 points and 3.5 rebounds in 18.9 minutes per game while appearing in 80 contests as a rookie. He’s aiming for a major award this season, according to Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun Times.
“I want to win Most Improved Player this year,” Buzelis said. “That’s what I’m striving for. This is a team sport, and everything is about the team. The individual stuff will come if you win, so I’m worried about winning.”
Here’s more on the Bulls:
- Coby White‘s ability to play by the season opener is somewhat in doubt. Bulls executive VP Arturas Karnisovas indicated that White will be limited in camp by a calf strain he suffered in August, K.C. Johnson of Chicago Sports Network tweets. “Hopefully, we can see him by end of preseason,” he said.
- Ayo Dosunmu and Tre Jones are “back from injury and ready to play,” according to Karnisovas (Twitter link via Johnson). Dosunmu underwent shoulder surgery in March. Jones dealt with a left foot sprain late last season.
- Isaac Okoro, acquired in the Lonzo Ball deal, was mainly used as a defensive stopper with Cleveland. He’ll look to do the same with his new team, according to Cowley. “At the end of the day, you look at every team in the NBA there are guys on winning teams that have to sacrifice,” Okoro said. “Everyone in this league wants to score 20, they probably can score 20. They’re coming from being the best player on their high school team, college team, but people have to make sacrifices. In Cleveland I played my role of guarding the best player on the other team, being the hustle guy, and I don’t mind that. At the end of the day I want to win, so if that’s sacrificing that’s the role that I will play.”
- Karnisovas considers player development, rather than wins, as the primary goal in Chicago this season, Julia Poe of the Chicago Tribune writes. “This is the way we have to do it,” Karnišovas said. “We have to be patient. We have to do it the right way. We can’t skip steps. For this team next year, we’ve got to show growth.”
- It took a while but restricted free agent Josh Giddey signed a four-year contract this month as a restricted free agent. He never believed he’d wind up elsewhere, according to Poe. “I never had any worries I wasn’t going to be here,” Giddey said. “This was where I wanted to be. They embraced me from day one when I first got here — teammates, front office, fans — and it felt like home really quickly. Right from the jump, I made sure my agent knew this is where I wanted to be. I want to be here long term.”
RJ Nembhard Signed-And-Waived By Bulls
Guard RJ Nembhard has been signed and waived by the Bulls, Spotrac contributor Keith Smith tweets.
The Exhibit 10 signing sets up Nembhard to join the G League’s Windy City Bulls. He can earn a bonus up to $85,300 if he reports to Windy City and remains on their roster for at least 60 days.
Chicago’s NBAGL affiliate acquired his returning rights in a trade on Monday (Twitter link).
Nembhard played 33 regular season games with the Capital City Go-Go last season, averaging 17.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 6.3 assists for the Wizards’ affiliate. He then headed to China, signing with the Zhejiang Golden Bulls of the Chinese Basketball Association for the rest of the 2024/25 season.
Nembhard has 14 games of NBA experience, mostly while playing on a two-way deal with Cleveland, and totaled 15 points and 12 assists in those games during the 2021/22 season.