Magic Notes: Banchero, Suggs, Richardson, Two-Way
Paolo Banchero knows that expectations for the Magic have risen dramatically this offseason, and he’s ready to embrace the challenge of meeting them, writes Josh Robbins for The Athletic (subscriber link).
“I think, just as a competitor, as a winner, as a player, you want to be expected to be great,” Banchero said.
Robbins writes that Banchero was stunned by the Magic’s trade for Desmond Bane, which sent Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Cole Anthony, and four first-round picks to the Grizzlies, but quickly grew excited about the prospect of teaming up with the sweet-shooting guard.
“I felt like there were some guys that were kind of up on the list of who we would maybe trade for, at least in my head, and Desmond Bane was not one of them,” Banchero said. “So when I heard that one, I was like, ‘Desmond Bane!’ I was like, ‘S–t, he’s a hell of a player.'”
Banchero spoke about the impact that Bane, as well as Tyus Jones, who signed with the team on a one-year deal, should have this year.
“I think it’s going to do a lot of great things, not only on the court but off the court, just with the way they are as people and how they’re able to kind of control a room,” he said. “They talk with so much experience that you listen to them. Both of them offensively are just really experienced players, and they just know how to play. They have great feels for the game, feels for the court, when to make plays, when to shoot, when to drive.”
We have more from the Magic:
- Jalen Suggs is working hard to get back from the arthroscopic knee surgery that ended his season in March, but his updates remain cryptic, writes Jason Beede for the Orlando Sentinel. “This is definitely the hardest summer that I’ve had so far,” he said last week in a podcast appearance. “The knee is coming along but I’m just really getting to work on minute muscles and really detailed parts about my body that just have been overlooked up to this point. So it’s been great. Camp and the return will come in time, in [God’s] time, but our process is really working and I love the spot that we’re in right now.” Beede notes that a more concrete update on his timeline, as well as that of Moritz Wagner, who is recovering from an ACL tear, should come tomorrow.
- In the same article, Beede writes that the Magic’s bench will look dramatically different with the departures of Anthony, Gary Harris, Cory Joseph, and Caleb Houstan, but adds that internal development for Anthony Black, Jett Howard, and Tristan Da Silva should help boost the unit around Jones’ floor generalship. Beede also suggests that, given head coach Jamahl Mosley‘s preference to keep his rotations intact, if Suggs misses the start of the season, it could open a pathway for rookie Jase Richardson to start. While Black and Jones are capable of stepping up, Beede observes that in the past, Mosley has often looked to the third-string players in such situations.
- The Magic currently have Jamal Cain and Orlando Robinson on two-way contracts, with plenty of options for the third slot. Among the most likely candidates, Beede lists Reece Beekman, Colin Castleton, Justin Minaya, Lester Quinones, and Alex Morales, all of whom are currently on Exhibit 10 deals with the team. Beede notes that Castleton and Morales both have experience with the franchise, as both spent time with the G League affiliate in Osceola — Morales for three seasons and Castleton for part of last year.
Heat GM Andy Elisburg Opens Up About Health Scare
When the Heat selected Kasparas Jakucionis with the 20th overall pick in the 2025 draft, it was anything but business as usual for general manager Andy Elisburg, writes Ira Winderman for the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
Elisburg made the call with the team’s official selection, as he has for years. However, this time, he was doing it from what Winderman describes as a high-tech wheelchair, due to an infection that had sapped him of his ability to do much of anything over the previous months.
“When I was done giving the pick, I was able to reach over and hang up the phone,” Elisburg says. “And the people in the back, all the therapists, and all the doctors were so excited, ‘He’s using his core! He’s using his core!’ Because, for me, I hadn’t had the ability.”
Winderman writes that the infection began late in the 2024/25 season. Elisburg had started feeling more exhausted than usual, but it wasn’t until he woke up one day following the season’s end with a left leg that wouldn’t work that he began to really worry.
“I was a whole lot sicker than I realized I was,” he said. “That’s where they discovered I had an infection throughout my body — in my knee, in my back. My kidney numbers, my liver numbers, everything was up and elevated. There were people who were not quite sure I was going to come out of that.”
With his kidneys at near dialysis levels, a partial amputation of Elisburg’s foot was required, as well as a handful of other surgeries over the following days, some of which strained his ability to keep his focus on his recovery, instead of the team.
“One of my procedures was happening the day of the lottery and got delayed and kept being delayed. And so it wound up happening during the lottery,” he said. “So I get out of the operating room, I get to the recovery room that I’m awake, alert enough to bring my friends in to see me, and my first question is, ‘So who won the lottery?’”
The surgeries were followed by grueling rehab sessions, which he is still undergoing, and which have recently yielded the ability to take steps through the use of parallel bars. Through it all, though, Elisburg has never lost his keen eye and hunger to solve whatever pressing needs the team might have.
“It was hard for me to sit in a hospital bed and sleep or watch TV. And after a while, I said, ‘I’ve got to get something going.’ I started making some phone calls, started talking about the draft and trades and things of that nature,” said Elisburg. “When I would talk to (Heat president) Pat (Riley) and (CEO) Nick (Arison), I’d say, ‘Hey, I’ve got some information.’ Initially, it was, ‘You worry about you.’ I was like, ‘I need to do this. I need something to get my mind going.’ And it went to now we started to have regularly scheduled meetings.”
Elisburg is now back in his office, trying to get back into the full swing of the job. He says he’s doing around 80% of his usual September workload. While the team leadership has constantly stressed the need to take care of himself first and foremost, the longtime Heat GM is just grateful that he’s on the road to recovery and can still do what he does best professionally.
“I’m looking forward to the season and lucky that I do something that I have such a passion for and still am able to do it,” he said.
Timberwolves Sign Jules Bernard, Zyon Pullin
The Timberwolves have signed Jules Bernard and Zyon Pullin, the team announced today. The terms of the deals were not reported, but they are expected to be non-guaranteed Exhibit 10 contracts.
Bernard, a 6’7″ guard out of UCLA, played 19 games for the Wizards during the 2023/24 season after going undrafted in 2022. He averaged 3.9 points and 1.4 rebounds per game for Washington. Last year, he played for the Cleveland Charge in the G League and averaged 19.5 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per contest.
Pullin, an undrafted guard from the 2024 class, played a total of three minutes in three games for the Grizzlies last season, but had a successful season in the G League, averaging 20.9 PPG, 6.1 APG, and 5.5 RPG for the Sioux Falls Skyforce and Memphis Hustle.
Pullin signed a two-way contract with the Grizzlies and finished the season with the team, but was waived in July to make room for PJ Hall to sign a two-way deal.
If Bernard and Pullin are waived before the season starts, these deals will allow them to earn a bonus of up to $85,300, provided they sign G League contracts and stay with the Iowa Wolves for at least 60 days.
The two signings are accompanied by the previously reported training camp deal for Alize Johnson, which is also now official.
Timberwolves Sign Alize Johnson
5:00 pm: The Timberwolves have officially signed Johnson, the team confirmed in a press release.
10:12 am: The Timberwolves and free agent forward Alize Johnson have reached an agreement on a one-year deal, according to Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link), who says Johnson will have a chance to compete with the team in training camp.
While Charania didn’t provide any further information about the contract, it figures to be a non-guaranteed Exhibit 10 agreement, which could be converted to a two-way deal prior to the regular season or would line up Johnson to receive a bonus worth up to $85,300 if he’s waived and spends at least 60 days with Minnesota’s G League affiliate, the Iowa Wolves.
Johnson, the 50th overall pick in the 2018 draft, appeared in 76 regular season games across five seasons from 2018-22, suiting up for the Pacers, Nets, Bulls, Wizards, Pelicans, and Spurs during that time. He never played a major role for any of those clubs, averaging 2.5 points and 3.0 rebounds in 7.5 minutes per contest.
Johnson hasn’t been on an NBA contract since being waived by San Antonio in December 2022. After spending a little time in the G League, the 29-year-old has competed internationally in recent years, playing in South Korea, Puerto Rico, and Japan since 2023.
The Timberwolves have three spots available on their 21-man preseason roster, so no corresponding move will be necessary to make room for Johnson.
Sixers Sign, Waive Marcus Bagley
4:35 pm: The Sixers have waived Bagley, per Tony Jones of The Athletic (Twitter link). Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer notes (via Twitter) that Bagley is expected to join the Sixers’ G League affiliate, the Delaware Blue Coats.
As noted below, this move will allow Bagley to earn a bonus of up to $85,300 if he stays with the Blue Coats for at least 60 days.
11:56 am: The Sixers have signed forward Marcus Bagley to a training camp contract, tweets Paul Garcia of The Spot Up Shot.
Bagley, the younger brother of former No. 2 overall pick Marvin Bagley III, has been a fixture within the Sixers’ organization since going undrafted out of Arizona State in 2023. He has appeared in a total of 54 games for the Delaware Blue Coats, Philadelphia’s G League affiliate, over the past two seasons and was called up to the NBA near the end of the 2024/25 season on a pair of 10-day deals.
Bagley averaged 9.3 points and 7.1 rebounds in 26.2 minutes per game over the course of 34 G League outings last season, posting a shooting line of .423/.303/.725. In 10 appearances for the 76ers in March and April, he put up 6.7 points and 7.0 rebounds in 25.3 minutes per night, though he shot just 39.1% from the floor and 15.6% on three-pointers.
While we don’t the exact terms of his deal, Bagley almost certainly signed an Exhibit 10 contract, which will make him eligible for a bonus worth up to $85,300 if he’s waived by Philadelphia and then spends at least 60 days this season with the Blue Coats.
The Sixers now once again have a full 21-man roster, though the team continues to shuffle players with non-guaranteed contracts on and off the squad and will need to create an opening for Quentin Grimes once his restricted free agency is resolved.
Sixers Decline To Extend Grimes’ Qualifying Offer Deadline
The Sixers will not extend Quentin Grimes‘ October 1 qualifying offer deadline, sources tell Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (all Twitter links). Philadelphia made the 6’5″ wing a restricted free agent when it tendered him a qualifying offer in June.
Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer first reported that Grimes’ agent, David Bauman, had asked the 76ers to extend the QO deadline, which requires the consent of both the player and the team. Fischer confirmed the news on Saturday and specified that Bauman was looking to push back the deadline one week, to Oct. 8.
Fischer’s latest update doesn’t come as a surprise, since he previously said Philadelphia hadn’t shown any interest in granting Bauman’s request.
According to Fischer, the Sixers and Grimes’ camp remain “far apart” in contract negotiations. As multiple reporters have indicated, Grimes appears headed toward re-signing with Philadelphia on a one-year deal — the only question is whether he accepts his $8.74MM QO, which comes with an implied no-trade clause, or signs a more lucrative one-year contract and waives his right to veto a trade.
Either way, we now have confirmation that Grimes’ situation should be resolved by Wednesday.
Juan Nunez To Undergo Second Right Knee Surgery
Barcelona point guard Juan Nunez will undergo arthroscopic surgery on his right knee after experiencing inflammation upon his return to basketball activities, the Spanish club announced in a press release (hat tip to Eurohoops.net).
The 21-year-old’s 2024/25 season was cut short after undergoing surgery to repair a torn lateral meniscus in the same knee back in March. At the time, he was given a return timeline of about six months.
Nunez’s NBA rights were acquired by the Spurs after he was selected No. 36 overall in last year’s draft. He signed a three-year deal with Barcelona in July 2024.
In 25 EuroLeague contests last season, the 6’4″ guard averaged 5.0 points, 3.4 assists and 2.5 rebounds in 15.6 minutes per game. His shooting slash line was .442/.275/.650.
Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson said earlier this year the team was keeping close tabs on Nunez’s development. Still, it’s unclear if the Spanish floor general will be part of San Antonio’s long-term plans, given the Spurs already have De’Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper on their roster.
Trail Blazers Notes: Camp, Yang, Sharpe, Porter, B. Grant
It has been an extremely busy and eventful offseason for the Trail Blazers, writes Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report (Substack link), who lists five things he’ll be keeping a close eye on when training camp starts this week.
The first item on Highkin’s list is Yang Hansen, the 7’1″ center who was surprisingly drafted 16th overall after largely being projected as a second-round pick. Yang looked more ready to contribute than anticipated during Summer League action, Highkin notes, but it’s hard to read much into that performance — the real tests will begin soon.
While Damian Lillard won’t play at all this season as he recovers from a torn Achilles tendon, Highkin is curious to see how the franchise’s all-time leading scorer will impact his teammates behind the scenes. Who will be part of the starting lineup and whether or not Kris Murray or Rayan Rupert can carve out rotation roles in their third seasons are among the other storylines Highkin will be monitoring.
Here are a few more notes from Portland:
- Within the same story, Highkin says he’s skeptical about the Blazers and Shaedon Sharpe agreeing to a rookie scale extension before the season begins. Although Highkin views the Canadian guard as “the most talented player” on the roster, he writes that Sharpe hasn’t been able to consistently perform at a high level to this point in his career. If the 22-year-old doesn’t sign an extension by October 20, he will be a restricted free agent in 2026.
- In a story for The Players’ Tribune he wrote in Chinese and then had translated to English, which he’s still learning, Yang describes his upbringing in Zibo (Shangdong province), China, and his journey to being drafted by Portland. One interesting tidbit: Yang says he has been closely studying Nikola Jokic for the past three years and has patterned his game to imitate the Serbian star.
- The Trail Blazers recently announced several additions and promotions in their basketball operations department. Most notably, longtime Blazers point guard and ex-NBA head coach Terry Porter will serve as a scout this season, while former Blazers forward Brian Grant will hold the title of basketball liaison — he will be an off-court mentor to players. Joe Freeman of The Oregonian, who first reported that Porter and Grant would be returning to the organization in an official capacity, has more details on their specific positions.
L.A. Notes: Redick, Lakers, Clippers, Kawhi Investigation
The contract extension the Lakers gave J.J. Redick after his first season on the job is a two-year deal, ESPN’s Shams Charania said during an appearance on NBA Today (YouTube link). When Redick was hired by the Lakers in 2024, he received a four-year contract, so he’s now locked up for five seasons, through 2029/30.
Charania also reported that Redick will make $45MM over the course of the next five seasons. His original four-year contract was said to be worth approximately $32MM. We don’t know the exact year-to-year structure of that original deal, but it likely didn’t have more than about $25MM left on it after year one, which suggests Redick’s extension is in the neighborhood of $10MM per year, a step up from the $8MM annual salary he received on his initial agreement.
Here’s more on the NBA’s two Los Angeles teams:
- Law Murray of The Athletic takes a look at the changes the Lakers‘ roster has undergone since last season, noting that Redick has yet to confirm his starting five for the upcoming season. “I haven’t spent much time thinking about the starting lineup yet, but I feel there are seven to eight starting-caliber players on the roster,” Redick said. “We will know the official starters once the training camp starts.”
- Khobi Price of The Orange County Register identifies five Lakers-related storylines to monitor during training camp, including who will round out the starting lineup and who will emerge as the team’s primary backup center. Janis Carr of The Orange County Register conducts a similar exercise for the Clippers, with Bradley Beal‘s role and Chris Paul‘s return to L.A. among the storylines she believes are worth monitoring.
- Of course, the biggest Clippers-related storyline these days is the NBA’s investigation into possible salary cap circumvention involving Kawhi Leonard. While team owner Steve Ballmer has been interviewed about the subject, Leonard has yet to address it all. As Murray writes for The Athletic, that’s about to change with media day around the corner
- In a pair of in-depth stories for The Athletic, Joe Vardon surveys league sources and sponsors to get a sense of how Leonard’s “endorsement” deal with Aspiration compares to other arrangements about the NBA, while Dan Woike, Sam Amick, and Mike Vorkunov take a deep dive into what we know about Dennis Robertson, aka Uncle Dennis, who is a central figure in the league’s investigation into Leonard and the Clippers.
Eastern Notes: C. White, Porzingis, Knicks, Anthony, Magic
Despite modest projections from experts and outside observers, Coby White believes the Bulls have a chance to be “really good” in 2025/26, he tells Marc J. Spears of Andscape. Besides being positive about his team’s outlook, the 25-year-old guard has set a personal goal as he enters his seventh NBA season.
“I want to win and I want to become that All-Star-caliber player,” White said. “That’s the next step for me in my personal game. I’ve had two really good seasons, averaging 20 (points per game) or whatever. The next part is for us to take that leap as a team, and that’s to win and get out of this little play-in (tournament) stage that we are in, take my game to the next level and become an All-Star.”
White is entering the final year of his current contract and will make $12.9MM in 2025/26. Because starting salaries in veteran contract extensions are limited to a percentage of the player’s previous salary (or the average league-wide salary), White has let the Bulls know he doesn’t plan on signing a new deal before reaching free agency in 2026, per Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times.
Cowley believes it would be in both teams’ best interest for the Bulls and Rockets to work out a trade involving White in the wake of Fred VanVleet‘s ACL tear — Cowley suggests a package of Reed Sheppard and Tari Eason. However, White told Spears that he remains very open to the idea of continuing his career in Chicago, even if he doesn’t sign a new contract until he becomes an unrestricted free agent next summer.
“I love being in Chicago. I love the front office. I love my teammates. I love the staff,” White said. “I built a great relationship with coach Billy Donovan. And for me, if it is meant to be (to) stay a Chicago Bull, then I can’t ask for nothing else.”
Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:
- Hawks general manager Onsi Saleh said on Friday that the team feels good about where Kristaps Porzingis‘ health stands after he was plagued by post-viral syndrome during the final months of the 2024/25 season. “We’re super confident in Kristaps’ health, and him playing a healthy season,” Saleh said (Twitter link via Malik Brown of ClutchPoints). “We wouldn’t have made the trade if we didn’t think that. There was no hesitation there from us. We felt comfortable doing that at the time. We feel great about it now, and we’re excited for him to play a bunch of games this season.”
- James L. Edwards III of The Athletic takes a closer look at Mike Brown‘s plan to better maximize Knicks stars Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns on offense, which includes using Brunson off the ball more often and moving Towns around to different areas of the floor.
- New Bucks guard Cole Anthony said this week that he’s “super excited” to be in Milwaukee and that the change of scenery feels like a “breath of fresh air” after his playing time declined in Orlando in recent years, as Eric Nehm of The Athletic relays. “Obviously, I loved my time (with the Magic), but this feels like, for me, a stepping stone in my career,” Anthony said. “I just want to come in and help the team win in whichever way I can. I think they’re going to ask me to do what I can do, which is score, pass the ball, guard, whatever, but I’m just really happy to be a part of this team, specifically because it’s been great being here these past couple weeks and being with these guys. The energy is high. There’s a real professional vibe around everybody, and everybody has a chip on their shoulder.”
- Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (subscription required) runs through four key questions facing the Magic ahead of the 2025/26 season, including when Jalen Suggs and Moritz Wagner will be ready to play, what the bench rotation will look like, and who will fill the club’s open two-way contract slot.