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Malik Beasley Drawing Interest From Teams In Europe, China

November 5th, 2025 at 7:47am CST by Luke Adams

Teams in Europe and China are exhibiting “strong” interest in free agent sharpshooter Malik Beasley, according to Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews, who hears from sources that those clubs have reached out to determine whether that interest might be mutual.

Word broke in June, just ahead of Beasley’s NBA free agency, that he was being investigated by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York for possible illegal betting activity. He was reportedly in discussions with the Pistons at the time about a potential three-year, $42MM deal, but that fell apart as a result of the federal investigation.

Beasley wasn’t named in last month’s indictments that resulted in the arrests of Heat guard Terry Rozier and Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups due to separate but related gambling cases. However, Beasley reportedly hasn’t been cleared by federal investigators or by the NBA, which is conducting its own probe into the matter, so he remains in limbo for now.

While Beasley’s preference would be to sign a new NBA contract, teams in the Chinese Basketball Association have made compelling pitches, according to Urbonas, who says those clubs are willing to make offers that are both lucrative and flexible, with NBA outs included. As Urbonas explains, that structure could appeal to Beasley since it would allow him to compete in the CBA and remain in game shape while waiting to be cleared by the NBA.

The CBA season won’t tip off until December 12, Urbonas notes, so Beasley doesn’t necessarily need to make a decision right away. If he were to be cleared to return to the NBA, the Pistons and Cavaliers are believed to be among the teams that would have interest.

Beasley, who will turn 29 later this month, is coming off a strong season in Detroit in which he averaged 16.3 points per game and finished second in the NBA in three-pointers made (319). He was the runner-up in Sixth Man of the Year voting behind Celtics guard Payton Pritchard.

Southeast Notes: Hawks Employee Indictment, Young, Larsson, Ball

November 4th, 2025 at 10:52pm CST by Dana Gauruder

A former Hawks employee has been charged with fraud and embezzling $3.8MM from the franchise, according to an indictment brought last week by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia, The Athletic’s Mike Vorkunov, Joe Vardon and Sam Amick report.

Lester Jones, who was the team’s senior vice president of financial planning and analysis, reportedly charged trips to the Bahamas, Hawaii, Thailand, Switzerland and other countries; paid for a Porsche; and bought tickets to concerts and other events on corporate credit cards. Jones was in a romantic relationship with another team employee and allegedly bought her expensive gifts via corporate funds.

Evidence of his alleged crimes was uncovered through a team-backed audit. Jones pleaded not guilty and was released on a $10K bond last week.

We have more on the Southeast Division:

Hawks star guard Trae Young has a sprained MCL and will miss at least four weeks, but head coach Quin Snyder said the team was relieved that there’s no major structural damage, which would have sidelined Young for even longer, ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk tweets. Snyder added that “other guys will have to be more involved as play-makers, and that requires different actions,” Brad Rowland of Locked On Hawks tweets. Young excels in the pick-and-roll game, but Atlanta will alter its schemes until he returns.
Norman Powell returned to the Heat lineup after a three-game absence on Monday, but his fill-in Pelle Larsson remained in the starting five. Head coach Erik Spoelstra moved struggling big man Kel’el Ware to the bench as the Heat went small against the Clippers, a game which Miami won by a point. “I know probably people will point to Kel’el and say it’s a demotion. It’s not,” Spoelstra said, per Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald. “I know there will be some teams that it makes more sense to play big. We have a team that it makes more sense to use our versatility. Sometimes it changes the starting lineup to do that.”
LaMelo Ball was sidelined for the Hornets’ game against New Orleans Tuesday due to a right ankle injury, according to NBA.com. Ball also missed the Hornets’ previous game, a 23-point win over Utah on Sunday. He is averaging 23.3 points, 7.8 rebounds and 9.8 assists per contest while shooting 43% overall and 33.3% on three-pointers. Charlotte lost to the previously winless Pelicans, 116-112.

Knicks Notes: Towns, Rotation, Robinson, Bridges, Hart

November 4th, 2025 at 9:25pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Karl-Anthony Towns seems to be growing comfortable with new coach Mike Brown‘s schemes. The Knicks big man racked up 33 points, 13 rebounds and five assists in a 119-102 victory over the Wizards on Monday.

“KAT was a monster. He was a monster on the glass, he was really good defensively, he was a monster inside, outside,” Brown said, per Kristian Winfield of the New York Daily News. “He’s starting to feel and find his rhythm in what we’re trying to do.”

Towns had scored fewer than 20 points in half of New York’s first six games.

“Really, we’re all figuring it out. Getting better every day, understanding what our roles are and what we’ve got to do,” Towns said. “It’s good, we’ve got two wins in a row but we’re obviously still a work in progress.”

We have more on the Knicks:

Brown has trimmed the rotation to nine players in the past two games, Winfield notes. Against the Bulls on Sunday, Brown went with Josh Hart, Landry Shamet, Miles McBride and Jordan Clarkson off the bench. On Monday, with Mitchell Robinson sitting for load management purposes, Shamet moved into the starting lineup and Guerschon Yabusele played on the second unit. “The last two nights were the best I’ve done for them in terms of rotations. They kinda sorta knew when they were coming out or going in, who was going to play together,” Brown said.
Robinson’s availability remains something of a mystery, Jared Schwartz of the New York Post writes. Robinson has only played a combined 33 minutes through the first seven games. Left ankle injury management is the club’s reasons for limiting his minutes and game appearances. Don’t expect that to change. “We’ll keep doing that throughout the course of the year. Whatever they tell me, I’m gonna do,” Brown said.
Mikal Bridges‘ all-around game has been on display this season, Mike Vaccaro of the New York Post writes. He has also been a lot more vocal in his second year with the club. Bridges, who signed a four-year extension in the offseason, is averaging 16.4 points, 5.4 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.4 steals per night.
Despite dealing with hand and ankle injuries, Hart contributed 12 points with 10 rebounds and five assists in just 26 minutes on Monday. “Basically been banged up and hurt for what, three months?” Hart said, per Stefan Bondy of the New York Post. “Little frustrating, but it comes with the territory. It comes with being in a contact sport, so it is what it is.”

Community Shootaround: Ja Morant

November 4th, 2025 at 8:07pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Ja Morant’s days with the Grizzlies appear to be numbered.

The controversial guard served a one-game team suspension on Sunday after he expressed frustration with the team’s coaching staff following their previous game, a loss to the Lakers in which Morant played poorly at both ends of the floor.

Morant wasn’t any cheerier after returning to action against the Pistons on Monday. He was held to 18 points after another subpar shooting performance, going 5-for-16 from the field. He also committed five turnovers, while counterpart Cade Cunningham took over the game in the fourth quarter, scoring 19 of his 33 points.

When asked if he had any joy playing basketball right now, Morant responded, “No.”

Morant’s career has nosedived after a very promising start. He was the second overall pick in the 2019 draft and quickly emerged as one of the league’s top point guards.

However, off the court issues stained his reputation. He was twice suspended in 2023 for conduct detrimental to the league for brandishing weapons in social media videos.

Injuries have also marred his career. After serving those suspensions, he was limited to nine games during the 2023/24 season due to a torn labrum in his right shoulder. Last season, he appeared in just 50 games, mainly due to an ankle injury. Since his rookie year, he’s never played in more than 63 regular season games.

With Morant leading the way, the franchise seemed poised to be a perennial powerhouse after the Grizzlies reached the conference semifinals in 2021/22. In the last three seasons, they’ve been knocked out in the first round, sandwiching the 27-55 campaign when Morant was limited to nine games.

It’s not a novel concept for the Grizzlies to consider dealing their floor leader, even if he doesn’t request a trade. According to NBA insider Marc Stein, the idea of the Grizzlies moving Morant is a possibility that rival teams have been monitoring since at least the summer. However, ESPN’s Marc Spears reported on Tuesday that executives he’s spoken to have no interest in dealing for Morant, citing his off the court conduct and contract issues.

“Four of the execs I talked to today say they really have no interest in trading for him. One said it was because it’s a combo of contract and off the court issues,” Spears said on NBA Today (YouTube link). “Another suggested that if Ja is traded it’ll probably be a problem star for a problem star. I asked one current NBA coach if he would like to coach Ja Morant and he said I’m not sure I’d want to.”

Salary considerations would be a big factor for any team pondering a trade for Morant. He has two more years left on his current five-year, $197.22MM contract. He’s also due a 15% trade bonus (capped at his maximum salary) if he’s dealt.

His new team would have to believe Morant would be the missing piece to a championship. That team would also have to be convinced that Morant would benefit from a change of scenery and come in with a more mature, focused approach.

That brings us to today’s topic: Do you think the Grizzlies will deal Ja Morant this season? If so, which teams would be a logical fit for him?

Please take to the comments section to weigh in on this topic. We look forward to your input.

Devin Booker Wants To Finish Career With Suns

November 4th, 2025 at 6:30pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Suns are no longer considered a serious contender in the Western Conference following their failed big three experiment with Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal joining forces with Devin Booker. Durant and Beal are now playing for the Rockets and Clippers, respectively.

Despite that, Booker is content to remain with the organization long-term, he told Nick Friedell of The Athletic. Booker believes there’s something special about an elite player remaining on the same team and playing in the same city throughout his career, as Stephen Curry is doing with the Warriors.

“I was adopted as an 18-year-old coming in,” Booker said of Phoenix before playing Curry’s Warriors in Golden State. “I was embraced through tough times, all the way to making a Finals run. The city watched me grow up. I enjoyed growing up in the city. I’m sure Steph can say a lot of similar things about this area.”

Booker, who is in his 11th season, can’t see Curry leaving the Warriors for the remainder of his career. Booker, who just turned 29, wants it that way with the Suns.

“I don’t think he’s going anywhere,” Booker said of Curry. “And I don’t think I am either.”

Contractually, Booker is tied to his organization. He signed a two-year extension this summer worth an estimated $145MM that runs through the end of the 2029/30 season.

Booker embraces his role of being the team leader and spokesman.

“It’s a lot of pride,” Booker said. “It’s a lot of responsibility. It’s something that I try to communicate to the young guys. Having those couple deep playoff runs, and just getting the city to become electric, is a feeling that I’m chasing, want to get back to.”

Anthony Edwards Listed As Questionable To Play On Wednesday

November 4th, 2025 at 5:13pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards has been upgraded to questionable for Wednesday’s game against the Knicks, the team’s PR department tweets.

Edwards has missed the past four games due to a right hamstring strain. Last Monday, when the injury was revealed via an MRI, the team announced Edwards would be reevaluated in one week. At the time, there was reporting suggesting that Edwards would be out for at least two weeks.

Edwards was cleared to resume contact basketball activities on Monday, according to a press release. The fact that Edwards could suit up on Wednesday is a huge boost for the Timberwolves, who have gone 2-2 without him. They have recorded road wins at Charlotte and Brooklyn heading into their trip to Madison Square Garden to face the Knicks.

Edwards notched a 41-point outing against Portland and a 31-point performance against the Lakers before departing after three minutes against Indiana on Oct. 26. The three-time All-Star averaged a career-best 27.6 points and 4.5 assists per game last season while appearing in 79 regular season contests.

Kings Sign Precious Achiuwa, Waive Isaac Jones

November 4th, 2025 at 4:52pm CST by Luke Adams

4:52 pm: The Kings have officially signed Achiuwa and waived Jones, according to a team press release.

9:17 am: The Kings have reached an agreement with free agent forward/center Precious Achiuwa on a one-year, minimum-salary contract, reports Shams Charania of ESPN. According to Charania, Sacramento is expected to waive second-year forward Isaac Jones in order to make room on the roster for Achiuwa.

NBA insider Jake Fischer first reported on Monday that the Kings were eyeing Achiuwa, with Brett Siegel of Clutch Points stating at the time that Jones would likely be the odd man out if the team made a roster move.

The Kings have been shorthanded in the frontcourt after losing Keegan Murray to a thumb injury last month. With their starting power forward sidelined, the Kings have had to use smaller lineups while also leaning on rookies Nique Clifford and Dylan Cardwell more than expected in the early going.

Achiuwa, 26, began his career with the Heat as the No. 20 overall pick in 2020. He was sent to the Raptors as part of the Kyle Lowry sign-and-trade during the 2021 offseason and spent two-plus seasons in Toronto before being traded to the Knicks along with OG Anunoby in December 2023. Achiuwa was in New York for a season-and-a-half, then signed a non-guaranteed contract with the Heat this fall but didn’t make Miami’s regular season roster due to luxury tax concerns.

Achiuwa is a bit undersized for a center and isn’t a threat as an outside shooter, but he’s an athletic, high-energy player who rebounds well and is a versatile, switchable defender. In 57 games in 2024/25, he averaged 6.6 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 1.0 assists in 20.5 minutes per contest, with a .502/.278/.594 shooting line.

As for Jones, the former Washington State standout caught on with the Kings as an undrafted free agent in 2024 and appeared in 40 games off the bench for the team, earning a promotion from his two-way deal to a standard contract in March. While he exceeded expectations during his time in Sacramento, Jones played a very limited role, averaging 7.6 minutes per game last season and logging just 17 minutes in three contests so far in 2025/26, even with Murray sidelined.

There were some conflicting reports on Jones’ contract when the Kings exercised his ’25/26 team option in June, but ESPN’s Bobby Marks confirms (via Twitter) that the 25-year-old’s minimum salary was non-guaranteed. That means Sacramento will only be on the hook for a $191,043 dead-money cap hit if Jones is cut on Tuesday — for the purposes of evaluating whether the team finishes the season in luxury tax territory, he’ll count for $214,151 due to tax variance.

Assuming Achiuwa officially signs on Tuesday, a prorated minimum deal would pay him $2,453,285, with the Kings carrying a cap charge of $2,111,516. I would expect his contract to be non-guaranteed, though that hasn’t yet been confirmed.

Zion Williamson Diagnosed With Grade 1 Hamstring Strain

November 4th, 2025 at 3:49pm CST by Luke Adams

Pelicans star Zion Williamson has sustained a Grade 1 left hamstring strain, according to the team, which announced today (via Twitter) that the former No. 1 overall pick will be reevaluated in approximately seven-to-10 days.

That timeline suggests Williamson will be sidelined for upcoming games vs. Charlotte (Tuesday), Dallas (Wednesday), San Antonio (Saturday), and Phoenix (next Monday), and could miss additional time beyond that.

Hamstring issues are nothing new for Williamson, who has now been forced to miss time in each of the last four seasons due to a hamstring injury, tweets Will Guillory of The Athletic. The 25-year-old forward was limited to just 30 outings in 2024/25 as a result of hamstring and back problems.

Williamson appeared in five of the Pelicans’ first six games to open this season and performed well, averaging 22.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 2.0 steals per game while getting to the free throw line a league-high 11.4 times per contest. However, that strong production hasn’t translated into wins — New Orleans is off to an 0-6 start.

As Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports points out (via Twitter), things could go from bad to worse for the Pelicans without Williamson available, given that his -9.0 net rating this season is actually one of the better marks on the team. New Orleans has been outscored by a staggering 28.7 points per 100 possessions in the 136 minutes Williamson hasn’t played through six games.

The silver lining for the Pelicans is that a Grade 1 strain is considered mild, but given Williamson’s injury history, the club figures to manage the injury carefully.

As Rod Walker of NOLA.com writes, head coach Willie Green spoke on Monday about looking to “turn the page” on the 0-6 start, beginning with Tuesday’s game vs. the Hornets. At that time, Williamson was considered questionable to play due to what the team was referring to as hamstring soreness.

“Obviously we’re all disappointed, frustrated with our start,” Green said. “But we continue to come in, work at it and address it.”

Players Signed After Wednesday Won’t Be Trade-Eligible This Season

November 4th, 2025 at 3:00pm CST by Luke Adams

When a free agent signs a standard contract with an NBA team, he becomes ineligible to be traded for at least three months. Since this season’s trade deadline will land on February 5, that means a player who signs a new deal with a team anytime after Wednesday, November 5 won’t be eligible to be dealt this season.

That three-month trade restriction also applies to a player who is converted from a two-way contract to a standard deal. So if a player signs as a free agent or is promoted from a two-way deal to a standard roster spot this Thursday, his trade restriction wouldn’t lift until February 6, a day after this season’s deadline has passed.

If no new deals are completed by midnight Eastern on Wednesday, the last signee who will have trade eligibility later this season will likely be Precious Achiuwa, who is expected to sign with the Kings today or tomorrow. If Achiuwa officially signs on Tuesday and is still under contract with Sacramento three months from now, he’d become trade-eligible on February 4, the day before the deadline.

Pacers guard Mac McClung (January 28), Pelicans center DeAndre Jordan (January 23), Hawks guard Keaton Wallace (January 18), and Kings guard Russell Westbrook (January 16) are a few of the other players who would become eligible to be moved in the weeks leading up to the Feb. 5 deadline, assuming they remain under contract until then.

The three-month trade restriction doesn’t apply to players who sign two-way contracts — those players are ineligible to be dealt for just 30 days. Trades involving players on two-way deals are pretty rare, but it’s worth noting that anyone who inks a two-way contract on or before January 6 would still become trade-eligible ahead of this season’s deadline.

We previously shared lists of players who won’t become trade-eligible until December 15 or January 15 after signing new contracts in the offseason. We’ll soon publish one more list detailing which players have special, specific trade eligibility dates — that group will include Achiuwa, McClung, and the rest of the players mentioned above, plus many more, including several who signed offseason contract extensions.

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Pacers Notes: Turner, Furphy, Jackson, Nesmith, Walker

November 4th, 2025 at 1:31pm CST by Luke Adams

After predicting ahead of his return to Indiana that he’d hear “some cheers” and “some boos,” longtime Pacers center Myles Turner – now a member of the division rival Bucks – admitted following Monday’s game that he wasn’t able to easily shrug off the fact that the boos were far more prevalent.

“It was disheartening, man. It was frustrating,” Turner said of the reaction (Twitter video link via WISH-TV News). “You give 10 years of your life, your blood, your sweat, your tears. You take pay cuts. You survive trade rumors. You try to do everything the right way, and then sometimes stuff shakes out. It is cool. I take it on the chin.”

Turner, who was selected by the Pacers with the 11th overall pick in the 2015 draft, spent the first decade of his professional career in Indiana, making 616 regular season starts – and another 63 in the playoffs – during that time. After he reached free agency this past offseason, he felt he was low-balled by the Pacers and opted to accept a more lucrative offer from Milwaukee.

In his first game back in Indiana on Monday, Pacers fans booed during Turner’s pregame tribute video and continued to boo each time he touched the ball once the game started, notes Jamal Collier of ESPN. Turner and his new team got the last laugh, however, as Giannis Antetokounmpo made a game-winning shot at the buzzer and gave the fans in Indiana a thumbs down as he walked off the court (Twitter video link).

“He had 10 years of service with one franchise,” Antetokounmpo said of Turner after the game, per Akeem Glaspie of The Indianapolis Star. “To be able to come to Indiana as the all-time blocks leader, to be booed, he might not say it but it kind of hurt.

“We’re here to pick him up. Tell him how much we love him and respect him. We understand how much he gave to Indiana and how much he’s going to give to Milwaukee. He’s a great, great person; great character, great competitor. I played against him for 10 years. I think he gave everything he had; blood, sweat, tears, his body, many times on the line for Indiana. … You can boo the Bucks, I understand. But booing Myles Turner, just think about yourself, put yourself in that position.”

Here’s more on the Pacers:

Second-year Pacers guard Johnny Furphy, who missed four games early in the season due to left foot soreness, exited Monday’s game early due to a left ankle sprain, writes Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star. While head coach Rick Carlisle told reporters after the game that he didn’t have an update on Furphy’s status, the 20-year-old left the locker room on crutches, according to Dopirak.
Furphy wasn’t the only Pacer to leave Monday’s game early due to an injury. Quenton Jackson, who is on a two-way contract, checked out in the third quarter due to right hamstring tightness. While he was initially listed as questionable to return, Jackson remained out for the rest of the night, per Dopirak. The fourth-year point guard had enjoyed a career night in Saturday’s win over Golden State, with 25 points, 10 assists, six rebounds, and three steals.
Discussing the two latest injuries affecting the banged-up Pacers, star forward Pascal Siakam referred to it as “almost laughable” how many health issues the team has had to deal with so far this season, according to Dopirak (subscription required). “As bad as it’s getting I know there’s going to be another side of it and we’re going to come out of it,” Siakam said. “I’m just wired that way in a positive manner. I’m just going to continue to work and scratch and claw and we’re gonna find a way.”
Aaron Nesmith, who is averaging more than five field goal attempts more than his previous career high, and Jarace Walker, whose shot attempts are up from 4.8 per game last year to 12.6 this season, are among the players who have been asked to take on more offensive responsibilities due to Indiana’s injury absences. “They’ve had to figure things out on the fly,” head coach Rick Carlisle said, per Dopirak. “We have a lot of moving parts here. … We have a lot of guys who are playing unusual positions, and so there’s adjustments that are happening there. Everybody’s spirit is good about it and we just have to keep working at it. Both Aaron and Jarace are doing a good job and they’re both growing through this.”

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