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Southwest Notes: Sheppard, Edey, Coward, Pelicans

November 25th, 2025 at 1:37pm CST by Luke Adams

Rockets guard Reed Sheppard made just 2-of-9 shots from the floor in his first start of the season on Monday in Phoenix, but he contributed five assists and three steals in his 27 minutes, and Houston was a +6 when he was on the court. It marked the eighth consecutive game in which the Rockets outscored their opponent during Sheppard’s minutes.

While the 21-year-old still has plenty of room to grow, Sheppard has taken a significant step forward so far this season, with his averages – 13.1 PPG and 3.2 APG on .490/.471/.706 shooting – up across the board. As William Guillory of The Athletic writes, Houston’s odds of competing for a title are only increasing as a result of the second-year guard’s improvement.

“The real thing is the opportunity he’s getting, and he’s taking advantage of it,” head coach Ime Udoka said of Sheppard last week. “You’re going to get more of a rhythm with the more minutes and opportunities you get. We needed him to take that step this year, regardless of Fred (VanVleet) being out. He’s really been great. We want him to continue to be confident.”

Sheppard, who started in place of Kevin Durant on Monday, could have another opportunity to be part of the starting five on Wednesday in Golden State, with Durant out for a second straight game for personal reasons.

Here’s more from out of the Southwest:

After missing the first 13 games of the Grizzlies‘ season as he recovered from offseason ankle surgery, center Zach Edey exited his fifth game back early on Monday due to a head injury. If Edey is forced to miss time, it would be a major blow to Memphis, says Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal, given that the club has a +16.5 net rating in Edey’s minutes and a -8.0 mark when he doesn’t play. “Zach is a huge part of what we do, both offensively and defensively,” teammate Cedric Coward said after Monday’s loss to Denver. “Just his presence alone is so meaningful to the team. You guys understand, when he came back, how much better our team got defensively, on the rebounding end, even the offensive end. His roles are gravitating guys inside, so we’re getting easier shots on the outside. It was a huge loss.”
Coward has been one of the NBA’s most productive rookies this fall and is making the Grizzlies look good for trading up to No. 11 in June to draft him, as a Western Conference scout tells Grant Afseth of RG.org. “He only played six Division I games after the partially torn rotator cuff, and that made him one of the biggest unknowns in the draft,” the scout said of Coward. “A lot of scouts weren’t sure how his game would translate against top talent because he’d spent most of his college career at Willamette and Eastern Washington. But Memphis clearly saw something real. … And now he’s outperforming even the optimistic projections. He looks completely comfortable at this level.”
The Pelicans‘ past two games provided a reminder of Zion Williamson‘s impact. After scoring just 98 points on Saturday as Williamson sat out the second game of a back-to-back, New Orleans poured in 143 points on Monday vs. Chicago with Williamson back on the court. While the star forward led the way with 29 points, Monday’s performance was a team effort, with eight players scoring in double figures, writes Les East of NOLA.com. “You couldn’t ask for a better team win when you look at the stat sheet,” said interim head coach James Borrego, who registered his first win since taking over for Willie Green.
Outside of the Hornets, who drafted four players in the top 34 in June, no team has gotten more minutes from its rookies so far this season than the Pelicans, according to Jim Eichenhofer of Pelicans.com. That trend figures to continue going forward, Eichenhofer posits, since Jeremiah Fears, Derik Queen, and Micah Peavy are all part of the rotation now and should see regular playing time with several New Orleans veterans sidelined due to injuries.

Mavs Fear Extended Absence For Dereck Lively

November 25th, 2025 at 12:33pm CST by Luke Adams

12:33 pm: Lively is being evaluated after experiencing swelling and discomfort in his right foot, according to the Mavericks (Twitter link). The team states that he’ll miss the upcoming three-game road trip, with an update on his timeline provided in about seven-to-10 days.

12:14 pm: There’s concern in Dallas that the Mavericks may be without big man Dereck Lively II for an extended period, reports Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Twitter link).

Lively, who underwent surgery on his right foot in July, appeared in the first three games of the season before missing the next nine due to a right knee sprain. The third-year center suited up for four of Dallas’ next six contests, sitting twice during back-to-back sets due to what the team called “right knee injury management.”

However, Lively missed a second consecutive game on Monday in Miami, with his injury designation changing to “right foot injury management.”

Stein doesn’t specify exactly which ailment is of greatest concern for the Mavericks, but whether it’s the foot or the knee, Lively’s right leg doesn’t appear to be back to 100%.

Even when Lively has been available this season, he has been on a minutes limit. In seven outings (four starts), the 21-year-old has averaged 4.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1.6 blocks in 16.4 minutes per night.

Injuries have been a recurring problem for Lively, who has made 98 total regular season appearances since joining the Mavs as the 12th overall pick in the 2023 draft. He has been an effective role player when healthy, having played a regular rotation role as a rookie for the Dallas team that made the NBA Finals in 2024.

An extended absence for Lively would be the latest blow to a Mavericks team that has dealt with injuries to several of its most important players this season. On a positive note, big man Anthony Davis, who has missed 14 consecutive games due to a calf strain, appears to be trending toward a return, with the club hoping he can practice on Wednesday.

Lakers Sign Drew Timme, Waive Christian Koloko

November 25th, 2025 at 12:04pm CST by Rory Maher

November 25: The Lakers have officially signed Timme to a two-way contract and waived Koloko, the team announced today in a press release.

As our tracker shows, Timme will be eligible to appear in up to 40 regular season games for Los Angeles.

November 24: Confirming the Lakers’ plan to sign Timme to a two-way contract, Shams Charania of ESPN reports (via Twitter) that the team is waiving Koloko to create an opening for the newcomer.

November 21: The Lakers plan to sign free agent big man Drew Timme to a two-way contract, according to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints (Twitter link).

Los Angeles’ three two-way spots are currently occupied by Nick Smith Jr., Christian Koloko and Chris Manon. Siegel hears Smith won’t be the odd man out, so either Koloko or Manon will be released to make roster space for Timme.

Timme, who had a decorated college career at Gonzaga, went undrafted in 2023 and spent most of his first two post-college seasons in the G League. The Nets signed him to a two-year standard contract in late March after a strong 2024/25 regular season with Brooklyn’s affiliate team in Long Island.

The Nets picked up their $1,955,377 option on Timme in late June, but his salary was fully non-guaranteed, and they wound up waiving him during the preseason. The 25-year-old forward/center averaged 12.1 points, 7.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists in nine appearances (28.2 minutes per game) with Brooklyn down the stretch last season. His shooting line was .441/.257/.625.

Timme, who put up big numbers for the Nets in Summer League (25.3 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 2.7 APG and 1.0 SPG in three games), has been playing for the NBAGL’s South Bay Lakers to open 2025/26. In four Tip-Off Tournament games (34.1 MPG) this fall, he has averaged 28.3 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 4.5 APG and 1.5 SPG on .481/.240/.762 shooting.

Manon, an undrafted rookie out of Vanderbilt, has made two garbage-time appearances with the Lakers this fall. The 23-year-old wing has been highly productive in four games (33.4 MPG) with South Bay, averaging 18.8 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 2.5 APG on .458/.500/.789 shooting. He currently leads the G League in steals per game (3.5) and is tied for fourth in blocks per game (2.8).

Koloko, a third-year center, has also made a pair of garbage-time appearances with L.A. this season after getting into 37 games in 2024/25. He averaged 2.4 PPG and 2.5 RPG in 9.2 MPG last season for Los Angeles.

LeBron James Remains Undecided On Playing Beyond This Season

November 25th, 2025 at 11:56am CST by Luke Adams

Chris Paul confirmed over the weekend that the 2025/26 season will be his final year in the NBA, but his longtime friend LeBron James hasn’t made that same determination. Sources close to the Lakers star insist to Dave McMenamin of ESPN that James remains undecided on whether or not he’ll continue his career beyond this season.

McMenamin’s report comes within a larger story about James’ incredible streak of 21 consecutive All-NBA nods. If LeBron hopes to extend that record-setting streak to 22 seasons, he would have to appear in 63 of the Lakers’ remaining 66 games.

As McMenamin points out, if James knew this were his final season, he may feel obligated not to take any games off – especially on the road – as long as he’s healthy. But if he thinks he’ll be back in 2026/27, a “farewell tour” wouldn’t be a consideration.

The Lakers have 11 back-to-backs between now and the end of the season, McMenamin notes, and while James has made a strong effort in recent years to suit up for both ends of those back-to-back sets, head coach J.J. Redick and the Lakers may take a more cautious approach this season, given that LeBron will turn 41 in December and has missed time with sciatica this fall.

“I don’t think an All-NBA appearance this year is going to make or break his résumé,” Redick said, adding that he hasn’t spoken to James about trying to extend that All-NBA streak.

Like Redick, agent Rich Paul said he hasn’t talked to his longtime client about the streak, but he doesn’t necessarily view an All-NBA spot in 2026 as a top priority either.

“Look, at 41 years of age, I hope he is not playing back-to-backs,” Paul told McMenamin.

As McMenamin writes, the most important thing that James could do this season for his legacy would be to win a fifth championship, and the Lakers may decide that managing his playing time over the course of the season gives them the best chance to have him healthy and at his best during the postseason.

Of course, besides reaching the 65-game mark, James would also have to continue playing at an All-NBA level in order to earn serious consideration for a 22nd berth. If he is playing at that level, regardless of whether or not he appears in 65 games, it would likely make him more inclined to put off retirement for another year.

James will earn about $52.6MM this season in the final year of his contract with the Lakers and isn’t eligible to sign a contract extension before next July. That means if he does decide he wants to continue playing in 2026/27, he’ll have to wait until he becomes an unrestricted free agent to sign his next deal, either with Los Angeles or another team.

Hoops Rumors Front Office Subscriber Chat Transcript: 11/25/2025

November 25th, 2025 at 11:00am CST by Arthur Hill

Hoops Rumors’ Arthur Hill held a live chat today exclusively for Trade Rumors Front Office subscribers. Topics included Chauncey Billups' coaching future, the Pistons' moves after losing Malik Beasley, the chances of a Jonathan Kuminga trade, Deandre Ayton's impressive start with the Lakers and more!

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Central Notes: Giannis, Walker, Bulls, Mobley

November 25th, 2025 at 10:44am CST by Luke Adams

Tuesday marks one week since word broke that Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo had been diagnosed with a low-grade groin strain that was expected to sideline him for a week or two. Milwaukee has struggled mightily without its leading scorer and rebounder, dropping four consecutive games since Antetokounmpo went down, including a home loss on Monday to a banged-up Portland team.

While no target date has been reported for Giannis’ return yet, he was on the court getting some shots up prior to Monday’s game, and he’ll travel with the team on its two-game road trip to Miami (Wednesday) and New York (Friday), according to Eric Nehm of The Athletic (Twitter links).

Head coach Doc Rivers made it clear he’s not necessarily counting on Antetokounmpo to play in either of those road games against conference rivals this week, but he did say he thinks that both Giannis and Kevin Porter Jr. are getting close, Nehm adds (Twitter link). Last week’s update on Porter, who is recovering from meniscus surgery, suggested that the Bucks guard is trending toward an early December return.

[UPDATE: Antetokounmpo has been listed as questionable for Wednesday’s game.]

We have a few more notes from around the Central Division:

Former Pacers lottery pick Jarace Walker got off to a very slow start this season, making just 30.7% of his field goal attempts through 16 games and he took an increased role on the rotation. But Walker scored a career-high 21 points on 8-of-10 shooting vs. Detroit on Monday, prompting Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star (subscription required) to wonder if it could be a breakthrough game for the third-year forward. Dopirak also takes a look at the role veteran forward Pascal Siakam has played in mentoring his younger teammate. “I told him after the game, I think I can count the number of dribbles he had,” Siakam said on Monday. “He just kept the game simple. Make the right play. If you’re open, let it fly. If you don’t have it, keep moving it. If you make the decision to drive, drive strong. Finish. If you don’t have it, pass it.”
After watching his team give up a combined 263 points to Washington and New Orleans in the past two games, Bulls head coach Billy Donovan said that everyone needs to step up and contribute more to the defensive effort, per Joel Lorenzi of The Athletic (Twitter video link). “Our team, outside of maybe Isaac Okoro, we don’t have one guy on the team right now that you would sit there and say, ‘This guy’s a defensive stopper. This is what this guy hangs his hat on,'” Donovan said. “We don’t have that. So we have to do it collectively. It’s not one guy’s fault, it’s all of us. It’s the coaches, the players. … It’s a team issue, it’s not an individual issue.”
Evan Mobley is the NBA’s reigning Defensive Player of the Year, but he hasn’t yet turned into the sort of dominant offensive player the Cavaliers have long hoped he can become, writes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (subscription required). In the wake of a disappointing Monday performance in which Mobley attempted just seven shots, Fedor considers whether two-way superstardom is still in the cards for the former No. 3 overall pick and whether it’s realistic for the Cavs to expect more from him.

Nets Notes: Clowney, Williams, Traore, Martin

November 25th, 2025 at 9:26am CST by Luke Adams

Nets forward Noah Clowney continues to show signs that his third season in the NBA could be a breakout year. In his 11th consecutive game as a starter on Monday, Clowney scored a career-high 31 points against New York, knocking down 7-of-13 three-pointers. Although Brooklyn lost the game by 13 points, the team was a +1 in Clowney’s 39 minutes on the floor.

Much of the focus in Brooklyn this season has been on the team’s five first-round picks, but Brian Lewis of The New York Post suggests no young player on the roster has developed more this fall than Clowney. According to Lewis, Clowney is playing with more confidence and attacking close-outs with more intent.

“Trying to be aggressive helps my teammates. Yeah, it’s really it,” Clowney said.

Clowney is still just 21 years old, making him younger than many members of the 2025 draft class, including rookie teammate Danny Wolf. He has averaged 16.5 points per game and shot 36.8% on three-pointers since entering the Nets’ starting five and will be eligible for a rookie scale extension during the 2026 offseason.

Here’s more on Brooklyn:

Ziaire Williams, who re-signed with the Nets on a short-term deal over the summer, played a major role off the bench during the first month of the season, averaging 23.1 minutes per contest in 14 appearances. However, he was a DNP-CD on Monday, according to Lewis, who notes that head coach Jordi Fernandez provided an explanation after the game. “It was just my decision. I wanted to challenge him with his defense,” Fernandez said. “Last year, he was elite in a lot of the things that we care defensively, from ball pressure to deflections to pick-and-roll defense to defending isolations, and he was huge and I haven’t felt that energy. And then, I can go through the numbers, and they were not there. So I challenge him to do that.”
Rookie guard Nolan Traore hasn’t seen much action at the NBA level yet, but he’s starting to turn in some promising performances in the G League, Lewis notes. In back-to-back games against the Greensboro Swarm, Traore racked up 43 points and 18 assists while making 50.0% of his three-pointers (9-of-18) and turning the ball over just four times. The Long Island Nets outscored Greensboro by 25 points during his 68 minutes across those two games. “We want to play a competitive and winning game of basketball. It starts with the habits,” Fernandez said. “I know he saw the ball go in, which are things you can’t always control, but you can control taking the right shots, make the right play. He had a very good assist-to-turnover ratio. So all those things are positive.”
One of two Nets players on a non-guaranteed contract, Tyrese Martin is making a strong case to stick around for the rest of the season, writes C.J. Holmes of The New York Daily News (subscription required). Martin has been asked to take more on-ball responsibilities this fall and after struggling early in the season, he’s averaging 13.6 PPG and 3.6 APG on .500/.440/.786 shooting over the past five games. Fernandez referred to the third-year guard as a “star in his role” and said he’s someone who leads by example. “I think he’s just a mature, steady person,” the Nets’ coach said. “You see it in the day-to-day and it reflects on the court. All his teammates trust him. We trust him. And he’s been part of our success as far as competing every time we give ourselves a chance to compete.”

Key Dates For Teams Up Against Hard Cap, Tax Line

November 25th, 2025 at 8:04am CST by Luke Adams

There are currently five NBA teams who have an open spot on their respective 15-man rosters and don’t have the ability to sign a free agent to fill that opening because of their proximity to a first- or second-apron hard cap.

For instance, after hard-capping themselves at the first apron in the offseason, the Lakers are operating just $1,124,195 below that threshold. A prorated minimum salary for a veteran signed today would count against the cap for $1,834,380 and wouldn’t fit under Los Angeles’ hard cap. But as of January 18, that figure would drop to $1,121,743, just low enough for the Lakers to accommodate it.

Here are the dates as of which those five teams who have 14-man rosters and are right up against a hard cap could first sign a player:

January 7: Los Angeles Clippers
January 8: Houston Rockets
January 9: Orlando Magic
January 18: Los Angeles Lakers
April 2: New York Knicks

The Warriors were also on this list when the season began, but they now have enough room below their hard cap to sign a 15th man — every day they put off doing so creates a little more flexibility below that threshold, which could come in handy later in the season.

Those teams aren’t the only ones worth keeping an eye on due to their cap limitations though. The Mavericks, for example, have a full 15-man roster, but could be looking to make a change after ruling out Dante Exum for the season due to a knee injury. That wouldn’t be possible right now though, since Dallas is just $1,292,084 away from a second-apron hard cap. The Mavs won’t be able to add a new 15th man in place of Exum until January 6, at which point a prorated minimum deal would carry a cap charge of $1,280,107.

There are also a handful of teams operating just under the luxury tax line who wouldn’t have the ability to sign a free agent to a minimum-salary contract without surpassing that threshold. The tax line isn’t a hard cap, so there’s nothing stopping a club from surpassing it today and then trying to duck below it later in the season. But that comes with some risk, since getting below the tax typically requires the cooperation of a trade partner.

Here are the teams currently unable to sign a veteran free agent without going into the tax, along with the dates when that will change:

December 13: Miami Heat
December 19: Portland Trail Blazers
January 26: Oklahoma City Thunder

The Trail Blazers and Thunder currently have full 15-man rosters, and there’s no indication that either team wants to make a roster move. The Heat, on the other hand, have an open roster spot, so they’re worth keeping a closer eye on starting in mid-December.

It’s worth noting that all of these dates apply to free agent signings only. If a team were to sign a player whose draft rights it held to a rookie minimum contract, the cap hit would be significantly lower, so it could happen sooner. But few teams have that sort of draft-rights player waiting in the wings to join the roster during the season.

We should also mention that the dates above only apply to one-year, minimum-salary contracts. If a team wants to bring in a player on a multiyear minimum deal, the first-year cap hit is generally higher, so it would have to happen later in the season.

Finally, these dates are all contingent on the team’s current cap situation, so they’re subject to change if a club makes a trade, completes a buyout, or makes a 10-day signing that changes its position relative to the tax line or aprons.

Knicks Notes: Hart, McBride, Towns, Shamet, Robinson

November 24th, 2025 at 11:04pm CST by Luke Adams

Entering Monday’s matchup with Brooklyn, the Knicks had lost three of their past five games and had allowed 123 points per contest during that stretch. As Stefan Bondy of The New York Post wrote ahead of Monday’s game, a lack of on-ball defensive stoppers has been an issue, especially with OG Anunoby sidelined due to a hamstring strain.

“I’m confident we can be where we need to defensively,” head coach Mike Brown said on Sunday. “We played well in some instances and we haven’t played well. That’s what you go through especially during this part of the year. So I do think we can be a really good defensive team, but again, no matter who we throw out there, we’ve gotta have a feel and understanding of what we’re trying to do on that end of the floor to get things done.”

The Knicks got Miles McBride back on Monday following a one-game absence due to an illness and inserted him into the lineup alongside forward Josh Hart, who got his first start of the season as part of a smaller starting five, Bondy tweets. The result was exactly what Brown wanted to see — New York held the Nets to 100 points en route to a victory, with Hart recognized as the team’s defensive player of the game, per James L. Edwards III of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Brown told reporters after the win that he was pleased with the way Hart spoke after Saturday’s loss about the Knicks needing to change their mentality on defense, then backed up those comments with his performance against Brooklyn.

“That’s what leadership is about,” Brown said.

Here’s more on the Knicks:

Karl-Anthony Towns‘ 14-of-20 performance against Brooklyn on Monday was easily his best shooting night of the season. The 37-point outburst was an important development for a star “in desperate need of reprieve,” according to Kristian Winfield of The New York Daily News, who wonders if the game could be a turning point for Towns. The big man entered the night averaging 21.7 PPG on .429/.318/.877 shooting.
The Knicks have yet to share an update on Landry Shamet‘s diagnosis after he left Saturday’s game with a shoulder injury. As Bondy writes for The New York Post, if Shamet dislocated his shoulder like he did a year ago, he may have to decide whether to undergo potential season-ending surgery or try to return sooner by going the non-surgical route again. “Obviously, we know how valuable he is,” Mikal Bridges said of the reserve guard. “But it’s next guy. Next guy has to step up. A lot of guys in the locker room that’s ready. Just next man up, honestly.”
Brown recently told reporters that Mitchell Robinson‘s agent has been involved in the load management plan for the veteran center this season. Bondy explores what that means for Robinson, who is in a contract year and will be an unrestricted free agent next summer if he doesn’t sign an extension before then.
Fred Katz and James L. Edwards III of The Athletic share their early-season impressions on the Knicks, including evaluating the job that Brown has done with the team so far. Edwards likes the way in which Brown has empowered some second-unit players, while Katz says it’ll take more time to assess the new head coach’s impact, since he has spent the first few weeks of the season experimenting with his lineups and personnel.

Suns Minority Owners Accuse Ishbia Of Using Team As ‘Personal Piggy Bank’

November 24th, 2025 at 9:39pm CST by Luke Adams

In a legal filing in Delaware State Court, Suns minority owners Andy Kohlberg and Scott Seldin allege that majority owner Mat Ishbia is using the team as his “personal piggy bank” and is hiding details about his spending, according to reports from Doug Haller and Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic and Baxter Holmes of ESPN.

It’s the latest development in a legal battle between the various Suns shareholders. Kohlberg and Seldin sued the Suns and Ishbia in August, with Ishbia filing a countersuit against the pair of minority owners in October. This legal filing is a response to Ishbia’s countersuit.

“Ishbia does not own the Suns to make money for the company but he does operate it as a personal fiefdom for his own personal gain and for the benefit of his other businesses, including his mortgage company United Wholesale Mortgage,” the latest filing states. “The reality is that Ishbia is using the Suns as his personal piggy bank, including through a lengthy list of conflicted transactions — only some of which the minority owners are aware of.”

As The Athletic and ESPN relay, the allegations Kohlberg and Seldin make against Ishbia in the filing include:

Extending a loan to the Suns at an interest rate that was far above the going market rate.
Selling naming rights to the Suns’ arena to his own mortgage company without disclosing the details.
Leasing the Phoenix Mercury’s practice facility from himself without disclosing the details.
Establishing an entity called the “Player 15 Group” that allegedly holds assets which should rightfully belong to the Suns.
Turning the Suns and Mercury into money-losing teams while profiting through United Wholesale Mortgage.

Kohlberg and Seldin also specifically cite a pair of capital calls that took place in June and July of 2025, contending that Ishbia set up those capital calls in the hopes of diluting their shares in the team, which could have happened if they didn’t pay within a 10-day window. The two minority owners contributed the necessary capital in each case, but they say Ishbia didn’t pay his own shares by the deadline and attempted to hide it by using a debt-to-equity conversion to make up the difference.

According to Kohlberg and Seldin, they should have been given the opportunity to buy the shares Ishbia didn’t fund himself, which would have allowed them to take control of a larger stake in the franchise.

“In other words,” the filing states, “Ishbia blundered into the very trap he set for the minority owners and faced a devastating dilution of his ownership interest if his failure was discovered — a failure that would wipe off his net worth and put his continued status as an NBA team owner and governor in jeopardy.”

Ishbia, who has bought out the rest of the Suns’ minority owners since assuming majority control of the team in 2023, denied the allegations through a spokesperson.

“This isn’t a lawsuit; it’s a shameless shakedown dressed up as legal process,” Ishbia’s spokesperson said in a statement. “From day one, Mat Ishbia was transparent that he was going to do things differently. Contrary to how the team was previously managed, Mat made it very clear he would invest significantly into the Suns and Mercury. He told all the investors that they could step up with him or sell their stake and step aside. Kohlberg and Seldin stayed in and now they’re trying to freeload off the value Mat created.

“Kohlberg and Seldin want to drag the organization backward, and they openly admit in this filing that investing in the team and its fans ‘makes no business sense.’ They are advocating neglect. They are free to sell their shares in the open market and if they don’t, they should be prepared to lose this lawsuit and participate in Mat’s continued investments in the teams and community.”

Ishbia and his representatives have previously argued that his investments in the team have helped bump the value of the Suns from $4 billion to $6 billion since he took over as the majority owner. Ishbia said in the latest episode of The Draymond Green Show that Kohlberg and Seldin “can sell if they want” and should appreciate the fact that the franchise valuation is on the rise.

“I told them, ‘Instead of suing me, why don’t you just write me a letter and say thank you? Your investment is worth more,'” Ishbia said (Twitter video link).

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