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Pacific Notes: Kings, Christie, Westbrook, Hayes, Collins

October 17th, 2025 at 8:39am CST by Luke Adams

Within a story breaking down the Kings‘ decision to sign Russell Westbrook, Sam Amick of The Athletic says that “hordes” of opposing scouts have been attending Sacramento games during the preseason, since teams around the league anticipate that the Kings will be sellers at February’s trade deadline.

Westbrook is among several players on the Kings’ roster who will have something to prove this season, according to Amick, who notes that head coach Doug Christie falls into that category too.

As Amick details, citing league sources, the new contract that Christie signed in the spring when he was named the team’s permanent head coach is only guaranteed for two seasons, with a third-year team option. And his salary is only about $2MM annually in those first two years, followed by a significant increase if his option is exercised. In other words, Christie will have plenty of motivation to show during the next couple years that he deserves to keep his job.

We have more from around the Pacific Division:

Malik Monk, who played with Westbrook in Los Angeles, is excited to have his former teammate join the Kings, as Sean Cunningham of KCRA News relays (Twitter video link). Referring to Westbrook as “probably one of the best teammates I had,” Monk added that he thinks Westbrook can hold his own as an undersized power forward and defend opposing fours, which would help the club while Keegan Murray (thumb surgery) is sidelined.
After teaming up with Luka Doncic as members of the Lakers, center Jaxson Hayes wants to do so in international basketball competitions too. Hayes told reporters this week that he’s working on getting Slovenian citizenship in the hopes of representing the country in future competitions, per Eurohoops. A spokesperson for the Slovenian Basketball Federation confirmed that discussions are ongoing about adding a naturalized player at the center spot, but declined to offer specifics or confirm that Hayes is the player in question. “We are aiming to secure this player for a longer period to ensure the team’s stability in the coming years,” that spokesperson said.
Speaking to Law Murray of The Athletic about the offseason deal that sent him from Utah to Los Angeles and his expectations for the coming season, John Collins said the Clippers were “one of the first teams” he thought of when his name began to pop up in trade rumors. His head coach and teammates also expressed excitement about the fit. “It’s great. We get a big player like John on the floor, alongside Kawhi (Leonard), teams have a nightmare as far as matching up,” Tyronn Lue said. “You want to put a smaller guy on John, or a smaller guy on Kawhi? … (Collins’) versatility on both sides of the basketball is a huge thing for us.”

Bob Myers Leaves ESPN For Job With Sixers’ Ownership Group

October 17th, 2025 at 7:34am CST by Luke Adams

Former Warriors head of basketball operations Bob Myers is leaving his position as an ESPN analyst for a full-time role at Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, the company that owns the Sixers and other sports franchises, per a press release.

According to the announcement, Myers’ goal in his new job will be “maximizing opportunities and bolstering processes across HBSE’s portfolio of sports properties,” as well as supporting Josh Harris, the company’s co-founder and the Sixers’ co-governor.

In addition to the 76ers, HBSE owns the NHL’s New Jersey Devils and Crystal Palace F.C. in the Premier League. Harris is also the managing partner of the NFL’s Washington Commanders.

“Our goal has been to hire, grow, and retain the best and brightest executives in the world and we are a stronger, more dynamic organization with the addition of Bob Myers,” Harris and HBSE co-founder David Blitzer said in a statement. “His experience as an architect of championship teams will complement our existing leadership structure, while also allowing HBSE to maximize opportunities across our portfolio. We’re excited to have Bob continue his storied career here at HBSE.”

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the hiring won’t affect the front office hierarchy for any of the teams controlled by HBSE. Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey, for instance, will continue to report to team ownership.

While it sounds as if Myers will be focused on more big-picture business decisions as opposed to being involved in basketball operations, it’s still notable that he’ll be working with the ownership group. There was some speculation about Morey’s job security last season as the Sixers posted a disappointing 24-58 record after being considered one of the East’s top teams entering the year. However, the club opted not to make a front office change and Morey remains the team’s top basketball decision-maker.

Myers, who worked as an agent before being hired as an assistant general manager by the Warriors in 2011, was promoted to GM in 2012 and led the team to four championships in 2015, 2017, 2018, and 2022. He stepped down from his position in Golden State’s front office in 2023 and was replaced by Mike Dunleavy Jr.

Injury Notes: Embiid, George, Sabonis, Chomche, Ivey

October 16th, 2025 at 11:35pm CST by Rory Maher

Sixers star Joel Embiid may or may not be available for Friday’s preseason finale against Minnesota, but there’s a good chance he’ll suit up for Philadelphia’s regular season opener next week, Chris Haynes reported on NBA TV (Twitter video link).

According to Haynes, the 76ers plan to be “very cautious” with Embiid throughout the season. The veteran NBA insider added that he does not expect the 31-year-old center to play in back-to-backs in 2025/26.

While Sixers forward Paul George is expected to be sidelined for next Wednesday’s season opener vs. Boston, he has made “significant progress” in his recovery from offseason knee surgery and likely won’t miss many games beyond that, league sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN. George won’t return until he feels fully healthy, Charania added on NBA Today (Twitter video link).

Here are a few more injury notes from around the NBA:

Kings center Domantas Sabonis suffered a right hamstring injury in Wednesday’s preseason loss. Haynes hears (via Twitter) the three-time All-Star has a “mild” strain and has been ruled out of Friday’s preseason finale vs. the Lakers. Despite the relatively positive update, Matt George of ABC 10 thinks the Lithuanian big man will likely miss some time to start the season (Twitter link).
Second-year center Ulrich Chomche, who was on a two-way deal with Toronto prior to being waived by the Raptors on Thursday, has been referred to the NBA’s fitness-to-play panel, reports Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca (via Twitter). Chomche has been dealing with an unspecified health issue that prevented him from participating in training camp and preseason, tweets Michael Grange of Sportsnet.
Pistons guard Jaden Ivey underwent arthroscopic right knee surgery on Thursday after his 2024/25 campaign was cut short due to a broken left fibula. Head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said there was no single incident that led to the procedure, writes Vincent Goodwill of ESPN.com. “It was something that was developing over his work. Obviously, from coming back but in training camp also, he started to feel something,” Bickerstaff said before Detroit’s final preseason game against the Wizards. “We took precautions, and then the medical team did their assessments and those things, and then had to make the decision that ultimately led us to where we are today.” The Pistons plan to be cautious with Ivey’s recovery process, according to Bickerstaff.

Knicks Sign, Waive Romeo Langford, Adama Bal, Ibrahima Diallo

October 16th, 2025 at 10:30pm CST by Rory Maher

The Knicks continue to make changes at the back end of their offseason roster, announcing in a series of press releases that they have signed and waived Romeo Langford, Adama Bal and Ibrahima Diallo (Twitter links for each transaction here).

All three received Exhibit 10 deals, making each player eligible for a bonus (worth up to $85,300) on top of his G League salary if he spends at least 60 days with the Westchester Knicks.

Langford, a 6’5″ wing who turns 26 years old next week, holds four years of NBA experience, having been selected 14th overall in the 2019 draft. However, he has been out of the league for the past two seasons, last suiting up for the Spurs during the 2022/23 campaign.

Langford spent the 2023/24 season in the NBAGL with the Salt Lake City Stars, averaging 10.2 PPG, 3.8 RPG and 1.7 APG on .462/.371/.697 shooting in 30 games (26.9 MPG). He had a brief stint last fall with BCM Gravelines-Dunkerque, but mutually agreed to part ways with the French club in late November and hasn’t been on a team since then.

French guard Bal played a minor role for Arizona for two years prior to transferring to Santa Clara ahead of the ’23/24 campaign. He was a full-time starter for the Broncos over the past two seasons, averaging 13.7 PPG, 3.1 APG and 2.9 RPG on .426/.366/.808 shooting in 60 games over that span (3o.7 MPG).

Bal went undrafted in June, making him an unrestricted free agent.

Diallo, who is from Senegal, played five college seasons with three different schools, the last of which was UCF in ’23/24. He wasn’t selected in last year’s NBA draft but was picked 13th overall by the Austin Spurs in the G League draft last fall. The 25-year-old big man appeared in 32 regular season games with Austin, averaging 5.3 PPG, 6.1 RPG and 2.1 BPG in 19.4 MPG.

Extensions Not Expected For Hawks’ Young, Suns’ Williams

October 16th, 2025 at 9:30pm CST by Rory Maher

The Hawks will not sign star point guard Trae Young to an extension before the season begins, league sources tell Fred Katz and Joe Vardon of The Athletic.

The news doesn’t come as a surprise — Jake Fischer reported a couple months ago that the two sides weren’t expected to discuss an extension during the offseason. Katz and Vardon say the Hawks want to see how the new-look roster meshes before making a potential long-term commitment to the four-time All-Star.

Young admitted late last month that he was a little disappointed about entering training camp without an extension in place, but also said he was focused on the present and wouldn’t let the lack of a new deal be a distraction.

Young is coming off a 2024/25 season in which he played 76 games (36.0 minutes per contest) while averaging 24.2 points, a league-high 11.6 assists, 3.1 rebounds and 1.2 steals, with a shooting line of .411/.340/.875.

There’s no real urgency to extend Young from Atlanta’s perspective. While he could become an unrestricted free agent next summer if he declines his player option (worth about $49MM) for 2026/27, he will remain extension-eligible throughout the ’25/26 league year. Signing an in-season extension would also require Young to decline that option.

Whether they sign him to a rookie scale extension before Monday’s deadline or re-sign him as a restricted free agent in 2026, the Hawks feel good about their chances of retaining Most Improved Player winner Dyson Daniels, according to Katz and Vardon.

In other extension news, John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 cautions (via Twitter) not to expect a rookie scale deal for Suns center Mark Williams. The former Duke big man has frequently been injured over his first three seasons, appearing in a total of just 106 games, and Phoenix appears likely to use ’25/26 to evaluate his fit after acquiring him in a summer trade with Charlotte.

Fischer reported last week that the Suns were considered unlikely to sign Williams to an extension. If no deal is reached, the 23-year-old would be a restricted free agent next summer, assuming he’s given a qualifying offer.

Knicks Sign, Waive Donovan Williams, Isaiah Roby

October 16th, 2025 at 7:56pm CST by Rory Maher

The Knicks signed Donovan Williams to an Exhibit 10 contract on Thursday evening and subsequently waived him a little over an hour later (all Twitter links from the team).

Williams, who is now eligible for a bonus worth up to $85,300 if he spends at least 60 days with the Westchester Knicks, spent part of 2022/23 on a two-way contract with the Hawks, but has otherwise spent the past three seasons playing in the G League, Canada and China.

A 6’6″ wing, Williams appeared in 35 total games (30.3 minutes per contest) for Westchester last season, averaging 17.8 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.0 assists on .465/.382/.744 shooting. The 24-year-old, whose agreement with the Knicks was first reported at the beginning of October, also had recent stints with the Shanghai Sharks of the Chinese Basketball Association and the Scarborough Shooting Stars of the Canadian Elite Basketball League.

To make room on their offseason roster for Williams, the Knicks waived veteran guard Malcolm Brogdon, who surprisingly announced his retirement on Wednesday despite reportedly being on track to make New York’s regular season roster. The former Rookie of the Year (2017) and Sixth Man of the Year (2023) winner was on a non-guaranteed Exhibit 9 deal for training camp.

The Knicks have also signed and waived former second-round pick Isaiah Roby, per the team (Twitter links). As with Williams, Roby is likely headed back to Westchester after spending last season in Germany with Ratiopharm Ulm.

A 6’8″ power forward who has also been used as a small-ball center, Roby averaged 13.6 points, 8.1 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.7 blocks on .457/.375/.633 shooting in 26 games with Weschester during the ’23/24 campaign.

Roby, 27, has made 151 career NBA appearances over four total seasons with the Thunder and Spurs (18.9 MPG), averaging 7.7 PPG and 4.4 RPG on .485/.351/.675 shooting. He signed with the Knicks at the end of the ’22/23 season, but didn’t appear in any games for New York.

Celtics Cut Jalen Bridges, Kendall Brown, Wendell Moore

October 16th, 2025 at 5:45pm CST by Rory Maher

The Celtics have waived a trio of players on non-guaranteed training camp contracts, according to NBA.com’s log of official league transactions. Jalen Bridges, Kendall Brown and Wendell Moore Jr. were the three players cut loose, as first reported by Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

Bridges, Brown and Moore were all vying for a two-way contract with the Celtics, who created a two-way opening last night by waiving rookie wing RJ Luis. That two-way spot wound up going to Ron Harper Jr., who was promoted earlier today.

After going undrafted out of Baylor last year, Bridges signed a two-way deal with Phoenix. He spent most of his rookie campaign in the G League, and the Suns decided not to give Bridges a qualifying offer, making him an unrestricted free agent until his Exhibit 10 agreement with Boston was finalized prior to training camp.

Both Brown (48th overall) and Moore (26th overall) were selected in the 2022 draft. Brown has spent time with Indiana and Brooklyn on two-way deals but spent most of last season in the G League with the Long Island Nets. He made 21 garbage-time appearances over two seasons with the Pacers.

As for Moore, he spent two years in Minnesota before splitting last season with the Pistons and Hornets. He has averaged 8.1 minutes per game across 90 NBA appearances with those three clubs.

Bridges, Brown and Moore are all candidates to join the Celtics’ G League affiliate in Maine. Each player is now eligible for a bonus worth $85,300 on top of his normal G League salary if he spends at least 60 days with the Maine Celtics.

Heat Sign Bez Mbeng, Waive Steve Settle III

October 16th, 2025 at 5:21pm CST by Rory Maher

The Heat have signed guard Bez Mbeng and requested waivers on forward Steve Settle III, according to a team press release.

Mbeng went undrafted in June after a standout four-year college career at Yale. He was named the Ivy League’s Defensive Player of the Year each of the past three seasons and won the conference’s Player of the Year award in 2024/25 as well.

A 6’4″ guard, Mbeng averaged 13.0 points, 5.8 assists, 5.6 rebounds and 1.8 steals on .429/.368/.699 shooting in 29 appearances last season (32.7 minutes per game). He helped the Bulldogs reach the NCAA tournament in three of his four years at Yale and is the school’s all-time leader in steals.

While the terms of the deal were not disclosed, Mbeng almost certainly signed an Exhibit 10 deal and will be waived sometime in the next couple days. If that comes to fruition, he would be eligible for a bonus worth up to $85,300 if he spends at least 60 days with Miami’s G League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce.

Settle, who went undrafted earlier this year, was signed earlier this week to an Exhibit 10 contract.

Cavaliers Sign, Waive Darius Brown II

October 16th, 2025 at 5:02pm CST by Rory Maher

October 16: Cleveland has requested waivers on Brown, according to the official transactions log at NBA.com.

October 13: Brown has officially signed with the Cavaliers, per RealGM’s transaction log.

October 9: The Cavaliers intend to sign free agent guard Darius Brown II, sources tell Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (Twitter link).

In a follow-up tweet, Fedor clarifies that Cleveland will likely sign Brown after the team’s third preseason game against Boston on Sunday. Brown is expected to be active for next Tuesday’s preseason finale vs. Detroit, Fedor adds.

While the terms of the deal were not disclosed, Brown will almost certainly sign a non-guaranteed training camp contract featuring Exhibit 10 language. Assuming he’s waived before the season begins, which is a virtual lock, Brown would be eligible for a bonus worth up to $85,300 if he spends at least 60 days with the Cavaliers’ G League affiliate, the Cleveland Charge.

A 6’2″ point guard who went undrafted in 2024 out of Utah State, Brown signed an Exhibit 10 deal with the Cavs last fall, was waived a few days later, and spent all of 2024/25 in the NBAGL with the Charge. In 44 total games, the 26-year-old averaged 7.8 points, 4.8 assists, 3.6 rebounds and 1.7 steals in 25.1 minutes per contest.

The Cavs are currently at the offseason maximum of 21 players under contract, so they’ll have to cut another player to add Brown.

Bucks Waive Chris Livingston

October 16th, 2025 at 5:01pm CST by Luke Adams

4:59 pm: Livingston has been released by the Bucks, per NBA.com’s transactions log.

9:59 am: The Bucks are taking a first step toward addressing their roster crunch, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania, who reports (via Twitter) that the team is waiving forward Chris Livingston.

The final pick in the second round of the 2023 draft, Livingston has spent the past two seasons in Milwaukee but played a very limited role at the NBA level, logging just 196 minutes in 42 total regular season appearances. He averaged 1.3 points and 1.3 rebounds in 4.7 minutes per game.

Livingston, who turned 22 on Wednesday, has showed some promise in the G League. In 18 outings for the Wisconsin Herd in 2024/25, he averaged 18.1 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.1 steals in 29.5 minutes per contest, with a shooting line of .485/.301/.828.

The 6’6″ forward also played well for the Bucks’ Summer League team this July, earning a new one-year, minimum-salary contract in Milwaukee after having been waived two weeks earlier. While Livingston’s salary on his previous contract wasn’t guaranteed for 2025/26, his newest deal was fully guaranteed, so the Bucks will carry a dead cap hit of $2,296,274 after cutting him, assuming he goes unclaimed on waivers.

Livingston had been one of 15 Bucks players with a standard guaranteed contract. Waiving him will put the team in position to retain either Andre Jackson Jr. or Amir Coffey as its 15th man.

Jackson has an $800K partial guarantee on his minimum-salary deal and would earn his full $2.22MM guarantee if he makes the opening night roster. Coffey is on a non-guaranteed Exhibit 9 contract.