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Christian Braun Signs Five-Year Extension With Nuggets

October 20th, 2025 at 4:35pm CST by Dana Gauruder

4:35 pm: Braun has officially signed his five-year extension, the Nuggets announced (via Twitter).

1:35 pm: The Nuggets and guard Christian Braun have agreed to a five-year, $125MM rookie scale extension, ESPN’s Shams Charania reports (Twitter link). There are no team or player options in the agreement, Tony Jones of The Athletic tweets.

Earlier on Monday, HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto indicated there was cautious optimism between the two parties than an extension agreement would be worked out. The new deal will begin in 2026/27.

After being an important member of the team’s bench unit during his first two years in Denver, Braun moved into the starting lineup last season following the departure of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in free agency. The 21st pick of the 2022 draft posted career-high numbers across the board, averaging 15.4 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 79 games with .580/.397/.827 shooting splits.

Braun is the eighth player in his draft class to sign or agree to a rookie scale extension, joining Paolo Banchero, Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren, Jabari Smith Jr., Keegan Murray, Nikola Jovic and Shaedon Sharpe.

The numbers that Braun and his agent Bill Duffy agreed to fall in the range of Smith’s agreement of five years and $122MM.

With this agreement, Denver has now committed to four of its starters through at least the 2027/28 season. Braun joins superstar Nikola Jokic, Aaron Gordon and Jamal Murray, though Jokic has a player option on his contract for ’27/28.

As Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets, the Nuggets also now have more than $193MM committed to six players for the 2026/27 season. The cap for next season projects to be $166MM, with a tax line of $201MM and aprons in the neighborhood of $210MM and $223MM.

Wizards Notes: Coulibaly, A. Johnson, T. Johnson, Rebuild

October 20th, 2025 at 4:31pm CST by Rory Maher

Third-year Wizards forward Bilal Coulibaly will be sidelined for Wednesday’s regular season opener in Milwaukee, head coach Brian Keefe told reporters, including Josh Robbins of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Coulibaly, the seventh overall pick of the 2023 draft, underwent right thumb surgery on September 12 after suffering a torn ligament in the digit while playing for the French national team at EuroBasket 2025. A subsequent report stated the 21-year-old would likely be out six-to-eight weeks, so he may remain on the shelf for a little while beyond opening night.

A 6’8″ wing, Coulibaly was a full-time starter for Washington in 2024/25, averaging 12.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.3 steals in 59 games (33.0 MPG). His second season was cut short due to a hamstring injury he sustained in March.

Second-year guard AJ Johnson, meanwhile, will be good to go against the Bucks after missing the entire preseason with a leg bruise.

Here’s more on the Wizards:

Robbins of The Athletic spoke to five anonymous scouts from rival teams to learn what they think of rookie guard Tre Johnson, whom the Wizards selected sixth overall in June. As Robbins notes, Coulibaly and 2024 No. 2 overall pick Alex Sarr were rightly viewed by scouts as defensive prospects, whereas Johnson is known for his offense — particularly his jump shot. There are question marks about the 19-year-old’s defense, but one talent evaluator thinks Johnson could develop into the third-best player on a contender, comparing his ceiling to a player who made his first All-Star appearance last season. “I don’t know that he gets to the Tyler Herro level,” the scout told Robbins. “But could that be the best-case scenario for him, a guy who can create a little bit off the dribble? Maybe he follows that. I think he’s got a chance to be a little bit better defensively than Tyler but maybe not as good offensively if the shooting doesn’t get to Tyler’s level. If it all goes well, and he kind of progresses along, that’s not a crazy projection for him.”
In a column for The Washington Post, Candace Buckner questions whether the Wizards’ rebuild is on track — and whether it’s possible to even answer that question. As Buckner observes, the team appears no closer to being competitive than it was two years ago when the current front office — led by president Michael Winger — took over from the previous regime. The uncertainty of how long it will take to break out of the prolonged stretch of losing will eventually start to wear on everyone involved, Buckner adds, even as the Wizards publicly preach patience.
In case you missed it, the Wizards set their roster for the regular season by waiving second-year forward Dillon Jones on Sunday. You can read more details right here.

Hawks Sign Dyson Daniels To Four-Year, $100MM Extension

October 20th, 2025 at 4:04pm CST by Dana Gauruder

4:04 pm: Daniels’ extension is now official, the Hawks announced in a press release.

“We are beyond thrilled to reach a long-term deal with Dyson, and we are excited to watch him continue to grow with our group,” said general manager Onsi Saleh. “This extension reflects our belief in him today and into the future.”

2:16 pm: The Hawks and guard Dyson Daniels have agreed to a four-year, $100MM rookie scale extension, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania (Twitter link). There are no team or player options on the contract, The Athletic’s Fred Katz tweets.

Daniels spent his first two seasons with New Orleans after being selected with the eighth pick in the 2022 draft. His career blossomed after he was traded to Atlanta in the Dejounte Murray blockbuster prior to last season. Daniels became a fixture in the Hawks’ lineup and established himself as one of the premier perimeter defenders in the league.

Daniels captured the NBA’s Most Improved Player of the Year award and was runner-up for Defensive Player of the Year. He also made first team All-Defense and racked up 229 steals, the most in a single season by any player since Gary Payton in 1995/96.

Daniels posted averages of 14.1 points, 5.9 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 3.0 steals in 33.8 minutes per game while making 76 starts. He also shot a career-best 49.3% overall and 34.1% on three-point attempts.

Daniels is the ninth player in his draft class to sign or agree to a rookie scale extension that will begin in 2026/27, joining Christian Braun, Paolo Banchero, Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren, Jabari Smith Jr., Keegan Murray, Nikola Jovic and Shaedon Sharpe.

Like Braun, Daniels will get an average annual value of $25MM on his new deal, though Braun’s new contract with Denver includes a fifth year.

Daniels and Trae Young meshed well in Atlanta’s backcourt but it’s uncertain how long that pairing will last. Young holds a $48.97MM player option on his contract for 2026/27 and could become a free agent next summer. He and the Hawks aren’t expected to reach an extension at this time.

Bucks Waive Tyler Smith

October 20th, 2025 at 3:53pm CST by Rory Maher

October 20: Smith has been waived and Jackson has made the regular season roster, tweets Shams Charania of ESPN.

October 19: Forward Tyler Smith is not in attendance at Milwaukee’s annual open practice on Sunday and is expected to be waived by the Bucks prior to Monday’s deadline for teams to get within the regular season roster limit, reports Eric Nehm of The Athletic (via Twitter).

NBA insider Jake Fischer confirms (via Twitter) the Bucks plan to release Smith and adds that the forward is expected to have “several” two-way options to pick from in the coming days.

As we wrote both yesterday and this morning, it appeared likely that either Smith or Andre Jackson Jr. would be cut loose after the Bucks decided to keep Amir Coffey. Neither one was great in the preseason, but Jackson was a little better and has shown more than Smith at the NBA level to this point in their respective careers.

Smith, who was selected 33rd overall in last year’s draft after spending 2023/24 with the now-defunct G League Ignite, is owed a guaranteed salary of $1,955,377 this season. Assuming he goes unclaimed on the waiver wire, the Bucks will carry that figure on their books for the remainder of 2025/26 — Milwaukee isn’t close to the luxury tax line, so waiving Smith won’t affect the team’s cap situation much.

As for Jackson, his $2,221,677 salary for ’25/26 will be fully guaranteed if he makes the regular season roster, which seems likely given that Smith is being released. His contract previously featured a partial guarantee of $800K.

A 6’11” power forward, Smith played a modest NBA role as a rookie last season, appearing in 23 games with averages of 2.9 points in 5.3 minutes per contest. He was a regular contributor in 25 NBAGL games with the Wisconsin Herd, though his statistics — 10.7 PPG, 6.1 RPG and 0.9 BPG on .415/.327/.824 shooting in 25.1 MPG — were fairly underwhelming.

Smith is technically under contract through ’27/28, but the final two years of his deal are non-guaranteed and won’t count against Milwaukee’s cap.

Mavs Exercise 2026/27 Option On Dereck Lively

October 20th, 2025 at 2:54pm CST by Luke Adams

The Mavericks have formally exercised their fourth-year option on Dereck Lively II‘s rookie scale contract, the team announced today (via Twitter).

The move, which had been expected, locks in Lively’s $7,239,130 salary for the 2026/27 season, putting him on track to become eligible for a rookie scale extension during the 2026 offseason. If he and the Mavs don’t work out a new deal at that time, he’d reach restricted free agency in 2027.

A 7’1″ center, Lively has averaged 8.8 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks in 23.4 minutes per game for Dallas during his first two years in the league, making 72.9% of his shot attempts from the floor.

While the 21-year-old has shown plenty of promise early in his NBA career, staying on the floor has been a challenge — injuries have limited him to 91 total appearances (71 starts), including just 36 (29 starts) in 2024/25. He underwent a procedure to clean up bone spurs in his right foot in July, but was available during the preseason and should be ready to go when the team’s season tips off on Wednesday vs. San Antonio.

Decisions on rookie scale options for the 2026/27 season are due on October 31. We’re tracking all of them right here.

Nets Notes: Coley, Higgins, Wolf, Rookie Point Guards

October 20th, 2025 at 2:46pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Nets have hired Josh Coley and Cory Higgins as scouts, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reports (Twitter link).

Coley was recently the athletic director and head coach of Christ School in Asheville, North Carolina. Higgins played for the Charlotte Bobcats for two seasons and also had stints with EuroLeague powerhouses CSKA Moscow and Barcelona.

We have more on the Nets:

Danny Wolf‘s cerebral approach to the game can both be an asset and a weakness. The New York Daily News’ C.J. Holmes interviewed Michigan head coach Dusty May and Wolf’s mother, among others, regarding Wolf’s mental approach. Wolf, one of a handful of Brooklyn first-round picks, transferred from Yale to play for the Wolverines last season. “Because of his intelligence, he was able to fix things that needed to be fixed, and just his growth throughout the year, when you look at where he was in November to where he was in March, it was a tribute to his work,” May said.
In a separate story, Holmes notes that the head coach Jordi Fernandez and his staff are taking on a bold experiment, trying to develop five rookies at once. That will be the litmus test for the coaches.
Among that group, which first-year player will be the primary point guard and who will run the second unit? Egor Demin, Nolan Traore and Ben Saraf are the candidates, but Fernandez has yet to tip his hand, Zach Braziller of the New York Post notes. The latter two split the starting duties in the team’s four preseason games while Demin worked his way back from a plantar fascia tear. “I’m very happy with all three,” Fernández said. “All three have played in preseason, all three have done good things, and all three have things to work on. If they can take advantage of their minutes, they’re going to survive with their roles, whether they are starting or at backup. If somebody cannot sustain production or what we’re asking [from them], then [it will create an] opportunity for another one, and that’s why I want that healthy competition to work on our team, where they’re all pushing each other and they all have minutes and experience and they can grow.”

Blazers Sign Javonte Cooke To Two-Way Contract

October 20th, 2025 at 1:29pm CST by Eli Cohen

October 20: The signing is official, according to a team press release.

October 19: The Trail Blazers have agreed to sign free agent guard Javonte Cooke to a two-way contract, agent Jerry Dianis tells Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).

Cooke, a 6’6″ guard who went undrafted in 2023, played three games with the Blazers during preseason, averaging 3.3 points and 1.7 rebounds in 7.5 minutes per contest.

Portland released Cooke on Friday and Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report stated at the time that the Blazers were still considering the 26-year-old for a two-way spot. Cooke was previously on a non-guaranteed camp deal.

The 26-year-old took an unusual path to the NBA. A Division-II basketball player in college who finished his career at Winston-Salem State, Cooke has played in the G League as well as the Canadian Elite Basketball League since leaving college. He made 42 appearances for the Oklahoma City Blue last season, averaging 17.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 2.8 assists in 28.2 minutes per game while converting 42.4% of his shots from the floor, including 33.5% of his three-point attempts.

Cooke will join Caleb Love and Sidy Cissoko as the third and final two-way player for Portland. The team had a two-way opening, so no corresponding move is necessary to re-sign Cooke.

Hoops Rumors Chat Transcript: 10/20/2025

October 20th, 2025 at 1:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Hoops Rumors hosted a live chat today at 1:00 pm Central time (2:00 pm Eastern).

Click here to read the transcript.

Categories:
Hoops Rumors Chats

Pacers Rookie Kam Jones Arrested For Alleged Erratic Driving

October 20th, 2025 at 12:40pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Pacers rookie Kam Jones was arrested after a brief chase on Interstate 65 in Indianapolis on Monday morning, according to Mike Potter of WTHR-13News.

According to Indiana State Police, a trooper tried to pull over Jones for allegedly driving erratically on southbound I-65. Police say Jones did not pull over at first and led them on a brief chase that ended near the Fletcher Avenue exit near Fountain Square in Indianapolis. As of Monday afternoon, Jones was being held in the Marion County jail on preliminary charges of reckless driving and resisting law enforcement.

The Pacers issued this statement: “We are aware of the situation involving Kam Jones. We are in the process of gathering additional information and will not have any additional comment on the matter at this time.”

Jones was drafted with the No. 38 overall pick in June and signed a standard contract in July. He missed most of training camp due to a back injury and is expected to be reevaluated sometime next month.

A 6’5″ combo guard, Jones spent his entire four-year college career at Marquette, where he was a consensus second-team All-American and a member of the All-Big East first team in 2025 after averaging 19.2 points, 5.9 assists, and 4.5 rebounds in 33.8 minutes per game across 34 outings as a senior.

Coby White Out At Least Two Weeks Due To Calf Strain

October 20th, 2025 at 11:41am CST by Dana Gauruder

Bulls guard Coby White will miss at least two weeks of action due to a calf strain, the team’s PR department tweets.

“Coby White has resumed on-court basketball activities and continues to make progress in his ramp up phase for a right calf strain,” the Bulls said in a statement. “White will be reevaluated in two weeks.”

The Bulls open their season on Wednesday with a home game against the Pistons. They’ll also play at least five more games within the next two weeks.

Whilte has been battling a calf strain since August and didn’t play in any preseason games this fall, though he “looked good” after going through most of the contact portions of Saturday’s practice, according to head coach Billy Donovan. Donovan added at that time that White would go through additional contact work on Monday after taking Sunday off.

White hinted on Saturday that he might miss the season opener, K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network tweets. The announcement on Monday suggests to club wants White to be fully healthy when he returns so there are no setbacks.

White is headed to unrestricted free agency next summer. He’s reportedly informed the Bulls that he doesn’t plan on signing an extension this season due to limitations on what they can offer him.

White averaged a career-best 20.4 points, 4.5 assists and 3.7 rebounds per game last season.