- Mosley gave a positive review to former Orlando forward Caleb Houstan, who recently received a two-way deal from the Hawks, Beede tweets. “I’ve said it time and time again, he’s one of the hardest workers I’ve ever seen and been around,” Mosley stated. “You tell him to stay out of the gym, he comes back to the gym. He’s probably driving those guys crazy over there because it’s all hours of the night that he wants to come back (to the gym).”
The NBA G League held its draft for the 2025/26 season on Saturday afternoon. Players who signed NBAGL contracts and whose rights weren’t already controlled by a team were part of the draft pool.
Affiliates from all 30 NBA teams took part in the draft, along with the unaffiliated Mexico City Capitanes.
Dillon Jones, who was a first-round pick in the 2024 NBA draft, was selected No. 1 overall by South Bay, which is the Lakers’ G League affiliate.
The 23-year-old small forward was drafted out of Weber State by Oklahoma City with the 26th pick last summer. He appeared in 54 games as a rookie, but only played 10.2 minutes per night and averaged 2.5 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.1 assists.
The Thunder traded Jones to Washington in June to clear a spot on their roster. The Wizards waived him last weekend and still owe him $2,753,280 for the remainder of the season.
Drafting Jones to South Bay won’t prevent another NBA team from signing him, since holding a player’s G League rights doesn’t mean teams control his NBA rights. However, it will give the Lakers a chance to take a first-hand look at him before potentially offering a standard or two-way contract.
With the second pick, the Osceola Magic selected Tyler Smith, who lost a battle for the Bucks’ final roster spot and was waived last Sunday. The 20-year-old power forward was expected to draw interest as a two-way target, but it doesn’t appear any offers have materialized yet. Smith, who started his career with the now-defunct G League Ignite, was taken with the 33rd pick in last year’s NBA draft.
The Wizards’ affiliate, the Capital City Go-Go, had three of the next four picks, selecting Ace Baldwin at No. 3, Nolan Hickman at No. 5 and Cam Carter at No. 6.
Two notable second-generation players were selected in today’s draft. Jamal Mashburn Jr. was taken at No. 8 by the Westchester Knicks, and Jabri Abdur-Rahim, whose father Shareef serves as G League president, went to the Stockton Kings at No. 29.
Here are the full 2025 G League draft results:
Round One:
South Bay Lakers (Lakers): Dillon Jones- Osceola Magic (Magic): Tyler Smith
- Capital City Go-Go (Wizards): Ace Baldwin
- Grand Rapids Gold (Nuggets): Adama Bal
- Capital City Go-Go (Wizards): Nolan Hickman
- Capital City Go-Go (Wizards): Cam Carter
- Motor City Cruise (Pistons): Stefan Todorovic
- Westchester Knicks (Knicks): Jamal Mashburn Jr.
- Greensboro Swarm (Hornets): Ethan Taylor
- Raptors 905 (Raptors): A.J. Hoggard
- Texas Legends (Mavericks): Kario Oquendo
- Grand Rapids Gold (Nuggets): Kenan Blackshear
- Oklahoma City Blue (Thunder): Vinicius da Silva (Brazil)
- Sioux Falls Skyforce (Heat): Josh Cohen
- Texas Legends (Mavericks): Cearius Warren (St. Thomas University)
- Osceola Magic (Magic): Ebenezer Dowuona
- Oklahoma City Blue (Thunder): John Harge (Adams State University)
- Birmingham Squadron (Pelicans): Tray Jackson
- Westchester Knicks (Knicks): Jaden Seymour
- Birmingham Squadron (Pelicans): Chris Mantis
- College Park Skyhawks (Hawks): Tyrin Lawrence
- Raptors 905 (Raptors): JP Pegues
- Greensboro Swarm (Hornets): Olisa Akonobi
- Oklahoma City Blue (Thunder): No pick
- South Bay Lakers (Lakers): Selton Miguel
- Motor City Cruise (Pistons): O’Mar Stanley
- Noblesville Boom (Pacers): Ben Coupet Jr.
- Salt Lake City Stars (Jazz): Des Watson
- Stockton Kings (Kings): Jabri Abdur-Rahim
- Salt Lake City Stars (Jazz): Carter Whitt
- Capital City Go-Go (Wizards): J.Z. Zaher
Round Two:
- Texas Legends (Mavericks): Sean Durugordon
- Stockton Kings (Kings): No pick
- Salt Lake City Stars (Jazz): Jermaine Couisnard
- Sioux Falls Skyforce (Heat): Dischon Thomas
- Valley Suns (Suns): Bryce Thompson
- Sioux Falls Skyforce (Heat): Darius Maddox
- Santa Cruz Warriors (Warriors): Derrin Boyd
- Austin Spurs (Spurs): Pierre Crockrell II
- Grand Rapids Gold (Nuggets): Markeese Hastings
- Maine Celtics (Celtics): Vance Jackson
- Texas Legends (Mavericks): Chandler Baker
- Osceola Magic (Magic): No pick
- Wisconsin Herd (Bucks): Onno Steger
- Iowa Wolves (Timberwolves): Donte Ingram
- Memphis Hustle (Grizzlies): Kobe Webster
- Sioux Falls Skyforce (Heat): Tyler Hawkins (Barry University)
- Motor City Cruise (Pistons): Jason Hubbard (Taylor University)
- Wisconsin Herd (Bucks): T.J. Weeks
- Grand Rapids Gold (Nuggets): No pick
- Austin Spurs (Spurs): No pick
- Capital City Go-Go (Wizards): No pick
- Noblesville Boom (Pacers): Ahmaad Rorie
- Maine Celtics (Celtics): Nicolas Timberlake
- Oklahoma City Blue (Thunder): No pick
- Rip City Remix (Trail Blazers): No pick
- Texas Legends (Mavericks): No pick
- Santa Cruz Warriors (Warriors): Franco Miller Jr.
- Motor City Cruise (Pistons): Ray Harrison
- Wisconsin Herd (Bucks): No pick
- Westchester Knicks (Knicks): Fousseyni Drame
- Osceola Magic (Magic): No pick
Teams will fill out their rosters with affiliate players, returning rights players, tryout players, and players who are assigned to the G League from the NBA roster (including those on two-way contracts).
G League training camps open on Monday, with this year’s NBAGL Tip-Off Tournament getting underway on November 7. The Tip-Off Tournament will be played over about a month-and-a-half and will be followed by the G League regular season, which begins on December 19.
Kings star Domantas Sabonis will make his season debut in Friday’s home opener against Utah, as James Ham of TheKingsBeat.com relays (via Twitter).
Sabonis sustained a right hamstring injury during a preseason contest on October 15. Sacramento subsequently referred to the ailment as a Grade 1 strain and said he’d be reevaluated in a week, with an expectation that he’d be out for the first two games of the season — instead he’ll only miss one.
The 29-year-old center was spotted shooting at Thursday’s practice and was initially listed as questionable for Friday’s matchup with the Jazz before being upgraded to available.
Here are a few more injury-related notes from around the NBA:
- Veteran big man Kristaps Porzingis will miss his first regular season game with the Hawks on Friday due to flu-like symptoms, tweets Brad Rowland of Locked On Hawks. A league source tells Lauren L. Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that Porzingis participated in the Hawks’ shootaround on Friday morning but started feeling ill in the afternoon (Twitter link). Atlanta plays at Orlando. Porzingis, who was acquired from Boston in an offseason trade, recorded 20 points, seven rebounds and two blocks in Wednesday’s disappointing blowout loss to Toronto.
- After exiting Thursday’s opener against Oklahoma City with left shoulder soreness, Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard will undergo additional testing to determine the severity of the injury, head coach Rick Carlisle said after the thrilling double-overtime loss (Twitter link via Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files). “We’ll find out more (Friday). He’s going to get some tests done. But this is going to potentially present some big challenges.” As we noted last night, Indiana’s point guard depth is very shaky at the moment due to several injuries.
- Warriors wing Moses Moody suffered a left calf injury during a practice a couple weeks ago, causing him to miss Golden State’s final three preseason games as well the first two games of the regular season. But he’ll be back for Friday’s matchup in Portland, which is the second of a back-to-back, according to Anthony Slater of ESPN (Twitter link). Al Horford will be out with left toe injury management, Slater adds, which was expected.
- Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley provided a minor injury update on forward/center Moritz Wagner on Friday, writes Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel. Wagner is recovering from a torn ACL he sustained last December. “Moe right now is just still doing the non-contact work, continuing to strengthen his body,” Mosley said. “But his spirits are still great. You can see him on the bench throughout our games continuing to coach, using his voice, using his encouragement. But body-wise, it’s just still continuing with the non-contact work.”
Speaking to Fred Katz of The Athletic, Hawks big man Kristaps Porzingis revealed that the mysterious illness that affected him late in the 2024/25 season and in the playoffs was eventually diagnosed as postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome. The condition, known as POTS, causes a person’s heart to beat faster than normal when he sits or stands up and can result in extreme exhaustion or dizziness when it goes untreated or undiagnosed.
“You know how people say, ‘Oh, I’m so fatigued.’ I’ve never used those words. I don’t even like to speak in those terms, but I really was like that,” Porziņgis said. “At that time, I could just lay on the couch and be a house cat.”
According to Katz, after getting a diagnosis confirmed, Porzingis has been able to manage the condition without medication — a high-salt diet and a more regimented resting schedule (off the court) are among the key factors.
Within his larger story about Porzingis and the Hawks, Katz notes that the offseason traded to Atlanta came as a bit of a surprise to the big man, since his agent had been keeping him up to speed on Boston’s trade discussions with three other teams: the Clippers, Spurs, and Suns. While Porzingis may have been surprised to learn of his landing spot, he wasn’t upset about it.
“We are an aspiring team, a young team that aspires to win a championship one day, and that’s the cool part,” Porziņgis said. “Even by the betting odds, we’re not too far off.”
Here’s more from around the Southeast:
- Although Tyler Herro expressed last month that he hoped to reach an agreement with the Heat on a contract extension before the season began, he also made it clear he wouldn’t let it affect his play if they couldn’t come to terms, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. As Chiang details, Herro’s window to negotiate an extension will reopen on July 1, 2026 and will remain open either until he signs a new contract or through the entire 2026/27 league year, all the way up until June 30, 2027.
- Josh Robbins of The Athletic spoke to five rival talent evaluators around the NBA about the upside of the new-look Magic and how the additions of Desmond Bane and Tyus Jones will impact the club. “They finally addressed their shooting, and they addressed it coherently and skillfully and efficiently with the two guys,” one scout said. “… (Jones) is not perfect, but he never makes a mistake, and he makes threes, and he can run a team, and he is a true point guard, which they didn’t have. … KCP didn’t work out, and Bane is younger and better, maybe not quite the defender, not quite as big. But he’s a better play-maker. He’s a good play-maker. He’s got secondary ball-handling skills.”
- The longest-tenured member of the Hornets‘ roster, Miles Bridges has never won more than 43 games in a season or made the playoffs during his time in the NBA, but that hasn’t dampened his enthusiasm for playing in Charlotte, as Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer relays (subscription required). “Man, I love the city of Charlotte,” Bridges said. “I’m happy to be here. I’m just hoping to reward the city with some wins. That’s all I’ve been talking about since I’ve been here. I think this is the year to do it.” The veteran forward added that he’s fully locked in on finding ways to win games this season and isn’t thinking about his individual stats at all: “I want to actually contribute to winning this year. That’s doing what I need to do. Defense, rebound and scoring the ball. I feel like I could do it all. But (it’s about) just helping this team out the right way.”
Each of the NBA’s 30 teams is permitted to carry 15 players on standard contracts and three on two-way deals once the regular season begins, which works out to a maximum of 540 players across 30 rosters.
[RELATED: 2025/26 NBA Roster Counts]
Of those 540 potential roster spots, 522 are currently occupied to open the 2025/26 season, leaving 18 open roster spots around the NBA across 17 teams. Here’s the full breakdown of those 18 openings around the league:
One open standard roster spot and one open two-way slot
- Cleveland Cavaliers
The only team operating above the second tax apron, the Cavaliers are likely in no hurry to fill the 15th spot on their standard roster, which would cost them exponentially more in tax penalties beyond the player’s salary. Cleveland also has the ability to make changes involving its 14th roster spot at some point if it wants to — Thomas Bryant minimum-salary contract is fully non-guaranteed, so he’d only be owed a prorated portion of his salary if he’s waived at some point on or before January 7.
While two-way players don’t count against the salary cap, they still earn modest salaries (half the rookie minimum), so it’s possible the Cavs will look to save a little money on the league’s priciest roster by holding their third two-way slot open for the time being. A team that has an open standard roster spot is also limited to 90 overall active games for its two-way players instead of 50 apiece, so the Cavs probably aren’t looking to use up many of those games early in the season if they can help it.
One open standard roster spot
- Atlanta Hawks
- Boston Celtics
- Denver Nuggets
- Detroit Pistons
- Golden State Warriors
- Houston Rockets
- Los Angeles Clippers
- Los Angeles Lakers
- Miami Heat
- Minnesota Timberwolves
- New York Knicks
- Orlando Magic
- Philadelphia 76ers
- Phoenix Suns
- Toronto Raptors
Many of these teams are carrying an open roster spot for luxury tax reasons. The Celtics, Nuggets, Warriors, Rockets, Clippers, Lakers, Timberwolves, Knicks, Magic, Sixers, Suns, and Raptors are all over the tax line, while the Heat don’t have much breathing room below it.
Most of those teams will add 15th men eventually, but won’t do so yet. Several of them – Golden State, Houston, both L.A. teams, New York, and Orlando – actually can’t do so yet, since they’re operating so close to their respective hard caps.
The Hawks have room under the tax line for a 15th man, but of all the teams in this group, the Pistons could be the best bet to fill their open roster spot sooner rather than later. They’re well more than $20MM below the tax line, so there are no concerns related to finances or spending flexibility. Still, given that Jaden Ivey is the only player on the roster dealing with more than a day-to-day injury right now, there’s no urgency to bring in a 15th man immediately.
One open two-way slot
- Brooklyn Nets
In the past, a team without a G League affiliate of its own might be slow to fill its two-way contract slots, but all 30 NBA clubs now have affiliates in the NBAGL, so outside of thriftiness, there’s no real excuse not to carry a full complement of two-way players once the G League season begins in the coming weeks.
That’s especially true for the Nets, whose team salary is the lowest in the league entering the season. With so many rookies on the team’s standard roster, a third two-way player might not see any action at the NBA level anytime soon, but it would still make sense for Brooklyn to bring in another young prospect to develop in the G League.
There are no surprises in the official terms of the last few rookie scale extensions signed ahead of Monday’s deadline, Hoops Rumors has confirmed. The salary figures reported for Nuggets guard Christian Braun (five years, $125MM), Hawks guard Dyson Daniels (four years, $100MM), and Trail Blazers guard Shaedon Sharpe (four years, $90MM) were all accurate down to the dollar, with no player or team options, trade kickers, or partial/non-guarantees.
While the extensions for Braun and Sharpe are structured with 8% annual raises and increase from year to year, Daniels’ deal with Atlanta is worth a flat $25MM per season. It’s the same structure the team used a year ago when it signed Jalen Johnson to a five-year, $150MM rookie scale extension that has annual cap hits of $30MM. In each case, the Hawks appear happy to sacrifice a little short-term cap flexibility for greater maneuverability down the road.
Here are more details of some of the contracts recently signed around the NBA:
- Keaton Wallace‘s one-year, minimum-salary contract with the Hawks is partially guaranteed for $318,217, Hoops Rumors has learned. Wallace would be assured of earning his full $2,296,274 salary if he remains under contract through January 7.
- Javonte Cooke‘s new two-way contract with the Trail Blazers covers two years, Hoops Rumors has confirmed. Portland had Cooke in camp on an Exhibit 10 contract and could’ve converted him directly to a one-year, two-way deal, but chose to waive him and re-sign him in order to tack on that extra year.
- Aaron Nesmith‘s two-year, $40.4MM extension with the Pacers includes a 7.5% trade kicker, Hoops Rumors has learned.
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.
There’s “cautious optimism” that the Nuggets will work out a rookie scale extension with Christian Braun before today’s deadline at 5:00 pm Central time, league sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.
Scotto hears that negotiations between the team and Braun’s agent, Bill Duffy of WME Sports, are focusing on a five-year agreement in the range of $115MM to $125MM.
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. Braun 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.
Jake Fischer of The Stein Line reported over the weekend that Braun and the Nuggets seemed unlikely to work out a deal before the deadline, but it appears progress may have been made over the past two days.
Scotto shares more information from around the league:
- League sources tell Scotto that the Hawks and Dyson Daniels remain far apart in negotiation talks as the deadline nears. Daniels and his agent, Daniel Moldovan, are asking for an extension valued at $150MM over five years, while the team’s offer is in the neighborhood of five years at $115MM. Daniels was a valuable addition in his first season in Atlanta, earning First Team All-Defensive honors while leading the league in steals and being named Most Improved Player. However, Scotto points out that the Hawks made two significant free agent additions over the summer in Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Luke Kennard who could cut into Daniels’ playing time. Both players are better shooters, and Scotto suggests they could be on the court late in games instead of Daniels if Atlanta needs more offense.
- Bucks coach Doc Rivers was a strong proponent for Amir Coffey to earn a roster spot, league sources tell Scotto. Rivers coached Coffey during his rookie season with the Clippers and believes he’ll be a valuable addition in Milwaukee. The 6’7″ swingman, who was in camp on a non-guaranteed Exhibit 9 deal, connected at 40.9% from three-point range last season. Milwaukee still has a roster move to make with Tyler Smith and Andre Jackson Jr. in contention for the final spot. Scotto hears that the Bucks spent the weekend exploring the trade market for Smith, a second-round pick in 2024 who appeared in 33 games last season. He’ll likely be waived if the Bucks can’t find a taker before this afternoon’s deadline, Scotto confirms.
- Former NBA player Shabazz Napier has joined the Wizards as a coaching apprentice, sources tell Scotto. Napier, 34, played for Bayern Munich in the EuroLeague last season.
Liam McNeeley‘s preseason stats for the Hornets may not jump off the page, but he’s earned a fan in head coach Charles Lee, according to The Charlotte Observer’s Roderick Boone, who suggests the No. 29 overall pick has a chance to be the steal of the 2025 draft.
McNeeley averaged just 6.4 points and 2.4 rebounds per game while hitting 14.3% of his threes in five preseason appearances after excelling in his rookie season Summer League. He finished the preseason on something of a high note, scoring in double digits during his lone start on Friday.
Lee was impressed with McNeeley’s approach throughout training camp and the preseason.
“Offensively, he’s really got the total package to him,” Lee said. “I’ve been able to watch him catch-and-shoot, I’ve been able to see him drive the ball and facilitate to guys. He offensive rebounds, and so he’s just another one of our core young guys that I think has this mindset of I just want to impact winning at all costs.”
Having said that, the rookie wing is far from a finished product, and Lee has clear ideas about where he needs to improve.
“The goal for him is just to continue to build consistent habits,” Lee said. “He’s still got to learn to finish things defensively and how to bring an edge and a physicality on that side of the court.”
We have more news from around the Southeast Division:
- Wizards second-year guard Bub Carrington was a full participant in Sunday’s practice after knee soreness limited him to just four minutes in Washington’s preseason game against the Pistons on Thursday, reports Josh Robbins of The Athletic (via Twitter). Carrington faces one of the more important seasons among Washington’s players, given the offseason additions of veteran CJ McCollum and top-10 draft pick Tre Johnson, both of whom project to command significant minutes throughout the season.
- Hawks‘ first-round pick Asa Newell picked up a rare start on Monday’s preseason game against the Heat, with Atlanta resting its top rotation players. It was an opportunity Newell capitalized on, writes Lauren Williams for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. In just over 36 minutes, he scored 19 points, grabbed eight rebounds, and had two steals and blocks apiece. His energy and nose for the ball impressed head coach Quin Snyder. “I love the fact that he’s quickly kind of reading and taking a shot when he’s open,” Snyder said. “I think he’ll even begin to understand kind of more situational basketball, when he’s open and (whether) he can make one more.”
- Jahmir Young made it through the Heat‘s set of roster decisions on Saturday and came out of it with his Exhibit 10 deal converted into a two-way contract. It’s an opportunity he isn’t taking for granted, writes Anthony Chiang for the Miami Herald. “It’s harder to stay than to be here,” Young said. “So for me, just every day, just being my best self, being 100 percent and helping the team. “Just being in an organization that works on player development, really works on guys. It’s amazing. It just gives me life. Just shows that I have to keep working.” Head coach Erik Spoelstra spoke highly of Young after Sunday’s practice: “That speed and quickness with the ball, his ability to get in the paint, ability to knock down threes is unique. He had a really good year last year. And then in practice, when we had him in that third unit, drilling against him and kind of letting him do his thing, he was a tough guy to corral.”
- Spoelstra also addressed the Heat’s decision to waive Precious Achiuwa. “It is tough, especially because we spent time with him four years ago, it felt like we wanted to keep that going,” Spoelstra said, per Chiang. “But that’s just where we are right now with the roster. We’ll have to see what happens in the future.” Achiuwa averaged 4.8 points and 5.3 rebounds in 11.7 minutes per game across four preseason outings. Hanging onto him would have pushed Miami’s team salary over the luxury tax line.
After talking to agents and executives around the league, Jake Fischer of The Stein Line states in his latest Substack column (subscription required) that there will likely be few, if any, rookie scale extensions reached before Monday’s deadline that carry an average annual value larger than $25MM. Fischer adds that teams have become more cautious about handing out large deals because of the restrictions that accompany the first and second aprons.
He points to Hawks guard Dyson Daniels as someone who should be in good position to match the five-year, $150MM extensions that teammate Jalen Johnson and Orlando guard Jalen Suggs both received last offseason. However, sources tell Fischer that Atlanta’s front office is willing to let Daniels test restricted free agency next year if he won’t sign on the team’s terms.
Fischer notes that Daniels’ agent, Daniel Moldovan, also represents Josh Giddey, who just went through a months-long standoff with the Bulls in restricted free agency. Fischer adds that Daniels would likely be entering a more robust market for restricted free agents than the one that Giddey faced.
Fischer offers more information on players eligible for rookie scale extensions:
- Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren haven’t made much progress in their extension talks with the Pistons, sources tell Fischer. He suggests that management might be extra cautious with Ivey following arthroscopic surgery on his right knee this week. Ivey’s camp expects an active market if he does hit free agency, even though he’s also coming off a fractured left tibia that cost him most of last season. Sources describe negotiations with Duren as “tepid” so far, per Fischer, who adds that his representatives are asking for a new deal worth much more than $30MM in AAV and are also optimistic about his prospects on the open market.
- The Rockets are hoping to sign Tari Eason to an extension that’s “significantly lower” than the five-year, $122MM deal that Jabari Smith Jr. accepted this summer, according to Fischer. The outcome of the Eason negotiations will affect what Houston is willing to give Kevin Durant in his extension talks, Fischer adds. With Amen Thompson expected to receive a max extension next offseason, Houston is being careful about not overloading its salary commitments. Fischer talked to capologists who said they would recommend limiting any Durant offers to $80MM over two years. As Fischer notes, it’s not certain that Durant would remain with the Rockets at that number.
- It seems unlikely that Christian Braun will reach an extension agreement with the Nuggets, Fischer states. Sources tell him that Denver is already sending signals that it doesn’t want to become a taxpaying team next season, while Braun and his camp are hoping for a deal at $25MM in average annual value. The Nuggets are also holding extension talks with Peyton Watson, but Fischer suggests a new deal with him may not happen unless they can’t agree to terms with Braun.
- Fischer views Trail Blazers guard Shaedon Sharpe as the most likely remaining candidate to hammer out an extension before the deadline. Rival teams that Fischer contacted expect Portland to give Sharpe something in the neighborhood of $100MM over four years.
- Suns center Mark Williams, Jazz center Walker Kessler and Pacers wing Bennedict Mathurin all appear headed for restricted free agency, Fischer states. Of the three, Fischer points to Mathurin as the most likely to change teams because of Indiana’s reluctance to add more long-term salary.