Suns Notes: Gillespie, Allen, Green, Brooks
The Suns pulled off a thrilling win over Minnesota on Friday night — overcoming an eight-point deficit in the final minute — but the comeback wasn’t complete until Collin Gillespie drove to the basket and sank a short jumper to give his team the lead. It marked the latest in a series of big moments for the third-year guard, and coach Jordan Ott didn’t hesitate to run the deciding play for him, writes Doug Haller of The Athletic.
“He’s growing,” Ott said. “He’s in situations like tonight that he’s probably never been in at the NBA level. But he’s going to continue to get better. He’s finding solutions out there on the fly.”
Haller notes that Gillespie has constantly been in situations where he’s had to prove himself to doubters, first at Villanova and now in the NBA. He spent his first two seasons on two-way contracts with Denver and Phoenix before signing a one-year standard deal with the Suns during the summer. Injuries to teammates have given him a larger-than-expected role, and he has responded by averaging 11.1 PPG and scoring in double figures the past four games.
Gillespie’s heroics on Friday didn’t end with the game-winning shot. Ott was also impressed by his defensive effort on the Wolves’ final possession as he provided help on Anthony Edwards and forced him to give up the ball.
“CG, he’s a hooper,” Dillon Brooks said. “And he battles every day.”
There’s more from Phoenix:
- The Suns view Gillespie as their version of Pacers guard T.J. McConnell, according to John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 (Twitter link). Gambadoro says the team has tried several times to trade for McConnell, but now wouldn’t consider swapping Gillespie for him.
- A right quad contusion will cause Grayson Allen to miss his third straight game as the Suns host San Antonio on Sunday, per Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Ott provided a brief update on Allen’s condition after Saturday’s practice, saying, “He hasn’t done anything full court yet because today is a day after a game. He did do a workout today. This thing could speed up real fast, and he’d be fine, but it’s still the same contusion, bruise on the quad. Nothing long-term.”
- Jalen Green said his injured right hamstring is “getting better,” Rankin adds in the same piece, but he won’t be reevaluated until sometime in December. Green has been dealing with the injury since the start of training camp, and he has only appeared in two games this season. “I don’t even know what I did to be honest,” he said. “Freak accident. I really didn’t do nothing too explosive.”
- Brooks has been fined $35K for “confronting and directing inappropriate language toward game officials” during Friday’s contest, Rankin states in a separate story. Brooks was also fined $25K for “making a lewd gesture on the playing court” in a November 13 game, and he leads the league with four technical fouls, which each result in a $2K fine.
Southeast Notes: Miller, Kalkbrenner, Connaughton, Bagley, Mosley
Brandon Miller posted 21 points and three assists Saturday afternoon as he returned to the Hornets‘ lineup after missing four weeks with a partially dislocated left shoulder, writes Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer (subscription required). Even though Charlotte dropped a 15-point decision to the Clippers to fall to 4-12, there’s a sense of relief in seeing Miller back on the court. Injury problems have limited him to 30 total games after an outstanding first season in which he finished third in the Rookie of the Year race.
Miller played a little more than 25 minutes today as coach Charles Lee plans to ease him back into a normal role. His court time might be limited as the Hornets play Sunday in Atlanta on the second game of a back-to-back and have four games over a seven-day stretch.
“Your first game back, I’m not going to try to push him to the brink as much as I probably would want to, but we want to be smart about it,” Lee said. “I think that we want to be intentional with how we ramp him back up. So hopefully we can keep him in a good controlled space, and then we’ll just kind of just go forward day after day. “How’s he responding? What’s the plan? For him, it’s a little bit different, obviously, coming back from not a lower leg extremity injury.”
Boone notes that Miller provided an early spark for the Hornets, scoring their first eight points, including a crowd-pleasing dunk to open the game. He wound up shooting 8-of-18, but was only 2-of-10 from three-point range.
“We’re all excited for Brandon to be back in the lineup for a lot of different reasons,” Lee said. “I think for myself, I’m really happy with how he handled himself during this process. … His whole process as he went through his rehab and his return-to play-program, he came in every day locked in and excited for an opportunity to keep trying to get better. He saw the progress he was making, which was really good. I’m happy for him to be back out there after kind of having to go through that journey again. I think it ultimately just made him stronger and better.”
There’s more from the Southeast Division:
- Lee had his preferred starting lineup together for the first time since the second game of the season, Boone adds, but the good fortune didn’t last long. Hornets‘ starting center Ryan Kalkbrenner (left ankle soreness) and reserve wing Pat Connaughton (right calf soreness) both left the game in the first half and didn’t return.
- At age 26, Marvin Bagley III has become one of the veteran leaders on a young Wizards roster, per Chase Hughes of Monumental Sports Network. During a team meeting last weekend, Bagley talked to his teammates about the obstacles he had to overcome and cautioned them that they shouldn’t get used to losing. “I was in a tough spot as a young player; 18 years old coming in (and) I didn’t really have the older vets to guide me,” Bagley said. “It kind of felt like I had to figure things out on the run, on the fly, by myself. That’s a hard spot to be in, especially in this league.”
- Magic coach Jamahl Mosley was able to conduct his post-game meeting with reporters after missing the second half of today’s contest due to illness, tweets Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel. Mosley said he was feeling light-headed and dizzy during the game and called the experience “scary.” He expects to coach Sunday at Boston, per Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN (Twitter link). Mosley added that Paolo Banchero will miss his sixth straight game with a left groin strain, and it hasn’t been decided if Jalen Suggs will play on the second night of a back-to-back.
Knicks’ Landry Shamet Leaves Game With Shoulder Injury
Knicks shooting guard Landry Shamet had to leave Saturday’s game at Orlando early in the first quarter after his right shoulder appeared to pop out of its socket, writes Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. Coach Mike Brown told reporters after the game that Shamet will undergo a full evaluation within the next couple of days.
Shamet was injured after running into a pick set by Magic center Wendell Carter Jr. (Twitter video link from New York Basketball). Shamet grimaced in pain after the hard contact and immediately headed to the locker room.
The injury is concerning because it’s the same shoulder that Shamet dislocated during the 2024 preseason, causing him to be waived before the start of last season. He didn’t fully recover until late December, when he rejoined the team on a one-year veteran’s minimum deal.
That same scenario could be in place this season, as Shamet’s $2.3MM contract is non-guaranteed until the league-wide guarantee date of January 10. Shamet re-signed with New York in September and won a training camp competition for the lone veteran contract the team was able to fit under its hard cap.
Shamet has been a valuable addition to the Knicks’ backcourt, averaging 9.9 PPG in 14 games coming into today while shooting 45.2% from the field and 42.4% from three-point range. He made his third consecutive start — and sixth overall — on Saturday as the team deals with a variety of injuries. He reached double figures in scoring in four of the last five games, including a 36-point outburst in Wednesday’s victory over Miami.
Bondy notes that rookie small forward Mohamed Diawara saw expanded first quarter minutes after Shamet departed, and Tyler Kolek and Pacome Dadiet were used in the first half as well. They could all be in line for additional playing time if Shamet’s injury is serious.
Bruce Branch III Reclassifies, Making Him A Top 2027 NBA Draft Prospect
Bruce Branch III, who was considered one of the top college basketball prospects in the 2027 graduating class, has decided to reclassify to 2026, according to Jeff Borzello and Paul Biancardi of ESPN.
The move puts Branch, a standout at Prolific Prep in Florida, in contention to be the No. 1 pick in the 2027 NBA draft, the authors add, noting that the draft class has been viewed as lackluster compared to its 2026 counterparts.
“I believe in my ability. I am confident that I can do this,” Branch said. “I have been playing up my whole life. I am not going to let anyone outwork me. I remember when I was in the first grade playing against third graders. I got pushed down, and I got back up.”
Branch, who turned 17 in October, hasn’t made any official college visits yet, saying he plans to “take things one step at a time.” He’s expected to announce his choice of schools in the spring, and the authors note that Kentucky, Kansas, Louisville, USC, BYU, Arizona, Houston and Miami are considered to be among the top contenders.
Branch is 6’7″ with a 7’2″ wingspan, and Borzello and Biancardi describe him as possessing “NBA-level athleticism with his speed and explosiveness.” They state that he’ll be one of the top three-point shooters in his class and that he has a high release on his mid-range shot that makes it difficult for opposing defenders to contest.
“I want to expand my opportunities,” Branch said in explaining why he opted to reclassify. “I know there are challenges with this decision. The mental side is as hard as the physical side.”
Branch displayed his skills during the summer at the Adidas Eurocamp in Treviso, Italy, per Tobias Bass of The Athletic. Branch earned a spot on the All-Camp Team and received the Rising Star award while competing against some of the world’s best young talent, many of whom were two years older than him.
Bass talked to a couple of NBA scouts, who seem to support his decision to reclassify.
“This obviously was a strategic move in the planning for a while now,” an Eastern Conference scout said. “It’s straight out of the Cooper Flagg playbook. He’ll be super young, 19 years old for his entire rookie season. By moving up a year he’s legitimately a top-three prospect, and you can make the case for him being No. 1 overall. He’s a great kid off the court, a hybrid athlete with IQ, play-making skills and will be a switchable defender.”
Magic Notes: Suggs, Banchero, Da Silva, Bane, Mosley
Magic guard Jalen Suggs is determined to become an even better player than he was before arthroscopic surgery on his left knee brought his 2024/25 season to a premature end, writes Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (subscription required). Suggs turned in one of his best performances of the season on Thursday, posting 23 points, seven assists, two steals and two blocks in a win over the Clippers and helping Orlando improve to 5-1 in its last six games.
“I don’t even think I’m chasing my former self,” Suggs said. “I’m reaching for who I can be — player and person. It’s great to look back at the past couple seasons, you know some of the old ways I used to defend, even before the knee, and just my movement patterns and all that. It’s great to be based off of but for me, it’s about how do I keep evolving in this league so I can stay present, keep improving, keep helping us climb the ranks to become one of the better teams. Me improving myself and who I am directly correlates with that.”
Suggs only played 26 minutes on Thursday, but that’s because the Magic held a commanding lead after three quarters. Beede notes that he has been steadily increasing his playing time, going from 16 minutes on opening night to 32 in Tuesday’s matchup with Golden State. Coach Jamahl Mosley said Suggs’ level of playing time is being determined by how his knee responds after each game.
“His ability to do all of the little things, putting his body on the line for those moments, making those hustle plays,” Mosley said in describing Suggs’ value to the team. “… I mean, he’s going for blocks on 7-footers coming down the lane. But those are big plays for us. It’s who he is, it’s what he does, and we need that from him.”
There’s more from Orlando:
- The Magic have been able to win without All-Star forward Paolo Banchero, who’s missing his fifth straight game tonight with a left groin strain, Beede adds. Mosley said earlier this week that Banchero is making progress, but there’s still no set date for his return. “We’ve just handled it as a team,” Franz Wagner said when asked about Orlando’s success without Banchero. “Everybody’s stepping into their role, playing confidently out there and doing what’s asked of them at a high level. If we can continue to do that, we’re in a good spot right now and obviously playing some really good teams in the next couple games, so we’ve got to continue to get better and keep doing what we’re doing.”
- Second-year forward Tristan Da Silva has moved into the starting lineup with Banchero sidelined, Beede states in a separate story. Da Silva filled the same role when Banchero missed several games last season, and he feels “more comfortable” as a starter this time. “Being a starter, that’s already a big deal of responsibility because you set the tone for the rest of the game and most of the time finish the game too,” he said. “My coaches and teammates put a lot of trust into me, and I’m just happy and glad to be in a position like that.”
- Desmond Bane‘s fit with the Magic has looked better lately following an uneven start, notes Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. President of basketball operations Jeff Weltman admits there was some risk in acquiring Bane in an offseason trade with Memphis, but there’s a belief that he was the right player to target. “We paid a heavy price,” Weltman said. “There’s one pick that we don’t have control over, but the rest we have control over. And Des entering his prime, and a lot of our key young players under contract … we’re not looking at this as one season. Obviously, we gave up a lot because he’s a highly talented player who fits our roster very well. And we’re betting on ourselves.”
- Mosley didn’t coach the second half of today’s game against New York due to an illness, the team announced (via Twitter). Assistant Joe Prunty took his place.
Bulls Notes: Huerter, Williams, Vucevic, Ring Of Honor
The Bulls were down to seven available players by the end of Friday’s game against Miami, losing Matas Buzelis (right ankle sprain) and Dalen Terry (left calf strain) to injuries and Kevin Huerter to an ejection, writes Joel Lorenzi of The Athletic. The incident involving Huerter typified a frustrating night that ended with a 36-point loss that probably ended Chicago’s chances of advancing in NBA Cup play.
Huerter was tossed with 8:18 left in the third quarter after being called for a foul when he tried to block a shot by Pelle Larsson. He slapped the ball toward the scorer’s table, but it bounced and hit referee Che Flores before it got there. Huerter said it wasn’t intentional, but after a review it was determined that the act met “the standards of an ejection.”
“I didn’t get much explanation,” Huerter said. “Apologies to that ref, think it was Che. Wasn’t malicious, wasn’t intended to be aggressive toward her. I don’t know the rule, so I guess now I’m aware.”
Buzelis is listed as questionable and Terry is doubtful for Saturday’s matchup with Washington, Lorenzi tweets. Also listed as questionable are Huerter (illness), Isaac Okoro (lumber radiculopathy) and Patrick Williams (wrist sprain).
There’s more from Chicago:
- Williams credits mental adjustments for his improved performance in his sixth NBA season, according to Joe Cowley of The Chicago-Sun Times (subscription required). Cowley points out that the sixth-year forward has a positive plus-minus rating for the first time in his career and seems to be thriving in the Bulls’ uptempo attack. Williams said he’s never “really cared too much” about the outside criticism he’s received since being selected with the fourth pick in the 2020 draft. “Obviously, knowing my body now and what I need to do to be ready for the game helps,” he added. “From that standpoint there’s less overthinking. ‘What am I doing in the game, how am I jumping, how am I landing?’ None of that. I’m just playing, just playing, and I still think I can play a lot better for sure, but in terms of making the read, miss a shot, make a shot, just a next-play mentality. That’s kind of when I play my best.”
- Coach Billy Donovan calls Nikola Vucevic, who hit a game-winning shot Wednesday night at Portland, a “calming force” in clutch situations, Cowley adds in a separate story. The veteran center has raised his assist numbers this season and considers himself to be a “connector” in Chicago’s offense. “He’s got this kind of idea of how the game should be played,” Donovan said. “Like he likes the ball movement, the cutting, the passing, and the unselfishness. He’s always been a big believer in that, and so am I. When the ball is in his hands, it’s not so much about him shooting, but he generally connects our team in a lot of ways.”
- Former Bulls player and executive John Paxson will be among the new members welcomed into the team’s Ring of Honor during tonight’s game, per Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune (subscription required). The others are Bill Cartwright, Horace Grant and Neil Funk, along with Norm Van Lier and Johnny Bach, who will be inducted posthumously.
Hoops Rumors Front Office Subscriber Chat Transcript: 11/20/2025
Hoops Rumors’ Arthur Hill held a live chat today exclusively for Trade Rumors Front Office subscribers. Topics included the Celtics' tanking options, the Bulls' future plans at center, Victor Wembanyama's injury woes, whether the Clippers should trade for immediate help or future picks and more!
Nets Notes: Porter, Saraf, Lottery, Demin
Nets coach Jordi Fernandez has been urging Michael Porter Jr. to take more responsibility for facilitating the offense and to get back to the cutting style that made him successful in Denver, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Porter handed out seven assists for the second straight game and contributed 34 points and nine rebounds as Brooklyn topped Washington on Sunday for its second win of the season.
“He has a plan for him to get better and to show things that he hasn’t done before,” Fernandez said. “And right now for him to buy into finishing his cuts, not dancing, not over-dribbling, putting pressure on the rim, everybody benefits from it. And guess what? Usually when he does it, he’s the one benefiting from it. So we want him and need him to play like this, because that’s just contagious and good for the group. So, very proud of him.”
Porter accepted the blame for Friday’s loss at Orlando as he shot 1-of-6 down the stretch in a close game. He told Lewis that he’s still adapting to the Nets’ style of play, but the team has passing big men who can reward cutters.
“When I was in Denver, everyone assumed that I was just getting some of those cuts because of Nikola (Jokic) and his vision. But I’ve always been a cutter, a guy that likes to find easy buckets, use my size around the basket,” Porter said. “So coming over here, it’s something that I have been intentional about. (Nic) Claxton and Day’Ron (Sharpe) can really pass the ball and they found me for a lot of easy points around the rim. So I got to keep doing that.”
There’s more on the Nets:
- First-round pick Ben Saraf injured his ankle in a G League game, Lewis adds in the same piece. A source told Lewis that Saraf is being evaluated and an update will likely be issued later today.
- Sunday’s game with the Wizards matched two teams at the bottom of the NBA standings, and the Nets might have slightly damaged their lottery odds by winning. Fernandez said that wasn’t a concern going into the contest, as his focus is on day-to-day improvement, Lewis states in a separate story. “It’s a learning process. And it’s not just about the young guys. And I want to repeat this over and over: It’s about us. It’s about the group. It’s about growing together,” Fernandez said. “There’s a plan for everybody to get better. And if you don’t get better, you get worse.”
- Egor Demin has played well since moving into the starting lineup, but he only saw seven minutes of action in the second half on Friday, Lewis adds in another piece. Fernandez explained that his decision was about using the combination that was working best that night. “At some point, what you’re trying to find is a group that gives you a run,” Fernandez said. “It’s not just about one player. It’s about finding a group. Egor played against a very physical team; those minutes are extremely valuable. But it’s not just about the rookies. I know (reporters) ask me about the rookies all the time, but it’s everybody.”
Pelicans Notes: Borrego, Green, Dumars, Poole, Coaching Search
The Pelicans had a new head coach for Sunday’s game against Golden State, but the result was familiar, writes Les East of NOLA.com. Playing its first game under James Borrego, who was promoted after Willie Green was fired on Saturday, New Orleans suffered its fifth straight loss and fell to 2-11 on the season.
“We’ve got a lot to do,” Borrego said. “The beauty of this game is you come back to work the next day. … It doesn’t get any easier. We’ve got another juggernaut coming in.”
He was referring to Monday’s contest against 13-1 Oklahoma City, which provides another tough challenge for a team badly in need of wins. Borrego made his first lineup change on Sunday, giving a first career start to rookie big man Derik Queen, who finished with nine points, seven rebounds and six assists in 24-plus minutes. The Pelicans got balanced scoring with four players in double figures, but committed 20 turnovers that resulted in 27 Warriors points.
“There were costly, careless turnovers in transition,” Borrego said. “We’ve got to have more poise. There’s a balance between playing fast and frenetic and playing with poise. We’ve got to be opportunistic (in transition).”
There’s more from New Orleans:
- There was surprise around the league that Green wasn’t fired sooner considering the Pelicans’ poor start, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. Scotto hears that executive vice president of basketball operations Joe Dumars was supportive of Green early in the season, but conveyed a constant message that the team needed to improve. Sources tell Scotto that offseason addition Jordan Poole was upset after being removed from the starting lineup on October 29, and Green’s coaching style had become “stale” with Trey Murphy III. Scotto adds that some players and other members of the organization believed Green didn’t do enough to hold Zion Williamson accountable.
- Dumars held a meeting with his staff this summer where he talked about emphasizing defense, toughness, high basketball IQ and a high motor, then completed a trade an hour later for Poole, who doesn’t fit that description, sources tell Scotto. Poole’s salary of $31.8MM this season and $34MM in 2026/27 was considered “a tough contract to move” by rival executives, Scotto adds. That trade and the deal sending an unprotected 2026 first-rounder to Atlanta in exchange for Queen were pushed by senior vice president of basketball operations Troy Weaver, Dumars’ long-time associate, Scotto reports.
- Weaver is also a strong supporter of Kevin Ollie, who has been mentioned as a possibility to eventually take over as head coach, Scotto adds. Scotto identifies Tom Thibodeau, Michael Malone and Taylor Jenkins as free agent coaches who might interest the Pelicans, but speculates that their “price tags could be too rich” for the team. In his latest Substack column (subscription required), Marc Stein of The Stein Line points to Bucks assistant Darvin Ham as a name to watch in the coaching search.
Hornets Notes: Knueppel, Ball, Miller, Connaughton
Kon Knueppel is a strong candidate in what has become a surprisingly competitive Rookie of the Year race, writes Roderick Boone of the Charlotte Observer (subscription required). Former Duke teammate Cooper Flagg was an overwhelming favorite for the award coming into the season, but Knueppel is leading all rookies in scoring (17.2 PPG) and made three-pointers (41). Knueppel is already such an important part of the Hornets‘ offense that coach Charles Lee is running plays for him to start off games, according to Boone.
“He comes in the building every day, whether it’s what he eats for his diet, whether it’s his vitamins. If it’s a film or it’s on-court work, everything’s just taken with a seriousness, a competitiveness, an obsession to want to get better,” Lee said. “And I think that’s why when he gets to the game, he’s so fearless. He understands he’s done all the work mentally, physically, emotionally. He’s so stable. Doesn’t get too high, doesn’t get too low. He’s just ready for every moment. So, really excited for his continued growth. But I love what I’ve seen from him in the early going so far.”
Knueppel’s approach to the game was on display Friday during his first NBA appearance in his hometown of Milwaukee. He posted a career-high 32 points and hit a late shot that sent the game into overtime. Knueppel wasn’t as sharp during Saturday’s loss to Oklahoma City, but Thunder coach Mark Daigneault still came away impressed.
“The shooting gravity obviously brings a different element in his screening,” Daigneault said. “You saw that (Friday) night against Milwaukee, and he’s just got a good offensive sense for the game. He finds space, he’s good in the screening game. He obviously can play with the ball in those situations, too.”
There’s more from Charlotte:
- LaMelo Ball returned to the lineup on Friday after a five-game absence due to a right ankle impingement, but he was held out the next night as the Hornets plan to be careful with how they use him, Boone adds. Ball played 27 minutes against the Bucks, but didn’t go back into the game for overtime. “I think he responded really well to his minutes,” Lee said. “Our performance staff and player development group has done a good job of developing a plan that’s going to help maximize him. So, minutes going forward for a while, we have to be mindful of putting him in the best position to be available for as many games as possible.”
- Brandon Miller has returned to basketball activity after being sidelined since October 25 with a left shoulder subluxation, the Hornets announced (via Twitter). Miller, who has only played in two games this season, has been assigned to practice with the G League affiliate in Greensboro.
- Lee calls veteran Pat Connaughton “an All-Star of his role,” Boone states in a separate story. Charlotte traded for the 32-year-old swingman during the summer to provide a veteran presence on a young roster. He’s helping on the court as well, averaging 3.7 points in 9.4 minutes per night and shooting 37.5% from three-point range.