Spurs Notes: Biyombo, Kornet, Harper, Waters
Veteran big man Bismack Biyombo, who earned a spot on the Spurs‘ roster for the upcoming season, is valued by the organization for more than just his on-court contributions, writes Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News. McDonald points to a preseason game this week in which Biyombo enjoyed playing the role of teacher as he was on the court with four young players who are headed for the G League.
“It’s a great group of young guys just to be around and help them out,” Biymobo said. “I think when you enjoy doing what you do, then you can’t call it work. And I enjoy working with good people.”
Biyombo was out of the NBA in February when he received a call from the Spurs, who were seeking help at center after trading Zach Collins to Chicago. Biyombo signed a 10-day deal with the expectation of being a backup, but he was promoted to the starting lineup when San Antonio lost Victor Wembanyama for the season with deep vein thrombosis.
He re-signed this summer on an Exhibit 9 contract that only guaranteed him a spot at training camp. The Spurs saw his influence as a leader late last season and decided to keep him on the roster.
“He is very selfless,” Julian Champagnie said. “He goes on the floor with those young guys and teaches them. He’s directing traffic. Stuff like that’s really valuable.”
There’s more from San Antonio:
- “French Vanilla” is the catchy nickname Spurs fans have given to the combination of Wembanyama and free agent addition Luke Kornet, McDonald adds in a separate story. The former Celtics center was brought in primarily to be a backup for Wembanyama, but they’ve been effective in their minutes together. “Having two rim protectors can give you a lot of versatility to make things hard for the teams,” Kornet said. “Then should be a fun time trying to figure it out offensively how to best fit that together.”
- San Antonio has several options at point guard, but Dylan Harper is best positioned to be Wembanyama’s long-term partner, observes Jared Weiss of The Athletic. The No. 2 pick in this year’s draft was sidelined for a while following thumb surgery, but he’s already showing signs of stardom since returning. “There’s a reason that there are expectations and thoughts of him before he got to this gym, and I think it’s our job to continue to cultivate that and support that and challenge him,” coach Mitch Johnson said. “He’s obviously shown a knack for sound decision-making and making plays with the basketball in his hands.”
- Lindy Waters III will undergo a minor laser eye procedure to correct an issue that was found in his preseason physical, according to Jared Weiss of The Athletic (Twitter link). Waters won’t be available for opening night, but he’s not expected to miss much – if any – time beyond that.
Celtics Notes: Harper, Simons, Queta, Rotation
Ron Harper Jr.‘s path to landing a two-way contract with the Celtics began at last year’s training camp, writes Souichi Terada of MassLive. After being waived last fall, Harper played for Boston’s G League affiliate in Maine until the Pistons offered him a two-way opportunity in January. He became a free agent again this summer and was happy to learn that the Celtics were interested in a reunion.
“As soon as my stint was over with Detroit, I was gathering options and my agent mentioned Boston really would love to have me back,” Harper said. “In the back of my mind it was just like, last training camp I was really grateful because I learned a lot of things. They were coming off an NBA championship, so just being in here, being around the program, just to being able to see and being able to learn things. So I feel like that was a big part of me getting a two-way in Detroit, of me getting that opportunity. And then when the opportunity came to come back, it was something I jumped on very quick.”
Harper signed a training camp deal in September and made a strong impression during the preseason. He’s expected to split his time between the NBA team and the G League club, and he hopes to prove he’s worthy of a long-term future in Boston.
“They emphasized to me that my decision-making, with the ball in my hands, being primary, secondary ball-handler and just being able to defend and hit threes,” Harper said. “So just being able to perfect all of those things, it’ll carve out my role perfectly.”
There’s more from Boston:
- Anfernee Simons was a proven scorer in Portland, but he understands that he needs to improve his defense and find ways to contribute to winning with the Celtics “no matter what that looks like,” per Jay King of The Athletic. Simons is encountering a different style of coaching with Joe Mazzulla, who has constantly challenged him since training camp began. “I knew that I was going to get pushed in ways I’ve never been pushed and maybe play a different way that I’ve never played in my career, where I was always the guy making every single play, and it was always dependent on me, especially the last couple years,” Simons said. “And, so, now we got a whole bunch of veteran players that know how to play and know how to move the ball and know how to just play basketball a little bit more. And, so, that’s what I was excited about — being a part of that.”
- The loss of several frontcourt players for financial reasons opened the door for Neemias Queta to become the starting center, notes Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. The Celtics want Queta to handle the basics of protecting the rim, rebounding and staying out of foul trouble, and he has filled that role during the preseason. “We’re going to be hard on Neemi and I’m really looking forward to coaching him throughout the year,” Mazzulla said. “But as I told him, this is what you worked your whole life for, a chance to start for the Celtics, and you see this with players when they step into different phases of their career. It’s easy to be the rookie, kind of easy to be the fourth-string big, and then it’s kind of easy to be the backup. And now you have to develop a mindset to deliver every night, and I think he has that.”
- Mazzulla may use a 10- or 11-man rotation for most of the season, Brian Robb of MassLive states in a mailbag column. Robb believes Luka Garza, Xavier Tillman, Chris Boucher and Josh Minott have all shown they’re capable of playing, so Mazzulla may mix and match his big men to find the right combinations.
Extension Rumors: Daniels, Ivey, Duren, Eason, Braun, Sharpe
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.
Heat Notes: Smith, Herro, Rozier, Jaquez
Dru Smith continues his remarkable recovery from the Achilles tear he suffered last December and will begin the regular season without a minutes restriction, writes Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. Heat coach Erik Spoelstra confirmed that Smith received full medical clearance, but he plans to be cautious in how he uses the shooting guard, who has suffered two major injuries in the past two seasons.
“He’s not on a minutes restriction,” Spoelstra said, “but we want to be responsible right now. All of these are big victories. He’s way ahead of schedule. We want to keep on just stacking up these wins.”
Winderman suggests that Smith may be in the starting lineup for Wednesday’s opener at Orlando, considering the injuries that have already affected Miami’s backcourt. Tyler Herro is recovering from ankle surgery, while Davion Mitchell and Kasparas Jakucionis both missed time during the preseason due to physical issues.
Smith said he has already overcome the mental aspect of returning to the court following a major injury.
“While I’m out there, I’m not thinking about it at all,” he said. “I’ve been doing a lot more stuff pre-wise — like pregame, before the game, just to stay on top of everything, just take all the precautions that I can, to make sure that my body is ready whenever I do get out there. And after that, I’m just playing basketball. At the end of the day, I can’t control it. It is what it is, so I might as well just try to be myself.”
There’s more from Miami:
- It’s almost certain that the Heat won’t agree to an extension with Herro before Monday’s deadline, league sources tell Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Chiang hears that Heat officials want to see how Herro follows up his career-best season before committing to a pricey extension, and one source says the team didn’t make a formal offer during recent negotiating sessions. If no deal is reached, Herro will become eligible for a four-year extension worth up to $206.9MM next summer and could raise that ceiling to a five-year, $380MM super-max deal if he makes an All-NBA team.
- Terry Rozier made his preseason debut Friday night after returning from a strained hamstring. The 31-year-old guard, who’s in the final year of his contract and faces an uncertain future in Miami, told Winderman in a separate story that he wants “a fair chance” to prove himself after a forgettable 2024/25 season. “Last season it was rough, definitely for me,” Rozier said. “So I had a whole lot of the whole summer just to reflect on what I want to do and what I want to bring to this team. I’m ready. Like I said, just hopefully I get the equal opportunity, equal as everybody. But if not, I’m still going to be here in voice and be that vet.”
- Jaime Jaquez Jr. hopes to rediscover the success of his rookie season by attacking the basket more often rather than spotting up for threes like he did last year, Winderman adds in another piece. “I just stopped putting pressure on myself to make or miss threes,” Jaquez said. “Make it, miss it, stop letting it affect me. I think last year I was trying to put so much emphasis and pressure on myself to try to just be that. And this year, I’m just focusing on my strengths, and one of those strengths is just getting downhill, creating for my team and sometimes for myself.”
Wolves Exercise 2026/27 Options On Rob Dillingham, Terrence Shannon Jr.
The Timberwolves have picked up the third-year options for guards Rob Dillingham and Terrence Shannon Jr., the team announced in a press release.
The decisions guarantee Dillingham’s $6,889,320 and Shannon’s $2,801,640 salaries for the 2026/27 season. They will both be eligible for rookie scale extensions after that season ends.
Selected out of Kentucky with the eighth pick in last year’s draft, Dillingham appeared in 49 games as a rookie, averaging 4.5 points, 1.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 10.5 minutes per night while shooting 44.1% from the field and 33.8% from three-point range.
Shannon, the 27th pick out of Illinois, got into 32 games and put up 4.3 points, 1.5 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 10.6 minutes per night with .482/.355/.810 shooting splits.
Both players may see increased minutes this season as Minnesota relies more on its younger guards to ease the strain on 38-year-old Mike Conley. The loss of Nickeil Alexander-Walker in free agency should also open up some more backcourt minutes.
We’re tracking all the 2026/27 rookie scale option decisions here. They are due by October 31.
Nuggets Waive Moses Brown, Kessler Edwards
The Nuggets have waived Moses Brown and Kessler Edwards, a source tells Vinny Benedetto of The Denver Gazette (Twitter link).
Brown, a 26-year-old center, signed an Exhibit 10 contract with Denver in September. He appeared in 13 total games last season with Indiana and Dallas, but spent most of the season in the G League. The Nuggets’ affiliate, the Grand Rapids Gold, recently acquired Brown’s returning rights, so he’s likely headed there once he clears waivers.
Brown has been a journeyman since he entered the league in 2019, making brief stops with seven teams.
Edwards, a 25-year-old small forward, also joined the Nuggets on an Exhibit 10 deal this summer. He got into 40 games with Dallas last season, averaging 4.2 points and 2.9 rebounds in 15.2 minutes per night. He may also be headed to Grand Rapids, where like Brown, he will be eligible for a bonus worth up to $85,300 if he spends at least 60 days with the team.
The cuts leave Denver with 14 standard contracts and all three of its two-way slots filled.
Knicks Waive Garrison Mathews, Alex Len, Matt Ryan
As expected, veteran guard Garrison Mathews was cut by the Knicks, the team announced (via Twitter). New York has also waived Alex Len and Matt Ryan.
Mathews signed a non-guaranteed contract last month, as did Malcolm Brogdon and Landry Shamet, with the understanding that the team was only able to keep one of them due to financial limitations. Brogdon announced his retirement on Wednesday, so Shamet appears to have earned the roster spot.
A report on Friday stated that Mathews has been impressive since training camp opened, but the Knicks didn’t have the ability to fit two veteran salaries on their roster without trading someone away. Shamet played for New York last season and was considered the front-runner to make the team.
The report also states that Mathews is likely to draw interest from teams that need outside shooting help now that he’s on waivers. He has been with three teams in his six NBA seasons and shot 39% from three-point range with Atlanta last season.
Len and Ryan both signed with the Knicks in mid-September, with Len getting an Exhibit 9 contract and Ryan receiving an Exhibit 10 deal. Both were considered long shots to make the team, but Ryan may wind up with New York’s G League affiliate.
It looks like the last available roster spot will go to rookie small forward Mohamed Diawara, who was selected with the 51st pick in this year’s draft. That had been expected due to the Knicks’ cap limitations — Diawara’s rookie minimum salary will allow the team to remain below their hard cap.
With Shamet and Diawara filling the 13th and 14th spots on New York’s roster, the team will have to wait until early April to add a 15th man, unless it makes a cost-cutting trade before then.
Hoops Rumors Front Office Subscriber Chat Transcript: 10/16/2025
Hoops Rumors’ Arthur Hill held a live chat today exclusively for Trade Rumors Front Office subscribers. Topics included whether the Sixers and Hornets whiffed on Ace Bailey, Russell Westbrook's impact on the Kings, the Antetokounmpo family gathering in Milwaukee, Joe Mazzulla's hatred of the preseason and more!
Heat Notes: Ware, Jakucionis, Adebayo, Mitchell
Kel’el Ware continues to post impressive numbers in the preseason, and Heat coach Erik Spoelstra continues to push him to expand his game to do more things that impact winning, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Ware’s latest big performance came on Sunday night as he posted 24 points, 10 rebounds, an assist and two steals in 25 minutes in a loss to Orlando.
“I would much rather coach somebody who’s willing to be coached, who can put up 24 (points) and 10 (rebounds), and figure out how to get those winning moments during the course of a game,” Spoelstra said. “That’s where we are.”
Spoelstra called out Ware during Summer League, citing a need to improve his “professionalism,” and has continued to set a high standard for the second-year center since training camp began. Ware told reporters that he tries to take inspiration from Spoelstra’s critiques.
“I always take anything that the coach says to me as motivation,” Ware said. “I take it and I try to impact it into my game, and I try to play as hard as I can. Like I said in the last interview, I was still getting my legs back under me from training camp.”
Ware exceeded expectations as a rookie and became a starter alongside Bam Adebayo as the season wore on. Spoelstra said “all things are on the table” regarding his starting lineup, but Chiang notes that Ware was used off the bench in the first three preseason games and only started on Sunday because Adebayo was being rested on the first night of a back-to-back.
There’s more from Miami:
- Kasparas Jakucionis left Sunday’s game in the first quarter with soreness in his right hip, Chiang adds in the same piece. The rookie guard missed the first two preseason contests because of a sprained left wrist before playing on Wednesday. “It is a little frustration,” he said. “But these things I can’t control. So I’m just trying to control what I can control and do my thing.”
- In a separate story, Adebayo talks to Chiang about the experience of supporting girlfriend A’ja Wilson as she led Las Vegas to the WNBA title. Adebayo practiced with the Heat on Friday, flew to Phoenix to watch the Aces clinch the championship that night, then returned to Miami in time for Saturday afternoon’s practice.
- Davion Mitchell made his preseason debut on Sunday after sitting out three games with calf soreness, per Ira Winderman of the Sun-Sentinel. Mitchell, who re-signed with Miami on a two-year, $24MM deal this summer, only played in the first half and finished with two points and two assists in 10 minutes. “Preseason is kind of when you get your rhythm,” he said. “Especially with our new offense, kind of learn how to play the new offense. But for me, it’s just kind of just trying to find my rhythm. But I’ll figure that out in the next couple days.”
Wizards Sign Kadary Richmond, Alondes Williams; Waive Leaky Black, Skal Labissiere
The Wizards have finalized the signings of guards Kadary Richmond and Alondes Williams to Exhibit 10 contracts, the team announced (via Twitter). Forward Leaky Black and big man Skal Labissiere, who were also on Exhibit 10 deals, were both waived to make room on the training camp roster.
Washington’s agreement with Richmond was first reported following the draft in late June. The 6’5″ guard played at St. John’s last year after spending one season with Syracuse and three with Seton Hall. He earned second team All-Big East honors last season after averaging 12.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 2.0 steals in 36 games.
Williams, whose deal was reported in August, has appeared in nine total games over the past three seasons while on two-way contracts with Brooklyn, Miami and Detroit. He’s eligible to sign another two-way deal with the Wizards, but the team currently has all three of its slots filled.
Black signed with Washington on October 2, while Labissiere has been with the team since October 6. Neither of them was used in the Wizards’ lone preseason game so far.
All four players could end up with the Capital City Go-Go, Washington’s G League affiliate, where the Exhibit 10 contracts will make them eligible for bonuses worth up to $85,300 if they spend at least 60 days with the team.
The moves leave the Wizards’ roster at the preseason limit of 21 players.