Atlantic Notes: Wolf, Nets, China, Tatum, Gordon, Edgecombe
Danny Wolf, the former University of Michigan big man, is already showing off his play-making ability, Bridget Reilly of the New York Post writes. During the Nets’ first preseason game, the 27th overall pick of the draft dished out five assists in 15 minutes.
“I mean, when the coaches trust me with the ball in my hands, it’s up to me to make a play,” Wolf said. “I think a few times, I got a little too sped up and made a few — I made an errant pass and kinda lost the ball on a ball screen. But when coach Jordi [Fernandez] draws me up or tells us to run a play and it breaks off, it’s up to you to make a play, and I tried doing that to the best of my ability.”
Wolf’s 4.2 assists per game with the Wolverines last season represented the second-best average ever for a college player listed at seven feet or taller, according to Reilly.
Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- The Nets are playing the Suns in preseason games at China on Friday and Sunday, the first NBA games in that country in six years. The Nets began their 17-hour journey to China on Monday afternoon. “When you get there, I think it’s a complete time difference overall, so for the first few days you’re on the opposite schedule,” Michael Porter Jr. told C.J. Holmes of the New York Daily News. “That’s a challenge when you go that far, but other than that, I’m excited to bring the NBA to China. I know there’s so many fans, so it’ll be fun. It’ll be fun to get our first taste against another NBA team in the Phoenix Suns, so we’ll really get to see where we’re at.”
- While he mends from a torn Achilles, Celtics star Jayson Tatum will have added duties at the collegiate ranks. He’s been named Duke’s Chief Basketball Officer, according to GoDuke.com. In the newly created position, Tatum will volunteer his time as a special advisor to head coach Jon Scheyer and the Duke program, bringing his insights and professional basketball experience to player development, leadership, and life as an elite athlete. “I am ecstatic about the opportunity to be Duke’s first Chief Basketball Officer,” Tatum said in a statement. “This program means so much to me, and I had an unbelievable time here. I already watch every game, come back whenever I can, and connect with Coach Scheyer often. To have the chance to formalize my relationship with the program and broaden my ability to impact the players and culture means the world to me.”
- Eric Gordon has played with VJ Edgecombe on the Bahamas national team. Gordon, entering his 18th season, is eager to embrace a mentorship role with the Sixers’ lottery pick, as Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer relays (subscription required). “At my age, in my phase of my career, you have to mentor,” Gordon said. “That’s without a doubt. I’ve been around VJ the most. I’ve known him for quite a while. Of course, I will be looking forward to not just helping him, but also all the young guys. … But when I’m in the game, I’m going to have to do my part: Knock down shots, spread the floor, let guys operate the length [of the court] on their own.”
Knicks Notes: Brunson, Giannis, Rotation, Clarkson, Hart
Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson will have to get used to Mike Brown‘s offensive system, which will be more uptempo than the pace that former coach Tom Thibodeau preferred. There have been mixed results in the first two preseason games, Kristian Winfield of the New York Daily News writes.
“I’m comfortable,” Brunson said. “We’re still adjusting, and that’s the process of this entire season. You’re not just gonna be who you are at the end of training camp. You’re gonna continue to get better throughout the season. So I think the longer that we go through this and understand what’s needed and asked of us, the better we’re gonna be.”
Brown is already seeing progress.
“Jalen, he’s starting to adjust. You can see it,” Brown said. “I think this is gonna be good for him. You can see how much space he has when he brings the ball, and again, if you want to pressure a guy like Jalen with that much space, there’s a pretty good chance that he can make you pay for it.”
Here’s more on the Knicks:
- Regarding the report that the Knicks had discussions with the Bucks regarding Giannis Antetokounmpo, The Athletic’s James Edwards III and Fred Katz examine whether it would make sense for the Knicks to acquire the superstar and whether it might happen down the road. Both note that the Knicks simply don’t possess the draft capital and young talent that the Bucks could obtain from other contenders like the Rockets and Spurs.
- Edwards rolls out his preseason edition of predictions regarding the team’s depth chart and rotation. He continues to believe Brown will start Mitchell Robinson at center in a bigger lineup with Josh Hart coming off the bench. Edwards predicts that Miles McBride and offseason additions Jordan Clarkson and Guerschon Yabusele will also play regularly off the bench, with the 10th man in the rotation being a fluid situation.
- Speaking of Clarkson, he’s energized to play for a contender once again after being stuck on a rebuilding Jazz team, he told Stefan Bondy of the New York Post. “That’s something you chase. That’s a different high, man, if you want to put it like that,” he said. “The level of detail, every play matters. I really want to get back there and I want for sure to take every step day to day, but Coming here, one of the reasons why is I wanted to compete in the playoffs and be on a winning team that’s playing for something.”
- Hart did not practice once again on Tuesday. He’s been battling back spasms in recent days and his status is considered day-to-day, Edwards tweets.
Hornets Waive DJ Rodman
The Hornets have waived DJ Rodman, the team’s PR department tweets.
Rodman was added to the camp roster last week after the team signed and waived him earlier in September.
Rodman, the son of Hall of Famer Dennis Rodman and brother to NWSL superstar Trinity Rodman, has been in the G League since going undrafted out of USC in 2024. He split his 2024/25 season with the Capital City Go-Go and Maine Celtics. In 25 games with Maine, he averaged 6.8 points and 5.7 rebounds in 24.2 minutes per contest.
More recently, he suited up for Charlotte’s Summer League squad.
The 6’6” Rodman spent five collegiate seasons with Washington State and the Trojans, averaging 6.1 PPG on .411/.354/.764 shooting. He also averaged 4.2 RPG, 1.0 APG and 0.5 SPG across his 143 NCAA games.
Assuming Rodman goes unclaimed on waivers, he’ll earn a bonus worth $25K if he joins Charlotte’s G League squad, the Greensboro Swarm, and remains with that team for at least 60 days.
New Suns Center Mark Williams Vows He’ll Play Opening Night
The Suns traded for oft-injured young center Mark Williams this summer. They’re taking a cautious approach with him during training camp but Williams says he’ll suit up for the regular season opener, Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic reports.
Williams was famously traded last season to the Lakers, who rescinded the deal for medical reasons. The Hornets successfully dealt Williams this offseason to Phoenix, which gave up this year’s No. 29 overall pick and a 2029 first-rounder as part of the package. Charlotte used the 2025 pick to draft Liam McNeeley.
Williams has participated in everything in training camp except live 5-on-5 action, according to Rankin.
“For me, it’s taking advantage of every opportunity out on the court and letting everything take care of itself,” Williams said. “They traded two first-round picks for me. I’ve talked to everyone from the top down.”
Williams averaged a double-double last season at 15.3 points and 10.2 rebounds per game while making 44 appearances, including 41 starts. He has seen action in a total of just 106 games in three seasons due to injuries to his foot, back, knee, ankle and thumb.
New head coach Jordan Ott said Williams has worked on “developing his strength” this offseason. It’s uncertain whether Williams will appear in a preseason game.
“We’re trying to assess exactly where he is. The goal is there at the end of camp get him as ready as he can. He’s on a good path,” Ott said.
Williams has added motivation to produce and show more durability. He’ll be a restricted free agent after this season if he doesn’t agree to a rookie scale extension on or before October 20.
“I’m in a good place,” he said. “They have a plan in place for me to be ready for opening night. Just doing everything in my power to be able to endure a full season so I’m excited for that.”
Central Notes: Holland, Pistons Offense, Essengue, Vucevic
Pistons second-year player Ron Holland added 15 pounds this offseason, in part because he might get some minutes at power forward behind Tobias Harris. Holland appeared in 81 games last season at the wing positions.
“That’s where the weight-gain things come in,” Holland told Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press. “Whatever position they need me to go in and play, I’m ready for it, whether it’s the one, two, three or four. I feel like if I go sub Tobias and I go guard some fours, I’ll be prepared for that.”
Here’s more from the Central Division:
- The Pistons finished last season second in the NBA in fast-break points per game (18.5) and seventh in points off turnovers (19), Hunter Patterson of The Athletic notes. Now, coach J.B. Bickerstaff wants to parlay his defense into even more dynamic plays on the offensive end. “There’s a way that you can defend and still be explosive, and that’s what we aim to do,” Bickerstaff said. “What we want to do is make sure that our identity is on the defensive end. Then you can go from a great defensive team to an explosive offensive team.”
- Noa Essengue, the 12th pick of the draft by the Bulls, is just 18 years old and will need some time to develop before he can make an impact, according to Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times. Essengue may wind up spending much of the season with the G League Windy City Bulls. “We’re not going to put high expectations on what’s going to happen,” executive VP of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas said. “We’re just going to see how he does in the rest of training camp and how he does in the preseason. We’ll make those decisions then.”
- Nikola Vucevic‘s three-year, $60MM contract expires at the end of this season. The Bulls center was included in plenty of trade rumors this summer but didn’t get moved. He was in steady contact with the front office throughout the offseason, Cowley writes. ‘‘I had good communication with the front office throughout the summer,’’ Vucevic said. ‘‘As you guys all know, there were many rumors, different kinds. I always say it’s part of the job I’m in, we’re all in, and it comes with the territory. If a trade would have happened, it would have happened. It didn’t, and I’m glad to be here. I didn’t pay too much attention. Maybe before the draft [in June] because that’s when I thought maybe something could happen, but overall I tried to focus on the offseason, my family and the international stuff. It’s something that’s out of my control, so I didn’t pay attention to it too much.”
Southeast Notes: Kalkbrenner, Miller, Jovic, Middleton
There’s competition for the center spot on the Hornets’ roster and rookie second-rounder Ryan Kalkbrenner is making a strong bid to be part of the rotation, writes Rod Boone of the Charlotte Observer (subscription required).
The 34th pick of the draft is a seasoned Big East veteran out of Creighton and he’s making a strong impression during training camp.
“His basketball IQ stands out to me, his competitiveness stands out to me and I think his willingness to keep it simple stands out to me,” coach Charles Lee said. “I think that he’s in the right positions a lot of times because he’s willing to do whatever it takes to kind of help his teammates defensively and offensively. And so he’s been phenomenal — as have all the rookies. But he’s stood out.”
Kalkbrenner has been encouraged by the atmosphere during the first week of camp.
“It’s been great,” Kalkbrenner said. “I was thinking about this as we were wrapping up practice. As you go through this draft process, you don’t know what team you’re going to end up with, how the guys are going to be. And I couldn’t be happier with the group I’m with. Come in every day — I don’t always know what I’m doing, but they’ve been so helpful in helping me get better and improve. And I’m feeling much more comfortable because of that. So, it’s been great.”
We have more from the Southeast Division:
- Hornets forward Brandon Miller missed a good chunk of last season due to a wrist injury. Miller, still just 22 and entering his third season, can not only be a future All-Star but a legacy player, in executive VP of basketball operations Jeff Peterson‘s estimation. “I don’t want to put a cap or a ceiling on him because Brandon can be as good as he wants to be. He can be a Hall of Famer,” Peterson said, per Langston Wertz Jr. of the Charlotte Observer. “And he knows the expectations on him this season. More importantly, he has those same expectations for himself.”
- Heat forward Nikola Jovic has appeared in exactly 46 games in each of the last two seasons. Jovic also missed most of his rookie season with a back injury. He has dealt with hamstring, ankle, hand and nasal injuries the past two seasons but Jovic, who signed a four-year extension this week, disputes the notion he’s injury-prone, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes. “I broke my foot [when I] stepped on someone,” he said. “I broke my nose [when] someone elbowed me. I broke my hand because someone hit my hand. What was I supposed to do? If someone hits you, I can’t talk to my bone and tell it to not break. Hopefully, I’m preparing my body for the whole season and play as many games as I can.”
- Wizards wing Khris Middleton is an anomaly on a roster filled with young players trying to prove their worth. That makes him an essential piece — a veteran those players can lean on for advice and guidance, according to Josh Robbins of The Athletic. “These guys are eager to play, and that’s what basketball players want to be around, people that are energetic, happy about playing basketball, being around basketball,” Middleton said. “That’s what I love about this group. They’re all young. They’re all learning. I just want to help guide them on their way. I don’t want to necessarily overstep and try to be the ‘super vet.’ I want to give them room and a path to let them grow and find their own journey, like my own vets did with me.”
Suns Pick Up Ryan Dunn’s 2026/27 Option
The Suns have exercised their 2026/27 rookie scale team option for forward Ryan Dunn, Spotrac contributor Keith Smith tweets.
Phoenix had until the end of the month to decide whether to pick up Dunn’s $2,784,240 salary for next season.
Dunn, the 28th pick of the 2024 draft, had a solid rookie season. He appeared in 74 games, including 44 starts, and averaged 6.9 points and 3.6 rebounds while shooting 43.0% from the field. His long-range and free throw shooting need to improve, but he has established himself as a hard-nosed defender.
He’ll likely battle veteran Royce O’Neale for a starting spot in this year’s lineup.
All of the 2026/27 rookie scale option decisions, which must be finalized by October 31, can be found right here.
Pacific Notes: Monk, Kuminga, Leonard, LaRavia
Malik Monk knows that the Kings were willing to deal him in order to acquire Jonathan Kuminga from the Warriors. Monk’s contract, which runs through the 2027/28 season and includes a player option, wasn’t one Golden State was willing to take on.
Now that Kuminga has signed a two-year contract with Golden State, that saga has ended and Monk says he looks at Sacramento as his home and “loves” it there, according to Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee.
“For some people, yeah, but for me, what I’ve been through, no,” Monk said of whether he let the trade talk bother him. “And my support system is amazing. My brother, my agent, my mom, they always keep me upbeat, but I came to talk to (new general manager Scott Perry), too, right before everything, and he told me the same thing my agent told me. I like that from Scott. I appreciate him for coming forward and telling me to come talk to him. That’s being professional. A lot of GMs don’t do that, so I thank Scott for that.”
We have more from the Pacific Division:
- Following contentious negotiations, Kuminga chose to sign a contract that would still allow him to be trade-eligible in mid-January. It also includes a team option. That means the speculation about his future won’t die down, Nick Friedell of The Athletic notes. Coach Steve Kerr says he doesn’t blame Kuminga for trying to get the best contract possible as a restricted free agent. “It’s just, this is the business we’re in, you know?” Kerr said. “I never begrudge any player for trying to get the best contract that he can. In fact, having been a player, I always feel like it’s part of my job to help our guys do the best they can come contract-wise and help them become the best players that they can be. Put themselves in the best position to have a great career, to sign a good contract, take care of their families. These are short careers, and so I want all our players to do well, how it gets there sometimes can be messy. I’m not worried about any of that.”
- Kawhi Leonard addressed to a certain extent the allegation that the Clippers tried to circumvent the salary cap by arranging an alleged no-show endorsement deal with the now-defunct company Aspiration. He claims he’s not worried about the league’s on-going investigation, according to Law Murray of The Athletic. “The NBA is going to do their job,” Leonard said. “None of us did no wrongdoing. And yeah, I mean, that’s it. We invite the investigations. It’s not going to be a distraction for me or the rest of the team.” The Clippers have become experts in blocking out all the outside noise, Murray opines in a separate story.
- The Lakers signed Jake LaRavia to a two-year contract during free agency. It was a low-profile move but the Lakers hope the 23-year-old forward can be a big part of their future, Thuc Nhi Nguyen of the Los Angeles Times writes. “To get a young player — a young player in free agency for a team that is trying to win a championship — it’s an incredible opportunity for myself and our player development department to have him continue to grow,” head coach JJ Redick said. “Jake, I’m very high on him. His level of commitment to what we’ve asked of the guys this offseason has been very high.”
Raptors Notes: Barrett, Ingram, Barnes, Quickley, Murray-Boyles
RJ Barrett heard the trade speculation surrounding him this summer as the Raptors shopped around for another star player.
Barrett has two years and $57MM remaining on his contract and would have been a logical trade piece in a blockbuster deal. There has also been talk of how his skills and that of Brandon Ingram‘s could overlap, so he wasn’t surprised or upset over the rumors, he told Josh Lewenberg of TSN.
“Obviously, this is the place I want to be,” the Canadian forward said. “I would love to finish my career here. This is my home. But I think that, with it, is understanding the business aspect of it. And if you look at contract situations and all that, it makes sense to put my name in there, right? So, I don’t take that personally. People are just looking at numbers, looking at figures, looking at everything, and that’s kinda what would make sense. So, I don’t have any ill will or ill feelings towards that. All I can do is play my game and try to help the team win because at the end of the day, what negates all that, if the team is winning there’s no need for any of that.”
Here’s more on the Raptors:
- Speaking of Ingram, he’s thrilled to be healthy after missing most of last season due to an ankle injury, Michael Grange of Sportsnet writes. “I’m just excited to bring my skill level and make things easier for other guys,” Ingram said. “Play-making, scoring the basketball, defense, getting steals, going on the other end, and just having fun. It does feel like a fresh start, all the new faces, new coaches, learning new things. So hopefully I can show my full game.”
- The team’s star, Scottie Barnes, has a playoffs or bust mentality heading into this season. “I think our expectation of our team is definitely to make the playoffs and win some games in the playoffs,” he said. “That’s the standard, that’s the bottom line with how talented we are and what we should be able to achieve. We’re hungry, we’ve got a lot to prove and we’re gonna go out and show it.”
- Barnes has given serious thought to suiting up for the Jamaican national team in the future, Libaan Osman of the Toronto Star tweets. “That’s definitely something I’ve been thinking about doing,” he said. Barnes has won multiple golds representing Team USA in age group ranks, hasn’t played for the USA’s senior national team.
- Immanuel Quickley is focused on staying on the court this season after appearing in just 33 games last season due to injuries in 2024/25. “Spent a lot of time on the track this summer,” he said. “So I’ve been been trying to, you know, up the condition a little bit. And then every season I look to get stronger every summer. And I always take that part of my game serious. Even though I look a little skinny, I feel like, you know, (stronger).” (video link)
- Rookie Collin Murray-Boyles plans to bring an “edge” defensively to fit in with his teammates. “Really, just my mindset coming into it, it’s really just what I can give these guys?” he told Grange. “Obviously, I want to give them the hardest time on (defense) … that’s how I’m making them better, especially the offensive heavy guys that the offense flows through. I want to make it as hard as possible on them, so it’s easier for them in the games. So just trying to bring an edge to the team, just trying to figure out how I can contribute.”
Jonathan Kuminga Signs Two-Year Contract With Warriors
October 1, 12:54 pm: Kuminga’s two-year contract has a base value of $46.8MM, Hoops Rumors has learned. His cap hit is $22.5MM in year one, with a $24.3MM team option in year two.
The $48.5MM figure reported by Charania below would only be accurate if Kuminga were traded on January 15, the first day he’s eligible to be moved. In that scenario, he’d earn a trade bonus worth about $1.7MM.
September 30, 10:31 pm: The signing is official, according to a team press release (Twitter link).
September 30, 5:49 pm: Restricted free agent forward Jonathan Kuminga has agreed to return to the Warriors on a two-year, $48.5MM contract that includes a team option, ESPN’s Shams Charania reports (Twitter link). The deal also features a 15% trade kicker, per ESPN’s Bobby Marks (YouTube link).
Between the start of free agency and Tuesday, Golden State increased its two-year offer by a total of $8MM, according to Charania, who notes that Kuminga will receive approximately $15MM more this season than he would have on his $8MM qualifying offer.
Had Kuminga signed the qualifying offer, he would have held an implicit no-trade clause during the 2025/26 season and would have become an unrestricted free agent next summer. He waived that no-trade clause as part of his new two-year agreement.
Kuminga and his agent had been seeking a player option as a prerequisite to spurning the qualifying offer, but ultimately settled for one of Golden State’s offers that included a team option. Kuminga chose this two-year deal over the Warriors’ previous three-year, $75MM offer so he can maintain a higher level of control over his immediate future, according to Charania.
The Warriors never wavered on that team option but both sides now understand the likelihood of exploring trades when Kuminga is eligible to be dealt on January 15, the ESPN insider adds (Twitter links).
Kuminga had a Wednesday deadline to sign the qualifying offer.
In terms of the roster, Golden State retains flexibility to sign a 15th player but likely not until the early part the regular season, assuming Al Horford receives the full $5.7MM taxpayer mid-level exception, Marks tweets. The veteran big man has agreed to a multi-year contract that will hard-cap the team at the second tax apron.
Kuminga’s restricted free agency was among the biggest subjects of discussion for much of the NBA offseason. The Warriors reportedly gave him three options as the deadline approached: a two-year, $45MM deal with a second-year team option, a three-year, $75MM deal with a third-year team option, or three years with no team option at a reduced rate of $54MM. Golden State ultimately reached an agreement with the former No. 7 overall pick by slightly increasing that first offer.
The Suns and Kings reportedly had interest in working out a sign-and-trade deal for Kuminga, but Golden State – trying to preserve its financial flexibility this season and in future offseasons – didn’t receive an offer to its liking from either Pacific Division rival.
Kuminga started 46 of 74 games during the 2023/24 season but had a reduced role in the 47 games in which he appeared in ’24/25, particularly after the team acquired Jimmy Butler. He only started 10 games while averaging 15.3 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists and played inconsistent minutes during the postseason. That was a factor in the contentious negotiations.
Kuminga now has strong incentive to post a strong, controversy-free season to pump up his value, whether he remains with the team or gets dealt.