Walker Kessler To Undergo Tests On Left Shoulder
Walker Kessler been sent back to Utah to undergo additional tests on his left shoulder, reports Andy Larsen of the Salt Lake Tribune (Twitter link).
Kessler missed much of the preseason with left shoulder bursitis, but has been able to play in all five of the Jazz‘s games so far this season, posting career highs in points (14.4), assists (3.0), and steals (1.4) per game while also contributing 10.8 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per night.
The fourth-year center has been Utah’s third-leading scorer in addition to being the anchor of the defense, and is making an effort to expand his shooting range — if his rate of 1.6 three-point attempts per game keeps up, it would represent a significant increase on his previous career high (0.6).
Kessler is in a contract year after failing to come to terms on a rookie scale extension with Utah this offseason. He will become a restricted free agent this summer.
Shoulder bursitis is the result of damage or irritation to the bursae, which are fluid-filled sacs that cushion the area between the rotator cuff and scapula.
Larsen notes (via Twitter) that Jusuf Nurkic will start tonight against his former team, the Hornets, and will likely remain in the starting five for the remaining three games of the road trip, against the Celtics, Pistons, and Timberwolves.
Nurkic is currently averaging 7.8 points, 7.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.4 steals in just 17.2 minutes per night for the Jazz.
Grizzlies Sign Charles Bassey To 10-Day Hardship Deal
October 27: Bassey’s 10-day contract with the Grizzlies is now official, the team announced (Twitter link).
October 26: The Grizzlies are preparing to sign free agent center Charles Bassey, reports ESPN’s Shams Charania (via Twitter).
Memphis doesn’t have an open 15-man roster spot, but will complete the signing using a hardship exception, which allows a club to temporarily add a 16th man.
A team qualifies for a hardship exception if it has at least four players who have missed three consecutive games and are expected to be sidelined for at least two more weeks. Ty Jerome, Zach Edey, Scotty Pippen Jr., and Brandon Clarke fit that bill for the Grizzlies, per Charania.
Bassey is entering his fifth season in the NBA, having spent the last three seasons with the Spurs after playing for the Sixers as a rookie. The former 53rd overall pick holds career averages of 4.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 0.9 blocks in 11.1 minutes per game.
Bassey, a 6’10” center, will turn 25 in two days and can provide some stability at the center spot, which has been manned primarily by Jock Landale to start the season.
The Grizzlies are 2-1, with wins over the Pacers and Pelicans, though they gave up 146 points in a loss to the Heat on Friday and currently boast the sixth-worst mark among teams for opponent scoring allowed, giving up 123.7 points per game.
Hardship deals cover 10 days at a time. If the Grizzlies still meet the hardship criteria when Bassey’s first 10-day contract expires, he could be signed to a second 10-day deal.
Central Notes: Nembhard, Cunningham, Jones, Allen
The Pacers have been hit hard by injuries, but there’s at least one ray of hope on the horizon, reports Marc Stein of the Stein Line (subscriber link).
Andrew Nembhard left Thursday night’s game against the Thunder early after aggravating a preexisting shoulder injury. According to Stein, following an MRI, there’s optimism that Nembhard’s absence won’t be a long-term one.
Nembhard is expected to play a key role for the Pacers this season as one of the few healthy ball-handlers remaining on the roster. As Indiana has lost more and more players due to injury, it’s become harder for the team to keep itself organized, writes Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star.
In addition to Nembhard, Tyrese Haliburton, TJ McConnell, Taelon Peter, Kam Jones, and Bennedict Mathurin were all on the injury report for Indiana coming into Sunday’s game, and things only got worse after tip-off, as Obi Toppin left the game against the Timberwolves early with a hamstring injury, per Dopirak (Twitter link).
We have more from around the Central Division:
- Cade Cunningham had his coming-out party for the Pistons last season, earning All-NBA honors for the first time and placing seventh in MVP voting. That has led to renewed defensive focus from opposing teams, which Cunningham says he’s still trying to learn how to deal with, writes Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press (via Twitter). “I just don’t feel like I’ve handled it the way I want to,” Cunningham said. “I’m gonna keep watching the film and try to be better for my team. I feel like we had a lot of empty offensive possessions because I just didn’t handle the hots correctly.”
- Tre Jones has been labeled a “pure point guard” for much of his career. He’s showing how that can help a team during the start of the Bulls‘ season, writes Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times. “The game is going positionless a little bit, but trying to keep the point guard spot alive, especially with the height that I have,” Jones said. “I don’t think point guard will ever be out of the game completely. I think there will always be a spot for a point guard and that mentality. It’s something I’ve taken pride in my whole life. How could you not take pride in being called a pure point guard?” Head coach Billy Donovan compared Jones’ ascent in Chicago to Aaron Nesmith‘s jump as a player from his time with the Celtics to his Finals run with the Pacers last season. “One thing I figured out really quickly when I was playing, the most important stat for any NBA player is minutes played per game because these guys are all really, really good, and if they get an opportunity, generally they’re going to show what they can do,” Donovan said.
- Jarrett Allen‘s season debut against the Knicks left a sour taste in Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson‘s mouth, writes Chris Fedor for Cleveland.com (subscriber link). “That wasn’t the Jarrett Allen we all know,” Atkinson said. “That was more on us not seeking him out. But conversely, he can’t get four rebounds. I was really bummed about that. Can’t be like that.” Atkinson made sure to be clear that he wasn’t singling out Allen, saying, “This is a self-criticism too. We take him for granted. I have to be better about talking to him more and talking to our leaders more about him.” The message seemed to sink in: in Cleveland’s second game against the Nets, Allen had 22 points, seven rebounds, and four assists; he followed that up with an eight-point, 11-rebound outing in Sunday’s 118-113 win over the Bucks.
Texas Notes: Popovich, Harper, Flagg, Mavs Fans
The Spurs have unveiled a banner in honor of former head coach Gregg Popovich, according to The Associated Press. The team honored the legendary coach ahead of its home opener against the Nets today.
The banner was not accompanied by a celebration or ceremony, in keeping with Popovich’s wishes and style. In understated fashion fitting for the team and person it’s honoring, the banner simply read: “Pop 1,390,” in reference to his 1390 wins, the most of any coach in NBA history, followed by “Hall of Fame,” as tribute to his 2023 induction.
“I think it’s very Pop-esque,” Mitch Johnson, who is currently in the midst of his first full season as the Spurs head coach, said of the unflashy ceremony.
Popovich took out an ad on page A12 of the San Antonio Express-News today to express his gratitude to the fanbase, relays Mike Finger of the Express-News (via Twitter).
“While I will miss being on the sidelines, I’m content knowing this transition came at a time when we were fortunate to have Mitch Johnson in place, ready to take over the program,” Popovich wrote. “All of us across the organization are excited to, once again, experience the good times together. Thank you for all the great years and here’s to many more.”
We have more from around the world of Texas hoops:
- The Spurs were on the cusp of blowing a 26-point lead to the Nets on Sunday — then Dylan Harper happened, writes Jeff McDonald of the Express-News. Harper finished his third game as a professional with 20 points and eight assists off the bench, and his teammates felt that he helped turn the tide. “He’s making all the right plays,” Spurs forward Keldon Johnson said. “When we had that little slump in the second half, he came in and bought that spark.” Mitch Johnson was thrilled with Harper’s performance on both ends of the court against Brooklyn. “I think his offense was really good and obviously his stat line will represent that,” the Spurs’ coach said. “But I thought his defense was better than his offense.”
- Cooper Flagg spoke about the Mavericks‘ 0-for-2 start to the season ahead of their Sunday night tip-off against the Raptors. “It came down to turnovers — just silly ones we shouldn’t have thrown,” Flagg said of the team’s 117-110 loss to the Wizards. “We’ve got to take care of the ball because that led to a lot of transition opportunities for them.” Flagg has been operating as the Mavs’ primary ball-handler through the first three games, and has had some positive moments while still working on learning the intricacies of running an offense, writes Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal. Flagg became the second player under 19 to have a game with at least 15 points, five rebounds, and five assists, Afseth notes, with the other being LeBron James.
- It took just two games for Mavericks fans to regain their frustration with team leadership, writes Marc Stein of the Stein Line (subscriber link). Stein writes that “Fire Nico” chants, referencing general manager Nico Harrison, were audible in both of the team’s two losses to start the season, the first one coming at the hands of Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs, and the second against the Wizards. Harrison remains confident in his position with the team, which Stein notes is bolstered by the support of owner Patrick Dumont, partially because Dumont was the person who signed off on Harrison’s trade of Luka Doncic.
Bennedict Mathurin Out With Toe Sprain
Bennedict Mathurin will miss Sunday’s Pacers game in Minnesota with a right great toe sprain, reports Scott Agness of the Fieldhouse Files (Twitter link).
Dustin Dopirak of the Indy Star adds (via Twitter) that Mathurin is currently in a walking boot, and, according to head coach Rick Carlisle, will undergo imaging on his foot tomorrow in Dallas.
Now possessing a much larger role due to injuries to Tyrese Haliburton and T.J. McConnell, along with the departure of Myles Turner, Mathurin has averaged 31.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 2.5 assists in the Pacers’ first two games, posting .548/.500/.885 shooting splits.
Mathurin joins a growing Indiana injury list that also includes Andrew Nembhard, Johnny Furphy, Kam Jones, and Taelon Peter in addition to Haliburton and McConnell, writes Alessandro Maggi of Sportando.
Maggi notes that Carlisle has yet to give a timetable for Mathurin’s return.
Sixers Notes: Embiid, Barlow, Drummond, Edwards
Joel Embiid will miss the Sixers‘ game against the Magic on Monday due to left knee injury management, reports Keith Pompey of the Philly Inquirer (via Twitter). It has been reported that Embiid and the Sixers would be cautious with his health, so the move isn’t unexpected after he played in the first two contests of the season.
Embiid scored 20 points in 20 minutes in the Sixers’ most recent game against the Hornets, following a disappointing season debut against the Celtics. Taking advantage of Charlotte’s lack of big man depth, Embiid added four assists and two steals while scoring nine of the team’s first 18 points, writes Pompey.
Embiid, who is currently on a minutes restriction, is still trying to navigate how to be most effective in a more limited role, Pompey writes.
“Longer stints, you’ll actually be able to let the game come to you,” he said. “But then again, longer stints also mean you might be done by halftime. But I can’t sit for too long… being in shape is one thing, but being in basketball shape is another thing. You need to play, and you need to play a lot.”
We have more from the Sixers:
- Dominick Barlow will miss at least the next two games with a laceration to his right elbow that will require a procedure on Monday to address, reports Pompey (via Twitter). Pompey adds that Barlow will be reevaluated later in the week. Barlow was one of the standouts of the Sixers’ preseason, winning the starting power forward job in Paul George‘s absence despite being on a two-way contract. In his season debut against the Celtics, he scored 13 points and added eight rebounds and five assists. He played just under 16 minutes against the Hornets before leaving the game due to the injury.
- Andre Drummond was out of head coach Nick Nurse‘s rotation to open the season, but played arguably his best game as a Sixer against the Hornets, writes Tony Jones of The Athletic (subscriber link). Drummond brought down 13 rebounds in 15 minutes and was instrumental in turning the team’s momentum around, according to Jones. “I’m thrilled that he was able to play so well,” Nurse said. “And now, I’m kind of wondering why I didn’t use him earlier. I knew that I would eventually have to use him again, because Joel was down to just a few minutes in the second half. I was trying to find some spark, and he gave it.“
- Justin Edwards was hoping to build off a strong rookie season, but struggled to carve out a role for himself during Summer League or preseason, writes Kyle Neubeck for PHLY Sports (Twitter link). After scoring nine points in the second half against the Hornets, Edwards revealed that Drummond has been an important confidant, having helped keep him confident and ready for his opportunity. “For a guy like Justin who’s young… who is used to playing big minutes off the year he had last year, coming back now and being out of the rotation… I have him sit next to me every game,” Drummond said. “I said bro, don’t lose yourself in this. It’s a game of runs; it’s a game that changes often. Just stay ready, continue to work, and when your number is called, you’re going to be ready to go.“
Knicks Notes: Hart, McBride, Anunoby, Kolek
Josh Hart is no longer on a minutes restriction for the Knicks, reports James L. Edwards III of The Athletic (Twitter link). Hart missed a majority of the preseason with back spasms and is also dealing with a finger injury that he expects to manage all season, but he was able to make his 2025/26 debut on Friday’s win against the Celtics.
Hart only scored three points on 1-for-8 shooting, but he collected 14 rebounds and dished out three assists with zero turnovers in just under 19 minutes. One person particularly impressed with the performance was head coach Mike Brown, writes Madeline Kenney for the New York Post.
“Josh, man, monster, monster, monster.” Brown said. “Not only did he guard everybody, he had six offensive rebounds, eight defensive. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen this before — 14 rebounds in 19 minutes — just a phenomenal, phenomenal game doing the dirty stuff by Josh.”
Hart called the outing a “solid first day here at the office” and noted that he’s still working on getting his conditioning back after missing much of the ramp-up to the season.
We have more on the Knicks:
- Miles McBride is not with the Knicks on Sunday as they head to Miami, reports Stefan Bondy of the New York Post (via Twitter). McBride will miss the matchup due to personal reasons, and it’s unclear if he’ll join the team for the rest of its three-game road trip. He started the previous game in the absence of Mitchell Robinson, who is still out due to load management, and scored 10 points with four assists and four rebounds.
- After leaving Friday’s game early, OG Anunoby says that he’s fine, and that he was dealing with cramping and not the ankle injury he fought through during preseason, writes Petter Botte of the New York Post. Botte notes that Anunoby went through practice on Friday, and SNY’s Ian Begley reports (via Twitter) that, according to Brown, Anunoby could’ve gone back into the game if he was needed.
- After Malcolm Brogdon‘s surprise retirement, second-year guard Tyler Kolek has stepped into a larger role and is making the most of it, Botte writes. It hasn’t all been smooth sailing, but Brown likes what he’s seeing from the young point guard. “He had a really good game defensively [Friday] night for the most part,” Brown said. “During the first stretch, he was really good offensively. In the second half, he wasn’t as good, but he’s a young guy, and, he’s gonna learn and grow from any minutes that he gets, and that’s what I like about him, because you know he’s young, he’s smart, but more importantly, he’s tough-minded, so he can take any type of coaching or any adversity that he goes through at any time and he’ll bounce back the right way.” Kolek points to his time on the bench with Cameron Payne last season as a key to growing his understanding of the game, as the two would analyze the play of Jalen Brunson and others together.
Sixers Notes: Edgecombe, Maxey, Embiid, Barlow
VJ Edgecombe had a historic debut for the Sixers on Wednesday, scoring the most points in a rookie debut since Wilt Chamberlain, writes Kurt Helin for NBC Sports.
After starting the game with 14 first-quarter points, Edgecombe finished with 34 for the game, the third-highest mark ever for a rookie in his first NBA outing. He also added seven rebounds, three assists, and five three-pointers.
“We certainly needed the offense, and he certainly just looked pretty comfortable out there,” head coach Nick Nurse said after the game. “Again, I think that’s probably one thing I’ve noticed the most about him, is he seems to really know what’s going on out there for a young player. You just don’t see him making silly mistakes, or many mistakes. He is just playing the right way. He’s got a very good feel for the game.”
It wasn’t all perfect for the third overall pick. Edgecombe went to the line with a one-point lead and 7.3 seconds on the clock and missed both free throws, but the Celtics were unable to take advantage, allowing the Sixers to escape with the win.
We have more Sixers notes:
- Prior to Wednesday’s opener, Tyrese Maxey reflected on his path to becoming a leader with this Philadelphia team. “I used to always smile, but I know that I can’t be that guy anymore,” Maxey said told Tony Jones of The Athletic. “I kind of leave it up to Jared (McCain) and VJ. I want them to be extremely happy and have fun and just focus on playing basketball. That’s what they deserve to do.” One thing Maxey is focused on is letting go of a disaster 2024/25 season. On Wednesday, he took a good first step in that direction, leading the team to a win over Boston with 40 points on 24 shots and six assists to just one turnover.
- One of the hardest things for a superstar to do is accept their limitations, but that’s exactly what Joel Embiid has been forced to do, writes Keith Pompey for the Philadelphia Inquirer. Embiid knows he’s perceived differently after the injuries that have caused him to lose so much time. “We got a bunch of athletes,” Embiid said. “We’ve got to release them… They’ve got to run. My job is to find them and, in a way, that also kind of saves me, because if we get early baskets and easy baskets, I won’t have to run up and down. I can just let those guys push the pace, attack. And if we don’t have anything, I’ve always trailed anyway in my career. Then I can come in and get into the offense.” In the season opener, Embiid was limited to four points on 1-of-9 shooting while playing just 20 minutes. Nurse confirmed ahead of the game that Embiid would be on a minutes restriction, Pompey reported (via Twitter).
- Two-way big man Dominick Barlow got the start for the Sixers and ended the night with 13 points, eight rebounds, five assists, and one block in 34 minutes. After a strong preseason, he continued to impress, causing Jones to predict (via Twitter) that Barlow will have his contract converted to a standard NBA deal at some point this season.
Kings Notes: Westbrook, Murray, Future, Maxiell
After signing with the Kings last week, veteran point guard Russell Westbrook spoke on Sunday about why and how he chose Sacramento and what his future with the team looks like.
“I don’t know how it all came together so quickly,” Westbrook said (Twitter video link via Matt George of ABC10). “Obviously, I have a lot of friends and guys that I’ve played with on this team, familiarity with our games and different things like that.”
He also discussed what he believes his role to be as a leader in a locker room.
“Leadership is not just something that, unfortunately, you guys see on the floor, but my job and one of my traits as a leader is to be able to learn about guys’ journeys off the floor, how they got to this point, what inspires them, what pushes them,” he said. “To me, that’s what I look forward to most in any part of my journey: being able to impact and inspire someone daily… to run into somebody and maybe I can inspire them to do something that they didn’t think they could do. So I look forward to doing that.”
The Kings are widely projected to be a lottery team in 2025/26, but Westbrook suggested he views those low expectations from outside observers as a source of motivation entering the season. He also squashed any idea of this being his last season, responding, simply, “Yeah, right.”
We have more Kings notes:
- Despite some mixed reactions from around the league to the five-year, $140MM deal, the Kings probably couldn’t afford not to extend Keegan Murray, who is the team’s most successful homegrown talent in recent years who wasn’t traded away (or at least, hasn’t been traded yet), writes Yossi Gozlan for The Third Apron (Substack link). Gozlan refers to Murray’s new salary, which will account for around 14-15% of the salary cap moving forward, “probably the most sensible on the roster” relative to similar players around the league.
- In the same article, Gozlan notes that the Kings are now looking at a projected 2026/27 payroll surpassing $200MM, making them a luxury tax team if they don’t make any major changes. On a team without a clear pathway towards competing in the Western Conference, Gozlan considers Murray the only veteran on the roster with clear long-term security.
- Former Piston Jason Maxiell has joined the organization as an assistant coach for the Stockton Kings, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (via Twitter). Maxiell played 10 years in the NBA, eight of which were spent with Detroit, with whom he averaged 6.1 points and 4.4 rebounds in 523 games.
New York Notes: Robinson, Thibodeau, Demin, Thomas
The Knicks are facing the ghosts of injuries past as recently anointed starting center Mitchell Robinson opens the season inactive due to load management, writes Kristian Winfield for the New York Daily News.
Winfield notes that there’s no official timetable for Robinson’s season debut, a dissatisfying data point in a confusing saga that began when Robinson sat out the second half of the team’s October 9 preseason game after playing the first half. According to head coach Mike Brown, that uncertainty may not be resolved in the near future.
“There may be a stretch of five games where we may sit him. There may be a stretch of two games where we may sit him,” Brown said. “There’s no definition of what load management is. You just go along … myself and the medical team and the front office will go along as we see fit, and we’ll decide if we want to sit him during practice or we want to sit him in a game. It’s as simple as that.”
Stefan Bondy of the New York Post also expresses some confusion regarding Robinson’s status, writing that he doesn’t understand why the big man is sitting out on opening night if he didn’t suffer some sort of injury or setback during the preseason. Bondy also relays Brown’s explanation for Robinson missing the team’s season opener.
“Just because he might be able to play tonight, he might be able to practice today, that doesn’t necessarily mean I’m gonna play him or I’m gonna practice him,” Brown said.
We have more from around the world of New York basketball:
- The Knicks‘ decision to part ways with head coach Tom Thibodeau this summer after one of their most successful seasons in recent memory came down to a philosophical misalignment with certain members of the front office, writes Ian O’Connor for The Athletic, who says those front office executives were focused far more on Thibodeau’s flaws than his strengths. “In their world, the players were 51-0 and Tom was 0-31… He also had a sense of betrayal,” a source close to him said. “When you find out that people you helped either weren’t with you in the end or didn’t fight for you like you fought for them, that stings.”
- Egor Demin was intent on preparing his body for the Nets‘ season as he recovered from plantar fasciitis, writes Peter Botte for the New York Post. Demin has added over 10 pounds of muscle since being drafted and he said the difference is noticeable. “[I wanted] to be able to compete against athletes as we have [in the NBA], so I can be a little bit heavier to be stronger on defense, on offense, to get into the paint, and things like this,” Demin said. “As long as I’m above that [number], it’s good, but not too much [because] I want to still be able to run. But I think I’m in a good balance right now with my weight, muscles and condition.” Demin came off the bench on Wednesday in the Nets’ season opener against the Hornets.
- Cam Thomas will return to free agency in 2026 after accepting his qualifying offer following a lengthy standoff with the Nets this summer. However, he’s not struggling to keep his eye on the ball, literally, as he enters another contract year, writes The New York Post’s Brian Lewis. “I’m not really worried about that. It’ll take care of itself,” Thomas said of his place in Brooklyn and his contract situation going forward. “The main goal is just being on the court and playing, being out there. I love to hoop, I love to play, so that’s really the main thing I’m trying to do this year. Whatever happens, happens. I’ll let that take care of itself.” After a season shortened by injuries, Thomas came into this year slimmed down and ready to take on an even bigger role.