Lakers Notes: Doncic, James, Vincent, Opener
Following the Lakers‘ season opener against the Warriors on Tuesday, star guard Luka Doncic required treatment in the training room on the inside of his right leg, writes ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. However, Doncic, who played a team-high 41 minutes in the first game of the season, downplayed the issue.
“It’s probably nothing,” Doncic said. “Just felt it a little bit because my hip went [the opposite] way. Felt it a little bit, but it’s probably nothing.”
Head coach JJ Redick also didn’t seem overly concerned about the potential injury when he spoke to reporters on Wednesday.
“He seems to be fine. I don’t think it’s anything major,” Redick said. “He got some treatment this morning and we didn’t practice long, but he was a participant in practice.”
Doncic scored 43 points to go along with 12 rebounds and nine assists in the Lakers’ loss to the Warriors. As McMenamin notes, the team now has two days of recovery time before its second game of the season on Friday against Minnesota.
We have more from the Lakers:
- While the Lakers showed some promise in Tuesday’s loss, the performance also showed the team’s desperate need for LeBron James, writes Dan Woike for The Athletic. “I’ll be honest with you, I did have one moment in that first half when we had a few possessions, couldn’t score against the zone, I (thought), ‘That’d be great to have LeBron just to throw it to the high post,’” Redick said. While James was unable to help on the court, he’s already helping off the court, writes McMenamin. According to Redick, LeBron was a vocal and helpful presence during the team’s post-game film session. “[James] asking questions, him giving his input, us having a back-and-forth is so healthy,” Redick said.
- Gabe Vincent was something of a forgotten man coming into this season, but after a strong preseason, he’s seeing his optimism and hard work pay off, writes Woike. “They’ll get everything I have to offer,” Vincent said. “I’ll be pouring everything into it because I’m trying to win.” Redick said he wished he had a team full of Vincents, though he went on to add, “I think everybody does possess those qualities; otherwise they wouldn’t be a Laker. The difference is he’s the most consistent in bringing those qualities every single time.”
- Tuesday’s loss was only one game, but it was enough to raise concerns, writes Bill Plaschke for the Los Angeles Times. The team showed its lack of depth, Plaschke writes, exemplified by questionable debuts from Deandre Ayton, Marcus Smart, and Jake LaRavia. L.A. also had 20 turnovers and 11 missed free throws. “Not being organized in early offense,” Redick said, listing the problem areas. “Having the wrong guy bring it up. Not sprinting back. We make a run, we got two guys back, Buddy Hield gets a wide-open three for some reason on a full-court pass. Those are self-inflicted things. So it’s not anything Golden State did to us.” He went on to say that while having James available would help, what’s even more important is for the role players to play like stars in their roles.
Pacers Notes: Jones, Turner, Mathurin, Nesmith
After being arrested on Monday for alleged erratic driving, Pacers rookie Kam Jones was determined to apologize, both to his team and to the public, writes Dustin Dopirak of the Indy Star.
“I’m deeply sorry to the Pacers organization and the fans,” Jones said. “This was a very, very traumatic experience for me. I’ve never been through anything like this, but definitely a mistake that I’ve learned from. … It won’t happen again. I’m deeply sorry to the organization and I’m looking forward to letting this one go past and get back to work.”
Subsequent reporting indicated that Jones told police he was running late for practice. Dopirak clarifies that while the Pacers didn’t actually hold a practice on Monday, Jones was on his way to the team facility for treatment and rehab on the back injury that has prevented him from participating in preseason.
Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle backed Jones publicly, telling reporters that the rookie was insistent on making his apologies and vouching for his character, which Carlisle described as “exemplary.”
“My feeling is that this is going to turn out to be a speeding ticket and probably not much more,” Carlisle said. “The kid thought he was going to be late to practice so he was going too fast. I’m not going to get into much more about it than that.”
We have more from the Pacers:
- Longtime Pacers center Myles Turner didn’t expect to be changing teams when this summer began, writes Eric Nehm for The Athletic. “I thought that we would be on the same page in terms of where I’m at in my career, being 29 years old, heading into my prime and just knowing what I wanted from this next contract,” Turner said. “But we, unfortunately, just weren’t aligned. It was a surprise because I had a great, great conversation with the front office before I left, and I really thought that we were aligned for the future. So, it was kind of a shock that our heads weren’t together.” While there were conflicting reports over the summer about what the Pacers were offering Turner, Nehm hears that they never exceeded about $22MM per year for three seasons. Underwhelmed by Indiana’s proposal, Turner and his agent began looking around the league for alternatives, which resulted in him becoming the newest starting center for the division rival Bucks.
- Bennedict Mathurin was one of 12 eligible players who didn’t sign a rookie scale extension by Monday’s deadline, but he’s not stressing about it, Dopirak writes in a separate story. “It’s not that big of a deal, man,” Mathurin said. “Obviously, I would’ve loved to, but I’m not worried about that. It’s just about going into the game, going into the season with my mind straight knowing that, you know what? I’m going to have a great season. I can actually be who I’ve been wanting to be.” Mathurin had been considered unlikely to receive an extension, given the multitude of higher-value contracts already on the roster. This season, he will have an opportunity to show Indiana and the league who he can be with a bigger opportunity.
- After being widely viewed as an afterthought to start his career with the Celtics, Aaron Nesmith is more appreciative of his spot with the Pacers than ever after signing a two-year extension to stay with the team, Dopirak writes. “It’s awesome,” Nesmith said. “Second contract is a big deal for a lot of guys and for this one, it was really, like I said, just really stamping that I want to bring a championship to this city and continue to build this thing up. That was all this deal was about.” Carlisle is happy to have Nesmith under contract for the next four seasons: “He’s a proven starter on a championship-caliber team. The opportunity to keep him in the fold for an additional two years is a great event for the franchise. Happy for him. Happy for the organization.”
Blazers, Toumani Camara Finalize Four-Year Extension
October 20: The deal is now official, Portland announced in a press release. It actually comes in at $81MM over four years, Hoops Rumors has learned.
“Toumani has established himself as one of the best defenders in the NBA in just a short period of time,” said Blazers GM Joe Cronin. “With defense being paramount to our identity, Toumani has been a central figure with his tenacity, versatility and competitive nature. Toumani embodies everything Rip City is about.”
October 19: The Trail Blazers have agreed to a four-year, $82MM extension with Toumani Camara, reports ESPN’s Shams Charania (via Twitter).
The third-year forward has been a revelation for the Blazers since coming over from Phoenix in the 2023 trade that brought Deandre Ayton to Portland. In 78 games (all starts) in 2024/25, Camara averaged 11.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.5 steals per game while making 37.5% of his three-point tries and playing some of the best perimeter defense in the NBA.
Camara earned praise from opponents for his play on that side of the ball, showed up on multiple Defensive Player of the Year ballots, and earned a spot on the All-Defensive second team. As Charania notes (via Twitter), the 25-year-old ranked ninth in the NBA in total steals last season and was one of seven players to record at least 100 steals and 50 blocks.
Camara was the No. 52 overall pick in the 2023 draft after spending four years in college, two with Georgia and two with Dayton. In his final season, he averaged 13.9 PPG and 8.6 RPG.
His shooting improvement – from 30.7% on three-pointers over the course of his college career to 37.5% last season – has helped him carve out a significant role and maximize his defensive impact.
The extension will replace Camara’s $2.4MM team option for 2026/27, meaning he’s now under contract for five seasons in total. Since Camara is earning well below the NBA’s estimated average salary this season ($13,870,000), his maximum extension could have started at up to 140% of that amount, with 8% annual raises, which would have worked out to $87MM over four years — his new deal will come in a little below that.
As Yossi G0zlan of the Third Apron tweets, Camara’s extension leaves enough luxury tax space in 2026/27 for a potential Shaedon Sharpe extension. Monday is the deadline for Sharpe and the Blazers to complete a rookie scale extension.
Shaedon Sharpe Signs Four-Year Extension With Blazers
October 20: Sharpe’s four-year extension is official, the Trail Blazers confirmed in a press release.
“Shaedon Sharpe is one of the most exciting young players in the NBA,” said general manager Joe Cronin. “With his ability to score the basketball, play make and be a great teammate, we are ecstatic that Shaedon will be an electric part of the Trail Blazers for years to come.”
October 19: The Trail Blazers have come to terms on a four-year, $90MM rookie scale extension with shooting guard Shaedon Sharpe, reports Shams Charania for ESPN (Twitter link).
Sharpe was originally selected with the No. 7 pick in the 2022 draft after reclassifying to spend a season with Kentucky, though he ultimately did not play a game for the Wildcats.
Sharpe, 22, has started 92 of 184 regular season games through his first three seasons. In 2024/25, he established a new career highs by averaging 18.5 points per game to go along with his 4.5 rebounds and 2.8 assists per night.
However, Sharpe has struggled at times with his shooting efficiency and defense — his three-point percentage declined to a career-worst 31.1% in ’24/25, while head coach Chauncey Billups benched him at one point last season due to repeated defensive lapses.
Still, Portland remains high on Sharpe’s long-term upside and brought in veterans Jrue Holiday and Damian Lillard this offseason to provide leadership and guidance for the young backcourt duo of Sharpe and Scoot Henderson.
The Blazers have built a team primarily focused on defensive-minded players, and Sharpe’s ability to score at volume figures to factor heavily into their offensive approach.
After agreeing to a four-year extension with Toumani Camara earlier today, and with Deni Avdija on a descending deal that runs through the end of the 2027/28 season, the Blazers have locked in a young, talented wing trio on deals that will each account for less than 15% of the cap moving forward, notes Keith Smith of Spotrac (via Twitter).
Sharpe is the seventh player to agree to a rookie scale extension this offseason, joining Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams (Thunder), Paolo Banchero (Magic), Jabari Smith Jr. (Rockets), Nikola Jovic (Heat), and Keegan Murray (Kings). There are still 14 players eligible for rookie scale extensions ahead of Monday’s deadline.
Blazers Sign Javonte Cooke To Two-Way Contract
October 20: The signing is official, according to a team press release.
October 19: The Trail Blazers have agreed to sign free agent guard Javonte Cooke to a two-way contract, agent Jerry Dianis tells Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).
Cooke, a 6’6″ guard who went undrafted in 2022, played three games with the Blazers during preseason, averaging 3.3 points and 1.7 rebounds in 7.5 minutes per contest.
Portland released Cooke on Friday and Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report stated at the time that the Blazers were still considering the 26-year-old for a two-way spot. Cooke was previously on a non-guaranteed camp deal.
The 26-year-old took an unusual path to the NBA. A Division-II basketball player in college who finished his career at Winston-Salem State, Cooke has played in the G League as well as the Canadian Elite Basketball League since leaving college. He made 42 appearances for the Oklahoma City Blue last season, averaging 17.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 2.8 assists in 28.2 minutes per game while converting 42.4% of his shots from the floor, including 33.5% of his three-point attempts.
Cooke will join Caleb Love and Sidy Cissoko as the third and final two-way player for Portland. The team had a two-way opening, so no corresponding move is necessary to re-sign Cooke.
Southeast Notes: McNeeley, Carrington, Newell, Young, Achiuwa
Liam McNeeley‘s preseason stats for the Hornets may not jump off the page, but he’s earned a fan in head coach Charles Lee, according to The Charlotte Observer’s Roderick Boone, who suggests the No. 29 overall pick has a chance to be the steal of the 2025 draft.
McNeeley averaged just 6.4 points and 2.4 rebounds per game while hitting 14.3% of his threes in five preseason appearances after excelling in his rookie season Summer League. He finished the preseason on something of a high note, scoring in double digits during his lone start on Friday.
Lee was impressed with McNeeley’s approach throughout training camp and the preseason.
“Offensively, he’s really got the total package to him,” Lee said. “I’ve been able to watch him catch-and-shoot, I’ve been able to see him drive the ball and facilitate to guys. He offensive rebounds, and so he’s just another one of our core young guys that I think has this mindset of I just want to impact winning at all costs.”
Having said that, the rookie wing is far from a finished product, and Lee has clear ideas about where he needs to improve.
“The goal for him is just to continue to build consistent habits,” Lee said. “He’s still got to learn to finish things defensively and how to bring an edge and a physicality on that side of the court.”
We have more news from around the Southeast Division:
- Wizards second-year guard Bub Carrington was a full participant in Sunday’s practice after knee soreness limited him to just four minutes in Washington’s preseason game against the Pistons on Thursday, reports Josh Robbins of The Athletic (via Twitter). Carrington faces one of the more important seasons among Washington’s players, given the offseason additions of veteran CJ McCollum and top-10 draft pick Tre Johnson, both of whom project to command significant minutes throughout the season.
- Hawks‘ first-round pick Asa Newell picked up a rare start on Monday’s preseason game against the Heat, with Atlanta resting its top rotation players. It was an opportunity Newell capitalized on, writes Lauren Williams for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. In just over 36 minutes, he scored 19 points, grabbed eight rebounds, and had two steals and blocks apiece. His energy and nose for the ball impressed head coach Quin Snyder. “I love the fact that he’s quickly kind of reading and taking a shot when he’s open,” Snyder said. “I think he’ll even begin to understand kind of more situational basketball, when he’s open and (whether) he can make one more.”
- Jahmir Young made it through the Heat‘s set of roster decisions on Saturday and came out of it with his Exhibit 10 deal converted into a two-way contract. It’s an opportunity he isn’t taking for granted, writes Anthony Chiang for the Miami Herald. “It’s harder to stay than to be here,” Young said. “So for me, just every day, just being my best self, being 100 percent and helping the team. “Just being in an organization that works on player development, really works on guys. It’s amazing. It just gives me life. Just shows that I have to keep working.” Head coach Erik Spoelstra spoke highly of Young after Sunday’s practice: “That speed and quickness with the ball, his ability to get in the paint, ability to knock down threes is unique. He had a really good year last year. And then in practice, when we had him in that third unit, drilling against him and kind of letting him do his thing, he was a tough guy to corral.”
- Spoelstra also addressed the Heat’s decision to waive Precious Achiuwa. “It is tough, especially because we spent time with him four years ago, it felt like we wanted to keep that going,” Spoelstra said, per Chiang. “But that’s just where we are right now with the roster. We’ll have to see what happens in the future.” Achiuwa averaged 4.8 points and 5.3 rebounds in 11.7 minutes per game across four preseason outings. Hanging onto him would have pushed Miami’s team salary over the luxury tax line.
Lakers Notes: Hayes, Starting Lineup, Injuries, Lobs
Jaxson Hayes is dealing with a light sprain in his right wrist, but believes that he’ll be ready to go for the Lakers‘ regular season opener on Tuesday, reports Dan Woike of The Athletic (via Twitter).
Hayes left Friday’s preseason game early after injuring his wrist, but he says he’s ready to play through the injury. He is slotted to serve as the primary backup to Deandre Ayton this season after starting a career-high 35 games for the Lakers last season.
Hayes also spoke at greater length about his intention to become eligible for a Slovenian passport and play international basketball alongside Lakers’ teammate Luka Doncic, reports Dave McMenamin of ESPN (Twitter video link).
“We have the same agent, and my parents and his parents are all kind of working on it right now,” Hayes said. “But they came to me with the idea… I wanted to play on that stage, and I’m gonna do whatever it takes to get on that stage.”
Hayes added that Doncic and his family had been discussing the idea with him for the last year and a half. Woike confirmed (via Twitter) that Hayes is serious about the plan.
We have more Lakers news:
- The Lakers unleashed their LeBron James-less opening night starting five in the preseason finale, writes McMenamin. The unit featured Gabe Vincent and Rui Hachimura alongside Doncic, Austin Reaves, and Ayton. McMenamin reports that Vincent, who averaged 16.2 points on 55.6% shooting from three during his strong preseason, was informed of his promotion on Friday morning. “I do think in that lineup there’s lot of shooting around Luka and [Ayton], and Gabe is another ball-handler, another tough defender, said head coach JJ Redick. “I think he fits in well, but you have to take a look at every matchup we play against and have to make a decision there.” The Lakers went just 1-5 during the preseason.
- Redick shared some minor injury updates on Sunday afternoon, as relayed via Twitter by SoCal News Group’s Khobi Price. Chris Manon, on a two-way deal, was a full participant after previously suffering a Grade 2 ankle sprain. Bronny James and rookie Adou Thiero were modified participants as they look to return from ankle and knee injuries, respectively.
- There’s a specific part of the Lakers’ offensive approach that Redick is concerned about heading into the season. “We’ve got to figure out our lobs,” Redick said, as reported by Price (Twitter video link). Redick added that a good lob connection is based on “concentration plus control.” Reaves expanded on that, discussing the difference between running the two-man game with Ayton as opposed to Hayes or Anthony Davis. “Every player is not the same,” he said. “I can throw some lobs to Jaxson that I can’t throw to DA. I can throw pocket passes to DA that I can’t throw to Jaxson. So it’s just reading personnel on the court and getting reps every single day together.”
Haywood Highsmith To Be Reevaluated In Eight Weeks
Nets forward Haywood Highsmith recently experienced a setback in his attempted return from a torn meniscus, the team announced (via Twitter). He will be reevaluated in eight weeks.
According to the Nets, Highsmith was evaluated after experiencing swelling in his right knee while recovering from an meniscectomy and it was determined that his rehab program would need to be modified and extended.
An eight-week recovery period would put Highsmith at risk of missing at least the first quarter of the Nets’ season, and likely more than that, as he will presumably not be immediately cleared to return to game action at the eight-week mark.
Highsmith averaged a career-high 6.5 points and 0.9 steals per game last season while shooting 38.2% from deep. After going undrafted in 2018, he established himself as a valuable role player for the Heat, capable of defending multiple positions and making outside shots. He was traded to the Nets in August along with a second-round pick in a salary-cutting move for Miami.
Highsmith was able to hang onto his roster spot as the Nets made their cuts ahead of the regular season, including waiving Kobe Bufkin.
Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reports that Highsmith made himself valuable to the organization with his leadership and locker room presence on such a young team (Twitter link). If he makes a full recovery before February’s deadline, Highsmith could have some value on the trade market on his expiring $5.6MM contract.
Pacers Notes: Backup Guard, Peter, Mathurin, Huff
The Pacers are entering the season without a clear plan for the backup point guard spot behind Andrew Nembhard, writes Dustin Dopirak for The Indy Star. Tyrese Haliburton will miss the entire season with an Achilles tear; steadfast backup T.J. McConnell is out at least a few more weeks with a hamstring strain; and Kam Jones, the No. 35 pick in the 2025 draft, is on a similar timeline due to a back injury.
Indiana had bad luck with the veterans it brought in with the hopes of filling the spot. Monte Morris had a calf strain that resulted in the Pacers backing off their plan to sign him, while Delon Wright sustained a head injury in the preseason and was subsequently waived. Cameron Payne made it through the preseason healthy, but Dopirak writes that he was unable to integrate into the Pacers’ system.
“It didn’t work out,” said head coach Rick Carlisle.
With few options heading into the first month of the season, Dopirak writes that third-year guard Ben Sheppard may be asked to tap into his collegiate point guard roots. He also notes that another free agent move is not out of the question.
“We’re looking at everything,” Carlisle said. “The waiver wire. We’re looking at people’s nephews and uncles and everything else, but good point guards aren’t growing on trees. We’re going to have to be creative.”
We have more from around the Pacers:
- One very creative solution to the aforementioned point guard problem comes in the form of this year’s 54th overall pick Taelon Peter, Dopirak writes in the same story. Despite never averaging more than 2.3 assists per game in college, Peter has shown a knack for play-making in the preseason, handing out nearly 3.3 assists to 1.3 turnovers in 24.1 minutes per game. According to Dopirak, Carlisle asked Peter during the team’s second preseason game if he’d ever played point guard, then proceeded to let him run the offense for the second unit in Friday’s preseason finale. “It’s easy to sprint to the corners and knock down shots,” Peter said. “But being able to get everybody where they need to be and know every spot on every play, it’s something that is a challenge, but it’s something they’ve been great about helping me transition into. They’ve been really gracious with me throughout the process.”
- Bennedict Mathurin is looking forward to having what he considers a consistent role, Dopirak writes in a separate piece. Mathurin’s scoring ability has been a useful tool for Indiana when its offense bogs down, but his style has sometimes clashed with the team’s fast-paced, ball movement-based attack, resulting in Mathurin being shuffled in and out of the starting unit as needed. With the team more in need of his scoring than ever, the fourth-year guard is likely to be a full-time starter for the first time in his career. “I’ll have a little bit more freedom to go out there to be myself, you know, within the system,” he said. “I look forward to going out there and accomplishing a lot of great things.” Carlisle wants him to make quick decisions and take advantage of easy reads, rather than play hero ball, feedback which Mathurin is taking seriously. “It’s just about watching a lot of film, seeing what’s in front of me and taking advantage of every little thing, whether it’s about timing or spacing,” he said.
- Indiana is seeking an answer at the center position after losing Myles Turner in free agency. For new Pacer Jay Huff, it’s the opportunity he has been waiting for, Dopirak writes in a profile of the big man. This marks the fifth NBA home in five years for Huff, who has played for the Lakers, Wizards, Nuggets, and Grizzlies. Last season was something of a breakout for the big man, as he averaged 6.9 points and 0.9 blocks in 11.7 minutes per game while shooting 40.5% from three and making a career-high 64 appearances. “Opportunity at the right place and right time is everything in the league,” Huff said. “I think that was just what I was waiting for.” While not comparing them as players, Pacers general manager Chad Buchanan believes Huff can slot in well as a facsimile of the role previously played by Turner. “When a need came up for a stretch five this summer, he was the name that our analytics staff has always targeted,” Buchanan said. “He was just a great fit for us. His age, his shooting, his IQ. So we thought this is a good match for us.”
Nets Waive Kobe Bufkin
The Nets have waived guard Kobe Bufkin, the team announced today. Shams Charania of ESPN first reported the news (via Twitter).
Bufkin was traded from the Hawks to the Nets last month in exchange for $110K in cash considerations. He joined a roster loaded with guard competition after the team took Ben Saraf, Egor Demin, and Nolan Traore in the first round of the 2025 draft.
Bufkin, 22, has struggled with injuries throughout his NBA career and has appeared in just 27 total games in his first two NBA seasons. He averaged 5.0 points and 1.6 assists in 11.9 minutes per game during his time with the Hawks.
The former 15th overall pick struggled to carve out much of a role with Brooklyn during preseason, averaging just 10.9 minutes in his two outings and scoring 7.0 PPG on .364/.375/.600 shooting splits.
As Bobby Marks of ESPN notes (via Twitter), because Bufkin’s $4,503,720 salary is fully guaranteed, the Nets will remain slightly above the minimum salary floor entering the season. Not reaching the floor would cause Brooklyn to lose its luxury tax distribution, which is projected to be around $12.8MM, Marks adds (Twitter link).
The move will also get Brooklyn’s roster within the regular season limits — the team now has 15 players on standard contracts and a pair on two-way deals.
Bufkin will become an unrestricted free agent if he clears waivers on Tuesday.