Knicks Have Spoken To Teams About Pacome Dadiet
The Knicks appear to be leaning toward hanging onto two of their veteran camp invitees for the regular season, according to James L. Edwards III of The Athletic, who hears from league sources that guards Malcolm Brogdon and Landry Shamet are the frontrunners to make the team.
Due to their lack of flexibility below a second-apron hard cap, the Knicks would have to make a trade in order to retain both Brogdon and Shamet. According to Edwards, the front office has had conversations with rival teams about second-year forward Pacome Dadiet, who would be one of the team’s prime trade candidates in that scenario.
Dadiet has had a good offseason behind the scenes, Edwards writes, which has perhaps made the Knicks less inclined to trade the Frenchman, who was the 25th overall pick in the 2024 draft.
However, his salary ($2.85MM) makes him a more logical trade candidate than fellow 2024 draftee Tyler Kolek ($2.19MM), given the slim margins New York is working with. Edwards also believes Dadiet is more likely than Kolek to warrant a worthwhile return on the trade market, though he cautions it probably wouldn’t be more than a second-round pick or two.
The Knicks are currently carrying 12 players on standard contracts, plus Brogdon, Shamet, Garrison Mathews, Alex Len, Matt Ryan, and Mohamed Diawara on non-guaranteed Exhibit 9 and/or Exhibit 10 deals. If New York retains Diawara (who is on a rookie minimum deal) and one of those vets, the team’s salary for its regular season roster would be about $148K below its hard cap.
If the Knicks were to trade Dadiet without taking back any salary, then kept two non-guaranteed vets alongside Diawara, that breathing room below the hard cap would increase to roughly $700K. If the club were to trade Kolek instead of Diawara and hung onto two vets and Diawara, the distance from the hard cap would shrink to just $44K. Trading Ariel Hukporti in order to keep both Brogdon and Shamet wouldn’t be an option, since Hukporti’s cap hit isn’t big enough to swap it out for an extra veteran minimum deal.
Unless the Knicks are inclined to make a much more significant deal, which seems unlikely, Miles McBride would be the only other trade candidate on the bench, but Edwards would be surprised if the front office makes a move involving McBride, who is expected to play a regular rotation role.
If the Knicks don’t find a trade they like ahead of the regular season, they’d only be able to carry one of Brogdon or Shamet into opening night, but the front office could continue exploring trades during the season in order to create some additional back-end roster flexibility and re-sign one of those players (or another free agent).
Wolves’ Miller Out At Least Two Weeks With Finger Injury
Timberwolves forward Leonard Miller sustained a finger injury at Tuesday’s practice, according to the team, which announced in a press release that he has been diagnosed with a right fifth finger laceration.
Miller will be reevaluated in two weeks, per the Wolves. That means he’ll miss the rest of training camp and at least four of Minnesota’s six preseason games.
Miller, who will turn 22 in November, was the 33rd overall pick in the 2023 draft. The 6’10” forward hasn’t seen much action at the NBA level in his first two professional seasons, playing just 84 total minutes in 30 appearances, including 32 minutes in 13 games in 2024/25.
The Canadian performed well in the G League last season, however, averaging 24.7 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.2 blocks in 37.5 minutes per contest over the course of 26 outings for the Iowa Wolves. He posted a shooting line of .505/.341/.851.
Although the finger injury might not sideline Miller for any of the regular season and wouldn’t have a major impact on the Wolves’ rotation even if it does, it’s a disappointing setback for a player who is looking to prove he deserves to continue hanging onto an NBA roster spot. Miller isn’t owed any guaranteed money beyond his $2.22MM salary this season, as his contract includes a team option worth $2.41MM for 2026/27.
Magic Notes: Suggs, M. Wagner, Bane, Isaac, Jones, Banchero
As Magic guard Jalen Suggs continues to make his way back from a left knee trochlea cartilage tear that has sidelined him since January, the team is targeting opening night for his return, president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman said on Monday, according to Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (subscription required).
Suggs had originally hoped to be back to 100% for the start of training camp, but now the plan will be to use camp and the preseason as a ramp-up period. As Beede writes, the goal will be to get him on the court in one of Orlando’s four preseason games before the regular season tips off.
Moritz Wagner, the Magic big man who is coming off a left ACL tear, isn’t quite as far along as Suggs, Weltman acknowledged on Monday.
“Moe’s timeline is different,” Weltman said. “He’s further away. You guys know there have been unfortunately a series of ACLs in the last decade of the NBA and an associated timeline with that. But you guys also know Moe Wagner. So, he’s not your normal guy. He’s attacking it. and we’re hopeful he can beat that timeline. What that looks like exactly is too soon to say.”
Wagner said he has gotten through the injury rehab portion of his recovery process and is now working on getting back into game shape, according to Beede. At the team’s first practice on Tuesday, Suggs was able to take part in “all of the non-contact drills,” per head coach Jamahl Mosley, while Wagner did many of the same drills but was “probably two steps back” of Suggs in terms of progress (Twitter links).
Here’s more on the Magic:
- Adjusting to a new team after spending the first five years of his NBA career in Memphis has been “pretty easy” so far, Desmond Bane said on Tuesday (Twitter video link via Beede). “They’re such good guys that they make it easy to come in here and get our work done so it’s been good,” Bane said of his new teammates.
- After appearing in just 11 games across three seasons from 2020-23, Magic forward Jonathan Isaac played in 58 in 2023/24 and 71 last season. Will that number continue to rise in 2025/26? “My goal this season is 82,” Isaac said at media day, noting that he dropped some weight in the offseason (Twitter link via Beede). “If nothing happens, if I don’t get any colds or sicknesses or anything like that, I should be fine to go 82.”
- Speaking to reporters on Monday, including Beede (Twitter link), veteran point guard Tyus Jones said the chance to potentially compete for a championship was an important factor in his decision to sign with Orlando.
- Star Magic forward Paolo Banchero, who signed a five-year, maximum-salary rookie scale extension in July, said it was an “amazing feeling” to lock in that deal and expressed enthusiasm about the moves the front office made to upgrade the roster over the summer. “I’m definitely happy with the moves the organization made,” Banchero said (subscriber-only story via Beede). “[They] brought in two great, experienced players (Bane and Jones) in here and drafted two great rookies (Jase Richardson and Noah Penda). So, [I’m] just excited to get to work with the group and get on the court and start building that chemistry.”
Pacers Notes: Nembhard, Siakam, Mathurin, Centers
After starting alongside Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton for most of his first three NBA seasons, Andrew Nembhard is preparing to take on a more significant on-ball role in 2025/26 as Haliburton spends the year recovering from the Achilles tear he suffered in June.
“It changes my whole perception of the game,” Nembhard said on Monday, per Joshua Heron of The Indianapolis Star. “Bringing the ball up is a whole new way of looking at the game instead of running off the ball.”
While Haliburton has been Indiana’s offensive engine and lead play-maker since joining the Pacers in 2022, it won’t simply be a matter of plugging in Nembhard as the new point guard and making Pascal Siakam the primary scoring option, according to Siakam, who suggested that replacing Haliburton will be a group effort.
“I think for us, last year and the way we play, it’s always been about team,” the star forward said, according to Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star. “It’s never been about one person. I think this year it’s not gonna be different. We all are gonna have to do it collectively. I was telling the guys, it’s not going to take one person to replace Ty. We’re gonna all have to do it collectively. That’s the way we have to think about it.”
Siakam is aware that he’ll be one of the players who is asked to take on more ball-handling and play-making responsibilities without Haliburton available. That’s not a problem for the 31-year-old, who got accustomed to operating on the ball and initiating the offense during his time in Toronto.
“I’ve done that in the past,” Siakam said. “I think just watching my last two years you don’t really see some of the other things I’ve done before. I feel like one of the funniest questions coach asked me was, ‘Oh, have you had a triple-double before?’ It was like, “Well yeah, I’ve had multiple.’ I can do that too. I feel like what makes me different is that I can adapt to every situation and I’ve worked on every facet of my game.”
We have more out of Indiana:
- It’s an important fall for Bennedict Mathurin, who is eligible for a rookie scale extension and is on track to join Nembhard in Indiana’s starting backcourt. The fourth-year wing said at media day on Monday that making “better reads and smarter decisions” will be a key to success for him, according to Dopirak. Head coach Rick Carlisle agreed. “We just need him to run hard, shoot open shots that are there and make simple reads offensively. Our game is played best when it’s fast and simple,” Carlisle said, adding that Mathurin will likely see greater defensive challenges too. “… There’s a very good chance he’ll be asked to guard the ball on a lot of situations.”
- Four spots in the Pacers’ starting lineup look set, as Aaron Nesmith will likely join Nembhard, Mathurin, and Siakam in that group. That leaves the center spot up for grabs, with Isaiah Jackson and Jay Huff considered the leading candidates and James Wiseman and Tony Bradley also in the mix. “We have four guys that really are very, very good,” Carlisle said, per Dopirak. “They all bring something different. A lot of this, we just gotta play it out in training camp and the preseason games and see what’s what. I don’t have any preconceived notions as to who’s going to start.” Carlisle acknowledged that Jackson has been working with the starting group in pickup games, but praised the other three centers on the roster and noted that Huff’s ability to shoot and protect the rim will be an “important ingredient” for the club.
- In a separate story for The Indy Star, Dopirak passed along notable media day quotes from several other Pacers players, including T.J. McConnell, who knows that he and a few of his teammates will have to step up as leaders with Haliburton out and James Johnson no longer on the team. “I’ve never been a guy to use my voice too much,” McConnell said. “… James and Tyrese were those constant voices. Not only myself, but others have to step up and have more of a voice, not just when they see something.”
Warriors Notes: Kuminga, Horford, Green, Podziemski, Butler
Jonathan Kuminga‘s restricted free agency remained unresolved when the Warriors took part in their media day on Monday, but it was a major topic of discussion. Stars Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and Jimmy Butler all addressed the standoff in their respective media sessions, with Green predicting that “everyone will forget (the situation) and move on” if Kuminga signs a contract and “plays great” in 2025/26 (Twitter video link).
“As leaders on the team, you have to acknowledge what’s going on and don’t make it more than what it is, other than a team trying to figure out the situation that’s front of us and the challenge that’s front of us,” Curry said, according to Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area. “Knowing JK’s situation, knowing the new faces that we’re adding to the roster, we talk about it every year going into a training camp what it’s going to take for that particular team to win.
“This is a little different because you have a guy that’s trying to figure out his situation, and we respect that process. It’s going to play out, and when he’s here, ready to work, like we expect him to be locked in on doing what he needs to do to help us win.”
Although the Warriors have reached a multiyear contract agreement with Al Horford, that deal almost certainly won’t be finalized until after Kuminga’s free agency wraps up, which will allow the team can maximize its cap flexibility. That meant Horford wasn’t in attendance at media day either, though Golden State’s veterans expressed excitement about the impending addition — without mentioning Horford by name.
“If we’re talking about a guy like that, he’s won it, which I really, really respect,” Butler said, per Poole. “And he’s been in this league for a long time for a reason. Elite defender. Can make shots. Plays basketball the right way. Super smart. More than anything, he wins. So, wherever that guy ends up, I know he’s going to help that team.”
Here’s more on the Warriors:
- Only five players in NBA history – Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett and Scottie Pippen – have made at least 10 All-Defensive teams, Green, who has earned the honor nine times, will be looking to join that group in 2026, Poole writes for NBC Sports Bay Area. “That’s my motivation,” Green said. “To go and try to make another All-Defensive team and join that list. It’s an amazing list. All first-ballot Hall of Famers. To try to put myself, my name, in the hat with those guys … that would be a dream come true.”
- Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski underwent procedures on his wrist and his core in the spring. However, Podziemski is not expected to miss time this fall as a result of those surgeries — he was back on the court as of August 1 and was fully cleared for all basketball activities a couple weeks ago, tweets ESPN’s Anthony Slater.
- The Warriors are looking forward to their first full season with Butler on the roster, according to Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area, who looks at the mini-camp the star forward hosted at his home in San Diego earlier this month. “It was important for me to welcome those guys, like my family, into my home and have a good time and let them in a little bit of my life,” Butler said.
- While it has taken a while to set the roster for the coming season, Curry is optimistic about the Warriors’ ability to compete in 2025/26, per Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic. “We’re just trying to carry the momentum that we have from last year,” the two-time MVP said. “Getting through an 82-game season is a challenge for every team, but especially a veteran team. But the way that we finished and the record that we had — obviously, before I got hurt during the second round (of last year’s playoffs), we were a relevant threat, and I think we’ve gotten better.”
Blazers Sign MarJon Beauchamp, Liam Robbins, Javonte Cooke
The Trail Blazers have added three players to their training camp roster, announcing today in a press release that they’ve signed forward MarJon Beauchamp, center Liam Robbins, and guard Javonte Cooke.
Portland now has 20 players under contract, leaving a single opening on the team’s 21-man preseason roster.
Beauchamp, who will turn 25 next month, was the 24th overall pick in the 2022 draft. The 6’7″ forward has appeared in 135 regular season games for the Bucks, Clippers, and Knicks since entering the league, averaging 4.1 points and 1.9 rebounds in 10.9 minutes per night, with a shooting line of .430/.354/.718. He was traded from Milwaukee to L.A. at February’s trade deadline, then finished the season on a two-way contract with New York after being waived by the Clippers.
Robbins, 26, spent most of the 2024/25 season on a two-way deal with the Bucks, but logged just total 57 minutes across 13 outings and was waived in February. The seven-foot center went undrafted out of Vanderbilt in 2023.
Cooke, a 6’6″ shooting guard, has played primarily in the G League since 2022, with a stint in Canada for the Brampton Honey Badgers in 2024. The 26-year-old 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.
In all likelihood, Beauchamp, Robbins, and Cooke all signed non-guaranteed Exhibit 10 contracts, which can be converted into two-way deals before the regular season or line up players to earn bonuses worth $85,300 if they spend at least 60 days with their team’s G League affiliate.
Celtics Notes: Simons, Pritchard, Tatum, Boucher, Hauser
Anfernee Simons was a member of some playoff teams in Portland early in his career, but the Trail Blazers finished at least 10 games below .500 in each of his four seasons as a regular starter. The 26-year-old guard is joining a Celtics team coming off back-to-back seasons of 60-plus wins, and while expectations are lower in 2025/26 with Jayson Tatum recovering from an Achilles tear, Simons is enthusiastic about “contributing to winning games” in Boston.
“I was super excited to come here and join a culture that’s already been set,” Simons said at media day on Monday, per Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. “It’s something that’s going to help my career out tremendously, playing at the highest level of winning basketball. That’s what I was excited about and being part of it.”
A talented offensive player who has averaged 20.7 points per game in 178 outings over the past three seasons, Simons has a reputation as a below-average defender. He’s aware of that label and is determined to do what he can to change it.
“It’s a matter of if I want to do it or not; it’s really that simple,” Simons said, according to Washburn. “Coming into a culture like this you really have to be able to adapt or you’re not going to be in the position you want to be. To me, it’s really that simple, and that’s the honest conversations [head coach Joe Mazzulla and I] had about it. He always says that you’re not as bad as people think you are. That’s good to hear, but also I’ve got to do the work of getting better at that end and get focused on exactly what we need to do on the defensive end. I’m pretty excited about being pushed to a new level, which I can reach.”
There has been a sense that either Simons or Payton Pritchard could start for the Celtics, with the other coming off the bench. However, as Washburn tweets, Mazzulla sought to dispel that notion on Monday, suggesting that it’s not an either/or proposition.
“I’ll nip that in the bud immediately,” the Celtics’ coach said, per Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. “Those two don’t go hand-in-hand. They’re completely different.”
Here’s more on the Celtics:
- Tatum has made it clear that he isn’t ruling out the possibility of returning from his Achilles tear at some point before the end of the 2025/26 season, and he raised eyebrows on Sunday when he posted a video of his on-court workouts (Instagram link). Still, he stressed on Saturday that he’s being mindful of not rushing the recovery process. “There’s no pressure to return back any sooner than when I’m 100 percent healthy,” Tatum said, according to Himmelsbach. “No pressure from [president of operations Brad Stevens], [Mazzulla], the team, the organization. The most important thing is that I’m 100 percent healthy whenever I do come back.”
- New Celtics big man Chris Boucher, who said on Monday that Stevens told him the team has had interest in him for a while, explained why he viewed Boston as an ideal fit for him in free agency, as Brian Robb of MassLive.com relays. “I’ve been in Toronto for seven years. Obviously we had a great year with a championship and all, but also years where we’re not winning at all and it impacted my time and playing and all that,” Boucher said. “I also feel like I still have a lot to give to the game, so I wanted to go somewhere where I felt like, there’s a winning culture, winning energy and also felt like I wanted to see something different. I wanna be able to show what what I’m capable of doing in multiple ways in the game.”
- Although he didn’t end up going anywhere, Celtics wing Sam Hauser was at the center of trade speculation this offseason for several weeks. He admitted on Monday that it was hard to ignore that chatter. “You try to block it out but you really can’t, to be honest with you,” Hauser said, according to Souichi Terada of MassLive.com. “But I know it’s part of the business. I was prepared for whatever. If I was gonna get shipped, great. I stayed, thankfully. I’m glad to be here. But even if I were shipped, I had no hard feelings here. They gave me an opportunity when no one else did. They extended me. They had to do what they had to do and I understood it, but I’m glad I’m here, to say the least.”
- According to Himmelsbach, Stevens said on Monday that the Celtics made offers to both Al Horford and Luke Kornet in free agency in the hopes of retaining them, but admitted that the contracts they got from the Warriors and Spurs respectively are more player-friendly than what Boston could realistically have offered.
- With Horford, Jrue Holiday, and Kristaps Porzingis gone and Tatum recovering from his torn Achilles, Jay King of The Athletic explores the Celtics’ efforts to reestablish their culture with a new set of veteran leaders.
NBA 2025 Offseason Check-In: Utah Jazz
Hoops Rumors is checking in on the 2025 offseason for all 30 NBA teams, recapping the summer’s free agent signings, trades, draft picks, departures, and more. We’ll take a look at each team’s offseason moves and consider what might still be coming before the regular season begins. Today, we’re focusing on the Utah Jazz.
Free agent signings
Mo Bamba: One year, minimum salary. Non-guaranteed (Exhibit 10). Signed using minimum salary exception.- Steven Crowl: One year, minimum salary. Non-guaranteed (Exhibit 10). Signed using minimum salary exception.
- Matthew Murrell: One year, minimum salary. Non-guaranteed (Exhibit 10). Signed using minimum salary exception.
Trades
- Acquired the draft rights to Walter Clayton (No. 18 pick) from the Wizards in exchange for the draft rights to Will Riley (No. 21 pick), the No. 43 pick in the 2025 draft, either the Heat’s or Pacers’ 2031 second-round pick (whichever is most favorable), and the Jazz’s 2032 second-round pick.
- Acquired Jusuf Nurkic from the Hornets in exchange for Collin Sexton and either the Jazz’s or Clippers’ 2030 second-round pick (whichever is most favorable).
- Acquired Kyle Anderson (from Heat), Kevin Love (from Heat), the Clippers’ 2027 second-round pick (from Clippers), and cash ($2.5MM; from Clippers) in a three-team trade in exchange for John Collins (to Clippers).
- Acquired Georges Niang, either the Celtics’ or Magic’s 2027 second-round pick (whichever is most favorable) and either the Celtics’ or Cavaliers’ 2031 second-round pick (whichever is most favorable) from the Celtics in exchange for RJ Luis (two-way).
Draft picks
- 1-5: Ace Bailey
- Signed to rookie scale contract (four years, $41,209,782).
- 1-18: Walter Clayton
- Signed to rookie scale contract (four years, $19,324,472).
- 2-53: John Tonje
- Signed to two-way contract.
Two-way signings
- John Tonje
- One year, $85,300 partial guarantee (will increase to $318,218 at start of regular season).
- Oscar Tshiebwe
- One year, $85,300 partial guarantee (will increase to $318,218 at start of regular season).
Note: The Jazz carried over Elijah Harkless on a two-way contract from 2024/25; they also signed RJ Luis to a two-year, two-way contract, but traded him to the Celtics later in the offseason.
Departed/unsigned free agents
- Micah Potter (Spurs)
Other roster moves
- Bought out Jordan Clarkson (gave up $3,441,016 of $14,092,577 salary).
- Waived Johnny Juzang (non-guaranteed contract).
- Waived KJ Martin (non-guaranteed contract).
- Waived Jaden Springer (non-guaranteed contract).
Salary cap situation
- Operating over the cap ($154.6MM) and below the luxury tax line ($187.9MM).
- Carrying approximately $171.5MM in salary.
- Hard-capped at $195,945,000.
The offseason so far
At his introductory press conference as the Jazz’s new president of basketball operations in June, Austin Ainge was asked about the team’s tanking efforts during the second half of the 2024/25 season and unequivocally stated that you “won’t see that” again in ’25/26.
However, as I wrote at the time, Ainge’s comments didn’t seem to point toward a team ready to add win-now help to try to move up the standings. The tanking he was specifically ruling out was the kind that involves manipulating players’ minutes — for instance, not using optimal lineups during crunch-time situations, or holding veterans out of games due to injuries that they’d typically play through if the team were in the playoff mix.
But if we define tanking more broadly as a front office not trying all that hard to build a roster capable of winning games in the short term, the 2025/26 Jazz will absolutely fall under that umbrella. And you can make a strong case that’s the right play for the organization in the long term.
After all, the Jazz will have to send their 2026 first-round pick to the Thunder if it lands outside the top eight. If it lands inside the top eight, Utah would keep that first-rounder and would no longer owe Oklahoma City any draft pick. For a team that still doesn’t have a surefire long-term franchise player on its roster, taking one more shot at a high lottery choice makes a lot more sense than pushing for a play-in spot and potentially giving up that first-round selection.
So, despite entering the offseason with one of the NBA’s most favorable salary cap situations, the Jazz essentially sat out of free agency. They completed three Exhibit 10 signings, including one with former lottery pick Mo Bamba, but didn’t hand out a single dollar of guaranteed money to a free agent.
And while the Jazz hung onto forward Lauri Markkanen and center Walker Kessler, the two most valuable established building blocks on the roster, they spent the summer purging the roster of most of their other productive veterans.
Jordan Clarkson, who won a Sixth Man of the Year award in 2021 and had averaged 17.5 points per game since being traded to the Jazz in 2019, was bought out of his expiring $14.1MM contract, clearing a path for him to sign a minimum-salary deal with the Knicks.
Collin Sexton, the team’s third-leading scorer in 2024/25 with an average of 18.4 points per game on an efficient .480/.406/.865 shooting line, was traded to Charlotte along with a future “most favorable” second-round pick in exchange for Jusuf Nurkic.
That deal with the Hornets was a surprising one from a value perspective, since Sexton and Nurkic are on nearly identical expiring contracts in ’25/26 and Nurkic’s playing time and production dropped off last season. Given that Sexton was Utah’s most valuable guard in ’24/25, it’s hard to view the trade as anything other than a gambit to open up more playing time for the club’s backcourt prospects. And if the development process for those younger guards is up and down, resulting in fewer Jazz wins in the short term, that’s probably just fine with the front office.
The Jazz also sent John Collins to the Clippers in a three-team trade that netted them Kyle Anderson, Kevin Love, a second-round pick, and cash.
It was a relatively modest return for Collins, who put up 19.0 points and 8.2 rebounds per game on .527/.399/.848 shooting last season, since his $26.6MM salary made him a little tricky to move. But at least in this case, Utah created significant cap savings (Anderson and Love combine to earn just $13.4MM) and acquired a future second-rounder instead of giving one up. It also wouldn’t be shocking if the Jazz are able to flip Anderson for positive value at the trade deadline, though Love will likely just be waived or bought out at some point.
Utah’s one trade for a veteran involved forward Georges Niang, a sharpshooter who played some of the best basketball of his career in Atlanta during the second half of last season. The Jazz acquired him from Boston, though that deal was more about the two second-round picks attached to Niang than the player himself — like Anderson, he’s a candidate to be flipped before February’s deadline if Utah can get a decent return.
While vets like Nurkic, Anderson, Love, and Niang are unlikely to have long-term stays in Utah, the Jazz did add a pair of players on draft night that they hope will remain in the organization for years to come. The team used the fifth overall pick to draft Rutgers forward Ace Bailey, then traded up to No. 18 to nab Florida guard Walter Clayton.
The front office deserves kudos for rolling the dice on Bailey, whose camp was reportedly pushing hard for him to end up elsewhere (Washington was believed to be his preferred destination). While there was some brief post-draft speculation about whether or not Bailey would report to Utah, the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement doesn’t give rookies much leverage to hold out, so it came as little surprise when the No. 5 pick confirmed he’d be joining the Jazz and said all the right things about his new home.
Bailey has more upside than any player in the 2025 draft class not named Cooper Flagg or Dylan Harper, and you could even find several talent evaluators around the NBA who were higher on Bailey entering draft night than at least one of those two top picks. He’s not a sure thing to become an All-Star, but he’s exactly the sort of high-ceiling player the Jazz should be taking a shot on after not identifying an obvious star in either of the last two drafts.
As for Clayton, his ceiling isn’t as high as Bailey’s, but he was the leader of a Florida team that won a national title in 2025 and will bring some championship experience to a team that won just 17 regular season games a year ago.
At age 22, Clayton is older than incumbent Jazz guards Keyonte George and Isaiah Collier and figures to push those players for backcourt minutes this fall. It wouldn’t be a shock if he usurped either of them on the depth chart this season, especially after the Jazz gave up three future second-round picks to move up three spots to draft him — Clayton was clearly a prospect the front office specifically targeted.
Up next
While a buyout of Love has long been expected, it doesn’t seem as if he has his next destination lined up yet, so he likely won’t give up any money until that’s sorted out. A roster spot may not open up for him elsewhere until later in the season — the two teams in his hometown of Los Angeles, for instance, won’t be able to add a 15th man until January based on their current hard-cap situations.
The Jazz could simply waive Love at some point before then, since it’s not like they desperately need to save the couple million dollars he might give up. But there’s probably no urgency to make that move unless Bamba has a great camp and the club needs to open up a roster spot to carry him on the regular season squad. If Bamba and the other camp invitees don’t make the team, Utah can simply retain its current 15 players on guaranteed contracts, including Love.
Although Bamba isn’t eligible for a two-way contract, the other two Exhibit 10 signees – Matthew Murrell and Steven Crowl – would qualify, so if they impress in the next week or two, it’s possible the Jazz will make a change to its two-way slots. While Oscar Tshiebwe and John Tonje signed this offseason, Elijah Harkless is a holdover from last season, which could put his roster spot more at risk.
Finally, Kessler looks like the only legitimate extension candidate in Utah this offseason, but a recent report indicated that the two sides aren’t expected to agree to terms before the season begins.
It sounds like the Jazz would be open to getting something done, but only if the terms are very team-friendly. Otherwise, the club would prefer to head into next offseason with Kessler’s relatively modest $14.9MM cap hold in place of what would likely be a bigger first-year salary on a new extension. That will allow the Jazz to maximize their cap room.
For his part, Kessler acknowledged on media day that the situation is somewhat frustrating. It’s worth noting that the young center has been the subject of trade speculation for the better part of the past two seasons. Utah has set a high asking price that teams have thus far been unwilling to meet, but if the 24-year-old is upset at all by how his contract situation is playing out, could the front office become more open to making a deal before February’s deadline? I’m not sure that’s likely, but it’s still worth keeping an eye on in the coming weeks and months.
Hornets Sign Ibou Badji, DJ Rodman
10:20 am: In addition to signing Badji, the Hornets have also re-added DJ Rodman to their camp roster, the team confirmed today in a press release. Rodman was initially signed and waived by Charlotte last week.
The team now has a full 21-man squad.
8:28 am: The Hornets are adding free agent center Ibou Badji to their preseason roster, according to Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer (Twitter link).
While Boone doesn’t specify what type of contract Badji is signing with the Hornets, it will almost certainly be non-guaranteed, with Exhibit 9 language. If it also includes an Exhibit 10 clause, it could be converted to a two-way deal prior to the regular season or would line up the big man to earn a bonus worth up to $85,300 if he’s waived and then spends at least 60 days with the Greensboro Swarm, Charlotte’s G League affiliate.
Badji, who will turn 23 next month, appeared in 22 NBA games during the 2023/24 season while on a two-way contract with Portland. He averaged 1.5 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 0.9 blocks in 10.3 minutes per contest during his time with the Trail Blazers.
Outside of that stint in Portland, Badji has spent the rest of his professional career playing in the G League or in Spain, including most recently with La Laguna Tenerife, which competes in Spain’s top basketball league (Liga ACB). He headed overseas in the spring after appearing in 50 games for the Wisconsin Herd during the 2024/25 G League season.
The seven-footer from Senegal put up 6.0 PPG, 5.4 RPG, and an impressive 3.5 BPG in 22.4 MPG for the Herd, earning himself as spot on the NBAGL’s All-Defensive team.
The Swarm acquired Badji’s returning rights from Wisconsin in August, which suggests that the plan is for him to eventually report to Greensboro.
The Hornets have two openings on their roster, so no corresponding move is necessary to make room for the signing.
Bucks Notes: Giannis, Turner, Green, Roster Competition
Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo wasn’t able to attend media day on Monday and will miss the start of training camp as he deals with a case of COVID-19. However, Antetokounmpo participated in media day from Greece via Zoom, according to Jim Owczarski of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, who notes that the two-time MVP reiterated his desire to win another championship and confirmed reporting that he weighed his options outside of Milwaukee during the offseason.
“Guys, every summer there’s truth. To every report. The same thing I’ve been saying my whole career – I want to be on a team that allows me, gives me a chance to win a championship and wants to compete at a high level,” Antetokounmpo said. “I think it’s a disservice to basketball, it’s a disservice just to the game to not want to compete at a high level, to not want your season to end in April.
“So, it’s pretty much the same. It’s not the first time. I had the same thoughts last year, I had the same thoughts two years ago, I had the same thoughts five years ago – yeah, 2020 – so it’s never gonna change. I want to be among the best, I want to compete with the best, and I want to win another championship and that’s it.”
Bucks co-owner and governor Wes Edens had told reporters, including Owczarski, earlier in the day on Monday that he had a “great conversation” with Antetokounmpo in June and that the nine-time All-Star “made it clear that he was very committed to Milwaukee.”
For his part, Giannis said he didn’t recall that discussion, but he stressed that he has faith in his teammates and is hopeful the Bucks can do better this season after being eliminated in the first round of the playoffs in three straight seasons.
“Hopefully, we can get on the same page and understand what’s at risk right now,” he said. “The last three years we’ve been eliminated in the first round, so there’s not much to talk about. We just gotta put our butts down, put our heads down and stay locked in the whole year long and try to win some games and hopefully get in the playoffs and then don’t get eliminated in the first round. That’s pretty much it. And then we go from there.”
Here’s more on Giannis and the Bucks:
- Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis both expressed excitement about the Bucks’ offseason addition of Myles Turner to the frontcourt. Antetokounmpo referred to it as an “incredible” move that he’s “very excited” about (Twitter link via Eric Nehm of The Athletic), while Portis said he likes that he, Giannis, and Turner are all around the same age. “We can grow together. We can get better together,” Portis said, per Ben Steele of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (subscription required). “Three big men that can do a lot of things with the basketball. A very versatile frontcourt. Those three bigs, you can’t really find three better bigs on another team.”
- Edens told reporters on Monday that getting “younger and more athletic” was a priority this offseason (Twitter link via Nehm), while general manager Jon Horst said he thinks Antetokounmpo is capable of making the club’s supporting cast better — and vice versa. “This team is built to maximize Giannis, but Giannis can actually maximize this team,” Horst said, according to ESPN’s Jamal Collier. “This is a team that is really hungry to earn whatever we get, and they want to deserve to win. And that’s going to be our style of play, that’s going to be playing together, and that’s going to feature the best player in the world, and Giannis and a bunch of guys that fit him really, really well.”
- Horst told reporters, including Steele and Owczarski, that the Bucks have had “a lot of conversations” with A.J. Green and his agent about a possible contract extension. Green is entering the final year of his current contract and would be an unrestricted free agent in 2026 if he doesn’t sign a new deal before then. “We’d love to have A.J. with us for a long time. We’re able to work on that, and we are working on that,” the Bucks’ GM said. “No one works harder than A.J. High, high character individual. Underrated as an offensive player. Underrated as a defensive player. Another player that I think will have another big jump for us this year.”
- Milwaukee is carrying 15 players on fully guaranteed contracts, but with Andre Jackson Jr. on a partially guaranteed deal and Amir Coffey in camp on a non-guaranteed contract, Horst doesn’t view the regular season roster as set. “Absolutely not,” he said, per Steele and Owczarski. “… I actually think we have 21 players that deserve a chance to be on an NBA roster, to be on our roster. … We were presented the opportunity as the offseason progressed to add some players that we thought were just too good to be true and really just great opportunities and we’re going to let the guys play it out. I think competition gives us a great opportunity to have a great start to our camp and a great start to our season and these guys are all fully aware of what they’re playing for and what the stakes are and they’re all capable. So truly, kind of best player, best man win mentality. We want to put the best 15, plus three two-ways, that we can on the roster.”