Pacific Notes: Bogdanovic, Murray, Kuminga, Crowder, Suns
As the February 6 deadline neared, Bogdan Bogdanovic was prepared for the fact that Atlanta would likely be trading him to a new team. However, he didn’t know that team would be the Clippers, as Nikola Miloradovic of Eurohoops relays.
“Seven days before the trade, I knew I was going to change teams,” Bogdanovic told RTS. “I didn’t know where I was going to end up, I even thought I might be in Toronto or New Orleans. … There were about ten teams in the mix, it’s a tricky period when you don’t know where you’ll be.
“But I’m glad I ended up with the Clippers, I’m happy.”
The veteran swingman has his best outing as a Clipper on Wednesday in Chicago, recording 14 points (on 5-of-7 shooting), six assists and a block. Los Angeles outscored Chicago by 13 points in his 25 minutes during the five-point victory, which snapped a three-game losing streak.
Here’s more from the Pacific:
- As Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee writes (subscriber link), Kings forward Keegan Murray was battling a nagging foot injury for the first few months of 2024/25. The injury limited his effectiveness, particularly his outside jump shot. However, he rested a couple of games in early January to let his foot heal and has been far more efficient ever since. Murray, who will be eligible for a rookie scale extension in the offseason, recorded a season-high 26 points (on 9-of-16 shooting) in Wednesday’s victory at Utah. He also chipped in six rebounds, two assists and two blocked shots in 33 minutes.
- The Warriors have been on a roll since they traded for Jimmy Butler, going 6-1 over that span. According to Anthony Slater of The Athletic, their next challenge will be reintegrating Jonathan Kuminga back in the lineup — the impending restricted free agent has been out since Jan. 4 due to a significant ankle sprain, but he’s inching closer to a return. “The main thing I want for JK is to not press when he comes back,” head coach Steve Kerr said. “It’s not an easy spot to come back into where team’s rolling, contract stuff this summer. He’s going to have a lot on his mind. I want to make things as smooth and easy as possible. I want him to understand that it’s not going to happen right away. He was playing the best basketball of his career before the injury, and it’s not going to happen the first night where he’s going to get back to that level. It will take a little time.”
- Kerr added that he wants Kuminga to study Butler on the offensive end. “He’s the perfect guy for JK to emulate,” the Warriors‘ head coach said. “What makes Jimmy special is that he doesn’t try to be special. He plays fundamental basketball. He never turns it over. He just makes the simple play over and over. I want JK to learn some of that … attacking the rim, nothing there, jump stop, pass the ball. That’s a great basketball play.”
- Veteran forward Jae Crowder says a rift with former head coach Monty Williams was the reason he was away from the Suns during 2022/23 campaign and eventually led to him being traded at the 2023 deadline, per Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Crowder finished that season in Milwaukee, but only played 18 games.
Northwest Notes: Nnaji, DiVincenzo, Clark, Avdija
Big man Zeke Nnaji has largely been outside of the Nuggets‘ rotation in 2024/25. However, a knee injury to Peyton Watson has opened up minutes at backup power forward, and Nnaji has been performing well of late, writes Bennett Durando of The Denver Post (subscriber link).
“This is probably the first time in a while that he has an opportunity to play big minutes, important minutes and a lot of minutes. He’s good,” Nikola Jokic said of Nnaji. “He’s decisive. When he’s open, he shoots. He’s aggressive. He’s attacking the boards. He’s still probably trying to kind of figure it out, but I think he’s doing a really good job.”
Nnaji, 24, was involved in trade rumors leading up to the deadline earlier this month in part because he has fifth-highest salary on the team. General manager Calvin Booth later confirmed that Nnaji came up in trade talks, but since he was rarely playing, his long-term contract was almost certainly viewed as a negative asset.
With Watson sidelined and Nnaji playing his preferred position, he has averaged 7.4 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.0 steal and 1.4 blocks on .566/.368/.700 shooting over the past 10 games (21.4 minutes per contest). Would Michael Malone be comfortable turning to Nnaji for spot minutes if he’s needed in the postseason?
“Without getting too far ahead of ourselves, just continue to be present,” Malone said when asked if there’s a path to playoff minutes. “Continue to be in the moment. And I think Zeke’s done that. Ever since Peyton Watson went out, Zeke’s been called upon. … He’s stayed ready. He’s gone out there and done his job. And he’s shown that he belongs out there. So I have all the confidence in the world if I have to call upon Zeke Nnaji at any point the remainder of this season, I feel really confident about doing that. And so do his teammates. I think that’s even more important.”
Here’s more from the Northwest:
- Timberwolves guard Donte DiVincenzo has been out since Jan. 15 due to a left great toe sprain, but he has a chance to return to action soon. He’s officially listed as questionable for Thursday’s contest at the Lakers, the Wolves announced (via Twitter). ESPN’s Shams Charania reported earlier this week that both DiVincenzo and Julius Randle (right groin strain) could return at some point this week. Randle will be out Thursday, with two additional games (at Utah on Friday, at Phoenix on Sunday) scheduled on Minnesota’s road trip.
- Jaylen Clark will reportedly be converted from a two-way contract to a standard deal, with Bones Hyland taking Clark’s old two-way spot. Asked about his impending promotion on Wednesday, the Timberwolves guard said he was thrilled by the news, according to Chris Hine of The Star Tribune (Twitter link). “I love being in Minnesota, I’m excited,” Clark said. “It feels like I’m officially a part of everything. I can play in the playoffs. It’s been cool. The journey has been long, but it’s been well worthwhile.”
- Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija sustained a quad injury in the first half of Wednesday’s win in Washington. After initially being listed as questionable to return, he was later ruled out for the remainder of the contest (Twitter link). It’s unclear if the injury will cause Avdija to miss additional time, but hopefully it’s good news that he wasn’t immediately ruled out.
Windhorst: Suns Are Going To Trade Kevin Durant In Offseason
The Suns continue to slide down the Western Conference standings, having lost nine of their past 11 games. After starting the season 8-1, Phoenix is currently just 27-31, two-and-a-half games behind Sacramento for the final play-in spot in the West.
In addition to several blockbuster trades, including arguably the most stunning deal in league history, one of the big storylines of this season’s deadline was Phoenix’s near-trade of Kevin Durant to Golden State before the two-time Finals MVP essentially nixed an in-season reunion with the Warriors. While he took the trade rumors diplomatically, Durant admitted he was “blindsided” to see his name surface in reports.
Considering the Suns have the most expensive payroll in the league and have been a major disappointment this season, it’s only natural that they’re almost certainly going to be actively looking to retool their roster in the offseason. Even before their recent run of poor play, multiple reporters indicated Phoenix would likely revisit trade talks involving Durant this summer, particularly if the rest of 2024/25 did not go well.
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst has speculated multiple times post-deadline that Durant and the Suns are likely to part ways this offseason. And Durant hasn’t exactly shut down that speculation.
Appearing on NBA Today on Wednesday (Twitter video link), Windhorst once again predicted that Durant will be on a new team next season. The 36-year-old is entering the final year of his contract, which will pay him $54.7MM in ’25/26.
“They’re going to trade him,” Windhorst said of the Suns and Durant. “And he knows that. … There’s been a couple opportunities where he could have criticized them for trying to trade him — he has not done that. He has been very professional about this and I expect that to continue throughout the rest of the regular season.”
Windhorst made his comments on the heels of Durant appearing on Draymond Green‘s podcast, which he co-hosts with former NBA guard Baron Davis. Asked directly by Davis if he wants his career to end in Phoenix, Durant sounded more ready to move on than anything else (Twitter video link).
“I want my career to end on my terms, that’s the only thing,” Durant said (hat tip to Kurt Helin of NBC Sports). “That’s the only thing I’m worried about. ‘Cause I see a lot of dudes that don’t get that opportunity, so I want to keep putting in that work to make that choice on my own.
“But as far as the Warriors, I didn’t want to move. … I get why (the Suns) want to trade me, simple fact that’s just business, but for me looking at it … we (can) just play the season out and if that’s the decision you want to make in the offseason, then we figure it out. But if I can stop (the Warriors trade), then why not.”
Durant went on to explain that it was important to him to finish the season with the Suns, saying he was “committed to his coaches and teammates” and that he wanted to “see it through.”
Southwest Notes: Wells, Boston, Pelicans, VanVleet
Grizzlies wing Jaylen Wells has been one of the pleasant surprises of last year’s rookie class. As Spencer Davies of RG.org writes, the 21-year-old has been not just a rotation mainstay but a starter for the West’s No. 2 seed, averaging 11.4 points and 3.2 rebounds on .451/.382/.824 shooting in 25.8 minutes per game while taking on challenging defensive assignments. He also hasn’t missed a game thus far in 2024/25.
Wells is used to being underestimated, having played at Division II Sonoma State prior to transferring to Washington for the ’23/24 campaign. Despite being a second-round pick (No. 39 overall), he currently has the second-best betting odds for Rookie of the Year, only trailing Stephon Castle of the Spurs.
“I mean, I don’t really focus on it,” Wells told Davies of the ROY race. “I’m focused on getting a championship. And if it just so happens… I feel like if I’m playing winning basketball, it should fall right into my hands. So that’s kinda how my mindset is.”
According to Davies, Wells’ play has gotten the attention of several stars, including Cavs guard Donovan Mitchell, who recently faced off against Wells and Memphis.
“On the offensive end, I didn’t know he shot it as well as he did, with confidence. He’s kind of made himself a staple over there,” Mitchell said. “They really rely on him to disrupt a lot of different things. He’s definitely really talented, and he’s only gonna get better. I give him a lot of credit for continuing to be that player and not really tripping on if I score or he gets scored on, or if he makes shots, doesn’t make shots. He’s been that way. I’ve been watching it all year, first time in person.”
Here are a few more notes from the Southwest Division:
- Fourth-year guard Brandon Boston Jr. received a two-year, minimum-salary contract with a team option for ’25/26 when he was promoted by the Pelicans, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). As Scotto notes, it’s possible New Orleans could decline that option in order to give Boston a longer-term deal in the offseason, though he couldn’t be made a restricted free agent in that scenario.
- Boston (left ankle sprain), Bruce Brown (return to play reconditioning) and Kelly Olynyk (rest) are among seven Pelicans who will be sidelined for Thursday’s contest at Phoenix, per Jim Eichenhofer of Pelicans.com. It will be the seventh straight missed game for Boston, who last played on February 8. Veterans Brown and Olynyk, who were acquired from Toronto in the Brandon Ingram trade, are likely being held out of the first end of a back-to-back for precautionary reasons after missing most of the season while recovering from injuries.
- Rockets guard Fred VanVleet has been sidelined since Feb. 1 due to a right ankle strain. His ankle’s range of motion is around 80% right now, according to head coach Ime Udoka, so he’ll be out again Wednesday, with the earliest he could return being Saturday vs. Sacramento (subscriber-only story via Danielle Lerner of The Houston Chronicle). VanVleet is averaging 14.6 points, 5.8 assists, 3.9 rebounds and 1.6 steals in 45 games this season (35.5 MPG).
Atlantic Notes: Brown, Robinson, Towns, Raptors
Celtics star Jaylen Brown suffered a bone bruise in his left quad during Tuesday’s victory over Toronto. After the game, he told Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe (subscriber link) that he wasn’t sure whether or not he’d play in Wednesday’s back-to-back in Detroit.
After initially being listed as questionable, Brown was later ruled out against the red-hot Pistons, who have won seven straight games, one more than Boston’s current streak. Center Luke Kornet will also miss his second straight game due to personal reasons, per the Celtics (Twitter link).
Here’s more from the Atlantic:
- The Knicks are optimistic that Mitchell Robinson will be able to make his season debut this weekend, reports Ian Begley of SNY.tv. New York plays two games this weekend, on Friday vs. Memphis and on Sunday against Miami. Assuming he keeps progressing without issue, either date is a possibility for Robinson to make his first appearance of 2024/25 following offseason ankle surgery, according to Begley.
- Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau stated after Tuesday’s practice that Robinson was “projected to be the starting center on the team.” On Wednesday, Thibodeau clarified that Robinson will not immediately enter the starting lineup — he was referring to before the season began, and presumably before New York’s blockbuster trade for Karl-Anthony Towns, as James L. Edwards III of The Athletic relays (via Twitter).
- Speaking of Towns, the Knicks big man was ruled out of Wednesday’s game after having his left knee flare up near the end of Sunday’s loss to Boston. He was initially listed as questionable. Rookie center Ariel Hukporti will get his first career start in Towns’ stead, per Edwards of The Athletic (Twitter link).
- Eric Koreen of The Athletic lists several Raptors trends to monitor for the remainder of the season, as well as some to ignore. Koreen is keeping close tabs on Immanuel Quickley‘s three-point volume and accuracy, Gradey Dick‘s defense, and the overall play of Ochai Agbaji. On the other hand, he says the team’s defensive rating and RJ Barrett‘s dip in offensive efficiency aren’t particularly important as the season winds down.
Southeast Notes: Anderson, Suggs, Anthony, Smith, Hornets
Although Kyle Anderson has been on five different teams over the course of his 11 NBA seasons, the deal that sent him from the Warriors to the Heat earlier this month was the first time he’d been traded, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Anderson says it’s been an adjustment period as his wife and five-year-old son stayed in California to finish the school year.
“It was a big one,” Anderson said of the whirlwind since the trade to the Heat. “I underestimated it, getting traded. I salute anybody that’s been traded multiple times in this league. There was just a lot going on with my experience in Golden State, then getting traded to a new team, not being with my family, being alone. It’s only been a few days and obviously Miami is a great city, but it still has some type of effect on you.”
Anderson wasn’t actually sure which team he’d end up on after it was reported that he might be rerouted to Toronto as part of the blockbuster Jimmy Butler trade. Instead, he wound up in Miami. The veteran forward said it was important to him to land with a team where he was “appreciated and wanted,” and he got a call from president Pat Riley and head coach Erik Spoelstra letting him know the Heat valued him.
“That meant a lot,” Anderson said. “Just letting me know they were happy to have me. That’s all I needed to hear. I didn’t want to go somewhere where I wasn’t really wanted.”
With Nikola Jovic out at least four weeks with a fractured hand, Anderson should continue to see an uptick in minutes. Spoelstra recently praised the 31-year-old’s two-way versatility and basketball IQ, according to Chiang.
Here’s more from the Southeast:
- Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley shared injury updates today on guards Jalen Suggs and Cole Anthony, per Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (Twitter links). According to Mosley, neither player was able to practice on Wednesday. Suggs will miss his 14th straight on Thursday due to a left quad contusion, while Anthony is questionable vs. Golden State and considered day-to-day. Anthony sustained a hyperextended left knee in Tuesday’s lopsided loss to Cleveland, Beede notes.
- After being buried on the depth chart early on in 2024/25, second-year Hornets guard Nick Smith Jr. was thrust into a significant rotation role as a result of injuries. As Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer writes, Smith has shown flashes of offensive upside as a starter over the past several weeks, but head coach Charles Lee says he needs to make progress on the other end to level up his game. “Defensively, that’s going to be his next kind of mission to improve upon,” Lee said. “We’ve had some good conversations and he’s been challenged in that area. And knowing Nick and knowing the competitor he is, he’s going to respond with a little more resistance, a little more physicality. The grit, the toughness, the energy that he has on the offensive end, I just want to see that same kind of mindset — how the young kids say, ‘Keep that same energy’ — I want that same energy down at the defensive end, too.”
- Will the high-post screening and passing of Jusuf Nurkic be beneficial for Hornets star LaMelo Ball? The veteran big man believes so, according to Boone, who says the pairing should prove fruitful on offense — assuming Ball is able to return soon from an ankle injury. The former No. 3 overall pick is not listed on the injury report for Thursday’s game in Dallas (Twitter link), so he’s considered likely to suit up after appearing in just five of the past 14 contests.
Pacific Notes: Iguodala, Kawhi, Powell, Morris, Martin
Andre Iguodala‘s No. 9 jersey went into the rafters of the Chase Center on Sunday, making him the seventh Warriors player to have his jersey retired, writes Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. The four-time champion dedicated much of his speech to thanking staff members, but made sure to express his appreciation to fans and former teammates as well, including two-time MVP Stephen Curry.
“None of this would have happened without all of you, the fans,” Iguodala said.
“We haven’t really had time to reflect, Steph, you made the world turn. That is not something you say lightly. You truly changed the game of basketball. It was beautiful. … I understood my role. I understood the genius of Draymond [Green], the genius of Klay [Thompson], the genius of Kevin Durant. … Shaun Livingston and I … we had this unique team that understood, had this precious ultra-talented assassin. Steph, none of this happens without you.”
Curry called it “weird and surreal” to attend the ceremony, noting that it’s been “hard to fill that void” in the locker room since Iguodala retired.
“I think we all can feel it but this isn’t just about a number going into the rafters,” Curry said of Iguodala. “This is about a player who changed the course of our entire franchise. … You were the first one to choose us, and that meant the world. For a team that knew we were good but didn’t know how to get to that next level, you unlocked so much confidence, so much IQ, so much maturity to what we did.
“You sacrificed ego for excellence, which for us is the Warriors way.”
Here’s more from the Pacific:
- Key Clippers starters Kawhi Leonard (left foot soreness) and Norman Powell (left patellar tendinopathy) will be sidelined for Monday’s contest in Detroit, tweets Law Murray of The Athletic. It’s the second straight absence for Leonard and third for Powell, who was previously listed as having left knee soreness. As expected, Ben Simmons will also be sidelined with what the team called left knee injury management — he has yet to play both ends of a back-to-back this season (the Clippers lost at Indiana on Sunday).
- Veteran forward Markieff Morris was an afterthought in the blockbuster trade that saw Luka Doncic land with the Lakers, but head coach JJ Redick says he’s been a valuable leader in the locker room, according to Khobi Price of The Southern California News Group (subscriber link). “He’s been awesome,” Redick said. “It’s very valuable to have a guy like that, a voice, an older voice, someone who’s seen it all in the NBA, someone who’s won a championship. Obviously that helps as well. He’s been great on the bench with talking with guys, making sure our bench energy is good. I told him the other day, we see it and we appreciate it and we all just value what he’s doing right now from that aspect in leadership.”
- Suns head coach Mike Budenholzer says there’s no timetable for Cody Martin to return from a sports hernia injury, per Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic (Twitter video link). “He’s putting work in. I think he’s making progress, but I don’t have an update on his expected return time. I think we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it,” Budenholzer said. Martin, who was acquired from Charlotte at the trade deadline, last played on January 24. The 29-year-old wing was doing some shooting drills prior to Saturday’s game, Rankin adds (via Twitter).
Draymond Green: Jimmy Butler Was Warriors’ ‘Missing Piece’
Jimmy Butler continues to make a positive impact after being traded from Miami to Golden State. The Warriors are now 5-1 since they acquired the six-time All-Star, with their latest victory coming on Sunday in a blowout of the shorthanded Mavericks.
Former Defensive Player of the Year Draymond Green said during All-Star weekend that he expects to win his fifth title with Golden State this spring. Asked to explain that statement, Green expressed a belief that Butler was the team’s “missing piece,” according to Marcus Thompson II and Sam Amick of The Athletic.
“I just know what it looks like,” Green told The Athletic. “This team all year has been kind of like, ‘Man, we’re right there, but can’t quite get over the hump.’ But there’s a reason that you feel like you’re right there, but can’t quite get over.
“And the reason I think we all thought we couldn’t quite get over was because there was a missing piece. That piece isn’t missing anymore. That piece is him.”
While some key members of the Warriors were reportedly leery of adding Butler, who has had messy exits with multiple franchises, Green was not among that group. A team source tells The Athletic that the veteran forward/center wanted the front office to add another “a–hole” to the roster.
“Jimmy almost won the championship leading the team — twice,” Green said of Butler, who signed a two-year, maximum-salary extension with the Warriors as part of the trade. “So he just needed a little bit more to get over the hump. I think we needed a little more to get over the hump. You combine those two together, and this one guy with an undying passion and wants to win a championship. It’s like burning for that.
“And then there are some guys who have done it before but are burning to f—ing do it at least one more time. You mix the two together with the know-how — because Jimmy knows how. Obviously, we know how. And what you get is what everybody’s going to see.”
For his part, Butler said he wasn’t aware of Green’s championship proclamation. While Butler didn’t make a bold postseason prediction like his teammate, he said the Warriors aren’t lacking in self-belief.
“I don’t pay attention to social (media), so I didn’t know that (Green) said that,” Butler said. “But we do have a chance. And the reason why is not because I’m here. It’s not because of the energy that I may or may not bring. It’s because everybody thinks that we can win. That’s all that matters.
“If everybody thinks that you can do something, then you can do it. I’m not going to say how it was before I was here. I don’t know. I wasn’t here. But when you go around this locker room, and you see the joy, and you see the excitement that everybody gets to hoop and play basketball with one another, we really think, and we really know, that every time we take the floor, we should win — home or away. That’s the difference-maker in this thing.”
Despite their recent run of strong play, the Warriors are still only the No. 9 seed in the West, with a record of 30-27. However, they’re only 1.5 games behind the Clippers, who currently hold the No. 6 seed — Golden State is eyeing that spot for a guaranteed playoff berth, per Anthony Slater of The Athletic.
As Slater writes, Butler has helped the Warriors not just improve but thrive when Stephen Curry is off the court, which has been an issue all season long. The 35-year-old has also brought out the best in Brandin Podziemski and Moses Moody, who have been starting of late alongside Butler, Green and Curry.
“You can tell our fans see the difference,” head coach Steve Kerr said. “They feel the momentum just like we do. It was an important shift. The trade itself — I think I mentioned this after the Sacramento game — we needed it. We felt it. We were kind of treading water. We couldn’t get any traction in the season, and (general manager) Mike (Dunleavy Jr.) sensed it and made the move. Sometimes you’ve got to shake things up, and we shook things up. It just so happened that one of the best players in the league was available.”
Cody Zeller Expected To Remain Away From Rockets
In a salary-dump deal just before the February 6 deadline, the Hawks traded veteran center Cody Zeller and a 2028 second-round pick to Houston to move below the luxury tax threshold.
The 32-year-old big man has been on the Rockets‘ roster and payroll since that move was finalized, but he has not been around the team and the expectation is that arrangement will continue for the remainder of the 2024/25 season, team and league sources tell Kelly Iko of The Athletic.
Zeller was signed to a multiyear contract by the Pelicans last offseason specifically to be used as a salary-matching piece in the Dejounte Murray trade. While he was technically a member of the Hawks for several months, he didn’t participate in training camp with Atlanta and agreed to remain away from the team indefinitely. The Rockets and Zeller have reached a similar agreement, Iko reports.
As Iko explains, the Rockets already had a crowded frontcourt prior to acquiring Zeller, with first-time All-Star Alperen Sengun manning the middle and Steven Adams and Jock Landale serving as the primary backup centers. Jabari Smith and Jeff Green have also been used as small-ball fives at times, Iko notes.
Although he’s taking up a roster spot, it doesn’t sound like Houston has any immediate plans to release Zeller. Iko points out that Zeller’s contract is non-guaranteed beyond this season ($3.68MM in ’25/26 and $3.85MM in ’26/27) and could again be used for salary-matching purposes if the Rockets decide to make trades in the 2025 offseason.
The fourth overall pick of the 2013 draft, Zeller spent his first eight NBA seasons in Charlotte before becoming a journeyman over the past handful of years, spending time with Portland, Miami and New Orleans from 2021-24. He holds career averages of 7.9 points and 5.7 rebounds in 552 regular season games, including 275 starts (20.9 minutes per contest).
Sixers Sign Alex Reese To Two-Way Deal
February 21: Reese’s two-way contract is now official, the Sixers announced in a press release. Having also completed two other signings today, Philadelphia now has a full roster (15 players on standard contracts, three on two-way deals).
February 20: The Sixers plan to sign free agent forward Alex Reese to a two-way contract, agent Billy Davis tells Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).
The 25-year-old played four seasons of college basketball for Alabama from 2017-21 prior to going undrafted. He initially spent a year away from the sport, then signed in Luxembourg during the 2022/23 campaign. He spent last season with Portland’s NBA G League affiliate, the Rip City Remix.
Reese signed an Exhibit 10 deal with the Thunder for training camp, was waived, and then re-signed to a standard, non-guaranteed contract just before the season began after Isaiah Hartenstein sustained a hand fracture. Reese’s second stint with Oklahoma City was short-lived, however, as he was waived on October 31, about a week into the ’24/25 season.
Reese made one cameo appearance with the Thunder at the NBA level, scoring two points and grabbing one rebound in two minutes of action.
While his role with OKC was limited, Reese has been a standout performer for the Remix, who reacquired him after he was released by the Thunder. In 26 combined games this season with Rip City, Reese has averaged 17.0 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.2 steals and 2.0 blocks in just 26.9 minutes per contest, with an impressive shooting slash line of .487/.429/.882. 63 percent of his field goal attempts have come from long distance.
As our tracker shows, Philadelphia currently has a pair of two-way openings, so no corresponding move will be necessary to add Reese.