Knicks Notes: Robinson, McBride, Brown, Anunoby
As he enters the final year of his contract, which will pay him a little under $13MM, Knicks center Mitchell Robinson says he doesn’t care if he starts or not in 2025/26, writes Kristian Winfield of The New York Daily News.
“Nah. It don’t matter to me at all,” Robinson said on Thursday. “I started before. I came off the bench before. I did great in both. So it’s whatever.”
As Winfield notes, Robinson saw his role reduced after finally returning from ankle surgery last season, but then was moved back into the starting lineup for the last four games of the Eastern Conference Finals against Indiana. New head coach Mike Brown called Robinson a “monster on the glass” but said he has yet to decide if the 7’0″ big man will start or come off the bench.
“Ideally, it would be great to have everybody’s role defined before the first game,” Brown said. “Now, they can change throughout the course of the season, but hopefully going into Game 1, we as coaches — and (new assistant) Billy Lange — get to a point where we have everybody’s role defined. And not only that, but they embrace it so that everybody knows specifically what they need to do.
“We’ve got a lot of guys and we’re a new staff. So if we get a little behind, maybe it doesn’t happen until after the first or second game. I don’t know. But ideally, I’d like to have all that done before game one.”
Here’s more on the Knicks:
- Robinson, who said he added muscle and lost weight over the offseason after starting an organic farm in Nashville, isn’t sure if he’ll be cleared to play back-to-backs to open the season, according to Winfield. One of the NBA’s premier offensive rebounders, Robinson added that he isn’t concerned about potentially being involved in trade rumors ahead of 2026 free agency — he will remain extension-eligible throughout the season. “I’m gonna come out here and play hard still regardless, whether it’s my last (year) or my first (year), just come out here and play hard,” Robinson said. “But at the same time I’m gonna let my agent handle that part of it. I’m just gonna play basketball.”
- Guard Miles McBride has been floated as a possible trade candidate because New York reportedly wants to keep Malcolm Brogdon and Landry Shamet, both of whom are signed to non-guaranteed training camp deals. McBride expressed appreciation for former coach Tom Thibodeau but is looking forward to playing under Brown, tweets James L. Edwards III of The Athletic. “Honestly it was crazy. It was unexpected. All my four years were with Thibs. He did a great job with me and team,” McBride said. “… Coming in with Mike, I’m excited. … He’s been communicating with a lot of guys, allowing people to talk.”
- Forward OG Anunoby just missed out on making the All-Defensive Second Team last season, finishing with the most votes among players who didn’t make the cut. He has loftier goals for ’25/26, as Steve Popper of Newsday writes (subscription required). “For sure, defense, that’s what wins games, championships,” Anunoby said. “So it’s very important to me. Defensive Player of the Year, first-team All-Defense, those are always my goals.” Brown praised Anunoby’s defensive work, Popper adds. “First-team All-Defense,” Brown said. “He is more than capable. Really it’s up to him. That’s how good he is on that end of the floor. He’s a first-team — and I’ve been around those guys. Bruce Bowen. Tim Duncan. I’ve been around a few of them, and he’s right there.”
Fischer’s Latest: Grimes, Kuminga, Bamba, Love, Rockets
Although the Sixers just made their first formal offer to restricted free agent Quentin Grimes earlier this week, they have discussed various contract frameworks with his agent David Bauman several times throughout the offseason, according to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link).
As Fischer explains, the 76ers were hesitant to extend a formal offer until recently because they realized there was a significant gap in what they were willing to pay Grimes compared to what he and his representatives were seeking on a new deal.
While Grimes’ camp had some hope of a potential sign-and-trade materializing, that outcome appears unlikely, Fischer writes. The most likely scenario, Fischer continues, is Grimes signing a one-year deal that comes in above his $8.7MM qualifying offer.
Fischer confirms that Bauman asked the Sixers to extend Grimes’ qualifying offer deadline from October 1 to October 8, in part because the team is traveling to Abu Dhabi for a pair of preseason games. But Philadelphia hasn’t shown any interest pushing back the deadline to this point.
Following up on his previous report that the Sixers floated the idea of trading Kelly Oubre Jr. or Andre Drummond — or both — to make a more lucrative contract offer to Grimes, Fischer says Philadelphia’s front office has been “adamant” that it is unwilling to add draft picks to shed either of those salaries.
Here’s more from Fischer:
- The Warriors and Jonathan Kuminga have not had any talks about potentially moving back his Oct. 1 qualifying offer deadline, sources tell Fischer. Golden State appears unwilling to budge on its latest contract offers, per Fischer, including a three-year, $75MM proposal which contains a team option for 2027/28. Kuminga’s camp has “pushed hard” for a player option instead of a team option, Fischer writes, but hasn’t had any luck so far. Fischer confirms the Kings tried to restart sign-and-trade talks for Kuminga, but the Warriors remain unenthusiastic about taking back Malik Monk, in part because of his $21.5MM player option for ’27/28. The Warriors want to maintain maximum roster flexibility for the 2027 offseason, Fischer explains, when the contracts of Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green expire.
- According to Fischer, the Heat showed some interest in Mo Bamba before the former lottery pick signed a training camp deal with the Jazz. Bamba landing with Utah has led to speculation that Kevin Love might be nearing a buyout agreement, but “all signs” currently indicate that Love will begin the season with the Jazz, Fischer writes.
- Fischer hears the Rockets aren’t expected to look for immediate backcourt help in the wake of Fred VanVleet‘s torn ACL, preferring instead to see how Reed Sheppard and Amen Thompson respond to increased on-ball responsibilities. Houston may explore adding guard depth down the line, Fischer writes, but that likely won’t occur until at least December 15, when many free agent signings become eligible to be moved. According to Fischer, there’s still an expectation that Kevin Durant will eventually sign an extension with the Rockets, but a potential rookie scale deal for Tari Eason appears less certain.
Lakers Notes: LeBron, Redick, Luka, Reaves, Buss Brothers
How and where will the NBA’s all-time leading scorer end his career? Yaron Weitzman explores that topic in a story for Bleacher Report, writing that most people around the league expect LeBron James to eventually retire with the Lakers.
If James does leave Los Angeles, the Cavaliers are viewed by agents and executives as the “only team LeBron would seriously consider joining,” Weitzman writes.
“If he wants to do a farewell tour like Kobe (Bryant) did, it’s the only other team that makes sense,” a league executive told Weitzman. “LeBron cares about narratives. He doesn’t want to be like Michael Jordan on the Wizards.”
Still, James potentially joining the Cavs is highly unlikely during the upcoming season for several reasons, Weitzman notes. If LeBron decides to return to Cleveland, it would likely occur in 2026 free agency, and would require the 40-year-old to take a major pay cut.
For his part, Lakers president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka continues to insist the team wants LeBron around as long as he wants to be in L.A., per Dave McMenamin of ESPN.
“We would love if LeBron’s story would be he retired a Laker,” Pelinka said about the possibility of re-signing James next summer. “That would be a positive story.”
Here’s more on the Lakers:
- According to McMenamin, Pelinka explained why the team decided to extend the contract of head coach J.J. Redick after just one season at the helm. “We think he’s a special coach with a special voice that’s really helping us define the culture of Lakers excellence,” Pelinka said. “We just wanted to make a clear statement that this is what we believe in, what we’re going to lean into and what our players are going to mold into as we continue to develop the identity. I think having long-term planning is helpful as we build this team and go forward.” Redick said he was grateful for the Lakers’ support, McMenamin adds.
- Redick also touched on his offseason conversations with James and Luka Doncic, expressing confidence in both of the team’s stars, as McMenamin writes. “[James is] in a great spot mentally and know he’s going to give us his absolute best,” Redick said. “… I expect the best version of Luka, and it’s my job as a coach to bring that out on a daily basis.”
- Doncic told Dan Woike of The Athletic he feels “way more comfortable” being a Laker now compared to when he was first traded to Los Angeles in February and is looking forward to the season. The Slovenian guard said he made progress becoming a more vocal leader during EuroBasket 2025. “(Being a leader), sometimes it’s comfortable, sometimes not,” Doncic said. “Sometimes it’s great to be a leader and sometimes you have to say things that you don’t want to, but that’s part of being a leader.”
- Evidently Doncic isn’t the only Laker who worked hard at getting in better physical shape this offseason, as Redick said Austin Reaves has improved his “burst” and “athleticism,” tweets Law Murray of The Athletic. Redick added that Reaves has been the best player in the gym when he has participated in informal activities.
- Lakers alternate governor Joey Buss and his brother, assistant GM Jesse Buss, are launching an investment firm called Buss Sports Capital, McMenamin and Shams Charania report for ESPN. “Our vision is to really go after strategic investments and good partners — specifically sports-related investments,” Joey Buss told ESPN. “Buss Sports Capital is not going to compete with our interests in the Lakers or the NBA. This is our first step towards where the future of sports is going to lead us. It is exciting to see what growth opportunities exist — particularly opportunities that we can add value to, given our skill sets.” Both Joey and Jesse are expected to remain with the Lakers following the sale of the team to Mark Walter.
- Athlon Sports contributor Mark Medina shares five takeaways from Thursday’s joint press conference with Pelinka and Redick.
Grizzlies Announce Injury Updates On Clarke, Edey, Jackson
Grizzlies big man Brandon Clarke is undergoing an arthroscopic procedure to address synovitis in his right knee, the team announced in a press release (via Twitter).
Clarke’s 2024/25 season was cut short in March when he suffered a PCL sprain in his right knee.
While that injury has fully healed, per the Grizzlies, he experienced synovitis — inflammation that affects the synovial membranes in joints — during recent training sessions. Memphis says it will provide a return timeline after the procedure, but Clarke is expected to make a full recovery.
Shams Charania of ESPN, who first reported the news, hears that Clarke is expected to miss a minimum of six weeks, which is when he will be reevaluated (Twitter link).
It’s another unfortunate setback for Clarke, who has been plagued by various injuries throughout his career, including a torn Achilles tendon that cost him most of ’23/24.
In the same press release, the Grizzlies also provided injury updates on center Zach Edey and forward/center Jaren Jackson Jr., both of whom are recovering from offseason surgeries.
Edey, who underwent left ankle surgery in June, has been cleared to ramp up basketball activities. However, he remains several weeks away from returning, as he is expected to make his season debut in six-to-nine weeks.
If Edey is ready to play in six weeks, he would be back in early November. The more conservative end of that time frame would see the former Purdue star return around the end of that month.
Jackson, who had surgery in July to repair a turf toe issue, will also begin ramping up his on-court activities. He’s expected to return in four-to-six weeks, which means he could miss a little bit of time to open ’25/26.
On a more positive note, first-round pick Cedric Coward will be a full training camp participant after recovering from a left shoulder injury he sustained last year at Washington State.
With Clarke, Edey and Jackson likely to miss the start of the season, Memphis’ frontcourt depth will be tested early on. Santi Aldama and Jock Landale are among the players who could receive more playing time in their stead.
Blazers’ Scoot Henderson Suffers Torn Left Hamstring
Guard Scoot Henderson sustained a torn left hamstring during a workout this week, the Trail Blazers announced in a press release.
According to the team, Henderson is expected to resume basketball activities in four-to-eight weeks. Portland will provide additional updates on Henderson’s status “as appropriate.”
Crucially, the announcement doesn’t say that Henderson is expected to return in four-to-eight weeks — it’s just when he’ll resume basketball drills. It’s safe to say that, at minimum, Henderson will miss the start of his third NBA season.
A 6’3″ point guard, Henderson was a highly touted NBA prospect who spent two years with the now-defunct G League Ignite prior to being selected No. 3 overall in the 2023 draft.
Henderson got off to a pretty slow start as a rookie, putting up solid counting stats (14.0 points, 5.4 assists, 3.1 rebounds) but struggling with turnovers (3.4) and efficiency (.385/.325/.814 shooting line) in 62 games (28.5 minutes per contest).
While 21-year-old’s per-36 numbers were quite similar in year two, he showed improvement defensively, took a little better care of the ball, and was more efficient (.419/.354/.767 shooting) in 66 contests, most of which came in a reserve role (26.7 MPG).
The Blazers were already going to be shorthanded in the backcourt after re-signing franchise icon Damian Lillard, who was waived by Milwaukee after suffering a torn Achilles tendon in the playoffs, this offseason.
With Henderson out as well, offseason additions Jrue Holiday and Blake Wesley are candidates for more playing time at the point.
Raptors Waive Tyson Degenhart
The Raptors have released Tyson Degenhart, tweets Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca.
Degenhart agreed to an Exhibit 10 contract with the Raptors shortly after going undrafted in June. The deal became official a few days ago.
Now that he has been released, Degenhart is eligible for a bonus worth $85,300 if he spends at least 60 days with Toronto’s G League affiliate, the Raptors 905.
A 6’8″ forward, Degenhart spent four college seasons at Boise State, earning first-team All-Mountain West Conference honors each of the past three years. As a senior in 2024/25, he averaged 18.3 PPG and 6.1 RPG on .526/.349/.797 shooting in 37 games (33.6 MPG).
Miikka Muurinen Signs Three-Year Deal With Partizan Belgrade
Consensus five-star recruit and potential 2027 first-round pick Miikka Muurinen has officially signed with Partizan Belgrade, per a team press release (Twitter link).
According to BasketNews, the Serbian EuroLeague club specified that it has signed Muurinen to a three-year contract.
Muurinen helped Finland achieve its best-ever result (fourth place) at EuroBasket 2025 earlier this month, receiving the tournament’s Rising Star award in the process. In eight games with the Finnish national team, he averaged 6.6 points, 1.9 rebounds and 0.6 blocks in 11.1 minutes per contest, shooting 14-of-16 on two-pointers (87.5%), 6-of-17 from long distance (35.3%), and 7-of-15 on free throws (46.7%).
Muurinen, who was the youngest player (he’s 18) competing at the tournament, has spent the past two years in the United States playing high school basketball and had originally been expected to return to AZ Compass for his senior season before a recent change of plans, as agent Teddy Archer told Jonathan Givony of Draft Express (Twitter link).
A 6’10” forward, Muurinen displayed an intriguing combination of length, agility and athleticism at EuroBasket, including several highlight reel dunks. He’s expected to be one of the top college recruits in 2026 if he elects to go that route, though it’s unclear if his new contract has an out clause.
Finnish outlet Salon Seudun Sanomat first reported that Muurinen had reached an agreement with Partizan. Muurinen’s mother, Jenni Laaksonen, recently told Ilta-Santomat her son grew up admiring the play style of Serbian teams as well as Greek powerhouse Panathinaikos.
Partizan Belgrade, also known as KK Partizan, features several former NBA players, including Jabari Parker, Sterling Brown, and German wing Isaac Bonga, among others.
Thunder Sign Jazian Gortman, Zack Austin, Chris Youngblood
The Thunder have signed free agents Jazian Gortman, Zack Austin and Chris Youngblood, the team announced today.
Oklahoma City’s three additions, all of whom played for the Thunder during Summer League action, will put the team at the offseason limit of 21 players under contract.
While the terms of the deals were not disclosed, reporting back in June indicated that Austin and Youngblood would be signing Exhibit 10 contracts for training camp. It seems pretty safe to assume that Gortman received the same.
Gortman, who went undrafted out of Overtime Elite in 2023, spent his first pro season in the G League with the Wisconsin Herd and the Rip City Remix, the affiliate teams of the Bucks and Trail Blazers, respectively.
The 6’2″ point guard caught on with the Mavericks last summer, initially signing an Exhibit 10 deal. Gortman impressed Dallas during training camp and preseason, having been promoted to a two-way contract shortly before the 2024/25 season began.
Gortman made 16 garbage-time appearances with the Mavs, playing 53 total minutes, before being released in late January. He also played 34 G League games (34.5 MPG) with the Texas Legends last season, averaging 20.0 points, 6.5 assists, 3.9 rebounds and 1.5 steals on .450/.272/.813 shooting.
Both Austin and Youngblood went undrafted in 2025.
As a senior for Pitt last season, Austin was named to the ACC’s All-Defensive team after averaging 4.7 rebounds, 1.1 steals and 1.6 blocks in 32 games (32.1 MPG). He also averaged 9.2 PPG while shooting 38.1% from three-point range.
Youngblood spent ’24/25 — his “super senior” campaign — with Alabama after previously playing for Kennesaw State and South Florida. He averaged 10.3 PPG and 2.3 RPG in 28 appearances (25.3 MPG) for the Crimson Tide, posting a shooting line of .447/.388/.804
It’s worth noting that the Thunder currently have an open two-way spot, and, as previously mentioned, Exhibit 10 deals can be converted into two-way pacts. Malevy Leons is also on an Exhibit 10 contract with OKC.
Thunder Re-Sign Branden Carlson On Two-Way Deal
September 26: More than two-and-a-half months after it was first reported, Carlson has officially signed his two-way deal with the Thunder, per a team press release.
July 8: The defending champion Thunder are re-signing free agent big man Branden Carlson to a two-way contract, agent Ross Aroyo tells Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).
Carlson appeared in 32 games as rookie last season with the Thunder, averaging 3.7 points and 1.7 rebounds in 7.7 minutes per contest. The 26-year-old was given a qualifying offer last month, making him a restricted free agent, so he may simply be accepting that QO, which is equivalent to another one-year two-way contract.
Carlson went undrafted in 2024 after spending his five-year collegiate career at Utah. The seven-footer originally signed a two-way contract with the Raptors but was cut just before the 2024/25 season began. He later signed a non-guaranteed deal and a pair of 10-day contracts with the Thunder before eventually sticking with the team for good on a two-way in February.
Second-round pick Brooks Barnhizer is also on a two-way contract with the Thunder, so the club will have one two-way slot still available after bringing back Carlson.
International Notes: Harrell, Ntilikina, Rubio, Bogdanovic, King
The Adelaide 36ers of Australia’s National Basketball League have officially terminated the contract of veteran NBA big man Montrezl Harrell, announcing the news in a press release.
The 36ers say they decided to terminate Harrell’s contract because he is currently ineligible to practice or play as part of a provisional ban for testing positive for a banned substance while playing for the Xinjiang Flying Tigers of the Chinese Basketball Association this spring.
It doesn’t sound as though the team wanted to part ways with Harrell, stating that it was “grateful” for his contributions and wishes him well going forward. But Adelaide said it was unable to comment further on the situation because it is still ongoing.
Harrell made a cryptic reply to the press release (Twitter link), stating, “Wait till you hear the real story on this lol how quick the switch goes!”
According to BasketNews, Harrell previously suggested the positive test wasn’t for a performance enhancing drug.
“Like I understand fail a drug test!” he wrote. “I get what the test showed! What I get lost is on the doping part! Because doping is (a) rule on taking a drug to increase or gain an edge in competition use! I know damn well I had zero of anything like that in me so again doping???
“Much love for all the Australian fans man I truly appreciate and love the support and energy y’all gave to me! Made me fall in love with hoops again last year in a dark time! Will always be grateful for that!”
Harrell, 31, last played in the NBA for Philadelphia during the 2022/23 campaign. The 31-year-old won the league’s Sixth Man of the Year award in 2019/20.
ESPN’s Olgun Uluc first reported that Harrell and the 36ers would be parting ways.
Here are a few more notes from overseas:
- A previously reported initial transfer deal between Olympiacos and Partizan for Frank Ntilikina fell through, according to Eurohoops.net. Ntilikina reached an agreement with Olympiacos when Partizan was ready to release him, but Partizan eventually requested a $300K buyout which the Greek club refused to play. Partizan is changing course and will keep Ntilikina while Olympiacos will look elsewhere to enhance its backcourt.
[UPDATE: Partizan and Olympiacos have since gone back to the negotiating table and completed a buyout agreement, clearing the way for Ntilikina to join Olympiacos.] - After spending last season off the court, Ricky Rubio is playing this season for Joventut Badalona. According to Eurohoops.net, Rubio didn’t shut the door on making a return to the Spanish national team. He withdrew from the team ahead of the 2023 FIBA World Cup and hasn’t suited up for Spain since then.
- After retiring earlier this offseason, Bojan Bogdanovic is reportedly close to being named president of two-time EuroLeague champion Cibona in Croatia, where he played from 2009-11, per journalist Bruno Feliks (hat tip to Eurohoops.net).
- Former NBAer Louis King is signing with the Xinjiang Flying Tigers in China, according to Sportando. King played for the Pistons, Kings and Sixers on two-way deals from 2019-23, averaging 4.8 points per game in 27 appearances.
Earnest Marshall contributed to this post.