And-Ones: Seattle, Murray, Canada, Aspiration, Extensions
In addition to announcing that Melinda French Gates is joining the Seattle Kraken’s ownership group as a minority investor, Samantha Holloway, the majority owner of the NHL team, confirmed that she’s assembling a group that will make a bid for an NBA franchise based in Seattle, writes Emily Kaplan of ESPN.
Holloway also pointed out that the Kraken’s ownership group has strengthened its case to bring the NBA to Seattle by acquiring a majority stake in Climate Pledge Arena, where the Kraken and the WNBA’s Seattle Storm play.
“The City of Seattle certainly could use an NBA team, and the fans here are ready for it,” Holloway said. “If that happens, they will all buy their Kraken friends beers because it wouldn’t happen without them. So we are hopeful, we are working on it, and stay tuned.”
We have more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Exploring at greater length why Jamal Murray isn’t expected to play for the Canadian national team in international competition anytime soon, Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca explains that Canada Basketball was seeking three-year commitments from its players, and the Nuggets guard wasn’t able to commit to being available for each of the next three summers. “If guys don’t commit this summer, they’re not in,” new national team coach Gordon Herbert said. “When I was with Germany, we had six or seven NBA guys and three guys didn’t come, they didn’t want to come. All of sudden they wanted to come (in) year two. Sorry. You can’t be successful in anything without commitment, in my opinion.”
- Joseph Sanberg, the co-founder of the now-bankrupt green banking company Aspiration, was sentenced this week to 14 years in federal prison, writes Baxter Holmes of ESPN. Judge Stephen V. Wilson described Sanberg as “greedy, brazen, callous” and said he would “put the grade of his fraud at the zenith,” as Holmes relays. Kawhi Leonard‘s sponsorship deal with Aspiration and Steve Ballmer‘s investment in the company are at the center of the NBA’s investigation into possible salary cap circumvention by the Clippers. In advance of his sentencing, the league said in a letter to Wilson that Sanberg “substantially assisted” its probe, while Ballmer’s attorneys advocated against leniency for the Aspiration co-founder, writing that Sanberg “flagrantly defrauded” the Clippers owner.
- Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama is the only player eligible for a rookie scale extension who is likely to sign a maximum-salary contract this offseason, in the view of Keith Smith of Spotrac. However, Smith – projecting possible deals for each member of the 2023 draft class – view Hornets forward Brandon Miller (five years, $200MM), Rockets guard Amen Thompson (five years, $185MM), and Jazz guard Keyonte George (four years, $152MM) as strong candidates for lucrative extensions.
Terry Rozier To Forfeit Most Of 2025/26 Salary
Former Heat guard Terry Rozier will be forced to forfeit most of the $26.6MM salary he was supposed to earn in 2025/26, per an arbitrator’s decision, as Mike Vorkunov writes for The Athletic.
Rozier was placed on unpaid leave by the NBA at the end of October, six days after he was arrested on federal charges related to a gambling investigation. The 31-year-old pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering in December.
The players’ union challenged the league’s decision to withhold Rozier’s salary and won an arbitration case earlier in the year. At that time, an arbitrator ruled that the NBA was violating the rules of its Collective Bargaining Agreement by not allowing Rozier to be paid, determining that only players who are involved in cases of domestic or child abuse can be placed on unpaid leave.
However, that same arbitrator sided with the NBA this time around, as Vorkunov explains, upholding the league’s argument that the conditions of Rozier’s bond prevented him from fulfilling the terms of his contract. As part of his ongoing legal case, Rozier was prohibited from traveling across the country or being in contact with the Heat or his former team, the Hornets.
Rozier – who was charged last week with two new felonies, sports bribery and honest services fraud – has been accused of telling a friend he would remove himself early from a game in March 2023, when he was a member of the Hornets. That friend then sold the inside information to gamblers who were able to cash in by betting on several “under” props related to Rozier’s performance in that game. After recording five points, four rebounds and two assists in less than 10 minutes of action in the first quarter, Rozier exited the game during a timeout and didn’t return, citing a foot issue.
Rozier has pleaded not guilty to all charges and still hopes to return to the NBA after being waived by the Heat in April. According to Vorknov, his attorneys have asked the judge overseeing his case to remove the Hornets – and their current and former employees – from his no-contact list and to rule that the longtime guard is simply prohibited to discuss the case with them. Rozier’s attorneys are calling the current restrictions “unfairly punitive,” Vorkunov adds.
“With forced inactivity, Mr. Rozier is facing a potential second season of non-participation despite being entitled to a presumption of innocence,” his attorneys wrote in their argument. “With the NBA’s free agency process officially beginning June 30, maintaining the Hornets on the no-contact list would likely prevent him from having any opportunity to play in the NBA.
“Under the current ruling of the arbitrator, an inability to play for or against the Charlotte Hornets would constitute a ‘failure to perform services’ by Mr. Rozier and substantially diminish or eliminate any chance of being contracted by an NBA team.”
Regardless of whether or not the judge upholds his attorneys’ request, it’s pretty difficult to imagine Rozier signing another NBA contract unless he’s fully cleared and exonerated of all charges. If he’s found guilty, he’s likely facing a lifetime ban from the league like the one Jontay Porter received after disclosing confidential information to sports bettors.
Hornets Guarantee Moussa Diabate’s 2026/27 Salary
The Hornets have guaranteed Moussa Diabate’s contract for the 2026/27 season, ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk tweets.
It’s not a surprise, given that Diabate has proved to be one of the league’s biggest bargains. He’s due to make $2,461,462 next season, a pittance for a rotation player who started 47 of 73 games for Charlotte in 2025/26.
Diabate had a non-guaranteed deal that would have become partially guaranteed for $250K if he made the opening night roster and would have been fully guaranteed if he was still on the team beyond January 10.
Diabate won the NBA Hustle Award this past season. Among qualified players, he ranked first on a per-minute basis in offensive box outs, fourth in screen assists, eighth in offensive loose balls recovered, 10th in contested two-point shots, and 11th in defensive box outs and contested three-point shots.
Diabate provided some stability at the five for a Hornets team whose center position looked like a major question mark entering the season following the offseason trades of Mark Williams and Jusuf Nurkic. His counting stats included averages of 7.9 points, 8.7 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.0 blocks per game.
He’s slated to be an unrestricted free agent after next season if he doesn’t reach an extension agreement with the Hornets. He vowed in a recent interview to continue to improve, especially offensively.
“Not saying that at the end of the day, I want to (have) a pull-up jumper and all this, but being a threat offensively is going to make me even better, and it’s going to help my teammates,” Diabate said. “So for me, definitely being comfortable with the ball more. Whether it’s me pushing it on the break or just on my handoffs or anything like that, me driving to the basket. Just really expand my game.”
Southeast Notes: Black, Diabate, Wizards
The sixth overall pick in the 2023 draft, Magic guard Anthony Black will become eligible for a rookie scale extension this offseason as he enters his fourth year in the league. With significant long-term money already owed to Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, Desmond Bane, and Jalen Suggs, Orlando will likely be cautious in its negotiations with Black. But he has emerged as a key part of the team’s rotation, so it seems safe to assume the club will be interested in a new deal.
Black would absolutely reciprocate that interest, suggesting to Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (subscription required) that he’d welcome the opportunity to sign an extension with the Magic in the coming months.
“It’s just an opportunity to officially stamp it as like my home,” Black said. “It’s just something I’ll be looking forward to doing. Starting my young life, this is the first city I’ve played in, so it would mean a lot being able to play here for years.
“Obviously I want to win a lot too and I feel like we’re in a great position to do that and we came really close to doing that,” he continued. “So, for me, that would be ideal, but it’s the NBA and it’s always a decision that has to be made.”
We have more from around the Southeast:
- Hornets center Moussa Diabate had a breakout year in 2026/27, establishing career highs in points (7.9), rebounds (8.7), assists (1.9), and blocks (1.0) per game as he started 47 games in the middle. The 24-year-old, who is entering the final season of his minimum-salary contract in Charlotte, tells Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer that he has no intention of getting “complacent” and wants to continue improving, especially on the offensive end. “Not saying that at the end of the day, I want to (have) a pull-up jumper and all this, but being a threat offensively is going to make me even better, and it’s going to help my teammates,” Diabate said. “So for me, definitely being comfortable with the ball more. Whether it’s me pushing it on the break or just on my handoffs or anything like that, me driving to the basket. Just really expand my game.”
- NBA fans in Washington haven’t had much to cheer about in recent years, as the Wizards have been below .500 for eight straight seasons and haven’t won more than 18 games in a season since 2022/23. However, as Josh Robbins of The Athletic details, ticket sales are soaring in D.C. in the wake of trades for Trae Young and Anthony Davis and the team’s draft lottery win. President of business operations Jim Van Stone told Robbins the team has seen a 190% increase in new full-season ticket revenue from 2025 to 2026.
- In case you missed it, we rounded up several notes on the Heat on Thursday night, including items on Pelle Larsson, Davion Mitchell, and the team’s offseason plans.
Terry Rozier Charged With Two New Federal Felonies
Former Heat guard Terry Rozier was charged with two new felony counts after being indicted by a grand jury in Brooklyn federal court on Thursday, reports Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic.
Rozier, who pleaded not guilty after being arrested on two wire fraud charges this past October related to the same case, has been charged with sports bribery and honest services fraud, according to Vorkunov.
As Vorkunov details, federal prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York allege that Rozier accepted a payment worth approximately $100,000 to take himself out of a game early when he was a member of the Hornets.
The indictment says Rozier conspired with a group of gamblers — including Marves Fairley, who claims he paid a player to alter his game performance — to share non-public information to help them win. As Vorkunov writes in another story, while Fairley didn’t identify anyone by name on Thursday when he pleaded guilty to seven felony charges, including two related to this case, a prosecutor later clarified that Rozier was the player.
Jim Trusty, an attorney who represents Rozier, denied the allegations.
“There are some desperate men in this case with terrible criminal records and tons of exposure, and they know what to say to please these prosecutors,” Trusty said. “The new indictment confirms that our motion to dismiss was a good one — it’s just new charges and new theories trotted out in the hope that something sticks.”
The incident took place on March 23, 2023. Rozier allegedly told his friend and co-conspirator Deniro Laster that he would pull himself out of a game early, citing a foot injury, so that Laster and two other gamblers — Fairley and Shane Hennen — could bet on it. The indictment says Laster then told Fairley and Hennen, who exchanged texts about the plan. Laster and Hennen have pleaded not guilty, Vorkunov notes.
Rozier, who was averaging more than 21 points and 35 minutes per game at the time, only played nine minutes and 34 seconds in that Hornets game at New Orleans. He was inactive for the final eight games of the ’22/23 season because of the same foot injury.
Fairley is the second person to plead guilty in the case after former NBA guard and assistant coach Damon Jones did the same last month, Vorkunov adds.
Draft Notes: Grizzlies, Tanner, Withdrawals, Warriors, Hornets
The Grizzlies are working out Vanderbilt’s Tyler Tanner on Wednesday, along with Chase Ross (Marquette), Sam Alexis (Indiana), and J’Vonne Hadley (Louisville), reports Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal (Twitter link).
Tanner, a potential first-round pick, is the most highly regarded prospect of that group and will face a decision in a matter of hours on whether or not to keep his name in the draft. The deadline for early entrants to withdraw and retain their NCAA eligibility is 11:59 pm Eastern on Wednesday.
Tanner is one of the more notable prospects who has yet to finalize his decision — it’s possible the feedback he gets on Wednesday from the Grizzlies, who hold this year’s third, 16th, and 32nd overall picks, will help sway him in one direction or the other.
We have a few more draft-related updates:
- Flory Bidunga, who is transferring from Kansas to Louisville, has withdrawn from the draft, per Joe Tipton of On3 (Twitter link). So has Shane Blakeney, who is transferring from Drexel to South Carolina, according to Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports (Twitter link), as well as Anton Bonke, who is transferring from Charlotte to Michigan State, agent Scott Nichols tells Jon Chepkevich of DraftExpress (Twitter link). Bidunga is entering his junior season in 2026/27, while Blakeney and Bonke will be seniors and will be automatically draft-eligible next year.
- In addition to Dillon Mitchell, Tre Donaldson, and Tyler Nickel, whose participation was previously reported, the Warriors are bringing in Nevada guard Corey Camper, South Carolina guard Kobe Knox, and San Diego State guard Reese Dixon-Waters for Wednesday’s group workout, according to the team (Twitter link).
- Nick Boyd (Wisconsin), Wyatt Fricks (Marshall), Nate Johnson (Kansas State), and Tre White (Kansas) are among the prospects visiting the Hornets for a pre-draft workout on Wednesday, league sources tell Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer (Twitter link). Charlotte currently only holds the 14th and 18th overall picks, while Boyd and White rank 76th and 93rd, respectively, on ESPN’s top-100 list, so the team could be eyeing potential undrafted targets for two-way offers.
- Cincinnati forward Baba Miller had been scheduled to take part in a group workout with the Kings on Wednesday, but he was unable to participate due to an illness, tweets Sean Cunningham of KCRA News.
Celtics’ Joe Mazzulla Named 2025/26 Coach Of Year
Joe Mazzulla of the Celtics has been named Coach of the Year, the NBA announced on Tuesday (Twitter link). He earned the Red Auerbach Trophy, named after the Celtics’ coaching legend.
Mazzulla is the first Celtics head coach to win the award since Bill Fitch in 1979/80 and the fourth in franchise history. That group also includes Auerbach (1964/65) and Tom Heinsohn (1972/73). At 37, Mazzulla is the youngest Coach of the Year since Phil Johnson in 1974/75.
Boston was missing star forward Jayson Tatum for most of the season and parted with key contributors like Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford, and Luke Kornet last summer due to a cap crunch. However, Mazzulla led the Celtics to a 56-26 record and the No. 2 playoff seed in the Eastern Conference, including a 51-19 mark after a 5-7 start.
Mazzulla received 62 first-place votes, 24 second-place votes and 10 third-place votes, totaling 392 points. Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff finished second in the voting with 312 points (29 first-place votes, 51 second and 14 third). Spurs coach Mitch Johnson finished a distant third with 133 points (9 first, 17 second, 37 third).
A global media panel of 100 voters selected the Coach of the Year. In addition to the three finalists, nine other coaches showed up on at least one ballot, led by Charles Lee of the Hornets (31 points), Jordan Ott of the Suns (11), and Mark Daigneault of the Thunder (10), each of whom received at least one second-place vote.
The full voting results can be found here (Twitter link).
The Celtics issued a statement in which Mazzulla expressed his thanks but indicated he feels it should be a shared award, echoing comments he made earlier in the year.
“Thank you to the Lord for the platform he has given me, and to my wife and family who support me on this journey,” he said. “Thank you to our players who compete and give it everything they have each night. I am grateful for every member of the Celtics organization whose dedication impacts winning every day. This award belongs to our staff, who are there for the guys every day. Their relentless work ethic improves our team daily. This award should be named Staff of the Year.”
Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens praised his head coach and staff.
“This is well deserved recognition and a testament to both Joe and his staff,” he said. “With all of our unknowns entering the season, Joe did a fantastic job building and growing a team. He pours everything he has into competing at a high level, while helping players find the best versions of themselves within the framework of a team. On top of all of that, Joe leads with an authentic care for the Celtics and everyone he works with – players, coaches, and staff.”
Draft Rumors: Thunder, Boozer, Bulls, Warriors, Lendeborg, Mavs
Two executives who spoke to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints about next month’s draft suggested they could envision the Thunder packaging several assets, including this year’s 12th and 17th overall picks, in order to try to trade into the top four to land Duke forward Cameron Boozer.
However, it seems unlikely that any teams near the top of the draft would be amenable to such a deal for a few reasons. For one, this year’s top four prospects are considered to be in a tier of their own. It’s also probably safe to assume that no teams will be eager to help the defending champion Thunder land another potential franchise cornerstone on a rookie scale deal unless they’re significantly overpaying to do so.
For what it’s worth, the Bulls – who have the No. 4 overall pick – would only have interest in trading that selection if they were moving up, not down, sources tell Siegel.
Even if the Thunder aren’t able to move that high in the draft, there’s an “overwhelming belief” that they won’t simply remain at No. 12 and No. 17 and draft two rookies, Siegel writes. Oklahoma City is expected to be aggressive on the trade market, which could mean trading one or both of those picks either to move up or for future draft assets.
Here are a few more draft-related rumors from Siegel:
- If they hang onto the No. 11 pick, the expectation is that the Warriors will be targeting a prospect who can step in and contribute right away. According to Siegel, Golden State is hoping this offseason to add an “impactful” guard who can play on or off the ball next to Stephen Curry, though that may not happen in the draft — Anfernee Simons and Collin Sexton have been mentioned by league sources as the types of veteran free agents the team may be looking at.
- The Warriors (No. 11), Hornets (Nos. 14 and 18), Spurs (No. 20), and Pistons (No. 21) are among the teams with interest in Michigan star Yaxel Lendeborg, Siegel reports. With the exception of Golden State, each of those clubs might have to trade up to have a shot at drafting Lendeborg, since he’s widely projected to be a late lottery pick. Multiple sources tell Siegel that Charlotte’s interest in Lendeborg is considered “real” and they’ll explore the possibility of moving up.
- Based on the fact that Masai Ujiri has long prioritized length and athleticism, league sources who have spoken to Siegel have identified Tennessee’s Nate Ament and Baylor’s Cameron Carr as two potential targets to watch for the Mavericks, who control the ninth overall pick.
Southeast Notes: Sweeney, Magic, Heat, Hawks, Hornets
Although the Magic are said to be prioritizing an experienced head coach to replace Jamahl Mosley, with Billy Donovan and Jeff Van Gundy at the forefront of their search, Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Substack link) says there have been “ongoing whispers” that Spurs associate head coach Sean Sweeney is still a candidate for the position.
As Stein notes, Sweeney would be a first-time head coach. The 41-year-old was an assistant for a handful of years in Dallas and received consideration for previous head coaching positions before becoming San Antonio’s top assistant under Mitch Johnson last year.
Sweeney has been credited by the Spurs as the key to their impressive defensive turnaround in 2025/26. They had the fifth-worst defensive rating in the NBA last season, but held the third-best mark in ’25/26.
Sweeney has also been linked to the head coaching vacancies in Chicago and Dallas, with one report referring to him as a “prime candidate” to join the Bulls as Donovan’s replacement. That same report from Jake Fischer said people around the league viewed Donovan as the frontrunner for the job in Orlando, though that was nearly a week ago.
Here’s more from around the Southeast Division:
- The Heat control the 13th and 41st overall picks in June’s draft. As Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel writes (subscriber link), the goal for Miami is to work out and speak to as many as many prospects as possible, but the team recognizes that isn’t always possible. “At the end of the day,” said assistant general manager Adam Simon, “you want to feel as comfortable as you can with the player you’re selecting. And you don’t want to not have that opportunity to spend time with the player. So I think part of it is seeing the player on the court, which for the most part, we’ve seen these players for many years on the court. There’s also the part off the court, how they spend time in our building and getting to know them and having a meal with them. I think that’s also a part of it. But we can’t say we wouldn’t take a player that we didn’t bring in for a workout.”
- After an encouraging 2025/26 campaign, the Hawks appear to be on the upswing, with several talented young players and both the draft assets and financial flexibility to make additional roster upgrades, Yossi Gozlan writes in his offseason preview for Third Apron (Substack link). While Atlanta could technically open up cap room this summer, Gozlan expects the team to operate over the cap and below the first tax apron, giving the front office access to the non-taxpayer mid-level exception. The Hawks’ most likely pathway for upgrades is via the trade market, Gozlan adds.
- Keith Smith of Spotrac previews the Hornets‘ offseason, writing that re-signing Coby White will be a top priority after Charlotte traded for the North Carolina native prior to the February deadline. Smith suggests the Hornets should attempt to re-sign White to a descending contract in the range of $72-88MM over four years and notes that frontcourt and wing depth should be priorities with the 14th and 18th picks in next month’s draft. Smith doesn’t think Brandon Miller will receive a maximum-salary rookie scale extension, pointing to a four-year, $140MM offer as potential compromise.
NBA Announces 2025/26 All-NBA Teams
The league has officially announced its three All-NBA teams, recognizing the top performers for the 2025/26 season (all Twitter links).
A total of 100 media members voted on the All-NBA teams, with First Team votes counting for five points, Second Team votes counting for three points, and Third Team votes counting for one point.
This year’s All-NBA teams are as follows (each player’s point total is noted in parentheses):
First Team
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Thunder (500 points)- Nikola Jokic, Nuggets (500)
- Victor Wembanyama, Spurs (498)
- Luka Doncic, Lakers (482)
- Cade Cunningham, Pistons (414)
Second Team
- Jaylen Brown, Celtics (384)
- Kawhi Leonard, Clippers (277)
- Donovan Mitchell, Cavaliers (276)
- Kevin Durant, Rockets (241)
- Jalen Brunson, Knicks (197)
Third Team
- Tyrese Maxey, Sixers (168)
- Jamal Murray, Nuggets (149)
- Jalen Johnson, Hawks (125)
- Jalen Duren, Pistons (121)
- Chet Holmgren, Thunder (87)
Gilgeous-Alexander and Jokic, this season’s Most Valuable Player and runner-up, respectively, were the only unanimous first-teamers, with Wembanyama coming a single vote away — he had one Second Team vote to go along with 99 First Team votes.
Doncic and Cunningham each technically fell short of meeting the 65-game minimum required to be eligible for All-NBA and other major awards, but they appealed that ruling and were deemed award-eligible by the league. Doncic would have met the criteria if he hadn’t missed time due to the birth of a child, while Cunningham fell short after suffering a collapsed lung, so both players were granted “extraordinary circumstances” exceptions.
Notably, Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards, who played 61 games, also applied for an extraordinary circumstances exception. However, his request was denied, so his name didn’t show up on award ballots even though he likely would’ve been voted onto an All-NBA team if voters could’ve selected him. Stephen Curry, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and LeBron James – who had made 21 consecutive All-NBA teams – were among the other superstars who didn’t meet the 65-game criteria.
Outside of the 15 players who made All-NBA teams, another dozen players showed up on at least one ballot, starting with Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija, who had 26 voting points (Twitter link).
Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (14 points), Raptors forward Scottie Barnes (9), Cavaliers guard James Harden (6), Rockets center Alperen Sengun (6), Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (5), Spurs guard Stephon Castle (5), Heat big man Bam Adebayo (4), and Celtics guard Derrick White (3) all earned multiple votes, while Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg, Raptors forward Brandon Ingram, and Cavaliers big man Evan Mobley earned one Third Team vote apiece.
As usual, there are also financial implications worth noting related to the All-NBA teams. First and foremost, Duren will now be eligible to sign a contract with the Pistons that starts at up to 30% of the 2026/27 salary cap as a restricted free agent this summer. That means he could earn up to a projected $287.1MM over five years.
If he hadn’t made All-NBA, Duren’s maximum five-year contract with Detroit would’ve been worth a projected $239.3MM. Either way, the most a rival team can offer him is four years and $177.4MM.
Maxey and Cunningham are on their way to meeting the super-max (ie. Designated Veteran) criteria but would need to earn All-NBA honors again in 2027 to become eligible for maximum-salary extensions worth up to 35% of the cap instead of 30%.
Wembanyama is in a similar boat — despite making the All-NBA First Team and being named Defensive Player of the Year, he would need to achieve one of those feats again in 2027 in order to increase the maximum value of his next contract from 25% to the cap to 30% via the Rose rule. Wembanyama will be eligible to sign a rookie scale extension this offseason and is a lock to do so.
Paolo Banchero and Jalen Williams had Rose rule language in their maximum-salary rookie scale extensions, which were signed last offseason and will go into effect this July. They could’ve increased their respective starting salaries beyond 25% of the cap if they’d made an All-NBA team, but neither player did.
Interestingly, the maximum-salary rookie scale extension that the Thunder negotiated with Holmgren in 2025 did not include a Rose rule escalator, so the projected value of the big man’s contract (five years, $239.3MM) remains unchanged even though he earned a spot on the Third Team. It’ll go into effect this year and will be identical to Williams’ deal.
Finally, Edwards would have become eligible to sign a super-max extension with the Timberwolves during the 2027 offseason if he had been named to an All-NBA team this season. Because he didn’t qualify, he’ll need to make All-NBA next season in order to meet the performance criteria for a Designated Veteran extension.