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Western Notes: Kidd, Blazers, Kings, Nelson, Nuggets

June 10th, 2025 at 5:50pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Letting Jason Kidd go to the Knicks would be a terrible outcome for the Mavericks, according to Tim Cowlishaw of the Dallas Morning News. There’s reportedly mutual interest between Kidd and the Knicks.

Under Kidd, Dallas has won five playoff series in four seasons. Cowlishaw also notes that Kyrie Irving likes Kidd and believes in him. In Cowlishaw’s viewpoint, the only way general manager Nico Harrison‘s vision for the current group will work is dependent on Anthony Davis staying healthy and Irving getting healthy and remaining happy. If Cooper Flagg then plays up to his draft status, the Mavs have a chance to secure a title in 2026/27 before the window of opportunity runs out for their aging stars.

Here’s more from the Western Conference:

  • Arthur Kaluma (Texas), Gabe Madsen (Utah), Chibuzo Agbo (USC), Alex Toohey (Sydney Kings), Jahmai Mashack (Tennessee) and Dylan Cardwell (Auburn) worked out for the Trail Blazers on Tuesday, Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report tweets. Toohey is the biggest name in the group, as the Australian forward is ranked No. 36 on ESPN’s Best Available list.
  • Jeremy Roach (Baylor), Caleb Love (Arizona), Jaxson Robinson (Kentucky), John Tonje (Wisconsin), Great Osobor (Washington), CJ Huntley (Appalachian State) will work out for the Kings on Wednesday, Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee tweets. That group is headed by Tonje (19.6 PPG with the Badgers last season), a high-scoring guard who is ranked No. 42 by ESPN.
  • Grant Nelson (Alabama) is expected to reschedule a workout with the Jazz, Brian Lewis of the New York Post tweets. Nelson, who worked out for the Nets on Tuesday, is currently rated 65th by ESPN.
  • Though the Nuggets took the Thunder to a Game 7 in these playoffs, they can’t afford to run it back with the same group, Sean Keeler of the Denver Post opines. The bench is in serious need of upgrades, Keeler argues, as the Nuggets basically went six deep this season and that forced the starters to empty their tanks.
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Nuggets Notes: Porter, GM Candidates, Durant, Repeater Tax

June 8th, 2025 at 11:58am CST by Arthur Hill

The Nuggets might explore trades involving Michael Porter Jr. this summer, but the most likely scenario has him returning for at least one more season, Bennett Durando of The Denver Post states in a mailbag column. The 26-year-old forward has been the frequent target of trade speculation, but Durando believes he has more value to Denver than he would to any rival team.

Durando notes that team president Josh Kroenke has indicated that he wants to keep the current core together, recently saying, “I think a lot of our answers are internal right now.” That means fans probably shouldn’t expect Porter or any other significant rotation player to be moved this offseason unless the Nuggets receive an offer that’s too good to pass up.

Porter dealt with health concerns early in his career, but he’s been very reliable lately, appearing in 81 and 77 games the past two seasons. He averaged 18.2 points, 7.0 rebounds and 2.1 assists this year with .504/.395/.768 shooting splits, giving Denver a potent outside shooting threat with plenty of experience playing alongside Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon.

Durando notes that Denver’s cap situation will become more strained in the 2026/27 season when Gordon will receive a $9MM raise and Christian Braun will likely have a new deal in place. Porter will be an expiring contract by then, so Durando sees a trade as more likely to happen next summer.

There’s more from Denver:

  • Interim general manager Ben Tenzer appears to be the leading candidate to fill that role on a permanent basis, Durando adds in the same piece. Tenzer has been handling all the GM duties since Calvin Booth was fired, and Kroenke has complimented his performance. Durando views Minnesota general manager Matt Lloyd as the likely alternative if Tenzer isn’t hired.
  • In a separate story, Durando expresses skepticism that the Nuggets can land Kevin Durant, but he lists a few potential trades just in case the Suns star decides he wants to team up with Jokic. One of Durando’s ideas involves Jamal Murray, another includes a combination of Porter and Braun, and a third features a combination of Gordon and Porter. All three options would require a third team because neither Denver or Phoenix can take back more salary than it sends out in a trade.
  • The Nuggets will become subject to the repeater tax next season, more than doubling their current tax bill to a projected $42.9MM, cap expert Yossi Gozlan observes in his Third Apron Substack column (subscription required). Gozlan also notes that the team has limited draft assets to offer in trades, making it harder to get rid of unwanted contracts. Denver owns five of its first-round picks over the next seven years, but is only able to trade one in either 2031 or 2032. The only second-round pick the club has available to trade is in 2032.
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Northwest Notes: Nuggets, Jordan, Thunder

May 30th, 2025 at 9:01pm CST by Eli Cohen

The Nuggets are looking to rebuild their depth after losing several key free agents in recent years, such as Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, while certain signings – such as Reggie Jackson and Dario Saric – have proved unsuccessful. Bennett Durando of the Denver Post breaks down some of the potential options they could look at in free agency as they seek to create another title-contending roster.

The first name Durando looks at is a former Nugget: Bruce Brown. Brown left the Nuggets for a two-year balloon deal with the Pacers in 2023, and was included in Indiana’s trade for Pascal Siakam the following season. He split this season between Raptors and Pelicans, but only played 41 games due to injury.

Brown is still a fan favorite in Denver, Durando writes, and posted about the Nuggets hiring head coach David Adelman on his Instagram story. It’s believed that there is mutual interest between the two parties moving forward.

Durando also mentions Chris Boucher, whom the Nuggets looked at prior to this year’s trade deadline. Boucher averaged 10.0 points in 17.2 minutes per game for the Raptors this season while shooting 36.3% from three, and could make for an interesting backup center, a position where the Nuggets desperately need depth.

The other options cited by Durando are Tyus Jones, Larry Nance Jr., Jake LaRavia, Dennis Schröder, Justin Holiday, Jae’Sean Tate, Luke Kennard, Clint Capela, and Mason Plumlee.

We have more from around the Northwest Division:

  • DeAndre Jordan, the Nuggets‘ current backup center, took to Instagram to thank Denver fans after wrapping up his 17th year in the NBA, notes Denver Gazette’s Vinny Benedetto (via Twitter). “Can’t say enough how grateful I am for this team, this city, and everyone who supported us along the way. Playing this game never gets old, and doing it with this group made it even more meaningful,” he wrote, before adding “This isn’t a retirement post!” Jordan is set to hit unrestricted free agency this summer.
  • “These guys are uncommon,” Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault said of his team, as reported by The Athletic’s Sam Amick. Part of that is the youthful exuberance the club displays after the final whistle blows, which Amick likens to a college program. However, there’s nothing playful about the Thunder’s approach during the game. Their ferociousness on the floor, combined with the genuine joy the players appear to feel for each other, marks it as a model of sustainable competitive team-building. “It makes sense. They’re great people first. That’s why it’s so easy to coach this team,” Daigneault said. That’s why Amick believes that this Thunder team is here for the long haul.
  • There are striking similarities to this Thunder team and the rise of the Warriors dynasty, writes ESPN’s Zach Kram. Both teams feature a 26-year-old MVP guard leading a team to nearly 70 wins en route to winning the Western Conference in five games, and both were largely built through shrewd drafting of heady, versatile players who could impact the game on both ends of the floor. For Golden State, that meant Klay Thompson and Draymond Green complementing Stephen Curry‘s greatness. For the Thunder, it means Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren supplementing Shai Gilgeous-Alexander‘s dominance. Both teams added a versatile, dominant defender via trade: the Warriors acquired Andre Igoudala while the Thunder traded for Alex Caruso, and they both had smart rim protectors who could be taken off the floor when the team wanted to go small (Andrew Bogut and Isaiah Hartenstein, respectively). The Warriors eventually added Kevin Durant to complete the dynasty. While the Thunder might not have that opportunity, they do have one of the biggest stockpiles of draft assets to trade in the league, so it’s not entirely out of the question. The important part is: both teams were built to last.
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Nuggets Parting Ways With Several Assistant Coaches

May 30th, 2025 at 11:10am CST by Luke Adams

The Nuggets will not renew the contracts for several assistants on their coaching staff, according to NBA insider Chris Haynes, who reports (via Twitter) that the team is parting ways with the following coaches:

  • Ryan Saunders, a Nuggets assistant since 2022 who previously worked for the Wizards and Timberwolves, including a stint as the head coach in Minnesota.
  • Popeye Jones, a former NBA forward who has spent the past four seasons as a Nuggets assistant and nearly two decades on NBA coaching staffs.
  • Charles Klask, who worked for the Pistons and Nets before being hired as a Nuggets assistant in 2018.
  • Stephen Graham, a former NBA wing who has been a player development coach in Denver since 2016.

An overhaul of the Nuggets’ coaching staff had been expected after longtime coach Michael Malone was let go in April with less than a week left in the regular season.

Lead assistant David Adelman, who replaced Malone, led the Nuggets to a first-round series win over the Clippers and pushed the 68-win Thunder to a Game 7 in round two before Denver was eliminated.

Adelman’s audition for the job earned him the permanent position, and Nuggets vice chairman Josh Kroenke confirmed last week that he would be “absolutely” be given the opportunity to fill out his own staff. Reports at that time noted that most of Denver’s assistants were on expiring contracts.

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Nuggets’ David Adelman Plans Style Changes Next Season

May 28th, 2025 at 9:48pm CST by Arthur Hill

David Adelman talked about changes in philosophy and style of play at an introductory news conference Wednesday to officially make him the Nuggets‘ permanent head coach, writes Pat Graham of The Associated Press.

Adelman held the job on an interim basis after taking over when Michael Malone was fired on April 8 with three games left in the regular season. Adelman led the team to a first-round victory over the Clippers before dropping a seven-game series to the Thunder in the second round.

Players responded positively to the increased input they were able to provide under Adelman, along with the lifting of tensions that occurred with the dismissal of Malone and general manager Calvin Booth.

Looking ahead to next season, Adelman said he wants the team to get in “better shape” and he’s planning to expand the rotation beyond what Malone normally utilized. He’s looking at a slower style of play to maximize the skills of star center Nikola Jokic.

“We have to get back to being an execution-based team,” Adelman said. “If that takes away some of our pace numbers, or whatever the analytics want to say, I think that’s OK if it wins you a game in May, as opposed to playing a game in December. The majority of the time, if you want to win big, you’ve got to play slow. You’ve got to be efficient. You’ve got to be clean. So that will be things we’ll talk about throughout the summer, going to training camp.”

Graham points out that it won’t be easy to add talent to the roster because the Nuggets don’t own any picks in next month’s draft. Any significant trade would likely have to break up the current starting five, so the best avenue toward improvement will be progress from young players Julian Strawther, Peyton Watson, Jalen Pickett and DaRon Holmes, who missed his entire rookie season after suffering an Achilles tear in a Summer League game.

There’s more from Denver:

  • Between the reduced pace and Adelman’s desire for “a premium on shot-making,” Russell Westbrook shouldn’t be part of the team next season, contends Troy Renck of The Denver Post. Westbrook holds a $3.47MM player option, and Renck says the best outcome would be for him to decline it and join a team like Brooklyn that’s looking for a big name. Renck suggests using the taxpayer mid-level exception to sign free agent Tyus Jones, who would provide a steadier option as backup point guard.
  • Team president Josh Kroenke wants a better relationship between his coach and GM this time, so Adelman will have at least a small role in filling that position, according to Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. “DA will come into that process at some point. … But I think the input will be relatively minimal, because what I’ll be looking for is cohesion between those two (roles),” Kroenke said. “And I think that once we decide on that, I think I’ll have a lot of comfort on how they work together.” Kroenke added that he has “no news on that front” when asked about hiring an outside firm to identify potential GM candidates. He also praised interim GM Ben Tenzer for the way he’s handled the role since Booth was fired.
  • Adelman needs to send a strong message to Jamal Murray about coming to camp in shape and being at his best when the season starts, states Sean Keeler of The Denver Post. Murray’s four-year, $207.8MM extension will take effect next season.
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Russell Westbrook Undergoes Hand Surgery

May 27th, 2025 at 5:45pm CST by Luke Adams

5:45 pm: Westbrook’s right hand surgery was to repair multiple ligament tears, according to the Nuggets, Bennett Durando of the Denver Post tweets. He underwent the procedure today, as expected.

11:37 am: Veteran guard Russell Westbrook is undergoing surgery on his right hand on Tuesday morning, he announced today in the latest installment of his personal newsletter (hat tip to Law Murray of The Athletic).

According to Westbrook, the procedure will repair two breaks in the hand that occurred during the season. The 36-year-old doesn’t provide information on any sort of formal recovery timeline, but says he’s optimistic about being back to 100% “soon.”

Hand injuries are nothing new for Westbrook, who had surgery to repair a fracture in his right hand in 2014 and underwent procedures on his left hand in 2019 and 2024 to address ligament damage and a fracture, respectively.

Westbrook played a major role in 2024/25 for the Nuggets after signing a two-year, minimum-salary contract that features a second-year player option. He averaged 13.3 points, 6.1 assists, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.4 steals in 27.9 minutes per game across 75 appearances (36 starts), with a shooting line of .449/.323/.661.

The Nuggets had a better net rating with Westbrook off the court (+8.6) than on it (-0.6), but he received positive reviews in Denver due to the energy and leadership he provided off the bench, as well as his performance filling in for injured starters (including Aaron Gordon) over the course of the season.

Westbrook will have to make a decision in the coming weeks on his $3.47MM player option in the coming weeks. His projected minimum for 2025/26 as a free agent is $3.63MM, so even if he wants to return to Denver and is willing to settle for another minimum-salary deal, it might make sense for him to opt out in order to sign a new contract.

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International Notes: Jokic, Bogdanovic, Valanciunas, Micic, Hayes-Davis, Biberovic

May 26th, 2025 at 9:20am CST by Arthur Hill

Serbian basketball federation president Nebojsa Covic is counting on having a full team for this year’s EuroBasket tournament, including Nuggets star Nikola Jokic and Clippers guard Bogdan Bogdanovic, according to a BasketNews report. The Serbians have never won the gold medal in the event, but they would be among the favorites if all their stars are available.

The event will take place from August 27 to September 14, which Covic believes will give everyone plenty of time to recover from the rigors of an NBA season.

“I expect us to have a complete squad. I think that those constant questions about Jokic playing can create an unhealthy environment. We are all working on having a complete squad ready,” he said. “NBA stars like Nikola Jokic and Bogdan Bogdanovic now have three months of rest after the seasons they had and that were very demanding.” 

Jokic was one of the stars of last year’s Summer Olympics in Paris as Serbia captured a bronze medal and narrowly missed defeating the United States in the semifinals. He has been representing his country in international competitions since 2013.

There’s more international news to pass along:

  • Kings center Jonas Valanciunas speculated about finishing his career in the EuroLeague as he attended the league’s Final Four in Abu Dhabi, BasketNews relays in a separate story. It won’t happen for a while, as Valanciunas has two years remaining on his current contract. “I want to play in the EuroLeague, I want it for this atmosphere,” he said in an interview with SPORT24. “I want to play basketball, I want to enjoy this atmosphere.” Valanciunas played four seasons in Lithuania before coming to the NBA in 2012.
  • Suns guard Vasilije Micic wants five million euros ($5.685MM) to play in Europe next season, according to Alessandro Maggi of Sportando. Phoenix holds an $8.1MM team option on Micic for 2025/26, but that’s likely to be declined because he barely played after being acquired from Charlotte in February. Micic has received interest from Hapoel Tel Aviv and Crvena Zvezda, but Maggi states that not many European teams can meet his salary demand.
  • After capturing the EuroLeague title over the weekend, Fenerbahce is preparing for the possible loss of Nigel Hayes-Davis and Tarik Biberovic to the NBA, per Aris Barkas of Eurohoops. Hayes-Davis, 30, had brief stints with three NBA teams during the 2017/18 season, while Biberovic, 24, is a draft-and-stash prospect who was selected by Memphis in the second round in 2023. “There is serious interest in Tarık and Nigel from the NBA,” Fenerbahce general manager Derya Yannier said. “I don’t know what will happen over there. These are factors that could actually weaken our hand and prolong the process during the summer. Even before they leave, it’s difficult to have a clear view in terms of budget and roster planning.”
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Western Notes: Shannon, Murray, Hetzel, Jokic

May 25th, 2025 at 9:53pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Rookie Terrence Shannon Jr. has earned more playing time in the Western Conference Finals after his performance in Game 3, according to Timberwolves coach Chris Finch. Shannon delivered 15 points in 13 minutes as Minnesota blew out Oklahoma City, cutting the Thunder’s series lead to 2-1.

“I’ve been wrestling with getting another guy in the rotation,” Finch said, per Cassidy Hettesheimer of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. “A guy that could stretch the floor in transition, be a downhill player, got a good body, physicality. … We kind of knew coming into the game that we were going to get to him. You’re definitely going to see him more.”

We have more from the Western Conference:

  • Even though Keegan Murray took a step back in his third season, signing the Kings forward to a rookie scale extension would probably be a wise move this offseason, Spotrac contributor Keith Smith writes. Murray can play either forward spot and he could handle a bigger offensive role. A five-year contract in the $130-140MM range feels like the sweet spot for both parties, in Smith’s estimation.
  • Nets assistant Steve Hetzel is one of many candidates for the Suns’ head coaching job, a search that has moved into the next phase. Hetzel has also been an assistant with Detroit, Charlotte, Orlando and Portland and is known for his calm, unflappable demeanor, Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic writes.
  • Nikola Jokic needs to hold the Nuggets’ management more accountable if they want to keep him there, Mark Kiszla of the Denver Gazette writes. Jokic is eligible for a two-year extension this offseason but he ought to decline it and force ownership and the front office to improve the roster, in Kiszla’s view.
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Nuggets Notes: Offseason, Jokic, Malone

May 23rd, 2025 at 10:57pm CST by Eli Cohen

The Nuggets are facing a crucial offseason as they look to keep building a championship team around star Nikola Jokic. Choosing the right general manager will be a critical first step, as they will have important roster decisions to make, but the decisions don’t end there.

Avoiding the second tax apron will likely be a priority for the Nuggets as they weigh roster moves, writes Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. The team let Kentavious Caldwell-Pope leave in free agency last summer to avoid the second apron, and Durando warns not to expect a change in that mentality this summer, especially with Aaron Gordon‘s and Jamal Murray‘s extensions set to kick in and Jokic becoming extension-eligible in July.

The Nuggets can aggregate salaries in a trade and have one future first-round pick available for deals, but their depth proved problematic throughout the year, making a two-for-one deal a dicey proposition.

Christian Braun and Peyton Watson are also extension-eligible. While Watson will likely be a wait-and-see candidate, Braun established himself as a solid starter in the league this year and was a top-five finisher in Most Improved Player voting this season. His extension candidacy will be an interesting case to monitor, according to Durando.

Russell Westbrook also has a player option this summer, and while his time on the floor proved an up-and-down experience, he helped provide stability at times, especially when Gordon missed games.

Durando identifies center depth, on-ball perimeter defense, and three-point shooting as the crucial areas to address this summer, and at least one of those issues could be solved by Denver’s reported interest in Ty Jerome, though Jerome’s rising price tag and the club’s lack of financial flexibility could make that a tricky match. Durando also poses the question of whether the Nuggets involving Murray or Michael Porter Jr. that would upgrade the roster.

We have more from the Nuggets:

  • Denver running it back would be a waste of Jokic’s prime, writes Troy Renck of the Denver Post. Renck argues that, while vice chairman Josh Kroenke said the right things during his press conference, relying on internal improvements won’t be enough to bring Denver back to contention. This is especially true given the injury issues that have popped up as the Nuggets’ core has aged.
  • Jokic’s season was ranked as the 10th-best year ever by a non-MVP winner by Frank Urbina of HoopsHype. He was the first non-guard to ever average a triple-double and willed an injured team lacking depth to the fourth seed in the Western Conference. He’s the only player in NBA history to put up a 29/12/10 stat line, Urbina adds. Coincidentally, Jokic’s 2022/23 season, in which he lost out on MVP to Joel Embiid, is ranked one spot behind this one, at 11th.
  • Former Nuggets head coach Michael Malone made a stir this week when he referred to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander the MVP before the award was announced. However, he took the time out to correct the record for ESPN. “I did vote for (Jokic) again this year, if I had a vote,” he said before Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals. “Want to make sure the people in Denver know that because, right now, I’m getting a lot of heat back home.” 
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2024/25 All-NBA Teams Announced

May 23rd, 2025 at 6:09pm CST by Eli Cohen

The 2024/25 All-NBA teams have been officially announced by the league (Twitter link).

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:

First Team

Second Team

Third Team

The top four vote-getters, Antetounmpo, Gilgeous-Alexander, Jokic, and Tatum, were all unanimous selections to the First Team. James led the Second Team with 17 First Team votes, compared to Mitchell’s 61. Cunningham was the only member of the Third Team to receive First Team votes (six) — he also earned 10 more Second Team votes than the next closest vote-getter, as Towns had 40.

This announcement marks the first All-NBA selections for Cunningham, Mobley, and Williams, and – on the other side of the coin – the 21st consecutive selection for James. No other player in NBA history has been named to more than 15 All-NBA teams.

Curry set a franchise record with his 11th All-NBA selection. Edwards became just the fourth Timberwolves player to be named to multiple All-NBA teams, joining Kevin Garnett, Kevin Love, and Towns.

Other players who received votes, along with their respective point totals, were the Rockets‘ Alperen Sengun (58), the Grizzlies‘ Jaren Jackson Jr. (55), the Clippers‘ Ivica Zubac (15), the Cavaliers‘ Darius Garland (6), the Kings‘ Domantas Sabonis (4), the Pacers‘ Pascal Siakam (4), the Heat‘s Bam Adebayo (3), the Hawks‘ Trae Young (3), and the Suns‘ Devin Booker (2).

The Cavs, Knicks, and Thunder were the only teams to feature multiple All-NBA players. Both the Thunder and Knicks are currently playing in the conference finals for a shot at advancing to the NBA finals.

This is the second year that All-NBA teams have been positionless and have required players to meet a 65-game minimum to qualify for consideration.

Several players, starting with Cunningham, gained or lost eligibility for salary increases due to the All-NBA results. We have more details here.

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