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Pre-Camp Roster Snapshot: Northwest Division

September 20th, 2024 at 10:01pm CST by Luke Adams

Hoops Rumors is in the process of taking a closer look at each NBA team’s current roster situation, evaluating which clubs still have some moves to make and which ones seem most prepared for training camp to begin.

This series is meant to provide a snapshot of each team’s roster at this time, so these articles won’t be updated in the coming weeks as more signings, trades, and/or cuts are made. You can follow our roster counts page to keep tabs on teams’ open spots as opening night nears.

We’re continuing our pre-camp Roster Snapshot series today with the Northwest Division. Let’s dive in…

Denver Nuggets

Under general manager Calvin Booth, the Nuggets have typically set their training camp roster early in the offseason and not made any changes to the back end until the preseason is underway. Last year, for instance, Denver maxed out its 21-man roster on August 3 and didn’t make another roster move until October 13.

It looks like the team will probably stick to that pattern this year, taking the current group to camp and then rotating some Exhibit 10 signees on and off the roster during the preseason. With 15 players on guaranteed contracts and three on two-way deals, Denver’s projected regular season roster also looks set.

Minnesota Timberwolves

Although the Timberwolves have some back-end roster flexibility, they also have significant projected luxury tax penalties, and with the battle for control of the franchise headed to arbitration this fall, it’s still unclear who exactly will be on the hook for that tax bill.

With that in mind, I’d be surprised to see the Wolves carry a full 15-man standard roster into the regular season. And it’s probably safe to assume Dozier will start the season as the 14th man, since he has a $1MM partial guarantee that the team would have to eat if he’s waived and replaced with a newcomer. Minnesota could potentially make a change at that 14th spot before the league-wide guarantee date on January 7 if Dozier doesn’t prove in the first half that he deserves it, but his place on the opening night roster looks relatively safe.

While I expect some more Exhibit 10 shuffling in the coming days and weeks, the Wolves could set their camp roster by simply completing Randle’s deal, which would get them to the 21-man limit.

Oklahoma City Thunder

Even if they finalize their reported Exhibit 10 deals with Boeheim and Leons before October 1 and have both players with them in training camp, the Thunder would only have 19 players under contract, so they likely have more moves up their sleeve in the coming week or two.

The Thunder are one of the few NBA teams well positioned to bring in another veteran free agent who could make the 15-man standard roster. While Jaylin Williams will make the team, that still leaves the 15th spot open, and Oklahoma City is more than $11MM away from the luxury tax line, so another minimum-salary signing wouldn’t be a problem financially. With Topic out for the season and Kenrich Williams seemingly unlikely to be ready for opening night, the club could also use another depth piece.

It’s unclear whether the Thunder are perusing the free agent market with an eye toward adding a 15th man, but one more wing would make sense to me, with Oshae Brissett, Nassir Little, Justin Holiday, and Reggie Bullock among the available players who could fit.

Portland Trail Blazers

Banton’s big numbers (16.7 PPG, 3.6 APG) down the stretch for the Trail Blazers were the result of significant usage (27.2%) rather than a jump in scoring efficiency (he shot .408/.311/.780). Still, I’d give him the edge over Graham for the 15th roster spot in Portland since he’s younger and has a small partial guarantee. That spot’s not set in stone though.

The Trail Blazers still have one opening on their 21-man preseason roster. Unless the Blazers intend to bring in another player to compete with Banton and Graham to be the 15th man, that roster spot could be used to churn through Exhibit 10 signees for the Rip City Remix, Portland’s G League affiliate.

Utah Jazz

The Jazz‘s roster looks pretty close to ready for the regular season, with 15 players on guaranteed standard contracts and all three two-way spots occupied. Utah’s roster moves this fall may just consist of rotating Exhibit 10 players in and out before making final cuts at the end of the preseason.

A two-way shake-up is always a possibility, but Potter, Preston, and Tshiebwe all played well in the G League last season, so one of the non-guaranteed camp invitees would have to make a strong impression in October for the team to make a change there.

Previously:

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Northwest Notes: Gupta, Mays, Singer, Jazz Offseason

September 17th, 2024 at 9:51pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Timberwolves executive Sachin Gupta is changing sports. He’s leaving his post as executive vice president of basketball operations to take a prominent position with soccer’s Chelsea FC, Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic tweets.

Gupta, 42, has been in the Timberwolves’ front office since May 2019. He also had stints with the Rockets, Sixers and Pistons. Gupta served as the interim head of basketball operations in Minnesota following the 2021 dismissal of Gersson Rosas before the organization hired Tim Connelly in 2022.

We have more from the Northwest Division:

  • The Timberwolves’ NBA G League franchise, the Iowa Wolves, has acquired the returning player rights to guard Skylar Mays from the Westchester Knicks in exchange for the returning player rights to guard Vit Krejci and a 2025 G League first round pick, according to a Wolves press release. The Timberwolves signed Mays to an Exhibit 10 contract on Tuesday. By trading for Mays’ returning player rights, the Wolves can offer him a bonus worth up to $77.5K if he’s waived and then spends at least 60 days with the Iowa Wolves.
  • A former Nuggets beat writer is joining their organization. Denver is hiring former Denver Post reporter Mike Singer as their director of intelligence and strategy, according to The Denver Post’s Bennett Durando. In addition to hiring Singer, the Nuggets are promoting Todd Checovich to the position of scouting director. Drew Nicholas, who held that position for two years, accepted a new job with the Nets this summer.
  • Many of the Jazz players stayed close to their NBA home during the offseason. Keyonte George, Taylor Hendricks, Isaiah Collier, Brice Sensabaugh, Cody Williams, Kyle Filipowski, Walker Kessler and Collin Sexton spent the majority of the summer working out in Utah, according to Sarah Todd of The Deseret News.
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Nuggets Notes: Westbrook, Watson, Braun, Murray, Gordon

September 14th, 2024 at 5:25pm CST by Arthur Hill

Russell Westbrook was already a hero to many of the young Nuggets players before he joined the team in free agency this summer, writes Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. While they were learning to play the game, Westbrook was a star in Oklahoma City, displaying an intensity and competitiveness that was easy to admire.

“He was just a huge inspiration for me from the passion he plays with,” Peyton Watson said, “being himself unapologetically, and just being somebody who I feel like always leaves it out there on the floor. … As far back as I can remember watching basketball, really, I’ve been watching the energy and the passion that he played with, knowing that he came from damn near down the street from where I’m from (in Long Beach, California).” 

Christian Braun also cites Westbrook as an important influence on his basketball development. Westbrook has already shown himself to be a good teammate to Braun on one important issue, according to Durando, agreeing to take No. 4 as his uniform number instead of asking for Braun’s No. 0 and imploring fans to “leave our young star alone.”

“Downhill. Athletic. Tough. Mean. In-your-face,” Braun says of Westbrook’s playing style. “… Those are the type of guys I loved, and I learned from.”

There’s more from Denver:

  • Kevin Pelton of ESPN declined to give a grade to Jamal Murray‘s new four-year max extension, but he speculates that the Nuggets must have encouraging information about Murray’s health to agree to the deal. The contract is projected to be worth nearly $208MM and will run through the 2028/29 season. Pelton notes that it eliminates worries about Murray leaving in free agency next summer and states that it will be a wise investment if he continues to produce at the level he did last season.
  • After finalizing the deal with Murray, the next step should be a long-term contract for Aaron Gordon, contends Sean Keeler of The Denver Post. Keeler sees Gordon as a perfect complement to Murray and Nikola Jokic, providing much-needed athleticism and a strong defensive presence as well as a high basketball IQ. Gordon has a $22.8MM player option for the 2025/26 season, and Keeler advises the Nuggets to work out an extension before he has the chance to test free agency.
  • Denver’s media day could be among the most interesting in the league, Marc Stein states in his latest Substack article (subscriber only). In addition to Murray’s extension, topics should include how much help Westbrook can provide at this point in his career and coach Michael Malone‘s rumored dissatisfaction with the front office after losing Bruce Brown and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in free agency in consecutive summers.
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Nuggets Sign Jamal Murray To Four-Year Max Extension

September 11th, 2024 at 6:30pm CST by Luke Adams

SEPTEMBER 11: Murray’s extension is official, the Nuggets confirmed in a press release.

SEPTEMBER 7: The Nuggets and star guard Jamal Murray have reached an agreement on a four-year, maximum-salary contract extension that will begin in 2025/26, agents Jeff Schwartz and Mike George tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

Assuming the salary cap increases by the maximum allowable 10% next summer, as projected, Murray’s four-year deal will be worth $207,845,568. Taking into account his $36,016,200 salary for the ’24/25 season, the 27-year-old is now on track to earn just shy of $244MM over the next five seasons.

Murray is considered perhaps the most accomplished active player not to have made an All-Star team. He holds career averages of 17.5 points, 4.5 assists, and 3.7 rebounds in 30.7 minutes per game, with a .452/.380/.867 shooting line across 469 total appearances for the Nuggets, who drafted him with the seventh overall pick in 2016.

Murray has been even better (24.2 PPG, 6.2 APG, 4.9 RPG, .459/.389/.911 shooting) in 65 postseason contests and played a key role in helping Denver win the 2023 championship.

Last season, he matched his career high with 21.2 PPG. His 6.5 APG and .425 3PT% were also career bests, though he was limited to 59 games due to health issues.

Word broke in late June that Murray and the Nuggets were expected to finalize a four-year max extension. When more than two months passed without a deal, there was speculation that Denver may be rethinking that $52MM-per-year investment, especially after the veteran guard struggled in the 2024 postseason and at the Paris Olympics as a member of the Canadian national team.

However, it seems the Nuggets’ commitment to Murray hasn’t wavered. His new contract will make him one of the NBA’s highest-paid guards and will run through the 2028/29 season.

Murray, superstar center Nikola Jokic, and forward Michael Porter Jr. will earn a combined $140MM for Denver in 2025/26, with that total increasing to roughly $150MM in ’26/27. Jokic and Porter are each eligible to reach unrestricted free agency in 2027 (Jokic holds a ’27/28 player option).

The Nuggets’ roster may get even more expensive if the team is able to work out a new contract with its other starting forward, Aaron Gordon. Gordon will earn $22.8MM in 2024/25 and holds a player option worth the same amount for ’25/26. He’ll become extension-eligible later this month and would be able to negotiate a new deal at any time this season.

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2024/25 NBA Over/Unders: Northwest Division

September 11th, 2024 at 9:33am CST by Luke Adams

With the 2024/25 NBA regular season set to tip off next month, we’re getting serious about predictions for the upcoming campaign and continuing an annual Hoops Rumors tradition.

With the help of the lines from a series of sports betting sites – including Bovada and BetOnline – we’re running through the predicted win totals for each of the NBA’s 30 teams, by division. In a series of team-by-team polls, you’ll get the chance to weigh in on whether you think those forecasts are too optimistic or too pessimistic.

In 2023/24, our voters went 16-14 on their over/under picks. Can you top that in ’24/25?

We’ll continue our series today with the Northwest Division…

Oklahoma City Thunder

How many games will the Thunder win in 2024/25?
Over 56.5 68.11% (252 votes)
Under 56.5 31.89% (118 votes)
Total Votes: 370

Minnesota Timberwolves

How many games will the Timberwolves win in 2024/25?
Over 52.5 65.16% (230 votes)
Under 52.5 34.84% (123 votes)
Total Votes: 353

Denver Nuggets

How many games will the Nuggets win in 2024/25?
Over 51.5 54.28% (184 votes)
Under 51.5 45.72% (155 votes)
Total Votes: 339

Utah Jazz

How many games will the Jazz win in 2024/25?
Under 29.5 60.87% (196 votes)
Over 29.5 39.13% (126 votes)
Total Votes: 322

Portland Trail Blazers

How many games will the Trail Blazers win in 2024/25?
Under 22.5 54.71% (186 votes)
Over 22.5 45.29% (154 votes)
Total Votes: 340

Previous voting results:

Atlantic

  • Boston Celtics (58.5 wins): Over (69.7%)
  • New York Knicks (53.5 wins): Over (58.8%)
  • Philadelphia 76ers (52.5 wins): Under (51.7%)
  • Toronto Raptors (30.5 wins): Under (58.7%)
  • Brooklyn Nets (19.5 wins): Over (54.3%)

Southwest

  • Dallas Mavericks (49.5 wins): Over (78.0%)
  • Memphis Grizzlies (47.5 wins): Under (65.6%)
  • New Orleans Pelicans (46.5 wins): Under (60.6%)
  • Houston Rockets (43.5 wins): Under (51.4%)
  • San Antonio Spurs (36.5 wins): Under (52.9%)

Southeast

  • Orlando Magic (47.5 wins): Over (57.1%)
  • Miami Heat (44.5 wins): Under (63.1%)
  • Atlanta Hawks (35.5 wins): Under (66.4%)
  • Charlotte Hornets (29.5 wins): Under (63.1%)
  • Washington Wizards (20.5 wins): Under (56.6%)
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And-Ones: Cousins, Murray, Draft Prospects, Hot Seats

September 9th, 2024 at 9:48pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Former NBA center DeMarcus Cousins won’t reach out to NBA teams to get another chance to play in the league, he said on the Club 520 podcast (hat tip to Hoops Hype).

“I’m not going to go out trying to convince these guys anymore,” he said. “You know what I bring to the floor. It’s been proven. If you really wanted to know who I am, you’d take the time to get to know me instead of listening to somebody else. I’m past trying to reach out. If an opportunity comes that makes sense, I’ll consider it, but I’m done with the convincing.”

Cousins recently joined Wuxi WenLv, a Chinese team on the FIBA 3×3 World Tour. Cousins, who has been out of the NBA since 2022, has played for professional teams in Puerto Rico, Taiwan, and the Philippines since that point.

We have more from around the basketball world:

  • Jamal Murray‘s contract extension agreement with the Nuggets is good news for Canada’s basketball program, Michael Grange of Sportsnet opines. Murray took a lot of criticism during the Paris Olympics for his subpar performances and there were long-term concerns about his health. The possibility that Murray’s performances for Canada would be used against him in contract negotiations was a scenario the program didn’t want or need. It could have been the kind of cautionary tale that could create obstacles regarding team-building in the future, according to Grange.
  • Several prospects in the NBA’s next two draft classes have boosted their stock this summer and Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report takes a look at some of those risers. That group includes Baylor freshman guard V.J. Edgecombe and Illinois swingman Kasparas Jakucionis, as well as Cameron Boozer (draft-eligible in 2026).
  • Bulls top executive Arturas Karnisovas and head coach Billy Donovan, Bucks GM Jon Horst and coach Doc Rivers, Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins, and Nuggets GM Calvin Booth are among the GMs, presidents and coaches who have the most to prove this NBA season, according to ESPN’s Insiders.
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Southwest Notes: Barnes, Toney, Mavs TV Deal

September 8th, 2024 at 8:56pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Harrison Barnes knows his experience will be valuable to the Spurs’ young roster, according to Matt Guzman of Sports Illustrated.

“Obviously, coming in with (Chris Paul), we’re going to be two of the older guys in the locker room,” Barnes said. “Just getting a chance to talk with some of the guys here, there’s good energy, good excitement. I definitely look forward to putting my arm around guys and getting to work.”

Barnes will also provide perimeter shooting (38% on 3-point attempts in his career) and solid defense, Guzman adds. Barnes was acquired in the three-team deal involving Sacramento and Chicago.

“(I’m here) to do anything that’s asked of me,” he said. “The goal every season is to go out there, play 82 games and give it my best.”

We have more from the Southwest Division:

  • The Pelicans’ NBA G League team, the Birmingham Squadron, has acquired the rights to guard Au’Diese Toney from the Nuggets’ G League team, the Grand Rapids Gold, in exchange for Tevian Jones, according to the Gold (Twitter link). Toney, 24, played in 12 regular-season games with the Gold last season, averaging 12.4 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.3 assists. He was undrafted out of Arkansas. Jones, who was undrafted out of Southern Utah, appeared in 34 games for the Gold.
  • The Mavericks have chosen to have their games broadcast over a local, free over-the-air channel, according to a team press release. The agreement covers all games that are not on national TV. The new multi-year broadcast rights agreement with TEGNA will allow Dallas-area residents to watch the games on KMPX Dallas-Ft. Worth. The Mavs ended their broadcast deal with financially troubled Bally Sports last month.
  • In case you missed it, the Mavericks are bringing back Markieff Morris. Get the details here.
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And-Ones: Curry, Near Trades, Payton Sr., West Teams’ Weaknesses

September 8th, 2024 at 5:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Stephen Curry, who recently signed a $62.6MM extension for the 2026/27 season, has already made more money in the 2020s than any player in any decade in NBA history, HoopsHype tweets.

The Warriors superstar has already racked up $229MM in this decade through the 2023/24 season. LeBron James made $226.4MM in the 2010s, while Kevin Garnett earned $215.5MM in the 2000s.

We have more from the basketball world:

  • Remember in 2019 when Paul George and Russell Westbrook were dealt to the Raptors? Do you recall back in 2007 when Garnett was dealt to the Warriors? Or in 2011 when the Lakers added an in-his-prime Chris Paul? Of course, none of those trades actually came to fruition. Mark Deeks of HoopsHype looks back at some of the biggest near trades in NBA history.
  • ‘The Glove’ has found a head coaching job in the junior college ranks. Former NBA star Gary Payton Sr. is the new head coach at the College of Alameda, according to Marc Spears of ESPN (Twitter link). Payton, inherits a program that went 7-21 last season while playing in the Bay Valley Conference. Payton, 56, has also been coaching in the Big3 league since its inception in 2017.
  • The Nuggets need to add more 3-point shooting, Tim Bontemps of ESPN notes. They lost Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who shot over 40% from deep in two seasons with Denver, in free agency. In the subscriber-only story, Bontemps also looks at the biggest weaknesses on the Lakers, Timberwolves, Pelicans and Kings rosters.
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Hornets’ Vasilije Micic Dismisses Trade Rumors

September 8th, 2024 at 9:01am CST by Arthur Hill

Serbian point guard Vasilije Micic confirmed that he will remain with the Hornets and dismissed offseason trade speculation, according to Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops. Speaking to the media after a mural dedication ceremony in Belgrade, Micic said he is looking forward to the start of training camp with the team.

“I am staying in Charlotte. That is official,” he said. “All these rumors out there, I did not want to comment until something concrete. Probably, there was some interest, but nothing enough for me to comment. I am happy they want me here and I think the next season will be more productive for me.”

The Hornets acquired Micic at the February trade deadline in the deal that sent Gordon Hayward to Oklahoma City. He appeared in 30 games after the trade, making 21 starts and averaging 10.8 points, 2.1 rebounds and 6.2 assists while shooting 43.7% from the field and just 29.4% from three-point range.

Micic will likely be moved to a reserve role this season as LaMelo Ball returns from ankle tendinopathy. Micic came off the bench in all 30 games he played for OKC.

Last year was the first NBA season for the 30-year-old, who was taken 52nd overall by Philadelphia as a draft and stash pick in 2014. He was a star in the EuroLeague for several years, mainly for Anadolu Efes in Turkey.

There have been rumors over the summer that the Nuggets may have interest in acquiring Micic to team him up with countryman Nikola Jokic. They have played together on the Serbian national team for several years and captured a bronze medal at the Paris Olympics.

“I would like to play with Jokic, but I do not know what will happen,” Micic said. “I think I need one more year to show what I can do in the United States. Whatever you do outside American soil, they still only trust players proven in the USA. So, I think that one season with a trade and two solid months is not enough for a team of such caliber to be sure to bring me in. But maybe next season. We will see.”

Micic will make $7.7MM this season, and the Hornets hold an $8.1MM option for 2025/26. He will become a free agent next summer if the team decides not to exercise that option.

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Northwest Notes: Hartenstein, Edwards, Gobert, Nuggets

September 7th, 2024 at 5:35pm CST by Luke Adams

The debate over whether or not Isaiah Hartenstein should start for the Thunder remains a hot topic among fans in Oklahoma City as training camp nears, writes Joel Lorenzi of The Oklahoman.

Lorenzi expects Hartenstein to toggle back and forth between the starting five and the second unit depending on matchups, writing that whether or not he starts matters less than the lineups he’ll play with.

Lorenzi wouldn’t be surprised if the Thunder’s top free agent addition plays alongside Chet Holmgren frequently at the start of the season, as head coach Mark Daigneault gathers information on how the duo performs together, but Hartenstein will also be a crucial piece in non-Holmgren lineups, which badly needed a rim protector last season, Lorenzi notes.

Here’s more from around the Northwest:

  • The ongoing development of Anthony Edwards is the key to the Timberwolves continuing to raise their ceiling, according to John Schuhmann of NBA.com, who breaks down some numbers and film in considering how the All-NBA guard could keep getting better.
  • Referring to the four-time Defensive Player of the Year as the league’s “favorite pin cushion,” Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic defends Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert from some of the criticism he’s taking this offseason after being on the wrong end of a Luka Doncic highlight in the Western Conference Finals and playing limited minutes for France during their run to a silver medal at the Paris Olympics. Gobert was a huge part of Minnesota’s success last season and will be even more critical in 2024/25, Krawczynski contends.
  • In a subscriber-only mailbag for The Denver Post, Bennett Durando explores several Nuggets-related topics, including what Michael Porter Jr.‘s next contract might look like and where Zeke Nnaji stands as he enters a four-year, $32MM extension. General manager Calvin Booth has made it clear he still believes in Nnaji, Durando writes, but the big man’s deal “obviously looks terrible” after a poor 2023/24 showing.
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