Warriors Rumors

Suns Notes: Durant, Micic, Martin, Washington

February 14th, 2025 at 11:00am CST by Arthur Hill

Kevin Durant is hoping he won’t get a harsh reception from Warriors fans during All-Star Weekend, writes Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. The Suns star ended hopes for a potential three-team trade last week when he said he didn’t want to return to the Bay Area. Durant, who was named Finals MVP while leading Golden State to championships in 2017 and 2018, pointed that he has “a couple of murals in that arena.”

“For a couple of days, I know it’s going to be hard, but for a couple of days, you can forget about how I left the Warriors or how I came to the Warriors or me not wanting to go back to the Warriors and just appreciate the weekend,” he said. “Appreciate the players that’s there and hopefully people can get off that (expletive) and just appreciate basketball.”

More than his All-Star reception, Durant is concerned about salvaging the season for the Suns, who are currently 11th in the West at 26-28, a game and a half away from the play-in tournament. Phoenix dropped three straight games heading into the break and will need a strong finish against a difficult schedule to reach the top 10.

“Hopefully everybody gets their minds clear, enjoy their break with their families, get their bodies right and then come back and put our foot on the gas and try to get this thing turned around,” Durant said.

There’s more from Phoenix:

Last week’s trade to the Suns means former EuroLeague star Vasilije Micic is on his third team since coming to the NBA in 2023, Rankin notes in a separate story. Although there have been rumors that he will consider returning to Europe this summer, Micic tells Rankin he’s fully committed to making things work in Phoenix. “Honestly, I never considered going back to Europe as long as I had a contract in the NBA,” he said. “The reason I came here was definitely for my own challenge, coming out of the comfort zone. I always expect something like this, but as long as I have an NBA contract, I’ll be 100% dedicated to this.”
Cody Martin, who was acquired from Charlotte in the same trade with Micic, has been a long-time target of general manager James Jones, Rankin adds. Jones scouted Martin when he was in college at Nevada and has remained interested in adding him to the roster. Martin has been sidelined since January 24 with a sports hernia, and the Suns are hoping he can return shortly after the All-Star break. “It’s never a good feeling working your way out of stuff,” he said, “but I think the biggest thing is that it’s just part of the game. Just figuring out how to get over the hump and getting back as soon as you can.”
Coming off an 11-point game on Wednesday night, two-way player TyTy Washington will get to showcase his skills at Sunday’s NBA G League Next Up Game, Rankin states in another piece. The 23-year-old point guard is trying to establish himself as an NBA player after moving around frequently since being selected with the 29th pick in the 2022 draft. “Good opportunity,” he said of this weekend’s event. “A lot of NBA people are going to be there. A lot of All-Stars are going to be out there. Just go out there and keep that in the back of my mind. Playing not only for myself, but for my team and for everybody else that’s watching.”

Stephen Curry: ‘No Hard Feelings’ Regarding Kevin Durant

February 14th, 2025 at 10:01am CST by Arthur Hill

Stephen Curry has “no hard feelings, no resentment” toward Kevin Durant for not wanting to return to the Warriors, according to Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.

As Curry, Durant and LeBron James get ready to reunite at All-Star Weekend for the first time since the Summer Olympics, Youngmisuk examines the failed trade attempts that would have teamed up Curry and James last season and Curry and Durant a week ago. The latest deal was scuttled when Durant told Curry that it “didn’t feel right” and “wasn’t the time” for him to return to the Bay Area.

“You need everybody to be all bought in no matter what the history you have,” Curry said. “And I respect KD. It’s all about having peace of mind and happiness. Neither one of us controlled that [trade] situation. It’s just you want to make sure somebody wants to be somewhere. Other than that, I’m not trying to convince anybody to be somewhere they don’t want to be.”

Durant was reportedly blindsided by the proposed three-team deal, which also involved Jimmy Butler going from Miami to Phoenix. Durant hadn’t considered leaving the Suns, although his future appears less certain this summer as he heads into the final year of his contract.

Durant enjoyed the greatest success of his long career during his three seasons with Golden State, making three straight trips to the NBA Finals and earning Finals MVP honors as the Warriors won titles in 2017 and 2018.

However, there was a downside, as Durant was frequently criticized for leaving Oklahoma City in free agency in 2016 to sign with a Warriors team that was coming off a 73-win season. Durant also had a highly publicized on-court dispute with Draymond Green, and there were reports that he wasn’t fully happy sharing the spotlight with Curry. After suffering an Achilles tear during the 2019 Finals, Durant left Golden State to sign with Brooklyn.

Warriors coach Steve Kerr said he completely understands any reluctance Durant has to come back.

“I don’t blame Kevin one bit for not wanting to rerun things here,” said Kerr, who also coached Durant in the Olympics. “He took so much s— for like, ‘Oh, you’re jumping on the bandwagon’ [when he signed with Golden State as a free agent in 2016]. And then he’s Finals MVP two years in a row. It’s like he still gets criticized. So why would he want to face all that B.S. again?”

Curry adds that he doesn’t expect things to be awkward “at all” with Durant when they get together this weekend. Instead of focusing on the decision to nix the trade, Curry wants to savor the time he gets to spend with Durant and James, recognizing that there won’t be many more opportunities as they all near the end of their careers.

Youngmisuk notes that things have turned out fine for the Warriors, who were able to acquire Butler directly from Miami when the Durant deal fell through. Golden State is 3-1 since Butler arrived, and Curry is confident that his team can handle anyone in a seven-game series.

“I think it all worked out as it probably was supposed to,” Kerr said. “For Jimmy, it’s a fresh start. For us, it’s a different vibe, different look. Kevin didn’t feel [a reunion], so it wouldn’t have been healthy for him to come here or for us if he didn’t want to be here. Obviously, we would’ve been thrilled with either one of them. But I think it all worked out as it was supposed to.”

Pacific Notes: Butler, Simmons, Bogdanovic, Ellis

February 14th, 2025 at 8:03am CST by Arthur Hill

Draymond Green called new teammate Jimmy Butler a “franchise changer” after the Warriors withstood a late Rockets rally in Thursday’s win at Houston, writes Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. Golden State, which led by as many as 24 points, was only ahead by four when Butler returned to the game with 4:42 remaining. He helped lead a 9-2 run that gave the Warriors a much-needed win heading into the All-Star break.

“He’s a franchise changer,” Green said. “He’s done that everywhere he’s gone and he is helping revitalize what we got here. The belief amongst this team, now that he’s arrived, as opposed to what it was before he got here, it’s night and day.”

Butler was the team’s major addition at last week’s trade deadline after a long search to find another scorer to take some of the burden off Stephen Curry. He contributed 19 points, eight rebounds and four assists on Thursday, as Golden State is now 3-1 in the four games he has played and looks ready to move up the standings after the break ends.

“Jimmy, he’s a real deal,” coach Steve Kerr said. “I mean, just a complete basketball player, methodical, under control all the time, plays at his own pace, never turns it over, sees the game and then can get to the line frequently. Great closer, not in the traditional sense where he’s going to be Kevin Durant and make four straight mid-range jumpers, but it’s more of a complete game. Get to the line, make the right pass, get somebody else an open look, get a defensive stop, get a rebound. He’s a fantastic player.”

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

Ben Simmons had an impressive debut with the Clippers in Thursday’s win at Utah, delivering 12 points, eight rebounds, six assists and three steals in 27 minutes off the bench. Coach Tyronn Lue praised the former All-Star for fitting in quickly in his first game with his new team, relays Law Murray of The Athletic (Twitter video link). “I thought he did a great job, just reading the game, his IQ, making the right play, aggressive to the basket,” Lue said.
Bogdan Bogdanovic, who was acquired in a trade with Atlanta, made his Clippers debut on Wednesday, per Anthony DeLeon of The Orange County Register. The veteran shooter described the experience as “a new journey” and said he’s excited to play alongside Kawhi Leonard and James Harden.
Keon Ellis has played an important role in the Kings‘ recent surge, notes Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. The third-year guard scored 27 points off the bench in Wednesday’s win over New Orleans.

And-Ones: Anthony, Curry, Ionescu, Thornwell, Cook

February 13th, 2025 at 1:48pm CST by Rory Maher

NBC Sports is hiring former NBA star Carmelo Anthony to be one of the network’s top studio analysts when it starts broadcasting games again next season, reports Andrew Marchand of The Athletic.

According to Marchand, NBC recently had discussions with Charles Barkley, but those talks have ended. Barkley, a Hall-of-Famer and longtime analyst for TNT, will continue his role on “Inside the NBA” as part of an agreement with ABC/ESPN, even though TNT lost its broadcast rights for 2025/26.

Marchand also hears that current ESPN analyst Richard Jefferson has drawn interest from Amazon for next season. ’25/26 will be the first season in which Amazon has the broadcast rights for NBA games.

Here’s more from around the basketball world:

Warriors guard Stephen Curry and New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu were expected to have a rematch after last year’s well-received three-point shootout at All-Star weekend. However, that won’t take place this weekend in San Francisco after all, according to Joe Vardon and Anthony Slater of The Athletic. “We weren’t able to land on a plan we thought would raise the bar off of last year’s special moment,” NBA spokesman Mike Bass said in a statement. “We all agreed not to proceed and will instead keep the focus on All-Star Sunday’s new format.” Vardon and Slater hear that Curry and Ionescu were only interested in holding the event if it was expanded to feature more NBA and WNBA players; those plans essentially fell through when Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark announced that she wanted to focus on the WNBA’s three-point contest in Indianapolis later this year.
Former NBA guard/forward Sindarius Thornwell has left Zastal Zielona Góra to join the Xinjiang Flying Tigers of the Chinese Basketball Association, the Polish team announced (via Twitter). According to Zastal, Thornwell was technically bought out of his contract after a lucrative offer from the Flying Tigers (hat tip to Sportando). A former second-round pick, the 30-year-old wing spent four seasons in the NBA, last suiting up for Orlando during the ’20/21 campaign.
Thornwell isn’t the only former NBA player heading to China, as veteran guard Quinn Cook has agreed to a rest-of-season deal with the Fujian Sturgeons, agent Zac Benalloul tells Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). Cook, 31, won a pair of championships with the Warriors and Lakers over the course of his five years in the league (from 2016-21). The former Duke Blue Devil played in Puerto Rico and Taiwan last season. This will be his second stint in the CBA.

Warriors Notes: Kuminga, Butler, Expectations, Curry

February 12th, 2025 at 11:10am CST by Luke Adams

Acquiring and extending Jimmy Butler added a significant chunk of money to the Warriors‘ payroll for the next two seasons after this one, with Butler set to earn approximately $26MM more per year than Andrew Wiggins would have. With that in mind, Anthony Slater of The Athletic asked team owner Joe Lacob whether the trade and extension for Butler will complicate Golden State’s ability to re-sign Jonathan Kuminga during the 2025 offseason.

“Why?” Lacob said. After Slater pointed to the salary numbers noted above, Lacob replied, “Yeah, so?”

In other words, the addition of Butler hasn’t diminished the Warriors’ interest in a new deal with Kuminga, according to the club’s owner.

“Absolutely,” Lacob said when asked directly whether Golden State plans to pay what it takes to retain the restricted free agent forward. “One hundred percent. Are you kidding me? I love that guy. We love him.”

Kuminga’s name came up last week when the Warriors were rumored to be in pursuit of Suns forward Kevin Durant. Reporting indicated that the teams discussed a deal that would have sent Kuminga to Phoenix as part of a package for Durant.

Although Lacob couldn’t – and wouldn’t – discuss those negotiations publicly, he suggested that Golden State would only have considered parting with Kuminga if the club absolutely had to in order to acquire a star player.

“Anybody can be traded,” Lacob said. “Anybody. Well, almost anybody. But we would never do that unless it was something incredibly significant. Incredibly significant. I think players understand that.”

Here’s more on the Warriors:

Kuminga referred to the trade for Butler as “great for us,” according to Slater. “I think it’s actually great for me, being around him, trying to pick up some of the stuff he does,” Kuminga said. “I feel like I see myself kind of like having a similar type of game.”
Kuminga, who has been out since January 4 due to a sprained right ankle, is expected to remain sidelined when the Warriors resume play following the All-Star break, per head coach Steve Kerr. “I wouldn’t anticipate him playing those first few games right after the break,” Kerr said on Monday (story via The Associated Press).
The Warriors, who will enter Wednesday’s action ranked 10th in the West at 27-26, believe they’re capable of claiming one of the six guaranteed playoff spots in the conference. “Sixth seed is the goal,” Kerr said after Monday’s win in Milwaukee, according to Slater. The No. 6 Clippers are 29-23, with a 2.5-game cushion on Golden State.
The Warriors are 2-0 since Butler made his debut for the team, but the star forward doesn’t believe he’s 100% yet and is confident he’ll be able to make a more significant impact, as Slater relays. “You gotta think, I haven’t played basketball in a month,” Butler said on Monday. “My wind is nowhere close to where it needs to be. I can’t wait until I’m back in basketball shape where I’m used to being. I won’t miss free throws as much. I’ll have lift on my jump shots. Right now, I’m just gassed. I’m glad we’re winning. But I gotta get in better shape.”
Butler has 28 free throw attempts in his first two games as a Warrior, becoming the first Golden State player to get to the foul line that often in a two-game span since Durant in 2018, Slater adds. Stephen Curry, who has scored 34 and 38 points in his first two games alongside Butler, told Slater and other reporters after Monday’s win, “Every possession just doesn’t feel as hard.”

Kevin Durant Admits He Was ‘Blindsided’ By Trade Rumors

February 10th, 2025 at 10:21pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Suns forward Kevin Durant admitted he was “blindsided” that his name came up in trade talks prior to last week’s deadline, according to Doug Haller of The Athletic.

However, he took the news diplomatically.

“Everybody’s bought and sold in this league,’’ Durant said. “Anybody can be up for auction. I understand that.”

Durant’s name surfaced in trade rumors after negotiations between the Heat and Suns regarding a potential Jimmy Butler deal stalled, mainly due to Miami’s unwillingness to take on Bradley Beal‘s contract. Butler ultimately landed with Golden State, while Durant and Beal stayed put. Durant reportedly balked at the idea of a second stint with the Warriors.

Durant tried to put a positive step on the process.

“It’s not a bad thing that people around the league want me to play for them,” Durant said, according to The Associated Press. “It’s not a bad thing my organization here is fighting off people to keep me on the team or even dangle me in a trade. It’s part of being in high demand.”

Phoenix reportedly might explore the possibility of moving Durant during this offseason. The Suns and Durant could also explore a two-year veteran extension. Durant is earning $51.2MM in 2024/25, followed by $54.7MM in ’25/26.

Durant is now concerned that the focus on him will intensify the remainder of the season, due to the trade rumors and speculation about what will happen this summer.

“I always had a goal of just playing my contract out and seeing what happens,’’ Durant said. per Haller. “I can’t focus on a year-and-a-half down the line. I know that will be a topic. That’s probably the most frustrating part about being in trade talks is that the microscope is going to be on solely just me the rest of the season. My body language. How I speak to (news reporters) after the game. How I’m looking on the bench. That stuff will be magnified, which sucks.”

Durant also addressed a report by ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne that described the team’s locker room as toxic.

“I think it’s unfair and lazy to categorize our team as toxic when you come in there for five minutes throughout four months,” Durant said, per a Yahoo Sports tweet.

Durant hasn’t played since last Monday due to an ankle injury but is expected to return for Phoenix’s home game on Tuesday night against Memphis. He is 26 points from becoming the eighth NBA player to reach 30,000 career points.

Contract Details: Butler, Post, Mitchell, Craig, Two-Ways

February 10th, 2025 at 11:38am CST by Luke Adams

Jimmy Butler‘s new two-year contract extension with the Warriors became official last Thursday as part of the trade that sent him from Miami to Golden State, per RealGM’s transaction log. That deal, which replaces Butler’s player option for 2025/26, projects to be worth $54,126,450 next season and $56,832,773 in 2026/27.

Those figures hinge on a presumed 10% salary cap increase for the ’25/26 season. Butler’s deal will start at 35% of the cap, with a 5% raise for the second year. Based on the maximum possible cap increase, which is anticipated, that would work out to a two-year total of $110,959,223 for the newest Warrior.

Meanwhile, Hoops Rumors has learned that Quinten Post‘s new standard two-year contract is a minimum-salary contract that includes a team option for 2025/26. The Warriors will have the ability to either exercise that $1.96MM for next season or turn it down in the hopes of signing the big man to a longer-term contract as a restricted free agent.

Here are a few more updates on recently signed contracts from around the NBA:

Ajay Mitchell‘s new two-year, $6MM contract with the Thunder includes a guaranteed $3MM for the rest of this season, which comes out of Oklahoma City’s room exception. It also features a $3MM team option for 2025/26, which means – like Golden State with Post – Oklahoma City could decline the option in order to sign Mitchell to a longer-term deal as a restricted free agent this summer.
Torrey Craig‘s new contract with the Celtics is a one-year, minimum-salary deal, Hoops Rumors has learned, so the veteran wing will be back on the unrestricted free agent market during the coming offseason.
While Branden Carlson (Thunder), Orlando Robinson (Raptors), and Jordan Goodwin (Lakers) signed two-way contracts that will expire at season’s end, Ethan Thompson‘s new two-way deal with the Magic covers two years, so Orlando will have the option of keeping him on that contract through the 2025/26 season, Hoops Rumors has learned.

NBA Teams With Open Roster Spots

February 10th, 2025 at 7:37am CST by Luke Adams

A number of free agent signings have been finalized in the days since last Thursday’s trade deadline, but there are still many teams around the NBA with one or more open spots on their respective rosters.

For clubs with just a single standard or two-way opening, there’s not necessarily any urgency to fill those spots, especially ahead of the All-Star break. But the clock is ticking for teams who have two or more openings on their standard rosters to make a move, since clubs are only permitted to carry fewer than 14 players on standard contracts for up to two weeks at a time.

With the help of our roster count tracker, here’s where things stand for all 30 teams around the NBA as of Monday morning. As a reminder, teams are typically permitted to carry up to 15 players on standard contracts and three on two-way deals.

(Note: Teams marked with an asterisk have a player on a 10-day contract.)

Teams with multiple open roster spots

Cleveland Cavaliers
Golden State Warriors
Philadelphia 76ers *
Sacramento Kings *

The Cavaliers dipped to 13 players on standard contracts as a result of Thursday’s De’Andre Hunter trade, so their situation is fairly straightforward — they’ll have to re-add a 14th man by February 20.

The Warriors‘ four-for-one Jimmy Butler trade dropped them to just 11 players. They quickly got back to 12 by promoting Quinten Post from his two-way contract to a standard roster spot and now have three openings on their standard roster, along with one open two-way slot.

Golden State doesn’t have to fill all those openings, but the team does have to get back to at least 14 players on standard contracts by Feb. 20. Assuming Post got a prorated rookie minimum salary on his new deal, the Warriors – by my count – have $1,372,306 in breathing room below their first-apron hard cap.

If the Warriors were to sign a pair of veterans to rest-of-season minimum deals on Feb. 20, they would each count for $635,853 against the cap, leaving the team with $100,600 in breathing room below the hard cap. It’s possible Golden State will go that route. It’s also possible the club will sign a couple players to 10-day contracts, then go another 14 days in March with just 12 players under contract in order to create a bit of extra wiggle room below that hard cap. That would allow the Warriors to sign a 15th man a little earlier in the second half.

The Sixers briefly dropped to 12 players on standard contracts at the trade deadline, but they’re back to 14 now, having promoted Justin Edwards to a standard contract and given Chuma Okeke a 10-day deal. They’re expected to sign David Roddy to a 10-day contract too, which will give them a full standard roster.

For now then, no roster moves are necessary in Philadelphia, but the team does have a two-way slot open and could drop back to 13 players on standard deals after Okeke’s and Roddy’s 10-day contracts expire, which would necessitate a least one addition within 14 days.

The Kings are currently carrying 12 players on full-season standard contracts, with Daishen Nix on a 10-day deal. They’ll have to get back to 14 players by Feb. 20.

Teams with one open roster spot

Atlanta Hawks
Boston Celtics
Brooklyn Nets
Charlotte Hornets *
Dallas Mavericks
Indiana Pacers
Los Angeles Clippers
Milwaukee Bucks
Minnesota Timberwolves
New Orleans Pelicans
New York Knicks
Toronto Raptors
Utah Jazz

The Hawks, Celtics, Nets, Mavericks, Bucks, Timberwolves, Pelicans, Knicks, Raptors, and Jazz are all carrying 14 players on full-season standard contracts and three on two-way deals, with no reported signings pending. They’re each free to carry that open roster spot for as long as they want to, though some figure to fill it sooner rather than later.

Two teams that can’t fill their openings sooner rather than later are Dallas and New York. The Knicks are just $540,126 below their second-apron hard cap, while the Mavericks have a mere $171,120 to operate below their first-apron hard cap. Based on my math, New York would be able to sign a veteran free agent as a 15th man as of February 28 (that date moved up a day as a result of the Knicks trimming $4,825 from their cap in the Delon Wright/Jericho Sims swap), while Dallas will have to wait until March 31.

The Hornets are in this group because they have a two-way slot open, but their standard roster is full for now. In fact, it’s more than full — as a result of having been granted a hardship exception, they’re temporarily carrying 16 players instead of the usual maximum of 15. Elfrid Payton, on a 10-day deal, is the 16th man.

The Pacers and Clippers, meanwhile, each technically have an open roster spot for now, but they reportedly have deals in place with prospective 15th men. Indiana will sign center Alex Len once he clears waivers, while L.A. will add three-time All-Star Ben Simmons. Both players are on track to clear waivers on Monday.

Teams with no open roster spots

Chicago Bulls
Denver Nuggets
Detroit Pistons
Houston Rockets
Los Angeles Lakers
Memphis Grizzlies
Miami Heat
Oklahoma City Thunder
Orlando Magic
Phoenix Suns
Portland Trail Blazers
San Antonio Spurs *
Washington Wizards *

The Bulls, Nuggets, Pistons, Rockets, Lakers, Grizzlies, Heat, Thunder, Magic, Suns, and Trail Blazers are all carrying 15 players on standard contracts and three on two-way deals. If they want to make a free agent addition during the season’s final two months, they’ll have to cut a player to do so.

That won’t necessarily be the case for the Spurs and Wizards though. Both clubs have just 14 players on full-season standard contracts, with one on a 10-day deal — Bismack Biyombo for San Antonio and Jaylen Nowell for Washington. Once those contracts expire, the Spurs and Wizards could open up a roster spot if they opt not to retain Biyombo and Nowell, respectively.

Warriors Notes: Butler, Looney, Older Players

February 9th, 2025 at 3:22pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Speaking this week to Mark Medina of Sportskeeda, Warriors center Kevon Looney reflected on Golden State’s decision to acquire six-time All-Star forward Jimmy Butler in a five-team blockbuster trade.

“He’s great wherever he has been,” Looney said of Butler. “Individually, he has a way of elevating the group. He’s able to elevate guys that you wouldn’t think are great because they play well next to him. I’m excited to play with him and see how he is and get to experience it. I know that he’s tough as nails. I love playing with guys like that. I’m excited to see how it goes.”

In Butler’s debut as a Warrior on Saturday, the 6’7″ swingman helped propel his new club to a road win against Chicago, racking up 25 points to go along with four assists. He shot 7-of-12 from the floor and made 11-of-13 attempts from the foul line, an encouraging sign for a Golden State team that ranked dead last entering Saturday in free throw makes per game (14.7) and free throw percentage (72.0%).

“This was probably the most eventful trade deadline that I’ve been in from the standpoint of things going on around the league and internally,” Looney said. “Since I’ve been here, we haven’t really made a lot of trades. So to be involved in it was surreal.”

There’s more out of Golden State:

Warriors players were impressed by what they saw from Butler on Friday, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic. Head coach Steve Kerr is looking to occasionally stagger the minutes of Butler and Curry with an eye on keeping a star scorer on the floor at all times. Following a superlative 24-point third quarter in which he was played all 12 minutes, All-NBA guard Stephen Curry was rested for the first several minutes of the fourth. Butler helped stabilize Golden State in his absence. Kerr specifically praised Butler’s attitude after the game. “That’s kind of the key, to me,” Kerr said. “It’s the swagger that he gives us. He gives confidence to the rest of the group, including Steph and Draymond [Green], and that’s important. When all those guys are feeling empowered and confident, you feel the difference. … This is the whole point of the deal, to inject that confidence and presence Jimmy brings.”
The Warriors’ new core features three Hall of Famers in their mid-30s: Curry (36), Butler (35), and Green (34). With $287MM owed to those players after this season, Golden State has the most money committed to players in their age-35 seasons and beyond, observes Frank Urbina of HoopsHype. Green will turn 35 in March.
In case you missed it, Butler’s tumultuous last weeks with Miami were recently detailed in full.

And-Ones: Podziemski, Wallace, Australia, Buyouts, Etienne

February 8th, 2025 at 2:52pm CST by Luke Adams

Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski has been named an injury replacement for next Friday’s Rising Stars event at All-Star weekend in San Francisco, the NBA announced today (via Twitter).

Podziemski will be replacing Thunder guard Cason Wallace, who is currently dealing with a shoulder strain. Wallace had been drafted onto honorary head coach Tim Hardaway Sr.‘s squad for the four-team event, so Podziemski will slot into Hardaway’s roster.

After a promising rookie season, Podziemski got off to a slow start in this season’s first half, but he has picked up his play since returning last month from an abdominal injury. In his first eight games back, he has averaged 14.6 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game on .494/.396/.759 shooting.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

The NBA has reached an agreement with Australia’s National Basketball League and the Victorian Government to play a pair of exhibition games in Melbourne during the 2025 preseason, according to Olgun Uluc of ESPN. The plan is for a single NBA team to travel to Australia to play an NBL squad, says Uluc, noting that it will be the first time the NBA has played a game in the country.
John Hollinger of The Athletic takes a look at 35 players who have already hit the buyout market or whom he considers candidates to do so. In Hollinger’s view, there are three players – Bruce Brown, Malcolm Brogdon, and D’Angelo Russell – who could be real difference-makers, though Brown and Brogdon reportedly aren’t likely to be bought out. Hollinger also considers Chris Boucher, Tre Jones, and Larry Nance Jr. to be players who could play rotation roles for playoff teams if they’re bought out by their current clubs.
Guard Tyson Etienne has been shooting the lights out for the Long Island Nets (48.9% on three-pointers during the NBAGL regular season) and is drawing interest from NBA teams, according to Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter link), who says Etienne looks like a candidate to get a two-way deal before the March 4 deadline.

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