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Western Notes: Kidd, Collins, Bailey, Harper

July 1st, 2025 at 9:15pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Mavericks are expected to extend head coach Jason Kidd‘s contract again before the start of next season, Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line report (via Substack). Kidd received an extension after last season and general manager Nico Harrison indicated last week that Kidd would remain the team’s head coach next season.

Of course, the Knicks were interested in talking to Kidd about their head coaching vacancy. Although the Mavericks denied the Knicks’ request to speak to their head coach, there has been persistent speculation that Kidd would wind up in New York unless he received an extension.

Here’s more from the Western Conference:

Jazz big man John Collins picked up his $26.5MM option last week. That probably means he’ll remain on Utah’s roster entering next season, according to Tony Jones of The Athletic, who tweets that there doesn’t seem to be much of a market for Collins, who averaged 19.0 points and 8.2 rebounds this past season, but he was limited to 40 games and didn’t return after suffering a left ankle sprain on March 12.
Jazz lottery pick Ace Bailey didn’t work out for the team amid reports that his preferred destination was Washington. Bailey expressed surprise when Utah drafted him but he claims he never considered not reporting to the club. “Not at all,” Bailey said in a press conference on Sunday, per Andy Larsen of the Salt Lake Tribune. “I mean, just blessed to be in this position. Not a lot of people sit in these chairs and have great teammates as I got on (here). So I’m just blessed to be here.”
No. 2 overall pick Dylan Harper, Bailey’s teammate at Rutgers, predicts the Spurs will make the postseason next season, according to ESPN’s Michael C Wright. “That’s going to change really quick,” Harper said of San Antonio’s recent struggles. “We’re going to make the playoffs. I think for the Spurs fans and everyone else, our group is very exciting. There’s a lot to look forward to. The sky’s the limit for this group we’ve got.” Harper could become the team’s third consecutive Rookie of the Year Award winner. “I don’t think I feel no pressure [to win ROY], but I definitely want to keep that going,” Harper said. “That’s definitely a goal of mine.”

Northwest Notes: Clarkson, Collins, Randle, Thunder

June 29th, 2025 at 9:01pm CST by Eli Cohen

The Jazz are looking to trade Jordan Clarkson, but are having difficulty finding takers, says Andy Larsen of the Salt Lake City Tribune (via Twitter).

Larsen says that there is “next to no interest” in Clarkson on the trade market after a couple up-and-down seasons following his best years in Utah. Clarkson played a career-low 37 games this season after having his year cut short due to plantar fasciitis in his left foot. Prior to that, he was averaging 16.2 points and 3.7 assists in 26.0 minutes per night, primarily off the bench.

Larsen adds that the Jazz extended Clarkson in 2023 with the hopes that they could move him later, but the market they expected to be there for him appears to have moved on.

After trading the productive Collin Sexton to the Hornets for Jusuf Nurkic, the Jazz appear to be focusing on opening up rotation minutes for their young players while positioning themselves for the 2026 draft.

We have more from the Northwest division:

Larsen also confirms (via Twitter) that the Jazz are actively attempting to move combo forward/center John Collins this summer, saying he considers it unlikely that either Collins or Clarkson are on the roster going into next season. Collins averaged 19.0 points and 8.2 rebounds per game this season while shooting 39.9% from three, but his presence may impede great roles for youngsters like Taylor Hendricks and Kyle Filipowski.
Julius Randle is expected to remain trade-eligible after agreeing to a three-year, $100MM deal with the Timberwolves, according to The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski (Twitter links). That suggests his contract will be completed as an extension – not a free agent deal – and that the annual raises won’t exceed 5%. Krawczynski adds that the Wolves aren’t planning on moving Randle, but this deal should allow them the flexibility to do so if the right opportunity presents itself.
The Thunder didn’t change their draft strategy or identity after winning the championship, writes Rylan Stiles of Sports Illustrated. “Every draft that we have is an opportunity to reflect back on the others and figure out what we can do better,” head of basketball operations Sam Presti said. “But the one thing we’ve never really strayed from, and I don’t think we will, is the focus on drafting people and not players. I think the characteristics of winning players, they multiply at a greater level than just talented players. They scale up better.” After selecting Thomas Sorber and Brooks Barnhizer in the 2025 draft, the Thunder took care of a pair of their previous draftees, signing Jaylin Williams and Ajay Mitchell to three-year extensions.

John Collins Picks Up $26.5MM Player Option

June 25th, 2025 at 4:34pm CST by Arthur Hill

Jazz big man John Collins has exercised his $26.5MM player option for next season, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link). He faced a Thursday deadline for the decision, as our tracker shows.

Collins averaged 19.0 points and 8.2 rebounds this season, but he was limited to 40 games and didn’t return after suffering a left ankle sprain on March 12. Utah held out several veteran players late in the season to improve its lottery odds, so Collins may have been able to play under different circumstances.

The player option represents the final season of a five-year deal Collins signed in 2021 when he was still with the Hawks. Atlanta traded him to the Jazz in 2023, and he has been a consistent starter during his two seasons in Utah.

Trade speculation has been swirling around Collins and other Jazz players, and it’s likely to continue now that his status for next season is certain. His name was also frequently mentioned around February’s trade deadline, including a potential swap with Sacramento.

Collins and Lauri Markkanen ($46.4MM) will be Utah’s highest-paid players next season, and new president of basketball operations Austin Ainge may not want to spend so heavily on two power forwards. The results of tonight’s draft, where the Jazz hold picks No. 5, 21, 43 and 53, could also affect Collins’ future.

Collins, 27, was selected by Atlanta with the 19th pick in the 2017 draft. He has appeared in 472 total games and has career averages of 16.0 points and 8.1 rebounds in 30.5 minutes per night.

Trade Rumors: Brown, White, Holiday, Hawks, NAW, Collins

June 25th, 2025 at 8:06am CST by Luke Adams

After having agreed to trades that send out Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis, the Celtics have moved below the second tax apron. However, they may not be done dealing yet. Appearing on ESPN’s SportsCenter on Tuesday night (YouTube link), Shams Charania reported that Boston is fielding calls from teams with interest in Jaylen Brown and/or Derrick White.

According to Charania, the Celtics’ preference is still to hang onto Brown and White, and they’ve set “high price thresholds” for both players. But they’re also not entirely shutting down inquiries on those guys, so it remains possible that there will be a team willing to meet Boston’s high asking price.

“At minimum,” Charania says, the Celtics are still a strong candidate to make additional deals involving role players who are a little less valuable than Brown and White. Charania specifically identifies Sam Hauser and Anfernee Simons as players who might fit that bill.

Simons technically isn’t even a Celtic yet, so the agreed-upon deal involving him and Jrue Holiday could be expanded to include more pieces and send Simons to a third team before it’s officially finalized. Even if that trade is completed as currently constructed, Simons could be flipped to another team immediately — his salary simply couldn’t be aggregated with another player’s salary for two months after he’s traded.

Here are a few more trade rumors from around the NBA:

According to Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian (Twitter link), he has heard from two sources who refuted the report claiming that Holiday is unhappy about being traded to the Trail Blazers. We passed along that rumor on Tuesday, but suggested taking it with a grain of salt.
As the Hawks continue to mull various scenarios for how they could use the $25MM+ traded player exception they generated in last summer’s Dejounte Murray deal, one possible target to watch is Nickeil Alexander-Walker, according to Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link). The Hawks are expected to show interest in Alexander-Walker, who will be a free agent this summer, and could potentially use that TPE to acquire him via sign-and-trade. The Timberwolves have expressed a desire to retain the three-and-D guard, but will also have Julius Randle‘s and Naz Reid‘s contract situations to resolve.
Although John Collins is considered a potential offseason trade candidate, his market is still taking shape, so a deal seems more likely to happen after the draft than before or during it, per Stein and Fischer. Collins also must exercise his $26.6MM player option before he officially becomes trade-eligible. His decision is due on Thursday.
Heat forward Andrew Wiggins, Raptors forward RJ Barrett and guard Immanuel Quickley, Jazz guards Collin Sexton and Jordan Clarkson, Wizards guard Marcus Smart, and Bucks wing Pat Connaughton are among the other players viewed as candidates to be on the move this summer, according to Stein and Fischer.

Stein’s Latest: Gafford, Irving, VanVleet, Collins, Thybulle

June 24th, 2025 at 9:02am CST by Arthur Hill

The terms of Daniel Gafford‘s three-year extension will keep him trade-eligible without a six-month waiting period, but that doesn’t mean the Mavericks are looking to deal the 26-year-old center, Marc Stein of The Stein Line writes in his latest column (Substack link). Stein confirms that Gafford’s new contract, which will start with the 2026/27 season and is projected to be worth about $54MM, contains no options for him or the team.

Stein states that Dallas’ front office expects “considerable” trade interest in Gafford, but is reluctant to part with him after injuries limited Dereck Lively to 36 games during his second NBA season. Stein notes that forward P.J. Washington is also eligible for an extension this summer and says the Mavericks plan to hold onto him as well.

This is an important day for the organization, Stein adds, as it’s the deadline for Kyrie Irving to pick up a $43MM player option. If Irving passes on the option, Stein views that as a sign that he has an agreement with the Mavericks on a new long-term deal that will likely be announced early in free agency. It’s also possible that Irving could pick up the option and negotiate an extension after the moratorium is lifted or he could decide to test free agency next summer. A source tells Stein that Irving remained undecided as of Monday night.

Stein shares more inside information from around the league:

The Rockets may decline their $44.9MM option on Fred VanVleet, but Stein states there’s “no scenario” where he won’t be with the team next season. A source tells Stein that Houston and VanVleet would “do a new deal” if the option is turned down by Sunday’s deadline. Stein points out that the original deadline on the team option was five days after the Rockets’ season ended, but VanVleet and the team reached an agreement to push it back to late June. Stein also notes that Kevin Durant will be eligible for a two-year extension once he officially joins the team next month, suggesting it’s possible that VanVleet and Durant will both be signed to new deals that cover the next three seasons.
Stein reports that Jazz center Walker Kessler has been “unavailable for some time” and speculates that could have led to recent rumors that the Lakers are interested in John Collins. Stein calls it a “mischaracterization” to suggest that L.A. is a trade suitor for Collins.
The Trail Blazers expect swingman Matisse Thybulle to pick up his $11.5MM player option by today’s deadline, Stein adds.

Jazz Notes: Sexton, Kessler, Collins, Higgins, Maluach

June 18th, 2025 at 6:59pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Currently armed with four picks in this year’s draft (Nos. 5, 21, 43, and 53), the Jazz appear to be exploring the possibility of being active on the trade market before or during next week’s event. On Thursday’s installment of the Locked On Jazz podcast, Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune unpacks a few trade scenarios that Utah’s brass has at least discussed.

Larsen suggests that the Jazz have had preliminary conversations with the Lakers about the idea of a Walker Kessler or John Collins trade, the Mavericks about a potential Collin Sexton deal, and the Sixers regarding a possible trade up for the No. 3 pick, among other potential discussions.

A deal for that Philadelphia pick could come at a steep price.

“I do think it’s true that the Philadelphia 76ers are interested in trading down to No. 5 potentially if they can get off the Paul George deal,” Larsen said. “That may not make sense given how long that contract is and how I think Paul George was [last year]. I don’t think the Jazz are going to take that offer, but do think that’s an offer that’s been presented.”

While the Jazz have had real discussions about each of those scenarios, Larsen clarifies (via Twitter) that they haven’t “gotten into the serious stages” and he’s not sure how many of those negotiations are ongoing.

There’s more out of Utah:

The Jazz’s G League affiliate, the Salt Lake City Stars, have officially announced (Twitter link) that Rick Higgins will serve as the club’s sixth head coach. Higgins had most recently been a Jazz assistant coach under Will Hardy for the past two years. “I’m looking forward to taking on this opportunity to lead the Stars and continuing within the Jazz organization,” Higgins stated in a team press release. “The Stars play a critical role in the development structure of the Jazz and I plan to continue to build on the team’s successes, preparing players for the next level.”
Back in the lottery for a third straight season and under the stewardship of new team president Austin Ainge, the Jazz face several big decisions this offseason, as Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron details in his preview of Utah’s summer (Substack link). The Jazz are currently $23MM below the league’s luxury tax. Gozlan observes that Utah could try to package together its two first-round draft picks this year, or could look to offload some of the surplus of future picks they possess through 2032. Gozlan notes that the Jazz could also consider the idea of trading star forward Lauri Markkanen, despite a 2024 contract extension.
Ahead of this year’s draft, the Jazz recently worked out one-and-done Duke center Khaman Maluach, sources tell Tony Jones of The Athletic (via Twitter). Kessler, of course, is the club’s incumbent starter at the position, but Maluach boasts intriguing upside. The 7’2″ big man is one of the best-regarded prospects this year and considered a probable top-10 selection. Across 39 healthy games for the Blue Devils in 2024/25, the 18-year-old averaged 8.6 PPG, 6.6 RPG, and 1.3 BPG.

Jazz’s Austin Ainge On Tanking: ‘Won’t See That’ In 2025/26

June 3rd, 2025 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Asked during his introductory press conference on Monday about whether the Jazz intend to continue tanking and manipulating players’ minutes in 2025/26, new president of basketball operations Austin Ainge offered a succinct response, per Kevin Reynolds and Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune and Tony Jones of The Athletic.

“You won’t see that this year,” Ainge said.

The Jazz held several of their most effective veteran players – including Lauri Markkanen, Walker Kessler, John Collins, Collin Sexton, and Jordan Clarkson – out of games or limited their minutes down the stretch last season. While the team’s leaders might have said that approach was about developing young players, it was more about improving Utah’s lottery odds. That backfired on lottery night last month, as the Jazz fell to No. 5 in the 2025 draft after posting an NBA-worst 17-65 record.

Based on conversations with team sources, Jones writes, Ainge’s vow not to tank in 2025/26 could mean one of two things. While it’s possible that Utah focuses on improving its roster and adding veteran talent around Markkanen in the hopes of moving up the standings next season, it also could mean the Jazz simply double down on their youth movement and trade away some of their current vets who would help them win more games.

Even without manipulating players’ minutes, Utah could very well be the worst team in a competitive Western Conference in ’25/26. All 10 clubs that made the playoffs or play-in tournament are expected to remain in win-now mode, with the Suns, Trail Blazers, Spurs, and Pelicans potentially all looking to break into that group as well. In other words, the Jazz don’t necessarily need to explicitly tank to end up with another high draft pick in 2026.

It’s also worth noting that the Jazz will owe their 2026 first-round pick to the Thunder if it lands outside the top eight. If it falls within the top eight, Utah would keep it and would no longer owe Oklahoma City a pick. That figures to be a major factor working against the idea of trying to move up the standings by adding veteran help this summer.

We have more out of Utah:

While the Jazz were disappointed that the lottery didn’t put them in position to draft a potential franchise cornerstone like Cooper Flagg or Dylan Harper, Ainge said on Monday that winning the lottery isn’t the only way to find that kind of player. “If you look at the playoffs and look at all the best players in the NBA, and how many of them went No. 1, it’s better to have the No. 1 pick,” Ainge said, per Reynolds of The Salt Lake Tribune. “But there’s a lot of other stars that came from all over the draft, and certainly the Jazz have a long history of second-rounders that become All-Stars. So (getting the No. 1 pick) is not the only way to do it.”
Utah isn’t known as a popular free agent destination, but Ainge believes players will want to come if the team can build a positive culture, like his old team in Boston did. “It’s the same. Honestly, I think this is a great place,” he said, according to Reynolds. “Players want hope. They want to win. They want great culture. They want great coaching. They want great teammates. So that’s what we have to give.”
The Jazz’s pre-draft workouts to this point have mostly featured prospects they view as second-round picks or undrafted free agent targets, according to Jones. The club intends to bring in candidates for its No. 21 pick within the next couple weeks and potential targets at No. 5 later this month, Jones adds. Besides No. 5 and No. 21, Utah owns the 43rd and 53rd overall picks, though Ainge said on Monday that everything is on the table with all of those picks, so the club may end up trading one or more of them.
At least one team drafting in the lottery has already engaged the Jazz in discussions about a possible deal, sources tell Jones.

Northwest Notes: Randle, Collins, Jazz, Thunder

April 14th, 2025 at 12:53pm CST by Luke Adams

Timberwolves forward Julius Randle earned a bonus worth $1.4MM on Sunday when Minnesota clinched a playoff spot, reports ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link). As Marks explains, the terms of Randle’s contract called for him to earn that extra $1.4MM on top of his base salary if he appeared in 65 games and the Wolves made the playoffs.

That contract incentive had been deemed “unlikely” entering the season and hadn’t counted against Randle’s cap hit — even though the veteran forward made the playoffs last season with New York, he didn’t appear in 65 games and therefore didn’t earn the bonus in ’23/24.

However, Randle had another $1.4MM bonus for making the All-Star team which was considered likely entering this season and counted against the cap because he was an All-Star in 2024. He didn’t earn that bonus this season, so he essentially just swapped one bonus out for a second one worth the same amount, meaning it won’t affect Minnesota’s financial situation this season and won’t change his cap hit for ’25/26.

Here’s more from around the Northwest:

Several Jazz veterans, including Lauri Markkanen, John Collins, and Jordan Clarkson, were asked during their end-of-season media sessions whether they want to remain in Utah. Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune passes along the responses from those players, all of whom said the right things about hoping to stick with the Jazz. Asked about exercising his 2025/26 player option, Collins expressed interest in doing so, but added, “I’m just open to anything at the end of the day. And I just want it to be the right move. If it does mean staying here, being in Utah, I’m cool with that. I just want it, like I said, to be right, and something I can cherish going forward and look back on in my career and be happy.”
The Jazz‘s 17-65 record this season was the worst mark the team has posted in its 51-year history. But, given that Utah finished the season atop the draft lottery order and is assured of a top-five pick in this year’s draft, was 2024/25 actually a success? Larsen weighs that question for The Salt Lake Tribune, evaluating whether or not the team tanked effectively, adequately developed its young players, and maintained fan interest.
On the other end of the Western Conference standings, the 68-win Thunder set a new NBA record by finishing the season with a point differential of +12.9 points per game, notes Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. The previous record was set by the 1971/72 Lakers, who outscored opponents by 12.3 points per contest.

Jazz Share Injury Updates On Williams, Collins, Markkanen

April 2nd, 2025 at 12:36pm CST by Luke Adams

The Jazz issued a series of health updates on Wednesday, ruling out one player for the rest of the 2024/25 season and two others for at least the next week.

According to a press release from the team, rookie forward Cody Williams tested positive for mononucleosis on April 1 and will be sidelined for the remainder of the season. The plan is to reevaluate Williams three weeks before he begins his offseason conditioning work, the Jazz say.

Williams, 20, was the 10th overall pick in last year’s draft, but has struggled to make an impact at the NBA level in his first professional season. In 50 games (21 starts), he averaged just 4.6 points and 2.3 rebounds in 21.2 minutes per night, with a dismal shooting line of .323/.259/.725.

Meanwhile, big man John Collins, who has been on the shelf since March 12, was reevaluated for his left ankle sprain after getting through his initial stages of rehab. He’ll start ramping up his on-court basketball progression and will be reevaluated in another week, per the Jazz.

Another injured forward, Lauri Markkanen, returned to Salt Lake City on Monday to undergo an MRI on his left knee. According to the club, that MRI revealed patellofemoral chondrosis with associated subchondral edema, but no other structural damage. Markkanen, out since March 17, will complete an off-court rehab program and will be reevaluated in seven-to-10 days.

While Utah hasn’t formally ruled out Collins or Markkanen for the rest of 2024/25, it would be a surprise if either player returns to the court during the final days of the season. The 16-60 Jazz are in full-on tanking mode at this point — they’ve lost 16 of their last 17 games and are prioritizing securing the top spot in this year’s draft lottery order.

Kyle Filipowski, Brice Sensabaugh, and Oscar Tshiebwe are among the youngsters who figure to play increased roles for the Jazz down the stretch with Williams, Collins, and Markkanen unavailable.

John Collins To Be Reevaluated In Two Weeks For Sprained Ankle

March 14th, 2025 at 2:02pm CST by Arthur Hill

John Collins suffered a left lateral ankle sprain on Wednesday, the Jazz announced (via Twitter). Collins underwent an MRI on Thursday and will be reevaluated in two weeks.

The 27-year-old power forward was injured during the fourth quarter of a loss to Memphis. He had already been declared out for tonight’s game against Toronto before the team updated his status.

Collins, who’s in his second season with Utah, has been limited to 40 games this year while dealing with several injuries. He’s averaging 19.0 points and 8.2 rebounds in 30.5 minutes per night while shooting 52.7% from the field and 39.9% from three-point range.

Collins was involved in numerous trade rumors leading up to last month’s deadline, including a potential deal with Sacramento. The Jazz ultimately decided to hang onto Collins, who has a $26.58MM player option for next season that he’ll have to decide whether to pick up by June 30.

Since he was acquired last month, KJ Martin has been starting whenever Collins is unavailable, which is likely to continue. Kyle Filipowski and Brice Sensabaugh could also see increased playing time until Collins returns.