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Northwest Notes: Kessler, Lillard, Wolves, Thunder

November 25th, 2025 at 5:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Jazz lost Walker Kessler to a season-ending shoulder injury at the end of last month. It has greatly affected their defense, as Andy Larsen of the Salt Lake Tribune details.

Jusuf Nurkic has been thrust into the starting center role and while he’s a prolific rebounder, he’s a subpar defender. Kevin Love, 37, has been Nurkic’s primary backup and the only other option is to move true power forwards into that spot. Utah has allowed 130 or more points in six of its last nine games.

Kessler will be a restricted free agent at season’s end, so if the Jazz keep struggling mightily on defense without him available, his representatives could use that point to generate some leverage during contract negotiations.

We have more from the Northwest Division:

The Trail Blazers defeated Milwaukee on Monday after losing seven of their previous nine games. Damian Lillard, rehabbing this season from his Achilles injury he suffered during last season’s playoffs, has been dispensing advice to his younger teammates during the rough patch, Jason Quick of The Athletic writes. “I told these dudes: this is the time when you find your true identity,” Lillard said. “It’s not when you win a couple games and everything feels good. It’s in the moments when it would be easy to walk away — like now, we have some injuries, a rough patch, a tough schedule — but this is the time when you make a decision to march forward and up.”
The Timberwolves have collapsed in back-to-back late-game situations. After surrendering a nine-point lead with 50 seconds to play in Phoenix on Saturday, they gave away a 10-point lead in the final three minutes of regulation during a 117-112 overtime loss to the Kings on Monday. This has set off alarm bells amongst the team and its fans and The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski examines some possible causes to their crunch-time woes. “Hopefully we learn,” center Rudy Gobert said. “We still have an amazing opportunity ahead of us, but we have to decide who we want to be.”
How good has the Thunder’s defense been this season? The Athletic’s Fred Katz (Twitter link) notes that they are allowing 7.5 fewer points per 100 possessions than the second-ranked Mavericks are. That’s the same difference as the gap between Dallas and the No. 22 ranked Bulls in that category.

Kevin Love Discusses Trade To Utah, Role With Jazz

November 18th, 2025 at 3:23pm CST by Luke Adams

After joining the Heat during the 2022/23 season, veteran big man Kevin Love didn’t expect to be on the move again. Love tells D.J. Siddiqi of ESportsInsider.com that he and his family “laid down roots” in Miami and that the trade sending him to Utah during the 2025 offseason was “definitely unexpected.”

“(The Heat) got better (in the trade); they got Norman Powell,” Love said. “They got better. But yeah, it still stung in the few weeks after the facts. I’ve seen all this before. It doesn’t make it any easier.”

Love, who turned 37 this year, was considered unlikely to stick with the rebuilding Jazz for long. Reporting in early September indicated that the expectation around the NBA was that he’d be traded or bought out before the regular season tipped off.

However, Love tells Siddiqi that the organization has been “amazing” to him and that it has been a “truly great experience” to be part of the Jazz so far. That doesn’t necessarily mean that the 18-year veteran will finish the season in Utah, but he’s in no hurry to part ways with his new team.

Love has had a role both on and off the court in Utah so far, appearing in seven of the past eight games and averaging 14.0 minutes per night off the bench while also providing veteran leadership on a young roster.

“Walker Kessler going down has provided me more minutes, at least in the near future, in the last several games,” Love said, referring to Kessler’s season-ending shoulder surgery. “But again, even if I’m not playing, I think my role — it’s great to have a role in my 18th season — is being able to be that veteran leader, a sound voice, somebody that preaches and acts on accountability and just continues to show what professionalism looks like every single day.

“… I think that that is extremely important, especially with a young team. I think sometimes people can maybe overvalue a veteran in a locker room, but I do believe that the Jazz honor that, and they’re appreciative of it as well. It makes me want to lean in even more and be the vet that, honestly, I never had.”

Love is in the final season of a contract that can’t be extended, so he’ll reach unrestricted free agency next summer if he’s not waived or bought out before then. He’s not sure how much longer he’ll continue playing, suggesting that he’s taking things on a “year-by-year” basis going forward, but he didn’t close the door on the idea of pursuing a reunion with the Cavaliers before he calls it a career.

“I don’t want to make any assumptions — they’ve been so good to me here already with Utah, and if this is it, then I’m very happy with that,” Love told Siddiqi. “Obviously, Cleveland is a near and dear place to me. But regardless if that happened or not, I’m always going to go back to Cleveland. They were so good to me for my eight-and-a-half seasons there, and continue to be.”

Fischer’s Latest: Braun, M. Williams, Kessler, Markkanen, Love

October 10th, 2025 at 12:52pm CST by Luke Adams

As was the case a year ago, some of the players eligible for rookie scale extensions this fall are seeking new deals with an average annual value of $30MM, according to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link).

One of those players, Fischer writes, is Nuggets wing Christian Braun. League sources who have spoken to Fischer suggest that the low end of an extension for Braun could be in the neighborhood of $25MM annually.

Braun, 24, made a strong case for a lucrative new contract in his first season as a full-time starter in 2024/25, averaging 15.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.1 steals in 33.9 minutes per game. All of those numbers were career highs, as were his shooting percentages of 58.0% from the floor, 39.7% on three-pointers, and 82.7% from the free throw line.

While Braun is a viable candidate for a new deal ahead of the October 20 deadline, teammate Peyton Watson appears unlikely to be extended before the season, according to Fischer, who explains that Denver’s cap and tax situation going forward will make the club reluctant to lock in too many role players on guaranteed multiyear deals.

Here’s more from Fischer:

The Suns aren’t considered likely to work out a rookie scale extension with center Mark Williams this month, Fischer reports. Sources tell The Stein Line that Phoenix would prefer to continue evaluating Williams during the 2025/26 season and see whether he can have a healthier year after not playing more than 44 games in any of his first three NBA seasons. The big man would be a restricted free agent next summer.
Confirming a prior report from The Athletic, Fischer writes that the Jazz and Walker Kessler have no momentum toward a rookie scale extension and that the young center is expected to become a restricted free agent in 2026. Not extending Kessler now would also make him easier to trade during the season if Utah decides to go in that direction. The Lakers have repeatedly been identified as a team with interest, and Fischer hears the Suns eyed Kessler before trading for Williams in June.
While the Jazz remain open to listening to inquiries on Lauri Markkanen, they’re not actively looking to move the standout forward, says Fischer. In the short term, Kevin Love is the more obvious trade candidate in Utah, Fischer continues, observing that Love’s 20-minute stint in Wednesday’s preseason opener had teams wondering if the Jazz were trying to showcase him for potential suitors. While I’d be surprised if Utah is able to get anything for Love on the trade market, finding a team willing to sign him to a minimum-salary contract could benefit the Jazz, since he’d be more inclined to give up money in a buyout if he has a new destination lined up.

Fischer’s Latest: Grimes, Kuminga, Bamba, Love, Rockets

September 27th, 2025 at 8:50am CST by Rory Maher

Although the Sixers just made their first formal offer to restricted free agent Quentin Grimes earlier this week, they have discussed various contract frameworks with his agent David Bauman several times throughout the offseason, according to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link).

As Fischer explains, the 76ers were hesitant to extend a formal offer until recently because they realized there was a significant gap in what they were willing to pay Grimes compared to what he and his representatives were seeking on a new deal.

While Grimes’ camp had some hope of a potential sign-and-trade materializing, that outcome appears unlikely, Fischer writes. The most likely scenario, Fischer continues, is Grimes signing a one-year deal that comes in above his $8.7MM qualifying offer.

Fischer confirms that Bauman asked the Sixers to extend Grimes’ qualifying offer deadline from October 1 to October 8, in part because the team is traveling to Abu Dhabi for a pair of preseason games. But Philadelphia hasn’t shown any interest pushing back the deadline to this point.

Following up on his previous report that the Sixers floated the idea of trading Kelly Oubre Jr. or Andre Drummond — or both — to make a more lucrative contract offer to Grimes, Fischer says Philadelphia’s front office has been “adamant” that it is unwilling to add draft picks to shed either of those salaries.

Here’s more from Fischer:

The Warriors and Jonathan Kuminga have not had any talks about potentially moving back his Oct. 1 qualifying offer deadline, sources tell Fischer. Golden State appears unwilling to budge on its latest contract offers, per Fischer, including a three-year, $75MM proposal which contains a team option for 2027/28. Kuminga’s camp has “pushed hard” for a player option instead of a team option, Fischer writes, but hasn’t had any luck so far. Fischer confirms the Kings tried to restart sign-and-trade talks for Kuminga, but the Warriors remain unenthusiastic about taking back Malik Monk, in part because of his $21.5MM player option for ’27/28. The Warriors want to maintain maximum roster flexibility for the 2027 offseason, Fischer explains, when the contracts of Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green expire.
According to Fischer, the Heat showed some interest in Mo Bamba before the former lottery pick signed a training camp deal with the Jazz. Bamba landing with Utah has led to speculation that Kevin Love might be nearing a buyout agreement, but “all signs” currently indicate that Love will begin the season with the Jazz, Fischer writes.
Fischer hears the Rockets aren’t expected to look for immediate backcourt help in the wake of Fred VanVleet‘s torn ACL, preferring instead to see how Reed Sheppard and Amen Thompson respond to increased on-ball responsibilities. Houston may explore adding guard depth down the line, Fischer writes, but that likely won’t occur until at least December 15, when many free agent signings become eligible to be moved. According to Fischer, there’s still an expectation that Kevin Durant will eventually sign an extension with the Rockets, but a potential rookie scale deal for Tari Eason appears less certain.

Jazz Expect Kevin Love To Join Them At Training Camp

September 23rd, 2025 at 5:35pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Jazz expect veteran forward Kevin Love to join them at training camp, Grant Afseth of RG.org reports.

Earlier this month, a report surfaced that the longtime big man was unlikely to begin the season with Utah as he sought pathways out of the organization, including a buyout. Love was dealt from Miami to Utah as part of a three-team swap in early July.

Love has an expiring contract, which will pay him $4.15MM this season, and it doesn’t seem likely he’d have a meaningful on-court role with the rebuilding Jazz. There have been instances in the past where veterans dealt under similar circumstances have not reported to the team.

However, according to Afseth, Utah has not engaged in serious buyout discussions with Love and is moving forward with the plan of having him report to camp.

Last year with Miami, Love appeared in 23 games and averaged 5.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.0 assists per game, all career lows. The 37-year-old could be a valuable piece for Utah on two fronts, Afseth notes. He brings championship experience, professionalism and leadership to the table and could be a mentor for the team’s young core. His expiring contract could also prove useful in a trade.

Playoff-caliber teams are expected to continue monitoring Love’s situation, especially if buyout talks eventually gain traction and he winds up getting waived.

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Utah Jazz
Kevin Love

Stein’s Latest: Banton, Love, Warriors, NBA Europe, Bonga

September 15th, 2025 at 5:29pm CST by Luke Adams

Free agent guard Dalano Banton has received interest from teams overseas but continues to seek an NBA opportunity after spending the past season-and-a-half in Portland, Marc Stein writes for The Stein Line (Substack link).

According to Stein, Banton has recently auditioned for multiple NBA teams, including the Warriors and Pacers, though Indiana decided to pass on him.

Banton, who was traded from the Celtics to the Trail Blazers at the 2024 deadline, has since appeared in 97 games for Portland, averaging 10.9 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 2.8 assists in 20.6 minutes per night, with a shooting line of .399/.319/.751. He has been an unrestricted free agent since his contract expired on June 30.

Here’s more from Stein:

The Jazz and Kevin Love have yet to engage in serious discussions about a buyout, per Stein. While it’s “widely known” that Love would like to play for a team closer to contention, it doesn’t sound as if he has a post-buyout spot lined up yet, Stein explains, so there has been no urgency to get out of his contract with Utah.
Stein reiterates that the expectation around the NBA is that veteran free agents Al Horford, De’Anthony Melton, and Gary Payton II will sign with the Warriors once Jonathan Kuminga‘s situation is resolved. According to Stein, the latest round of negotiations between the Warriors and Kuminga has “sparked some fresh optimism” that both he and those other vets will be signed prior to the team’s media day on September 29.
After FIBA Europe president Jorge Garbajosa predicted that the NBA’s new European league could tip off in 2027, Stein says his own reporting suggests Garbajosa’s timetable may not be exact but also isn’t far off.
Although Isaac Bonga‘s NBA exit clause for 2025 expired, he drew interest from a few teams earlier in the summer, according to Stein, who says Bonga committed to spending the coming season with Partizan Belgrade after not getting a concrete offer from any of those clubs. Stein anticipates Bonga will receive more serious NBA interest next offseason.

Kevin Love Reportedly Unlikely To Open Season With Jazz

September 7th, 2025 at 7:24pm CST by Rory Maher

On July 7, veteran forward/center Kevin Love was traded to the Jazz in the three-team deal that sent Norman Powell to the Heat and John Collins to the Clippers.

About a month later, Marc Stein of The Stein Line reported that Love was “actively exploring potential pathways out of Utah,” including a buyout. However, Stein didn’t list any possible suitors for Love, who remains on the Jazz’s roster a few weeks before training camps are set to open.

Love is on an expiring contract, which will pay him $4.15MM this season.

Within a story about the types of skill sets the Nuggets might consider targeting with their 15th standard roster spot, Bennett Durando of The Denver Post reports that Love is “widely expected to be traded or bought out by” the Jazz before the 2025/26 season begins, and when that happens, he’s likely to land with a contending team.

That doesn’t mean Love will end up in Denver; Durando makes it clear he’s just floating an idea. But it’s interesting — albeit unsurprising — that Love is reportedly unlikely to stick with the Jazz, who had the worst record in the NBA last season (17-65).

Forward depth may not be Denver’s highest priority, but Durando notes that reserves Peyton Watson, DaRon Holmes II, Zeke Nnaji and Hunter Tyson are all young and relatively inexperienced. Perhaps most importantly, Watson is the only player of the group who has shown he can be a rotation regular to this point.

Love, meanwhile, turned 37 years old today (happy birthday) and is entering his 18th NBA season after being selected fifth overall in the 2008 draft. The five-time All-Star hasn’t played much the past few years, largely serving as a veteran mentor in Cleveland and Miami, though he did finish runner-up for Sixth Man of the Year in 2021/22.

Durando also points out the Love has a longstanding relationship with head coach David Adelman, who was an assistant for part of Love’s tenure in Minnesota.

For what it’s worth, Durando says point-of-attack defense and point guard depth are the other two areas the Nuggets might want to address at some point. As our Luke Adams noted in his Offseason Check-In, Denver has been a taxpayer for three straight years and is operating just over the luxury tax threshold, so the team may be motivated to finish the season below the tax — an important first step toward resetting the repeater clock.

Stein’s Latest: Kuminga, Doncic, Vucevic, Fox, Love

August 3rd, 2025 at 5:00pm CST by Eli Cohen

Jonathan Kuminga‘s restricted free agent negotiations with the Warriors continue to be one of the top lingering storylines of the NBA offseason. Following up on recent reports indicating that Kuminga has turned down a two-year, $45MM offer with a team option on the second year, Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Substack link) notes that the team’s request for the forward to waive his implicit no-trade clause is part of the holdup.

A player who re-signs with his previous team on a one-year contract or a two-year deal with a second-year option gets the right to veto trades for the rest of the season, but that right can be waived as part of the contract agreement. Jaxson Hayes, Taurean Prince, and Jeff Green are among several players who have waived their veto rights when re-signing with their respective teams this summer.

A player in that position who consents to a trade – either by waiving his veto rights when he signs or by eventually approving an in-season trade – would lose any form of Bird rights as part of the deal and would have Non-Bird rights at the end of the season.

Aside from the contract negotiations, Stein writes that while Kuminga has returned to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, he is still not expected to play in FIBA’s AfroBasket tournament this summer. No official decision has been announced yet, but it’s unlikely that Kuminga would suit up for the Congolese team if his contract situation remains unresolved.

Here’s more from Stein:

Much has been made about Luka Doncic‘s three-year max extension with the Lakers and what it means for him and the team’s future, but Stein points out an important detail regarding the timeline of the deal. The contract would allow Doncic to become an unrestricted free agent in 2028 when he has more than eight years of NBA service and four seasons with his current team, which means he would be eligible for a no-trade clause if he were to wait until ’28 free agency to sign a new contract with the Lakers. Stein writes that while Doncic will have technically played three-and-a-half years with the Lakers, he’d still meet the no-trade criteria because he would have finished four seasons with the Lakers, even if he started the first one in Dallas.
While the offseason buyout market has been particularly active this offseason, Stein cautions fans not to expect Bulls center Nikola Vucevic to join the likes of Bradley Beal and Damian Lillard this summer. He writes that unless a trade materializes in the next couple of months, Vucevic will very likely begin next season in Chicago. There has been speculation that the veteran big man could be a prime mid-season buyout candidate if no deal occurs by February’s trade deadline.
Spurs guard De’Aaron Fox became eligible on Sunday for a three- or four-year extension that would look like the one Doncic signed in L.A. However, Stein notes that with the rise of reigning Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle and the addition of Dylan Harper with the No. 2 overall pick, there are questions league-wide about whether such a max deal is an automatic decision for San Antonio.
Kevin Love is actively exploring landing spots in the case of a potential buyout from the Jazz after landing in Utah as a part of the Heat’s trade for Norman Powell, though Stein doesn’t name any possible suitors.

Bam Adebayo Endorses Heat’s Roster Moves

August 2nd, 2025 at 5:11pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Heat haven’t won a playoff series since their surprising run to the 2023 Finals, but Bam Adebayo believes the team’s offseason moves have it headed back toward contention, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Adebayo spoke to reporters Saturday at his youth basketball clinic in Miami, marking his first public comments since the Heat were knocked out of the playoffs by Cleveland in April.

“It’s a very good shake-up for our team and now there’s a different dynamic to it,” Adebayo said.

Miami added another dynamic scorer last month by acquiring Norman Powell from the Clippers in a three-team trade. After two straight top-four finishes in the Sixth Man of the Year voting, Powell moved into L.A.’s starting lineup last season and responded with a career-high 21.8 points per game. Chiang notes that he was one of just six players who averaged at least 21 PPG while shooting better than 48% from the field and 40% from three-point range.

The Heat were able to land Powell at a bargain price, sending versatile forward Kyle Anderson, veteran big man Kevin Love and a 2027 second-round pick to Utah in the deal.

“I feel like Norman is one of those guys that floats under the radar,” Adebayo said. “But as you saw this year, he’s really shown that he can be an All-Star caliber player. You’ve seen what he’s done and you’ve seen him grow in this league. And, obviously, he wants to take the next challenge. Obviously, the next challenge is being with the Miami Heat. So I’m happy to have him.”

Miami was also able to re-sign free agent point guard Davion Mitchell, who was acquired from Toronto in February. Mitchell responded to the trade by putting up 10.3 points, 2.7 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.4 steals in 30 games with Miami while shooting 50.4% from the floor and 44.7% from beyond the arc. Chiang states that he also made a difference with his aggressive defense, as the Heat gave up 3.4 fewer points per 100 possessions when he was on the court.

“Davion being back, obviously, we’ve been missing somebody that can really play on-ball defense,” Adebayo said. “And having him come in and be that guy and understand his role, I’m looking forward to him being here for a full year and all of us being together and getting to know one another and turning this into more of a brotherhood. We were kind of disconnected a little bit trying to figure out everybody’s role and trying to figure out everybody’s style of play. But now we’re going to have a good training camp and then we go from there.”

Adebayo also talked about the teammates he lost as the Heat retooled their roster. In addition to parting ways with Love and Anderson, Miami sent Duncan Robinson to Detroit in a sign-and-trade deal that brought back Simone Fontecchio.

“I’m going to miss them, obviously,” Adebayo said. “Just because Duncan has been here for eight years and having that connection was special. And then K-Love was a leader that could speak to somebody from a championship level, could obviously encourage the younger group, be an example, but also he was the bridge between some of the coaches and the players. So like I said, I’m going to miss both of them. I’m glad we had the time that we did. It was, obviously, helpful for my growth and my development as a player and as a captain.”

Norman Powell To Heat, John Collins To Clippers In Three-Team Trade

July 7th, 2025 at 4:21pm CST by Arthur Hill

4:21 pm: The three-team trade is official, according to a press release from the Jazz.

9:27 am: The Clippers, Jazz and Heat have reached an agreement on a three-team trade, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link). The deal will send Norman Powell to Miami, John Collins to L.A. and Kevin Love, Kyle Anderson and a 2027 Clippers second-round pick to Utah.

Powell is coming off the best scoring season of his career and will bring more offensive punch to Miami’s backcourt. After finishing fourth in the Sixth Man of the Year balloting in consecutive seasons, Powell was moved into the starting lineup and responded by averaging 21.8 points per game while shooting 48.4% from the field and 41.8% from three-point range.

Powell, 32, will make $20.5MM next season before becoming a free agent in 2026. He’s eligible for a three-year extension worth $77.4MM. Those limits would increase to $128.5MM over four years in six months.

The Clippers were reluctant to give Powell a long-term extension, sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). With Kawhi Leonard and James Harden both signed through 2026/27, the team is preserving cap space for 2027 free agency.

Miami will use the expanded traded player exception to acquire Powell, Bobby Marks of ESPN notes (Twitter link), hard-capping them at the first tax apron, and will be $1.3MM over the luxury tax line once the deal is complete.

Miami will be just $3.9MM away from that first-apron threshold once the trade is complete, so it won’t be able to use the full taxpayer mid-level exception of $5.7MM, according to cap expert Yossi Gozlan (Twitter link), who also speculates that acquiring Powell means the team is probably no longer a logical fit for Bradley Beal, who is believed to be nearing a buyout with Phoenix.

Collins, 27, will bring more frontcourt depth to a Clippers team that recently added Brook Lopez in free agency. Collins has been a starter in Utah since being acquired from Atlanta two years ago, but he was limited to 40 games last season. He has one year left on his contract at $26.6MM and can sign an extension worth up to $100.5MM over three years, per Marks. While a massive payday is unlikely for Collins, it’s worth noting those extension limits would increase six months after the trade to $166.7MM over four years.

L.A. is now $6.7MM below the first apron with $5.3MM of its mid-level exception remaining, according to Gozlan (Twitter link). With their top three-point shooter now gone, Gozlan expects the Clippers to be in the market for Beal.

Anderson, 31, has been a useful contributor on contending teams throughout his career, but it’s not clear how he fits in with the rebuilding Jazz. His contract covers two more seasons at $9.2MM and $9.7MM, but 2026/27 is non-guaranteed. Love, who’ll turn 37 in September, has a $4.15MM expiring deal and will likely become a buyout candidate.

Gozlan notes that Utah can create a $26.6MM trade exception by using the mid-level exception to take on Anderson and Love (Twitter link). Alternatively, the Jazz could create roughly $22MM in cap space by waiving the non-guaranteed contracts of KJ Martin ($8MM) and Jaden Springer ($2.4MM) and could be in position to make a play for one of the remaining free agents.

It sounds like Utah will continue operating over the cap, going the trade exception route, tweets Marks.