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Northwest Notes: McDaniels, Bailey, Valanciunas, Blazers

November 14th, 2025 at 1:02pm CST by Luke Adams

Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels has been a perennial All-Defensive candidate in recent years, but didn’t command significant attention from opposing defenses. Entering this season, McDaniels had never averaged more than 12.2 points per game in a season or had a usage rate higher than 16.3%.

Early in his sixth NBA season, however, the 25-year-old is showing signs of developing into a legitimate two-way threat, writes Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. Through 11 games, McDaniels is averaging 18.4 points per game on a scorching hot .550/.538/.844 shooting line, with a 21.3% usage rate. While those shooting percentages probably aren’t sustainable, McDaniels has looked more comfortable handling the ball, getting to the rim, and creating shots for both himself and teammates, according to Krawczynski.

“We’re going to keep giving him the ball, putting the ball in his hands,” teammate Anthony Edwards said. “He can play with the ball in his hands; he’s just got to make the right play. If he makes the right play, we can be 10 times better, you know? Because he’s a great scorer. We just need him to be another facilitator for us.”

McDaniels’ talents as a perimeter defender have made him a valuable role player and quality starter despite a lack of offensive production, but if he continues to play like he has on the other end of the court, he could be on his way to establishing himself as a star in his role.

“He’s one of the best two-way players in the league,” Julius Randle said, per Krawczynski. “We’ve got to be consistent in that and keep feeding him confidence, trusting him.”

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Ace Bailey‘s stats so far this season (8.7 PPG on .415/.324/.824 shooting) have been modest, but the Jazz rookie has scored double-digit points in four consecutive games and is earning praise for his team-first approach, says Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune. “He’s highly intentional. He, even at 19, fits in with us. He wants to do the right thing always,” veteran big man Kevin Love said. “Ten games in, once he gets to 20, he’s gonna make another step — once he gets to 40, and once he gets a full season.”
The offseason addition of veteran center Jonas Valanciunas has allowed the Nuggets to slightly reduce Nikola Jokic‘s workload (he’s averaging 33.9 MPG after playing 36.7 last season) and to be more competitive when the three-time MVP isn’t on the floor (the team has a -4.0 net rating when Jokic sits, compared to -9.3 last season). Mark Medina of Essentially Sports spoke to Valanciunas about his experience in Denver so far and to head coach David Adelman about what the 33-year-old has brought to the team. “Attitude-wise, culture-wise, statistically, everything has been positive,” Adelman said of Valanciunas. “He brings such a good energy every day with the team. I feel like there is a part of him that is just really enjoying being on a successful team. He can be an impact guy on that team and play really important games.”
A spokesperson for Paul Allen‘s estate denied a report claiming that the Allens would be retaining a 20% stake in the Trail Blazers once the sale of the team to Tom Dundon is complete, per Sean Highkin of the Rose Garden Report (Substack link). That spokesperson stated that the Blazers will be owned entirely by Dundon’s group once the sale closes, with the Allen estate no longer holding any shares.

Cade Cunningham, Nikola Jokic Named Players Of Week

November 10th, 2025 at 2:53pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Pistons guard Cade Cunningham has been named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week, while Nuggets center Nikola Jokic has been chosen as the Western Conference Player of the Week, according to the NBA (Twitter links).

Cunningham led Detroit to four consecutive wins during the week of November 3-9 while averaging 31.0 points and 9.8 assists per game on 54.7% shooting. This marks the second time in his career that Cunningham has received a Player of the Week award.

Jokic also led his team to a 4-0 week, with home victories over Sacramento, Miami, Golden State, and Indiana. The three-time MVP averaged a triple-double, with 31.3 points, 13.3 assists, and 11.3 rebounds per contest. His biggest game of the week came last Wednesday against the Heat, when he racked up 33 points, 16 assists, 15 rebounds, and three steals.

Giannis Antetokounmpo (Bucks), Jalen Duren (Pistons), Kon Knueppel (Hornets), Donovan Mitchell (Cavaliers), Norman Powell (Heat) and Karl-Anthony Towns (Knicks) were the other Eastern Conference nominees.

Devin Booker (Suns), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder), Trey Murphy III (Pelicans), Julius Randle (Timberwolves) and Alperen Sengun (Rockets) were also nominated in the West.

Timberwolves Contacted Grizzlies About Ja Morant

November 10th, 2025 at 10:59am CST by Arthur Hill

The Timberwolves have “checked in” with the Grizzlies about a potential Ja Morant trade, Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic said in a recent appearance on SiriusXM Radio (Twitter link, hat tip to RealGM).

Krawczynski described the contact as exploratory, saying Minnesota is “testing the waters a little bit” to see if a deal might be available later on. He projects that talks could become more serious if the Wolves haven’t found an answer at point guard by December, saying, “I do think that they could explore at least looking harder at Ja Morant.”

Trade speculation surrounding Morant began to increase nine days ago after he had a disagreement with the coaching staff during a loss to the Lakers. Head coach Tuomas Iisalo reportedly confronted Morant about his effort level and focus during halftime and following the game, and Morant expressed frustration over Iisalo’s unorthodox substitution pattern.

The situation has been calmer since Morant returned from a one-game suspension, but there’s no indication that the dispute has died down. Still, multiple reports indicate the Grizzlies aren’t currently considering a Morant trade and are hoping that any hard feelings can be resolved.

The Timberwolves were cited last week as one of the teams monitoring Morant’s situation in Memphis, and their need for a reliable point guard has been obvious early in the season. Thirty-eight-year-old Mike Conley has been used mainly as a reserve and is averaging career lows with 6.5 points and 3.9 assists per game. Krawczynski points out that Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle have been handling most of the play-making duties.

Tax apron restrictions make it difficult for Minnesota to work out a deal for Morant or any other star player. Because they’re operating above the first apron, the Wolves aren’t permitted to send out more salary than they take back in a trade, and Morant is earning $39.5MM this season.

Northwest Notes: Hartenstein, Edwards, Hardy, Markkanen

November 8th, 2025 at 11:55am CST by Dana Gauruder

Isaiah Hartenstein erupted for a 33-point night in the Thunder‘s win over Sacramento on Friday. Along with his career high in points, Hartenstein grabbed 19 rebounds and blocked three shots.

“He was on one today,” Thunder guard Ajay Mitchell told Justin Martinez of The Oklahoman. “Hart is a great player. We were able to find him, and he had a great game. He made it very easy for us.”

Hartenstein is averaging a double-double for the banged-up Thunder, with 12.9 points and 11.7 rebounds per game in the early going this season.

“He’s played great as time has gone on here,” Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault said. “He’s getting better and better with his teammates here inside the system. He was obviously highly impactful at the beginning, but he’s only gotten better, especially on the offensive side of the floor.”

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In his second game back from missing four due to a right hamstring strain, Timberwolves star guard Anthony Edwards poured in 37 points in a 40-point romp over Utah. “He’s our leading light, and he’s got to be aggressive, and he’s got to be himself,” head coach Chris Finch told The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski. “That’s what we need. And I thought he played quick and clean. Thought we all did to start the game, and it was just really good, really fun to watch.”
Jazz coach Will Hardy has been very vocal this season and that’s by design, according to Andy Larsen of the Salt Lake Tribune. “It’s all intentional,” Hardy said. “There is a real process right now of trying to have all of our players, especially our young players, understand that every time you take the court, you’re trying to win.” Hardy’s team is currently holds a 3-6 record. “I feel like I need to give the team the urgency every single night to not let moments pass them by, to not take their minutes for granted, to not take this moment in their career for granted — because nothing’s guaranteed,” he said.
Lauri Markkanen was held to 12 points in 21 minutes on Friday but the Jazz forward is still averaging 28.3 points per game, which would easily be a career best. “He can truly play any style,” Hardy told Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated. “He can play with anybody there. You could name any All-Star player, and I would say Lauri could play with them. Because he doesn’t dribble too much, because he’s not really an iso player, because he’s not a pick-and-roll ball handler who needs X number of screens a night. It’s nice having somebody who’s that caliber player who doesn’t necessarily dictate your style. There are certain players that dictate the style you kind of have to play. Lauri gives us a lot of flexibility. It’s a real luxury as a coach and it would appear that that would be a luxury from a team-building standpoint.”

Knicks Notes: Towns, Robinson, Hart, McBride, Backup PG, Anunoby, Oakley

November 6th, 2025 at 8:23am CST by Dana Gauruder

More than a year after being traded from Minnesota to New York, Knicks big man Karl-Anthony Towns still has trouble processing the deal.

“I’m still stunned, I mean, I’m still stunned. It’s weird,” Towns said, per Vince Goodwill of ESPN, after the Knicks defeated his former club 137-114 on Wednesday. “I feel more like a Knick now after everything we went through last year, but it’s weird to see that Wolves jersey — especially the fire black one — and not see ‘Towns’ on the back of it.”

Towns believes the Timberwolves will remain one of the Western Conference’s elite teams.

“Built something special there,” Towns said. “It’s different when you’re in process and now you’re going against the process. They’re a great team. To see what they’re doing right now, special, and I expect nothing less than greatness from them.”

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Mitchell Robinson is on a load management plan that has included sitting out games and a minutes restriction when he suits up. He proved why he’s so essential to the club against Minnesota, Stefan Bondy of the New York Post writes. Robinson’s size, rebounding, defense, and rim protection were all impactful in a 16-minute stint. He finished with eight points, 10 rebounds, three blocks and a steal. “I was just out there being me,” he said.
Despite battling some nagging injuries, Josh Hart delivered his best performance of the season, Jared Schwartz of the New York Post notes. He posted a season-high 18 points, five rebounds and four assists. Miles McBride was also key off the bench with 14 points. “I gotta give a lot of credit to Deuce,” coach Mike Brown said. “Deuce was aggressive the right way. He played under control. If they tried to pick up full-court, he drove it by them. He touched the paint. He played off two [feet] and he sprayed it. And guys got great looks when he got us into our offensive. Josh was also a big catalyst in terms of trying to get us to push the pace and play the right way.”
With Brown already losing faith in Tyler Kolek, the Knicks once again find themselves in a familiar spot — seeking a reliable backup to Jalen Brunson. They are now using several players who aren’t true point guards in that role. Bondy identifies Jose Alvarado and Dante Exum as two options the club could consider on the trade market.
OG Anunoby is averaging a career-high 7.3 three-point attempts and making 41.4% of them. The Knicks want their versatile wing to keep firing away. “He’s a good shooter, and we want him to shoot the ball,” Hart told James Edwards III of The Athletic. “The offense is a little bit more ball movement, body movement. We want guys to put shots up and we’ll crash and do that. We want to, obviously, generate 3s.”
Former Knicks star Charles Oakley must pay more than $642K in lawyer fees to Madison Square Garden for deleting text messages during a court battle over his ejection from a game eight years ago, Priscilla DeGregory and Natalie O’Neill of the New York Post report. Oakley filed a defamation lawsuit against the arena firm and Knicks owner James Dolan in September 2017.

Anthony Edwards To Return To Action On Wednesday

November 5th, 2025 at 6:02pm CST by Eli Cohen

Anthony Edwards is available to play for the Timberwolves‘ game against the Knicks on Wednesday after missing his previous four games, reports ESPN’s Shams Charania (Twitter link). Stefan Bondy of the New York Post adds (via Twitter) that Edwards will not be on a minutes restriction.

Edwards was diagnosed with a right hamstring strain on October 27 after exiting the previous night’s game against the Pacers after just three minutes of play.

In his first two games of the season, Edwards was averaging 36.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per night while carrying over his prolific three-point shooting from the previous season by going 8-for-16 from beyond the arc.

The Wolves managed to beat the Pacers by a score of 114-110 and split their next four games, with wins against the Hornets and Nets and losses to the Nuggets and Lakers. They face a Knicks team coming off back-to-back wins against the Bulls and Wizards.

“He’s itching to play,” head coach Chris Finch said of Edwards, per Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic (Twitter link). Missing these four games marked the second-longest absence of the guard’s career, Krawczynski writes, behind only a six-game stretch he missed due to COVID-19 in his sophomore season.

Wolves, Kings Among Teams Keeping Eye On Morant Situation

November 5th, 2025 at 8:58am CST by Luke Adams

There is no shortage of teams monitoring the Ja Morant situation in Memphis, according to Sam Amick of The Athletic, who reports that the Timberwolves and Kings are among the clubs in that group.

Morant has been under the microscope in recent days due to his apparent discontent with his usage and the substitution patterns being employed by new Grizzlies head coach Tuomas Iisalo. He served a one-game suspension on Sunday for conduct detrimental to the team following a disagreement with the coaching staff, then replied with a simple “no” when asked by reporters after his return to action on Monday whether he has any joy playing basketball right now.

As Amick notes, Iisalo has been making more frequent substitutions and using a deeper rotation, with Morant’s 29.4 minutes per game representing a team high and a dozen players averaging at least 13.7 minutes per night. Iisalo’s approach is causing some “culture shock,” says Amick, and Morant has struggled in the early going, shooting just 39.3% from the floor and 13.9% on three-pointers.

Still, there have been no indications to this point that the Grizzlies would want to move Morant, who remains a “wildly popular and entertaining” player, Amick writes. The 26-year-old’s potential trade value had already declined in recent years due to injuries, as well as previous suspensions related to his off-court behavior. If Memphis were to explore a deal now, the team would have very little leverage to extract a strong return for the former No. 2 overall pick.

Of course, the potential opportunity to buy low is one important reason why teams are keeping a close eye on Morant’s status.

The Timberwolves’ current point guards include a 38-year-old veteran (Mike Conley), a 20-year-old second-year player (Rob Dillingham), and a shooting guard playing out of position (Donte DiVincenzo), so it makes sense that they’d have some level of interest in Morant. President of basketball operations Tim Connelly also has a reputation for being willing to take big swings, having memorably given up a significant package of draft assets to acquire Rudy Gobert from Utah in 2022.

Minnesota is light on tradable draft picks and doesn’t have an obvious package of players to send out for salary-matching purposes, so the Kings could be better positioned to make a deal for someone like Morant and his $39.4MM salary. Having traded away point guard De’Aaron Fox in February, Sacramento signed Dennis Schröder in free agency to take over the starting job, but he’s not viewed as a long-term solution.

The Kings haven’t spoken to the Grizzlies about a possible Morant trade, a league source tells Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee, though he acknowledges that could change. Anderson points out that at least one sports book listed Sacramento as the betting favorite to acquire the two-time All-Star.

Following Fred VanVleet‘s ACL tear, the Rockets are also viewed as a team in need of point guard help, but a team source tells Amick that Houston is unlikely to pursue Morant.

The in-season trade deadline is still three months away and many players around the NBA won’t become trade-eligible until December 15, so even if the relationship between Morant and the Grizzlies deteriorates quickly, it may not result in a trade in the short term. It also remains possible that the two sides will overcome their shaky start to the season and quiet trade speculation well in advance of the February 5 deadline.

Anthony Edwards Listed As Questionable To Play On Wednesday

November 4th, 2025 at 5:13pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards has been upgraded to questionable for Wednesday’s game against the Knicks, the team’s PR department tweets.

Edwards has missed the past four games due to a right hamstring strain. Last Monday, when the injury was revealed via an MRI, the team announced Edwards would be reevaluated in one week. At the time, there was reporting suggesting that Edwards would be out for at least two weeks.

Edwards was cleared to resume contact basketball activities on Monday, according to a press release. The fact that Edwards could suit up on Wednesday is a huge boost for the Timberwolves, who have gone 2-2 without him. They have recorded road wins at Charlotte and Brooklyn heading into their trip to Madison Square Garden to face the Knicks.

Edwards notched a 41-point outing against Portland and a 31-point performance against the Lakers before departing after three minutes against Indiana on Oct. 26. The three-time All-Star averaged a career-best 27.6 points and 4.5 assists per game last season while appearing in 79 regular season contests.

Western Notes: Draymond, Edwards, N. Smith, Kyrie

November 4th, 2025 at 11:56am CST by Luke Adams

Draymond Green learned earlier this year that he has a legitimate chance to add his name to a short list of NBA legends with 10 All-Defensive seasons, according to Sam Amick of The Athletic, who notes that the opportunity has become a major source of motivation for the Warriors forward. Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, Kobe Bryant, Scottie Pippen, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar are the only players who have accomplished the feat in the league history. Green, who has earned nine All-Defensive nods, needs one more to join them.

“You see a list like that, and that immediately becomes your ‘why,'” Green told Amick. “It’s like, ‘Man, I need to give all that I f—ing can to be on that thing.’ When you look at a list like that and you say, ‘Man, I can be on that list.’ It’s captivating. If I’m honest, it consumes you.

“You’re always looking to add these stamps (of approval). And I think for me personally, that’s one stamp that I would love to add, for no other reason than the little kid from Saginaw being able to one day look at that list and say, ‘Damn, my name is on the list with those guys.’ …So that’s a huge, huge, huge goal of mine.”

Amick’s wide-ranging interview with Green also touched on several other topics, including how much longer the 35-year-old plans to continue playing. According to Green, he thought at one point that he might only have another year or two in him, but he has since reconsidered that position.

“My body feels better and better every year,” he said. “I’ve learned more about my body and what I need to do. I still enjoy competing at the highest level. I still enjoy setting this goal and then going through the process and trying to reach it. So I wouldn’t necessarily say (just one more) year or two, like I would have said a year ago. I don’t really put a number on it, either. Like I’ve always said, the game will tell me when it’s time to go.”

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Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards, who has missed the past four games due to a right hamstring strain, has been cleared to resume contact basketball activities, the team announced on Monday in a press release. As Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic tweets, it’s a sign that Edwards’ return to action should happen sooner rather than later, barring a setback.
With LeBron James, Luka Doncic, and Austin Reaves all inactive on Monday, the Lakers picked up a 123-115 win over Portland on the second end of a back-to-back. While Rui Hachimura and Deandre Ayton had big games, Nick Smith Jr.‘s 25-point performance was the biggest surprise of the night, as Kevin Pelton of ESPN writes. Smith, a former first-round pick who joined the Lakers on a two-way deal last month after being waived by Charlotte, was reportedly battling an illness and threw up at halftime, per Mike Trudell of Spectrum SportsNet (Twitter link), but said the game was “probably the most fun I’ve had in a long time.”
After raising eyebrows by hinting in Mexico City that Kyrie Irving has a chance to return from his ACL tear before the calendar turns to 2026, Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd walked back those comments to some extent on Monday, tweets Christian Clark of The Athletic. “When I made the statement (in Mexico), it was more or less, ‘We would love to have him back,'” Kidd said. “But he’s doing great mentally and physically. We still don’t have an official schedule for Kai. Once that comes out, then we can start to speculate if he’s going to be back by ’25. We do miss him. But hopefully it is sooner rather than later.”

Northwest Notes: Jazz, K. George, Wolves, R. Williams, A. Mitchell

October 31st, 2025 at 11:29am CST by Luke Adams

New Jazz president of basketball operations Austin Ainge vowed back in June at his introductory press conference that the team wouldn’t tank in 2025/26 like it did last year. We’re just four games into the season, but so far the team is backing up that assertion, as Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune writes.

The 2-2 Jazz have won games against the Clippers and Suns, while their losses against Sacramento and Portland came by a combined total of three points. Keyonte George‘s play has been one of the more notable developments of the first two weeks of the season, Larsen notes — the third-year point guard is averaging 22.3 points and 9.3 assists per game through his first four outings.

“I credit, you know, (CEO) Danny (Ainge), (general manager Justin Zanik), Austin, (head coach) Will (Hardy),” George said when asked about his maturation this season. “My exit interview, it was pretty blunt. … It basically was about — you know, ‘It’s time to grow up.'”

George has still struggled with his three-point shot (22.2%) and turnovers (4.3 per game) in the early going, but Larsen describes his defensive effort as “night and day” compared to last season and notes that the 21-year-old is prioritizing setting up teammates instead of seeking out his own shot.

“Put the ball in our play-makers’ hands,” George said in describing his approach. “Whether it’s Lauri (Markkanen), Walker (Kessler), Brice (Sensabaugh), or anybody. And then that’s when I can go get a layup every now and then, or make an open shot.”

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The Timberwolves‘ typically stout defense has faltered early on this season, ranking 24th in the NBA through Thursday’s games. Minnesota is just 2-3 so far and has a 119.5 defensive rating after finishing sixth at 110.8 last season. As Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic relays, head coach Chris Finch has challenged his “All-Defensive guys” – Jaden McDaniels and Rudy Gobert – to do a better job of setting the tone on that end of the court. “Jaden’s gotta be better at the point of attack, into his guy a little bit more,” Finch said. “Rudy’s gotta challenge more stuff at the rim.”
Trail Blazers center Robert Williams, who has yet to make his season debut, has been upgraded to questionable for Friday’s game vs. Denver, the team announced (Twitter link). Williams, who has been plagued by knee issues throughout his career, was limited to just 20 games last season and didn’t play during the preseason.
After missing most of the second half of his rookie season due to toe surgery, Thunder guard Ajay Mitchell signed a three-year, $8.7MM contract in July that includes a team option on the third year. Mitchell, who has averaged 18.5 points per game in his first six appearances off the bench this fall, has already outplayed that contract, suggests ESPN’s Bobby Marks. That team-friendly deal should benefit Oklahoma City significantly during the next couple seasons as extensions for Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren take effect and the club enters tax-apron territory.