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And-Ones: Team USA, Role Players, M. Jones, Balcetis

October 17th, 2025 at 12:52pm CST by Luke Adams

Speaking to reporters at a Thursday press conference to formally introduce Erik Spoelstra as Team USA’s new men’s basketball head coach, managing director Grant Hill said that winning a World Cup for the first time since 2014 is the “first order of business” for the national team, per Joe Vardon of The Athletic.

The U.S. finished seventh at the 2019 World Cup and fourth in 2023, failing to secure a medal at either event. Typically, the World Cup rosters featured less established stars than the Olympic squads, and that likely won’t change going forward, according to Vardon, who points to Cooper Flagg and Evan Mobley as a couple possibilities for the 2027 team. For his part, Hill is in no rush to lock in on any specific players quite yet.

“We have some time, and one of the great things is to see who emerges,” Hill said. “You have two years before the World Cup, and it seems like every season there are players who take a step in their development and become better players, All-Star players, players whose games translate to international play.

“It’s great to get these players in the pipeline. The great thing is, yes, the world is getting better, but we are too. We still have some great players in this country, great young players. And you know, it’s on me to get out and recruit and you know, sort of share with guys the importance of doing this.”

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

Fred Katz of The Athletic identifies five role players around the NBA who could end up being pivotal contributors for their respective teams this season, including Bucks guard Kevin Porter Jr., Cavaliers wing De’Andre Hunter, and Timberwolves guard Terrence Shannon Jr.
After signing him last month, the Perth Wildcats have parted ways with former NBA guard Mason Jones, as Olgun Uluc of ESPN writes. Jones, who was named the MVP of the 2025 G League Finals in April, struggled in his first five games in Australia’s National Basketball League, shooting just 34.7% from the floor, including 27.6% on three-pointers. The Wildcats are exploring the market for a new import guard to replace him, per Uluc.
Former Nuggets assistant general manager Tommy Balcetis is joining Zalgiris Kaunas as the Lithuanian club’s head of innovations, according to BasketNews. Balcetis was considered a potential candidate to run Denver’s front office after the team fired Calvin Booth in the spring, but the Nuggets opted to promote Ben Tenzer into that position and didn’t renew Balcetis’ contract.
NBA rookies and award winners will wear patches on their jerseys this season as part of the league’s partnership with Fanatic/Topps. Dan Hajducky of ESPN has the details on the new program.

Injury Notes: Sochan, George, Demin, Suggs, K. Jones, Ingles

October 16th, 2025 at 2:44pm CST by Luke Adams

The Spurs will be without forward Jeremy Sochan when they open their regular season in Dallas next Wednesday night, according to the team (Twitter link via Jared Weiss of The Athletic).

Ramping up this fall from a calf injury he sustained during the summer, Sochan had progressed to 5-on-5 scrimmages this week and was trending toward potentially being available for opening night. However, the Spurs say that he sprained his left wrist in practice on Thursday. He’ll enter the regular season considered day-to-day, per the club.

Sochan is one of 15 players who remain eligible to sign rookie scale extensions. If he and the Spurs don’t agree to terms on or before Monday, he’ll be on track to play out his contract year and become eligible for restricted free agency next summer.

We have more injury updates from around the NBA:

After progressing to 3-on-3 work on Wednesday, Sixers forward Paul George took another step forward on Thursday, fully participating in practice, including 5-on-5 action, tweets Derek Bodner of PHLY Sports. However, head coach Nick Nurse quickly replied “no” when asked if there’s optimism about George suiting up for Friday’s preseason finale or next Wednesday’s regular season opener (Twitter video link). “Yesterday was his first day live,” Nurse said. “… Today was a short amount of 5-on-5, so we have to just keep waiting.”
No. 8 overall pick Egor Demin will make his preseason debut for the Nets on Friday vs. Toronto, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Demin has been dealing with a plantar fascia tear during training camp and the preseason, but it appears he’ll be ready for the start of the season unless he experiences a setback before then.
Magic guard Jalen Suggs responded well to the limited contact work he did this week, but there are still hurdles to clear before he’s cleared for game action, head coach Jamahl Mosley said on Thursday. “We’ll have a couple more scrimmages where we’ll be able to go live, some 3-on-3, some 5-on-5, and we’ll see how he responds after each one of those days,” Mosley said, per Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (subscription required). “Then we’ll be able to tell you accordingly, you’ll know whether he is or isn’t [ready] on opening night.”
After announcing last week that rookie guard Kam Jones could miss multiple weeks due to a back issue, Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle provided an update on Thursday, telling Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star (Twitter link) to check back in on Jones around November 9. That’s the same date that T.J. McConnell (hamstring) is scheduled to be reevaluated.
Timberwolves forward Joe Ingles, diagnosed last week with a left groin strain, has been cleared for basketball activities and will be available for Thursday’s game against Chicago, the team announced today in a press release.

Warriors, Lakers Top 2025 NBA Franchise Valuations

October 16th, 2025 at 8:48am CST by Luke Adams

The Warriors are still the NBA’s most valuable team, according to Kurt Badenhausen of Sportico, who unveiled the website’s updated NBA franchise valuations for 2025 on Thursday.

Badenhausen projects the Warriors’ value at $11.33 billion, which represents an incredible 24% increase from last year’s $9.14 billion valuation. The NFL’s Dallas Cowboys, at $12.8 billion, continue to be the only global sports franchise whose valuation comes in higher than Golden State’s, according to Sportico’s projections.

As Badenhausen outlines, the Warriors lead the NBA in revenue by a significant margin, having generated an estimated $833MM last season. Golden State makes more than $5MM per game in ticket revenue, along with $2.5MM from luxury suites; the club also has a $45MM per year jersey patch deal with Rakuten, earns almost double what any other team makes in sponsorship revenue, and is one of the few teams to fully own and operate its arena, per Sportico.

After placing third a year ago, the Lakers have jumped to second place on Sportico’s 2025 list at $10 billion, based on Mark Walter‘s recent agreement to purchase the team at that valuation. The Lakers moved slightly ahead of the third-place Knicks, who come in at $9.85 billion.

Every team’s valuation has increased by at least 9% since last year, per Sportico, with the average value of an NBA franchise now at $5.51 billion (up 20% from 2024) and no team worth less than $4 billion.

The average valuation has more than doubled since 2022, when it was $2.58 billion. As Badenhausen writes, the NBA’s new $76 billion media rights deal and its global ambitions – including the possible creation of a league in Europe – have played a part in those gains.

Although the Warriors’ $833MM is something out of an outlier, NBA teams generated an average of approximately $408MM in revenue last season, according to Badenhausen, with the Grizzlies coming in last at $301MM. Memphis also ranks 30th on Sportico’s list of franchise values.

Despite placing at the bottom of this list, the Grizzlies actually had the most significant increase in their franchise valuation this past year, rising from $3.06 billion to $4 billion (31%). The Pelicans (30%), Timberwolves (29%), and Eastern Conference champion Pacers (27%) were the other biggest risers.

Of course, it’s worth noting that figures from Sportico or any other media outlet are just estimates and often don’t quite match up with the sale prices for franchises that change hands. But these projections are usually in the right ballpark and remain useful for getting a sense of the league’s most and least valuable teams.

Here’s Sportico’s full list of NBA franchise valuations for 2025:

Golden State Warriors: $11.33 billion
Los Angeles Lakers: $10 billion
New York Knicks: $9.85 billion
Los Angeles Clippers: $6.72 billion
Boston Celtics: $6.35 billion
Brooklyn Nets: $6.22 billion
Chicago Bulls: $6.12 billion
Miami Heat: $6.03 billion
Philadelphia 76ers: $5.61 billion
Houston Rockets: $5.53 billion
Dallas Mavericks: $5.24 billion
Toronto Raptors: $5.22 billion
Phoenix Suns: $5.09 billion
Atlanta Hawks: $5.02 billion
Sacramento Kings: $5 billion
Cleveland Cavaliers: $4.86 billion
Denver Nuggets: $4.8 billion
Washington Wizards: $4.78 billion
Indiana Pacers: $4.76 billion
Milwaukee Bucks: $4.54 billion
San Antonio Spurs: $4.5 billion
Oklahoma City Thunder: $4.34 billion
Utah Jazz: $4.27 billion
Portland Trail Blazers: $4.25 billion
Minnesota Timberwolves: $4.24 billion
Orlando Magic: $4.21 billion
Detroit Pistons: $4.17 billion
Charlotte Hornets: $4.13 billion
New Orleans Pelicans: $4.02 billion
Memphis Grizzlies: $4 billion

As Badenhausen notes, Sportico’s projections are based on a control sale price, rather than limited stake purchases. Controlling shares in the Celtics, Lakers, and Trail Blazers all changed hands this past year, though only the Celtics sale has been formally approved by the NBA so far.

William Chisholm is buying the Celtics in two stages, with an initial valuation of $6.1 billion and a blended valuation of roughly $6.5 billion. Walter is purchasing the Lakers at a valuation of $10 billion, while Tom Dundon is buying the Blazers at a $4.25 billion valuation.

And-Ones: Core Trios, MVP, Hayward, NBA App

October 15th, 2025 at 11:04am CST by Rory Maher

Tim Bontemps of ESPN ranks the core trios of every NBA team based on their current and future value. Unsurprisingly, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren of the defending champion Thunder sit atop Bontemps’ tiered list, followed by the Nuggets trio of Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon.

Bontemps’ final tier (“rebuilding”) is comprised of the Nets (Nic Claxton, Egor Demin, Nolan Traore), Trail Blazers (Toumani Camara, Donovan Clingan, Shaedon Sharpe), Jazz (Ace Bailey, Walter Clayton, Lauri Markkanen), and Wizards (Bilal Coulibaly, Tre Johnson, Alex Sarr).

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

Using six categories (narrative score, expected ridiculous stats score, team quality score, clutch score, player impact score, and perceived value score), Zach Harper of The Athletic takes a stab at predicting who will win the NBA’s MVP award in 2025/26. Jokic, who was the runner-up last season, earns the most points (55/60), followed by reigning MVP Gilgeous-Alexander (50/60) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (50/60), who finished third in voting last season. However, Harper’s “gut” says Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (45/60) will claim his first MVP.
Former NBA All-Star Gordon Hayward, who retired last summer after a 14-year career in the league, is returning to his alma mater in a new role. According to a Butler press release written by John Dedman, Hayward will be an executive basketball advisor for the Bulldogs’ men’s basketball program. In addition to advising in multiple areas, Hayward will also serve as a mentor to student-athletes, with a focus on leadership and professional development.
The NBA announced in a press release that it has launched a new multi-platform streaming offering as well as the “reimagined” NBA TV, both of which can be accessed via the NBA App. There’s also a new flagship program on NBA TV and the NBA App called “The Association,” which features MJ Acosta-Ruiz, David Fizdale, Rudy Gay, Chris Haynes and John Wall, among others.

Northwest Notes: SGA, Bailey, Dillingham, Miller, Cooke

October 14th, 2025 at 3:16pm CST by Luke Adams

Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander doesn’t see himself playing until he’s 40 like current stars LeBron James and Chris Paul, he said within a GQ Sports cover story, per Yang-Yi Goh (subscription required).

“I definitely think I can,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “I won’t, though. A hundred percent.”

The reigning MVP just turned 27 in July, so he certainly has time to change his mind between now and the final years of his NBA career. However, he went on to explain that family considerations would be the main reason why he doesn’t think he’d want to extend his playing days that long.

“I won’t want to miss that much of my kid’s life,” he told Goh. “I won’t want to be away and miss his first basketball game every year, his first soccer game, football game, piano lesson, chess lesson, whatever it is. And there’s a certain point in your career where you reach your peak.

“I don’t fault guys for still playing. They love the game. But I just feel like I play this game, ultimately, to see what the best version of me can be. Once I figure that out and I start going down, then it’s like, Okay, well, what am I playing for now? As soon as that happens, I’ll be on the first ship out.”

Here’s more from around the Northwest Division:

Jazz rookie Ace Bailey is dealing with “some tendonitis” in both of his knees, Will Hardy said after the No. 5 overall pick was removed from Monday’s game vs. Portland. However, Utah’s head coach didn’t sound overly concerned about the issue. “He’s not going to be getting imaged or anything like that,” Hardy told reporters, including Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune (Twitter link). “It’s just trying to take care of him. He was a little sore during his second stint (on the court).”
After playing a limited role as a rookie, second-year Timberwolves guard Rob Dillingham is working on making the adjustments necessary to earn more regular minutes in 2025/26, as Chris Hine of The Star Tribune details. “I want to play,” Dillingham said. “So whatever I got to do to play, whatever (head coach Chris Finch) wants me to do — pass the ball, pick up (on defense), I’m just gonna have to do.” Finch offered more details on what he and the staff have told Dillingham to focus on: “Be ready to make shots off the ball, particularly when you’re playing out there alongside guys like Julius and Ant who are going to have the ball in their hands a lot. Keep it simple and use your speed, which is what we need you to do and what you have naturally comes to you.”
Timberwolves forward Leonard Miller, who suffered a finger injury early in training camp, was cleared for full-contact, five-on-five basketball activities on Monday, the team announced in a press release. Miller started on Monday against the Guangzhou Loong Lions and played well in a Minnesota blowout, racking up 15 points and 11 rebounds in 23 minutes of action.
The Oklahoma City Blue and Rip City Remix have completed a trade, tweets Rylan Stiles of SI.com. The Thunder‘s G League affiliate acquired the returning rights for Isaac Nogues and Henri Drell, along with a 2026 second-round pick, from the Trail Blazers‘ affiliate, in exchange for Javonte Cooke‘s returning rights. Cooke signed an Exhibit 10 contract with Portland two weeks ago, while Nogues and Drell are currently playing overseas.

Timberwolves Notes: Ingles, Hyland, Shannon, Gershon, Barton

October 9th, 2025 at 6:38pm CST by Earnest Marshall

Timberwolves forward Joe Ingles suffered a left groin strain and will be reevaluated in one week, the franchise announced in a release.

The Wolves don’t open the regular season until October 22, so it’s entirely possible Ingles won’t miss any regular season time due to the injury. Even if he does, it shouldn’t impact Minnesota’s rotation — the veteran appeared in just 19 games last season for the Wolves, making one start and logging 114 total minutes.

Ingles, 38, re-signed with the Timberwolves this offseason and is gearing up for his second year in Minneapolis. He has appeared in 723 career games, averaging 7.9 points per contest.

We have more from the Timberwolves:

Timberwolves president of basketball operations Tim Connelly was with the Nuggets when they selected Bones Hyland with the 26th overall pick in the 2021 draft. Now leading the Wolves’ front office, Connelly oversaw Minnesota adding Hyland on a two-way deal late last season and then re-signing him to a standard contract last month. Chris Hine of The Star Tribune takes a deeper dive into the relationship between the two, exploring the kind of role Hyland could be in store for this year. “We just had a different connection, a real close connection,” Hyland said. “Just that belief he has in me. He’s always had my back. That’s a guy I’m really appreciative of. Every time I see Tim, it’s always a big hug. I’m very thankful for him just believing in me.”
With Nickeil Alexander-Walker having left Minnesota for the Hawks this offseason, 2024 first-rounder Terrence Shannon Jr. is in line for a larger role on the contending Timberwolves. Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic takes a deep dive into what’s in store this season for Shannon, who will join Rob Dillingham and Jaylen Clark as young players aiming for bigger roles.
Minnesota’s G League affiliate, the Iowa Wolves, has named Josh Gershon its general manager, per a press release. Gershon has previously served as the Timberwolves’ college scouting coordinator, as well as the Iowa Wolves’ assistant GM.
Iowa also announced several other front office and coaching additions, including that of 11-year NBA veteran Will Barton as an assistant coach. Barton spent several years playing for the Nuggets during Connelly’s time in Denver.

And-Ones: Delfino, Positional Rankings, Top Storylines, More

October 8th, 2025 at 10:35am CST by Luke Adams

Appearing on the “Doble Doble” podcast this week, former NBA forward Carlos Delfino confirmed that he is retiring as a player, as Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops writes.

Delfino, who turned 43 in August, was the 25th overall pick in the 2003 NBA draft and spent nine years in the league from 2004-08 and 2009-14 (he played in Russia in 2008/09). The Argentinian wing averaged 8.1 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.7 assists in 22.8 minutes per game across 507 regular season outings for the Pistons, Raptors, Bucks, and Rockets before injuries derailed his career.

Delfino eventually returned to action in Europe in 2017 and spent the next several seasons playing for non-NBA teams. A longtime international standout, he won an Olympic gold medal in Athens in 2004 as a member of the Argentina national team that upset Team USA in the semifinals, then took home a bronze medal at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

We have several more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

Law Murray of The Athletic ranked all 30 NBA teams based on their depth charts at each position, with the Thunder (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander; Cason Wallace) taking the No. 1 spot at point guard while the Timberwolves (Anthony Edwards; Terrence Shannon Jr.) sit atop the shooting guard list. The Rockets (Kevin Durant; Tari Eason), Bucks (Giannis Antetokounmpo; Bobby Portis), and Nuggets (Nikola Jokic; Jonas Valanciunas) ranked first at small forward, power forward, and center, respectively.
What storylines will be the biggest of the 2025/26 season? Chris Mannix of SI.com makes his predictions, including whether or not Antetokounmpo will finish the season with the Bucks, how much better the Magic will be with Desmond Bane, and whether the concept of playoff reseeding will gain any momentum based on the relative strength of the Western Conference.
An international basketball league that has been in the works for the past couple years still plans to launch in 2026, but LeBron James‘ business partner Maverick Carter is no longer involved in the venture, according to Ben Horney and Daniel Roberts of Front Office Sports. The report from Horney and Roberts provides some details on the big names who are investing in the league, including tennis star Novak Djokovic and former WNBA star Candace Parker.
John Hollinger of The Athletic‘s projections for the bottom half of the Eastern Conference in 2025/26 include the Sixers, Celtics, and Pacers finishing 10th through 12th with 37, 36, and 31 wins, respectively. However, he acknowledges that Philadelphia might have a wider range of potential outcomes than any other team in the NBA.

Timberwolves Notes: Hyland, Dillingham, Gobert, Beringer, Zikarsky

October 6th, 2025 at 11:59am CST by Arthur Hill

Bones Hyland led the Timberwolves in scoring as they opened the preseason Saturday with a win over Denver and he could be making a strong case for regular playing time, writes Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. Hyland finished with 18 points, three assists and one turnover in 22 minutes, building on a strong performance during training camp.

Hyland is currently third on the depth chart at point guard behind Mike Conley and Rob Dillingham, according to Krawczynski, who notes that Minnesota has a lot invested in Dillingham after trading up to select him with the eighth pick in the 2024 draft. He saw limited playing time as a rookie, appearing in 49 games and averaging 4.5 points and 2.0 assists in 10.5 minutes per night.

Hyland re-signed with the Wolves in September after joining the team in late February on a two-way contract. He formed a bond with Dillingham last season and has been supportive of his younger teammate.

“He kind of reminds me of myself,” Hyland said. “We’re both shifty. We’re both slim-framed. We both have heart. … He really is like a little brother to me.”

There’s more from Minnesota:

Rudy Gobert looked sharp in the preseason opener and said he feels good after skipping international basketball this summer, Krawczynski adds. After playing in the 2024 Olympics, Gobert bypassed an opportunity to represent France at EuroBasket. “As much as I love it, I had to make the decision this summer to focus on recharging the batteries,” he said. “It also allows me to work differently — work on my body, get stronger. As a competitor, it’s never easy. But you’ve also got to be smart about thinking about what’s best for your body and your mind.”
First-round pick Joan Beringer had an impressive debut with 14 points and four rebounds in nearly 24 minutes. On the downside, Krawczynski notes that he committed five fouls and was often overpowered by Nuggets center Jonas Valanciunas. “He’s so strong,” Beringer said of Valanciunas. “I couldn’t move him.”
Second-round pick Rocco Zikarsky also had an intriguing game with eight points and nine rebounds in 13 minutes, Krawczynski observes. The 7’3″ Australian center is on a two-way contract and is expected to spend most of the season in the G League.
The Wolves wrapped up a calm training camp, and the drama-free approach could be a positive sign for the regular season, suggests Chris Hine of The Star Tribune.

Wolves Notes: Conley, Randle, DiVincenzo, Reid

October 3rd, 2025 at 9:00am CST by Luke Adams

After dealing with multiple health issues – including a wrist injury – last fall, Timberwolves point guard Mike Conley feels much better entering the 2025/26 season, having been able to do his normal work during the offseason, as Chris Hine of The Star Tribune writes.

“Completely different summer,” Conley said. “More what I’m used to, being able to work every day. As soon as we got out of the playoffs, I was back just being able to get into my routines and scheduled everything out like I normally do. I feel right on schedule for training camp and in shape ready to go. So it was a breath of fresh air to be able to work again and shoot basketballs and do all that, that I wasn’t able to do the summer before.”

Conley, who will turn 38 next Saturday, set career lows in several statistical categories in 2024/25, including points (8.2) and minutes (24.7) per game, as well as usage rate (14.4%). However, he has been more assertive in training camp, according to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic, who notes that Conley believes he can bounce back and be more effective than he was last season if he gets a few more opportunities to initiate the offense.

“To be the best version (of myself), it’s having the ball, I think,” Conley told reporters on media day. “That doesn’t mean I need to shoot it. I don’t need to shoot, but as a point guard, I’ve grown up playing the position in the way I play it. You have a better feel for the game when you are initiating, when you’re controlling a little bit more, dictating how the game is flowing. You get kind of stagnant when you sit in certain areas, maybe sit in the corner for too long, or don’t touch the ball for a couple possessions, or four or five minutes.”

Of course, Conley often shares the floor with a pair of high-level scorers in Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle, who both need the ball in their hands to be effective as well. But the veteran point guard made it clear he doesn’t want to take scoring opportunities away from either of those players, suggesting he can help get them easy points in fast-break situations.

“We talk about it all the time, and it’s something that I tell them every time,” Conley said, per Krawczynski. “If I get the ball, I promise y’all, I’m not trying to go shoot this thing. I promise you, if you run, I’m gonna throw it up to you. I want to play quarterback, all-time quarterback. That’s what I want to do.”

We have more on the Wolves:

A year after being unexpectedly traded from New York to Minnesota as training camp was about to begin, Randle has a new three-year contract in hand and feels at home as a Timberwolf, according to Krawczynski. “Now it just feels very settled,” Randle said ahead of his second season in Minnesota. “I would say even this summer and leading up to the season is probably the happiest I’ve been in a really long time as far as just career, family, everything. … My work-life balance, or just my ability to separate the two, have been a lot better since I’ve been here.”
Timberwolves wing Donte DiVincenzo didn’t play for Italy at this year’s EuroBasket tournament due to the turf toe issue that affected him last season and required him to play with a plate in his shoe. However, he told reporters this week that he feels “110 percent” ready for the coming season, per Hine. “I had the option to get surgery. I elected not to,” DiVincenzo said. “Surgery would have put me out, I think, five, six months, and we put a plate in the shoe to restrict that mobility of my toe. … Because now the season ended, I pulled the plate out of my shoe. I want to get back to being my normal self, and so it’s all precautionary. There’s nothing to worry about to start the season.”
An offseason that should have been a rewarding one for Naz Reid, who signed the most lucrative contract of any 2025 free agent ($125MM over five years), took a tragic turn last month when his sister was shot and killed in New Jersey. The Wolves big man, a fan favorite in Minnesota, entered training camp this week with a heavy heart, as Krawczynski writes for The Athletic. “I’ve been (getting) better, been on the up and up,” Reid said. “A lot of people around me are supporting. Things don’t really go as planned in life, but you know, there’s a lot of situations where … like I said before, I’ve got a lot of support and it helps a lot.”

Wolves’ Miller Out At Least Two Weeks With Finger Injury

October 1st, 2025 at 10:44am CST by Luke Adams

Timberwolves forward Leonard Miller sustained a finger injury at Tuesday’s practice, according to the team, which announced in a press release that he has been diagnosed with a right fifth finger laceration.

Miller will be reevaluated in two weeks, per the Wolves. That means he’ll miss the rest of training camp and at least four of Minnesota’s six preseason games.

Miller, who will turn 22 in November, was the 33rd overall pick in the 2023 draft. The 6’10” forward hasn’t seen much action at the NBA level in his first two professional seasons, playing just 84 total minutes in 30 appearances, including 32 minutes in 13 games in 2024/25.

The Canadian performed well in the G League last season, however, averaging 24.7 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.2 blocks in 37.5 minutes per contest over the course of 26 outings for the Iowa Wolves. He posted a shooting line of .505/.341/.851.

Although the finger injury might not sideline Miller for any of the regular season and wouldn’t have a major impact on the Wolves’ rotation even if it does, it’s a disappointing setback for a player who is looking to prove he deserves to continue hanging onto an NBA roster spot. Miller isn’t owed any guaranteed money beyond his $2.22MM salary this season, as his contract includes a team option worth $2.41MM for 2026/27.