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Nuggets Notes: Valanciunas, Jordan, Jokic, Murray

October 30th, 2025 at 11:05pm CST by Rory Maher

The Nuggets have been pleased with the play of backup big man Jonas Valanciunas early on this season, according to Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post. During the second quarter of Wednesday’s win over New Orleans, head coach David Adelman was able to rest Nikola Jokic for nearly eight-and-a-half minutes, with Denver extending its lead during that stretch.

“To have different guys and have different energy, I like that,” said Jokic. “(Valanciunas) is definitely a threat down (low). The guy can score, and he’s big and dominant down there. He’s getting people to collapse on him, and he’s a really good passer. So, it’s definitely an advantage for us.”

Valanciunas had a productive night, finishing with 10 points, six rebounds and three assists in 14 minutes. Jokic wasn’t the only key Nugget to compliment the Lithuanian big man.

“‘Big Val’ is nice, you know?” Aaron Gordon said, per Saunders. “He’s certified. He’s just really, really, really, really good. So there’s not a huge drop-off. He’s just smart. Knows his game. Knows his spots. He’s bigger than every other matchup he has on him. And he settles down that second unit. When things get stymied or we can’t find a bucket, you can play through Big Val, just like how we play through ‘Joker.’”

We have more on the Nuggets:

Just five days after signing a guaranteed minimum-salary contract with the Pelicans, veteran center DeAndre Jordan faced off against his former team on Wednesday, as Bennett Durando of The Denver Post writes. Jordan, 37, spent the past three seasons with the Nuggets, including winning a championship as a role player in 2023. “Definitely some emotions for sure,” Jordan said before Wednesday’s game. “Spent three years here. It was great. My teammates, coaches, everything. The fans were amazing. So it’s definitely some (emotions) running through (me) right now, coming here and seeing the locker room and the banner again. … I owe a lot to Denver.” Adelman praised Jordan’s locker-room presence, Durando adds. “Such a big part of what we were in that locker room, his personality, not just for the players but for the staff,” Adelman said after joking that Jordan’s three years in Denver felt like 30. “All-time vet. … I’m glad he’s back in the league.”
Jokic tied an NBA record on Wednesday by notching his fourth consecutive triple-double to open the season, notes Durando of The Denver Post. The three-time MVP center recorded 21 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists in the victory against the Pelicans.
Star guard Jamal Murray is off to a great start in 2025/26 but he may miss his first game of the season on Friday. He’s listed as questionable for the matchup vs. Portland due to left calf tightness, the Nuggets announced (via Twitter). Forward Cameron Johnson (right shoulder inflammation) is probable to suit up.

Pelicans’ Willie Green Reportedly On Hot Seat

October 30th, 2025 at 2:01pm CST by Luke Adams

The Pelicans are having “serious” internal discussions about head coach Willie Green, league sources tell Brett Siegel and Chris Dodson of ClutchPoints.

After winning just 21 games last season, the Pelicans revamped their front office and retooled their roster during the offseason. Amid those changes, however, Green held onto his head coaching job under new executive VP of basketball operations Joe Dumars.

New Orleans entered this fall hoping for a bounce-back season, but the team hasn’t gotten off to a good start. After tight losses to Memphis and San Antonio, the Pelicans have been blown out in each of their last two games, losing by 32 points at home to Boston on Monday and by 34 in Denver on Wednesday.

Sources tell ClutchPoints that multiple Pelicans players have appeared frustrated by Green’s lineup decisions and that there’s a growing sense around the league that the fifth-year coach has lost the locker room.

The Pelicans will play on Friday against the Clippers in L.A. and on Sunday against the Thunder in Oklahoma City before returning home. It’s possible a decision on Green’s future will be made at the conclusion of that road trip, according to Siegel and Dodson, who say assistant James Borrego would be the favorite to take over in the event of a coaching change.

Green has a record of 148-184 (.446) since being hired by New Orleans in 2021. The team has made the playoffs twice during Green’s tenure and won 49 regular season games in 2023/24, but hasn’t advanced beyond the first round, losing to the Suns in six games in 2022 and to the Thunder in four games in 2024.

Following Wednesday’s one-sided loss in Denver, which dropped the Pelicans to 0-4, Green said that the club needs to “dig down and find our identity,” per Rod Walker of NOLA.com.

“We have to believe in each other. That’s first,” he said. “The first order of business is you’ve got to compete harder, play harder, play more together and the belief has to be there.”

Pelicans Notes: Williamson, Green, Fears, Jordan

October 28th, 2025 at 10:00pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Zion Williamson sat out the Pelicans’ game Monday against Boston due to a left foot bone contusion. Without their star forward, the Celtics blew them out 122-90. Williamson, who practiced on a limited basis on Tuesday and is questionable to play Wednesday at Denver, told Rod Walker of NOLA.com that the injury is minor.

“Right now we’re in a day-to-day thing,” he said. “But nothing major. Nothing that is going to keep me out for a long time. Just day to day.”

Williamson was injured during Friday’s game against the Spurs on a put-back dunk. He stepped on the foot of Victor Wembanyama.

“Landed on someone’s foot and the side of my foot just banged the ground,” Williamson said. “The pain level didn’t really pick up until a day or two days later. I spoke with the team, made the best decision on it. Got it looked at.”

We have more on the Pelicans:

Is head coach Willie Green already on the hot seat after the team’s 0-3 start? Green spoke of the team’s “lack of toughness” after Monday’s debacle, William Guillory of The Athletic writes. “I’m disappointed in how we approached the game. I’m disappointed in the lack of toughness on the floor more than anything. That’s the part that’s difficult,” Green said. “It’s one thing to not win a game. It’s a whole other thing to get kind of punked on your home floor. And I’m a part of that.”
Lottery pick Jeremiah Fears made his first career start in Williamson’s absence, Les East of NOLA.com notes. It didn’t go well. The No. 7 overall pick missed 10 of the 11 shots he attempted and finished with two points, two assists and one steal in 26 minutes.
Veteran big man DeAndre Jordan made his Pelicans debut after signing a one-year deal on Friday. He made an immediate impact, according to Walker, scoring and getting fouled on a dunk just 14 seconds after entering the game. Jordan, 37, finished with seven points and five rebounds in 11 minutes.

Pelicans Notes: Zion, Matkovic, Missi, Jordan, Springer

October 27th, 2025 at 6:38pm CST by Rory Maher

Pelicans star Zion Williamson is dealing with a bone contusion in his left foot and will miss Monday’s contest vs. Boston, head coach Willie Green told reporters, including Will Guillory of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Williamson has been hampered by a variety of injuries over the course of his NBA career, having played just 214 regular season games through six years in the league. This is the start of his seventh season.

The No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 draft, Williamson has averaged 27.0 points, 9.5 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 4.0 steals through two games (35.0 MPG). New Orleans lost both contests by a combined 10 points, but were plus-six in Williamson’s minutes.

Considering he was questionable earlier on Monday, it seems likely that Williamson’s foot issue will be a short-term injury. Still, it’s at least mildly concerning that he’s already missing a game.

Here’s more from New Orleans:

On a more positive note, second-year big man Karlo Matkovic will be active for tonight’s game after missing the first two contests of the season due to lower back spasms (Twitter link). 2024 first-round pick Yves Missi (right ankle spain) will also return to action following a one-game absence.
DeAndre Jordan‘s contract is fully guaranteed, a league source tells Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter link). The veteran center, who spent the past two seasons with Denver, signed a one-year, veteran’s minimum deal with New Orleans on Friday. Jordan, 37, will earn a prorated minimum salary of $3,592,381, with the Pelicans taking on a cap hit of $2,269,880.
According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link), the Birmingham Squadron — the Pelicans’ G League affiliate — have added Jaden Springer to their roster. The 23-year-old guard made New Orleans’ regular season roster, but was waived to make room for Jordan.

2025 NBA G League Draft Results

October 25th, 2025 at 3:08pm CST by Arthur Hill

The NBA G League held its draft for the 2025/26 season on Saturday afternoon. Players who signed NBAGL contracts and whose rights weren’t already controlled by a team were part of the draft pool.

Affiliates from all 30 NBA teams took part in the draft, along with the unaffiliated Mexico City Capitanes.

Dillon Jones, who was a first-round pick in the 2024 NBA draft, was selected No. 1 overall by South Bay, which is the Lakers’ G League affiliate.

The 23-year-old small forward was drafted out of Weber State by Oklahoma City with the 26th pick last summer. He appeared in 54 games as a rookie, but only played 10.2 minutes per night and averaged 2.5 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.1 assists.

The Thunder traded Jones to Washington in June to clear a spot on their roster. The Wizards waived him last weekend and still owe him $2,753,280 for the remainder of the season.

Drafting Jones to South Bay won’t prevent another NBA team from signing him, since holding a player’s G League rights doesn’t mean teams control his NBA rights. However, it will give the Lakers a chance to take a first-hand look at him before potentially offering a standard or two-way contract.

With the second pick, the Osceola Magic selected Tyler Smith, who lost a battle for the Bucks’ final roster spot and was waived last Sunday. The 20-year-old power forward was expected to draw interest as a two-way target, but it doesn’t appear any offers have materialized yet. Smith, who started his career with the now-defunct G League Ignite, was taken with the 33rd pick in last year’s NBA draft.

The Wizards’ affiliate, the Capital City Go-Go, had three of the next four picks, selecting Ace Baldwin at No. 3, Nolan Hickman at No. 5 and Cam Carter at No. 6.

Two notable second-generation players were selected in today’s draft. Jamal Mashburn Jr. was taken at No. 8 by the Westchester Knicks, and Jabri Abdur-Rahim, whose father Shareef serves as G League president, went to the Stockton Kings at No. 29.

Here are the full 2025 G League draft results:

Round One:

South Bay Lakers (Lakers): Dillon Jones
Osceola Magic (Magic): Tyler Smith
Capital City Go-Go (Wizards): Ace Baldwin
Grand Rapids Gold (Nuggets): Adama Bal
Capital City Go-Go (Wizards): Nolan Hickman
Capital City Go-Go (Wizards): Cam Carter
Motor City Cruise (Pistons): Stefan Todorovic
Westchester Knicks (Knicks): Jamal Mashburn Jr.
Greensboro Swarm (Hornets): Ethan Taylor
Raptors 905 (Raptors): A.J. Hoggard
Texas Legends (Mavericks): Kario Oquendo
Grand Rapids Gold (Nuggets): Kenan Blackshear
Oklahoma City Blue (Thunder): Vinicius da Silva (Brazil)
Sioux Falls Skyforce (Heat): Josh Cohen
Texas Legends (Mavericks): Cearius Warren (St. Thomas University)
Osceola Magic (Magic): Ebenezer Dowuona
Oklahoma City Blue (Thunder): John Harge (Adams State University)
Birmingham Squadron (Pelicans): Tray Jackson
Westchester Knicks (Knicks): Jaden Seymour
Birmingham Squadron (Pelicans): Chris Mantis
College Park Skyhawks (Hawks): Tyrin Lawrence
Raptors 905 (Raptors): JP Pegues
Greensboro Swarm (Hornets): Olisa Akonobi
Oklahoma City Blue (Thunder): No pick
South Bay Lakers (Lakers): Selton Miguel
Motor City Cruise (Pistons): O’Mar Stanley
Noblesville Boom (Pacers): Ben Coupet Jr.
Salt Lake City Stars (Jazz): Des Watson
Stockton Kings (Kings): Jabri Abdur-Rahim
Salt Lake City Stars (Jazz): Carter Whitt
Capital City Go-Go (Wizards): J.Z. Zaher

Round Two:

Texas Legends (Mavericks): Sean Durugordon
Stockton Kings (Kings): No pick
Salt Lake City Stars (Jazz): Jermaine Couisnard
Sioux Falls Skyforce (Heat): Dischon Thomas
Valley Suns (Suns): Bryce Thompson
Sioux Falls Skyforce (Heat): Darius Maddox
Santa Cruz Warriors (Warriors): Derrin Boyd
Austin Spurs (Spurs): Pierre Crockrell II
Grand Rapids Gold (Nuggets): Markeese Hastings
Maine Celtics (Celtics): Vance Jackson
Texas Legends (Mavericks): Chandler Baker
Osceola Magic (Magic): No pick
Wisconsin Herd (Bucks): Onno Steger
Iowa Wolves (Timberwolves): Donte Ingram
Memphis Hustle (Grizzlies): Kobe Webster
Sioux Falls Skyforce (Heat): Tyler Hawkins (Barry University)
Motor City Cruise (Pistons): Jason Hubbard (Taylor University)
Wisconsin Herd (Bucks): T.J. Weeks
Grand Rapids Gold (Nuggets): No pick
Austin Spurs (Spurs): No pick
Capital City Go-Go (Wizards): No pick
Noblesville Boom (Pacers): Ahmaad Rorie
Maine Celtics (Celtics): Nicolas Timberlake
Oklahoma City Blue (Thunder): No pick
Rip City Remix (Trail Blazers): No pick
Texas Legends (Mavericks): No pick
Santa Cruz Warriors (Warriors): Franco Miller Jr.
Motor City Cruise (Pistons): Ray Harrison
Wisconsin Herd (Bucks): No pick
Westchester Knicks (Knicks): Fousseyni Drame
Osceola Magic (Magic): No pick

Teams will fill out their rosters with affiliate players, returning rights players, tryout players, and players who are assigned to the G League from the NBA roster (including those on two-way contracts).

G League training camps open on Monday, with this year’s NBAGL Tip-Off Tournament getting underway on November 7. The Tip-Off Tournament will be played over about a month-and-a-half and will be followed by the G League regular season, which begins on December 19.

Southwest Notes: Harrison, Wembanyama, Fears, Queen, Dumars

October 25th, 2025 at 10:48am CST by Dana Gauruder

The good vibes from the Mavericks‘ draft lottery win in the spring haven’t carried over to the regular season. After consecutive losses to open the year, fans in Dallas are already chanting ‘Fire Nico!’ Those chants, referring to president of basketball operations Nico Harrison, filled American Airlines Center during their 10-point loss to the rebuilding Wizards on Friday, Tim MacMahon of ESPN writes.

“I think they have a right to vent, but there’s a patience [needed],” Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said. “It’s a different team. It’s a new team. We’re just getting to understand each other. We’re going to keep learning each other. “So I would say be patient, but I understand the frustration. We all want to win. We all want to compete at a high level, but it’s a game of expression, and fans have a right to express themselves. But that doesn’t stop us from coming to work tomorrow and getting better and getting ready for Sunday [against Toronto].”

Kidd recently received a multiyear extension but there have not been any discussions about a contract extension for Harrison, according to MacMahon. Harrison has two years remaining on his deal.

We have more from the Southwest Division:

Victor Wembanyama came close to a triple-double in the Spurs’ overtime win over New Orleans on Friday with 29 points, 11 rebounds and nine blocks, Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News notes. Wembanyama’s big performance came two nights after a 40-point, 15-rebound outburst in the Spurs’ 125-92 season-opening blowout of Dallas. That performance awed this year’s top pick, the Mavs’ Cooper Flagg. “He is incredible. He is a different player,” Flagg said, per Michael C. Wright of ESPN. “You can’t know what it’s like until you’re out there on the court with him. It’s something I’ve never seen before. He was great tonight, but we’ve got to do a better job of trying to just take away some of his looks, and we can’t foul him as much as we did.”
Pelicans first-rounders Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen are already playing meaningful minutes, as Rod Walker of NOLA.com writes. They were on the floor during the final minutes of regulation and most of overtime against the Spurs. Queen played 35 minutes and finished with 15 points, six rebounds and two blocks. Fears played 29 minutes and had 13 points, four rebounds, two steals and an assist. “I saw a lot of poise from both guys at the end of the game, throughout the whole game really,” Pelicans’ coach Willie Green said. “You can tell they want it.”
The Pelicans’ performances this season after major roster renovations will go a long way in determining how Joe Dumars’ tenure as the lead executive plays out, Walker opines. “Before you can get to the playoffs or a certain amount of wins, the first thing you have to get to is, ‘We compete hard every night,’” Dumars said. “If you don’t establish that in your building first, you’re just talking. You’re just giving quotes out at that point. For me, it’s a process of establishing a hard, competitive playing team every night. Then we will get to the wins and losses.”

Pelicans Sign DeAndre Jordan To One-Year Deal

October 24th, 2025 at 10:05am CST by Luke Adams

The Pelicans and free agent center DeAndre Jordan have reached an agreement on a one-year, minimum-salary contract, agent Jeff Schwartz tells Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link). The deal is official, per NBA.com’s transaction log.

New Orleans had an open spot on its standard 15-man roster after waiving guard Jaden Springer on Thursday.

Jordan, a three-time All-NBA center who has led the league in rebounding twice and won a title with Denver in 2023, has been in the NBA since 2008 and has appeared in over 1,100 regular season games for a total of seven teams.

The 37-year-old no longer plays the same kind of significant role he did earlier in his career, but he still saw semi-regular minutes for the Nuggets in recent years as one of Nikola Jokic‘s backups. In 2024/25, Jordan made 56 regular season appearances, averaging 3.7 points and 5.1 rebounds in 12.3 minutes per contest.

The Pelicans, who have 14 players on guaranteed standard contracts and had Springer on a non-guaranteed deal, determined that it made more sense to use that 15th roster spot to carry another big man, since their frontcourt has been hit hard by injuries early in the season.

Presumed starting center Kevon Looney is currently sidelined due to a left knee sprain, while big men Yves Missi (right ankle sprain) and Karlo Matkovic (low back spasms) are considered questionable to play vs. San Antonio on Friday. Rookie forward/center Derik Queen is available, but he missed the entire preseason while recovering from wrist surgery and is unlikely to see a ton of playing time right away — he logged 15 minutes in Wednesday’s opener.

According to NBA.com’s transaction log, Jordan officially signed on Thursday, which means he would earn a prorated minimum salary of $3,592,381, with the Pelicans taking on a cap hit of $2,269,880.

I would expect Jordan’s deal is non-guaranteed, giving the club the flexibility to consider another move with that 15th roster spot if and when its frontcourt gets healthier. However, that’s just my speculation and hasn’t been confirmed.

Pelicans Waive Jaden Springer

October 23rd, 2025 at 2:44pm CST by Luke Adams

The Pelicans have made a roster move just one game into the regular season, announcing today in a press release that they’ve waived Jaden Springer.

Springer, a defensive-minded guard who made New Orleans’ opening night roster after coming to camp on a non-guaranteed Exhibit 9 deal, was active for Wednesday’s game, but didn’t see any action. He appeared in a pair of preseason contests, averaging 3.5 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 1.5 assists in 6.3 minutes per game.

Because Springer’s salary was non-guaranteed, the Pelicans will only carry a small dead-money cap hit after waiving him. The 23-year-old will be paid for the three days of the regular season he spent under contract, as well as the two days he spends on waivers.

In total, he’ll earn 5/174ths of his $2,461,463 salary, which works out to $70,732. That’s also the cap hit that will be left on New Orleans’ books, assuming Springer goes unclaimed on waivers.

The Pelicans now have an open spot on their 15-man standard roster and have roughly doubled their breathing room below the luxury tax line, to over $4MM.

Southwest Notes: Eason, Durant, Poole, Dumars, Johnson

October 21st, 2025 at 3:17pm CST by Luke Adams

After not reaching an agreement with the Rockets prior to Monday’s deadline for rookie scale extension, forward Tari Eason said on Tuesday that he still wants to be in Houston long-term, per Danielle Lerner of The Houston Chronicle (subscription required).

“Of course,” he said. “I got drafted here. This is home. The brought me in. Since kind of day one, Houston’s been like home and family to me. So of course.”

Eason seemed well positioned to sign an extension after the Rockets worked out a two-year, $90MM deal with Kevin Durant over the weekend that left them projected to be well below the second tax apron in 2026/27. Instead, he’ll look to boost his value with a strong contract year before hitting restricted free agency next summer. He indicated on Tuesday that he’s comfortable with that outcome and hopes to help the Rockets make a deep playoff run before his rookie contract expires.

“It’s business. It’s nothing personal,” Eason said. “I don’t think it really changes my goal. I’m here to try to win a championship with Houston. That’s really my main focus.”

We have more from around the Southwest:

Speaking of Durant’s extension, he referred to the decision to sign that contract as a “no-brainer,” according to Lerner (subscription required). “Just talking to (general manager) Rafael (Stone) and (head coach) Ime (Udoka) and how they wanted to build the team, and how I seen myself in this organization, I just thought it was a perfect contract for it,” Durant said. “So I’m glad we can get that out the way, won’t have to worry about external noise throughout the season if I didn’t have a contract signed. So just worry about basketball, and focus on the season.”
The Pelicans‘ trade for Jordan Poole over the summer was met with somewhat mixed reactions, but the former Warriors and Wizards guard looks like he could be an ideal fit in New Orleans, according to Les East of NOLA.com. Poole appealed to the front office due to his ability to play both on and off the ball and the fact that he’s “obsessed with basketball,” East writes. He also gained championship experience during his time in Golden State. “He won a ring,” teammate Zion Williamson said. “So he knows what it takes to get there and having that experience on this team with him is big for us.”
In a feature story for Pelicans.com, Jim Eichenhofer looks at Joe Dumars‘ first few months on the job in New Orleans and details why the Hall of Famer was willing to leave his position at the NBA league office to come home and run the Pelicans‘ front office.
While he has been the subject of some trade speculation in the past, Spurs forward Keldon Johnson continues to solidify his place in San Antonio with each passing year and has become one of the team’s culture bearers, per Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News (subscription required). “His role has evolved numerous times, and he has never wavered in terms of his commitment and enthusiasm to be here,” head coach Mitch Johnson said. “I think that speaks more than anything I can say.”

Injury Notes: Trail Blazers, Knicks, Heat, Pelicans

October 20th, 2025 at 9:00pm CST by Rory Maher

While he’s not sure who will be ready for Wednesday’s season opener against Minnesota, head coach Chauncey Billups said Toumani Camara (knee), Deni Avdija (back), Robert Williams (knee) and Matisse Thybulle (knee) were full participants in Monday’s practice, tweets Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report.

Williams, who has been plagued by knee issues throughout his career, was limited to just 20 games last season. He didn’t play at all during the preseason, nor did Thybulle, who appeared in just 15 games last season due to knee and ankle issues.

Camara, the recipient of a new four-year, $81MM extension, appeared in two preseason games, while Avdija played in all four but exited the finale with upper back stiffness.

We have more injury updates from around the NBA:

The Knicks may be without a pair of key rotation players for their regular season opener vs. Cleveland, writes Zach Braziller of The New York Post. Josh Hart (back spasms) and Mitchell Robinson (load management) didn’t practice Monday, and head coach Mike Brown isn’t sure if either player will be available Wednesday. “Everything we’re doing with him is about managing his workload, which we’ll do the whole year,” Brown replied when asked if there is an injury for Robinson.
Rookie guard Kasparas Jakucionis (right groin strain) and second-year Kel’el Ware (neck spasms) were unable to practice Monday for the Heat, per Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald (Twitter link). Ware is being evaluated by a doctor, Chiang adds. Miami’s regular season begins Wednesday in Orlando.
Lottery pick Derik Queen went through a full practice Saturday for the first time since undergoing left wrist surgery in July. While the Pelicans big man thinks he could play in Wednesday’s opener at Memphis, head coach Willie Green was careful to temper expectations after a lengthy layoff, writes Jim Eichenhofer of Pelicans.com. “We’ve got to listen to how his body is responding,” Green said. “This is his first time playing with contact in a few months. We don’t want to rush. If he’s ready, that’s another conversation that we’ll have.” Second-year center Karlo Matkovic was unable to practice Saturday due to an elbow injury the team continues to evaluate, Green added.