Newsstand Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Kings Eyeing Free Agent Precious Achiuwa

November 3rd, 2025 at 11:31am CST by Dana Gauruder

12:27 pm: Isaac Jones would likely be waived if the Kings come to an agreement with Achiuwa, Brett Siegel of Clutch Points tweets.

11:31 am: The Kings could soon add a veteran big man. They are looking at bringing in Precious Achiuwa, NBA insider Jake Fischer tweets.

Sacramento is off to a 2-4 start and is undersized at the power forward spot. The Kings have been using smaller starting lineups with DeMar DeRozan essentially manning the four. Overall, they have an underwhelming collection of big men outside of Domantas Sabonis.

With Keegan Murray currently sidelined by a thumb injury, Sabonis is the only non-guard or wing on the roster averaging more than 3.2 points per game.

Sacramento has a full roster and would have to drop someone to add Achiuwa. He was waived late in training camp by the Heat, who would have been pushed over the luxury tax limit if they had held onto him.

Achiuwa has spent the past five years in the NBA after being selected 20th overall by Miami in the 2020 draft. The 26-year-old has appeared in 320 regular season games with the Heat, Raptors and Knicks over that span, with career averages of 7.6 points and 5.7 rebounds in 20.0 minutes per contest. He appeared in 57 regular season games with the Knicks last season, including 10 starts.

However, Achiuwa struggled to find a suitable opportunity in free agency this summer and wound up taking a non-guaranteed contract to rejoin the Heat. Erik Spoelstra discussed Miami’s decision to waive Achiuwa before opening night, citing cap concerns.

“It is tough, especially because we spent time with him four years ago, it felt like we wanted to keep that going,” the longtime Heat coach said. “But that’s just where we are right now with the roster. We’ll have to see what happens in the future.”

Achiuwa averaged 4.8 points and 5.3 rebounds in 11.7 minutes per game across four preseason outings.

Myles Turner Discusses Free Agency Decision, Return To Indiana

November 3rd, 2025 at 10:02am CST by Arthur Hill

Five months after helping the Pacers reach the NBA Finals, Myles Turner may be treated as a villain as he returns to Indiana on Monday. Tyrese Haliburton‘s ruptured Achilles in Game 7 of that series and Turner’s offseason decision to sign with the Bucks have quickly unraveled a potential championship team, and Turner isn’t sure how the fans will react when he’s introduced, writes Jamal Collier of ESPN.

“I don’t know what to expect,” he said. “There’s going to be some cheers. There’s going to be some boos. It kind of just is what it is. For me personally, the biggest thing is obviously winning the basketball game, that’s paramount. But there’s going to be some mixed emotions. Still got some great people in the organization that I rock with. Obviously old teammates, it’s going to be a blend of emotions, for sure.”

Turner approached free agency fully expecting to re-sign with the Pacers, Collier adds. He had been the subject of trade rumors in the past, but those had always blown over and he anticipated continuing his 10-year relationship with Indiana.

However, sources tell Collier that negotiations between Turner’s agent and the team hit a snag because the Pacers wouldn’t increase their offer past $22MM annually for three years, as has been previously reported.

Meanwhile the Bucks were plotting a bold strategy to add Turner to their roster and hopefully quell trade speculation regarding Giannis Antetokounmpo. They provided the most shocking move of free agency when they waived Damian Lillard and stretched the $113MM left on his contract. That opened enough cap room to offer Turner a four-year, $107MM deal with a player option on the final season.

He considered it an easy choice, stating, “(Indiana) made it very clear how they valued me. And so did the Milwaukee Bucks.”

“I’ve always been told when I was in trade rumors, this is a business, this is a business, this is a business,” Turner added. “And that’s kind of what this decision was for me. It was a business decision. It’s unfortunate that it came at the time that it did, but it’s a $40MM difference at the end of the day.”

Pacers president Kevin Pritchard was shocked by Turner’s decision, Collier adds. Pritchard believed the negotiating process was still continuing and wasn’t aware of the deal with Milwaukee until he saw it on social media. He thought the team was nearing an acceptable offer, but Turner viewed it differently.

“There were a lot of factors that went into the decision,” Turner said, “but Indiana made it very easy for me.”

So far, Turner’s decision has worked out well for him and the Bucks and poorly for his former team. He’s off to a rough shooting start — averaging just 9.8 points through six games while connecting at 39.3% from the field and 34.4% from three-point range — but Milwaukee is 4-2 and looks like one of the best teams in the East. The Pacers didn’t pick up their first win until Saturday and have been suffering from a lack of star power.

Turner’s new teammates are raving about the veteran leadership he’s providing for a squad that lost Lillard, Brook Lopez and Khris Middleton over the past year, and he’s enjoying the chance to play alongside a superstar in Antetokounmpo.

“He’s about to change my life, man,” Turner said. “I spent 10 years of my life doing the exact same thing. It’s obviously an adjustment, but it’s hoops at the end of the day.”

Blake Wesley Out Indefinitely With Broken Bone In Foot

November 2nd, 2025 at 8:01pm CST by Eli Cohen

Trail Blazers guard Blake Wesley has suffered a fracture to the fifth metatarsal bone in his right foot and is out indefinitely, according to the team. The Blazers added that Wesley’s recovery timeline will be determined at a later date.

Wesley signed a one-year deal with the Trail Blazers this summer. With Scoot Henderson out due to a hamstring tear, the former Spur has played in each of Portland’s first six games, averaging career highs in points (6.0), rebounds (2.3), assists (3.2), steals (1.7) in 16.3 minutes per night.

The 25th overall pick in the 2022 draft, Wesley played the first three seasons of his career with San Antonio before being traded to Washington this offseason. He was subsequently bought out by the Wizards and signed with the Blazers as a free agent.

With Wesley out, rookie Caleb Love could be in line for additional playing time. The undrafted guard has appeared in two games for Portland, averaging 5.0 points and 2.5 assists in 9.5 minutes per contest.

In addition to missing Wesley and Henderson, the Blazers are playing without Damian Lillard, who will spend the entire 2025/26 season recovering from an Achilles tear.

Josh Hart Reveals Nerve Damage In Shooting Hand

November 2nd, 2025 at 7:02pm CST by Eli Cohen

Knicks forward Josh Hart is suffering from nerve damage throughout his shooting hand, he revealed on Sunday to Fred Katz and James L Edwards III of The Athletic.

Hart previously acknowledged prior to training camp that an offseason procedure on his right ring finger didn’t sufficiently address the issue. Now he’s providing more details on the injury and suggesting it’s more wide-ranging than previously reported.

According to Katz and Edwards, not only is the injury impacting the fourth finger of Hart’s shooting hand, but it’s also causing him to lose feeling in his middle and pinky fingers throughout the day, whether on the court or off.

“It’ll probably be a process until I get full feeling back,” Hart said. “The hand will be what it is. I’m working (on shooting) all the time. That’ll come along. I’m not getting surgery.”

After missing much of the preseason and entering this fall with a different role than he played in the previous two seasons, Hart has gotten off to a slow start, averaging 2.8 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 3.3 assists in 22.3 minutes on .211/.100/.500 shooting splits over his first four games heading into Sunday’s contest against the Bulls.

With his minutes down significantly from the 35.5 MPG he averaged over the last two seasons with the Knicks, Hart is still seeking some stability and structure in his position with the team.

“If I’m not going to start, I’m totally cool with it,” he said. “I don’t want to be, like, the next starter up because then everything is varying by game. I want more of a consistent role so that I can affect that role.”

Walker Kessler To Undergo Tests On Left Shoulder

November 2nd, 2025 at 5:01pm CST by Eli Cohen

Walker Kessler been sent back to Utah to undergo additional tests on his left shoulder, reports Andy Larsen of the Salt Lake Tribune (Twitter link).

Kessler missed much of the preseason with left shoulder bursitis, but has been able to play in all five of the Jazz‘s games so far this season, posting career highs in points (14.4), assists (3.0), and steals (1.4) per game while also contributing 10.8 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per night.

The fourth-year center has been Utah’s third-leading scorer in addition to being the anchor of the defense, and is making an effort to expand his shooting range — if his rate of 1.6 three-point attempts per game keeps up, it would represent a significant increase on his previous career high (0.6).

Kessler is in a contract year after failing to come to terms on a rookie scale extension with Utah this offseason. He will become a restricted free agent this summer.

Shoulder bursitis is the result of damage or irritation to the bursae, which are fluid-filled sacs that cushion the area between the rotator cuff and scapula.

Larsen notes (via Twitter) that Jusuf Nurkic will start tonight against his former team, the Hornets, and will likely remain in the starting five for the remaining three games of the road trip, against the Celtics, Pistons, and Timberwolves.

Nurkic is currently averaging 7.8 points, 7.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.4 steals in just 17.2 minutes per night for the Jazz.

Latest On Grizzlies, Ja Morant

November 2nd, 2025 at 10:14am CST by Rory Maher

Appearing on SportsCenter on Sunday morning (YouTube link), ESPN’s Shams Charania provided more details on what led to Ja Morant receiving a one-game suspension for what the Grizzlies called conduct detrimental to the team.

“There has been tension in the last several days around Ja Morant and his feelings toward head coach Tuomas Iisalo‘s rotation patterns, his plays, but it really culminated after — and during — the loss to the Lakers on Friday night,” Charania said.

“In the post-game locker room, Morant and Iisalo had an exchange where Iisalo called out Morant’s leadership and effort in front of the whole team,” Charania continued. “And as teammates and staffers all looked on, Morant responded in what the team deemed an inappropriate and dismissive way, according to sources.

“And that’s when the Grizzlies, their team officials huddled up. They levied a one-game suspension on Ja Morant he will serve on Sunday in Toronto.”

Charania was then asked how the Grizzlies and Morant planned to proceed after the incident.

“For now, Morant is expected to rejoin the team on Monday at home against the Detroit Pistons,” Charania replied. “The sides are looking to move past this and move on. … Teams across the league though are monitoring this, keeping an eye on where this relationship stands between Ja Morant and the Grizzlies.”

Morant, a two-time All-Star, has gotten off to a slow start in 2025/26, averaging 20.3 points per game but shooting just 40.6% from the field, including 15.6% from three-point range. The 26-year-old point guard’s assists (6.7), rebounds (3.3) and minutes (28.5) per game are all at career-low levels through six contests.

The Grizzlies are currently 3-3. They have been hit hard by injuries again this fall, with multiple key players sidelined to open the season.

Trae Young Has Sprained MCL, Will Be Reevaluated In Four Weeks

November 1st, 2025 at 6:48pm CST by Arthur Hill

Hawks guard Trae Young has been diagnosed with a sprained MCL in his right knee and will be reevaluated in four weeks, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link). An MRI conducted Friday was reviewed by multiple doctors, who determined that he avoided major structural damage to his knee, Charania adds.

The Hawks issued a statement (via Twitter) confirming Charania’s report and saying Young suffered no other damage to the knee beyond the MCL sprain. The team added that he has already begun rehabilitation.

Young injured his knee in a collision with teammate Mouhamed Gueye in the first quarter of Wednesday’s game at Brooklyn. He didn’t return to that game and was held out of Friday’s contest at Indiana.

Young is off to a slow start this season, but he’s nearly irreplaceable for an Atlanta team that’s expecting to become a contender in the East. He’s averaging 17.8 points and 7.8 assists through five games while shooting career lows of 37.1% from the field and 19.2% from three-point range.

Nickeil Alexander-Walker moved into the starting lineup Friday night, taking Young’s place alongside Dyson Daniels in the Hawks’ backcourt. Keaton Wallace played nearly 17 minutes off the bench, his highest total of the season by far, and he figures to see an expanded role until Young returns.

While being without Young for approximately a month will be inconvenient for Atlanta, there’s a sense of relief in knowing that it’s not a long-term injury. If Young had been lost for the season, it likely would have affected his upcoming decision on a $49MM player option for 2026/27 as well as his extension talks with the team.

Ja Morant Receives One-Game Suspension From Grizzlies

November 1st, 2025 at 3:17pm CST by Rory Maher

The Grizzlies have suspended point guard Ja Morant for one game for conduct detrimental to the team, the team announced today in a press release (Twitter link).

According to Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link), head coach Tuomas Iisalo challenged Morant’s “leadership and effort” following Friday’s loss to the Lakers. Morant responded to Iisalo in a “tone deemed inappropriate,” sources tell Charania.

Morant will lose 1/145th of his $39,446,090 salary for 2025/26 as a result of the suspension, notes ESPN’s Bobby Marks (via Twitter). That works out to $272,042.

In a brief session with the media after Friday’s game (video link), Morant repeatedly said to “go ask the coaching staff” when asked about his listless performance — the 26-year-old finished with season lows of eight points and one rebound in 31 minutes. He shot just 3-of-14 from the floor and attempted a season-low two free throws.

Morant’s one-game suspension will be served on Sunday in Toronto.

According to Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal (subscriber link), Morant was “visibly disengaged” during the second half of Friday’s contest, notably not attempting any shots in the final five minutes of the game after making a game-winning floater on Wednesday in Phoenix.

As Cole writes, while Iisalo has been complimented by players for his direct approach, he has also faced questions about some of his substitution patterns.

When asked what the team could have done to get a different result on Friday, Morant replied, “According to them, probably don’t play me, honestly. That’s basically what the message was after.”

Pacers Add Jeremiah Robinson-Earl On 10-Day Hardship Contract

November 1st, 2025 at 2:00pm CST by Dana Gauruder

2:00 pm: Robinson-Earl’s 10-day hardship contract with the Pacers is now official, per a team press release.

11:11 am: The Pacers are planning to sign forward Jeremiah Robinson-Earl to a 10-day contract via the hardship exception, ESPN’s Shams Charania tweets.

Indiana’s star player, Tyrese Haliburton, is out for the season after suffering a right Achilles tendon rupture during the Finals. The Pacers are also currently without guards T.J. McConnell (hamstring), Kam Jones (back), Bennedict Mathurin (toe), Andrew Nembhard (shoulder) and Johnny Furphy (foot). Additionally, forward Obi Toppin just underwent a procedure on his foot that will keep him out of action for at least three months.

A team qualifies for a hardship exception when it meets all of the following criteria:

It has at least four players unavailable due to injury or illness.
All four of those players have missed at least three consecutive games.
All four of those players are expected to remain sidelined for at least two more weeks.

Robinson-Earl played 66 games with the Pelicans last season, including nine starts. He averaged 6.3 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 18.8 minutes per game. He was waived by Dallas prior to the season opener after signing an Exhibit 9 contract with the team during the offseason.

Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd praised Robinson-Earl during training camp and expressed hope that he could find another NBA opportunity.

“When you talk about him being a pro — he should be on an NBA roster,” Kidd said. “When you look at what he does, he’s consistent. He comes to work every day and does his job. He can shoot it, he can pass it, he can defend. It’s really sad that he’s not on an NBA roster for whatever reason.”

His G League rights are held by the Texas Legends.

Ja Morant Expresses Frustration With Coaching Staff After Poor Outing

November 1st, 2025 at 8:25am CST by Dana Gauruder

Toumas Iisalo is in the early stages of his first full season as the Grizzlies head coach, but his star player is already expressing frustration with him.

After Ja Morant struggled mightily during the team’s loss to the Lakers on Friday, Morant repeatedly told the media, “Go ask the coaching staff,” and “Go ask him” when quizzed on his performance.

Asked if he had any other observations regarding the game, Morant offered the following reply, per Damichael Cole of the Memphis Commercial Appeal (Twitter link).

“According to them, probably don’t play me, honestly. That’s basically what the message was after.”

Morant scored eight points on 3-of-14 shooting with seven assists while playing just under 31 minutes on Friday. Although he has appeared in all six of Memphis’ games this season, he has not played more than 31:33 in any game yet this season, Josh Robbins of The Athletic notes. He was also torched by Luka Doncic on the defensive end as the Lakers star poured in 44 points.

Morant wrapped up his post-game comments by denying there was anything wrong with him physically. The media didn’t get a chance to talk to the coach regarding Morant’s comments.

Former All-Star Blake Griffin, now a commentator on Amazon Prime Video, criticized Morant after the game.

“For a guy that’s making $40 million and needs to be the leader of the team, I just don’t love it. I don’t know if he was not feeling well, if he’s hurt. But that, to me, is a very bad sign and is something that … has to change,” Griffin said, per Robbins.

Morant is shooting 40.6% overall and just 15.6% on 3s. He’s in the third year of a five-year, $197.2MM contract, while Memphis is off to a 3-3 start this season.

Morant, of course, is no stranger to controversy. He was suspended twice by the league in 2023 for conduct detrimental to the league after social media posts in which he was seen brandishing a firearm.

Morant’s comments on Friday suggest some sort of disconnect with the current staff. Whether that could lead to a trade request or the front office making him available in trade talks remains to be seen.