Charania’s Latest: Edwards, Doncic, Adelman, Nuggets
While Anthony Edwards will be sidelined to open the Timberwolves‘ second-round matchup vs. San Antonio, there’s optimism he could return to action as early as Game 3 or 4, league sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (YouTube link; story via ESPN’s Anthony Slater).
Edwards released a video on his YouTube channel about his recovery progress from the left knee injury he suffered in the second quarter of Game 4 against Denver. He hyperextended his knee at the time, causing a bone bruise, and he had already been battling patellofemoral pain syndrome (runner’s knee) in his opposite leg.
According to Charania, Minnesota will take a cautious approach to Edwards’ bone bruise, but he has historically healed quickly and is working diligently to come back. The four-time All-Star has done light on-court work the past two days, Slater writes.
Timberwolves VP of medical operations and performance David Hines said in the video that Edwards’ return timeline is one-to-two weeks, per Chris Hine of The Star Tribune (Twitter link). Game 3 will be played on Friday, with Game 4 scheduled for next Sunday.
Here’s more from Charania:
- Lakers superstar Luka Doncic appears unlikely to be active in the near future with Los Angeles set to face Oklahoma City in the Western Conference semifinals. The Slovenian guard, who is recovering from a left hamstring strain, is considered week-to-week, according to Charania. Although Doncic has been doing more on-court activities in recent days, a source tells Charania he hasn’t done any “full-fledged running or full-contact workouts” to this point.
- Confirming recent reporting from The Denver Post, Charania says Nuggets head coach David Adelman “is going to be back” for a second full season in Denver. “His job is safe,” Charania added.
- Charania reiterates that Nikola Jokic is expected to sign a maximum-salary contract to remain with the Nuggets. However, the rest of Denver’s roster could look much different in 2026/27. “There is going to be real roster changes coming to Denver to identify how they can surround Nikola Jokic with the right pieces to get this team over the top,” Charania reported. “… They’re going to get calls and listen to calls on everyone on the roster besides Nikola Jokic.”
Nuggets Rumors: Adelman, Gordon, Watson, Johnson, Murray, Braun
The Nuggets were left stunned by their first-round loss to the Wolves, per Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. Against a stout Minnesota defense, almost the entire rotation — including stars Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray — underperformed relative to the regular season, when Denver won 54 games and entered the playoffs having won 12 straight contests.
Although there’s been some speculation about head coach David Adelman potentially being on the hot seat after the early exit, Durando hears the “immediate sense” within the Nuggets is he’ll be back at the helm in 2026/27. Both Jokic and Murray offered support for Adelman after the team was eliminated on Thursday, Durando notes.
“It’s not his fault we couldn’t rebound,” Jokic said. “It’s not his fault we couldn’t catch the ball very well. There is nothing to blame David Adelman. It’s all us.”
Here are a few more notes and rumors related to the Nuggets, whose expensive payroll could lead to roster changes this summer:
- The Nuggets value Aaron Gordon and recognize how vital he has been to the team’s success over the years, but a series of hamstring and calf strains have limited his availability over the past two seasons, and those injuries have people wondering if he’ll be able to make it through another deep playoff run going forward, according to Durando. While Gordon has been off-limits in trade talks during previous transaction windows, league sources tell Durando that won’t be the case this summer.
- As Durando writes, the future of the core in Denver (outside of Jokic) seems very much up in the air following another early playoff ouster. Durando confirms the Nuggets want to re-sign restricted free agent Peyton Watson, who missed the series due to a hamstring strain. But that would push the team over the second tax apron, and ownership was considered unlikely to foot that bill even before the disappointing postseason run.
- In part because he’s entering the final year of his contract, which pays him $23MM in 2026/27, Cameron Johnson has long been viewed as the most likely starter to be traded this summer to clear out money for Watson, league sources tell Durando. Vinny Benedetto of The Denver Gazette has heard similarly, pointing out that Christian Braun‘s five-year, $125MM rookie scale extension and the $106.4MM Gordon is owed over the next three years may make them more difficult to move.
- Both Durando and Benedetto wonder if Murray could be a trade candidate this offseason. He’s coming off the best regular season of his career and will likely make his first All-NBA team, but he has struggled against elite defenders the past two postseasons. Jokic expressed confidence in the duo’s ability on Thursday, Durando notes. “I mean, I think we are still good,” Jokic said. “I think we created the looks. Sometimes you need to make it. I think a miss doesn’t make you a bad player, and misses don’t make you a bad decision-maker. It’s a miss-or-make league. So we couldn’t make any shots. … I’m confident in my and Jamal’s two-man game.”
- Braun refused to use injuries as an excuse for the first-round loss, Durando adds. “Obviously I have confidence in us getting back and (winning a title) because we have done it. … This team is so good that every time you lose early is a disappointment,” Braun said. “So we’ve gotta be better. I know we can do it with this group. Whatever happens (this offseason), happens. We’ve gotta find a way to get better. You can’t blame anything. You can’t blame injuries. You can’t blame health. They had injuries, too, and they kicked our (butt).”
Nikola Jokic Expected To Sign Offseason Extension
Nikola Jokic is expected to sign an extension with the Nuggets this summer, ESPN’s Shams Charania stated Friday in an appearance on The Stephen A. Smith Show (YouTube link, hat tip to RealGM).
The three-time MVP was clear about his intentions after his team was eliminated by Minnesota, twice telling reporters, “I still want to be a Nugget forever.” While other changes may take place in Denver during the offseason, Charania expects the organization to solidify Jokic as its long-term centerpiece.
“I will tell you, the Denver Nuggets, from their top brass on down to that organization, they believe Nicole Jokic at his word. He wants to be there,” Charania said. “This is not a situation where he’s talking about potentially leaving or looking elsewhere. Or saying ‘Hey, I need you guys to do this. I need you guys to do that.’ He’s very, very internally and externally ‘I’m here, no matter what, I’m re-signing.'”
Jokic has two years left on his current deal, which includes a $62.8MM player option for 2027/28. He would have the equivalent of an expiring contract if an extension agreement isn’t reached by October, so there’s a sense of urgency to work out a new deal. A maximum extension would begin at 35% of the ’27/28 salary cap and would tentatively be worth about $285MM over four years, based on a projected $165MM cap in ’26/27 and a 10% increase the following year.
Jokic turned down a three-year, maximum-salary extension offer last summer in expectation of landing a longer and more lucrative contract.
The 31-year-old big man is coming off another MVP-level season, averaging 27.7 points, 12.9 rebounds and 10.7 assists in 65 games and leading the league in both rebounding and assists. Although he averaged nearly a triple double in the playoff series against Minnesota, he shot just 44.6% from the field and 19.4% from three-point range, and the Nuggets were outscored during his time on the court.
The first-round loss and an expensive roster will probably alter the supporting cast around Jokic by the time training camp opens. Peyton Watson will be one of the top restricted free agents on the market this summer, and the team will have to clear out other salary to be able to re-sign him without going into second-apron territory. Cameron Johnson, who is entering the final year of his contract at $23MM, has been mentioned as a possible trade candidate.
“But there are going to be changes in Denver,” Charania said. “I don’t know how much, but there’s going to be some level of change. Whether that’s tinkering a couple players around … But they are so strapped financially moving forward in whether it’s the tax, whether it’s approaching the aprons, that there’s going to be a lot of conversations about players on this roster.”
Nuggets Notes: Offseason, Watson, Johnson, Valanciunas
With $203MM+ committed to eight players for the 2026/27 season and multiple key contributors, including Peyton Watson, Tim Hardaway Jr., Spencer Jones, and Bruce Brown facing free agency, the Nuggets will have a hard time keeping their current roster intact let alone upgrading it, as Jason Quick and Sam Amick write for The Athletic.
Examining some of the difficult roster decisions facing Denver this offseason, Quick and Amick wonder if players like Aaron Gordon, Cameron Johnson, and/or Julian Strawther could end up on the trade block. While Christian Braun and Zeke Nnaji are also potential trade candidates, Nnaji has been a negative trade asset essentially since signing a four-year rookie scale extension back in the fall of 2023, and Braun’s own five-year, $125MM rookie scale extension, which will go into effect later this year, will limit his appeal on the trade market, according to The Athletic’s duo.
If the Nuggets stick with their current core, they’ll be leaning heavily on two players entering their age-31 seasons (Nikola Jokic and Gordon) and one who will turn 30 during the ’26/27 season (Jamal Murray). However, EVP of player personnel Jon Wallace tells The Athletic that Denver doesn’t have any concerns about the ages of its top players.
[RELATED: Nikola Jokic: ‘I Still Want To Be A Nugget Forever’]
“We’re mature, but we are not old,” Wallace said. “You look at OKC and the San Antonios and yes, they are here, they have arrived, and they have a lot of good, young talent. But I think we have a good mixture of both maturity and some youth.”
Here’s more on the Nuggets:
- While there are a few teams with cap room expected to be among Watson’s suitors this summer, re-signing the restricted free agent wing is considered the Nuggets’ top offseason priority, sources tell Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Twitter link).
- Johnson, who has been traded from Phoenix to Brooklyn to Denver in recent years, acknowledged after Thursday’s season-ending loss that he understands the “business side” of basketball, but added that he hopes to get another chance to make a run with this team next season, per Vinny Benedetto of The Denver Gazette. “For me personally, there’s a lot left to be done with this group, but it’s not always in my hands,” Johnson said.
- Nuggets reserve center Jonas Valanciunas is technically under contract for next season, but his $10MM salary is only partially guaranteed for $2MM, so he’s a strong candidate to be waived. If so, it sounds like a return overseas is very much in play after it didn’t happen a year ago. According to Jonas Lekšas of Krepsinis.net (Twitter link), Zalgiris Kaunas – the EuroLeague’s only current team based in Valanciunas’ home country of Lithuania – is prepared to offer a guaranteed two-year deal that would start at two million Euros (hat tip to Stefan Acevski of Eurohoops). The big man reportedly sought a move to the Greek club Panathinaikos last summer, but the Nuggets were unwilling to negotiate a buyout at that time.
- Within his preview of the Nuggets’ offseason, ESPN’s Bobby Marks suggests the team needs to add a reserve point guard and a reserve big man who can protect the rim. Replacements for Hardaway and Brown will also be necessary if they don’t want to return on team-friendly contracts, Marks notes.
Nikola Jokic: ‘I Still Want To Be A Nugget Forever’
On the heels of a dispiriting first-round exit, Nuggets star center Nikola Jokic didn’t express any reservations about continuing his career in Denver, writes Anthony Slater of ESPN.
“I still want to be a Nugget forever,” Jokic said during his post-game media session following Thursday’s Game 6 loss to Minnesota. When asked if that means he plans to sign a contract extension with the team this offseason, he repeated, “I still want to be a Nugget forever.”
Jokic is under contract for two more years, but that includes a player option for 2027/28, so he would essentially enter ’26/27 on an expiring contract if he and the Nuggets don’t work out a new deal by October. A maximum extension for the big man would begin at 35% of the ’27/28 salary cap and would tentatively be worth about $285MM over four years, based on a projected $165MM cap in ’26/27 and a 10% increase the following year.
Jokic nearly averaged a triple-double against the Timberwolves, putting up 25.8 points, 13.2 rebounds, and 9.5 assists per game. However, his 44.6% field goal percentage and 19.4% mark on three-pointers were well below his season rates and Denver was outscored during his time on the court, so it was a poor series by the three-time MVP’s lofty standards.
Still, it seems safe to assume the Nuggets won’t hesitate to put another maximum-salary offer on the table for their franchise player. The big question is what the roster around him will look like going forward. Jokic admitted that after a first-round loss, the team is “far away” from title contention, but said it was on him to play better and deflected when asked if offseason roster changes are needed.
“That’s not my decision, to be honest,” Jokic said. “Definitely, if we were in Serbia, we would all get fired.”
While the Nuggets’ roster around Jokic will be scrutinized in the coming weeks and months, the same figures to be true of head coach David Adelman, who just wrapped up his first full season on the job. Adelman, who has now lost two of three playoff series since being promoted, hasn’t had nearly as much playoff success so far as the man he replaced, Michael Malone. But Jokic insisted his head coach didn’t deserve to shoulder the blame for the team’s first-round exit.
“It’s not his fault we couldn’t rebound,” Jokic said. “It’s not his fault we couldn’t catch the ball very well. There is nothing to blame David Adelman. It’s all us.”
Missing Peyton Watson (hamstring) for the entire first round and Aaron Gordon (calf) for half the series was a major problem for Denver, given the key roles those wings played during the regular season. But the Timberwolves were arguably even more banged up, with star guard Anthony Edwards out since midway through Game 4 due to a knee injury and guards Donte DiVincenzo and Ayo Dosunmu also missing time.
“They missed a bunch of guys tonight and still won,” Jokic said on Thursday. “Did we need (Gordon and Watson)? Definitely. But if they are not here, we cannot think if, if, if.”
Northwest Notes: Jones, McDaniels, Blazers, Jazz
After he made just 15-of-48 shots (31.3%) during the Nuggets‘ two losses in Minnesota, Nikola Jokic submitted a more characteristic performance in Game 5 on Monday, racking up a triple-double (27 points, 16 assists, 12 rebounds) while knocking down 9-of-15 field goal attempts.
Perhaps even more importantly, Denver’s supporting cast stepped up in a major way. Jamal Murray scored 24 points, Cameron Johnson had 18 points on 8-of-13 shooting, and – in his second career playoff start – Spencer Jones added 20 points on 7-of-9 shooting to go along with three blocks and three steals.
As Jason Quick of The Athletic and Bennett Durando of The Denver Post (subscription required) detail, Jones began the season on a two-way contract but showed as early as the preseason that he deserved a longer look after playing sparingly as a rookie in 2024/25. Jones ended up starting 37 games and averaging 22.1 minutes per night, and he has emerged as a crucial part of Denver’s lineup in these playoffs with Aaron Gordon and Peyton Watson sidelined.
As good as Jones was offensively on Monday, head coach David Adelman wanted to talk after the game about the forward’s defense. Adelman first considered a rotation role for Jones last fall based on the way he guarded Brandon Ingram in a preseason game, and his defensive effort was on display again in Game 5 as he took on the Julius Randle assignment.
“He just competes, man,” Adelman said of Jones, who will be a restricted free agent this offseason. “Randle’s an All-Star. Randle’s a load. And nobody in this room would want to be near Randle in their lives. And (Jones) just stands there and takes the hits.
“I thought he was really good outside of one time (at) not fouling him, either, where he made him take tough contested shots. A couple times, (Randle) got to his right shoulder and he laid the ball in with his left hand. But that’s why he gets paid a ton of money, because he’s a really special player. But the stuff early, he pushed him out. That’s the thing with Randle. If you concede space, just go home. I think Spence did a good job of competing for the spot.”
Here are a few more items of interest from around the Northwest:
- Since calling out Denver’s defense after the Timberwolves‘ Game 2 win, Jaden McDaniels has embraced the villain role and was willing to add more fuel to the fire following Minnesota’s loss on Monday, writes Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. “I love this environment, everyone hating me, all the hate’s coming toward me,” McDaniels said of being booed by the Denver faithful. “I love it. I don’t care. I feed into it. It just brings the best out of me. We just ended up losing today, but we’re going to win the next one.”
- As Sean Highkin of the Rose Garden Report notes (via Twitter), the Trail Blazers‘ two-way players have made the trip to San Antonio for Game 5 on Tuesday. Players on two-way contracts aren’t eligible to play in the postseason, but Portland was the only team not to bring its two-way players on the road during the first two games of a first-round series, with new owner Tom Dundon looking to reduce spending.
- After finishing either 29th or 30th in defensive rating in each of the past three seasons, the Jazz expect former Defensive Player of the Year Jaren Jackson Jr. to help on that end of the court in 2025/26. Still, they know they’ll need to do more this offseason to fix one of the league’s worst defenses, according to Sarah Todd of The Deseret News. “Defense is going to be a team-wide goal for us this summer,” president of basketball operations Austin Ainge said. “Every guy’s been told that we’re making a big leap next year defensively. No discussion. It’s going to happen.” Head coach Will Hardy singled out Ace Bailey and Keyonte George as two players he wants to see more from on defense.
Northwest Notes: Dosunmu, Jokic, Blazers, Jazz
When the Timberwolves traded for Ayo Dosunmu, his upcoming free agency was a lingering question, given how expensive Minnesota’s roster already is. Dosunmu’s playoff performance so far, highlighted by his 43-point outing in the team’s Game 4 victory on Saturday, is only making that conversation more interesting, Joe Cowley writes for the Chicago Sun-Times.
Dosunmu said he recently spoke with recently dismissed Bulls executive Arturas Karnisovas and gained closure regarding the trade that sent him to Minnesota. With the Wolves facing a cap crunch, Cowley wonders whether Dosunmu might be interested in a reunion with Chicago. While the guard didn’t close the door on that possibility, he indicated that he’s appreciating the opportunity to compete in the playoffs with his new team and will prioritize Minnesota in free agency.
“Everything is on the table when you’re a free agent,” Dosunmu said. “That’s the main thing about being a free agent — you listen. You have conversations with whoever is interested. I’ll sit down with my family, and you have those conversations about where the next duration of my career will be, but Minnesota has shown me love here. I love the love I’ve been getting from the coaching staff, the fans, the players. So of course Minnesota will have the first dibs to do right and make me feel at home where I won’t even have to go out and entertain (other offers).”
While Saturday’s victory was marred by the emotions of the Wolves losing both Donte DiVincenzo (Achilles tear) and Anthony Edwards (knee hyperextension), Dosunmu’s heroics gave the team the lift it needed to take a commanding series lead, Marcus Thompson II writes for The Athletic.
We have more from the Northwest Division:
- The Nuggets know they’ve dug themselves into a hole by going down 3-1 to Minnesota, but star Nikola Jokic is counting on the team’s extensive playoff experience to help them right the ship, Vinny Benedetto writes for the Denver Gazette. “We’ve been in this situation before. The most important one is the next one,” Jokic said. “We’re going to go home and (then) try to get the series back here.” The Nuggets have come back from a 3-1 deficit multiple times during Jokic’s time with the franchise, the first being against Rudy Gobert‘s Jazz back in the bubble in 2020.
- The Trail Blazers have worked hard to return to playoff relevance, and injured star Damian Lillard says the team is closer to taking the next step than people may think, Bill Oram writes for Oregon Live. “It’s all there,” Lillard said. “From the talent to the depth, to having it on both sides of the ball. It’s all there.” While speculation abounds as to whether the three-point champion could return during this postseason run, the front office is also reportedly setting its sights high this offseason, as it is prepared to put a compelling trade offer together for Giannis Antetokounmpo if the two-time MVP indicates he’d be willing to sign an extension in Portland, Oram reports. That is a large “if,” though, Kurt Helin of NBC Sports says, calling the idea of Antetokounmpo making such a promise highly unlikely, if only for the gauntlet he would have to face in the Western Conference playoffs for years to come.
- While the 2026 playoffs rage on, the Jazz are more focused on the draft lottery coming up on May 10. However, there are still reasons for them to pay attention to the postseason, one of which is the draft compensation the Cavaliers still owe them due to the Donovan Mitchell trade, The Deseret News’ Sarah Todd writes. The Cavs are currently tied 2-2 with the Raptors in the first round, with Mitchell eligible for an extension this offseason. While the star guard recently reiterated his desire to stay in Cleveland, a disappointing playoff exit could have ripple effects that impact the Jazz’s future draft assets.
Nikola Jokic, Julius Randle Fined For Game 4 Altercation
Nuggets center Nikola Jokic has been fined $50K and Timberwolves forward Julius Randle has been fined $35K following an altercation that occurred in the final seconds of the Wolves’ Game 4 victory on Saturday, the NBA announced (via Twitter).
As the game wound down with the Wolves’ victory firmly decided, Minnesota’s Jaden McDaniels finished a fast-break dunk, which Jokic took exception to. The Nuggets’ star grabbed and shoved McDaniels, earning the more significant fine from the NBA due to the fact that he instigated the incident.
Randle’s penalty as a result of his response, according to the press release, which states that he “escalated the incident by forcefully inserting himself into the scrum and shoving Nuggets guard/forward Bruce Brown.”
Both players were ejected from the game, though – as ESPN’s Anthony Slater notes (via Twitter) – neither was issued a suspension.
NBA Reviewing Nuggets-Wolves Altercation At End Of Game 4
After struggling in Game 3 — he shot just 7-of-26 from the field in the loss — Nuggets center Nikola Jokic praised Minnesota’s defense and acknowledged he needed to score much more efficiently ahead of Game 4, writes Bennett Durando of The Denver Post.
Jokic didn’t find much more success in Game 4, however, scoring an inefficient 24 points and failing to convert any of his six field goal attempts in the fourth quarter, per Anthony Slater of ESPN. The three-time MVP’s frustration boiled over in the closing seconds of Saturday’s 16-point loss, when he was ejected for angrily confronting Jaden McDaniels, who decided to make an open layup rather than run out the clock (Twitter video link via ESPN).
“I don’t regret it,” Jokic said of the incident after the game. “Because he scored after everybody stopped playing.”
Timberwolves forward Julius Randle was also ejected as part of the incident, which occurred in front of Minnesota’s bench, Slater notes. The league is actively reviewing the altercation to determine if additional penalties are warranted, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (via Twitter).
As Slater writes, McDaniels has been an antagonist in the series, calling a number of Nuggets poor individual defenders after the Wolves pulled out a comeback win in Game 2.
“I don’t know,” McDaniels said when asked if he was in the Nuggets’ heads. “I said what I said, and I just come hoop every night.”
The Nuggets were up four at halftime on Saturday and were thoroughly outplayed in the second half by a Wolves team missing its starting backcourt — Donte DiVincenzo tore his right Achilles in the first quarter, while Anthony Edwards hyperextended his knee in the second period.
Jokic is averaging 25.0 points, 14.5 rebounds, 7.8 assists and 1.5 steals in 39.0 minutes per game in the series, but he’s also committing 4.0 turnovers and his shooting line is just .391/.185/1.000. The Serbian big man called his performance in the series “average,” then later credited Rudy Gobert‘s outstanding defense, according to Jason Quick of The Athletic.
“It’s a little bit of everything. You know, I’m not shooting the ball really well, especially from the three, and you know, Rudy is doing a good job with being physical, testing the officials, contesting shots,” Jokic said. “You know, he’s a really good defender. And not just him, they play very good … they’re big, long, tall, handsy, trippy, they’re bumping you, so… I think I answered (your question).”
Here’s more on the Nuggets, who are in a 3-1 hole ahead of Monday’s Game 5:
- Although Aaron Gordon was able to play 23 minutes on Saturday, he was clearly limited physically and head coach David Adelman suggested after the game the veteran forward might not be active for Game 5, tweets Vinny Benedetto of The Denver Gazette. “It was unfair for me to keep him out there,” Adelman said. “I felt like he was really laboring in the first half. … We’re going to have to decide what we do for Game 5.” Gordon, who was one of the players who appeared to leave the bench during the fracas, missed Game 3 due to a left calf injury.
- Both Gordon and Christian Braun said after Game 4 that the Nuggets were still frustrated after blowing a 19-point lead in Game 2, when they had a chance to go up 2-0, according to Quick. “It’s incredibly frustrating, just dwelling on Game 2,” Gordon said. “You know, not taking care of home court. So that’s the hard part about trying to let go, um, and focus on the next game, but knowing that we’ve let opportunities slip.”
- “Just an embarrassing first four games of the series,” Braun said (Twitter link via Durando). “We’ve just gotta show up in Game 5 and play well in front of our crowd. We owe that to them. We owe that to them to show up and play well.”
Northwest Notes: Jokic, McDaniels, Wolves, Lillard
The 27 points and 15 rebounds that Nikola Jokic recorded on Thursday essentially matched – or exceeded – the averages he posted during the regular season, but it was a forgettable Game 3 for the Nuggets star, writes Anthony Slater of ESPN. Denver was outscored by 21 points during Jokic’s 35 minutes of action and he made just 7-of-26 shots from the floor as the team fell behind Minnesota 2-1 in the best-of-seven series.
“I’ve never seen him shoot what he shot today,” Nuggets guard Jamal Murray said. “That’s an outlier type of game.”
The Nuggets will need more from Jokic to get past a tough first-round opponent, especially since the availability of a pair of key role players remains an open question heading into Game 4. Aaron Gordon (calf soreness) sat out Game 3, while Peyton Watson (hamstring strain) has yet to play at all since the postseason began.
As Slater relays, head coach David Adelman told reporters after Thursday’s loss that he and his coaching staff had to prepare two separate game plans for Game 3, since it wasn’t clear until close to tip-off whether or not Gordon would be able to play. Adelman is hoping to get clarity earlier on the status of Gordon and Watson ahead of Saturday’s Game 4.
“I do think out of fairness to the team we do want to know who is going to play that next game,” Adelman said. “It just helps you because guys know the expectation of what’s going to be that night, as opposed to today when we were scrambling a bit.”
We have more from around the Northwest, including a couple items on Denver’s opponent:
- After making headlines by dubbing Denver’s entire team “bad defenders” after Game 2, Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels backed up his trash talk with a huge Game 3, according to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. McDaniels scored 20 points, pulled down 10 rebounds, and played smothering defense on Nuggets star Murray. “Jaden is one our intense and most ornery competitors,” head coach Chris Finch said. “I didn’t have any worry that he wasn’t going to come out and try his darnedest to back up whatever was said.”
- In a separate story for The Athletic, Krawczynski explores the role that Timberwolves assistant James White plays in Minnesota and the impact that he has had on McDaniels and Donte DiVincenzo, who both credit White with helping them have big seasons. “To have somebody like that in your corner that I can call anytime of the day to pick his brain on life stuff, basketball stuff, whatever or just shoot the s— with him,” DiVincenzo said of White. “That’s the stuff that we need. When things are hard, you have certain people you can lean on, and he’s definitely one of them.”
- When Damian Lillard decided to sign with the Trail Blazers last summer, the sense was that the veteran guard was prioritizing familiarity over the chance to contend, but the Blazers are showing he was right to believe in the roster, writes Bill Oram of The Oregonian (subscription required). Exploring whether there’s any chance Lillard could play in the postseason, Oram cites a source who says the 35-year-old is “close” to being cleared following his Achilles recovery but that a potential return wouldn’t happen until a later round or “deep, deep” into the Spurs series. “I wouldn’t rule anything out or get too excited about anything,” a source told Oram.