Jaden Ivey Undergoes Knee Surgery, Out At Least Four Weeks
Former No. 5 overall pick Jaden Ivey underwent an arthroscopic procedure on his right knee on Thursday to relieve discomfort, the Pistons announced in a press release. The team says the former Purdue star will be out at least four weeks, which is when he’ll be reevaluated.
According to Detroit, Ivey’s surgery and knee discomfort are not related to the fractured left fibula which ended his 2024/25 season after just 30 games. Following an arduous rehabilitation process, 23-year-old guard said he was 100 percent healthy entering training camp.
It’s unfortunate news for Ivey, who is eligible for a rookie scale extension until October 20, the day before the ’25/26 campaign begins.
It’s also a tough blow for the Pistons, who were hoping to see Ivey take a step forward in his fourth year. Now his season debut will be delayed until at least mid-November.
In 30 appearances last season, Ivey averaged 17.6 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.0 assists in 29.9 minutes per contest, posting a shooting slash line of .460/.409/.733. The 40.9% mark from long distance was a career-best percentage by a significant margin.
The Kings recently showed with Keegan Murray (thumb surgery) that teams aren’t necessarily afraid to make long-term investments in players who are injured. But for a variety of reasons, Ivey’s situation is a bit more complicated, and the procedure seemingly decreases the odds of an extension being reached in the next few days.
Ivey will earn about $10.1MM in the final year of his rookie scale contract. If he doesn’t sign an extension, he would be eligible for restricted free agency next summer.
With Ivey out, Ausar Thompson, Marcus Sasser, and Caris LeVert are among the players who could have more ball-handling responsibilities for Detroit. Duncan Robinson is also a crafty play-maker who can orchestrate a pick-and-roll, though he isn’t a primary initiator.
Celtics Convert Ron Harper Jr. To Two-Way Deal
2:49 pm: The Celtics have officially converted Harper’s Exhibit 10 contract to a two-way deal, per NBA.com’s transaction log.
12:04 pm: After waiving RJ Luis on Wednesday, the Celtics are poised to convert Ron Harper Jr. to a two-way contract, agent Drew Gross tells Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).
Harper is currently under contract with Boston on a non-guaranteed Exhibit 10 deal. Exhibit 10 contracts can be converted into two-ways up until next Monday, the day before the regular season begins.
A 6’6″ forward, Harper spent the majority of last season in the NBA G League, averaging 16.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 0.9 steals per game in 37 total appearances with the Motor City Cruise and Maine Celtics (29.6 MPG). He shot 38.6% from three-point range on high volume (8.2 attempts per game).
Harper has averaged 4.3 PPG, 1.0 APG, and 0.7 RPG in 10.6 MPG across three outings with the Celtics during the preseason.
Although he has made just 11 total regular season appearances from 2022-25, Harper technically has three years of NBA service, having suited up for at least one game in each of the past three seasons, so this will be his final year of two-way eligibility. That means his new two-way deal will just cover a single season before he becomes a free agent again in 2026.
2025 second-round picks Amari Williams and Max Shulga are Boston’s other two-way players.
Injury Notes: Sochan, George, Demin, Suggs, K. Jones, Ingles
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.
Thunder Sign Cameron Brown, Waive Erik Reynolds
The Thunder have signed free agent forward Cameron Brown, the team announced today. Guard Erik Reynolds, who was signed on Wednesday, has been waived to create room on the roster for the newcomer.
A 6’6″ wing who played his college ball at Saint Joseph’s from 2019-24, Brown went undrafted a year ago and spent the 2024/25 season with the Oklahoma City Blue in the G League. In 43 total outings for the Thunder’s NBAGL affiliate, he averaged 7.4 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.3 assists in 22.6 minutes per game and posted a .397/.339/.633 shooting line.
Although Brown’s numbers were modest, the Thunder saw enough to want to keep him in the organization. The plan is likely to waive him at some point in the next couple days and have him rejoin the Blue in the coming weeks.
Players who sign Exhibit 10 contracts can earn bonuses worth up to $85,300 if they spend at least 60 days with their team’s NBAGL affiliate. However, it’s possible Brown’s bonus will come in below that maximum, given his relatively modest role at the G League level.
Reynolds, after being signed and waived by the Thunder, is also on track to be part of the Blue’s roster this fall.
Celtics Sign Hason Ward To Exhibit 10 Contract
The Celtics have signed free agent forward Hason Ward to a non-guaranteed Exhibit 10 contract, tweets Keith Smith of Spotrac.
Ward, who went undrafted out of Iowa State in 2024, spent his first professional season with the Maine Celtics, Boston’s G League affiliate. He also stints with the Scarborough Shooting Stars in the Canadian Elite Basketball League in the summers of 2024 and 2025.
In 50 G League games last season for Maine, Ward averaged 7.8 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks in 21.9 minutes per contest. He made 66.0% of shot attempts from the floor but just 50% from the free throw line.
It’s a virtual certainty that Ward will be waived at some point in the next 24 to 48 hours, which would put him on track to rejoin the Celtics’ G League team this fall. His Exhibit 10 bonus would ensure that he receives a bonus worth as much as $85,300 on top of his standard NBAGL salary if he spends at least 60 days with Maine.
Boston had an open spot on its 21-man roster after waiving two-way player RJ Luis on Wednesday, so Ward filled that opening.
Nuggets Notes: Two-Big Lineup, Braun, Watson, Murray, Jones, Delk
After being named the Nuggets‘ permanent head coach in the spring, David Adelman has shown during the preseason that he’s willing to experiment with unusual lineup combinations to see what clicks, writes Vinny Benedetto of The Denver Gazette.
One of those lineups has seen centers Nikola Jokic and Jonas Valanciunas share the court. Adelman, who has used the two big men together for just a couple minutes in the second quarter in each of the past two games, admitted prior to Tuesday’s preseason matchup with Chicago that the unit is a work in progress, per Bennett Durando of The Denver Post (subscription required).
“I thought it was hilarious to watch it on tape,” Adelman said. “We haven’t had a ton of time (practicing with) those guys. They’ve scripted together, but they haven’t played together. But it’s kind of like, rip the Band-Aid off and just see what happens.
“… If they end up playing together a lot, we’ll slowly but surely add a package for those two guys,” he continued. “And not just for them, but to make the other three guys comfortable. I’ve made this point about Houston. Offensively, with the two bigs, (Alperen) Sengun was the point person, and (Steven) Adams just crushed the glass. So it’s like, our personalities are a little bit different. Val can crash the glass, but he’s also skilled. So I have to find a way to get those guys comfortable in space so they’re not right on top of each other.”
We have more on the Nuggets:
- Both eligible for rookie scale extensions until Monday, fourth-year players Christian Braun and Peyton Watson have shown this month that they’re still adding new elements to their games, Durando writes in another story for The Denver Post. Braun has exhibited an increased willingness to take the ball to the basket, while Watson has operated on the ball more frequently this fall than in the past, Durando notes. Braun and Watson will be eligible for restricted free agency in 2026 if they don’t sign new deals before the season begins.
- Jamal Murray has a history of starting seasons slow, but he looks well positioned to change that narrative this year, Benedetto writes for The Denver Gazette. Murray scored 30 points on 18 shots in Tuesday’s win over Chicago and appears to be “physically and mentally” ready for the season, says Benedetto.
- Within the same story, Benedetto observes that two-way player Spencer Jones has frequently been used as the 10th man in Denver’s rotation this preseason, ahead of players like Jalen Pickett, Julian Strawther, and DaRon Holmes. The former undrafted rookie out of Stanford, entering his second season on a two-way contract with the Nuggets, has been lauded by Adelman for his defensive versatility.
- The Nuggets have hired former NBA guard Tony Delk as a scout, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). Delk, who appeared in 545 regular season games for eight teams from 1996-2006, most recently served as a pro personnel scout for the Mavericks.
Grizzlies Sign Nate Hinton, Waive Charlie Brown Jr.
The Grizzlies have made a minor change to their roster ahead of Friday’s preseason finale, announcing today (via Twitter) that they’ve signed swingman Nate Hinton and waived guard Charlie Brown Jr.
Hinton, 26, appeared in 38 regular season games for Dallas, Indiana, and Houston from 2021-24 but was out of the league last year after being waived by the Rockets ahead of opening night.
Hinton appeared in a total of 37 games in the G League in 2024/25 for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers and the Memphis Hustle, the Grizzlies’ affiliate. He averaged 12.0 points, 8.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.7 steals in 29.4 minutes per game, with a shooting line of .483/.378/.614.
The 6’5″ guard/forward appears likely to report back to the Hustle this fall. Assuming he signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Grizzlies, which is likely, he’ll be eligible to earn a bonus worth up to $85,300 if he’s waived and then spends at least 60 days with Memphis’ affiliate.
That’s also likely the plan for Brown, who signed an Exhibit 10 deal with the Grizzlies earlier this week.
Hornets Waive Spencer Dinwiddie
12:28 pm: The move is official, according to a Hornets press release.
12:08 pm: Just three months after signing a guaranteed contract with the Hornets as a free agent, veteran point guard Spencer Dinwiddie is being waived, according to Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).
Dinwiddie agreed to terms with Charlotte early in free agency on a one-year, minimum-salary deal and officially finalized that agreement on July 13. Because his salary was guaranteed, the 32-year-old will still receive his full $3,634,153, while the Hornets will carry $2,296,274 in dead money on their cap, assuming Dinwiddie goes unclaimed on waivers.
An 11-year NBA veteran, Dinwiddie played a more significant role than expected in Dallas last season due to the Luka Doncic trade and a series of injuries affecting guards like Kyrie Irving and Dante Exum. He was one of the only Mavericks players who made it through the season without dealing with any major health issues.
In 79 games (30 starts), Dinwiddie averaged 11.0 points, 4.4 assists, and 2.4 rebounds in 27.0 minutes per night, with a shooting line of .416/.334/.802. All of those numbers were in the ballpark of his career rates.
The Hornets’ decision to sign Dinwiddie in July was a little curious, given that the team had already traded for Collin Sexton and agreed to re-sign Tre Mann at that point in the offseason. It appeared the front office was making it a priority to load up on point guard depth after Mann and starter LaMelo Ball missed significant time last season due to injuries.
However, facing a roster crunch this fall and with Ball and Mann both healthy, the Hornets decided that Dinwiddie was the odd man out. He registered six points and six assists in 30 total minutes across two preseason games with the club — Charlotte was outscored by 20 points in those 30 minutes.
Once Dinwiddie is officially placed on waivers, the Hornets will have 14 players on guaranteed contracts, plus center Moussa Diabate on a non-guaranteed deal. There had been speculation that Pat Connaughton would be the roster casualty in Charlotte, but unless more moves are coming in the next few days, it looks like the former Buck is now on track to make the team’s regular season roster.
Hoops Rumors Front Office Subscriber Chat Transcript: 10/16/2025
Hoops Rumors’ Arthur Hill held a live chat today exclusively for Trade Rumors Front Office subscribers. Topics included whether the Sixers and Hornets whiffed on Ace Bailey, Russell Westbrook's impact on the Kings, the Antetokounmpo family gathering in Milwaukee, Joe Mazzulla's hatred of the preseason and more!
Jonathan Kuminga Fined $35K By NBA
Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga has been hit with a $35K fine, the NBA announced on Thursday in a press release (Twitter link).
Kuminga is being penalized for “making inappropriate contact with and continuing to pursue a game official,” according to the league. The incident occurred late in the second quarter of Tuesday’s preseason game vs. Portland and resulted in the the 23-year-old’s ejection.
Kuminga believed he was fouled on a drive to the basket that resulted in a missed layup (Twitter video link) and immediately confronted referee Rodney Mott about the no-call. Kuminga later explained that he was upset about the contact on the same ankle he injured last season, as ESPN’s Anthony Slater relays (Twitter link).
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr told reporters after the game that he “didn’t mind the ejection at all” and appreciated the “fire” and “passion” Kuminga was playing with (Twitter video link via Sam Gordon of The San Francisco Chronicle). Presumably, Kerr didn’t realize at that point that Kuminga had made contact with Mott and wasn’t endorsing that aspect of the incident.
The $35K fine won’t impact Kuminga’s earnings as significantly as it would have last season. After making about $7.6MM in 2024/25, the final year of his rookie contract, the former No. 7 overall pick is earning $22.5MM on his new deal in ’25/26.