Wolves’ Miller Out At Least Two Weeks With Finger Injury
Timberwolves forward Leonard Miller sustained a finger injury at Tuesday’s practice, according to the team, which announced in a press release that he has been diagnosed with a right fifth finger laceration.
Miller will be reevaluated in two weeks, per the Wolves. That means he’ll miss the rest of training camp and at least four of Minnesota’s six preseason games.
Miller, who will turn 22 in November, was the 33rd overall pick in the 2023 draft. The 6’10” forward hasn’t seen much action at the NBA level in his first two professional seasons, playing just 84 total minutes in 30 appearances, including 32 minutes in 13 games in 2024/25.
The Canadian performed well in the G League last season, however, averaging 24.7 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.2 blocks in 37.5 minutes per contest over the course of 26 outings for the Iowa Wolves. He posted a shooting line of .505/.341/.851.
Although the finger injury might not sideline Miller for any of the regular season and wouldn’t have a major impact on the Wolves’ rotation even if it does, it’s a disappointing setback for a player who is looking to prove he deserves to continue hanging onto an NBA roster spot. Miller isn’t owed any guaranteed money beyond his $2.22MM salary this season, as his contract includes a team option worth $2.41MM for 2026/27.
Southwest Notes: Nunez, Castle, Morant, Lemons, Russell
Spurs draft-and-stash prospect Juan Nunez is expected be sidelined six months after undergoing right knee surgery on Tuesday, BasketNews relays.
FC Barcelona announced that a meniscal cyst was removed from Nunez’s knee, and the suture points of the meniscus from the first arthroscopy performed on March 11 were reinforced. The 21-year-old averaged 5.0 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game last season in the EuroLeague.
Nunez was selected with the 36th overall pick of the 2024 draft and was acquired by San Antonio in a draft-night trade with Indiana.
We have more on the Southwest Division:
- The Spurs’ backcourt plans have been put on hold due to injuries, Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News notes. De’Aaron Fox, who signed a four-year, maximum-salary extension this offseason, injured his hamstring during offseason workouts and has already been deemed doubtful for the Oct. 22 regular-season opener against Dallas. Dylan Harper, the second pick of this year’s draft, is rehabbing from left thumb surgery. That leaves Stephon Castle as the primary ball-handler in the early going. “I think what he has already done is just something we want to continue to grow him in,” coach Mitch Johnson said of last season’s Rookie of the Year. “He has already shown the chops to do it.”
- Grizzlies star guard Ja Morant intends to negotiate his next contract without an agent, according to Drew Hill of the Daily Memphian (subscription required; hat tip to RealGM). Morant was previously represented by Jim Hill and Mike Miller but parted ways with Miller in June. Morant, who signed a five-year, $197MM contract which expires after the 2027/28 season, has started an advisory firm with family ties, according to Joe Vardon of The Athletic. Phil Morant, his uncle, is the chief managing director of a new Memphis-based advisory firm, ILOC. His mother, Jamie Morant, is also an employee of the firm run on a day-to-day basis by former head of Grizzlies security Kevin Helms.
- The Rockets have added Robbie Lemons as an assistant coach, Danielle Lerner of the Houston Chronicle tweets. Lemons previously worked on Mike Brown’s staff in Sacramento, specializing in coaching analytics and strategy.
- D’Angelo Russell, signed to a two-year contract by the Mavericks as a free agent, doesn’t want to be just a stopgap until Kyrie Irving returns from a knee injury, he said this week, per Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal. “Obviously, with Kai out, there’s minutes available, but I’m not looking at it like I’m just holding down the fort,” Russell said. “I want to establish myself here, be consistent, and help us win games. When Kai comes back, I’ll adjust, but my mindset is to make an impact from day one.”
Knicks To Add Donovan Williams On Camp Deal
The Knicks and guard Donovan Williams have agreed to a training camp deal, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype tweets.
Williams averaged 17.8 points and 4.7 rebounds per game for New York’s G League team, the Westchester Knicks, last season. He also had stints in Canada and China, joining the Shanghai Sharks in February and then suiting up for the Scarborough Shooting Stars in the Canadian Elite Basketball League this summer.
Williams appeared in two NBA games with the Hawks during the 2022/23 season. He was also with the Warriors ahead of the 2023/24 season, but was a training camp cut.
He’ll likely be waived and then would be eligible for a bonus worth up to $85,300 if he rejoins Westchester and stays with the team at least 60 days.
Lakers Taking ‘Overly Cautious’ Approach With LeBron James During Camp
A glute issue sidelined LeBron James at the start of Lakers training camp and could jeopardize his ability to play in the season opener, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.
Lakers coach JJ Redick indicated that the 40-year James has “a little bit of nerve irritation in the glute.”
“It’s probably a little bit longer of a ramp-up leading into opening night for him,” Redick said. “Obviously in year 23, it’s uncharted territory here.”
James will make NBA history in his season debut, as no other player has played a 23rd year in the league.
“I’m still ramping things back up,” James said. “I’m not where I want to be. But I mean, I don’t want to be where I want to be right now in September. So, I got some time and I’m looking forward to the process of getting there.”
The Lakers’ approach regarding James’ training camp participation came at the urging of his camp. His representatives met with the Lakers’ brass with a directive for the team to be “overly cautious” with him in the early going to keep him fresh for a long playoff run. He suffered a Grade 2 MCL sprain in his left knee during last season’s playoffs.
Redick is still hopeful to have James available for one preseason contest.
“We would love to have that happen,” he said.
James exercised his player option this offseason and will make $52.6MM. That means he’ll be an unrestricted free agent after the season but James declares that won’t have any effect on this season.
“It will have no impact,” James told McMenamin. “I’m super excited about the challenges and the excitement of our team. We added some new guys. We got another year under our belt with our coaching staff from last year. Got a full year with Luka [Doncic] and another year with the guys that I’ve been with. So super excited about that. And I’m not worried about contracts at this point in my career. That doesn’t bother me at all. Super humbled to even have it, have a contract still and be able to play the game that I love still at this part of my career and take full advantage of it.”
As for retirement, James said his motivation to go through his usual offseason regimen will determine that decision.
“For me, it’s just, am I still excited about the process? Do I still get motivated about the process every single year?” James told ESPN. “Preparing my body. Preparing my mind. Working on my body, training, things of that nature, to get ready for a full season. I think once I kind of fall out of love with the process, then I’ll know for sure. Then, it’d probably be the end for me.”
Jared McCain Undergoes Thumb Surgery, Out 4-6 Weeks
October 1: McCain underwent surgery to repair a UCL tear in his right thumb on Tuesday, the team tweets. He’ll be reevaluated in approximately four weeks.
September 27: McCain is expected to undergo thumb surgery and will miss four-to-six weeks, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported on NBA Today (video link).
September 25: Sixers guard Jared McCain sustained a torn ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his right thumb during a workout on Thursday, reports Tim Bontemps of ESPN (via Twitter).
The Sixers officially confirmed the unfortunate news in a press release (Twitter link).
It’s yet another injury blow for the 76ers, who have dealt with numerous absences to key players over the years. That was particularly true in 2024/25, when Philadelphia went just 24-58 after handing out several lucrative contracts in the 2024 offseason.
It’s also an unfortunate setback for McCain, who was one of the early bright spots amid a disappointing start last season. The No. 16 pick of the 2024 draft, McCain was among the Rookie of the Year frontrunners to open ’24/25, averaging 15.3 points, 2.6 assists and 2.4 rebounds on .460/.383/.875 shooting in 23 games (25.7 MPG) prior to suffering a season-ending injury — a torn lateral meniscus in his left knee, which required surgery — in December.
McCain expressed optimism earlier this month about being ready for the start of training camp. Philadelphia’s media day is tomorrow.
Citing information from InStreetClothes.com, Derek Bodner of PHLY Sports writes that players who suffer a torn UCL during the season typically miss about seven-and-a-half weeks of action (Twitter link). That would theoretically put McCain on track to return in late November.
It’s unclear if McCain’s injury will impact the 76ers’ contract negotiations with restricted free agent guard Quentin Grimes, with the two sides reportedly “very far apart” in talks ahead of the October 1 qualifying offer deadline.
Heat Notes: Powell, Achiuwa, Rozier, Smith, Scouts
Forward Norman Powell had the best season of his career with the Clippers, but wasn’t selected for the All-Star Game. Traded to the Heat during the offseason, Powell enters this season with extra motivation, he told Marc J. Spears of Andscape.
“I definitely have a chip from feeling like I could have made it,” Powell said. “I should have made it last [season]. It added fuel to the fire this summer on how I am going to capitalize on this [season], that I have to make sure that I’m a surefire pick for an All-Star selection. Finding out that it is in L.A. would definitely be a little punch there to make it. To play All-Star Weekend in Intuit would be amazing. But yeah, I’m definitely excited about the opportunity to go at it again and have a chance to finally get selected.”
We have more on the Heat:
- Terry Rozier had the worst season of his career last year and fell out of the rotation. The veteran guard, who has one year left on his contract, comes into this season with something to prove. “I don’t know (why things went sour),” he told Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. “I was being a human. I’m glad I can still play basketball and do what I love and ready for a turnaround this season.”
- Dru Smith has endured major injuries during his career, most recently an Achilles tear. Yet he was re-signed in the offseason, in part because of the resiliency he’s shown, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald writes. “What he has is a superpower. I wish you could take some of that and just apply it to other players,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said when asked about Smith’s participation in practice less than a year after tearing his Achilles. “When I say superpower or superpowers, it’s a level of grit, it’s a level of fortitude, perseverance. However, you want to describe it, he has no quit in him.”
- Big man Precious Achiuwa signed as a free agent on a one-year contract and indicated that familiarity played a role, Miami Heat Spain tweets. He played with Miami during his rookie season. “It was a pretty easy decision because of how well this organization represents the type of player that I am. I also took into account the high competitive level of Spo, I want to forge myself around that,” he said.
- A couple of unnamed scouts gave their evaluations of Achiuwa and the Heat’s young players to Jackson, including whether Achiuwa was a better option than some of the other free agent big men the front office looked at.
Bulls Notes: Buzelis, White, Dosunmu, Jones, Expectations, Giddey
Bulls forward Matas Buzelis averaged 8.6 points and 3.5 rebounds in 18.9 minutes per game while appearing in 80 contests as a rookie. He’s aiming for a major award this season, according to Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun Times.
“I want to win Most Improved Player this year,” Buzelis said. “That’s what I’m striving for. This is a team sport, and everything is about the team. The individual stuff will come if you win, so I’m worried about winning.”
Here’s more on the Bulls:
- Coby White‘s ability to play by the season opener is somewhat in doubt. Bulls executive VP Arturas Karnisovas indicated that White will be limited in camp by a calf strain he suffered in August, K.C. Johnson of Chicago Sports Network tweets. “Hopefully, we can see him by end of preseason,” he said.
- Ayo Dosunmu and Tre Jones are “back from injury and ready to play,” according to Karnisovas (Twitter link via Johnson). Dosunmu underwent shoulder surgery in March. Jones dealt with a left foot sprain late last season.
- Isaac Okoro, acquired in the Lonzo Ball deal, was mainly used as a defensive stopper with Cleveland. He’ll look to do the same with his new team, according to Cowley. “At the end of the day, you look at every team in the NBA there are guys on winning teams that have to sacrifice,” Okoro said. “Everyone in this league wants to score 20, they probably can score 20. They’re coming from being the best player on their high school team, college team, but people have to make sacrifices. In Cleveland I played my role of guarding the best player on the other team, being the hustle guy, and I don’t mind that. At the end of the day I want to win, so if that’s sacrificing that’s the role that I will play.”
- Karnisovas considers player development, rather than wins, as the primary goal in Chicago this season, Julia Poe of the Chicago Tribune writes. “This is the way we have to do it,” Karnišovas said. “We have to be patient. We have to do it the right way. We can’t skip steps. For this team next year, we’ve got to show growth.”
- It took a while but restricted free agent Josh Giddey signed a four-year contract this month as a restricted free agent. He never believed he’d wind up elsewhere, according to Poe. “I never had any worries I wasn’t going to be here,” Giddey said. “This was where I wanted to be. They embraced me from day one when I first got here — teammates, front office, fans — and it felt like home really quickly. Right from the jump, I made sure my agent knew this is where I wanted to be. I want to be here long term.”
RJ Nembhard Signed-And-Waived By Bulls
Guard RJ Nembhard has been signed and waived by the Bulls, Spotrac contributor Keith Smith tweets.
The Exhibit 10 signing sets up Nembhard to join the G League’s Windy City Bulls. He can earn a bonus up to $85,300 if he reports to Windy City and remains on their roster for at least 60 days.
Chicago’s NBAGL affiliate acquired his returning rights in a trade on Monday (Twitter link).
Nembhard played 33 regular season games with the Capital City Go-Go last season, averaging 17.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 6.3 assists for the Wizards’ affiliate. He then headed to China, signing with the Zhejiang Golden Bulls of the Chinese Basketball Association for the rest of the 2024/25 season.
Nembhard has 14 games of NBA experience, mostly while playing on a two-way deal with Cleveland, and totaled 15 points and 12 assists in those games during the 2021/22 season.
Seth Curry To Join Warriors On One-Year Contract
Seth Curry is joining forces with his Hall of Fame-bound brother Stephen Curry. He has agreed to a one-year contract with the Warriors, ESPN’s Shams Charania tweets.
Terms of the deal aren’t yet known, but based on the expected starting salaries for Jonathan Kuminga, Al Horford, and De’Anthony Melton, Golden State likely won’t have enough room below its second-apron hard cap to add a 15th man on a standard contract at this point.
If that’s the case, the younger Curry brother figures to sign a non-guaranteed Exhibit 9 deal, which wouldn’t count against the cap. He would have to be waived before opening night, but could re-sign a few weeks into the season once a pro-rated minimum deal would fit below the team’s hard cap. NBA insider Marc Stein confirms (via Twitter) that looks like the plan for the Warriors.
Golden State’s interest in Curry was reported as far back as July. The Warriors delayed their roster moves while trying to resolve Kuminga’s restricted free agency — he finally agreed to a two-year deal on Tuesday.
Curry, 35, has followed a much different NBA path than his brother, who has spent his entire career with Golden State. Seth has played a total of 550 regular season games for Memphis, Cleveland, Phoenix, Sacramento, Dallas, Portland, Philadelphia, Brooklyn and Charlotte.
Last season with the Hornets, he appeared in 68 games (14 starts) and averaged 6.5 points, 1.7 rebounds and 0.9 assists in 15.6 minutes per game. Curry knocked down 45.6 percent of his 3-point attempts and is a 43.3 percent career shooter from deep.
He’ll add depth at the shooting guard spot.
Hawks Notes: Porzingis, Alexander-Walker, Kennard, Young, Daniels, Johnson
The Hawks made some major additions this offseason, dealing for Kristaps Porzingis and signing free agents Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Luke Kennard. Head coach Quin Snyder believes they’ll make the roster much more versatile, Lauren Williams of the Atlanta Journal Constitution writes.
“I think the biggest challenge with that is the balance between having continuity and having change on a game-to-game basis,” Snyder said. “For our team to be as good as I think we need to be and want to be, our players have to understand that every game is different.
“Not just from the standpoint that minutes might fluctuate or rotations are different, but every game is potentially going to require something different, of different players, but we do have the ability and have the versatility, I think, whether it be matchups or style, to play a few different ways, and we’ve got a group that, because there are so many new guys that create new combinations, that I think I mentioned earlier. I think I said that we have to be patient and understand this is a slow burn. But that doesn’t mean we can’t be urgent about, you know, focusing and pursuing that.”
As for the additions themselves, they’ll help in a variety of ways, as the Hawks head coach explained.
“Specifically to our new guys, I think Nickeil gives us another player that’s capable of really defending at the point of attack, which I think is really important,” Snyder said. “Kristaps (provides) versatility defensively…I think you think of Luke because he shoots the ball so well. He’s more than a shooter, as they like to say. So describing some of those individual characteristics.”
Here’s more on the Hawks:
- Trae Young addressed the fact that he’ll enter camp without an extension, indicating he wouldn’t let that bother him. He’s eligible for a four-year deal worth up to a projected $223MM, ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk notes. “I don’t know [about] the word disappointment, I mean, maybe, for sure,” Young said. “For me, I’m so focused. I’m more happy about the team that we got going into this season. I’m blessed, bro. I wasn’t stressing about anything. If something happened, it happened. If it didn’t, I still got time. I’m focused on this team. I’m focused on right now. I got a great team going into the season that you can’t say I’ve had [before]. So I’m even more excited about that. Who knows what the future is for me. But right now I’m here and I’m present like me and Coach have been talking about. I’m ready to go.”
- Kennard, who signed with the Hawks on a one-year deal, believes his skills are well-suited for Snyder’s schemes, Kevin Chouinard of Hawks.com tweets. “Pace. Ball movement. Flow,” the three-point specialist said.
- Dyson Daniels has made his mark as a wing player but he said he’s capable of taking over point guard duties when needed, Brad Rowland of Locked On Hawks tweets.
- Jalen Johnson says he’s fully healthy and ready for the upcoming season, Youngmisuk tweets. Johnson said he spent time working out with LeBron James and learning from the Lakers star this offseason. The fifth-year forward underwent season-ending shoulder surgery in late January.