Hornets’ Josh Green, Grant Williams To Miss Training Camp
Hornets wing Josh Green and forward Grant Williams will both miss training camp as they continue to recover from their respective injuries, head coach Charles Lee recently told reporters, including Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer.
Green underwent left shoulder surgery in June, while Williams tore the ACL and meniscus in his right knee last November.
According to Boone, Lee said both players are making progress, but neither has a specific timeline to return, though Williams is apparently a little further along in his recovery.
Given that Green and Williams miss training camp, which begins September 30, it’s possible neither player will be active for Charlotte’s regular season opener on Oct. 22.
Here are few more items of interest from Boone’s story:
- In addition to making on-court strides this offseason, Brandon Miller has also impressed Lee by becoming a vocal leader, Boone writes. In particular, Miller has been mentoring fellow 2023 first-round pick Nick Smith Jr. Miller is another Hornet whose ’24/25 season was cut short — he underwent right wrist surgery in January. He said in late July the wrist was close to fully healed.
- Lee wants LaMelo Ball to become a locker-room leader as well and thinks trade addition Collin Sexton will help with that, per Boone. While Lee said Ball has made strides on defense, he still wants the team’s highest-paid player to be more consistent on that end of the court.
- Each of Charlotte’s 2025 draft picks — Kon Knueppel, Liam McNeeley, Sion James and Ryan Kalkbrenner — will receive minutes during the preseason, according to Lee, who thinks big man Kalkbrenner could eventually have a career similar to Brook Lopez.
Hornets Sign Marcus Garrett, Waive Brandon Slater
The Hornets continue to make changes to the back end of their roster ahead of training camp, having signed free agent guard Marcus Garrett, the team announced (via Twitter).
In a corresponding move, forward Brandon Slater has been released.
While the terms of Garrett’s contract were not revealed, it’s likely to be an Exhibit 10 deal, which would make him eligible for a bonus worth up to $85,300 if he’s waived before the season begins and spends at least 60 days with the Hornets’ G League affiliate, the Greensboro Swarm.
Garrett, who went undrafted out of Kansas in 2021, appeared in 12 NBA games while on a two-way contract with the Heat as a rookie, but he has spent most of his professional career in the G League, including the past two seasons with the Swarm. He signed a 10-day hardship contract with the Hornets in March and appeared four NBA games, averaging 7.0 points and 3.3 rebounds in 19.8 minutes per contest.
Known as a solid defender, Garrett played 42 games (29.7 MPG) for the Swarm in 2024/25, averaging 10.4 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 3.8 APG and 1.5 SPG on .451/.298/.705 shooting.
Garrett will fill Charlotte’s 21st and final roster spot for the time being.
And-Ones: Inside The NBA, Rubio, Raduljica, Bleijenbergh
“Inside the NBA” will look a little different this season — it will air on ESPN instead of TNT and won’t be on as often. However, the show’s format will largely remain unchanged, ESPN president of content Burke Magnus tells Richard Deitsch of The Athletic.
“(Fans are) going to get the show they love in a way that’s very similar to the way it’s always been,” Magnus said. “It’s still produced in Atlanta by the very same people that produced it for Turner. It’s in their building. Other than a logo on the set, it’s going to appear the same, and that’s exactly what we want.”
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Former NBA point guard Ricky Rubio broke a Spanish league record during the 2005/06 season when he made his professional debut at age 14. In hindsight, he thinks it was a mistake to start his pro career at such a young age, as Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops relays. “It almost seems like exploitation,” Rubio said in a recent interview with Jijantes FC (Twitch link). “If you have the necessary quality at 13, you’ll probably be able to play at 16 or 17, too, or at 18. … There should be professionals, who already exist, to see at what stage to start playing. There will always be debate, ‘This guy is more mature at 16 and another at 18. Yes, but a rule must be set, behind studies with people who understand the whole issue a little better. … I think debuting in a professional team, where you enter a very dangerous world because you’re open to so many things, should be regulated.”
- After a long basketball career, Serbian big man Miroslav Raduljica has decided to switch to football (soccer) for the 2025/26 season (Instagram link). According to Askounis of Eurohoops, Raduljica’s full salary with Zeleznicar Pancevo will go to charity. The 7’0″ center, who played parts of two seasons in the NBA with the Bucks and Timberwolves, has spent the past two years in Greece with Maroussi B.C.
- Former G League forward Vrenz Bleijenbergh is now a free agent after mutually agreeing to part ways with the South East Melbourne Phoenix of Australia’s National Basketball League (press release via the team). Bleijenbergh, who is from Belgium, had a solid showing in Turkey last season with Merkezefendi, averaging 12.0 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 4.0 APG, 1.1 SPG and 1.0 BPG on .466/.398/.791 shooting in 28 contests (30.4 MPG).
Talen Horton-Tucker Signs Two-Year Deal With Fenerbahce
Free agent guard/forward Talen Horton-Tucker has officially signed a two-year deal with Fenerbahce, according to a press release from the Turkish team.
Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews reported at the beginning of September that Horton-Tucker had reached a tentative agreement with the reigning EuroLeague champion but was still hoping to sign an NBA contract. Marc Stein later clarified that Horton-Tucker had a 21-day window to find a new NBA opportunity.
Evidently Horton-Tucker was unable to find the type of NBA deal he was seeking, as he will now be heading overseas for the first time in his career.
The 46th overall pick of the 2019 draft, Horton-Tucker has spent the past six years in the NBA, most recently suiting up for his hometown Bulls. In 305 regular season games, he holds career averages of 9.2 points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 19.5 minutes per contest, with a shooting line of .427/.299/.771.
Horton-Tucker won a championship as a rookie with Los Angeles in 2020 and was a Laker for three years prior to being traded to Utah in the 2022 offseason. He spent the next two years with the Jazz, but was unable to find a guaranteed contract as an unrestricted free agent in the 2024 offseason.
The Chicago native signed a non-guaranteed Exhibit 10 deal with the Bulls last September and wound up making the team’s regular season roster — he was the only player on an Exhibit 10 contract last fall to have that deal become a standard non-guaranteed pact.
Horton-Tucker, who said it was a “dream come true” to open the 2024/25 season with Chicago, not only made the roster but eventually had his salary guaranteed when the Bulls decided to keep him around past the January deadline to waive non-guaranteed contracts.
Horton-Tucker appeared in 58 games last season for the Bulls, averaging 6.5 PPG, 1.7 RPG and 1.4 APG in 12.5 MPG. His shooting line was .457/.336/.735.
Fenerbahce’s roster features several other former NBA players, including Wade Baldwin IV, Khem Birch, Nicolo Melli and Brandon Boston Jr.
Celtics Sign Kendall Brown, Jalen Bridges, Ron Harper Jr.
September 20: The Celtics have finalized their camp deals with Brown, Bridges and Ron Harper Jr., according to RealGM’s log of NBA transactions. Harper’s agreement with Boston was first reported last month.
September 19: The Celtics intend to sign free agent wing Kendall Brown, sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).
While Scotto doesn’t explicitly state what type of contract Brown will sign, he suggests it will be an Exhibit 10 deal, as the 22-year-old will reportedly have a chance to compete for a two-way contract in training camp. Exhibit 10 contracts, which are non-guaranteed and do not count against the salary cap, can be converted into two-way deals.
A former top high school recruit, Brown was selected 48th overall in the 2022 draft after one college season at Baylor. He spent most of his first two NBA seasons on two-way deals with the Pacers prior to being converted to a standard deal in March 2024.
Brown was released by Indiana last fall and didn’t make any NBA appearances in 2024/25, having spent the year in the G League, though he had a brief stint on a two-way deal with Brooklyn in late winter. In 37 games (33.9 minutes per contest) with the Long Island Nets last season, the athletic guard/forward averaged 16.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.1 steals on .565/.400/.750 shooting.
Scotto also confirms (via Twitter) that Jalen Bridges remains on track to finalize a camp deal with Boston and will be another player vying for a two-way spot. Bridges’ agreement with the Celtics was first reported on July 2.
Bridges spent 2024/25 — his rookie season — on a two-way contract with Phoenix. The Suns chose not to give him a qualifying offer in June, making him an unrestricted free agent.
Both Brown and Bridges suited up for the Celtics during Las Vegas Summer League.
The Celtics do not currently have a two-way opening, with the spots occupied by Max Shulga, Amari Williams and RJ Luis Jr., a trio of rookies. Of the three, Luis’ roster looks the most vulnerable, considering Boston used second-round picks on Williams and Shulga, while Luis — who went undrafted — was acquired in a salary-dump deal with Utah.
Jordan Loyd Signs With Anadolu Efes
Jordan Loyd has a deal in place from Turkish powerhouse Anadolu Efes, reports Aris Barkas for Eurohoops. The deal necessitated a buyout from AS Monaco, the team with which he played for the last three seasons.
Loyd, who appeared in 12 games for the Raptors in the 2018/19 season and averaged 2.4 points in 4.6 minutes per game, averaged 10.7 PPG for Monaco during last year’s EuroLeague play.
The 6’4″ guard rose once again to prominence this summer as a key contributor on the Polish national team that went to the EuroBasket quarterfinals. He averaged 22.4 points and 3.3 rebounds per contest while shooting 42.2% from three, and was named to the tournament’s All-Star Second Team.
It was previously reported that Real Madrid had made a strong push for Loyd’s services, but his Liga ACB rights are held by Valencia.
As a member of Anadolu Efes, Loyd will join former NBA players Shane Larkin, Rodrigue Beaubois, PJ Dozier, Cole Swider, Kai Jones, Georgios Papagiannis, and Vincent Poirier.
Nuggets Sign, Waive Dane Goodwin
The Nuggets have signed and subsequently waived Dane Goodwin, per the NBA’s transaction log. Goodwin was likely on an Exhibit 10 training camp contract.
The 6’6″ guard went undrafted in 2023 and has been signed and waived by the Kings and Jazz in the last two seasons. He averaged 11.5 points per game and shot 40.4% on three-pointers with the Salt Lake City Stars (Utah’s G League affiliate) last season.
Goodwin was a five-year player for Notre Dame, where he held career averages of 10.8 PPG and 4.4 RPG on .443/.391/.823 shooting splits.
The move will allow Goodwin to secure a bonus worth up to $85,300 if he stays with the Nuggets’ G League affiliate, the Grand Rapids Gold, for at least 60 days. That is a likely outcome, as the Gold acquired Goodwin’s returning rights from the Stars in a trade in August.
Suns Sign David Duke Jr., Damion Baugh
The Suns have signed David Duke Jr., reports Paul Garcia of The Spot Up Shot (via Twitter). The terms of the deal were unreported, but it will almost certainly be an Exhibit 10 training camp deal.
This will mark Duke’s fifth season in the NBA. He spent the first two years of his career with the Nets and the last two with the Spurs, with whom he was on a two-way contract last season. He holds career averages of 4.2 points and 0.9 assists in 11.9 minutes per night.
Garcia also reports (via Twitter) that the Suns have signed Damion Baugh to a training camp deal. Baugh was previously on a two-way contract with the Hornets, but was waived to accommodate the team bringing in Antonio Reeves.
A 6’4″ shooting guard, Baugh averaged 7.3 points and 3.7 assists in 24.7 minutes per game in his rookie season with the Hornets last year after going undrafted in 2023.
The Suns’ roster currently contains 13 fully guaranteed deals, with Jordan Goodwin and Jared Butler on non-guaranteed deals vying for a standard roster spot. While it’s possible Duke or Baugh could get a chance to compete for a regular season roster spot, they seem more likely to be ticketed for the Valley Suns, Phoenix’s G League affiliate.
Wizards Sign Sharife Cooper, Keshon Gilbert, Jonathan Pierre
The Wizards have signed free agent guard Sharife Cooper to a two-way contract, reports Josh Robbins of The Athletic (Twitter link). Washington also signed Keshon Gilbert and Jonathan Pierre to Exhibit 10 contracts, the team announced (via Twitter).
Cooper was selected 48th overall in the 2021 draft by the Hawks. Robbins notes that Travis Schlenk, the Wizards’ senior vice president for player personnel, was serving as the Hawks’ head of basketball operations when Cooper was drafted.
Cooper played 13 games in his rookie year in Atlanta, averaging three minutes per night. He hasn’t been in the NBA since then, but spent multiple seasons in the G League, where he holds averages of 19.3 points and 7.0 assists per game, and split time last year between the Greek, French, and Turkish leagues, posting averages of 14.7 points and 3.8 assists during EuroCup play.
Cooper joins Tristan Vukcevic and Jamir Watkins as the team’s two-way players.
The Wizards’ signing of Gilbert had previously been reported, but was made official today. Also made official was the signing of Pierre, a 6’9″ forward who played for Washington’s Summer League team and averaged 7.7 points in 22.2 minutes per game.
Both players are signed to Exhibit 10 deals that will allow them to receive a bonus worth up to $85,300 if they are waived and then spend at least 60 days with the Wizards’ G League affiliate, the Capital City Go-Go.
Celtics Notes: Simons, Queta, White, Scheierman
The Celtics have taken care of much of the business they were expected to address this summer, including trading Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday in cost-saving moves, then re-routing Georges Niang to Utah for similar reasons. The one question mark left is Anfernee Simons, who was acquired in the Holiday trade with the Blazers, but Simons’ situation likely won’t have an imminent resolution, according to Brian Robb of Mass Live.
As Robb writes, in addition to being a talented player capable of picking up some of the scoring load for the Celtics with Jayson Tatum out for the year, Simons also remains their one major trade chip outside of the core players of Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, and Payton Pritchard.
Because of that, it’s unlikely the Celtics will rush into a deal involving Simons, in Robb’s view. If the time comes to move him, it will likely be in a trade that helps the team’s long-term plans of returning to title contention once Tatum recovers from his Achilles injury.
We have more from the Celtics:
- Another lingering question for Boston is who will win the battle for the starting center role. The Celtics currently have Neemias Queta, Chris Boucher, Luka Garza, and Xavier Tillman Sr. on their roster, none of whom have an established track record as a starter. Robb speculates that Queta will have pole position due to his combination of rim protection and rebounding, though he says the window is open for someone like Boucher to beat him out in training camp. Robb also notes that health will likely play a big part in determining Tillman’s role, as the former Spartan big man has dealt with knee problems over the last two years that have limited his contributions.
- With Tatum out, White will be counted on to carry a much larger offensive load than the role he’s become accustomed to in Boston. Chris Forsberg and the NBC Sports Boston Staff discuss what they hope to see from White this season, ranging from increasing the volume of his scoring output and achieving his first 20-point-per-game season to being named to his first All-Star team. Forsberg notes that in games without Tatum last season, White averaged 20.8 points, 5.8 assists, and 3.5 rebounds per contest, though he adds that the veteran guard has, at times, been prone to cold shooting streaks, which will be harder for the Celtics to weather now.
- The Celtics’ backcourt rotation appears to be set with Pritchard, White, and Simons, but if any of them were to miss time, Robb thinks an under-the-radar player could pick up the slack: Baylor Scheierman. Scheierman impressed the team toward the end of last season with his ability to function as a play-maker in the pick-and-roll, Robb writes, adding that the Celtics will look for more of that from him this season if he’s able to carve out a role for himself off the bench.