Knicks Notes: McBride, Dadiet, Hart, Towns, Brogdon, Mathews
If they want to keep Landry Shamet and Malcolm Brogdon on their regular season roster, the Knicks will have to make a cost-cutting trade due to the team’s proximity to its second-apron hard cap. Both players are currently signed to non-guaranteed training camp contracts.
Assuming they’re both healthy, Ian Begley of SNY.tv thinks the two veterans will make the final roster.
While Miles McBride has been floated as a potential trade candidate, in part because the Knicks would likely receive positive for him, Begley reiterates that he would be surprised if the 25-year-old gets dealt.
Due to his “production, age and contract,” McBride is coveted by multiple rival teams, according to Begley. However, people familiar with the matter tell Begley the Knicks also highly value McBride and have — to this point — shut down trade talks regarding the 6’2″ guard.
Second-year wing Pacome Dadiet appears to be more likely to be moved, as the Knicks have reportedly discussed him with rival clubs. The 20-year-old got a surprise start during New York’s preseason opener due to a minor hand injury to OG Anunoby.
But Dadiet didn’t play very well on Thursday, and head coach Mike Brown suggested ahead of Saturday’s contest that the French guard/forward may not be in the rotation going forward.
“In terms of Pac in the rotation, I wouldn’t take into account too much that Pac started in the last game,” Brown said, per Stefan Bondy of The New York Post (Twitter link).
Here’s more on the Knicks:
- As expected, Anunoby was back in the starting lineup on Saturday, tweets Bondy. Mitchell Robinson got his second straight starting nod at center, while Josh Hart — who told reporters last week that he’ll likely have to wear a splint on his right ring finger this season after aggravating an issue which required surgery in July — was ruled out due to back spasms.
- After being traded to New York last October, Karl-Anthony Towns feels more comfortable as a Knick entering his second year with the organization, he tells Steve Popper of Newsday (subscriber link). The five-time All-Star isn’t sure which frontcourt position he’ll log the most minutes at this season, but he’s willing to do whatever is asked of him. “I think for me, I’ve got a lot of experience playing both (power forward and center) now,” Towns said. “I’m still figuring all this out now for this year’s team. … I think it’s going to be a little more, feeling more seamless. Usually, you walk into a game, you know you’ll be the five today. You walk into a game, you know you’ll be the four today. I think for me, it’s going to be more of like I could be five for four minutes and then be four for two minutes, then go back to the five. So I think that’s going to be a little different for me, where I’m going to be so fluid on what my position is. I’m working on just making sure I’m ready for whatever the case may be with us, what I’m learning about our team and the way we want to play.”
- Brown continues to experiment with different bench rotations during preseason, according to Bondy (Twitter link). Brown said Brogdon would receive first-half minutes on Saturday, while Garrison Mathews — another NBA veteran vying for a roster spot — will get first-half minutes in New York’s third preseason game next Thursday. Shamet received those minutes on Thursday.
Mavs Notes: Davis, Thompson, Camp, Marshall, Injuries
As Grant Afseth of DallasHoopsJournal.com writes, the Mavericks hired Jay Triano as their top offensive assistant coach this offseason, and the changes he has implemented on that end of the floor have been evident in training camp. Triano used Domantas Sabonis as Sacramento’s primary play-maker during his time with the Kings, and star big man Anthony Davis will have a similar role this season with Dallas.
“Ball movement. Getting to our spots and creating lanes for our guys,” Davis said. “We have a lot of guys who love basketball and can play-make. So the emphasis has been getting to our spots on the floor, opening up lanes for everyone, and then attacking the basket. … With Jay Triano coming over and kind of how they used Sabonis as the hub, kind of the same thing. And guys just playing off of that.”
Head coach Jason Kidd and general manager Nico Harrison want Davis to be a more vocal leader, particularly since Kyrie Irving will be out to open the season as he continues to recover from a torn ACL, Afseth notes.
“I know they’re going to be looking on me to kind of lead them,” Davis said. “Just kind of what J-Kidd and Nico have been telling me to do all summer, so I’ve been texting these guys … and trying to get them ready for the season, especially with Kai out.
“I know they’re used to (Irving) kind of being the leader, but I’ve kind of just taken on that role with the help of actually Klay (Thompson) as well, as being two of the three oldest guys on the team. We’ve got a group of fairly young guys. I’m just trying to give them knowledge that I have and try to lead them to success.”
Here’s more on the Mavericks:
- According to Christian Clark of The Athletic, Thompson believes the Mavs can win the championship this season, provided they stay healthy and Irving returns at some point. “There’s no reason we can’t be the highest rated defensive team in the NBA,” Thompson said. “In my experience, what helps to win is having a roster full of two-way players. We have that.”
- Kidd was happy with the team’s performance during the first week of training camp, Afseth writes for Dallas Hoops Journal. “This group talks a little bit more, and that’s good. I don’t have to pull it out of them,” Kidd said. “The communication was good, guys are in, and the competition — everybody’s pushing each other. It’s good to see.” Kidd highlighted wing Naji Marshall as one of the standout performers, Afseth adds. “He was consistent all week on both sides of the ball,” Kidd said. “A lot of good things for Naji. I thought he was one of the guys that stood out this week.”
- Center Daniel Gafford is expected to miss a few weeks after spraining his ankle. He’s not the only player dealing with an injury, as Brandon Williams recently sustained a hamstring strain that will keep him out of action for a week, per Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News. Dante Exum also missed the first two practices of training camp, Curtis writes, though the reason was not disclosed.
Ed Stefanski Joining Suns’ Front Office As Adviser
Veteran NBA executive Ed Stefanski is being hired by the Suns as an adviser, league sources tell Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Twitter link).
John Hollinger of The Athletic reported (via Bluesky) in late August that Stefanski would be joining Phoenix’s front office.
Stefanski has held various basketball operations titles — including senior management positions — with the Nets, Sixers, Raptors and Grizzlies. He most recently served as a senior advisor to Pistons owner Tom Gores, acting as the de facto head of basketball operations for two years until Troy Weaver was hired as GM in 2020.
As Stein observes, Stefanski is the second recent hire to Phoenix’s new-look front office, joining Steve Nash in an advisory role. Following a disappointing 2024/25 campaign, the Suns reshaped their basketball operations department on May 1, when Brian Gregory replaced James Jones as general manager.
Sixers Notes: Grimes, Edgecombe, Barlow, Bona
Quentin Grimes officially taking the Sixers‘ qualifying offer signified the end of the longest-lasting restricted free agency standoff of the offseason. Despite Grimes possessing a coveted skill set in the league as a defender and shooter, his breakout second half didn’t translate to an offer sheet.
That’s partly due to team president Daryl Morey‘s preferred negotiation strategy and partially due to the financial and roster situation the Sixers find themselves in, according to Keith Pompey for the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Pompey writes that Morey’s philosophy tends to be to let the open market shape his offers, and with such little spending flexibility available league-wide, there was less incentive to offer a generous deal to the restricted free agent.
Pompey adds that between Paul George and Joel Embiid, the Sixers have two contracts that would be difficult to move, and with Jared McCain and rookie VJ Edgecombe filling the shooting guard depth chart on team-friendly deals, adding Grimes on a more lucrative contract that might need to be moved down the line could have proven burdensome.
Grimes averaged 21.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.5 steals over 28 games for the Sixers last season. However, Pompey cites an anonymous executive who believes that because that stretch of play came late in the season, when the team was fully tanking, those gaudy numbers were somewhat meaningless.
We have more from the Sixers:
- The Sixers had their preseason opener in Abu Dhabi on Thursday, and with Embiid, George, Grimes, and Trendon Watford missing, fans were given a glimpse of what the deeper parts of the bench could offer. One particularly bright spot came from their third overall pick, Edgecombe, who finished with 14 points, six rebounds, and three assists. While still a work in progress, the athletic guard showed that at the very least, he’s already ready to be a rotation player, writes Tony Jones for The Athletic. Jones suggests that Edgecombe could be a starter on opening night and exhibited star potential. In a separate piece for the Inquirer, Pompey adds that the backcourt of Edgecombe and Tyrese Maxey showed that they could, in time, be one of the league’s best.
- In the same piece, Pompey notes that two-way big man Dominick Barlow has impressed the team over the summer. His strong offseason carried over to Thursday’s preseason game vs. the Knicks, as he posted a stat line of six points, 10 rebounds, and two assists. “Barlow is standing out early on here,” coach Nick Nurse said earlier in the week. “He’s just really on the glass and making some shots and playing extremely hard. He was just involved in a lot of good stuff.” Pompey speculates that Barlow is making a strong argument to be converted into a standard contract sooner or later.
- Finally, Pompey notes that second-year big man Adem Bona appears to have taken the lead when it comes to the backup center battle with veteran Andre Drummond. Bona needs to be better as a rebounder, Pompey writes, but his speed and athleticism stand out on a team that is looking to push the pace.
L.A. Notes: Doncic, Lakers, Lopez, Clippers
Getting the Lakers into peak physical condition appears to be head coach JJ Redick‘s primary goal entering the season, writes ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. Redick refers to it as being in “championship shape,” and notes that the directive is not only aimed at star Luka Doncic, though Doncic is one of the more visible examples of the fitness push.
As McMenamin writes, remaking his body through dieting and rigorous exercise routines has been the focus for Doncic this summer, both for himself and for the team as a whole.
“It’s not just physical shape, it’s mental shape, too,” the Slovenian star said. “Both are very important. We’re doing it in practice. It was great. Everybody’s in great shape. Everybody’s running a lot, so it’s been great so far.”
Despite Doncic’s efforts to reshape his body this offseason, he will not play in the Lakers’ preseason games this weekend, according to Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times (via Twitter), who calls it a collaborative decision with the Lakers’ performance team. Redick had previously said he’d be careful about overextending Doncic too early after the 26-year-old’s run with the Slovenian national team in EuroBasket.
While Doncic isn’t playing this weekend, Redick is expecting him to play at some point during the preseason, tweets Sportskeeda’s Mark Medina.
LeBron James, Marcus Smart, Adou Thiero, and Maxi Kleber are all expected to miss tonight’s game against the Suns as well.
We have more from the world of L.A. hoops:
- The Lakers remade their roster this offseason, but there are still significant questions to answer, writes Eric Pincus for Bleacher Report. Health will play a key role in the team’s outlook, along with the natural wear and tear that can be expected for the 40-year-old James. However, the most pressing unknown revolves around the fifth starting spot. Pincus names Smart, Rui Hachimura, and Jake LaRavia as three players most likely competing for the role. Hachimura has experience with the team and has shown himself to be a consistent shooter, having made 41.8% of his three-point tries over the last two seasons in L.A. Pincus calls LaRavia a high-effort defender who can also shoot the ball at 6’7″, while Smart brings a perimeter defensive toughness that a team built around Doncic, James, and Austin Reaves could use. Pincus also throws Jarred Vanderbilt‘s name into the mix as a potential dark-horse option.
- The Clippers brought Brook Lopez into the fold in an effort to reduce the burden on breakout defensive stalwart Ivica Zubac this season, writes Janis Carr for the Orange County Register. “We didn’t really have a backup center (last season), so when things got tough, we always had to get Zu back in the game,” head coach Tyronn Lue said. “I thought he played for too many minutes. If you asked him, he didn’t play enough, but for me it’s just too many minutes.” While Zubac was always up for the challenge and turned in the best season of his career, the Clippers now have the luxury of bringing a longtime starter and multi-time Defensive Player of the Year candidate off the bench in Lopez. As an added bonus, Lopez and Zubac have a Los Angeles-based history together. “I played with Zu with the Lakers almost 10 years ago now. I think it was his second year in the league, and he was a very talented, raw young player then,” Lopez said. “But to see his growth, it’s astonishing.“
- Lopez wasn’t the only big-name acquisition for the Clippers this summer. They also added Bradley Beal, John Collins, and brought back Chris Paul. They now have one of the deepest benches in the league, but that brings with it questions about how the rotation will shake out, writes Law Murray for The Athletic. Murray predicts that Beal will be the starting shooting guard and suggests that Collins could have a chance to start at the four, sliding Kawhi Leonard to the three. However, with so many talented players, some will likely be squeezed from the rotation. When asked about his role with the team, Nicolas Batum said, “Ask (Lue) that question, I don’t know… I mean, I’m here to play basketball.” Murray writes that he considers Batum the most likely odd man out when everyone is healthy.
Heat Sign Nikola Jovic To Four-Year Extension
Oct. 3: Jovic’s four-year extension with the Heat is now official, per the team’s Twitter account.
Oct 1: Nikola Jovic has agreed to a four-year, $62.4MM rookie scale extension with the Heat, agents Jeff Schwartz, Sean Kennedy and Jared Mucha of Excel Sports Management tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link). It’s a straight four-year deal with no option for either the team or the player, a source informs Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel (Twitter link).
The 22-year-old power forward is coming off his best statistical season — averaging 10.7 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game while shooting 45.6% from the field and 37.1% from three-point range — but he was limited to 46 appearances after breaking a bone in his right hand in February. He was able to return for the playoff series against Cleveland and scored 24 points in Game 4, Charania states in a full story.
Jovic was primarily used off the bench last season, starting just 10 games after making 38 starts the year before. He said at Monday’s media day that he hopes to have a chance to compete for a starting role in training camp.
Jovic will make $4.4MM this season in the final year of his rookie contract. The extension will run through the 2029/30 season, and Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald notes that he’s currently the team’s only player who’s under contract past ’28/29.
The Heat selected Jovic with the 27th pick in the 2022 draft, but he battled injuries as a rookie and only appeared in 15 games. His role has expanded over the past two seasons, and the extension appears to cement his status as part of the team’s foundation moving forward.
Jovic is the fifth member of the 2022 draft class to receive an extension, joining Paolo Banchero, Chet Holmgren, Jabari Smith Jr. and Jalen Williams, as our tracker shows. Teams have until October 20, the day before the start of the regular season, to finalize rookie scale extensions. Players who don’t receive them will become restricted free agents next summer if their teams extend qualifying offers.
As Winderman recently noted, Miami also has important extension decisions upcoming with Tyler Herro and Norman Powell that will determine the team’s financial flexibility for at least the rest of the decade.
Kings Notes: Murray, Raynaud, Clifford, Carter, Defense
Keegan Murray has had an up-and-down start to his career with the Kings after being selected with the No. 4 pick in the 2022 draft, from starting in a playoff Game 7 as a rookie to two straight ninth-seed finishes as the team added more scoring options, resulting in a decline in his offensive responsibilities. However, going into training camp, the 6’8″ wing is excited about the changes head coach Doug Christie has implemented.
“I feel like there’s more movement going around, which we didn’t have last year,” he said after practice, per Sean Cunningham of KCRA News (Twitter video link).
Murray spoke about his offensive role and how he can contribute on a team with so many offensive shot creators, incuding Dennis Schröder, Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, Malik Monk, and Domantas Sabonis.
“They’re using me more than they did last year, just coming out of the corner and in transition and things like that,” he said. “Just knocking down shots, being able to have the ball, touch the ball is the biggest thing when you’re talking about flow. When you don’t touch the ball for five minutes, it’s hard to get into a flow.”
Last season, Murray saw his shot attempts drop from 12.7 per game in 2023/24 to 10.8 while his usage rate fell to a career-low 15.0%.
According to Murray, Christie’s stated directive to shoot 10 threes a game is less a specific goal and more a reminder to him to stay aggressive at all times and look for his shot. He also noted that the addition of Schröder will help with his defensive workload, as he can still focus on the opposing team’s top perimeter scorer without having to defend as many point guards as he did last season.
We have more notes from around the Kings’ training camp:
- Christie spoke highly about rookie center Maxime Raynaud and what he brings to the team. “He’s a super-skilled big man that has the ability to do a lot of different things on the floor,” Christie said after training camp (Twitter video link via ABC10’s Matt George). He noted that the seven-footer will have to adjust to the NBA’s physicality and floated the idea that Raynaud’s ability to shoot could allow him to play the four at times next to Sabonis. Overall, Christie was impressed by the rookie’s training camp performance. “He’s been great in practice,” Christie said. “He talks at a high level, his communication skills are great, and I think his teammates love him. His passing, his shooting, he’s done well.”
- In the same media session, Christie spoke about rookie Nique Clifford. Clifford was named to the All-Summer League First Team after averaging 15.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 4.2 assists on 45.8% shooting from three, and that versatility was the main point Christie hit on when discussing how he could use the 23-year-old wing. “Do I see him playing some point guard?” Christie asked. “Yes, because of his skill set, but he’s also gotta be out there with a secondary ball-handler… It’s good for him to face Dennis in practice, because that’s about as high a level [point guard defender] as you’re gonna see in the NBA… his skill set says to me that he can play all the perimeter positions.”
- Finally, Christie spoke about 2024 lottery pick Devin Carter, who was limited by injuries to just 36 games as a rookie. Carter struggled to find a rhythm during Summer League, posting shooting splits of .405/.289/.593, but Christie is unconcerned. “Devin has grown immensely from Summer League to now,” the Kings’ coach said. “He’s in way better shape. He’s understanding and reading the game better. From the point guard position, he’s beginning to understand things. When you’re at the free throw line, you’re already calling out the play, you’ve got something in your mind, what are we running? On defense, making sure everyone’s set. And a guy like Dennis is going to help him too because [Carter]’s not a natural point guard, but he’s gonna play that position sometimes… and he’s fearless, he’s not scared of the moment.”
- Standout backup guard Keon Ellis spoke about the team’s defensive areas of focus in training camp, tweets George (video link). “I think just certain situations, not over-helping when you don’t need to, to give other teams advantages,” he said. “He’s really trying to emphasize everyone picking up 94 feet. It’s tough, but that’s kind of what you have to do to win. So that, and being physical, making sure on every catch you’re up, you’re getting a hand on them so they know you’re there.“
Nets Notes: Porter, Whitehead, Demin, Sharpe, More
Michael Porter Jr., the Nets‘ biggest non-rookie offseason move, recently spoke about his struggles with injuries and how they impact his view of his career, saying, “Because of the injuries and stuff, I don’t know how much longer I really want to play,” and adding that his strategy is to take his career one year at a time.
He clarified those comments this week, per Brian Lewis of the New York Post (via Twitter).
“I wanna play as long as I can; it’s just easier in my head to be like, man, give it my all, everything I have this year and when the year’s over see where I’m at mentally and reevaluate,” he said. “But… I wanna play as long as my body allows me to.”
While the early stages of Porter’s career were beset by back injuries, he’s been able to hold up relatively well in recent years, writes CJ Holmes of the New York Daily News. Porter credits psychotherapist Nicole Sachs, who specializes in chronic pain and mind-body healing, for helping him get back on track physically.
“I didn’t realize how much of that actually stemmed from the mental side of things and the stress and all that,” Porter said. “So, once I kind of put all those pieces together, and I didn’t just pay attention to the physical side of things, I was able to have a very well-rounded approach to my rehab. And since then, I haven’t had any problems with my back.”
We have more from the Nets:
- Dariq Whitehead is entering a crucial season for his career, writes Lewis in an article for the New York Post. A top high school recruit who struggled in college largely due to injury, Whitehead is now on a roster that added five rookies, many of whom play on the perimeter like himself. The Nets will have to make some difficult roster decisions in the near future, which means this training camp is critical for Whitehead to make his case to stick around. For his part, the former first-round pick said that having his first fully healthy NBA offseason could make a huge difference. “For me, I feel like this was honestly my most important summer,” he said. “Not being able to do what I had needed to do the past three summers, being able to work out, work on my body. Just the difference I felt from the last game of last season to now and just being able to trust my body — how comfortable I am with just handling things that I’d done before — is just night and day.“
- Head coach Jordi Fernandez was noncommittal when discussing lottery pick Egor Demin‘s status for the preseason, according to Lewis, who tweets that Fernandez simply said that Demin is “progressing well” from the plantar fascia tear that he sustained during the offseason. Lewis notes that fellow 2025 first-round pick Drake Powell will not play in the preseason opener Saturday as he looks to return from the knee injury that caused him to miss Summer League.
- Day’Ron Sharpe has visibly trimmed down his weight this offseason, Holmes writes in a separate piece for the New York Daily News, adding that Fernandez has emphasized conditioning across the roster. “I’m trying to be able to play more minutes and not be gassed out if I’ve got to play more minutes, for consecutive games or whatever,” Sharpe said. “So just trying to get in the best shape I could be.” However, it’s not just bulk that Sharpe focused on this summer. “It was flexibility, I tried to get my flexible stretch in, doing pilates, stuff like that,” the big man said. After signing a two-year deal with the Nets, Sharpe will now look to carve out a more consistent role on a team that also employs Nic Claxton, Noah Clowney, and newly-drafted 7’0″ big man Danny Wolf in the frontcourt.
- Tyrese Martin had his team option picked up this summer, but he’s not taking anything for granted, given that his salary for 2025/26 remains non-guaranteed, per Lewis (via Twitter). “I’d never say that I’m actually on a solid footing,” the 26-year-old wing said. “Even when things are guaranteed, stuff’s still not guaranteed, especially in this business. So that’s just been my mindset all the way out and through.”
G League, Next Gen Union Agree To First NBAGL CBA
The G League has agreed to terms on the league’s first-ever Collective Bargaining Agreement with the Next Gen Basketball Players Union (NGBPU), reports ESPN’s Tim Bontemps (Twitter link).
According to Bontemps, the new agreements includes player salary increases, as well as pay bumps for Exhibit 10 recipients who come to the G League after being signed and waived by NBA teams.
To this point, an Exhibit 10 deal has allowed a player to receive a bonus payment, which this season was capped at $85,300. Bontemps goes on to report (via Twitter) that the CBA will allow more players to join G League teams following being waived from an Exhibit 1o deal — that could mean an increase in the number of affiliate players (currently capped at four per team). He also writes that the CBA would allow for fewer restrictions when it comes to player movement.
The NGBPU has been around since 2020 and held its first-ever General Assembly meeting in 2024. This included voting on leadership positions, which led to Rob Baker, of the Osceola Magic, being named union president and Yauhen Massalski of the San Diego Clippers being named Secretary-Treasurer.
“This CBA negotiation represents a critical opportunity to elevate the professional basketball experience for our players and also impact the quality of the game for fans,” Massalski said at the time of the assembly. “We’re committed to ensuring that our members’ voices are heard and that their needs are met.”
As Bontempts notes, the deal has only been agreed to; it has yet to be officially approved by both parties involved.
Nuggets Notes: Braun, Watson, Brown, Defense
After hearing his superstar teammate Nikola Jokic say on media day that his plan is to “be with the Nuggets forever,” Christian Braun suggested in a conversation with Mark Medina of Sportskeeda that he has a similar mindset.
“That has been my whole career. I have wanted to win in one spot,” Braun said. “I played with the same AAU team for seven years. I never switched up my AAU team. I was with my same high school coach my whole career and never switched high schools. I was at Kansas. I thought about leaving Kansas, but I couldn’t do it. I just wanted to be in the same spot.
“You gain a relationship with those people and trust with those people. So that’s who I am as a person. We’ve won here [in 2023]. I know what it takes to win. I know what it takes to win with this group and with this organization. I became really close with a lot of the guys around here. So being a Nugget means a lot to me. That’s part of who I am. I want to be in one spot. … I want to win as a Nugget. I don’t want to win anywhere else. Me winning as a Nugget means more than something somewhere else. Being grateful for the people here drives me to want to win in a Nuggets uniform.”
Braun is currently eligible for a rookie scale extension. The deadline to sign a new deal is October 20, and if he doesn’t have an agreement in place by that point, he’ll be headed for restricted free agency next summer. The fourth-year guard said it’s not his job to worry about those contract negotiations, which he’ll leave up to his representatives.
“My main priority is to get better as an individual and get better as a team and win,” Braun told Medina. “Ultimately if we win, I know that I got to be taken care of.”
Here’s more out of Denver:
- In addition to Braun, fellow 2022 first-rounder Peyton Watson is also eligible for a rookie scale extension this month. He said on media day earlier this week that he’s not stressed about what his next deal will look like, per Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. “We’re just taking it day by day,” Watson said. “… I was telling (Nuggets VP of player personnel) Jon (Wallace) not too long ago, I’ve got everything that I’ve ever needed and wanted. I’ve got more money than I ever thought that I would ever make. So I’m not one of those guys who’s only playing basketball for the money. I’ve always played it for the enjoyment and the love of the game. And it’s put me in a position where I’m gonna have the opportunity to make some money here in this league. But I’m young. I’ve got a lot of time. I know that I’ll make a lot of money in this game.”
- After playing for three teams over the past two seasons, Bruce Brown is thrilled to be back with the Nuggets, and that feeling is mutual, according to Medina, who notes that teammate Aaron Gordon referred to Brown as the “ultimate glue guy.” Speaking to Medina in a Sportskeeda interview, Brown explained what goes into playing that role: “Whatever the team needs me to do, I’ll do. If they need me to play backup (point guard) or if they need me to play at the three, whatever they need me to do, I’ll do it. My pride is put aside. I’ve played every position in the league. So whatever it takes to win, I’ll do it.”
- Defensive intensity has been a point of emphasis for the Nuggets during training camp, as Durando writes for The Denver Post. New permanent head coach David Adelman even said he wouldn’t mind if the offense “takes a little step back” if it means the defense improves. Last season, Denver had the NBA’s fourth-best offensive rating but ranked just 21st on the defensive end. “If we get to around top-10 defensively,” Gordon said, “it’s going to put us in a position to win it all.”