Jazz’s Kessler ‘Frustrated’ By Extension Talks
Tony Jones of The Athletic reported last week that the Jazz and fourth-year center Walker Kessler are not expected to reach an agreement on a rookie scale contract extension before the regular season begins, despite having “multiple meetings”over the summer.
According to Jones, part of the reason a deal hasn’t been reached is because the Jazz are trying to maximize their salary cap flexibility next summer. As a restricted free agent in 2026, Kessler would have a cap hold of just $14.9MM — a potential extension would likely feature a much more lucrative starting salary and would replace that cap hold.
Kessler admitted at Monday’s media day that extension talks haven’t been going the way he’d hoped, per Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune.
“I don’t want to talk about it after today, just because I think during the season … I don’t want it to be a distractor for me or for my teammates,” Kessler said.
“But that being said, I’m definitely a little frustrated with how,” he continued, trailing off before finishing, “… if I don’t (receive an extension).”
Kessler declined to answer when asked if Utah had told him it wouldn’t offer him an extension, Larsen writes. Jones reported that the Jazz did offer the 24-year-old an extension and value him highly, but the two sides weren’t close to an agreement.
According to Larsen, Kessler and his camp are looking for a long-term contract “approaching or perhaps even eclipsing” nine figures.
“I don’t want to negotiate publicly, but we’re big fans of Walker,” president of basketball operations Austin Ainge said. “We’ve talked with him and his people this summer and hope to have him around long term, whether that’s an agreement now or later.”
Despite the uncertain contract situation, Kessler said he loves being in Utah and playing for the Jazz, Larsen adds. The former Auburn and North Carolina big man will earn $4.88MM in 2025/26, which is the final season of his rookie scale deal.
Rockets Notes: PGs, Finney-Smith, Thompson, Adams, Green
In the wake of Fred VanVleet‘s ACL tear, Rockets head coach Ime Udoka doesn’t expect a single player to take over the veteran point guard’s responsibilities.
“A committee, all of the above,” Udoka said when asked about Houston’s point guard plans, suggesting that Amen Thompson, Reed Sheppard, and Aaron Holiday could all play increased on-ball roles (Twitter link via Danielle Lerner of The Houston Chronicle). That was already the plan for Thompson and Sheppard, but it will be “expedited a little bit” with VanVleet unavailable, Udoka added.
The Rockets’ coach also pointed out that players at other positions like Alperen Sengun and Kevin Durant will be relied upon to initiate the offense more frequently.
Here’s more out of Houston:
- New Rockets forward Dorian Finney-Smith, who is coming off ankle surgery, said he has been running but didn’t specify a timeline for his return, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, who says Finney-Smith hasn’t been fully cleared for basketball activities and will likely miss the start of the regular season.
- After earning an All-Defensive first team spot and finishing fifth in Defensive Player of the Year voting in 2024/25, Thompson said on Monday that his goals heading into ’25/26 are to make an All-Star team and to win a title, per William Guillory of The Athletic (Twitter link).
- While general manager Rafael Stone indicated that the Rockets may still take a cautious approach with Steven Adams on back-to-backs to open the season, the veteran center said his knee feels good entering training camp (Twitter link via Lerner). “I feel ready, I feel confident with it,” said Adams, who sat out all of 2023/24 season while recovering from knee surgery.
- Asked on Monday if he envisions himself coaching once his playing career ends, veteran forward Jeff Green dismissed the idea. “Hell nah,” he replied, according to Guillory (Twitter link).
- In case you missed it, Kevin Durant said on Monday that he expects to sign a contract extension with Houston at some point. We have the full story here.
Nuggets Notes: Jokic, Valanciunas, Braun, Brown, Murray
Three-time MVP and 2023 Finals MVP Nikola Jokic declined to sign a veteran extension with the Nuggets this summer, but that decision was more about maximizing his earnings rather than any sign of disconnect, he confirmed today (Twitter link via Chris Dempsey of Altitude Sports).
“My plan is to be with the Nuggets forever,” Jokic said.
Jokic has long said he admires Tim Duncan, who spent all 19 years of his illustrious career with the Spurs.
The Nuggets were reportedly anticipating that Jokic might bypass an extension due to the additional year and extra $79MM they can offer next summer.
Based on the latest salary cap projections, a three-year, maximum-salary for Jokic beginning in 2027/28 would be worth $206.4MM. A four-year deal, available next offseason, would be worth a projected $285.4MM.
Here’s more on the Nuggets:
- New backup center Jonas Valanciunas was heavily linked to Greek powerhouse Panathinaikos this summer shortly after Denver agreed to acquire him in a trade sending Dario Saric to Sacramento. When asked about that interest, Valanciunas made it clear he was focused on the present, as Vinny Benedetto of The Denver Gazette relays (via Twitter). “One thing I want to clarify is I’m here. I’m happy to be here. I’m going to dive in to win more games than ever,” Valanciunas said. Interestingly, head coach David Adelman said the Nuggets will explore using Jokic and Valanciunas together at times, tweets Benedetto.
- Executive VP of player personnel Jon Wallace said the Nuggets have had “preliminary conversations” with Christian Braun about a potential rookie scale extension, per Bennett Durando of The Denver Post (Twitter link). “We hope to kind of build on (those talks) in the next couple days. He’s a large part of what we do,” Wallace said. Braun, who will remain extension-eligible through Oct. 20, said he wasn’t frustrated that a deal hasn’t been completed yet (Twitter link from Benedetto).
- Veteran swingman Bruce Brown is back with the Nuggets after spending the past two years on three different teams. He tells Marc J. Spears of Andscape that leaving in 2023 free agency after the championship run was purely a financial decision. “I left (Denver) obviously because I got paid really well; I didn’t want to leave,” Brown said. “It was tough to leave, but I had to. I was in a place like Indy, which was on the verge of being really good. And I ended up being traded to teams where they were rebuilding and not really in a position to win a championship. And if you know how I play, I like to win. I don’t like to lose. So, as soon as I got to Toronto, I thought about coming back to Denver right away. Fast forward to getting traded to New Orleans. Another tough spot. A lot of injuries there. And the whole time I was in New Orleans, I was thinking about the Nuggets.”
- After an injury limited his effectiveness in both the 2024 playoffs with Denver and in the Paris Olympics with Canada, Jamal Murray says he feels much better this year heading into training camp, tweets Benedetto. “I just feel a lot better than last summer. That’s always positive,” said Murray.
Spurs’ Fox Unlikely To Be Available At Start Of Season
Spurs point guard De’Aaron Fox told reporters on Monday at media day that he isn’t expecting to suit up during the preseason or on opening night. After spending the offseason recovering from finger surgery that ended his 2024/25 season, Fox is currently dealing with a hamstring injury, per Jared Weiss of The Athletic (Twitter video link).
Fox made it clear that he feels “great” and thinks he could be playing now, but suggested the Spurs are taking a cautious approach to his return.
“I don’t think I’ll be ready for opening night,” Fox said. “Well, I think I’m ready. But I don’t have that (medical) expertise.”
As Weiss points out, that makes two Spurs point guards who are at risk of missing the team’s season opener. No. 2 overall pick Dylan Harper underwent surgery on his thumb earlier this month to repair a partially torn ligament — his status for the start of the regular season remains up in the air.
Here’s more on the Spurs:
- In more positive health news, Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson confirmed that big man Victor Wembanyama has been medically cleared to return by both the team and the NBA after his 2024/25 season ended early due to a deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder (Twitter video link via Weiss). “He’s been ramping up. He’s been in a really good place,” Johnson said.
- After making a modest 42.8% of his field goal attempts, including 28.5% of his three-pointers, in his first NBA season, improving his shooting efficiency is a goal for reigning Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle in year two, he tells D.J. Siddiqi of ESportsInsider.com. “With live reps, I feel like that’s the best way you can learn is to keep seeing different defenses,” Castle said. “Different variations, options, and on a different possession. Just repping it out, really with a lot of defenders, just getting a lot of shooting reps.”
- The Spurs put out a press release on Sunday announcing several promotions and additions within their basketball operations department. Notably, the team has named three new assistant general managers. Senior director of strategic and basketball insight Hao Meng, senior director of basketball strategy Niraj Mulji, and vice president of basketball operations Dave Telep have all been promoted to assistant GM roles.
Warriors Sign Alex Toohey To Two-Way Deal
September 29: Toohey’s two-way contract with the Warriors is now official, according to a press release from the team (Twitter link).
September 28: The Warriors are signing rookie Alex Toohey to a two-way contract, reports Shams Charania for ESPN (Twitter link).
Toohey, a 6’7″ forward out of Australia, played two years with the Sydney Kings prior to coming over to the NBA. Last season, he averaged 10.6 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.4 steals in 23.0 minutes per game. In six Summer League games for the Warriors, he averaged 6.8 PPG and 3.8 RPG.
Toohey, the No. 52 pick this summer, was the last player from the 2025 draft class whose plans for the 2025/26 season have been confirmed, after new teammate Will Richard agreed to a four-year contract with the Warriors earlier today.
Golden State previously signed Jackson Rowe on a two-way deal, and they have extended a qualifying offer for Taran Armstrong as they look to finalize their roster outside of the ongoing stalemate with restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga.
Kevin Durant Expects To Sign Extension With Rockets
Nearly three months after being officially traded from Phoenix to Houston, Kevin Durant remains on an expiring contract. However, the new Rockets forward, who is celebrating his 37th birthday on Monday, told reporters at media day that he anticipates extending that contract sooner or later in order to remain in Houston.
“I do see myself signing a contract extension,” Durant said (Twitter video link via Danielle Lerner of The Houston Chronicle). “I can’t tell you exactly when that’ll happen, but I do see it happening.”
Based on the latest projection of a $166MM salary cap for 2026/27, Durant is currently eligible for an extension worth up to $119.1MM over two years. That projected total would increase slightly to $120.85MM on January 6, six months after the trade.
However, reporting during the summer suggested the Rockets may be reluctant to give Durant a maximum-salary deal that covers his age-38 and -39 seasons. There has been speculation that an extension could come in closer to $100MM over two years, which would represent a slight step down from his current $54.7MM salary.
Whatever Durant’s next deal looks like, it sounds like he’s confident he’ll get something done with the Rockets. As Lerner relays in her full Houston Chronicle story, the 15-time All-Star also spoke on Monday about why Houston was one of his preferred landing spots when the Suns put him on the trade block during the offseason.
“Just seeing the quick progression of this franchise, where it was right after that James Harden/ Chris Paul era and seeing when (head coach) Ime (Udoka) got here and how he turned it around so fast,” Durant said. “I have some connections here within the organization, people I’ve worked with around the league already, so it felt organic and natural coming into the gym and getting to be a Houston Rocket for the first time. I always had respect for this coaching staff, this fan base, this state, this city. So it feels great.”
Anthony Davis Will Wear Protective Glasses For Remainder Of Career
Like Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar did in the 1970s and 1980s, Anthony Davis will not take the court without protective eyewear. The Mavericks big man will require protective glasses the rest of his career, per his doctor’s mandate, according to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon (Twitter link).
Davis underwent a procedure in July to repair a detached retina in his right eye. He reportedly played through “multiple hits to the face” last season.
Most notably, the big man visited an ophthalmologist last November after getting poked in his other eye — reporting at the time indicated he was experiencing swelling and had difficulty keeping that eye open. That injury, which occurred when Davis was a Laker, was referred to last fall as a corneal abrasion and didn’t cost him any games.
Davis says his vision is now clear and he has no limitations entering camp, MacMahon tweets. However, there is significant redness in his right eye, which he says is caused by eye drops that he has to use.
Davis, who was traded from Los Angeles to Dallas in the controversial Luka Doncic blockbuster in February, was only able to make nine appearances during his first half-season as a Maverick due to an adductor injury.
The 32-year-old averaged 20.0 points, 10.1 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and 2.2 blocks in just 29.6 minutes per night in those nine outings. He’s entering the first year of a three-year extension he signed with the Lakers in 2023. It’s worth approximately $175MM and includes a third-year player option.
Nick Smith Jr. Signs Two-Way Deal With Lakers
The Lakers have added Nick Smith Jr. on a two-way contract, the team announced in a press release (Twitter link via Khobi Price of the Orange County Register. In a corresponding move, the Lakers waived big man Kylor Kelley.
Smith was waived by the Hornets last week due to Charlotte’s roster crunch and glut of guards. The 21-year-old was the No. 27 overall pick in the 2023 draft. He appeared in 60 games last season, including 27 starts, and averaged 9.9 points, 2.1 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game.
Smith had been on a guaranteed standard contract prior to being waived but was eligible to sign a two-way contract as a third-year player. He’ll fill the Lakers’ open two-way contract slot alongside Christian Koloko and Chris Manon while also filling the 21st spot on their preseason roster. He replaces Kelley, who was signed late last month on an Exhibit 10 deal.
Kelley appeared in 11 NBA games (two starts) last season with the Pelicans and Mavericks, averaging 3.1 points and 3.5 rebounds in 11.5 minutes per night. He was also in the Lakers organization last season, though he didn’t appear in an NBA game with them. He was on their training camp roster but was waived before opening night. He then joined their G League affiliate.
With the South Bay Lakers last season, the 27-year-old appeared in 32 games (27 starts) and averaged 11.5 points on a career-high 68.2 percent shooting from the field, 7.3 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 2.4 blocks in 26.7 minutes.
If he clears waivers and rejoins South Bay, he’ll be eligible for a bonus worth up to $85,300 if he remains with that team for at least 60 days.
Warriors Sign Payton, Richard; Will Bring Back Melton
September 29, 12:30 pm: The Warriors’ deals with Payton and Richard are now official, according to the team (Twitter links). Since both contracts are worth the minimum, making them official won’t affect Golden State’s other signings.
September 28, 7:42 pm: Free agent guards Gary Payton II and De’Anthony Melton have committed to deals with the Warriors, reports ESPN’s Shams Charania (Twitter link).
The terms of the deal were not included in the report, though they’re likely to be worth the veteran’s minimum. These signings have long been expected around the league, with the understanding being that the Warriors were waiting to complete them until after they finalized their restricted free agency standoff with Jonathan Kuminga.
Payton, a nine-year NBA veteran, has spent a little over four seasons with the Warriors over the course of his career. While he has dealt with injuries in recent years, he appeared in 62 games last season for Golden State, averaging 6.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 0.8 steals in 15.0 minutes per contest while serving as a versatile, defensive-minded guard/forward who can attack in transition.
Melton is another defensive guard with some injury concerns that have popped up in recent years. He signed with the Warriors ahead of the 2024/25 season, but tore his ACL in just his sixth game with the team, ending his season. Golden State included him in its December trade with the Nets for Dennis Schröder.
During his time with the Warriors, Melton averaged 10.3 points, 2.8 assists, and 1.2 steals in 20.2 minutes per night. He has only played in 45 games over the last two seasons and will be hoping for a bounce-back year in terms of health.
The Warriors are also signing rookie Will Richard to a four-year contract, Charania reports (via Twitter). The No. 56 pick in the 2025 draft will receive two fully guaranteed years in the deal.
Richard is a four-year college player who spent his final three seasons for Florida. As a senior in 2024/25, he averaged 13.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.7 steals per game and played a key role on the championship-winning team. In six Summer League games for the Warriors, Richard averaged 11.5 PPG, 4.3 RPG, and 1.8 SPG.
Word of these three deals follows the report earlier in the day that free agent big man Al Horford had agreed to a multiyear deal with the Warriors. Judging by the four signings, the Warriors appear to be targeting defense, especially along the perimeter, and some level of versatility as they look to round out their roster.
Anthony Slater of ESPN notes (via Twitter) that Horford, Payton, Melton, and Richard will occupy roster spots nine through 13 for the Warriors, and that the 14th spot is currently left for the resolution of the Kuminga standoff.
ESPN’s Bobby Marks adds (via Twitter) that as long as the Warriors don’t sign Kuminga to a deal with a starting salary higher than approximately $23MM, they would have the ability to add a 15th player and remain below the second tax apron. That projection assumes Horford receives the full taxpayer mid-level exception, which would hard-cap Golden State at the second apron.
Hornets Notes: Miller, Knueppel, Lee, Mann, Dinwiddie, Lineup
Forward Brandon Miller is healthy and will participate in training camp, Hornets president of basketball operations Jeff Peterson said on Monday, according to Rod Boone of the Charlotte Observer (Twitter link). Miller’s 2024/25 campaign was cut short by wrist surgery performed in January.
There’s no timetable regarding the injury status of Grant Williams and Josh Green, Peterson added. Both players are expected to miss all of training camp. Green underwent left shoulder surgery in June, while Williams tore the ACL and meniscus in his right knee last November.
We have more on the Hornets from Boone:
- LaMelo Ball was caught off guard by rookie Kon Knueppel‘s athleticism, particularly his hops (Twitter link). “I’m not going to lie. I’m going to go with the bounce,” he said. “For real. I didn’t know he could jump like that. He’s even caught a few little dunks. I’m like, ‘Hold up, I’ve seen ‘White Men Can’t Jump’ at the end and he’s been kind of jumping like that the whole day, though. Solid.”
- Hornets head coach Charles Lee indicated the system and offensive strategy has been tweaked so they can play faster this season. He added he’s more prepared now than he was in his first year on the job (Twitter link).
- Tre Mann re-signed with the team on a three-year, $24MM contract. He missed most of last season due to a back injury but started to feel back to normal in April. “I’m grateful to be healthy,” he said. (Twitter video link).
- Journeyman guard Spencer Dinwiddie signed a one-year deal in July as a free agent. He believes the team has the talent to end its postseason drought. “Being able to help a team possibly trying to make the playoffs is an exciting opportunity and another challenge in my career,” he said. (video link).
- Ball, Miller and Miles Bridges are starting lineup locks. Who fills the other spots? According to Boone, Sexton could be the person sliding into the shooting guard spot. Starting him would allow Lee to moved him to point guard when Ball goes to the bench in the opening quarter. At center, Lee could play the matchup game. Veteran Mason Plumlee appears to be the favorite to snag that spot, backed up by Moussa Diabate and rookie Ryan Kalkbrenner.