Raptors Notes: Brown, Road Woes, Chomche, Walter
Bruce Brown has been limited by injuries since the Raptors acquired him from Indiana in January, but he feels ready to prove himself as he gets closer to making his season debut, writes Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca. After undergoing arthroscopic surgery shortly before the start of training camp, Brown is expected to return to action sometime during the team’s four-game road trip.
“I don’t know if y’all noticed, but last year I didn’t look really engaged or (have) a lot of (the) energy I had with other teams because I was playing on one leg,” Brown said after participating in Saturday’s practice. “I want that to be addressed: I know a lot of fans didn’t think I played with a lot of energy, and I didn’t want to be here — that’s on social media — but I do want to be here, I do want to play with these guys, it’s a great bunch of guys, great coaches, great organization, but I was literally playing on one leg. It was tough for me mentally, I couldn’t move the way I wanted, play defense the way I wanted, so it was tough.”
Brown served as a versatile reserve on Denver’s 2023 title team and was one of the hottest names in free agency that summer before landing a two-year, $45MM contract with the Pacers. The Raptors picked up their $23MM team option on Brown during the offseason, hoping he would be fully recovered from the right knee issues that plagued him after he came to Toronto last season.
“I was on one leg. You could watch, first half I was pretty much fine, once the second half started and it got really stiff,” he said. “I couldn’t run, couldn’t move, (but) we had so many guys out, that’s just not how I’m built (to sit out). If I can go out there and play, I go out there and play. It was tough, obviously, it didn’t look good some of the time, I didn’t perform the way I was supposed to, but if I can do a little bit, then why not.”
There’s more from Toronto:
- The Raptors are the only remaining team without a road victory, notes Ryan Wolstat of The Toronto Sun. One reason is that Scottie Barnes, who returned Thursday from an orbital bone fracture, has only played in one game away from home. Another is that RJ Barrett has been a totally different player in home games, averaging 29.3 PPG and shooting 50.8% from the floor at Scotiabank Arena and 19 PPG while shooting 37.2% everywhere else.
- The Raptors are happy with the progress of second-round pick Ulrich Chomche with their G League affiliate. Appearing on The Raptors Show with Blake Murphy (video link), Raptors 905 coach Drew Jones said the former Basketball Africa League big man is handling the adjustment well. “He’s a sponge, man, and people use that term loosely, but he really is,” Jones said. “And not only is he trying to absorb the information, he’s trying to apply it in real time.”
- As the Raptors head out on the road, rookie guard Ja’Kobe Walter will remain with the G League team to work his way back from a shoulder injury, Grange tweets.
Southwest Notes: Gafford, Popovich, A. Holiday, Morant
The game is more difficult for the Mavericks with Luka Doncic sidelined, but they’re finding ways to win without their injured star, writes Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal (subscription required). Daniel Gafford played an important role Friday night with 13 points, six rebounds and three steals as Dallas kept its hopes of advancing in the NBA Cup alive with a victory at Denver. Gafford was one of seven Mavs to reach double figures as the team extended its winning streak to four.
“Just paying attention to detail a lot more,” Gafford said about playing without Doncic. “You’ve got to be near perfect when it comes to offense, but honestly, just stay the same as when he was here—taking care of business, having good spacing, and making sure the right guys have the ball in their hands.”
Gafford seems to be fully accustomed to playing for coach Jason Kidd after being acquired from Washington at last season’s trade deadline. He’s averaging a career high 12.6 points per game and leading the NBA with a 70.8% shooting percentage.
“I’m just getting better as the days go by,” Gafford added. “It’s about having patience and trying to expand my offensive game to make more plays. Teams are blitzing and switching more, so I’m figuring out how to make the right passes and take advantage of mismatches.”
There’s more from the Southwest Division:
- Warriors coach Steve Kerr offered enc0uraging words about Spurs coach Gregg Popovich before tonight’s game in San Antonio, per Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News. Kerr said he communicates frequently with Popovich, who has been away from the team since suffering a mild stroke on November 2, and “the doctors are feeling great about all of that.” Kerr has also been impressed by interim coach Mitch Johnson, who served as an assistant on Team USA this summer. “Mitch is really smart, a great teammate in the coaches’ room,” Kerr said. “He was a big part of all our conversations pre and post practice. He is a really good coach, good guy. I know Pop loves him and feels very strongly about what a good coach he is, and that’s what I saw in Las Vegas (during training for the Olympics).”
- Rookie Reed Sheppard and veteran Aaron Holiday have earned spots in the Rockets‘ rotation by providing reliable three-point shooting, observes Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. Over a recent seven-game stretch, Holiday shot 45.5% from beyond the arc and Sheppard was at 38.9% as both guards are seeing more playing time. Holiday chose to re-sign with Houston in free agency this summer because he likes the city and believes in the future of the team, even though he knew his minutes might decrease.
- Grizzlies guard Ja Morant is missing his eighth straight game with a hip injury tonight, but coach Taylor Jenkins told reporters that he’s been able to do some on-court workouts and continues to make progress (Twitter link from Michael Wallace of Grizzlies.com).
Wolves Respond To Rudy Gobert-Julius Randle Dispute
The Timberwolves were disappointed by Thursday’s loss at Toronto, but an in-game dispute involving their players was even more troubling, writes Chris Hine of The Star Tribune.
Tensions began to rise in the fourth quarter when Rudy Gobert posted up Scottie Barnes deep under the basket, but Julius Randle failed to throw him the ball to take advantage of the mismatch. According to Hine, Gobert was upset about not getting a chance to score and took too long to leave the lane, which resulted in a three-second violation.
On the next defensive possession, Gobert committed an unnecessary foul on Barnes, Anthony Edwards yelled at Gobert in frustration and a close game began to slip away as the Wolves lost focus.
The team had a “frank discussion” about the incident following the game, Hine adds, and both Gobert and Randle accepted responsibility while talking to the media before Saturday’s practice.
“Like I told the guys, as someone who really is big on leading by example, my reaction was a bad example,” Gobert admitted. “I let my emotions, my frustration get the best of me and that’s not who I am. I was sorry for that. I know these guys know me, know who I am, they know everything I do is for my teammates, everything I do is to win, so when I have one of those moments, we know that it’s just a moment.”
Hine points out that Gobert has been involved in other clashes with teammates since coming to Minnesota, most notably when he threw a punch at Kyle Anderson in the final game of the 2022/23 season. The team responded by suspending Gobert for the first game of the play-in tournament.
When Randle was acquired from New York last month, there were questions about whether he and Gobert could mesh their games together. Although Thursday’s incident might be interpreted as a red flag, Randle insists there’s no “beef” between them.
“Rudy’s been great. I’ve had no problem with Rudy,” Randle said. “He’s been great communicating. I feel like Rudy is a great teammate and he brings a lot to our team and we need Rudy. I’ve been to Rudy’s house, there is no beef or any animosity. It’s basketball. Things happen. Name a perfect family. I have never seen one. There’s always gonna be something. Things happen. You move forward with it. Me and Rudy are great. I’ve got no issue with him.”
Sources tell Hine that Edwards played a large role in Thursday’s post-game discussion. Randle didn’t disclose any details, but he said Edwards isn’t afraid to “speak his mind” and has earned that privilege by consistently being a positive leader.
The team needs to regain its “spirit,” according to coach Chris Finch, who viewed the openness at today’s media session as a step in that direction. The Wolves have stumbled out of the gate after reaching the Western Conference Finals last season, and Finch believes too many players are being affected by their individual performances.
“I don’t think it’s a selfish thing in that regard,” he said. “… I think it’s more they’ve been a little disappointed and had a hard time hiding their emotions, and there’s a maturity and a toughness that comes with that. Mistakes are going to be made, people are going to miss you, coverages are going to be blown, shots are not going to go in, decisions might be right, might be wrong, it’s the reaction to all that stuff that you can control and we have to be better at.”
Celtics Notes: Kornet, Tillman, Mazzulla, Brogdon, NBA Cup
Neemias Queta has seen an increased role this season, but Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla turned to two other big men after a sluggish first half at Washington Friday night, writes Brian Robb of MassLive. The first was Luke Kornet, who replaced Queta in the starting lineup for the second half. He responded with a 3-for-3 shooting night and a few hustle plays that had his teammates raving after the game.
“Energy, energy. Luke is just a ball of energy,” Jrue Holiday said. “He makes plays that don’t show up on the stat sheet, but when you’re out there playing with him, it’s like he’s just trying to run through a brick wall and you wanna do that with him.”
Later on, Mazzulla inserted Xavier Tillman, who has been out of the rotation for several weeks. Tillman played nine minutes in the second half, including a rare crunch time appearance.
“I just thought that (Xavier’s) been working hard and I felt like the game needed something different,” Mazzulla said. “Those guys are always ready and we wanted to be a little more switching and the last time we played them, we played him and Luke together and he did some great things on the defensive end, especially on (Jonas) Valanciunas. So I just kind of wanted to win those minutes in the fourth quarter. Credit to him just working hard and being ready and I thought he gave us some good stuff.”
There’s more from Boston:
- Mazzulla explained that he was “manipulating the environment” on Friday when he got whistled for a technical for angrily confronting referee Ed Malloy after a play where he believed Jaylen Brown got fouled, according to Souichi Terada of MassLive. Mazzulla admitted it was an intentional tactic, and his players took notice. “I think that it was smart just to know that like he has our back no matter what,” Holiday said. “He was disrespectful in a respectful way, so I think getting that tech just showing us that like, yeah, I’m gonna fight for you guys and then having the crowd behind us even in that situation was big.”
- Wizards guard Malcolm Brogdon admits being angry after the Celtics traded him to Portland last summer, but he has made peace with the situation, per Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. After winning Sixth Man of The Year honors and reaching the Eastern Conference Finals in his lone season with Boston, Brogdon has moved on to two rebuilding franchises. “You play with the cards you’re dealt at a certain point,” he said. “Things change at some point in your career. For me it’s changed a few times over the past couple of years. It’s embracing the situation that you’re in. I’ve been tasked to lead with these young guys and with this growing team and honestly I’m enjoying it. The Wizards are building the right way.”
- After being surprised by Atlanta in their NBA Cup opener, the Celtics have posted back-to-back wins over Cleveland and Washington that have them in a good position to advance, notes Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. They’ll win East Group C if they can beat the Bulls in Chicago and Cleveland defeats the Hawks. If Boston and Atlanta wind up tied at 3-1, the Celtics will have to rely on their point differential, which is currently +14.
Magic Notes: Da Silva, F. Wagner, Black, Suggs
Tristan da Silva didn’t appear to have a path to consistent playing time when the Magic took him with their first-round pick in June, writes Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel. That changed when Paolo Banchero suffered a torn right oblique in late October. Da Silva took his place in the starting lineup and has averaged 7.1 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 11 games as a starter.
“He’s a player,” Gary Harris said. “He’s smart. He understands where he’s supposed to be. He works hard. It’s just a testament to who he is. He was drafted for a reason.”
At 23, da Silva was old for a prospect, which is part of the reason he was still on the board when Orlando picked at No. 18. He fits the Magic’s profile for a forward with his size (6’8″ with a 6’10” wingspan) and he was a capable outside shooter in college. He has shown an ability to take care of the ball, compiling a 3.57 assist-to-turnover ratio that leads all rookies who’ve appeared in at least 11 games, and he’s contributing on defense as well.
Beede notes that coach Jamahl Mosley will eventually face a difficult decision. Before Banchero’s injury, da Silva had logged five total minutes, all on opening night. His performance over the last three weeks may be enough to keep him in the rotation once Banchero returns.
There’s more from Orlando:
- Franz Wagner is the reigning Eastern Conference Player of the Week and is making a bid for his first All-Star appearance, notes Law Murray of The Athletic. Wagner has been the focal point of the Magic’s offense since Banchero got hurt, as his touches per game have risen from 46.4 in October to 72.2 in November. With his unique combination of size and skills, Wagner told Murray he has difficulty selecting a player to compare himself to. “I don’t know if there’s someone who I would say I play really close to,” he said. “I think I’m definitely like a tall guard, I would say that. I’m a perimeter player, but pretty tall. I try to do a lot of different stuff out there. And I hope when you see me play, you see that I’m having fun and play for the right reasons. That’s what I hope people see when they see me play.”
- Some rival general managers were upset when the Magic gave Wagner a full max extension this summer even though he was coming off somewhat of a down season, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN. They viewed the deal as inflationary because it would cause more players to demand the same terms. However, sources tell Windhorst that Orlando’s front office was happy to reward Wagner for the work ethic and character he displayed during his first three NBA seasons, and they expect the contract to be less of a strain on the salary cap once the new television money starts rolling in.
- Anthony Black has improved in his second season and there’s speculation that he and Jalen Suggs could eventually challenge Boston for the league’s best defensive backcourt, ESPN’s Tim Bontemps adds in the same piece. “I think he can be their long-term point guard,” a scout told Bontemps. “That allows Suggs to play off the ball, where he looks more comfortable.”
Heat Notes: Butler, Rozier, Jaquez, Richardson, Ware, Burks, Herro
After a four-game absence due to an ankle sprain, Heat star Jimmy Butler had his best game of the fall in his return to action on Monday, registering season highs in points (30) and rebounds (10) as Miami outscored Philadelphia by 29 points in his 34 minutes of action.
However, Butler may not get an opportunity to build on that momentum when the team resumes its schedule on Sunday vs. Dallas following a five-day layoff. The veteran forward is listed as questionable to play vs. the Mavericks due to an illness, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald.
While Butler’s status is up in the air, there’s good news elsewhere on the Heat’s injury report, according to Chiang, who says Terry Rozier (right foot discomfort) and Jaime Jaquez (sprained right ankle) are both expected to play on Sunday. Rozier is listed as probable, while Jaquez is considered available. Josh Richardson, who missed Thursday’s practice due to heel pain, isn’t on the injury report either and should be good to go.
Here’s more out of Miami:
- Should the Heat regret drafting Kel’el Ware with the No. 15 pick in this year’s draft, given that Jared McCain (No. 16) and Dalton Knecht (No. 17) have been the most impressive rookies in the NBA so far this season? Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel considers that question, explaining the thinking behind Miami’s selection of Ware. It’s possible the decision to pick Ware will become a draft-day regret reminiscent of when the Heat took Precious Achiuwa a spot ahead of Tyrese Maxey in 2020, Winderman acknowledges. However, he stresses that it’s far too early to pass judgment on the 20-year-old center, who has logged just 48 minutes across eight outings.
- Alec Burks, who is on his eighth NBA team, has seen his role fluctuate frequently in recent seasons, so he was unfazed by sitting out for five games in a row and then playing nearly 19 minutes in Monday’s win over the Sixers, as Winderman details for The Sun Sentinel. Burks was a plus-27 with seven points, six rebounds, and three assists in his return to the rotation. “He’s such a great example for young players coming in to always be ready, to be prepared, to understand what the system is and understand how you can bring value,” head coach Erik Spoelstra said. “And then not get caught up in all the emotional wild swings of maybe your playing time isn’t going exactly how you want it, or when you’re not getting the offensive opportunities you want. … He’s a pro’s pro. And that gets thrown around often, but when you actually experience it and see it, you really appreciate it.”
- Tyler Herro‘s 24.2 points and 5.2 assists per game are career highs. Perhaps more importantly, so are his 48.6% field goal percentage and 45.2% three-point percentage, which are both way above his career rates. Herro’s scoring efficiency has been “a really big thing” for him and the Heat, according to Spoelstra. “You always want to get to a place like this as a player where you’re playing such efficient basketball that there’s an economy of energy that’s happening at the same time,” the Heat head coach said, per Chiang. “He’s not forcing it, he’s not like over-expending energy to do it. He’s just reading the game, reading defenses. He has a confidence level that continues to grow each year, so he knows what he can do, he knows how he can help us.”
2025’s Most Valuable Traded Draft Picks
Over half of the 30 first-round picks in the 2025 NBA draft have been traded at some point in the past several years, but not all of those picks will actually change hands at the end of this season.
Many of those first-rounders were traded with some sort of protection language, meaning that if they fall in a certain range, the original team will keep its pick.
With that in mind, let's take a closer look at which of 2025's traded first-round picks project to change hands, which ones will likely stay put, and which ones figure to be the most valuable assets.
Protected picks unlikely to change hands
- Wizards' pick traded to Knicks (top-10 protected)
- Jazz's pick traded to Thunder (top-10 protected)
- Hornets' pick traded to Spurs (top-14 protected)
- Trail Blazers' pick traded to Bulls (top-14 protected)
Top-10 protection means the Wizards and Jazz could miss the playoffs and still be forced to surrender their first-round picks, but it looks like there's little chance of that happening. Washington (2-12) currently has the NBA's worst record and Utah (3-12) is tied for the second-worst mark.
Southwest Notes: Mavs, Marshall, Spurs, Pelicans, McCollum
After a late-game defensive breakdown resulted in a frustrating two-point loss in Utah last Thursday, the Mavericks immediately watched film and held a post-game meeting, with “accountability, effort and unselfishness” among the themes, writes Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News.
“We talked about a lot of things, and got a lot of things out in the open,” Mavericks forward P.J. Washington said, according to Tony Jones of The Athletic. “But the main thing is that we knew we were better than that, and that we had to be better going forward.”
“We needed to stop playing ‘I’ basketball and we needed to play ‘we’ basketball,” center Dereck Lively added, per Curtis. “That’s what we’ve been doing these past couple of games and it’s been working.”
As Lively points out, the Mavericks have turned things around since falling to 5-7 with that loss in Utah. The team will take a four-game winning streak into Miami on Sunday, having registered a pair of comfortable home victories over San Antonio and New Orleans along with two impressive road wins in Oklahoma City and Denver in the past week. While that loss to the Jazz has cost the Mavs a few spots in the tightly congested Western Conference standings, Washington is happy that something good came out of it.
“In a way I’m kind of glad that it happened,” he said. “Because you never want to lose like that. We all knew that we were capable of doing a lot of things better. We needed to be accountable to each other. So, that’s why we kind of talked about it right after the game.”
We have more from around the Southwest:
- Mavericks forward Naji Marshall helped seal Friday’s win over Denver, playing clutch minutes in the fourth quarter with Klay Thompson on the bench, notes Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter link). Grant Afseth of Sportskeeda spoke to Marshall about adjusting to a new team this fall after spending four years in New Orleans and talked to some of Marshall’s new teammates about the impact the newcomer has had so far. “This is the most talented team I’ve been on,” Marshall told Afseth. “The coaches are great, the front office is amazing, and the training staff is incredible. I really have no complaints.”
- Devin Vassell (sore left knee) will be unavailable for a fourth straight game on Saturday, but it appears Victor Wembanyama (bruised right knee) will make his return after missing the past three contests. After initially listing both players as questionable, the Spurs have ruled out Vassell and upgraded Wembanyama to probable, tweets Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News.
- The Pelicans have lost 13 of 15 games since opening the season with back-to-back wins and now hold a 4-13 record. However, Zion Williamson remains optimistic that the team has time to turn things around, especially once more key players – including Zion himself – return from injuries. “We know the position we are in right now,” Williamson said, per Christian Clark of NOLA.com. “It’s not a good one at the moment. We come in the gym every day in good spirits. We are going to figure it out.”
- One injured Pelicans player who appears to be nearing a return? CJ McCollum. The veteran guard has been on the shelf since October 29 due to a thigh injury, but told reporters that he went through a contact practice on Saturday and hopes to suit up on Monday vs. Indiana (Twitter link via Will Guillory of The Athletic).
Jalen McDaniels Signs G League Contract
Five-year NBA veteran Jalen McDaniels will resume his career in the G League, having signed an NBAGL contract, according to the league’s official transaction log.
While the G League’s log says McDaniels has been claimed off waivers by the Memphis Hustle, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link) hears from sources that the veteran forward is joining the Capital City Go-Go. The Grizzlies‘ and Wizards‘ affiliates will have to work out a trade to make that happen.
The 52nd overall pick in the 2019 draft, McDaniels showed some promise during the first four years of his career, which he spent primarily in Charlotte. His height (6’9″), wingspan (7’0″), and athleticism made him a versatile piece on defense, and he displayed a little outside shooting ability, making 34.2% of his three-point tries with the Hornets. The Sixers traded for him at the 2023 trade deadline and he finished that season in Philadelphia.
However, McDaniels’ production and playing time cratered last season in Toronto after he signed a two-year, $9.26MM contract with the Raptors. He was traded to Sacramento in a Kings salary dump at the start of the 2024 offseason, then was flipped to the Spurs in another cost-cutting move in October, about a week before the regular season began. San Antonio subsequently waived him.
McDaniels, who is still just 26, could earn an NBA call-up at some point this season if he impresses in the G League. He’s ineligible to sign a two-way contract, but could sign a standard deal or – beginning in early January – a 10-day pact.
McDaniels is the older brother of Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels.
International Notes: Lee, Songaila, D-Lo, Walker
Former NBA guard Saben Lee continues to bounce back and forth between European teams, with Manisa Basket officially confirming today that Lee has rejoined the Turkish club (Twitter link).
Lee, who appeared in 134 regular season games for the Pistons, Sixers, and Suns from 2020-24, signed with Manisa Basket this past offseason, but left last month to join Maccabi Tel Aviv. As Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.com explains, Lee signed with the Israeli club under the condition that he would live and practice in Belgrade, Serbia, where Maccabi has been playing its EuroLeague games.
According to Urbonas, Lee felt pressured to move to Israel, where the team continues to play its domestic league contests, but wasn’t comfortable doing so due to the war in the region. Maccabi, meanwhile, was concerned that the guard’s absence from practices was negatively impacting the team’s rhythm. It led to the two sides parting ways and Lee returning to a Manisa club he was already familiar with.
We have a few more notes from around the international basketball world:
- Lee isn’t the only Manisa Basket newcomer. According to Urbonas at BasketNews.com, former NBA forward/center Darius Songaila is expected to join Manisa’s coaching staff. Songaila, who played in the NBA and Europe from 2002-15, was a Spurs staffer from 2018-24, spending four of those seasons as an assistant coach on Gregg Popovich‘s staff.
- Could D’Angelo Russell represent Lithuania in international basketball competition? After a report from Rokas Pakenas of 15min.lt suggested that Russell had informed the Lithuanian Basketball Federation of his interest, the Lakers guard posted an Instagram comment that said “Let’s make it happen.” As Nikola Miloradovic of Eurohoops notes, Russell’s wife is of Lithuanian descent, so there’s a possible path for the 28-year-old to become a naturalized citizen.
- Veteran guard Lonnie Walker is beginning to hit his stride overseas, racking up 24 points on 9-of-13 shooting for Zalgiris Kaunas on Friday in a win over reigning EuroLeague champions Panathinaikos. After the game, Walker – whose contract includes an NBA out until February – praised one of his opponents, according to Edvinas Jablonskis of BasketNews.com. “Kendrick Nunn has been an extreme inspiration and motivation for me,” Walker said of the Panathinaikos star and his former Lakers teammate. “I love that guy to death. I’ve been with him since the Lakers, I’ve known him way before the Lakers. Somehow, the world continues to give us a full circle moment for a reason. He’s my guy, my brother, and I continue to watch what he does and imitate how he’s doing it in the EuroLeague. I want to follow that route as well.”