Western Notes: Kerr, Braun, Barnes, Hinson
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr admits that tanking is a major concern for the league, but he doesn’t have any simple solutions, Nick Friedell of The Athletic writes.
“Ironically, the last few years, it seems like it has not been at the forefront like it is this year because of the play-in (tournament),” Kerr said. “More teams felt like they were in it. This year, it’s pronounced just because of the circumstances and where a lot of teams are — injuries, starting rebuilds, that sort of thing. I know the league is really concerned about it, as they should be. It’s not good for the fans, for the league itself. They’re considering everything. It’s a really tough issue.”
Kerr also sees the issue from the perspective of teams jockeying for lottery positions, knowing that one of the top picks in the 2026 draft could be a franchise-altering player.
“The bottom line is you kinda have to get lucky in the lottery,” Kerr said. “It’s what makes this issue so tricky, is that great players — Steph (Curry) and Tim Duncan, Wemby (Victor Wembanyama) — they’re not only team-changing, but they’re franchise-changing, for even beyond the scope of those guys’ careers. And so there’s only a handful of players that can do that, that are that valuable. And so teams are all clamoring for them. Sometimes, you don’t know who they are. Steph was the seventh pick. Giannis (Antetokounmpo) was the (15th) pick. So it’s not always the first couple guys, but more often than not, the first pick has an opportunity to be that guy, and that’s what creates this issue.”
Here’s more from the Western Conference:
- Nuggets guard Christian Braun has appeared in four games since returning from a left ankle sprain. Braun missed nearly two months of action previously before an aborted attempt to come back last month from the same ailment. He played in only three January games before the ankle issue grounded him again and realizes now he wasn’t at full strength last month. “I think the biggest (factor) was, ‘Can I jump in the air?’” he told Bennett Durando of the Denver Post. “Obviously, they do all their tests (on an injury) and they do a really good job, but truthfully, I couldn’t jump. And if everybody has seen me play, I jump off my left leg a ton. So I’m just navigating, like, ‘Before I come back this next time, I need to make sure I can jump. I can run full speed and I can jump.’ It sounds really elementary and really basic, but that’s the truth. The explosion just wasn’t there.”
- Commissioner Adam Silver selected Brandon Ingram to replace Stephen Curry in the All-Star Game. Spurs forward Harrison Barnes felt teammates Stephon Castle and De’Aaron Fox were more worthy candidates. “We’re No. 2 in the West,” Barnes told Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express News. “Teams below us have two All-Stars. I don’t know a case where if you’re talking about having an impact on winning, either of them shouldn’t be selected and/or at least under consideration.”
- Blake Hinson‘s two-way contract with the Jazz is a two-year deal, per Spotrac contributor Keith Smith (Twitter link). The 26-year-old small forward is in the midst of a standout year in the G League, where he’s averaging 21.8 points and 5.8 rebounds with Portland’s affiliate, the Rip City Remix. Hinson signed his new contract on Monday.
Blake Hinson Signs Two-Way Deal With Jazz
February 9: Hinson’s two-way deal with the Jazz is official, the team announced in a press release.
February 7: The Jazz will sign Blake Hinson to a two-way contract, agent Paolo Zamorano of Gersh Sports tells ESPN’s Shams Charania (Twitter link).
The 26-year-old small forward is in the midst of a standout year in the G League, where he’s averaging 21.8 points and 5.8 rebounds with Portland’s affiliate, the Rip City Remix.
Hinson has yet to appear in an NBA game, but he’s already spent time with three teams. He signed a two-way deal with the Lakers in the summer of 2024 after going undrafted, then inked an Exhibit 10 contract with the Warriors in September of 2024 before being released prior to the start of the season.
He joined the Trail Blazers on an Exhibit 10 deal this past September, but was waived on the same day and headed to the G League.
Hinson’s college career consisted of two years at Mississippi and two years at Pitt. He was a second-team All-ACC selection in 2023 and a first-team choice in 2024.
The Jazz have a two-way opening after trading John Tonje to Boston on Thursday. Elijah Harkless and Oscar Tshiebwe are their other two-way players.
Blazers Notes: Avdija, Injuries, Love, Cissoko, Hinson
Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija has been upgraded to questionable for Sunday’s game in Sacramento, the team announced (Twitter link). As Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report observes (via Twitter), the upgraded status is a good sign for Avdija potentially returning after missing three games with a lower back strain.
Avdija is having an excellent season for Portland, averaging 26.1 points, 7.1 rebounds and 6.9 assists on .468/.355/.801 shooting in 40 appearances (35.4 minutes per game). The 25-year-old suffered the back injury last Sunday against New York.
Jrue Holiday, Jerami Grant and Robert Williams are all doubtful to suit up on the second night of a back-to-back. Holiday and Grant recently returned from lengthy injury absences, while Williams has battled knee issues for years.
Here’s more on the Trail Blazers:
- Portland has dealt with a series of injuries in 2025/26, but improved to 21-22 with a 16-point victory over the Lakers on Saturday. According to Joe Freeman of The Oregonian, the team feels as though it’s rounding into form. “It feels like we’re starting to be the team that everyone thought we were going to be at the beginning of the year,” center Donovan Clingan said, flashing a wide smile. “Hopefully, once we get everyone healthy, we’re going to make a big jump and we’re going to start winning a lot of games. This is just the start of it and it feels really good.”
- Two-way players Caleb Love and Sidy Cissoko have emerged as viable members of the rotation in the wake of the injuries. Love, who went undrafted out of Arizona in 2025, recorded 22 points and seven assists in yesterday’s win and has now scored 10-plus points in 14 straight games, per the Blazers (Twitter link). The 24-year-old guard has also made multiple three-pointers in 14 consecutive games, tied for the second-longest streak by a rookie in league history.
- As Highkin recently noted, Love and Cissoko are nearing their active-game limits and both players have made cases to be converted to standard deals. If and when those conversions occur, Highkin believes the Blazers should promote Rip City Remix standout Blake Hinson to a two-way contract. The 6’8″ forward has played 21 games (32.6 MPG) with Portland’s G League affiliate in ’25/26, averaging 24.4 PPG, 4.5 RPG and 2.4 APG on .491/.388/.717 shooting.
Trail Blazers To Sign, Waive Alex Reese, Blake Hinson
The Trail Blazers agreed to deals with both Alex Reese and Blake Hinson, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype and Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report (Twitter links). The expectation, per Highkin, is that the two players will be signed to Exhibit 10 deals and then waived, which will set them up to spend the coming season with the Rip City Remix.
Reese, who played collegiately at Alabama from 2017-21, went undrafted and then spent a year away from basketball working as a bartender. He made a remarkable comeback, signing an Exhibit 10 deal with the Thunder a year ago and earning a spot on Oklahoma City’s 2024/25 opening day roster. He was waived in late October before catching on with the Sixers on a two-year, two-way deal.
Reese averaged 5.1 points and 3.1 rebounds in 15 regular season games with the Thunder and Sixers, 14 of which came with Philadelphia. He was waived this offseason so the Sixers could sign Dominick Barlow to a two-way deal.
Hinson went undrafted out of Pitt last year, following a senior season where he averaged 18.5 points per game. Right after the draft, he agreed to a two-way deal with the Lakers. The Lakers waived him and he subsequently signed an Exhibit 10 pact with the Warriors. In 50 games with Golden State’s G League affiliate, Hinson averaged 17.7 PPG while shooting 44.5% from the field and 36.6% on three-pointers.
The Blazers have 15 players on standard guaranteed contracts and two others on two-way deals. Both Reese and Hinson are eligible for a two-way contract and could theoretically compete for one of those slots, but Highkin’s reporting sounds as if both players will be signed primarily for G League purposes. The Blazers have also reportedly agreed to Exhibit 10 deals with Sean Pedulla and Andrew Carr, but neither of those are official yet.
Warriors Notes: Curry, Hinson, Post, Green
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said on Sunday that he’s hopeful Stephen Curry will rejoin the team at some point during their lengthy road trip, Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN tweets.
Curry suffered a pelvic contusion while taking a hard fall on Thursday against Toronto. He missed Saturday’s 124-115 loss in Atlanta and will be reevaluated on Monday.
The Warriors’ road trip will continue with games in Miami on Tuesday, New Orleans on Friday and San Antonio next Sunday. They’ll wrap up the road swing with games in Memphis and Los Angeles against the Lakers.
According to Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link), the expectation is that Curry will join the Warriors in Miami, though his status for Tuesday’s game will depend on how he responds to treatment.
We have more on the Warriors:
- Blake Hinson has thrived with the Santa Cruz Warriors in the NBA G League, according to Spencer Davies of RG.org. Hinson went undrafted last year and had a two-way contract with the Lakers before being waived in September. The 25-year-old wing then joined the Warriors in training camp on an Exhibit 10 deal and was waived again before joining Santa Cruz in October. Hinson, who is averaging 16.8 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game, praises the Warriors’ development program. “They’ll sacrifice a little bit of winning to get your player development correct — but they’re not gonna do it for long. I appreciate this program for being lenient with me early, and I’m reaping the benefits of it now,” he said.
- Quinten Post has become an integral part of the rotation and has become a candidate for All-Rookie consideration. Post anticipated he’d spend most of his rookie year in the G League after getting drafted late in the second round last year, he told Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe. “I was focused on winning the G League at that point,” he said. “I was even thinking I hope I stay in the league. I hope the Warriors want to have me stick around. Playing wasn’t even something I was thinking about because I was focused on the G League. That’s crazy how fast it went after that.” He’s averaging 8.7 points and 3.8 rebounds in 16.8 minutes per night.
- Even without Curry, the Warriors were mad at themselves for losing to the Hawks on Saturday, Anthony Slater of The Athletic tweets. “Bad loss. It’s a terrible loss. Eleven games left with everything to play for, you shouldn’t have a loss like this,” Draymond Green said.
Warriors Waiving Kevin Knox, Blake Hinson, Jackson Rowe
The Warriors are waiving three players from their training camp roster, cutting Kevin Knox, Blake Hinson and Jackson Rowe, according to HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto (Twitter link).
Knox was the ninth overall pick in the 2018 draft by the Knicks. He spent the first three and a half seasons of his career with New York before being traded to Atlanta. He then signed a multiyear deal with the Pistons in 2022 before being traded at that deadline to Portland. He caught back on with Detroit before being traded by them a second time at this year’s deadline for Simone Fontecchio.
The Kentucky product played for Golden State in this year’s summer league after not signing elsewhere. He impressed, averaging 16.0 points across six games, leading to his training camp contract with the Warriors. He was not eligible to sign a two-way with Golden State and replace one of their existing players because he has accrued more than three years of NBA service.
Hinson originally signed to the Lakers after going undrafted in the 2024 draft, agreeing to a two-way contract. He averaged 10.9 PPG in eight summer league games with the Lakers. However, when they signed Christian Koloko last month, Hinson was the odd man out. When he signed with the Warriors in September, we relayed that Hinson picked Golden State over several other interested teams. It’s unlikely that any of those teams was offering more than the Exhibit 10 deal he signed with the Warriors, but it will be interesting to monitor if any team with a two-way opening chooses to snag Hinson.
Rowe went undrafted in 2020 after a four-year career at Cal State Fullerton. He played overseas for a few different clubs before playing for the Warriors’ G League affiliate in Santa Cruz last year. He averaged 12.4 points, 6.2 rebounds, 1.1 steals and 1.1 blocks with an impressive shooting line of .513/.394/.805 in 47 games played.
Hinson and Rowe appear likely to suit up for the Warriors’ G League affiliate in Santa Cruz. They’ll be eligible for bonuses worth $77.5K apiece if they spend at least 60 days with Santa Cruz. Knox’s future is less certain, since his contract didn’t include Exhibit 10 language.
With 14 players on standard contracts and all three two-way slots filled, the Warriors have likely set their opening day roster, barring a trade or two-way substitution. While they have a 15th roster slot open, they aren’t currently able to fill that opening due to their proximity to the first apron hard cap.
Warriors Sign Blake Hinson To Exhibit 10 Contract
SEPTEMBER 24: The Warriors have officially signed Hinson, per RealGM’s NBA transaction log.
SEPTEMBER 19: The Warriors and free agent wing Blake Hinson have agreed to terms on an Exhibit 10 contract, league sources Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).
Hinson began his college career at Ole Miss in 2018 and spent two years with the program before transferring to Iowa State. He never ended up playing for the Cyclones, transferring again to Pittsburgh, where he played from 2022-24. The 24-year-old put up impressive stats in his super-senior year in ’23/24, averaging 18.5 points and 4.4 rebounds per game. He was one of the NCAA’s best outside shooters, making 42.1% of 7.9 three-point attempts per game.
After going undrafted in June, Hinson signed a two-way deal with the Lakers during the first week of July and played for the team at the Las Vegas Summer League. However, he was waived on Monday when Los Angeles needed to open up a two-way slot for big man Christian Koloko. Hinson, who cleared waivers on Wednesday, chose Golden State over “several” interested clubs, according to Scotto.
While Hinson’s Exhibit 10 deal will make him eligible to be converted to a two-way contract before the regular season begins, the Warriors have no shortage of candidates for those spots — all three two-way slots are currently occupied and second-round pick Quinten Post is still expected to sign a two-way deal, supplanting one of the current players.
Hinson may end up being waived and then earning an Exhibit 10 bonus worth up to $77.5K by spending at least 60 days with the Santa Cruz Warriors, Golden State’s G League affiliate.
Lakers Waive Two-Way Player Blake Hinson
SEPTEMBER 16: The Lakers have officially waived Hinson and signed Koloko, the team announced in a press release.
SEPTEMBER 15: The Lakers are waiving two-way player Blake Hinson, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype tweets.
Los Angeles inked Hinson to the two-way contract in early July.
Hinson, an undrafted 6’8” rookie wing, played two seasons with Pittsburgh after a two-season stay at Ole Miss. He also spent some time at Iowa State but didn’t play there.
Hinson, 24, put up impressive stats in his senior year, averaging 18.5 points and 4.4 rebounds per game. He shot 45.4% from the field and 42.1% on three-point attempts. The three-point shooting came at a high volume — he averaged 7.9 attempts per game.
The moves opens up a two-way spot for the Lakers, who reportedly intend to sign center Christian Koloko. Big man Armel Traore, another undrafted rookie, and center Colin Castleton currently hold the other two-way deals.
Hinson is expected to draw interest from several teams in free agency, Scotto adds.
Lakers Sign Blake Hinson, Armel Traore To Two-Way Deals
July 4: The two-way contracts for Hinson and Traore are official, per NBA.com’s transactions log. Hinson received a two-year deal, tweets Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.
June 27: The Lakers have reached two-way contract agreements with Pittsburgh’s Blake Hinson and French forward Armel Traore, Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reports (Twitter links). Both players went undrafted.
Hinson, a 6’8” wing, played two seasons with the Panthers after a two-season stay at Ole Miss. He also spent some time at Iowa State but didn’t play there.
Hinson, 24, put up impressive stats in his senior year, averaging 18.5 points and 4.4 rebounds per game. He shot 45.4% from the field and 42.1% on three-point attempts. The three-point shooting came at a high volume — he averaged 7.9 attempts per game.
Traore, 21, played for Ada Blois in the LNB Pro A league last season. He averaged 10.8 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.5 assists. He posted 16 points, six rebounds, two steals and a block in a game against the G League Ignite last summer. Traore profiles as a potential three-and-D wing.
Central Notes: Mathurin, Pacers, Atkinson, Borrego, Bucks
Pacers guard Bennedict Mathurin, who missed Indiana’s entire playoff run due to a torn labrum in his right shoulder, struggled with having to watch from the sidelines as his team advance all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals, according to Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star.
“It was hard,” Mathurin said. “It was harder than expected, honestly. Watching the playoffs, watching the guys have fun and just being out there and competing at the highest level was hard for sure. But I think it has a positive side, just seeing the guys out there hooping. It definitely builds fire in me coming into next season.”
His head coach, Rick Carlisle, believes the former No. 6 overall pick can eventual blossom into stardom at the pro level.
“Benn Mathurin has a chance to be a star caliber player for the Indiana Pacers,” Carlisle said. “He has gotten to see over the last two-and-a-half months what wins. It is defense, speed, quick decision making and recognition. And so his workouts this summer are going to be geared toward fast, efficient, quick decision making and developing defensively. He has the ability to be a terrific two-way player in this league.”
This year, Mathurin saw his touches and minutes reduced somewhat as the club realigned itself around All-Star Tyrese Haliburton‘s orbit. Mathurin averaged 14.5 points on a .446/.374/.821 shooting line, plus 4.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 0.6 steals per game.
There’s more out of the Central Division:
- The Pacers’ first pre-draft workout is slated for Friday, and will feature six players, per a team press release. Pittsburgh’s Blake Hinson, Tennessee’s Josiah-Jordan James, Weber State’s Dillon Jones, Florida’s Zyon Pullin, Liberty’s Kyle Rode, and Houston’s Jamal Shead will all attend the workout.
- The Cavaliers have gotten the green light to interview Warriors assistant coach Kenny Atkinson and Pelicans assistant coach James Borrego, sources inform Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link). Cleveland fired coach J.B. Bickerstaff, even after he led the club to the second round in the East for the first time since LeBron James departed in 2018 free agency.
- Though the Bucks finished their 2023/24 season with a respectable 49-33 record and the East’s No. 3 seed, injuries to All-Stars Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard doomed them to a swift first-round playoff upset against Indiana. Keith Smith of Spotrac previews the 2024 offseason in Milwaukee as the club looks to retool and hopefully return to the Finals for the first time since 2021.