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Scotto’s Latest: Markkanen, Hornets, Murphy, Walker, Kuminga, More

December 18th, 2025 at 11:58am CST by Luke Adams

Utah will send its 2026 first-round pick to Oklahoma City if it lands outside the top eight, and if the season ended today, the 10-15 Jazz would have the NBA’s 10th-worst record, making their first-rounder likely to change hands. Given that context, executives around the league are wondering if Utah’s front office will be active on the trade market in the hopes of weakening the roster in the short term and ensuring the club keeps that pick, writes Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

However, according to Scotto, the Jazz continue to signal that they want to build around forward Lauri Markkanen, despite trade interest in the star forward. In the past, rival execs have viewed the Pistons, Spurs, and Grizzlies as potential suitors for Markkanen if he’s made available, Scotto notes.

As for Utah’s plans beyond this season, the team hopes to use its 2026 cap room to improve its roster, either via free agency or the trade market, Scotto writes. Retaining Walker Kessler still appears to be a priority too — the Jazz turned down a trade offer for Kessler from the Lakers similar to the one L.A. made for Mark Williams, sources tell HoopsHype. The Jazz could carry a cap hold of about $14.6MM for Kessler next summer before going over the cap to re-sign him at a starting salary higher than that.

Here’s more from Scotto:

The Hornets are hoping to get an extended look at their roster with LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, Kon Knueppel, and Miles Bridges all healthy and available. Still, Scotto hears that Miller’s inconsistent availability has executives around the NBA wondering if the former No. 2 overall pick might not be as untouchable in trade discussions as he once was.
The Warriors and Trail Blazers are among the teams who are high on Pelicans wing Trey Murphy III, but rival executives believe Golden State would prioritize making a run at Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo before giving up significant assets to land Murphy, Scotto writes. There’s also still plenty of skepticism that New Orleans would part with Murphy at all, with some execs speculating that it might take a package similar to what Memphis got for Desmond Bane.
Following up on his previous report stating that the Pacers are among the teams with interest in Keon Ellis, Scotto notes that Indiana forward Jarace Walker came up in trade discussions with the Kings. However, Scotto cautions that it’s unclear which team brought up Walker’s name in those talks that he describes as “exploratory.”
Checking in on Jonathan Kuminga, Scotto says the Kings continue to monitor the Warriors forward, but confirms that the Suns‘ interest level has decreased and that the Nets were never all that interested. The Pelicans have also been linked to Kuminga in the past, but it’s unclear whether they have interest now, Scotto adds.
Partizan Belgrade, the Serbian team recently linked to Malik Beasley, has also expressed interest in free agent point guard Cameron Payne, sources tell HoopsHype. As for Beasley, he has also drawn interest from Real Madrid and Bayern Munich in the EuroLeague, as well as the Chinese Basketball Association teams Liaoning, Guangdong, and Shanxi, per Scotto.

Southeast Notes: Suggs, Jovic, Knueppel, Miller

December 15th, 2025 at 12:32pm CST by Dana Gauruder

An MRI conducted on Monday confirmed that Magic guard Jalen Suggs suffered a left hip contusion during Saturday’s NBA Cup game against the Knicks, the team’s PR department tweets. His return will depend on how he responds to treatment.

Suggs had 26 points and seven assists in 29 minutes on Saturday. The fifth-year guard, who suffered the injury while driving to the basket during the third quarter, is averaging 15.4 points and 4.8 assists per game this season. Tyus Jones, Anthony Black and Jett Howard could all see an uptick in minutes during his absence.

Here’s more from the Southeast Division:

Nikola Jovic signed a four-year extension in October. The Heat forward has financial security but not a spot in the rotation — he has been a healthy scratch in five of the last nine games in which he was available. He’s also logging fewer minutes when he does play (19.3 MPG, compared with 25.1 last season), the Miami Herald’s duo of Anthony Chiang and Barry Jackson note. Jovic admits it’s a frustrating situation. “The way my minutes fall is really sad. I’m not trying to think about what they’re thinking because I know it’s hard for them, too. I’m just trying to stay positive and help these guys develop,” he said.
The Hornets don’t feel pressed to make any major trades despite their 8-18 record, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. In an appearance on the YES Network (Twitter video link via Hornets Reddit), Scotto said that Kon Knueppel “has essentially become the face of the franchise” as a rookie. “They still want to see what it looks like with LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, Kon Knueppel and Miles Bridges,” Scotto said. “They think if they’re healthy, they could be a play-in team.”
Miller briefly departed the Hornets’ game against Cleveland on Sunday due to an apparent shoulder injury, then returned and hit a key three-pointer late in regulation. Charlotte pulled out an overtime victory against one of the East’s premier clubs. “It was a huge growth moment for us,” Hornets coach Charles Lee said, per Rod Boone of the Charlotte Observer. “Responding, we felt like we gave up too many offensive rebounds, especially as they kind of got back into the game. And then I thought we had multiple people hitting and crashing, and trying to come up with every 50-50-ball and defensive rebound that we could. “And to see Brandon with 13 rebounds just shows he can give it to us on both ends. He’s an offensive great, but he can be an elite two-way player. And it becomes contagious when you see one of our best players doing that.”

LaMelo Ball Exits Friday’s Game With Left Ankle Injury

December 5th, 2025 at 9:46pm CST by Rory Maher

Hornets point guard LaMelo Ball was unable to finish Friday’s game at Toronto, having been ruled out in the second half with left ankle soreness, the team announced (via Twitter).

According to Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer, Ball had a “slight limp” when he headed back to the locker room less than two minutes into the third quarter. The injury appeared to occur when Ball slipped on the court when trying to get back for transition defense, Boone notes.

Ball, who has dealt with numerous ankle injuries the past few years, entered tonight’s contest with a probable tag due to a sprained left wrist before being upgraded to available. The one-time All-Star missed five consecutive games earlier this season with a right ankle impingement.

As Boone writes, the timing of Ball’s injury was particularly unfortunate, because it coincided with Brandon Miller returning from a two-game absence. Boone says the team was just being cautious with Miller’s left shoulder, which caused him to miss multiple weeks earlier in the seasons.

“He allows us to have another primary defender on some of their primary ball-handlers that I think are some of their best creators,” head coach Charles Lee said of the third-year wing. “And then offensively, he gives us another weapon when we’re trying to play with pace, we’re trying to pass the ball ahead, or across his ability to get to the paint and make plays, his basketball IQ.”

Rookie wing Sion James, who filled in at shooting guard with Miller out, earned praise from Lee as well, Boone adds.

“I love the communication that he has,” Lee said of James. “He’s very vocal in what he sees during the game, which I think helps his teammates and helps me as well. And then offensively, he stays within himself. He’s looking to catch and shoot. He’s looking to create and connect everybody on our team.”

Charlotte pulled out another victory over the Raptors despite Ball’s injury. Kon Knueppel (21 points on 7-of-12 shooting, seven assists) continued his strong rookie season, while second-year forward Tidjane Salaun poured in a career-high 21 points (on 6-of-8 shooting) in just 22 minutes (Twitter link via the Hornets).

Injury Notes: Sheppard, Dort, Caruso, Oubre, Hornets

December 4th, 2025 at 7:20pm CST by Rory Maher

Pacers guard Ben Sheppard has been diagnosed with a left calf strain and will be out for at least Friday’s game against Chicago, the team announced in a press release (Twitter link).

As Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star writes (subscriber link), the Pacers have been absolutely ravaged by injuries this season, particularly in the backcourt. Sheppard, a third-year guard out of Belmont, had been one the few exceptions to that — he was one of only four players on the roster — and the only guard — to play every game in 2025/26.

Sheppard had been playing some of his best basketball of the season recently, Dopirak notes. The 24-year-old primarily plays as a wing but had to man the point at times amid several injuries to teammates. In more of an off-ball role, he had 14 points (on 5-of-5 shooting), five rebounds, two assists and two steals in 18 minutes during Wednesday’s loss to Denver.

“He’s playing hard, he’s playing fast, he’s playing unselfish,” head coach Rick Carlisle said after Wednesday’s game. “He’s applying pressure full court. These are elements that we need. Him shooting the ball, 5-of-5 tonight is no surprise. He can shoot the ball. The key thing is that through all the challenges, he’s just remained true to who he is and stepped into the shots that are his shots. That’s his job to do and that’s everybody’s job to do.”

Here are a few more injury updates from around the NBA:

Thunder wing Luguentz Dort will miss his second straight game on Friday due to a strained adductor, tweets Clemente Almanza of Thunder Wire. Oklahoma City faces Dallas tomorrow evening. Dort, a member of the All-Defensive First Team in 2024/25, missed five games earlier this season with an upper right trap strain. Thunder guard Alex Caruso will be out Friday as well — he’s dealing with a quad contusion which will cause him to miss his third straight contest.
Veteran wing Kelly Oubre Jr., who is out with a sprained LCL in his left knee, will miss at least one more week, the Sixers announced today (Twitter link via Adam Aaronson of PhillyVoice.com). According to Philadelphia, Oubre is progressing well in his rebab. Oubre, who turns 30 next week, has missed the past eight games and will be out for at least three more.
Collin Sexton was forced out of Wednesday’s game due to an injury, which has been diagnosed as a left quadriceps strain, per the Hornets (Twitter link). The 26-year-old guard has been ruled out of Friday’s game at Toronto. Three other Hornets — Tre Mann (right knee soreness), Brandon Miller (left shoulder) and Ryan Kalkbrenner (left ankle contusion) are questionable to play against the Raptors.

Hornets Notes: Knueppel, Miller, Mann, Green

December 3rd, 2025 at 1:13pm CST by Luke Adams

On the heels of a seven-game losing streak, the Hornets appeared to be showing signs of progress over the weekend as they registered back-to-back wins over Chicago on Friday and Toronto on Saturday. However, the team hit another low point on Monday, losing by double digits to a Nets team that had only won three of its first 19 games, writes Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer.

Rookie standout Kon Knueppel, who has been one of the bright spots in Charlotte during a 6-15 start to the season, referred to the Hornets’ performance against Brooklyn as “unacceptable” and “really disappointing.” Veteran guard Collin Sexton delivered a similar post-game message, telling reporters that the team has to clean up its mistakes and mental errors and can’t take any games for granted.

“We can’t expect to come in and play and teams are going to lay down for us. We are not that team,” Sexton said. “We’re the team that we’ve got to go out and fight at full 48 (minutes). And we have to go take the wins. If you don’t take them, nobody’s going to give them to you.

“I feel like that’s what we’ve got to do to change our mindsets. We got to do it together, but also we got to do it with some type of urgency. We’re 6-15, so what are we going to do? We have to change the narrative. We can’t be like, ‘Oh, we won two in a row.’ We truly ain’t done s–t. So, that’s how I look at it.”

Here’s more on the Hornets:

While Knueppel was widely touted as the best spot-up shooter in the 2025 draft class, he has shown through the first six weeks of his NBA career that he’s much more than that, according to John Hollinger of The Athletic, who examines the way in which the Eastern Conference’s Rookie of the Month has made an impact as a rebounder and as a scorer inside the three-point line. Head coach Charles Lee has also been impressed by Knueppel’s effort on defense. “He’s taken to personnel tendencies really fast for a young player in the league,” Lee said. “Sometimes, you’re getting so much information, and you’re overwhelmed, but he wants more of it. He’s like, ‘Hey, what else? What other edge can I get on the competition?’ And so, he does a lot of film study, and I think that he’s been able to then take it to the court and apply it pretty quickly.”
Brandon Miller (left shoulder subluxation) and Tre Mann (left ankle impingement) both sat out on Monday after having played in both ends of the weekend back-to-back and going through the morning shootaround, Boone notes. The duo has also been ruled out for Wednesday’s game vs. New York (Twitter link). “(Mann’s) ankle impingement has been giving him some issues,” Lee said on Monday. “So, he went through shootaround a little bit and like most of our guys, they want to go and I think that we deemed it important for him to kind of just take a couple days and try to get himself back together. And then unfortunately we got to the arena, and as Brandon got evaluated, trying to manage that three (games) in four (days), he had a little bit of shoulder soreness.”
Hornets wing Josh Green, who has yet to play this fall after undergoing left shoulder surgery in June, appears to be nearing his season debut. According to Boone (Twitter link), Green was assigned to the G League on Tuesday in order to practice with the Greensboro Swarm, Charlotte’s NBAGL affiliate.

Southeast Notes: Sarr, Wizards, Porzingis, Hornets

November 30th, 2025 at 1:02pm CST by Eli Cohen

Alex Sarr has shown impressive growth this season, but until the Wizards‘ game against the Hawks on Tuesday, he was mainly taking those steps forward during losses, writes Varun Shankar for the Washington Post. According to Shankar, Sarr has improved most significantly as a scorer around the rim. Meanwhile, the rim protection and passing that he displayed as a rookie have continued to grow in his sophomore season.

Most importantly, Sarr has been a positive on-court presence for the team, as evidenced by the fact that the Wizards are almost 13 points per 100 possessions better during his time on the floor.

While Sarr’s 2.0 blocks per game stand out, head coach Brian Keefe says the most impressive part of the second-year center’s rim protection isn’t captured by the box score, but rather in the moments when Sarr deters opponents from going up for the shot to begin with.

“I wish it happened more,” Sarr said.

Sarr was rewarded for his improved play with “MVP” chants from the Wizards’ faithful in a rare win for the team vs. Atlanta.

We have more from around the Southeast Division:

Khris Middleton and CJ McCollum‘s impact for the Wizards might not show up in the win column, but their presence has been important for a young team learning the NBA ropes, writes Candace Buckner for the Washington Post. Their leadership comes through in little ways, like McCollum taking the blame for a foul committed by second-year wing Kyshawn George. “I was just telling him: ‘That’s on me. I’m running out; I could’ve just stayed for you. So next time, I’ll stay, but we got to communicate collectively a little bit better,'” McCollum said. “There’s just little stuff like that, where it’s like, that’s his foul in the box score, but that was a mistake on my part that I could have corrected and prevented the whole situation.” Middleton spoke more about how he can help off the court: “I try to see what’s needed. I feel out the room, seeing guys’ reactions, emotions or whatever it may be and try to flip that. If it’s a negative thought, make it positive… It’s hard in this league, especially when you lose so many games in a row before you win a game, and then [next game] you lay an egg. That’s not what you want to see. That’s not how you get better as a group, so come in tomorrow, and we get to look at this film, and we get to look at ourselves.”
Kristaps Porzingis has been ruled out of the Hawks‘ game against the Sixers on Sunday, tweets Lauren J. Williams of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Porzingis will miss the game with the same illness that sidelined him for Friday’s contest against the Cavs. The big man has played in 12 of the team’s 20 games this season and is averaging 18.7 points and a career-high 3.3 assists per game, though he has struggled to find consistency with his outside shot.
LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller took a big step forward for the Hornets on Saturday as they played the second half of a back-to-back, a rarity for two players who have been affected by injuries during the past year. “Definitely another positive step for those two guys being able to play in a back-to-back,” coach Charles Lee said. “With that, though, comes me still being mindful of not pushing it too far as we enter that next tier of their return-to-play programs. I’m excited for them, I know they’ve been working really hard.” Those limitations reared their head as the team went to overtime and the star backcourt was collectively unavailable, having reached their minute limits. Lee says that determining Ball’s minute load is a constant dialogue and exercise in communication. “Credit Melo, credit Pat Chasse, our director of performance, and his whole staff for putting together a really comprehensive plan,” Lee said. “Lamar (Skeeter), from the coaching staff too. And those conversations are had beforehand so we’re not in the game with emotions and everything going on.”

Southeast Notes: Miller, Kalkbrenner, Connaughton, Bagley, Mosley

November 22nd, 2025 at 9:54pm CST by Arthur Hill

Brandon Miller posted 21 points and three assists Saturday afternoon as he returned to the Hornets‘ lineup after missing four weeks with a partially dislocated left shoulder, writes Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer (subscription required). Even though Charlotte dropped a 15-point decision to the Clippers to fall to 4-12, there’s a sense of relief in seeing Miller back on the court. Injury problems have limited him to 30 total games after an outstanding first season in which he finished third in the Rookie of the Year race.

Miller played a little more than 25 minutes today as coach Charles Lee plans to ease him back into a normal role. His court time might be limited as the Hornets play Sunday in Atlanta on the second game of a back-to-back and have four games over a seven-day stretch.

“Your first game back, I’m not going to try to push him to the brink as much as I probably would want to, but we want to be smart about it,” Lee said. “I think that we want to be intentional with how we ramp him back up. So hopefully we can keep him in a good controlled space, and then we’ll just kind of just go forward day after day. “How’s he responding? What’s the plan? For him, it’s a little bit different, obviously, coming back from not a lower leg extremity injury.”

Boone notes that Miller provided an early spark for the Hornets, scoring their first eight points, including a crowd-pleasing dunk to open the game. He wound up shooting 8-of-18, but was only 2-of-10 from three-point range.

“We’re all excited for Brandon to be back in the lineup for a lot of different reasons,” Lee said. “I think for myself, I’m really happy with how he handled himself during this process. … His whole process as he went through his rehab and his return-to play-program, he came in every day locked in and excited for an opportunity to keep trying to get better. He saw the progress he was making, which was really good. I’m happy for him to be back out there after kind of having to go through that journey again. I think it ultimately just made him stronger and better.”

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

Lee had his preferred starting lineup together for the first time since the second game of the season, Boone adds, but the good fortune didn’t last long. Hornets‘ starting center Ryan Kalkbrenner (left ankle soreness) and reserve wing Pat Connaughton (right calf soreness) both left the game in the first half and didn’t return.
At age 26, Marvin Bagley III has become one of the veteran leaders on a young Wizards roster, per Chase Hughes of Monumental Sports Network. During a team meeting last weekend, Bagley talked to his teammates about the obstacles he had to overcome and cautioned them that they shouldn’t get used to losing. “I was in a tough spot as a young player; 18 years old coming in (and) I didn’t really have the older vets to guide me,” Bagley said. “It kind of felt like I had to figure things out on the run, on the fly, by myself. That’s a hard spot to be in, especially in this league.”
Magic coach Jamahl Mosley was able to conduct his post-game meeting with reporters after missing the second half of today’s contest due to illness, tweets Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel. Mosley said he was feeling light-headed and dizzy during the game and called the experience “scary.” He expects to coach Sunday at Boston, per Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN (Twitter link). Mosley added that Paolo Banchero will miss his sixth straight game with a left groin strain, and it hasn’t been decided if Jalen Suggs will play on the second night of a back-to-back.

Hornets’ Brandon Miller To Return Saturday

November 21st, 2025 at 4:56pm CST by Rory Maher

Former No. 2 overall pick Brandon Miller, who has missed the past 13 games (and most of a 14th) with a partially dislocated left shoulder, is not on the Hornets‘ injury report (Twitter link) ahead of Saturday’s contest against the Clippers, which means he has been cleared to return to action.

Miller sustained a left shoulder subluxation in the second quarter of Charlotte’s second game of the season after a solid opener in which he recorded 25 points and seven assists. he made 74 appearances as a rookie, but was limited to just 27 games last season due a right wrist injury, which required surgery.

Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer reported that the injury occurred when Miller slipped while trying to fight through a screen. The guard/forward resumed basketball activities on Monday and practiced with the Hornets’ G League club, the Greensboro Swarm.

Miller, who turns 23 years old on Saturday, holds career averages of 18.2 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.7 assists on .428/.364/.832 shooting splits over 103 NBA appearances (32.5 minutes per game). He’s considered an important part of Charlotte’s core and will be eligible for a rookie scale extension in the 2026 offseason.

Fifth-year guard Tre Mann, who has gotten off to a slow start this fall, exited Monday’s game with left ankle soreness and then missed Wednesday’s loss in Indiana. Mann is questionable to suit up tomorrow, per the Hornets.

After a 2-1 start, the Hornets have dropped 10 of their past 12 games. They’re currently 4-11, the No. 12 seed in the East.

Fischer: Hornets ‘Not Actively Looking To Move’ LaMelo Ball

November 20th, 2025 at 10:35pm CST by Rory Maher

Kelly Iko of Yahoo Sports reported on Thursday that LaMelo Ball has become “increasingly frustrated” with the Hornets and is open being traded to a new team. Iko, citing league sources, also wrote that Charlotte’s front office had grown “disillusioned” with the star point guard and was open to a deal as well.

NBA insider Jake Fischer has heard differently. In his latest Bleacher Report live stream (YouTube link), Fischer said he made several calls on Thursday regarding Ball’s situation with the Hornets, and while rival teams are “hoping” and “preparing” as though the 23-year-old may become available prior to the February 5 deadline, that is not currently the case.

“I can tell you with absolute certainty that the Hornets are not actively looking to move LaMelo Ball any time soon,” Fischer reported.

Fischer went on to say that several key members of the organization — including Ball, coaches and front office executives — want to get a better idea of what the team looks like when Brandon Miller returns to action before making any type of drastic changes.

“LaMelo Ball is not asking out, to my understanding,” Fischer said. “And the Hornets are not actively looking to trade him by any stretch right now.”

According to Fischer, Ball isn’t the only former All-Star point guard that rival teams are monitoring: Ja Morant of the Grizzlies and Trae Young of the Hawks — both of whom are injured at the moment — fall into that category as well.

Fischer’s Stein Line colleague Marc Stein reports in his latest Substack story that the Hornets, Grizzlies and Hawks have each denied that they’re willing to listen to offers for their maximum-salary guards. Yet Stein also hears rival clubs are skeptical of that posturing and think that Ball, Morant and/or Young could indeed be on the market in the coming months.

Hornets Notes: Knueppel, Ball, Miller, Connaughton

November 17th, 2025 at 9:01am CST by Arthur Hill

Kon Knueppel is a strong candidate in what has become a surprisingly competitive Rookie of the Year race, writes Roderick Boone of the Charlotte Observer (subscription required). Former Duke teammate Cooper Flagg was an overwhelming favorite for the award coming into the season, but Knueppel is leading all rookies in scoring (17.2 PPG) and made three-pointers (41). Knueppel is already such an important part of the Hornets‘ offense that coach Charles Lee is running plays for him to start off games, according to Boone.

“He comes in the building every day, whether it’s what he eats for his diet, whether it’s his vitamins. If it’s a film or it’s on-court work, everything’s just taken with a seriousness, a competitiveness, an obsession to want to get better,” Lee said. “And I think that’s why when he gets to the game, he’s so fearless. He understands he’s done all the work mentally, physically, emotionally. He’s so stable. Doesn’t get too high, doesn’t get too low. He’s just ready for every moment. So, really excited for his continued growth. But I love what I’ve seen from him in the early going so far.”

Knueppel’s approach to the game was on display Friday during his first NBA appearance in his hometown of Milwaukee. He posted a career-high 32 points and hit a late shot that sent the game into overtime. Knueppel wasn’t as sharp during Saturday’s loss to Oklahoma City, but Thunder coach Mark Daigneault still came away impressed.

“The shooting gravity obviously brings a different element in his screening,” Daigneault said. “You saw that (Friday) night against Milwaukee, and he’s just got a good offensive sense for the game. He finds space, he’s good in the screening game. He obviously can play with the ball in those situations, too.”

There’s more from Charlotte:

LaMelo Ball returned to the lineup on Friday after a five-game absence due to a right ankle impingement, but he was held out the next night as the Hornets plan to be careful with how they use him, Boone adds. Ball played 27 minutes against the Bucks, but didn’t go back into the game for overtime. “I think he responded really well to his minutes,” Lee said. “Our performance staff and player development group has done a good job of developing a plan that’s going to help maximize him. So, minutes going forward for a while, we have to be mindful of putting him in the best position to be available for as many games as possible.”
Brandon Miller has returned to basketball activity after being sidelined since October 25 with a left shoulder subluxation, the Hornets announced (via Twitter). Miller, who has only played in two games this season, has been assigned to practice with the G League affiliate in Greensboro.
Lee calls veteran Pat Connaughton “an All-Star of his role,” Boone states in a separate story. Charlotte traded for the 32-year-old swingman during the summer to provide a veteran presence on a young roster. He’s helping on the court as well, averaging 3.7 points in 9.4 minutes per night and shooting 37.5% from three-point range.