Collin Sexton

Northwest Notes: Gupta, Mays, Singer, Jazz Offseason

Timberwolves executive Sachin Gupta is changing sports. He’s leaving his post as executive vice president of basketball operations to take a prominent position with soccer’s Chelsea FC, Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic tweets.

Gupta, 42, has been in the Timberwolves’ front office since May 2019. He also had stints with the Rockets, Sixers and Pistons. Gupta served as the interim head of basketball operations in Minnesota following the 2021 dismissal of Gersson Rosas before the organization hired Tim Connelly in 2022.

We have more from the Northwest Division:

  • The Timberwolves’ NBA G League franchise, the Iowa Wolves, has acquired the returning player rights to guard Skylar Mays from the Westchester Knicks in exchange for the returning player rights to guard Vit Krejci and a 2025 G League first round pick, according to a Wolves press release. The Timberwolves signed Mays to an Exhibit 10 contract on Tuesday. By trading for Mays’ returning player rights, the Wolves can offer him a bonus worth up to $77.5K if he’s waived and then spends at least 60 days with the Iowa Wolves.
  • A former Nuggets beat writer is joining their organization. Denver is hiring former Denver Post reporter Mike Singer as their director of intelligence and strategy, according to The Denver Post’s Bennett DurandoIn addition to hiring Singer, the Nuggets are promoting Todd Checovich to the position of scouting director. Drew Nicholas, who held that position for two years, accepted a new job with the Nets this summer.
  • Many of the Jazz players stayed close to their NBA home during the offseason. Keyonte George, Taylor Hendricks, Isaiah Collier, Brice Sensabaugh, Cody Williams, Kyle Filipowski, Walker Kessler and Collin Sexton spent the majority of the summer working out in Utah, according to Sarah Todd of The Deseret News.

Northwest Notes: Westbrook, Stojakovic, Jokic, Sexton

Nuggets president Josh Kroenke recently discussed the team’s decision to sign former league MVP Russell Westbrook to a two-year deal, Bennett Durando of The Denver Post relays.

As Durando notes, Westbrook is on track to play for his fifth team in six years. In a reduced role as a reserve for the Clippers last season, the 35-year-old averaged a career-low 11.1 points and 4.5 assists, along with 5.0 rebounds and 1.1 steals, across 22.5 minutes per game.

“I got a chance to meet him for the first time right after he signed, and as I said to him, I’m very grateful that he’s on this side,” Kroenke said. “Because I’ve watched him kind of tear our hearts out for so many years in Oklahoma City, among other places. So he’ll be a really good person for us to have, both on and off the court, with some of the young guys who we’re expecting to take bigger roles this year. Russ has seen it all, in and around the NBA, so he’s gonna be a big part of who we are both in the locker room and on the court.”

There’s more out of the Northwest Division:

  • Nuggets three-time MVP center Nikola Jokic remained underappreciated in his home country prior to this year’s Olympics, according to assistant coach Ognjen Stojakovic, who suggested that Serbia’s bronze medal helped boost Jokic’s stock even higher. “Generally, the first thing I notice is that our people weren’t aware of how great a basketball player Nikola is, how good he is,” Stojakovic said in an interview with Milun Nesovic of Meridian Sport (hat tip to Eurohoops.net for the translation). “Simply, if you don’t win something with the national team, you’re not valued as much as those who have, regardless of your success elsewhere. Nikola did win silver with Serbia in Rio, but he didn’t have as significant a role as he (did in Paris). My opinion—people are only now beginning to realize how great a player he is.”
  • Jazz point guard Collin Sexton recently asserted that he is a top-10 player at his position and is capable of breaking into the top five. “I put myself against anybody,” Sexton said on the “It Is What It Is” podcast with hosts Cam’ron, Ma$e and Treasure “Stat Baby” Wilson (YouTube video link). “At the end of the day, I don’t back down from nobody. I got a different type of chip on my shoulder. I got a different type of grind. When I step between those lines, it’s me against you.” Last season with the 31-51 Jazz, Sexton averaged 18.7 points per game on a .487/.394/.859 shooting line, chipping in 4.9 assists per contest.
  • In case you missed it, Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was voted the favorite to be named 2024/25 league MVP in a poll of NBA coaches and executives. Last year, the 6’6″ All-Star finished second in MVP voting to Jokic.

Western Notes: Jazz, Clarkson, Draymond, Klay, Blazers, Kings

Within a look at the Jazz‘s potential depth chart, Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune says that Jordan Clarkson hasn’t drawn any real trade interest this offseason, so it appears the veteran guard will still be on Utah’s roster when the regular season tips off this fall.

In Larsen’s view, Clarkson, Collin Sexton, and Keyonte George all possess similar skill sets as score-first guards who aren’t particularly strong on defense or super-efficient as shooters. While each of them may be best suited as a sixth man, Larsen projects George and Sexton as the starters, with Clarkson coming off the bench.

Rather than trying to start John Collins again alongside Lauri Markkanen and Walker Kessler in the frontcourt, the Jazz should give 2024 lottery pick Cody Williams a shot in the starting five, Larsen contends, noting that the team needs to gamble on upside and adding that Williams looks capable of fitting in as an offensive connector.

In his hypothetical Jazz depth chart, Larsen has Isaiah Collier, Taylor Hendricks, and Drew Eubanks joining Clarkson and Collins on the second unit.

Here’s more from around the Western Conference:

  • Appearing on the Club 520 Podcast with Jeff Teague (YouTube link), Warriors big man Draymond Green said he’s happy Klay Thompson was able to move on from Golden State this summer — for Thompson’s sake. “I’m happy as hell he’s gone, and the reason I’m happy he’s gone is because he wasn’t happy anymore,” Green said. “As a brother, I only want what’s best for you. Not what’s best for me, not what’s best for this team, not what’s best for the organization. … To see him unhappy – I wouldn’t even necessarily say unhappy, he was uneasy though, just bothered – and to see him that way… that bothered me. … I think it was time for him.”
  • The Trail Blazers have announced an addition to their coaching staff, issuing a press release to officially confirm the hiring of Ronnie Burrell as an assistant under Chauncey Billups. A former UNC Greensboro standout and a professional player in Europe, Burrell spent last season on Brooklyn’s staff after serving as head coach of the Long Island Nets in 2022/23.
  • Jim Moran, who coached the Rip City Remix in the G League last season, is joining Mike Brown‘s staff as a Kings assistant, league sources tell Sean Cunningham of FOX 40 Sacramento (Twitter links). Moran previously served as an assistant under Dwane Casey in Detroit and Terry Stotts in Portland, Cunningham notes.

Northwest Notes: Jazz, Sexton, Clarkson, Wolves, Nuggets

The Jazz are “casting a wide net” as they decide what to do with their three selections in this year’s draft, writes Tony Jones of The Athletic. Sources tell Jones that Purdue center Zach Edey, French forward Tidjane Salaun, Marquette guard Tyler Kolek and Virginia guard Ryan Dunn are among the players Utah has hosted in the past week.

Jones is especially intrigued by Dunn, who he says could be the best perimeter defender in the draft. However, the 6’8″ guard doesn’t have a developed offensive game and he might not fall into the team’s current draft range — No. 10 seems too high to take him, and he could be off the board when the Jazz pick again at No. 29 and 32.

Utah’s most pressing need is a small forward who can contribute on both ends of the court, according to Jones, who examines the potential fit of Tennessee’s Dalton Knecht, Colorado’s Cody Williams, G League Ignite’s Ron Holland and Salaun. He also looks at Providence’s Devin Carter if the Jazz opt for a guard.

There’s more from the Northwest Division:

  • Executives from rival teams believe the Jazz could explore trade opportunities this summer involving Collin Sexton and Jordan Clarkson, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. Sexton has two years remaining on his contract at $18.4MM and $19.2MM, while Clarkson will make $14MM next season and $14.3MM in 2025/26.
  • The Mavericks’ struggles against Boston in the NBA Finals are an indication that the Timberwolves still aren’t at the level of title contenders, according to Michael Rand of The Star Tribune, who notes that Dallas handled Minnesota pretty convincingly in the conference finals, including a Game 5 rout to close out the series. Rand believes the Wolves should follow the Celtics’ path for improvement and be willing to gamble on a major trade or two.
  • Talk of a Nuggets dynasty has faded with this year’s second-round exit, and Troy Renck of The Denver Post believes the focus should turn to winning the next title. He accuses the organization of taking a “macro view” by trying to win multiple championships rather than doing what is necessary to get the next one. Renck contends that approach led to personnel decisions that created a thin bench and left the team unable to close out Game 7 against Minnesota.

Stein’s Latest: Kuzma, Mavs, Sexton, B. Brown, Celtics

Following up on a report from The Athletic which cited Wizards sources who suggested that the team’s asking price for Kyle Kuzma may be “somewhat overblown,” Marc Stein writes in his latest Substack story that the Washington forward is a trade candidate worth keeping a close eye on in the final week leading up to the February 8 trade deadline.

According to Stein, while the Kings and Mavericks are the suitors most frequently linked to Kuzma, there will likely be other suitors due to his “offensive versatility and favorable contract.” Kuzma is owed more than $64MM for the three seasons beyond this one, but his cap hits decline over the life of the deal, so he’ll count for just $19.4MM toward team salary by 2026/27.

Stein confirms that the Mavericks have consistently conveyed interest in Kuzma and notes that he’s not the only Wizards player Dallas has had its eye on. The team has also made previous runs at center Daniel Gafford and forward Deni Avdija, per Stein.

Here are a few more items of interest from Stein’s latest round-up of trade rumors:

  • While Jordan Clarkson, Kelly Olynyk, and Talen Horton-Tucker continue to be described as potential trade candidates, Collin Sexton may not belong in that group, according to Stein, who hears from league sources that the Jazz guard is a longer shot to be dealt. Sexton is playing some of the best basketball of his career in the 27 games since he entered Utah’s starting lineup in mid-December, averaging 21.6 points and 5.5 assists in 27.4 minutes per night, with a shooting line of .506/.420/.879.
  • The Raptors haven’t lowered their asking price for Bruce Brown and continue to seek a first-round pick for the veteran guard, Stein says. It’s typically difficult to extract a first-rounder for a role player on an expiring contract, but Brown does have a $23MM team option for 2024/25, so if a potential suitor views him as a two-season investment, it’s possible Toronto gets the draft pick it’s seeking.
  • The Celtics continue to peruse the trade market for a frontcourt addition, but they’re only willing to move players on “the most nominal contracts,” Stein writes. Outside of Boston’s usual starting five, Al Horford and Payton Pritchard are the only players earning more than the veteran’s minimum, so it sounds like those seven players will likely be off-limits.
  • In case you missed it, we passed along some Nets-related tidbits from Stein on Thursday evening.

Jazz, Suns, Pistons Among Possible Miles Bridges Suitors

The Jazz, Suns, and Pistons are among the teams that have called the Hornets to inquire on forward Miles Bridges, reports Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports.

Bridges, 25, is considered a potential trade candidate for a Hornets team that appears lottery-bound and already moved one key player (Terry Rozier) this week in exchange for a first-round pick. Bridges has been productive in his return to the court this season, averaging 20.8 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 2.9 assists in 37.0 minutes per game across 31 appearances, with a shooting line of .455/.355/.866.

However, Bridges’ trade value is complicated by a couple factors. One is his contract situation. Having accepted his qualifying offer as a restricted free agent last summer, Bridges will be an unrestricted free agent after this season. He also has the ability to veto a trade and would lose his Bird rights if he’s dealt this season, which could affect what a team is willing to give up to acquire him.

The other factor limiting Bridges’ trade value is his legal situation off the court. The Hornets forward sat out the entire 2022/23 season following accusations of domestic violence and has faced new allegations following the resolution of that case. While the former Michigan State star would be an ideal fit on the court for many teams seeking another wing or forward with size, there may be teams unwilling to pursue him due to the off-court allegations.

According to Fischer, the Jazz are viewed as both a buyer and seller at this season’s trade deadline. While players like Jordan Clarkson, Collin Sexton, and Talen Horton-Tucker are considered available, Utah is also keeping an eye out for possible additions who could help the team win now. One item on the Jazz’s wish list is a veteran who could handle point guard duties while rookie Keyonte George continues to learn the ropes. Hawks guard Dejounte Murray is one player Utah has expressed interest in, says Fischer.

The Suns’ interest in Bridges was reported earlier this week and has since been confirmed by Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Unlike Utah and Detroit, Phoenix isn’t in position to open up cap room this summer to potentially re-sign Bridges and would likely have to view him as a rental. However, if the cost is modest enough due to Bridges’ expiring contract and legal issues – perhaps Nassir Little and a couple second-round picks – the Suns would still be interested.

According to Fischer, the Suns are eyeing potential rotation players at various positions who could be acquired using Little as the primary outgoing salary-matching piece. That group includes guards Delon Wright and Monte Morris, forwards Jae’Sean Tate and Royce O’Neale, and center Nick Richards.

As for the Pistons, they project to have significant cap room this summer and appear to be attempting to get a head-start on free agency by acquiring a player to whom they could dedicate a chunk of that room. They were linked to Pascal Siakam before he was sent to Indiana and have reportedly discussed Zach LaVine as well.

In his latest Substack article, Marc Stein says that those talks with the Bulls about LaVine have “by no means gone dormant,” noting that the Pistons maintain interest in the two-time All-Star.

Northwest Notes: Towns, Finch, Ayton, Pokusevski, Sexton

Karl-Anthony Towns scored a franchise record 62 points on Monday but coach Chris Finch tore into Towns and his teammates for blowing a double-digit, second-half lead to the lottery bound Hornets, according to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic.

“It was an absolutely disgusting performance of defense and immature basketball,” the Timberwolves coach said.

Finch believed Towns and the other regulars weren’t focused enough on playing winning basketball.

“We totally disrespected the game, ourselves, and we got exactly what we deserved,” said Finch, adding, “We’ve got a lot of basketball left to play, and that’s what our guys need to understand. We haven’t done a thing yet. We haven’t accomplished a thing yet. We’ve got to play with a better desire and a better purpose and a better readiness every single night.”

We have more from the Northwest Division:

  • Deandre Ayton is averaging a career-low 12.8 points and 10.4 rebounds per game in his first season with the Trail Blazers but it hasn’t impacted his high opinion of his game. Ayton told Mark Medina of BasketballIntelligence.net (subscription required) that he’s a max player. “I got nothing to prove in this league,” Ayton said. “I’m a max player, and I’ll continue to be a max player.” Ayton is in the second year of a four-year, $132.9MM contract, which Indiana offered him in restricted free agency and Phoenix matched in 2022.
  • Aleksej Pokusevski has only appeared in seven games for the Thunder this season. Coach Mark Daigneault said there’s nothing wrong with the big man physically — he just doesn’t have a spot in the rotation, Clemente Almanza of The Thunder Wire tweets. “He’s healthy,” Daigneault said. “You can only dress 15 guys and we’ve had kinda an uncommon run of health here. We’ve really had a healthy team for much of the season, which is hard to do. Some of that is luck and some of that is the work these guys have put in. Some combination of the two. You have to make three guys inactive and we usually just put out the 15 in uniform that we think are most relevant for that game that night.”
  • Collin Sexton has been a major part of the Jazz’s surge up the standings. The guard said his trust in his surgically repaired knee is a big reason why, according to Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated. “Confidence is everything,” he says. “Not worrying about pushing off or not trying to change your game just because you are nervous or scared. I feel like that’s something that people have to get over that hump. Now, I’m back at full swing.” Sexton received a four-year, $72MM contract in a sign-and-trade between Cleveland and Utah in 2o22.

Lakers Exploring Trades For Murray, Numerous Other Players

The Lakers are exploring a number of avenues on the trade market with the Hawks’ Dejounte Murray arguably the biggest name on the wish list, ESPN’s Dave McMenamin reports.

Murray would give the club some much-needed playmaking and speed out of the backcourt. The fact that Murray is making $18.2MM this season before his four-year, $114MM extension kicks in could provide an additional bonus. The Lakers could engineer a two-for-one swap and shave some money off their luxury tax bill in the process.

However, the Lakers continue to resist including Austin Reaves in a potential deal. The Hawks recently inquired about Reaves, according to McMenamin’s sources, who speculates that the Lakers would have to give up some combination of Rui Hachimura, a future first-round pick, Reaves or other young players to land Murray.

The Lakers don’t plan to pivot to the Bulls’ Zach LaVine, per McMenamin, due to his hefty contract, injury issues and declining production. They could aim lower and pick up some bench pieces instead.

They’d like to add a quality backup guard with Gabe Vincent sidelined by a knee injury. The Jazz’s Collin Sexton and Wizards’ Tyus Jones have been discussed internally as potential targets. They also have the Raptors’ Dennis Schröder and Bruce Brown on their radar.

Schröder, who started 50 games for the Lakers last season, has seen his role diminish with the acquisition of Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett. Brown, a defensive ace who was instrumental in Denver’s championship run, was acquired by Toronto in the Pascal Siakam deal.

Brown was the Lakers’ top target with their mid-level exception last summer, according to McMenamin, but Indiana blew them out of the water with a two-year, $45MM offer.

The Nets’ Dorian Finney-Smith and Bulls’ Andre Drummond are two other players the Lakers are considering to fill key postseason roles. Finney-Smith could guard elite wings, while Drummond would give them more size to combat an opponent such as Denver. They’re not particularly interested in the Hornets’ Miles Bridges, a potential alternative to Finney-Smith, because they wouldn’t hold his Bird Rights and Bridges would likely sign a more lucrative contract elsewhere in the summer.

If the Lakers choose not to make a trade or do only minor tinkering before the deadline, they could have more flexibility to acquire another star in the offseason such as the Cavaliers’ Donovan Mitchell or Hawks’ Trae Young, McMenamin writes.

On the day of the draft, the Lakers pool of available first-rounders would grow to their picks in 2029, 2031 and either this year or 2025, depending on whether New Orleans chooses to use the pick L.A. owes it this June or the following summer.

The Lakers have discussed internally the possibility of packaging those three picks, along with players they already have on their books, to pursue that type of blockbuster, says McMenamin.

Trade Rumors: Grant, Murray, Dinwiddie, B. Brown, Grimes, Lakers

As a veteran on a rebuilding team, Jerami Grant seems like an obvious candidate to be moved before the trade deadline, but neither he nor the Trail Blazers are eager for a separation, writes Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report.

In the wake of Wednesday’s Pascal Siakam trade, teams that missed out on Siakam may now turn their attention to Grant, a 29-year-old forward with similar offensive skills. But after Wednesday’s win over Brooklyn, Grant told Highkin that he’s happy where he is after signing a five-year, $160MM contract last summer.

“You definitely see it,” Grant said of trade rumors. “But it’s not anything in my control. I’m cool here. I’m good with what I’m doing. Keep my head down and keep working, keep trying to help the young guys as much as I can. But it’s definitely something you see. It’s not something you can do anything about, especially since I just signed a deal. I’m here for as long as they want me.”

Rather than fully committing to a youth movement, Blazers management wants to keep some veterans around to guide the young talent, Highkin adds. He states that general manager Joe Cronin doesn’t want a situation similar to the one in Detroit, where a lack of that type of leadership has contributed to a 4-37 record. Cronin would prefer to emulate Houston, which added four veterans in free agency last summer and is contending for a play-in spot.

There are more trade rumors to pass along:

  • The Nets, who need to find a point guard that can score, appear to have interest in the HawksDejounte Murray, per Ian Begley of SNY.tv, who adds that Brooklyn and Atlanta discussed a deal involving Murray and Spencer Dinwiddie earlier this season. Dinwiddie is viewed as the most likely Brooklyn player to be moved, and sources tell Brian Lewis of The New York Post that several teams called about him last season.
  • The Knicks would have interest in Bruce Brown if the Raptors decide to move him after acquiring him yesterday in the Siakam deal, Begley states (video link). New York pursued Brown in free agency before being outbid by Indiana, and Begley notes that he would replace some of the play-making and perimeter defense the Knicks lost when they traded RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley last month.
  • The Knicks are also looking to trade Quentin Grimes, who has been frustrated by limited playing time all season, sources tell Stefan Bondy of The New York Post (subscription required).
  • During a SportsCenter appearance (video link), ESPN’s Dave McMenamin said a Lakers trade involving Bulls guard Zach LaVine is “not happening.” He adds that L.A. is seeking point guard help and identifies Tyus Jones from the Wizards and Collin Sexton from the Jazz as possible targets.

Northwest Notes: Sexton, Clarkson, Jazz, Thunder, Sharpe

Collin Sexton has started the past 17 games for the Jazz, with the team going 13-4 in those contests and completely turning around their season, writes The Salt Lake Tribune’s Andy Larsen. Sexton — who was once viewed as an available trade piece — is among the league’s top per-possession scorers and is averaging 28.1 points per 36 minutes over the past 30 days, sixth in the NBA.

Collin’s been playing really well, at a high level. He’s really picking his spots, when to attack, when to facilitate, and when to slow down and when to use his speed,” teammate Lauri Markkanen said. “I think he’s playing a really high level right now and we need him to keep it up.

Larsen observes Sexton’s made changes to his game, including the pace at which he plays and improving his efficiency.

Collin’s one of the best athletes I’ve ever been around. He gets incredibly low to the floor when he drives, he’s very strong, very explosive, and he’s able to play through contact,” head coach Will Hardy said. “We know can get in the paint at will — maybe not every time, but most times he can get into paint, and his decision making has really improved in those spots.

Sarah Todd of The Deseret News explores a similar topic, writing that Jordan Clarkson has also helped turn Utah’s fortunes around in recent weeks. Since returning from a hamstring injury, Clarkson is averaging 19.8 points and a career-best 5.9 assists in 11 games while breaking the Jazz’s 15-year triple-double drought in early January.

It’s been feeling really great, to be honest,” Clarkson said. “I think in the beginning of the year it was just tough. I think we were all trying to figure out each other. … Early in the season it’s hard to put a label on the team. Just credit to the coaching staff and all of us for sticking with it and coming out here and putting a good product out.

We have more from the Northwest Division:

  • Part of Sexton and Clarkson’s success comes from Hardy’s adjustments to the Jazz‘s rotation, Larsen writes in a separate piece. Every rotation player has more defined roles than they did at the beginning of the year, leading to guys like Kris Dunn and Simone Fontecchio improving in starting spots. Larsen also writes the bench unit has improved as a result of the progress made by, and changes to, the starting lineup, with the five-man bench lineup of Keyonte George, Clarkson, Ochai Agbaji, Kelly Olynyk and Walker Kessler outscoring opponents by 24 points per possession.
  • Tony Jones of The Athletic says that the Jazz‘s players have bought into the team’s changes. “We’ve just mixed and matched and put ingredients into the soup and kind of figured out what’s worked and what hasn’t worked,” Olynyk said. “We’re at the point where guys know their roles, and they are trying to be stars in their roles, and it’s all just working right now.
  • The Thunder are way ahead of their rebuilding timeline and are among the league’s top contenders, The Athletic’s John Hollinger notes. It’s an impressive feat alone, but becomes even more fascinating when considering many of the Thunder’s top guys have come from their own draft picks, like Chet Holmgren and Cason Wallace, and not the draft picks obtained from dismantling the Paul GeorgeRussell Westbrook core. Of course, as Hollinger acknowledges, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has become one of the NBA’s best players since being obtained in the George trade, while Jalen Williams was drafted using a Clippers pick. Hollinger argues the Thunder should look to move some of their non-rotation young guys and big contracts for a player who can help now, since their contention window has already started and they’ll have big contract decisions on the horizon.
  • Trail Blazers guard Shaedon Sharpe left Thursday’s matchup against the Thunder with a right adductor strain and did not return, according to team PR (Twitter link). Sharpe missed Portland’s Friday game at the Timberwolves due to the injury, The Oregonian’s Aaron J. Fentress tweets.