Jaden Ivey Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Central Notes: Pistons, Thompson, Giannis, Middleton, Jones

October 21st, 2025 at 8:58am CST by Luke Adams

Having not agreed to terms with center Jalen Duren or guard Jaden Ivey ahead of Monday’s deadline for rookie scale extensions, the Pistons now have an eventful offseason on tap for 2026, writes Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press (subscription required).

As Sankofa notes, besides entering restricted free agency with Duren and Ivey, Detroit will also have to deal with Tobias Harris‘ unrestricted free agency — the veteran forward won’t become extension-eligible prior to reaching the open market. Additionally, 2023 lottery pick Ausar Thompson will become eligible for a rookie scale extension with his own next July, so the team may be negotiating with him at the same time as it tries to resolve Duren’s and Ivey’s contract situations.

While Duren and Ivey should do very well for themselves in free agency if they have strong seasons in 2025/26, Thompson has the tools to earn the most lucrative contract of the trio if he has a breakout year after a healthy offseason. Teammate Cade Cunningham is confident about Thompson’s chances to have a big third season, as Hunter Patterson of The Athletic details.

“Ausar had a great summer,” Cunningham said in September. “I think he’s really going to make a lot of noise this year. He’s going to wake a lot of people up in a loud way.”

“I don’t think about (having a breakout season), but if my mentality is where I want it to be every single game, then I should be able to do that,” Thompson said.

We have more from around the Central Division:

In a separate story for The Detroit Free Press (subscription required), Sankofa takes a closer look at what the Pistons‘ rotation will look like without Ivey to open the season, exploring whether two-way player Daniss Jenkins has a chance to earn regular minutes and considering whether spacing or power forward depth will be an issue for the team.
Speaking about how important his legacy is to him, Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo said he’s solely focused on winning rather than “stats” and that he doesn’t consider himself to be in the same tier as all-time NBA greats like Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Wilt Chamberlain, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar — at least not yet. “That’s the goal,” Antetokounmpo said, per Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. “I’m not there yet. They’re like top 10 all-time. I’ve got a lot of work to do. But I’m going to be there.”
Wizards forward Khris Middleton will be returning to Milwaukee on Wednesday for the first time as an opponent since the Bucks traded him at last season’s deadline. As Bijan Todd of Monumental Sports Network relays (via Twitter), Middleton expects it to be an “emotional” night. Antetokounmpo, Middleton’s longtime teammate, echoed that sentiment. “I think the most important thing, he should get the warmest welcome ever,” Giannis said (Twitter link via Eric Nehm of The Athletic). “When he comes here and he sees the tribute video, he should be in tears crying before the game. I cannot explain how much Khris means to this team. I cannot explain how much Khris means to me. … That’s my brother for life. We’ve done incredible things together, so I cannot wait to see him tear up on Wednesday.”
Noe Padilla and Ryan Murphy of The Indianapolis Star share some additional details on Kam Jones‘ Monday arrest, writing that the rookie guard told police he was “running late for practice for the Indiana Pacers” when he was pulled over for erratic driving. Jones, who allegedly didn’t comply for several minutes when police tried to stop him, said that he didn’t realize right away that he was being pulled over.

No Rookie Scale Extensions For Rockets’ Eason, 11 Others

October 20th, 2025 at 5:24pm CST by Luke Adams

The Rockets and forward Tari Eason failed to come to terms on a rookie scale extension ahead of the 5:00 pm Central time deadline on Monday, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).

Entering the day, Eason looked like one of the top remaining candidates to sign a rookie scale extension, along with Nuggets wing Christian Braun and Hawks guard Dyson Daniels. However, while Braun and Daniels completed deals worth $25MM annually, the Rockets and Eason were unable to find common ground “on multiple fronts,” according to Charania.

That wording suggests the two sides not have seen eye to eye on both years and dollars, or perhaps they disagreed over how the end of a potential extension would be structured in terms of options and/or guaranteed money.

According to Kelly Iko of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link), the Rockets and Eason’s camp had been “far apart in valuation” for weeks and weren’t able to bridge that gap despite an 11th hour push from the team, which was in position to work out an agreement with Eason after extending Kevin Durant over the weekend.

Eason is one of 12 players who didn’t sign rookie scale extensions prior to Monday’s deadline despite being eligible. Those players will now be on track for restricted free agency when their rookie scale contracts expire during the 2026 offseason.

Here’s that full list of players, sorted by their 2022 draft position and with their projected 2026 qualifying offers included in parentheses:

Jaden Ivey, Pistons ($13,402,098)
Bennedict Mathurin, Pacers ($12,256,222)
Jeremy Sochan, Spurs ($9,615,393)
Ousmane Dieng, Thunder ($9,132,437)
Jalen Duren, Pistons ($8,966,188)
Ochai Agbaji, Raptors ($8,879,483)
Mark Williams, Suns ($8,774,590)
Tari Eason, Rockets ($8,014,182)
Dalen Terry, Bulls ($7,661,348)
Malaki Branham, Wizards ($7,110,593)
Walker Kessler, Jazz ($7,064,702)
Peyton Watson, Nuggets ($6,534,714)

Those qualifying offers, which must be issued in order to make the player a restricted free agent, are subject to change depending on whether or not the player meets the starter criteria next season. A player drafted in the top 14 who falls short of the criteria would have a qualifying offer worth $8,774,590. A player who was drafted between No. 10 and No. 30 and achieves the starter criteria would see the value of his QO increase to $9,615,393.

A team that issues a qualifying offer to a potential restricted free agent gains the right of first refusal on that player and can match any offer sheet he signs with a rival suitor. A player who doesn’t get a QO next June would hit the market as an unrestricted free agent.

Magic forward Paolo Banchero, Thunder teammates Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams, Kings forward Keegan Murray, Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr., Trail Blazers guard Shaedon Sharpe, and Heat forward Nikola Jovic joined Braun and Daniels in signing rookie scale extensions, bringing the total for 2025 to nine. The details on those deals can be viewed here.

Extension Rumors: Daniels, Ivey, Duren, Eason, Braun, Sharpe

October 18th, 2025 at 7:39pm CST by Arthur Hill

After talking to agents and executives around the league, Jake Fischer of The Stein Line states in his latest Substack column (subscription required) that there will likely be few, if any, rookie scale extensions reached before Monday’s deadline that carry an average annual value larger than $25MM. Fischer adds that teams have become more cautious about handing out large deals because of the restrictions that accompany the first and second aprons.

He points to Hawks guard Dyson Daniels as someone who should be in good position to match the five-year, $150MM extensions that teammate Jalen Johnson and Orlando guard Jalen Suggs both received last offseason. However, sources tell Fischer that Atlanta’s front office is willing to let Daniels test restricted free agency next year if he won’t sign on the team’s terms.

Fischer notes that Daniels’ agent, Daniel Moldovan, also represents Josh Giddey, who just went through a months-long standoff with the Bulls in restricted free agency. Fischer adds that Daniels would likely be entering a more robust market for restricted free agents than the one that Giddey faced.

Fischer offers more information on players eligible for rookie scale extensions:

Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren haven’t made much progress in their extension talks with the Pistons, sources tell Fischer. He suggests that management might be extra cautious with Ivey following arthroscopic surgery on his right knee this week. Ivey’s camp expects an active market if he does hit free agency, even though he’s also coming off a fractured left tibia that cost him most of last season. Sources describe negotiations with Duren as “tepid” so far, per Fischer, who adds that his representatives are asking for a new deal worth much more than $30MM in AAV and are also optimistic about his prospects on the open market.
The Rockets are hoping to sign Tari Eason to an extension that’s “significantly lower” than the five-year, $122MM deal that Jabari Smith Jr. accepted this summer, according to Fischer. The outcome of the Eason negotiations will affect what Houston is willing to give Kevin Durant in his extension talks, Fischer adds. With Amen Thompson expected to receive a max extension next offseason, Houston is being careful about not overloading its salary commitments. Fischer talked to capologists who said they would recommend limiting any Durant offers to $80MM over two years. As Fischer notes, it’s not certain that Durant would remain with the Rockets at that number.
It seems unlikely that Christian Braun will reach an extension agreement with the Nuggets, Fischer states. Sources tell him that Denver is already sending signals that it doesn’t want to become a taxpaying team next season, while Braun and his camp are hoping for a deal at $25MM in average annual value. The Nuggets are also holding extension talks with Peyton Watson, but Fischer suggests a new deal with him may not happen unless they can’t agree to terms with Braun.
Fischer views Trail Blazers guard Shaedon Sharpe as the most likely remaining candidate to hammer out an extension before the deadline. Rival teams that Fischer contacted expect Portland to give Sharpe something in the neighborhood of $100MM over four years.
Suns center Mark Williams, Jazz center Walker Kessler and Pacers wing Bennedict Mathurin all appear headed for restricted free agency, Fischer states. Of the three, Fischer points to Mathurin as the most likely to change teams because of Indiana’s reluctance to add more long-term salary.

Injury Notes: Embiid, George, Sabonis, Chomche, Ivey

October 16th, 2025 at 11:35pm CST by Rory Maher

Sixers star Joel Embiid may or may not be available for Friday’s preseason finale against Minnesota, but there’s a good chance he’ll suit up for Philadelphia’s regular season opener next week, Chris Haynes reported on NBA TV (Twitter video link).

According to Haynes, the 76ers plan to be “very cautious” with Embiid throughout the season. The veteran NBA insider added that he does not expect the 31-year-old center to play in back-to-backs in 2025/26.

While Sixers forward Paul George is expected to be sidelined for next Wednesday’s season opener vs. Boston, he has made “significant progress” in his recovery from offseason knee surgery and likely won’t miss many games beyond that, league sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN. George won’t return until he feels fully healthy, Charania added on NBA Today (Twitter video link).

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

Kings center Domantas Sabonis suffered a right hamstring injury in Wednesday’s preseason loss. Haynes hears (via Twitter) the three-time All-Star has a “mild” strain and has been ruled out of Friday’s preseason finale vs. the Lakers. Despite the relatively positive update, Matt George of ABC 10 thinks the Lithuanian big man will likely miss some time to start the season (Twitter link).
Second-year center Ulrich Chomche, who was on a two-way deal with Toronto prior to being waived by the Raptors on Thursday, has been referred to the NBA’s fitness-to-play panel, reports Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca (via Twitter). Chomche has been dealing with an unspecified health issue that prevented him from participating in training camp and preseason, tweets Michael Grange of Sportsnet.
Pistons guard Jaden Ivey underwent arthroscopic right knee surgery on Thursday after his 2024/25 campaign was cut short due to a broken left fibula. Head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said there was no single incident that led to the procedure, writes Vincent Goodwill of ESPN.com. “It was something that was developing over his work. Obviously, from coming back but in training camp also, he started to feel something,” Bickerstaff said before Detroit’s final preseason game against the Wizards. “We took precautions, and then the medical team did their assessments and those things, and then had to make the decision that ultimately led us to where we are today.” The Pistons plan to be cautious with Ivey’s recovery process, according to Bickerstaff.

Jaden Ivey Undergoes Knee Surgery, Out At Least Four Weeks

October 16th, 2025 at 3:09pm CST by Rory Maher

Former No. 5 overall pick Jaden Ivey underwent an arthroscopic procedure on his right knee on Thursday to relieve discomfort, the Pistons announced in a press release. The team says the former Purdue star will be out at least four weeks, which is when he’ll be reevaluated.

According to Detroit, Ivey’s surgery and knee discomfort are not related to the fractured left fibula which ended his 2024/25 season after just 30 games. Following an arduous rehabilitation process, 23-year-old guard said he was 100 percent healthy entering training camp.

It’s unfortunate news for Ivey, who is eligible for a rookie scale extension until October 20, the day before the ’25/26 campaign begins.

It’s also a tough blow for the Pistons, who were hoping to see Ivey take a step forward in his fourth year. Now his season debut will be delayed until at least mid-November.

In 30 appearances last season, Ivey averaged 17.6 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.0 assists in 29.9 minutes per contest, posting a shooting slash line of .460/.409/.733. The 40.9% mark from long distance was a career-best percentage by a significant margin.

The Kings recently showed with Keegan Murray (thumb surgery) that teams aren’t necessarily afraid to make long-term investments in players who are injured. But for a variety of reasons, Ivey’s situation is a bit more complicated, and the procedure seemingly decreases the odds of an extension being reached in the next few days.

Ivey will earn about $10.1MM in the final year of his rookie scale contract. If he doesn’t sign an extension, he would be eligible for restricted free agency next summer.

With Ivey out, Ausar Thompson, Marcus Sasser, and Caris LeVert are among the players who could have more ball-handling responsibilities for Detroit. Duncan Robinson is also a crafty play-maker who can orchestrate a pick-and-roll, though he isn’t a primary initiator.

Pistons Notes: Ivey, Cunningham, Thompson, LeVert, Roster

October 2nd, 2025 at 6:13pm CST by Rory Maher

Pistons guard Jaden Ivey is fully healthy after being limited to 30 games last season due to a fractured left fibula, according to Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press (subscriber link). Ivey described his rehab as an arduous process.

“The journey has been definitely a grind to get back, to get healed, to get stronger,” Ivey said. “It’s definitely been a grind. I’m definitely thankful to be in this position right now, be able to be back healthy and to do what I’ve been working for my whole life, to be able to play this game. I’m healed now and looking forward to this next season.”

Head of basketball operations Trajan Langdon says the team is glad to have Ivey back, though he acknowledged there might be some rough periods as the former Purdue star gets accustomed to playing again. Ivey will be eligible for a rookie scale extension through October 20.

“There’s no restrictions on him,” Langdon said. “He’s looking really good, obviously. It will take him some time, he hasn’t played five-on-five NBA basketball in 10 months. By the time he gets going with that I think there’s going to be a rhythm component and even a game conditioning component that he’ll have to get up to speed. We look forward to having him back and he’s going to be a huge part of this team.”

Here’s more on the Pistons:

All-Star guard Cade Cunningham has high expectations for the Pistons after they made the playoffs last season, per Hunter Patterson of The Athletic. “We all want a championship out of this, you know? (Last season) was a great stepping stone for that,” Cunningham said. “We have no chance of going to get a championship without a year like last year. But there are more steps to be taken after that. I think our minds are just onto the next step, honestly. We’re not into celebrating last year anymore.”
Several players mentioned Ausar Thompson as a player who made noteworthy strides this offseason, Patterson adds. Thompson, who missed the start of last season with a blood clot issue, was fully healthy over the summer appears to have bulked up. “Being healthy for him was huge,” head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “Being able to work on his skill set, work on his craft, play more basketball over the summer, more one-on-one and those types of things were huge for him. … Coming into camp in just better shape will allow him to let his talents run. Conditioning is the ultimate cheat code. If you can play at your highest level longer than your opponent can, it’s going to give you an advantage. If Ausar can play at his highest level with his freak-of-nature abilities that come along with him, just imagine what he will be capable of.”
Bickerstaff was happy to reunite with veteran wing Caris LeVert, Sankofa writes in another subscriber-only story. Bickerstaff coached LeVert, who signed a two-year deal with Detroit in free agency, while the two were members of the Cavaliers. “His versatility is going to be key,” Bickerstaff said. “There’s so many different things you can do with him. … He can initiate offense and he’s really good as a second-side attacker. We’re going to use his versatility, but he can do so many different things and not just for himself. Having spent so much time with him, he’s a really good play-maker and passer. So he can help his teammates, also.”
As Keith Langlois of Pistons.com writes, Detroit lost some volume three-point shooters from last season’s roster, which ranked just 22nd in the league in three-point attempts. Bickerstaff is fine with shooting fewer threes if it means the team is benefiting in other areas. He also praised the group’s positional versatility. “We don’t need to have guys that are just one position,” Bickerstaff said. “We feel we have a bunch of guys that can play position-less basketball and it helps their skill set out. So what we’ll do is we’ll put the combinations that we see that work best for us. We’re not worried about having a backup one or a backup two. We’re trying to get talent on the floor.”

Pistons Notes: Extensions, Offseason Moves, Holland, Thompson, Stewart, Ivey

September 29th, 2025 at 11:32am CST by Dana Gauruder

The Pistons have until the end of training camp to reach rookie scale extensions with two key players, guard Jaden Ivey and center Jalen Duren. President of basketball operations Trajan Langdon didn’t tip his hand during Monday’s media day regarding those talks, Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press tweets.

“We’re excited they’re both members of the Pistons,” Langdon said. “They will have huge roles … whether or not we get deals done, I don’t know if that happens.”

If they don’t sign extensions, Ivey and Duren will be restricted free agents next summer.

Here’s more on the Pistons:

Other than the sign-and-trade for Duncan Robinson and the signing of free agent Caris LeVert, the Pistons didn’t make any major moves. Langdon made some calls this offseason but ultimately wanted to see what they have with their young core, Hunter Patterson of The Athletic tweets.
Ron Holland appeared in 81 regular season games last season, averaging 15.6 minutes in those contests. He could see even more playing time this season, as coach J.B. Bickerstaff was impressed with the work Holland put in this offseason, Patterson tweets.
While Ivey and franchise player Cade Cunningham will often have the ball in their hands, Ausar Thompson could initiate the offense more this season. “Ausar with the ball in his hands, he’s a nightmare,” Bickerstaff said, per Sankofa (Twitter link). “We look at how can we get the ball in his hands more, especially in the open floor.”
Isaiah Stewart was only able to play in Game 1 of their first-round series against the Knicks due to right knee inflammation. He believes he could have made a big difference. “It was frustrating, definitely frustrating. I felt if I played, the series would have turned out different and (we) would have been able to advance,” he said, per Sankofa (video link). Had the series gone to a seventh game, he would have tried to play.
As for this season, Stewart plans to take more shots from beyond the arc. He attempted 175 three-pointers in 2023/24 but only 53 last season. “Two seasons ago I shot almost 40% from the three,” he said, per Sankofa (Twitter link). “It’s a weapon, especially when we play certain teams and different coverages. I look forward to bringing that back.”
Are there any players on the roster who could work their way into the All-Star conversation besides Cunningham? Ivey and Thompson are the two players to watch, given that Ivey could have a bigger offensive role and Thompson contributes in so many ways, Sankofa opines.

Central Notes: Toppin, Giddey, Pistons, Bucks

September 18th, 2025 at 10:55am CST by Dana Gauruder

The Pacers will have to defend their Eastern Conference championship without Tyrese Haliburton, who will spend this season rehabbing from Achilles tendon surgery. Big man Obi Toppin still believes the Pacers can be “great” without their star guard.

“Ty brings so much to the team and it’s not hidden, everybody understands what he brings to the game,” Toppin told Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star. “So it’s just something that everybody on the team has to do while we’re out there, just doing a little extra knowing what we’re missing and knowing what we need out there on the court and just continue playing Pacers basketball. We’ve built the system here and I feel like everybody has bought into the system. That’s why we’ve been so successful. If we continue doing that, we’re gonna still be great.”

Here’s more from the Central Division:

Given Josh Giddey‘s defensive shortcomings, handing him a four-year, $100MM contract was a risky move, according to Julia Poe of the Chicago Tribune. While the Bulls got the deal done without egregiously overpaying, they can’t continue to make large commitments to players that can be exploited on the defensive end, Poe contends. Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun Times takes a different approach, stating that Giddey’s contract compares favorably to several of the Eastern Conference starting point guards.
The Detroit Free Press’ Omari Sankofa II projects a Pistons starting lineup of Jaden Ivey, Cade Cunningham, Ausar Thompson, Tobias Harris and Jalen Duren. Sankofa also looks a few other combinations that the coaching staff might want to explore this season.
Can the Bucks find a reliable point guard? Will Kyle Kuzma have a bounce-back campaign? Those are two of the five questions that could define Milwaukee’s season, according to The Athletic’s Eric Nehm, who takes a closer look at each of those issues.

Pistons Notes: Extensions, Thompson, Expectations, Predictions

September 12th, 2025 at 7:02pm CST by Eli Cohen

Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren are both approaching the October 20 deadline to sign contract extensions with the Pistons. With that clock ticking down, Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press examines several deals that could help set the market for Ivey and Duren as they enter extension negotiations.

Sankofa notes that the two young players had stretches of excellent play, but due to Ivey’s mid-season injury and Duren’s slow start, there are still questions that revolve around the duo’s long-term value to the organization.

Sankofa looks at Josh Giddey and his recent four-year, $100MM deal with the Bulls as a good measuring stick deal for Duren and Ivey. He also cites Jabari Smith Jr.‘s five-year, $122MM extension as well as Alperen Sengun‘s five-year, $185MM contracts with the Rockets, and Trey Murphy III‘s four-year, $112MM extension with the Pelicans as potential comparables for the two Pistons players.

While this offseason has been a difficult one for restricted free agents, next summer is set to have many more teams with cap space, which Sankofa speculates could convince one or both of Ivey and Duren to play out the season without a new deal to explore the marketplace.

We have more from the Pistons:

While having a full offseason could pay major dividends for Ivey as he recovers from his leg injury, it may benefit Ausar Thompson to an even greater extent, writes Hunter Patterson for The Athletic. Patterson notes that after missing last summer while recovering from a blood clot, conditioning was an occasional issue for the hard-playing Thompson. Patterson believes that having a summer to reach maximum conditioning while carrying over momentum from an encouraging playoff series against the Knicks could do wonders for Thompson’s development. Patterson is also encouraged by the synergy displayed between Thompson and franchise cornerstone Cade Cunningham, believing that the athletic wing and versatile point guard have games that blend together very effectively.
The Pistons jumped from 14 wins to 44 wins last season, earning the No. 6 seed in the East. While there is less room for such a dramatic improvement this season, Patterson predicts the team can take the next step and become a top-five seed in 2025/26, though he believes the Magic’s trade for Desmond Bane will give them the edge over the Pistons.
Pistons president Trajan Langdon is aware of the pressure coming off such an unexpectedly dramatic turnaround, but he’s not going to rush the team’s growth, writes Keith Langlois for NBA.com. Instead, Langdon is prioritizing building the right way and expecting results to follow from that blueprint. Langlois notes that the Pistons could have tried to push some chips in for a big move this summer in light of the uncertainty surrounding teams like the Pacers, Celtics, Bucks, and Sixers, but chose to make moves on the margin that would enhance the young core of the team. Because of that, Langlois writes, Langdon will likely judge the team’s success more on the growth of the young core, both individually and as a group, rather than strictly by wins added.

Pistons President Langdon: Young Core Remains Top Priority

August 27th, 2025 at 8:45am CST by Dana Gauruder

Building and developing the team’s young core remains the top priority for the Pistons, president of basketball operations Trajan Langdon told The Athletic’s Hunter Patterson.

Despite their surprising resurgence last season in which the Pistons — who had the worst record in the league in 2023/24 — made the playoffs, Langdon didn’t feel this offseason was the right time to make a splashy move for a big-time player.

Langdon planned to re-sign Malik Beasley before the sixth man was investigated as part of a federal gambling probe. Langdon then pivoted in free agency, signing Caris LeVert and acquiring Duncan Robinson in a sign-and-trade. He also re-signed backup big Paul Reed.

Langdon opted not to trade away any of his young regulars for a star-level player.

“We want to see what those guys’ ceilings are. It’s continuing to put players with them that can continue to help them grow, develop and reach their potential,” Langdon said. “That’s one thing we try to be as cognizant as possible of, which is something at times that can be challenging. Of course, you want to continue to get better, but we’re very aware of what the timing of that is. We want our guys to continue to develop and at least get close to their ceiling or potential. Then maybe at that point is when we realize, OK, what is the proper player fit for these guys when it’s time to really go?”

Once Langdon and the Pistons can assess how those young pieces fit, they’ll have a better idea what kind of player can lift the team to a higher echelon.

“I don’t think we truly understand who our players can be at this point,” he said. “I just think it’s too early for us to truly understand what the best way to press the proverbial gas pedal is right now. So, we’re gonna try to be patient with that and let our young guys continue to develop.”

Here’s more from Patterson’s interview with Langdon:

On potential rookie scale extensions for Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren:

“I’ll never speak to that. We’re happy to have them as Pistons, and we’ll continue to help them be the best possible versions of themselves and reach their potential. I thought (Duren) had a tremendous year last season, especially in the second half when we made the run. And (Ivey) got off to a great start before getting injured. We’re excited to have them both back at the start of this season.

On Cade Cunningham‘s leadership:

“He uses his voice well, in terms of holding them accountable and driving them in the right direction when he needs to. He’s also very supportive of them and allows them to be who they are as human beings, but also as basketball players.”

On not having any long-term commitments beyond Cunningham’s extension:

“Having optionality with your group, that’s all it is at the end of the day. You can’t predict how your team’s going to be from year to year. You want to make sure that if it’s going well, you can continue. Or, if there’s a way that you can get better, you want to be able to pivot. That’s how it is with us and not getting locked into something that you can’t get out of if it doesn’t go well. That’s always a difficult thing, for every team, for every organization, for every decision maker, because you can go either way. If you have a really good player that you don’t lock in long-term and then he leaves … well, that’s on you.”