Southwest Notes: Bagley, Flagg, Coward, Plumlee
With the announcement that Kyrie Irving would not play this year, the rest of the Mavericks’ season is expected to function as something of a fact-finding mission, Mike Curtis writes for the Dallas Morning News.
Dallas has five players set to hit unrestricted free agency this summer, and one newcomer who has shown enough to warrant long-term consideration is Marvin Bagley III, who was a part of the Anthony Davis trade between the Mavs and Wizards.
“He’s a really good player,” coach Jason Kidd said of the former No. 2 overall pick. “He’s a grown-up and understands the NBA game a little bit. Sometimes it takes time. We all want it to happen overnight. I think the coaching staff, the media, everyone that’s been on this road trip or with him, has made him comfortable and you can see the way he’s playing.”
Since arriving in Dallas, Bagley has averaged 13.5 points and 8.8 rebounds in six games as a reserve and has three double-doubles in that span. Curtis points to the 26-year-old’s energy on the glass as a major factor in his success. Bagley is averaging 3.7 offensive rebounds per game with the Mavs and is a different archetype of big man than their top two centers, Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford.
Curtis writes that Bagley has yet to find a franchise that will commit to him, but a deal to keep him in Dallas as a reserve center could be mutually beneficial.
We have more from around the Southwest Division:
- Cooper Flagg remains out for the Mavericks‘ game against the Kings on Thursday, Curtis notes (via Twitter). This will mark the fifth absence in a row for Flagg, who is dealing with a midfoot sprain, after he had previously missed just four games all season. Even if Flagg were to miss extended time, he’s not in danger of missing out on any end-of-year awards, as the 65-game rule does not apply to Rookie of the Year or All-Rookie.
- Having traded Jaren Jackson Jr. for picks and unproven players and with Ja Morant‘s future with the team still up in the air, the Grizzlies may be in need of a new face of the franchise, prompting Damichael Cole of the Memphis Commercial Appeal to wonder if Cedric Coward can step into that role. As Cole writes, Coward is notably self-assured for a rookie. “He’s a very mature kid for his age,” coach Tuomas Iisalo said. “I think that’s a very valuable commodity to have.” Coward has been injured since early February, but has still been very engaged with the team, both during games and practices, teammate Jaylen Wells noted. For his part, Coward is trying to keep a level head with the prospect of such expectations being placed on his relatively inexperienced shoulders. “You just try to make the best of whatever situation it is,” he said. “Whether it’s franchise cornerstone, whether it’s a building block — no matter what it is, the title doesn’t mean anything to me.“
- Mason Plumlee knows he won’t be playing major minutes with the Spurs, but he’s excited to take advantage of whatever opportunities present themselves, Tom Orsborn writes for the San Antonio Express-News. “I think I’ve seen guys check in for five minutes and turn a game around,” he said. “That’s the way I look at it.” The soon-to-be 36-year-old is inactive due to “return to competition reconditioning” as he makes his way back from groin surgery, but he says he feels great and is ready to get started with an organization he’s long admired. “When I came into the league (as a late-first round pick in 2013), the Spurs had all the guys that were winning championships, and I just remember them being so sharp in everything they did on the court, and you hear about how well it’s run behind the scenes and everybody gets hired (to become head coaches) out of here,” he said. “So you kind of know coming in that there’s something that works, there’s something unique.”
Mavs Notes: Flagg, Middleton, Jones, Bagley
As the consensus No. 1 overall prospect in the 2025 draft, Cooper Flagg appeared likely to become the new face of a franchise for a rebuilding team. Instead, after the Mavericks lucked into the top pick on lottery night, he joined a club that already featured a pair of veteran stars – Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving – and hoped to make it back to the playoffs right away.
Less than a year later though, with the Mavericks holding a 19-33 record, Irving still not back from a torn ACL, and Davis having been sent to Washington at this week’s trade deadline, Dallas has become exactly the kind of rebuilding club that Flagg seemingly avoided last June.
In trading Davis to the Wizards, the Mavs are handing the former Duke star the keys to the franchise and placing a new level of responsibility on his shoulders, writes Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News (subscription required). For his part, Flagg seems unfazed by the change in plans.
“Honestly, it doesn’t really change much,” he said on Saturday. “I’m just gonna go out there every night and try to be consistent and try to be the best version of myself. Whatever that looks like, whoever is out there with me, I hope we just compete at a very high level.”
After a slightly slow start in the fall, Flagg has ramped up his production over the course of his rookie year. The NBA’s youngest player has increased his season-long averages to 20.3 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game and is shooting 48.4% from the floor and 80.6% from the free throw line. His ability to quickly adjust to the NBA game gave the front office the confidence to move on from Davis and pivot to Flagg’s timeline.
“He’s such a special individual at just 19 years old,” interim co-GM Matt Riccardi said, per Curtis. “He carries himself at a mature age. Everything he does is just natural to him. He is genuinely that person and we’re lucky to have him and grateful that we get to build a roster around him.”
Here’s more on the Mavs:
- While there has been some speculation that veteran forward Khris Middleton could emerge as a buyout candidate after being traded from Washington to Dallas in the Davis blockbuster, there’s no indication that’s the plan in the short term. Middleton joined his new team in San Antonio on Saturday and is hoping to make his Mavs debut on Tuesday in Phoenix, tweets Christian Clark of The Athletic.
- Having traded three guards (D’Angelo Russell, Jaden Hardy, and the injured Dante Exum) to the Wizards along with Davis, Dallas tweaked the deal to make it a three-teamer that sent Tyus Jones from the Hornets to the Mavs. Head coach Jason Kidd said on Saturday he expects Jones to be “successful” with the Mavs, lauding the point guard for his “extremely high” basketball IQ (Twitter video link via Curtis). Jones had four points and seven assists and was a +18 in 17 minutes in his first game as a Maverick.
- Jones wasn’t the only new Mav who had a strong debut on Saturday in a losing effort in San Antonio. Big man Marvin Bagley III racked up 16 points, 12 rebounds, and four blocks in 24 minutes off the bench. According to Curtis, his eight offensive rebounds represented a franchise record for a Mavs debut. “I just tried to go out there and play my game and be myself,” Bagley said. “It was a lot of traveling the last couple of days, coming into Dallas yesterday, doing physicals and getting right on a plane to come (to San Antonio). But that’s a part of it. That’s a part of the job. I just tried to control what I could control and do my best to be myself.”
Mavericks Send Anthony Davis To Wizards In Three-Team Deal
February 5: The trade has been finalized, the Mavericks and Wizards announced. It was officially completed as a three-team deal, with the Hornets receiving Malaki Branham and the Mavs receiving Tyus Jones. Charlotte confirmed its part of the trade in a press release.
“Anthony Davis is one of the most accomplished players of his generation, and we are thrilled to have him in Washington,” said Wizards general manager Will Dawkins. “Anthony’s championship experience and defensive pedigree bring a new level of opportunity and excitement to this franchise.”
February 4: The Mavericks are trading big man Anthony Davis to the Wizards, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania, who reports (via Twitter) that Jaden Hardy, D’Angelo Russell, and Dante Exum will also head to Washington in the deal.
In return, the Mavericks will receive Khris Middleton, AJ Johnson, Malaki Branham, Marvin Bagley III, two first-round picks, and three second-rounders, sources tell Charania.
Those first-rounders will be a “least favorable” 2026 pick that will almost certainly be the Thunder’s, plus the Warriors’ top-20 protected 2030 pick, per Charania. The second-rounders are Phoenix’s 2026 pick, Chicago’s 2027 pick, and Houston’s 2029 selection.
Davis had been on the trade block in Dallas for much of the season, but there was some doubt about whether a deal would materialize after he suffered a hand injury expected to sideline him for at least most of February, if not beyond that. Rumored suitors like Atlanta and Toronto appeared to back off to some extent, opening the door for a surprise team like the Wizards to make a deal.
While Washington is an unlikely landing spot for a veteran star like Davis, the 13-36 Wizards are clearly pivoting toward being competitive next season, having acquired four-time All-Star Trae Young from Atlanta last month and now pairing him with a 10-time All-Star in Davis.
According to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line, the Wizards would ideally like to use second-year big man Alex Sarr as a “super-sized” and “switchable” power forward and had been seeking another impact frontcourt player to use alongside him. Washington explored a possible deal for Kings center Domantas Sabonis and had considered making a run at Jazz center Walker Kessler in restricted free agency before pulling the trigger on a trade for Davis, Fischer says.
As they did with Young, the Wizards are buying low on Davis amid an injury-plagued season in which he has dealt with several separate health issues and has been limited to 20 appearances. Although the draft-pick haul they’re giving up for AD looks substantial at first glance, the 2026 first-rounder will likely end up at No. 30, while the 2030 selection will turn into a ’30 second-rounder if it lands in the top 20.
Like Young, who has yet to make his Wizards debut as he rests a knee injury, Davis appears unlikely to play much – if at all – during the second half of this season. Washington will owe its 2026 first-round pick to New York if it lands outside the top eight, so the club will likely do all it can to avoid that scenario. Resting its veteran stars should help that cause.
Despite the modest value of the first-round picks changing hands, the Wizards’ package likely appealed to Dallas due to the financial flexibility it will afford the team going forward. Besides moving off Davis’ maximum-salary contract, which will pay him $58.5MM in 2026/27, with a $62.8MM player option for ’27/28, the Mavs will remove Hardy’s $6MM guaranteed salary and Russell’s $6MM player option for ’26/27 from their books.
Besides giving the Mavericks more cap flexibility going forward, the deal will also generate considerable short-term savings, with the Wizards taking advantage of their significant breathing room below the luxury tax line to take on more than $24MM in 2025/26 salary. Dallas had been operating right up against the second tax apron but will move all the way out of apron and tax territory with this move, resulting in $57MM in savings, tweets cap expert Yossi Gozlan.
Most importantly, the trade lines up the Mavs to begin building around star rookie Cooper Flagg. Dallas will have a pair of first-round picks in a strong 2026 draft, including their own selection which is on track to be a lottery pick. And the team has a much cleaner cap sheet to work with moving forward, even with long-term deals for role players like P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford still on the books.
Still, the return for Davis stands in stark contrast to what they gave up to get him just one year ago. Under former head of basketball operations Nico Harrison, the 32-year-old was the centerpiece of the package the Mavs received for franchise player Luka Doncic. Since making that deal, the franchise has parted ways with Harrison and now done the same with Davis, conceding that it made a major mistake at the 2025 deadline.
Latest On Anthony Davis Trade
Rumors began to emerge Tuesday about a “secret Eastern Conference team” that might have interest in trading for Anthony Davis, according to Marc Stein of The Stein Line (subscription required). Those whispers turned out to be legitimate as the Wizards swooped in to acquire the 10-time All-Star, furthering a shocking roster overhaul that began with a trade for Trae Young four weeks ago.
Stein states that the Mavericks elected to take the “only palatable” trade offer that was available for Davis, who has been sidelined since January 6 with a hand injury. Stein notes that the Raptors also expressed interest in acquiring Davis, but any deal with Toronto would have required Dallas to take on unwanted long-term contracts.
Even though the Mavs got limited value in the two first-round picks they acquired from Washington and no players who fit into their long-term plans, Stein hears that they decided it was best to act now because Khris Middleton has a $33.3MM expiring contract and wouldn’t be able to be included in the deal if the teams waited until summer.
Stein adds that the primary motivation in unloading Davis is to begin constructing the roster around star rookie Cooper Flagg, with one team source saying, “The building-around-Cooper Era starts now for real.” Parting with Davis’ maximum-salary contract — and his desire for an extension this summer — gives Dallas much more flexibility to add players who are a better fit with Flagg’s timeline.
Stein shares a few more tidbits regarding the trade:
- Sources tell Stein the Wizards wanted to add Davis to prove to Young that they’re serious about becoming a playoff contender. Young holds a $49MM player option for next season, and Washington is hoping to work out a long-term extension with him this summer.
- Stein hears that rival teams have expressed interest to Dallas in acquiring Marvin Bagley III, who was in the midst of a productive season as a backup big man with the Wizards. Bagley has a $2.3MM expiring contract.
- At one time, the Wizards were projected to have about $80MM in cap room for the offseason, but Stein states that they were realistic about their chances of landing impact free agents and opted to pursue Young and Davis in “pre-agency” instead. Stein adds that Washington has been searching for a center who allows Alex Sarr to fit into his more natural position of power forward, but Davis has historically preferred to play at the four spot as well so it’s not clear how their duties will be defined.
Southeast Notes: McCollum, Wizards, Magic, Powell, Herro
There has been a greater focus in the past 24 hours on what Trae Young will bring to his new team in Washington, but Rod Beard of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution notes that CJ McCollum could be a valuable rest-of-season addition for the Hawks.
While Young has battled injuries and has been available for just 10 games so far this season, McCollum appeared in each of the Wizards’ first 35 contests and was off to a strong start for his new team, averaging 18.8 points, 3.6 assists, and 3.5 rebounds in 30.9 minutes per night, with a .454/.393/.804 shooting line.
Beard acknowledges that McCollum isn’t the play-maker that Young is, but observes that the 34-year-old should provide a little more resistance defensively than the longtime Hawk. McCollum has also historically been a more efficient scorer with a lower usage rate, which could make him a good fit alongside Atlanta’s current top scorers, Jalen Johnson and Nickeil Alexander-Walker.
We have more from the Southeast:
- After a 1-15 start to the season, Washington has posted a more respectable 9-11 mark, including a recent stretch of five wins in seven games. According to Josh Robbins of The Athletic, several Wizards believe a November 16 players-only meeting was a turning point in the team’s season. “We weren’t meeting that standard at the time,” big man Marvin Bagley III said. “I think that meeting was well-needed. I spoke up and said my piece, and guys in the locker room spoke up as well, and we had a good talk. I think we came out closer as a unit, and it makes us understand each other more and want to go out and compete for each other. You can see it.”
- Orlando will be making a bid to host the 2030 NBA All-Star Game, as Jason Siegel, the president and CEO of the Greater Orlando Sports Commission announced on Thursday. Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (subscription required) has the story on the bid, which he says the Magic support.
- Speaking of the All-Star Game, Heat guard Norman Powell believes he “definitely” has a strong case to play in this year’s event, but he says he learned after last year’s snub not to get his hopes up, per Ira Winderman of The South Sun Sentinel (subscription required). “I want to make it. I think I deserve to make it,” said Powell, who is averaging a career-high 24.3 points per game on .490/.423/.861 shooting. “You know, my peers around the league after games and things like that are telling me that I’m an All-Star and that I should be there.”
- In his return from a toe injury on Tuesday, Heat guard Tyler Herro came off the bench for the first time since the 2023/24 season. Speaking after the game to reporters, including Winderman, Herro downplayed the subject, suggesting that it was “not really an adjustment” to be a reserve and that he was just grateful to be playing at all. “Just being out there was my biggest thing that I wanted to feel, and that’s how I felt,” he said. “I felt good. I’m healthy. So I just want to be available and be healthy.”
Trade Rumors: Sexton, Wolves, Pelicans, Hawks, Bagley
Although the Hornets are willing to discuss potential trades, they still hope they can contend for a play-in spot and aren’t looking to simply sell off veterans, writes Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link). According to Fischer, veteran guard Collin Sexton and his expiring $19MM contract looks like Charlotte’s most logical trade candidate.
Minnesota is one team that has done its homework on Sexton, Fischer says, explaining that the Timberwolves appear to be trying to get a sense of their range of options at the point guard spot as they seek an upgrade on their current options. While sources tell Fischer that the Wolves are adamant about not including budding star Jaden McDaniels in any deals, rival executives suspect the back-to-back conference finalists will be more aggressive on the trade market than most other Western contenders.
As Fischer explains, teams like the Thunder, Nuggets, Rockets, and Spurs aren’t considered likely to make in-season splashes, so the only other club currently in the top six of the West that figures to be actively seeking meaningful upgrades is the Lakers. And it remains to be seen whether they’ll be able to acquire the sort of three-and-D player they’d love to add.
Here are a few more NBA trade rumors:
- As coveted as Pelicans forward Herbert Jones and Trey Murphy III are, sources believe they’re unlikely to be moved at the trade deadline, writes Brett Siegel of Clutch Points. Rival scouts view Jose Alvarado, Saddiq Bey, Jordan Hawkins, and Jordan Poole as New Orleans’ more likely trade candidates, in that order, per Siegel.
- Although the Hawks have checked in on Mavericks big man Anthony Davis, there has been no momentum in those talks and there’s a sense that Atlanta is more likely to target a lower-salary replacement if the team builds a deal around Kristaps Porzingis‘ expiring contract ahead of the deadline, says Siegel. One hypothetical proposal put forth by league personnel would see the Hawks target a package like Nikola Vucevic and Coby White from the Bulls, though there’s no indication that the two teams have explored that sort of trade, Siegel clarifies, noting that it’s just an example of the type of move that would likely appeal more to Atlanta than going after someone like Davis.
- Siegel singles out Wizards big man Marvin Bagley III as a player to watch ahead of the deadline, writing that he has begun generating interest from teams looking to fortify their frontcourts.
Knicks May Move Guerschon Yabusele By Trade Deadline
The Knicks are open to trading Guerschon Yabusele before the February 5 deadline, according to James L. Edwards III of The Athletic.
The 30-year-old big man was the team’s top free agency addition over the summer, but he hasn’t been effective in the first two months of the season, averaging 3.0 points and 2.2 rebounds in 9.6 minutes per night while shooting 39.4% from the field and 30.6% from three-point range. His numbers across the board are down sharply from what he posted in Philadelphia last season as he returned to the NBA after five years in Europe.
Yabusele is making $5.5MM this season and holds a $5.7MM player option for 2026/27, and multiple league executives tell Edwards that New York will likely have to give up other assets to get another team to take that contract.
The Knicks have been reaching out to rival teams in their search for another ball-handler and frontcourt player, Edwards hears from league sources. They don’t have a veteran lead guard in place who can play dependable minutes when Jalen Brunson rests. Edwards notes that Tyler Kolek has shown promise, especially during the past week, but there’s no guarantee he’s ready to fill that role.
New York is also looking for another big man, as the options on the current roster are limited behind Karl-Anthony Towns and Mitchell Robinson. Robinson is having another outstanding rebounding season, pulling down 8.6 boards per game in 18.2 minutes per night, but Edwards states that he’s still on a load management program in hopes of keeping him healthy for the playoffs. Robinson has been plagued by injuries throughout his career, and the Knicks aren’t in position to withstand a long-term absence.
The Knicks face financial limitations as they eye the trade market because of their proximity to the hard cap. They’ve been carrying 14 players on standard contracts all season and can’t fill their roster opening until early April.
With those restrictions in mind, Edwards identifies a few potential trade candidates:
- Ayo Dosunmu — The Bulls guard would provide ball-handling and defense, but his $7.5MM salary means New York would have to send back Landry Shamet ($2.3MM), who was productive before injuring his shoulder, or possibly Pacome Dadiet ($2.9MM) or Kolek ($2.2MM) along with Yabusele or Miles McBride ($4.3MM). Edwards is skeptical about Chicago’s willingness to take Yabusele’s contract, so McBride would likely have to be part of the deal.
- Jose Alvarado — Edwards suggests that the Pelicans guard may be more obtainable than Dosunmu, and his contract ($4.5MM with a $4.5MM player option for next season) would be easier to fit onto the roster. He also points out that the Knicks have multiple second-round picks that could be used to entice New Orleans to part with Alvarado.
- Marvin Bagley III — His defense remains shaky, but he has been scoring and rebounding for the Wizards and his $2.2MM cap hit makes him an inexpensive option as a third center. Edwards believes he might be obtainable for a second-round pick.
Southeast Notes: Miller, Kalkbrenner, Connaughton, Bagley, Mosley
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.
Southeast Notes: Diabate, Johnson, Powell, Herro, Sarr, Bagley
While the Hornets are off to a disappointing start this season, having won just four of their first 15 games, their depth in the middle hasn’t been as big a problem as it looked like it might be entering training camp. After trading Mark Williams and Jusuf Nurkic over the summer, Charlotte has gotten impressive production from rookie Ryan Kalkbrenner, who has started 14 games and is leading the NBA with an 81.1% field goal percentage.
Former second-round pick Moussa Diabate, meanwhile, has been one of the league’s most effective backups, with 10.1 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks in 22.9 minutes per game. Despite his modest role, Diabate ranks third in the NBA with 62 offensive rebounds, behind only Donovan Clingan and Steven Adams. But the big man’s impact goes beyond those offensive boards, according to head coach Charles Lee.
“Offensively, he’s grown (from) being more than just an offensive rebounder,” Lee said, per Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer. “I think that his screening has gotten a lot better, understanding coverage solutions versus switching, versus center field. I also think that his adjustment off penetration — like working the dunker area — has gotten really good. He’s got good hands down there, so guys feel comfortable with some dump-offs.”
As Boone writes, Lee wore a shirt during a media session earlier this month that featured Diabate and the caption “Moose on the Loose.” The 23-year-old center responded with a smile when asked about that piece of apparel.
“It’s great,” Diabate said. “I’ve come far now. So, it’s just funny how quickly things can turn around, in the span of, what, a year and a half? I go from a two-way, not even thinking that I was going to play, thinking I’m being a G League the whole year. Literally just damn near got cut by the Clippers to now having a shirt (worn) by one of the NBA head coaches. So, it’s a great feeling. It’s a blessing, and I’m just happy to be able to keep it going.”
We have more from around the Southeast:
- Hawks forward Jalen Johnson spoke to Marc J. Spears of Andscape about how getting a “reality check” in the G League during his first NBA season helped change his mindset and his trajectory as a pro. Johnson, who played just 120 total minutes in 22 games as a rookie in 2021/22, is now a rising star in year five, with averages of 22.3 points, 9.6 rebounds, 6.6 assists, and 1.8 steals per game so far this season, plus a shooting line of .580/.400/.812.
- Heat swingman Norman Powell, who missed three games earlier in the season due to a right groin strain, exited Friday’s contest early with a left groin strain. However, he was able to return to action and finish the game, then downplayed the issue after a Miami victory. “I saw the doctors and they’re not worried about it,” Powell said (Twitter link via Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald). “They don’t think it can get any worse. So it’s all about pain tolerance. I have a high pain tolerance, so I’m not too worried about it.”
- With the Heat on a roll (six wins in eight games) and Tyler Herro about to make his season debut, should there be any concerns about the guard’s fit in the lineup? Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel (subscription required) doesn’t think so, arguing that the return of an All-Star player should only make a good team better, even if it creates some tough lineup decisions.
- The Wizards were shorthanded in the frontcourt on Friday, as second-year center Alex Sarr missed a second consecutive game due to left big toe soreness (Twitter link). Marvin Bagley III, who started in Sarr’s place on Wednesday and played nearly 31 minutes, was also unavailable on Friday due to a right hip contusion. With two of their top big men out, the Wizards were out-rebounded 48-29 in a 30-point blowout loss to Toronto.
Contract Details: A. Jackson, K. Jones, Small, Sanders, Bagley
The Bucks originally had a July 7 deadline to decide whether or not they wanted to guarantee Andre Jackson‘s full $2.22MM salary for the 2025/26 season, but reporting on Monday indicated that the team had awarded the guard a partial guarantee on that figure as part of an agreement to move back his full salary guarantee date.
According to Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter link), Jackson received an $800K partial guarantee as part of that agreement, locking in a little over a third of his ’25/26 salary. His new guarantee date will be one day before the start of the regular season in the fall.
In other words, if Jackson earns a spot on the Bucks’ opening night roster, his full salary for next season will be locked in, but the team has a few more months to make that decision.
Here are a few more contract details from around the NBA:
- Kam Jones‘ four-year, $8.7MM contract with the Pacers is fully guaranteed in year one, with a 50% partial guarantee for year two, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). That means only about $2.35MM of Jones’ total salary will be guaranteed, including $1.27MM in year one. The 6’5″ guard was the 38th overall pick in last month’s draft.
- The two-way contract that No. 48 overall pick Javon Small signed with the Grizzlies will cover two seasons, per Scotto (Twitter link). That will put Small on track for restricted free agency in 2027 if he’s not promoted (or waived) before then.
- Kobe Sanders‘ two-way contract with the Clippers is also for two years, tweets Smith. Sanders was the No. 50 overall pick in the 2025 draft.
- Marvin Bagley III‘s one-year, minimum-salary deal with the Wizards is guaranteed, Hoops Rumors has learned. Washington now has 16 players on guaranteed contracts, plus Richaun Holmes and Justin Champagnie on non-guaranteed deals, so some roster moves will be necessary in D.C. at some point — the team won’t have to resolve that situation until the day before the regular season, however.