Portland Trail Blazers Rumors

Siegel’s Latest: DeRozan, Sabonis, Wolves, Claxton, Kuminga, Wiggins

November 28th, 2025 at 12:30pm CST by Luke Adams

Of the three Kings veteran stars considered in-season trade candidates, DeMar DeRozan looks like the one most likely to be on the move ahead of the February 5 deadline, according to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints.

As Siegel explains, DeRozan’s relatively team-friendly contract structure – $24.6MM this season and a $10MM partial guarantee on his $25.7MM salary for 2026/27 – makes him a more manageable investment for most clubs than either Zach LaVine or Domantas Sabonis. LaVine is earning $47.5MM this season, with a $49MM player option for ’26/27, while Sabonis will be owed $94MM over the next two seasons after making $42.3MM in ’25/26.

The Bucks, Clippers, Heat, Trail Blazers, and Grizzlies are some of the potential suitors to watch for DeRozan, says Siegel, though he doesn’t explicitly state that all those clubs have shown interest in the veteran forward.

Sabonis, who is currently on the shelf with a meniscus tear, will likely have to show he’s healthy before drawing real interest on the trade market. According to Siegel, the Sacramento big man isn’t expected to begin the return-to-play portion of his recovery process until sometime around Christmas.

Here are a few more rumors from around the NBA, courtesy of Siegel:

There’s a “growing sense” that the Timberwolves would be willing to sell high on forward Julius Randle in the right deal this season, Siegel writes. Minnesota is known to be on the lookout for a point guard, having checked in on Ja Morant. The team has also inquired about Cavaliers guard Darius Garland for the past year-plus, sources tell Siegel. However, the Wolves’ lack of tradable first-round picks will be complicate their ability to make any major moves.
Nets center Nic Claxton is considered a trade candidate and has come up in discussions with sources around the NBA as a possible Warriors target, Siegel writes. However, given that the Nets showed no interest in pursuing Jonathan Kuminga using their cap room when he was a restricted free agent over the summer, it doesn’t appear the fifth-year forward would be a target for Brooklyn. Claxton has also been considered a potential Lakers target dating back to last season, Siegel notes.
The Pacers are among the teams that have been keeping an eye on Kuminga, having “quietly” scouted him since the start of last season, according to Siegel, who wonders if the Warriors would have any interest in a deal involving Bennedict Mathurin. There’s a sense around the league that Indiana might look to move a player like Mathurin, Jarace Walker, or Obi Toppin due in part to the club’s cap situation going forward, Siegel adds.
The Warriors are known to have interest in forwards Trey Murphy III and Herbert Jones and will likely talk to the Pelicans during the season, Siegel writes. It’s unclear if New Orleans would be open to moving either Murphy or Jones, but they represent the sort of “versatile wings” that Golden State will likely be targeting in a Kuminga trade, Siegel explains.
If the Heat were to trade Andrew Wiggins this season, they’d be seeking a first-round pick, plus a player or two who could step into their rotation and be a positive contributor, per Siegel. The Lakers were linked to Wiggins during the offseason and the Bucks also inquired about him, Siegel reports, but Miami hasn’t had any serious trade talks about the veteran forward as of late.

Northwest Notes: Edwards, Blazers, Watson, Strawther

November 27th, 2025 at 10:06pm CST by Rory Maher

Although Donte DiVincenzo replaced Mike Conley in the starting lineup entering the 2025/26 season, head coach Chris Finch says it’s more accurate to describe Anthony Edwards as the Timberwolves‘ point guard, according to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic.

“Anthony’s probably more of our point guard than Donte is our point guard,” Finch said. “He has the ball. He is our lead guard in that regard.”

Edwards, a former No. 1 overall pick who has been an All-Star each of the past three seasons, says he’s still adjusting to the role.

“I just got to get used to being a point guard, going to get the rock at the end of the game, bringing it up, even though they pressure,” Edwards said.

Here’s more from around the Northwest:

The Trail Blazers were disappointed to be eliminated from the NBA Cup on Wednesday, but their young roster valued competing in a game with relatively higher stakes — they would have clinched the top seed in their group if they had beaten San Antonio. “We wanted it,” said Deni Avdija, who finished with 37 points, eight assists and six rebounds (story via Kevin Pelton of ESPN). “We wanted that game. It was a good opportunity for us to advance in the Cup. We fought. We tried to be in the game. It was a tough game; it was a close game. I feel like it was a first taste of kind of like a playoff game. I know I’m not experienced, other guys are not experienced yet, and it was a tough test for us, but I think from this game we can learn a lot.”
Nuggets forward Peyton Watson switched agencies a couple weeks ago, going from Excel Sports to Klutch Sports Group. Vinny Benedetto of The Denver Gazette asked Watson about the decision on Wednesday (Twitter link). The 2022 first-round pick explained that he had a good relationship with Excel, but viewed Klutch’s “attention to detail” as beneficial ahead of restricted free agency next summer. “There’s a big opportunity at hand just this year for me in general on the court, and that’s something I’ve been taking the most seriously, because at the end of the day that’s just going to make my agent’s job, whoever my agent is, easier if I’m doing my job out there on the court,” Watson said as part of a larger quote.
Third-year wing Julian Strawther will miss his sixth straight game on Friday vs. San Antonio due to lower back injury management, the Nuggets announced (via Twitter). When healthy, Strawther has largely been out of the rotation this season following the free agent additions of Bruce Brown and Tim Hardaway Jr.

Fischer’s Latest: Centers, Vucevic, Davis, Sabonis, Isaac

November 26th, 2025 at 2:52pm CST by Luke Adams

There will likely be several veteran big men available on the trade market ahead of this season’s February 5 deadline, Jake Fischer writes in his latest article for Marc Stein’s Substack.

As Fischer details, the Nets are expected to receive calls about center Nic Claxton, the Suns have made Nick Richards available since the offseason, and the Trail Blazers are considered more open to moving Robert Williams than they were last season. Jazz center Jusuf Nurkic is also expected to generate some interest from rival teams, per Fischer, though I’m skeptical Utah will be able to extract much of value for Nurkic, given his $19.4MM cap hit.

One of the more intriguing in-season trade candidates among frontcourt players could be Bulls center Nikola Vucevic, who has an expiring $21.5MM contract and has remained productive at age 35, with averages of 16.7 points and 9.6 rebounds per game to go along with a .495/.407/.786 shooting line.

While Vucevic could generate interest on his own, Fischer suggests that rival executives have wondered whether the Bulls might make a play for a big man like Anthony Davis of the Mavericks or Domantas Sabonis of the Kings, given all the expiring money and cap flexibility Chicago has at its disposal.

Here are a few more highlights from Fischer’s latest rumor round-up:

There’s an “expectation in some corners” that Davis and his representatives will seek a contract extension if he’s traded to a new team in the coming months, Fischer writes. Davis’ current maximum-salary contract with the Mavericks runs through 2026/27, with a $62.8MM player option for ’27/28. If he hopes to lock in another lucrative deal that would begin in 2028, when he’ll be 35, Davis would probably have to stay relatively healthy and play at his usual All-Star level this season after he returns from a calf strain.
Fischer is skeptical that the Warriors will be a major factor in any Sabonis sweepstakes, pointing out that Golden State would have likely have to add multiple quality role players to Jonathan Kuminga‘s $22.5MM contract in order to match Sabonis’ $42.3MM salary. The Warriors did show interest in Sabonis before Indiana traded him in 2022, but Fischer doesn’t think the club is desperate enough to “tear up its roster” for the Kings big man at this point, especially since he’s not a floor spacer or rim protector.
According to Fischer, rival cap strategists believe the Magic‘s cap situation may force the team to part ways at some point with forward Jonathan Isaac, whose four-year, $59MM contract is partially guaranteed in 2026/27 and non-guaranteed beyond that. While it’s unclear whether Orlando would make Isaac available during the ’25/26 season, he’s a name worth keeping an eye on, Fischer says.

Lakers Become Second Team To Secure Spot In NBA Cup Quarterfinals

November 26th, 2025 at 7:39am CST by Luke Adams

With their 135-118 win over the rival Clippers on Tuesday, the Lakers moved to 3-0 in NBA Cup group play and clinched their spot atop Western Conference Group B. They’re the second team to secure a place in the knockout round, joining the Raptors.

As Khobi Price of The Southern California News Group writes, the Lakers’ “big three” propelled the team to victory on Tuesday. Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, and LeBron James combined for an impressive 99 points, 24 rebounds, and 22 assists, with Doncic (43 points, 13 assists, nine rebounds) leading the way.

The Lakers have one more round-robin NBA Cup matchup this Friday, against Dallas, but the 1-2 Mavericks can’t catch them in the group standings, and neither can the 1-1 Grizzlies or 0-3 Pelicans. The Clippers dropped to 2-1 in NBA Cup group play as a result of Tuesday’s loss, which gave the Lakers the tiebreaker edge.

The Lakers would be assured of hosting their quarterfinal game if they defeat the Mavs on Friday.

The final NBA Cup group play contests will take place on Wednesday and Friday, with six quarterfinal spots still up for grabs — three in each conference. Here are a few details on the races for those spots:

The Thunder (2-0), Suns (2-0), and Timberwolves (2-1) are battling for Western Conference Group A, with Oklahoma City set to host the Wolves on Wednesday and the Suns on Friday. A win in Sacramento on Wednesday would put the Suns in good position to advance to the knockout round even if they fall to OKC on Friday.
The Trail Blazers are below .500 on the season but are in the driver’s seat in West Group C — they’re 2-1 in group play so far and can win the group with a victory over the Spurs (1-1) on Wednesday. If San Antonio wins that game, the Spurs would face the 2-1 Nuggets on Friday with the Group C crown on the line.
In the East, the Magic (3-0) and Pistons (2-0) are vying for control of Group B and will face each other on Friday. Detroit would win the group with a victory over Orlando, even if the Pistons drop Wednesday’s game to Boston.
In Eastern Conference Group C, the 2-0 Bucks and 1-1 Knicks are each looking to become the first team to make the NBA Cup knockout round in three straight seasons, but the 2-1 Heat are in the mix too. Milwaukee will visit Miami on Wednesday and New York on Friday, and there’s a chance that superstar forward Giannis Antetokounmpo will be back for those games.

Northwest Notes: Kessler, Lillard, Wolves, Thunder

November 25th, 2025 at 5:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Jazz lost Walker Kessler to a season-ending shoulder injury at the end of last month. It has greatly affected their defense, as Andy Larsen of the Salt Lake Tribune details.

Jusuf Nurkic has been thrust into the starting center role and while he’s a prolific rebounder, he’s a subpar defender. Kevin Love, 37, has been Nurkic’s primary backup and the only other option is to move true power forwards into that spot. Utah has allowed 130 or more points in six of its last nine games.

Kessler will be a restricted free agent at season’s end, so if the Jazz keep struggling mightily on defense without him available, his representatives could use that point to generate some leverage during contract negotiations.

We have more from the Northwest Division:

The Trail Blazers defeated Milwaukee on Monday after losing seven of their previous nine games. Damian Lillard, rehabbing this season from his Achilles injury he suffered during last season’s playoffs, has been dispensing advice to his younger teammates during the rough patch, Jason Quick of The Athletic writes. “I told these dudes: this is the time when you find your true identity,” Lillard said. “It’s not when you win a couple games and everything feels good. It’s in the moments when it would be easy to walk away — like now, we have some injuries, a rough patch, a tough schedule — but this is the time when you make a decision to march forward and up.”
The Timberwolves have collapsed in back-to-back late-game situations. After surrendering a nine-point lead with 50 seconds to play in Phoenix on Saturday, they gave away a 10-point lead in the final three minutes of regulation during a 117-112 overtime loss to the Kings on Monday. This has set off alarm bells amongst the team and its fans and The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski examines some possible causes to their crunch-time woes. “Hopefully we learn,” center Rudy Gobert said. “We still have an amazing opportunity ahead of us, but we have to decide who we want to be.”
How good has the Thunder’s defense been this season? The Athletic’s Fred Katz (Twitter link) notes that they are allowing 7.5 fewer points per 100 possessions than the second-ranked Mavericks are. That’s the same difference as the gap between Dallas and the No. 22 ranked Bulls in that category.

Key Dates For Teams Up Against Hard Cap, Tax Line

November 25th, 2025 at 8:04am CST by Luke Adams

There are currently five NBA teams who have an open spot on their respective 15-man rosters and don’t have the ability to sign a free agent to fill that opening because of their proximity to a first- or second-apron hard cap.

For instance, after hard-capping themselves at the first apron in the offseason, the Lakers are operating just $1,124,195 below that threshold. A prorated minimum salary for a veteran signed today would count against the cap for $1,834,380 and wouldn’t fit under Los Angeles’ hard cap. But as of January 18, that figure would drop to $1,121,743, just low enough for the Lakers to accommodate it.

Here are the dates as of which those five teams who have 14-man rosters and are right up against a hard cap could first sign a player:

January 7: Los Angeles Clippers
January 8: Houston Rockets
January 9: Orlando Magic
January 18: Los Angeles Lakers
April 2: New York Knicks

The Warriors were also on this list when the season began, but they now have enough room below their hard cap to sign a 15th man — every day they put off doing so creates a little more flexibility below that threshold, which could come in handy later in the season.

Those teams aren’t the only ones worth keeping an eye on due to their cap limitations though. The Mavericks, for example, have a full 15-man roster, but could be looking to make a change after ruling out Dante Exum for the season due to a knee injury. That wouldn’t be possible right now though, since Dallas is just $1,292,084 away from a second-apron hard cap. The Mavs won’t be able to add a new 15th man in place of Exum until January 6, at which point a prorated minimum deal would carry a cap charge of $1,280,107.

There are also a handful of teams operating just under the luxury tax line who wouldn’t have the ability to sign a free agent to a minimum-salary contract without surpassing that threshold. The tax line isn’t a hard cap, so there’s nothing stopping a club from surpassing it today and then trying to duck below it later in the season. But that comes with some risk, since getting below the tax typically requires the cooperation of a trade partner.

Here are the teams currently unable to sign a veteran free agent without going into the tax, along with the dates when that will change:

December 13: Miami Heat
December 19: Portland Trail Blazers
January 26: Oklahoma City Thunder

The Trail Blazers and Thunder currently have full 15-man rosters, and there’s no indication that either team wants to make a roster move. The Heat, on the other hand, have an open roster spot, so they’re worth keeping a closer eye on starting in mid-December.

It’s worth noting that all of these dates apply to free agent signings only. If a team were to sign a player whose draft rights it held to a rookie minimum contract, the cap hit would be significantly lower, so it could happen sooner. But few teams have that sort of draft-rights player waiting in the wings to join the roster during the season.

We should also mention that the dates above only apply to one-year, minimum-salary contracts. If a team wants to bring in a player on a multiyear minimum deal, the first-year cap hit is generally higher, so it would have to happen later in the season.

Finally, these dates are all contingent on the team’s current cap situation, so they’re subject to change if a club makes a trade, completes a buyout, or makes a 10-day signing that changes its position relative to the tax line or aprons.

Chauncey Billups Pleads Not Guilty, Released On $5MM Bond

November 24th, 2025 at 1:03pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Trail Blazers coach and Hall of Famer Chauncey Billups pleaded not guilty Monday to federal charges that he participated in and profited from rigged poker games, Philip Marcelo of The Associated Press reports. Billups was released on a $5MM bond secured by his family’s Colorado home.

Per his bond agreement, Billups must refrain from gambling and can have no contact with other defendants or alleged victims. He has surrendered his passport and can only travel to seven states, including Oregon and New York. Billups and his co-defendants, including ex-NBA player and assistant coach Damon Jones, appeared for a status conference on Monday and are due back in court on March 4.

The judge told all the attorneys at today’s proceedings that his intention is to expedite the process and start the trial by September of 2026, Ramona Shelburne of ESPN tweets.

Billups was placed on unpaid leave by the NBA after his arrest in late October, shortly after the team’s opening game. His arrest and the timeline of the case essentially assures that he won’t return to coaching for at least the remainder of this season. Tiago Splitter has been serving as the team’s interim coach in Billups’ absence.

Prosecutors said Monday that plea negotiations have begun with some defendants, according to Marcelo. Billups’ lawyer, Marc Mukasey, entered his client’s not guilty plea. They declined to comment to the media afterward.

According to prosecutors, the poker games in which Billups was allegedly involved with defrauded victims of an estimated $7MM.

The arrests of Billups, Jones and Heat guard Terry Rozier, who was charged by the federal goverment with illegal activities regarding prop bets, shook up the league and the sports world just after the season began. The NBA, in response, is seeking to tighten controls regarding wagering on its games.

Blazers Announce Injury Updates On Henderson, Holiday

November 21st, 2025 at 7:49pm CST by Rory Maher

While third-year guard Scoot Henderson has made progress in his recovery from a torn left hamstring, he will be sidelined for at least two-to-four more weeks, which is when he’ll be reevaluated, the Trail Blazers announced in a press release.

The update on the former No. 3 overall pick was expected, as Henderson recently told Jason Quick of The Athletic that his return wasn’t imminent and his return to basketball activities was considered “week to week.” The 21-year-old point guard initially sustained the injury in late September during a workout before training camp.

Veteran guard Jrue Holiday, who was initially questionable for Friday’s contest at Golden State prior to being ruled out for his fourth straight game (Twitter link), will miss at least one more week with a right calf strain. According to the Blazers, the two-time All-Star will be checked out again in one-to-two weeks.

Holiday, a six-time All-Defensive member, was off to a solid start in his first season with Portland prior to the injury, averaging 16.7 points, 8.3 assists, 5.3 rebounds and 1.6 steals on .446/.365/.840 shooting in 12 games (33.4 minutes per contest).

While the press release doesn’t say anything about shooting guard Shaedon Sharpe, he will missed Friday’s game as well. It will be the high-flying Canadian’s second consecutive absence. Sharpe is, at least for now, considered day-to-day, writes Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report (Substack link).

The Trail Blazers have been hit hard by backcourt injuries this fall. Henderson has yet to play in 2025/26; Blake Wesley is expected to miss extended time after undergoing foot surgery earlier this month; Matisse Thybulle is three weeks removed from thumb surgery which was expected to sideline him for four-to-six weeks; and Damian Lillard is out for the season with a torn Achilles, though the front office knew that when it re-signed Portland’s all-time leading scorer.

After a 5-3 start, the Blazers have dropped six of their past seven games and are currently 6-9.

“It’s just part of the game,” acting head coach Tiago Splitter said earlier this week, per Highkin. “We’ve got to adapt a little bit, and we will. Find ways to win basketball games just like everybody else. You’ve seen all the guys that are out lately [around the NBA], and the teams that adapt better to those situations are the teams that do well. So that’s what we’ve got to do.”

Highkin takes a look at some options the team might consider in the wake of all the guard injuries, including applying for a hardship exception. It’s unclear if the Blazers would be granted the exception, Highkin notes, as it will depend on how much more time Thybulle is expected to miss.

Scoot Henderson’s Return Not Imminent

November 19th, 2025 at 9:02am CST by Luke Adams

It has been nearly eight weeks since the Trail Blazers announced that point guard Scoot Henderson had torn his left hamstring in a workout and would miss the start of the 2025/26 season.

At the time, the team said Henderson was expected to resume basketball activities in about four-to-eight weeks. However, while the former No. 3 overall pick tells Jason Quick of The Athletic that he has “made a lot of progress” in his recovery, his return to the court isn’t imminent and he says his resumption of basketball activities remains “week to week.”

According to Henderson, he’s scheduled to meet this week with the team’s director of health and performance, Dr. Courtney Watson, who will determine next steps. So far, the third-year guard’s activities have been limited to some stationary shooting and dribbling and upper-body weight lifting.

“I can walk around to spots, but no jumping, no exploding,” Henderson explained to Quick. “I shoot free throws, some ball-handling, but without moving much.”

As Quick points out, Trail Blazers general manager Joe Cronin told reporters on media day in September that Henderson’s timeline for resuming basketball activities could extend to 10 weeks or even beyond that, since hamstring injuries can be “stubborn” and tricky to handle. For his part, Henderson is optimistic that once he’s cleared for full basketball activities, he won’t require an extended ramp-up period before he’s cleared to play in games.

“I feel like I will be good,” Henderson told The Athletic. “I feel like I’ve always been good like that (coming off injury). I’m sure I will be tired, because you can’t compare basketball activity with anything else, so for a few games I will feel it.”

The struggling Trail Blazers, who have lost five of their last six games to fall to 6-8 on the season, could use Henderson back in their lineup. In addition to missing Damian Lillard, who is out for the season with a torn Achilles, Portland is currently without Blake Wesley (out since Oct. 31 due to foot surgery) and Jrue Holiday (out the past two games due to right calf soreness), leaving the team thin at point guard.

Shaedon Sharpe and Deni Avdija have taken on increased ball-handling responsibilities during the past two games with Holiday out, while rookie two-way player Caleb Love has also entered the rotation. Love had a career-high 17 points in 32 minutes in Tuesday’s loss to Phoenix.

Western Notes: LeBron, Vincent, Draymond, Kuminga, Holiday, More

November 18th, 2025 at 1:47pm CST by Luke Adams

After participating in this morning’s shootaround, Gabe Vincent (left ankle sprain) has been upgraded to available for the first time since October 26, while LeBron James (sciatica) is being considered a game-time decision when the Lakers host the Jazz on Tuesday night, tweets Dan Woike of The Athletic.

James, who practiced with the Lakers on Monday, said his lungs felt “like a newborn baby” and that he was still working on getting his conditioning and his voice back to normal, writes Khobi Price of The Southern California News Group.

“I got to get my lungs back up to a grown man,” James said. “My voice is already gone. One day back, barking out calls and assignments and stuff, getting my voice working again. Be a lot of tea and rest (on Monday night).”

James’ record-setting 23rd NBA season has been delayed by sciatica on his right side, which forced him to miss the start of a season for the first time in his career. The 40-year-old told reporters, including Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times, that he also dealt with sciatica two years ago, referring to it as “not fun.”

“If you ever had it, you go about it and you wake up one day and you hope that when you step down from the bed that you don’t feel it,” LeBron said. “You go to bed at night, and you hope that when you’re in the bed that you don’t feel it. So I’ve been doing pretty good with it as of late. There’s a lot of exercises and a lot of mobility things and a lot of things you can do to help it. So I’m just keeping a positive mindset.”

James will go through his normal pregame routine in the hopes of playing on Tuesday, per Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter video link).

Here’s more from around the Western Conference:

Warriors forward Draymond Green wasn’t fined for his face-to-face altercation with a fan who was heckling him in New Orleans on Sunday (Twitter video link), but the NBA did issue a warning over the incident, a source tells Charania (Twitter link). “He just kept calling me a woman,” Green said of the fan after the game, per Nick Friedell of The Athletic. “It was a good joke at first but you can’t keep calling me a woman. I got four kids, one on the way; you can’t keep calling me a woman. He got quiet, though. So, it was fine.” The fan told The Associated Press that he was chanting “Angel Reese” at Green after the Warriors veteran rebounded several of his own missed shots.
Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga (bilateral patellar tendonitis) will miss a third consecutive game on Tuesday when the team faces the Magic in Orlando, tweets Anthony Slater of ESPN. Reporting last week indicated that there are no structural concerns with Kuminga’s knees and that the forward’s absence should be “relatively short-term.”
Trail Blazers guard Jrue Holiday missed Sunday’s game – a loss to Dallas – and is listed as doubtful to play on Tuesday vs. Phoenix due to right calf soreness (Twitter link). As Sean Highkin of the Rose Garden Report (subscription required) writes, Holiday’s absence on Sunday was especially impactful because so many of Portland’s other point guards are sidelined due to injuries too. “Jrue is our core,” Blazers forward Deni Avdija said. “I feel like he does everything on the floor. He puts us in our positions. He’s a real true point guard and a leader. When he’s out of the game, it’s definitely felt.”
Jahmai Mashack‘s new two-way contract with the Grizzlies is for two years, while Jamaree Bouyea‘s two-way deal with the Suns is for the rest of the season, Hoops Rumors has confirmed. Bouyea was ineligible for a two-year contract because this will be his fourth season in the NBA.