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Lauri Markkanen Hopes To Remain In Utah

April 18th, 2025 at 10:05am CST by Arthur Hill

Lauri Markkanen was one of the top names on the trade market last summer before he decided to renegotiate and extend his contract with the Jazz. Because he waited until August 7 to finalize the agreement, Markkanen was ineligible to be dealt for the entire season, giving him a brief break from trade speculation.

Those rumors are likely are start back up, writes Sarah Todd of The Deseret News, as Utah just turned in the league’s worst record at 17-65. But Markkanen said this week that he wants to remain with the Jazz, even if it means being part of a prolonged rebuilding process.

“I feel like what I did last summer with signing here, that kind of tells you the confidence I have in the organization and the guys we have,” Markkanen told reporters. “I love being in Utah. We’ll see what happens in summer, there’s things that you can’t control, but I love being here and working out with the guys that we have and building this thing.”

Injuries limited Markkanen to 47 games this season, the lowest total of his NBA career, but Todd points out that the number needs to be taken in context. The Jazz were clearly trying to maximize their lottery odds to land a prime spot in the Cooper Flagg sweepstakes, and they were fined $100K in March for violating the league’s player participation policy.

Markkanen was still productive when he played, averaging 19.0 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 31.4 minutes per night, although his shooting numbers fell to .423/.346/.876. He hasn’t been on the court since March 17 due to a condition in his left knee, but he expects to be fully recovered in time to represent Finland in the upcoming EuroBasket tournament.

“We have a big summer with the national team, and I’m excited for that,” Markkanen said. “In previous years (playing for the national team) those are the years I’ve always felt the best, physically and mentally, to be honest. Because you’re getting game reps right before the NBA season starts. So that kind of gets me excited for the summer, for being able to play for your country, and then how that’s going to lead up into the NBA season.”

It’s not guaranteed that Markkanen will stay in Utah for his entire contract, which runs through the 2028/29 season, Todd adds. He’ll turn 28 this summer, which puts him slightly off the timeline for a rebuilding franchise, and there are sure to be interested suitors now that he’s able to be traded again. General manager Justin Zanik indicated that he might listen to offers, but he doesn’t plan to shop Markkanen around the league.

“We’ll see when opportunities come up to add to the roster, but I see Lauri as a central part of what we’re doing, that’s why we signed him,” Zanik said. “We think he can be a huge piece for us as we join the competitive rings.”

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2024/25 All-NBA G League Teams Announced

April 17th, 2025 at 1:14pm CST by Rory Maher

In a series of tweets, the NBA has announced the three All-NBA G League teams for the 2024/25 season. Here’s the full list of honorees:

First Team

Second Team

Third Team

* Denotes two-way contract

^ Denotes standard contract

~ On a standard contract with the Cavaliers

While each player selected has some level of NBA experience, four of them — Flynn, Nowell, Brown and Warren — are currently free agents. Of that group, only Warren didn’t appear in an NBA regular season game during the ’24/25 campaign.

Davison, Tshiebwe and Nowell finished first, second and third in voting (in that order) for this season’s G League Most Valuable Player award, so it’s no surprise that they made the First Team. McClung, who was the league’s 2023/24 MVP, helped Osceola make the NBAGL Finals this spring, with the final spot going to former Pistons guard Flynn, who signed a 10-day contract with Charlotte last month.

Mason Jones recently helped Stockton win its first G League title, earning Finals MVP in the process. He’s joined on the Second Team by NBAGL Most Improved Player Harkless, McGowens, Brown, and Timme.

Former first-round pick Okeke signed a pair of 10-day contracts with Philadelphia before signing with Cleveland ahead of the playoffs. NBA veteran Warren, G League Rookie of the Year Alexander, Heat two-way guard Christopher, and Kings big man Jones round out the Third Team.

Davison and Isaac Jones were promoted from two-way deals to standard contracts at the end of the season. Timme was an NBA free agent before Brooklyn gave him a two-year standard contract in March due to his strong play in the NBAGL.

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Northwest Notes: Randle, Collins, Jazz, Thunder

April 14th, 2025 at 12:53pm CST by Luke Adams

Timberwolves forward Julius Randle earned a bonus worth $1.4MM on Sunday when Minnesota clinched a playoff spot, reports ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link). As Marks explains, the terms of Randle’s contract called for him to earn that extra $1.4MM on top of his base salary if he appeared in 65 games and the Wolves made the playoffs.

That contract incentive had been deemed “unlikely” entering the season and hadn’t counted against Randle’s cap hit — even though the veteran forward made the playoffs last season with New York, he didn’t appear in 65 games and therefore didn’t earn the bonus in ’23/24.

However, Randle had another $1.4MM bonus for making the All-Star team which was considered likely entering this season and counted against the cap because he was an All-Star in 2024. He didn’t earn that bonus this season, so he essentially just swapped one bonus out for a second one worth the same amount, meaning it won’t affect Minnesota’s financial situation this season and won’t change his cap hit for ’25/26.

Here’s more from around the Northwest:

  • Several Jazz veterans, including Lauri Markkanen, John Collins, and Jordan Clarkson, were asked during their end-of-season media sessions whether they want to remain in Utah. Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune passes along the responses from those players, all of whom said the right things about hoping to stick with the Jazz. Asked about exercising his 2025/26 player option, Collins expressed interest in doing so, but added, “I’m just open to anything at the end of the day. And I just want it to be the right move. If it does mean staying here, being in Utah, I’m cool with that. I just want it, like I said, to be right, and something I can cherish going forward and look back on in my career and be happy.”
  • The Jazz‘s 17-65 record this season was the worst mark the team has posted in its 51-year history. But, given that Utah finished the season atop the draft lottery order and is assured of a top-five pick in this year’s draft, was 2024/25 actually a success? Larsen weighs that question for The Salt Lake Tribune, evaluating whether or not the team tanked effectively, adequately developed its young players, and maintained fan interest.
  • On the other end of the Western Conference standings, the 68-win Thunder set a new NBA record by finishing the season with a point differential of +12.9 points per game, notes Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. The previous record was set by the 1971/72 Lakers, who outscored opponents by 12.3 points per contest.
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And-Ones: Wong, 82 Games, Powell, Jamaica, More

April 13th, 2025 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

After being waived by the Hornets prior to the All-Star break, guard Isaiah Wong signed a rest-of-season contract with the Lithuanian team Zalgiris Kaunas in February. According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter links), Wong has since agreed to extend his relationship with Zalgiris, though his new deal comes with opt-out potential.

As agent Darrell Comer explains to Scotto, Wong’s new three-year contract includes outs for the NBA, EuroLeague, and China. Specifically, it features an opportunity for the 24-year-old to opt out during the summer of 2025 for a two-way contract offer from an NBA team, and Wong is indeed expected to generate two-way interest, Scotto reports.

The 55th overall pick in the 2023 draft, Wong spent his rookie year on a two-way deal with the Pacers, then appeared in 20 games off the bench for Charlotte this season. He averaged 6.0 points, 1.6 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in 13.3 minutes per night as a Hornet, with a shooting line of .390/.394/.735.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

  • Warriors head coach Steve Kerr has previously expressed a desire to reduce the 82-game NBA season and still feels strongly about the issue, having emailed NBA commissioner Adam Silver to make his case before the start of this season, according to Christian Clark of The Athletic. However, even though he believes it’s a logical way to address load management and player participation issues, Kerr is skeptical it will ever happen. “We should be playing fewer games,” he said. “Everyone knows that. But it’s a money issue. How many of the constituents are willing to take less money?”
  • Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press takes a closer look at the players who appeared in all 82 regular season games this season, including Spurs point guard Chris Paul, who became the first player to start 82 games in his 20th NBA season (John Stockton previously made 82 starts in his 19th year). As Reynolds notes, Knicks forward Mikal Bridges played just six seconds on Sunday in order to keep his streak of 556 consecutive regular season appearances alive.
  • Clippers guard Norman Powell has committed to representing Jamaica during the pre-qualifiers for the 2027 FIBA World Cup this summer, according to an announcement from the Basketball Jamaica Association. The games will be played from August 8-10. “I’m super excited to join Team Jamaica,” Powell said in a statement. “Coach (Nick) Turner and I have worked on this for a while, and now it’s a reality. I’m ready to grind and need everyone’s support to make it happen.”
  • ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Insider link) has launched his offseason preview series for 2025 by identifying the top front office priorities for the Jazz, Hornets, and Wizards this offseason. While the draft will be crucial for all three clubs, they also have several veteran players to make decisions on, including Lauri Markkanen, John Collins, LaMelo Ball, and Jordan Poole.
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Northwest Notes: Collier, Hendricks, Nuggets

April 6th, 2025 at 3:24pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Jazz rookie guard Isaiah Collier recently surpassed Hall of Fame former Utah guard John Stockton‘s longstanding rookie-season assists record for the franchise of 415, writes Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune. Stockton had held the record for 40 years.

Selected with the No. 29 overall pick out of USC, Collier has carved out a solid bench role for himself on the rebuilding Jazz. Across 70 contests, including 45 starts, the 6’3″ pro is averaging 8.5 points, 6.2 assists, 3.3 rebounds, and 0.9 steals in 25.8 minutes per game. Stockton averaged just 18 MPG during his first pro season, Larsen notes.

Collier has now recorded 434 assists as a rookie. The rookie-season assists record is 868 dimes, courtesy of then-New York guard Mark Jackson. The 16-62 Jazz have four games left on their 2024/25 regular season slate for Collier to keep adding to his franchise-record sum.

Larsen observes that Collier may finish among the top 40 rookies in first-year assists when all is said and done, a promising indicator of his potential long-term upside.

Stockton still leads the NBA, by a significant margin, with 15,806 career regular season assists. His 10.5 APG represents the second-highest average rate of dimes per game, behind only Los Angeles Hall of Fame guard Magic Johnson‘s 11.2 APG.

There’s more out of the Northwest Division:

  • During the second quarter of Friday’s 140-112 loss to Indiana, second-year Jazz forward Taylor Hendricks spoke on the broadcast about the broken leg that’s forced him to miss all but three games, Larsen writes in another piece (subscriber link). Hendricks said he has been able to jog a bit and has been partaking in his teammates’ pregame shootarounds, adding that he expects to be fully recovered by May — long after Utah’s 2024/25 season will be over. He also revealed that he has gained 33 pounds since being listed at a weight of 210 as a rookie. Larsen confirms that Hendricks appears to have put on quite a bit of muscle, but notes that the forward hopes to eventually play at around 230-235 pounds.
  • At 47-31 on the year, the Nuggets currently occupy the Western Conference’s No. 4 seed. But the 2023 champs are just one game better than the Nos. 6-8 seeds in the conference, with four games remaining on their schedule. Denver is looking to strike a balance between resting its ailing stars ahead of the postseason and securing a favorable playoff position, per Bennett Durando of The Denver Post (subscriber link).
  • In case you missed it, second-year Nuggets guard Jalen Pickett has been thriving with an extended role in Denver of late.
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Jazz’s Elijah Harkless Named NBAGL Most Improved Player

April 3rd, 2025 at 2:11pm CST by Rory Maher

Guard Elijah Harkless, who is on a two-way contract with the Jazz, has been named the NBA G League’s Most Improved Player for the 2024/25 season, the NBA announced today (via Twitter).

Harkless earned the award for his time with the San Diego Clippers and Salt Lake City Stars. He’s the first player from the Stars to win NBAGL MIP, according to the press release.

After averaging 11.6 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.0 steal in 20 regular season games (22.7 MPG) for San Diego in 2023/24, the 25-year-old improved his counting stats across the board in ’24/25, averaging 26.9 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 4.4 APG and 1.3 SPG in 19 regular season appearances, 17 of which came for Salt Lake City (31.4 MPG). He has posted a .447/.419/.745 shooting line during the G League’s regular season.

Harkless, who went undrafted out of UNLV in 2023, was named to the NBAGL’s Up Next event — essentially the G League’s All-Star game — earlier this season. He also had a stint in the Canadian Elite Basketball League with the Saskatchewan Rattlers this past spring.

Known for his defense, Harkless has played 10 games for Utah in what is technically his rookie NBA season. The combo guard has averaged 3.2 PPG, 2.1 RPG and 1.0 SPG in 13.8 MPG during those appearances.

Drew Timme and Tyson Etienne of the Nets finished second and third in voting for the award, respectively. Both players have been standouts for Brooklyn’s affiliate in Long Island.

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Jazz Share Injury Updates On Williams, Collins, Markkanen

April 2nd, 2025 at 12:36pm CST by Luke Adams

The Jazz issued a series of health updates on Wednesday, ruling out one player for the rest of the 2024/25 season and two others for at least the next week.

According to a press release from the team, rookie forward Cody Williams tested positive for mononucleosis on April 1 and will be sidelined for the remainder of the season. The plan is to reevaluate Williams three weeks before he begins his offseason conditioning work, the Jazz say.

Williams, 20, was the 10th overall pick in last year’s draft, but has struggled to make an impact at the NBA level in his first professional season. In 50 games (21 starts), he averaged just 4.6 points and 2.3 rebounds in 21.2 minutes per night, with a dismal shooting line of .323/.259/.725.

Meanwhile, big man John Collins, who has been on the shelf since March 12, was reevaluated for his left ankle sprain after getting through his initial stages of rehab. He’ll start ramping up his on-court basketball progression and will be reevaluated in another week, per the Jazz.

Another injured forward, Lauri Markkanen, returned to Salt Lake City on Monday to undergo an MRI on his left knee. According to the club, that MRI revealed patellofemoral chondrosis with associated subchondral edema, but no other structural damage. Markkanen, out since March 17, will complete an off-court rehab program and will be reevaluated in seven-to-10 days.

While Utah hasn’t formally ruled out Collins or Markkanen for the rest of 2024/25, it would be a surprise if either player returns to the court during the final days of the season. The 16-60 Jazz are in full-on tanking mode at this point — they’ve lost 16 of their last 17 games and are prioritizing securing the top spot in this year’s draft lottery order.

Kyle Filipowski, Brice Sensabaugh, and Oscar Tshiebwe are among the youngsters who figure to play increased roles for the Jazz down the stretch with Williams, Collins, and Markkanen unavailable.

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Celtics’ JD Davison Named G League MVP

April 2nd, 2025 at 10:34am CST by Luke Adams

Celtics two-way player JD Davison has been named the G League’s Most Valuable Player of the 2024/25 season, according to an official announcement from the NBA (Twitter link).

A 2022 second-round pick, Davison has played sparingly at the NBA level in his first three professional seasons and logged just 51 minutes in 12 total appearances for the Celtics in ’24/25. He spent most of his time with the Maine Celtics, appearing in a total of 45 Tip-Off Tournament and regular season games for Boston’s NBAGL affiliate.

Across those 45 outings, Davison averaged 25.6 points, 7.7 assists, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.4 steals in 34.6 minutes per game, with a shooting line of .482/.332/.762. Maine went just 8-8 in the Tip-Off Tournament, but the 6’1″ guard led the team to a 21-13 record and a No. 3 playoff seed in the G League’s regular season.

Salt Lake City Stars big man Oscar Tshiebwe – who is on a two-way contract with the Jazz – and Capital City Go-Go guard Jaylen Nowell finished second and third, respectively, behind Davison for the G League MVP award, which is voted on by the league’s head coaches and general managers.

Tshiebwe, known as an elite rebounder, averaged a record-setting 18.3 RPG in 42 games for Salt Lake City while also contributing 16.1 PPG, 2.8 APG, 1.8 SPG, and 1.1 BPG. The Stars, like the Celtics, finished the regular season with a 21-13 record.

Nowell isn’t currently on an NBA roster, but he earned call-ups with New Orleans and Washington over the course of the season. The veteran guard spent most of the year with the Wizards‘ G League affiliate, the Capital City Go-Go, for whom he averaged 24.7 PPG, 5.4 APG, 4.3 RPG, and 1.1 SPG with an impressive .526/.479/.901 shooting line. The Go-Go posted a 20-14 regular season mark.

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Checking In On Starter Criteria, Traded Draft Picks, Mavs’ Two-Ways, More

March 31st, 2025 at 12:54pm CST by Luke Adams

The months on the calendar between the NBA's in-season trade deadline and the start of the offseason represent the only time of year in which teams aren't permitted to make trades.

Still, while the possibility of Shams Charania dropping shocking trade news in the middle of the night is off the table during this final stretch of the regular season, there's plenty going on around the league that will impact future roster decisions and trade talks.

We're checking in on a few of those subplots today. Let's dive right in...

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Western Notes: Curry, Kuminga, Collier, Fertitta

March 29th, 2025 at 7:54am CST by Luke Adams

Stephen Curry‘s pelvic contusion only forced him to miss two games, but the Warriors star said after making his return on Friday vs. New Orleans that he expects to “feel it for a while,” as Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN notes. Still, Curry, who suffered a hairline fracture in his tailbone when he fell hard onto courtside stairs during the 2020/21 season, was relieved not to get a similar diagnosis this time around.

“I think that (this time it didn’t) break anything or have any bone damage, was mostly just a deep serious contusion that I’ll feel it for a while,” Curry said. “But I can play and I can’t make it worse as long as I don’t land on it again.”

Curry made just 7-of-21 shots across 34 minutes in Friday’s win over the Pelicans and spoke after the game about needing to work on his timing and endurance. But head coach Steve Kerr believes that getting a week off at this point of the season – even if he spent most of it recovering from an injury – will benefit Curry this spring.

“I thought he looked great,” Kerr said, per Youngmisuk. “He was moving really well. Took care of the ball. I thought Steph played an excellent game. He probably missed his last five or six threes, so the numbers don’t look great, but he looked like himself. And I think the week off did him a lot of good.”

Here’s more from around the Western Conference:

  • With Warriors guard Gary Payton II sidelined due to a thumb injury, Kerr believes there’s an opening for forward Jonathan Kuminga to step up and take on some of the defensive responsibilities that the team had given to Payton (Twitter video link via Anthony Slater of The Athletic). “It opens up an opportunity for JK to be that defensive stopper, the guy we’ve relied on Gary to be,” Kerr said. “JK’s the obvious guy. Put him on the best offensive player, pick up full (court), harass people like Gary does. I’m going to ask JK to do that. It definitely opens up more minutes for him if he’s effective with that.” Kuminga, who have averaged just 23.4 minutes per game in eight contests since returning from an ankle sprain, didn’t have one specific defensive assignment on Friday against a New Orleans team missing most of its top scorers.
  • Speaking to NBA insider Chris Haynes on the first episode of the Haynes Briefs YouTube show, Jazz guard Isaiah Collier said that not being selected to participate in last month’s Rising Stars game at All-Star weekend motivated him and added “fuel to the fire” (Twitter video link). As Andy Larsen writes for The Salt Lake Tribune (subscription required), the Jazz are making a strong promotional push to get Collier a spot on an All-Rookie team, dedicating a section of their website to making his case for consideration. It has been up-and-down season for the first-year guard, but since he entered Utah’s starting lineup on January 5, Collier has more assists than anyone in the NBA besides Trae Young, Nikola Jokic, and James Harden.
  • While Tilman Fertitta has indicated that he’ll resign as CEO of Landry’s Inc. if he’s confirmed as the U.S. ambassador to Italy and San Marino, the Rockets owner won’t be stepping away from his controlling interest in the NBA franchise, writes Erica Grieder of The Houston Chronicle (subscription required). “I have been advised that during my service as Ambassador, the Embassy may address particular matters affecting the financial interests of the National Basketball Association, of which the Houston Rockets professional basketball team is a member,” Fertitta wrote in a letter to the U.S. Office of Government Ethics. “The agency has determined that it is not necessary at this time for me to divest my interests in the Houston Rockets because my recusal from particular matters in which these interests may pose a conflict of interest will not substantially limit my ability to perform the essential duties of Ambassador.”
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