NBA Northwest

Denver Nuggets point guard Jamal Murray was ruled out of the team's matchup with the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday due to a concussion.

Status alert: Jamal Murray (concussion protocol) won't return Friday.

— Underdog NBA (@UnderdogNBA) November 2, 2024

Murray went to the locker room after colliding with Timberwolves forward Julius Randle in the third quarter of the game and didn't return.

He finished the contest with six points, two rebounds and three assists in 22 minutes on the floor while shooting 2-7 from the field and missing all three of his attempts from behind the arc.

Murray's potential absence would be a tough blow to a Nuggets team that was already attempting to replace the perimeter scoring of former shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who joined the Orlando Magic in free agency over the offseason.

The 27-year-old wasn't off to a strong start through Denver's first four games of the season. Murray averaged 18.8 points and 4.8 assists per game on 37.9/35.0/90.0 shooting splits heading into Friday's contest.

Still, he's shown that he can bounce back from a string of poor shooting performances and his shot-creating ability alongside superstar center Nikola Jokić is crucial to the Nuggets' offensive efficiency.

While Murray doesn't have an All-Star nod under his belt in a Western Conference loaded with elite point guards, he's still averaged 20.5 points and 6.3 assists per game while shooting 46.7 percent from the field and 41.0 percent from three over his past two seasons.

After helping the Nuggets win their first championship in franchise history during the 2022-23 season, Murray signed a four-year contract extension worth $208 million with Denver on Sept. 7.

If he's forced to miss time, Russell Westbrook will likely start in his place. Westbrook is recording 9.8 points and 3.8 assists to go along with 1.3 steals per game off the bench this season, but he owns a field-goal percentage of just 27 percent.

Murray's availability should be clearer leading into the Nuggets' next contest, a clash with the Utah Jazz on Saturday.

Michael Porter Jr. believes the Denver Nuggets could be due for major roster turnover if the team falls short of the 2025 NBA title.

"If we don't win it this year, we all know they might have to break it up," Porter told ESPN's Ramona Shelburne.

The Nuggets are looking to capitalize on a tenth season led by reigning MVP Nikola Jokić, who is averaging a league-high 31.5 points through four games.

Jokić and the Nuggets are set to play the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday night in a rematch of the second-round series Denver lost in seven games this May.

Denver has yet to win in regulation this season and required overtime to claim consecutive wins over the Toronto Raptors and Brooklyn Nets earlier this week.

The Nuggets are still adjusting to the departure of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, a key part of the team's 2023 championship roster who signed a three-year deal with the Orlando Magic in free agency.

Denver also gave up draft capital in order to move former sixth man Reggie Jackson and his $5.25 million player option, a trade that alongside Christian Braun's transition into the startling lineup thinned the team's bench depth.

In addition to the previous exits of Bruce Brown and Jeff Green, the Nuggets are now missing multiple role players who contributed to the 2023 championship run.

The Nuggets' biggest moves of the offseason were adding veteran guard Russell Westbrook and giving both Aaron Gordon and Jamal Murray extensions.

Denver is currently about $5 million below the second tax apron, below which they are hard-capped, per Spotrac. That has limited the team's ability to build around Murray and Jokić as they look to construct another title contender.

Jokić, who turns 30 this February, is currently signed through the 2026-27 season with a player option for 2027-28.

The Nuggets may have locked in Jokić alongside Murray, Porter and Gordon for at least the next two seasons, but it sounds like Porter is expecting that core to be broken up should Denver exit the playoffs early for the second straight season.

While it was already known that the Golden State Warriors made a push for Paul George during the offseason, there was another Western Conference contender that also tried to get the nine-time All-Star.

Per ESPN's Ramona Shelburne, the Denver Nuggets made an inquiry with the Los Angeles Clippers about George before he opted out of his contract to become a free agent.

Shelburne noted talks between the Nuggets and Clippers "never escalated" because Denver refused to discuss Christian Braun, Peyton Watson or Julian Strawther. The Clippers had no interest in a deal that would only involve them taking back salaries Denver didn't want to pay.

It's unclear exactly what salaries the Nuggets would have offered, but Shelburne noted it "likely" would have been Michael Porter Jr. and Zeke Nnaji if talks had gotten that far.

Another thing that's unclear is if George would have wanted to play in Denver. This scenario would have been contingent on him opting in to his $48.8 million salary for 2024-25.

We know that scenario was in play if the Warriors had been able to work out a trade with the Clippers because George acknowledged such a deal was "close to being done," but it fell apart when Golden State declined to include Jonathan Kuminga in a package.

George ultimately exercised his opt-out and signed a four-year, $211.6 million contract with the Philadelphia 76ers as a free agent.

The Nuggets' decision to bet big on their young, unproven talent around Nikola Jokić is not yielding great results so far. They are off to a 2-2 start and rank 13th in offensive rating, despite the reigning NBA MVP averaging 31.5 points, 12.3 rebounds and 9.3 assists per game.

It's not entirely the fault of struggling young players like Strawther and Watson. After a summer worrying about how he ended last season and looked in the Olympics, Jamal Murray still doesn't look right with a 37.9 field-goal percentage. Porter is shooting 29.6 percent from three-point range.

Russell Westbrook is minus-38 in 79 minutes played off the bench. He has been better in the past two games because he was minus-37 through 41 minutes over his first two games.

George wouldn't be helping things right now because he is on the shelf with a knee injury, but his ceiling when healthy is higher than anyone on the Nuggets roster after Jokić.

Instead, the Nuggets are staring down the possibility of wasting a year of Jokić's prime because they wanted to try the two-timeline thing that nearly derailed the Warriors.

The Denver Nuggets' handling of center Nikola Jokić could be something that shrinks his prime, at least in the eyes of one NBA executive.

Ramona Shelburne of ESPN reported that others around the NBA are concerned with Jokic's significant usage and that the team could "run him into the ground" if they continue to operate the same way.

"The only way they are going to win is if Murray is really good," a rival executive Shelburne. "Joker is the best player in the world, but they're going to run him into the ground if he keeps playing this much."

Jokic is averaging 39.0 minutes per game thus far in 2024-25 and is the key cog of Denver's play style. He is averaging 31.5 points, 12.3 rebounds and 9.3 assists in four games this season.

Denver has gotten off to a 2-2 start and is just two seasons removed from an NBA Championship. The team reached the Western Conference semifinals during the 2023-24 campaign and is considered to be a prominent contender alongside the Oklahoma City Thunder, Dallas Mavericks and Minnesota Timberwolves, among others.

Still, relying so heavily on Jokić could make the team one-dimensional, and struggles from guard Jamal Murray and others are not helping relieve any pressure from the 29-year-old.

Kyle Filipowski earned his first career start for the Utah Jazz as they faced Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday.

Though the Jazz lost 106-88, Filipowski put up a solid game with 12 points and five boards, his second consecutive game with double-digit points after he logged 12 points and eight boards on Tuesday against the Sacramento Kings.

Filipowski didn't see much action through his first three games. He didn't play in the Jazz's season opener and played a combined nine minutes in two games before this week. Utah opted to let the rookie get some playing time this week amid some injuries, and he impressed.

After Thursday's performance, fans had high praise for the Filipowski.

Kyle Filipowski vs the San Antonio Spurs

12 PTS
5 REB
5/8 FG
2/4 3PM

Not bad for his first game as a starter pic.twitter.com/xQANREFXv1

— Jazz Lead (@JazzLead) November 1, 2024

And just like everyone guessed...your first Jazz player in double digits is Kyle Filipowski with 12 points midway through the third quarter

— Caleb Turner (@calebturner23) November 1, 2024

This is just a monster Wemby game lol...he's doing everything

Meanwhile, Utah's best player tonight has been Kyle Filipowski

— Tony Jones (@Tjonesonthenba) November 1, 2024

Kyle Filipowski is going to get ample PT moving forward. He does a lot of nice things. In a weak rookie class, he could compete for All-Rookie honors.

— David J. Smith (@davidjsmith1232) November 1, 2024

It’s time for a conversation about Kyle Filipowski

— Kato Pariña (@KatoParinaSLC) November 1, 2024

I’m about 2 more games away from firing off some wild takes about Kyle Filipowski.

— Art Cummings (@ArtTakesNote) November 1, 2024

Kyle Filipowski is just so obviously an NBA player. Just knows what to do way more often than he doesn't.

— dan c. (@danclayt0n) November 1, 2024

Yall slept on Kyle Filipowski..he was supposed to be a lottery pick and he's the real deal #jazz #nba

— MR_DRD32 (@MR_DRD32) November 1, 2024

What if Kyle Filipowski is the young guy?

— Tony Jones (@Tjonesonthenba) November 1, 2024

Kyle Filipowski! Look at the rookie go!

— Andrew Crane (@craneandrew_) November 1, 2024

After a successful career at Duke, many expected Filipowski to be a first-round pick and perhaps even a lottery pick. He didn't hear his name called until the second round as Utah took him with the No. 32 overall pick.

Though it's still early, the Jazz could have gotten a steal in Filipowski. He still needs some time to develop, like all rookies, but could eventually be a key piece in Utah's rebuild.

With Filipowski now finding his rhythm, the Jazz are looking to finally get their first win of the season after dropping their first five games.

Utah Jazz second-year forward Taylor Hendricks reportedly will miss the remainder of the 2024-25 season after suffering a fractured right fibula and dislocated ankle during Monday's 110-102 loss to the Dallas Mavericks, according to ESPN's Tim MacMahon.

Hendricks will undergo surgery in the next day or two, per that report.

Hendricks was jogging alone on the right side of the court, heading toward the baseline, when his legs appeared to buckle underneath him and one visibly bent too far in the wrong direction.

"That's hard to stomach," Jazz head coach Will Hardy told reporters regarding Hendricks' injury. "He's put in a lot of hard work. He's a great kid, and so we're really just trying to focus on him, his health, keeping him up, his spirits up as he begins the road of his recovery. But these are the moments in sports that suck."

Taylor has openly gained a lot of weight and strength. It showed up in the preseason and it started to show up in the regular season. This is far from over for him. This is a pause button for Taylor. You can see where this was going for him..

Will Hardy on Taylor Hendricks

— Tony Jones (@Tjonesonthenba) October 29, 2024

Will Hardy visibly upset talking about how hard Taylor Hendricks has worked and how heartbreaking this is for the team

— Sarah Todd (@NBASarah) October 29, 2024

"It's just put me in an emotional state," added Keyonte George, who covered his face with a towel during the game and was clearly emotional after seeing the extent of the injury. "That's just my brother. I didn't know him growing up, and then building a relationship with him over the year, he felt like family. I told him I loved him, told him I'm here for him, whatever he needs."

The 20-year-old Hendricks, who was the No. 9 overall pick in the 2023 NBA draft, was averaging 4.7 points, five rebounds, 1.7 steals and 1.3 blocks in 25 minutes per game this season. During his rookie season, he averaged 7.3 points and 4.6 rebounds in 40 contests.

"T is a really good dude," center Walker Kessler told reporters. "The biggest thing is just being there for him physically and checking up on him. Right now, he just needs a lot of support from a lot of people."

Expectations were high for Hendricks heading into his second season, who was inserted into the starting lineup for the first three games after starting just 23 contests as a rookie.

"Super unfortunate," Lauri Markkanen told reporters regarding the injury. "We're all here for him. It sucks that we lost, but he's more important than that. We know how hard he worked the whole summer to be ready for this opportunity, so it sure feels tough for him. We're going to stay here for him and support him."

Utah Jazz forward Taylor Hendricks suffered a scary injury in Monday night's 110-102 loss to the Dallas Mavericks.

The second-year player was running down the court in the third quarter when he went to the floor without any contact. His right leg was turned to the outside in a gruesome manner and medical staff quickly took him off the court on a stretcher.

The Jazz announced after the game that he had suffered a fractured right fibula and dislocated ankle. A timeline for his return is not yet clear, but based on how his leg looked it seems it will be a while before he returns to the court.

The injury is devastating to both the Jazz and Hendricks, who was looking to build off a solid rookie year last year.

The No. 9 pick in the 2023 NBA draft averaged 7.3 points and 4.6 rebounds in 21.4 minutes per game, starting 23 of the 40 games he played last season. So far this season, Hendricks has averaged six points, six boards and 1.5 blocks per game, starting all three games for Utah.

While he's still early into his career, the 6'9" Hendricks has been a solid defender with a decent three-point shot, a valuable addition to a rebuilding Jazz team. Unfortunately, his progress will come to a halt for a little while as he looks to recover from the scary injury.

Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokić knows what his team's weakness is.

The Nuggets fell 102-87 to the Oklahoma City Thunder in their season opener on Thursday, and shooting was a major issue. Denver went 35-of-98 from the field and just 7-of-38 from three-point range.

Following the game, Jokić expressed that outside of Michael Porter Jr. and Jamal Murray, the team is not replete with great shooters.

"We are not a good shooting team, I think, except probably (Michael Porter Jr.) and Jamal (Murray)," Jokić said, per Sam Amick of The Athletic. "All of us are kind of streaky. Not streaky, you know, but just average shooters."

Nuggets coach Michael Malone said that shooting was a concern of his heading into the season but that the team is not worried at such an early juncture.

"I don't think there's any need for panic," Malone said, per Amick. "Going into the season, shooting is a concern of mine. You know, you lose a guy like KCP, who was a 40 percent 3-point shooter, you know what I mean? And I thought Christian Braun was great tonight. Again, Christian Braun is not going to be KCP, so I think we all have to understand that, which I think we do, and embrace CB for who he is. I thought he played really good defense, competed, ran the floor. …No, there's no panic."

Jokić himself had a strong day, scoring 16 points on 6-of-13 shooting while also adding 13 rebounds and 12 assists.

Murray went 4-of-13 on field goals while Porter Jr. went 5-of-17 and Russell Westbrook was 2-of-10 from the bench.

It's no secret Anthony Edwards has plenty of confidence in his athletic ability, even beyond the basketball court.

The Minnesota Timberwolves star recently told Vikings receiver Justin Jefferson that he could hold his own in the NFL and could tackle Baltimore Ravens star running back Derrick Henry.

When asked whether Edwards could tackle him, Henry had a hilarious response.

"Do I think that Anthony Edwards could tackle me? Hell no," he said.

Edwards reacted to the video of Henry calling him out on social media on Wednesday:

😎😎 https://t.co/Xf90zlzRPL

— Anthony Edwards (@theantedwards_) October 23, 2024

Actual NFL defenders have enough trouble bringing down Henry, who stands at 6'2", 247 pounds, so Edwards might be reaching by saying he could tackle him.

Edwards has gone on record claiming he could play other sports besides basketball. He even said earlier this week that he has plans to fulfill his two-sport athlete dream if he accomplishes his NBA goals soon.

"Football players can't go play basketball. No way," Edwards said. "I told my buddies, I said 'if I win a ring in the next three-to-four years, I'm going to play football.'"

"If I win a ring in the next 3-4 years, I'm going to play football."

Anthony Edwards says he could play in the NFL if he wins a ring in the next few years 👀

The full ESPN Cover Story launches Tuesday. pic.twitter.com/dMHVzAbxeA

— ESPN (@espn) October 20, 2024

Edwards on the football field would be a sight to see, but for now, he'll focus on leading the Timberwolves to another big year after taking them to the Western Conference Finals a year ago.

Rudy Gobert and the Minnesota Timberwolves have agreed to a three-year, $110 million contract extension, according to ESPN's Shams Charania.

Gobert is declining his $46.6 million player option for 2025-26 and is signing a new multi-year extension to keep him in Minnesota through the 2027-28 season, Charania added.

"As negotiations went on, Gobert expressed faith in the Timberwolves' approach to contention and exploring a creative route to receive financial security and allowing the organization to continue adding pieces," Charania wrote.

The news came just prior to the team's season opener against the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night.

Gobert is declining his $46.6M player option for 2025-26 and receiving a fresh multiyear extension through 2027-28 – also giving Minnesota significant flexibility next season opting out. Final season has a player option, sources said. https://t.co/elXhX9Tl0v

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 23, 2024

Prior to the deal, the Timberwolves entered the 2025-26 season $107.9 million over the salary cap, per Spotrac. ESPN's Bobby Marks provided more insight:

Finances in Minnesota next season pre-extension:

Over the luxury tax: $13.9M

Over the 1st apron: $5.9M

Below the 2nd apron: $6M https://t.co/8BZZRX5YgN

— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) October 23, 2024

Gobert averaged 14.0 points, 12.9 rebounds and 2.1 blocks through 76 games, all starts, in 2023-24 during his second season with Minnesota.

The veteran center capped off his fourth career DPOY campaign by averaging one block per playoff game, while guarding star opponents like the Denver Nuggets' Nikola Jokić, to help power the Timberwolves to the Western Conference Finals for the first time since 2004.

After struggling to connect with shooting guard Anthony Edwards during his first campaign with the Timberwolves, Gobert started clicking with Edwards during the latter half of 2023-24.

Their chemistry allowed the Wolves to improve their pick-and-roll and achieve the team's first 50-win regular season in two decades.

The Wolves now have both stars locked in for the near future after Edwards signed a five-year max extension of his own in 2023.

Gobert was previously under contract through 2024-25, with a player option through 2026, after signing one of the biggest contracts in NBA history with the Utah Jazz in 2020.

He left $23 million on the table when signing that five-year, $205 million extension to help the team that drafted him in 2013 build around him, ESPN's Tim MacMahon reported.

The Timberwolves then sent five players and five picks to the Jazz in order to take on that contract in 2022 when trading for Gobert.

That steep price was worth it for Minnesota to settle on a long-term starting center and skilled defender who can help the franchise contend for a title in the near future.

Gobert is set to remain a key part of the Wolves' rotation, which will look different this fall following the trade that sent Karl-Anthony Towns to the New York Knicks, with Julius Randle likely to swap in for Towns in the starting lineup.

Towns and Gobert formed a dominant pairing when both on the floor last season. Gobert will now need to focus on establishing similar chemistry with the Wolves' new star big as the team looks to make an even deeper playoff run next spring.