NBA Northwest

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards is one of the fastest-rising superstars in the NBA, but he won't be satisfied until he's regarded as one of the best players in the league.

An interaction between Edwards and Minnesota Vikings star receiver Justin Jefferson captured by ESPN's Jamal Collier illustrates how Edwards remains motivated to continue his ascent as he enters his fifth year in the NBA.

While discussing plans to play video games against one another, Edwards declared, "I don't play [NBA] 2K, but we can play Madden."

Collier noted that Edwards "takes Madden very seriously," but his reason for preferring the famed football video game over the basketball game goes deeper than that.

"Why you don't play 2K?" Jefferson asked.

Edwards, who currently has an overall rating of 94 in the game, responded, "I ain't playing till I'm a 99."

Edwards' quest for greatness is one that Jefferson respects.

"Straight up," Jefferson laughed as they dapped each other up. "I feel you."

"After this year, maybe," Edwards said.

The 23-year-old was an All-Star selection in each of the last two seasons. He will have more on his shoulders this year after the Timberwolves traded star center Karl-Anthony Towns to the New York Knicks, so perhaps he will prove to ratings adjusters that he's worthy of a 99.

Edwards and the Timberwolves will open the 2024-25 season on Tuesday night against the Los Angeles Lakers.

Having proven himself to be a great fit in head coach Michael Malone's system, Aaron Gordon has reportedly committed to the Denver Nuggets after the two sides agreed to a new deal on Monday.

Per ESPN's Shams Charania, the Nuggets will sign Gordon to a four-year, $133 million contract extension with a player option in 2028-29 and a trade kicker.

Charania added more details:

It was going to be interesting to see how the Nuggets would navigate being in the midst of a championship window with the new realities of the NBA salary cap. They have lost Bruce Brown and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in free agency the past two offseasons after they were so vital to the title run during the 2022-23 season.

Gordon, Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. were all extension eligible this offseason. Murray wound up agreeing to a four-year, $208 million deal on Sept. 7 that ties him to the team through the 2028-29 season.

Despite losing some of their depth because of the apron restrictions, the Nuggets are going to go as far as Gordon, Murray, Porter and Nikola Jokić take them.

Nuggets general manager Calvin Booth told reporters during the team's media day on Sept. 26 that he was hopeful to get a deal done with Gordon.

"Hopefully we have some productive talks with his representation and we're able to find a deal that we're both satisfied with," Booth said. "He's been an integral part of what we've done and we'd like to keep him here for a long time."

Gordon would have been able to hit free agency next summer if he turned down his $22.8 million player option.

The 29-year-old has been such a vital player for the Nuggets since being acquired from the Orlando Magic in March 2021. He has increased his offensive efficiency with 14.5 points on 54.2 percent shooting and 2.9 assists per game in 241 starts over the past four seasons.

Malone has also tasked Gordon with defending the best offensive player on teams at times, especially during the playoffs, and he has been able to hold his own. All of these attributes made it an easy call for the Nuggets to give a long-term commitment to Gordon.

The Denver Nuggets reportedly aren't interested in paying forward Aaron Gordon a maximum contract value of four years and $150 million during extension negotiations.

ESPN's Brian Windhorst said on Friday's episode of The Hoop Collective that the Nuggets are "hopeful" to sign Gordon to a new deal below the $150 million that he's eligible to receive (h/t RealGM).

Gordon still has two years remaining on his current contract, which includes a $22.8 million player option for the 2025-26 season.

A potential four-year, $150 million contract would be worth $37.5 million per year. If the maximum extension is signed and kicks in after his current deal, Gordon's average annual salary would become the ninth-highest among power forwards in the NBA during the 2026-27 season (via Spotrac).

It's a steep price for Gordon despite his off-ball offensive impact and defensive acumen, especially considering seven of the eight players that would be ranked above him have at least one All-Star appearance.

Despite the reported unwillingness to pay Gordon the maximum amount he's eligible for, there was optimism between both sides regarding an extension during media day on Sept. 26.

"I really love this organization," Gordon said, per NBC Sports' Kurt Helin. "I love the players on this team. I love the coaching staff. So I hope we get it done. It seems like it's moving forward in the right direction, so I'm excited. I'm excited hopefully to be extended and to stay with this organization."

Nuggets general manager Calvin Booth also made it clear that he hopes an agreement is eventually reached.

"Hopefully we have some productive talks with his representation, and we're able to find a deal that we're both satisfied with," Booth said, via Helin. "He's been an integral part of what we've done. And we'd like to keep him here for a long time."

Gordon has played a crucial role alongside three-time MVP Nikola Jokić in Denver's frontcourt, as the pair helped the franchise win a championship in 2023. Last season, he averaged 13.9 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game on 55.6 percent shooting.

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Donte DiVincenzo had a heated exchange with New York Knicks assistant coach Rick Brunson in a preseason matchup on Sunday, but the two sides have reportedly moved on.

Per SNY's Ian Begley, the incident is "water under the bridge" for the two, who "had a close relationship for a while" when DiVincenzo was a member of the Knicks organization.

DiVincenzo, who last month was traded from New York to Minnesota along with Julius Randle in return for Karl-Anthony Towns, had directed words toward the Knicks bench earlier in the game. After the contest as players and coaches were shaking hands, he and Brunson had to be separated while going back and forth.

The full extent of what they said to each other is unclear, but DiVincenzo was heard on camera saying "I was talking to (Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau)."

After the exchange, DiVincenzo said he and Thibodeau shared an inside joke during the game but did not comment on his interaction with Brunson, per ESPN's Chris Herring.

For now, the two will move on from the incident and focus on their respective seasons.

DiVincenzo, who is entering his eighth season in the NBA, had the best year of his career with the Knicks in 2023-24. He put up 15.5 points, 2.7 assists and 3.7 rebounds as New York reached the Eastern Conference semifinals.

In four preseason games with his new squad, he has put 12.3 points and 4.3 assists per game. He had a 15-point, seven-assist outing against the Knicks.

Brunson, the father of Knicks star Jalen Brunson, is set to enter his third season as a member of New York's coaching staff.

Oklahoma City Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein will be sidelined for five to six weeks with a "small, non-displaced" left hand fracture, ESPN's Shams Charania reported on Thursday.

The former New York Knicks star suffered the injury during Tuesday's preseason win over the Denver Nuggets, per Charania.

Oklahoma City's center depth will now be tested with both Jaylin Williams and Kenrich Williams also sidelined by injury. Ousmane Dieng could get more minutes in their absence.

The Thunder opens the regular season next Thursday against the Nuggets in Denver.

Jaylin Williams has been recovering from a right hamstring strain, which the team has indicated would be reevaluated after the preseason.

Depth forward Kenrich Williams is meanwhile still recovering from knee surgery he underwent in September.

The injury recovery timeline cited by Charania would sideline Hartenstein for at least 16 games, meaning the Thunder will likely have to wait until at least late November to see him pair up with big man Chet Holmgren.

Holmgren was slated to play at the 4 with Hartenstein in the starting lineup, but with the former Knicks star injured he could potentially move back to center with third-year guard Jalen Williams a candidate to start at power forward. After averaging just under 30 minutes per game in his Rookie of the Year runner-up campaign last season, Holmgren may be slated for bigger minutes as the Thunder call on him to step up in the first month of the season.

The Thunder have more available depth in the backcourt, where starters Shai Gigeous-Alexander and Luguentz Dort and reserve players Alex Caruso and Cason Wallace are on track to play in the season opener.

That depth should allow the Thunder to stay on trajectory for another postseason berth despite the loss of Hartenstein, but could mean further struggles at the glass for a team that ranked among the NBA's bottom four teams in rebounding last season.

The offseason addition of Hartenstein, who averaged 8.3 rebounds per game for the Knicks last season, was meant to address that issue, so the Thunder will hope he is able to make it back into the starting lineup as soon as possible.

Utah Jazz star Lauri Markkanen was flattered on some level to be the subject of steady trade speculation throughout the offseason.

The Golden State Warriors in particular made a run at the 7'0" forward, though a deal reportedly didn't get all that close.

In an interview with NBA insider Marc Stein, Markkanen said he took the outside interest as a sign of respect after averaging 24.5 points and 8.4 rebounds since joining the Jazz.

"I think [it means] you've done things right—that teams want you," he said. " ... I was able to kind of zone it out and really wait for my agent for what's real."

The 2022-23 All-Star added he was able to create some emotional distance between himself and the general uncertainty thanks to being more experienced in the league.

"I went through it once already during my restricted free agency [summer], going from Chicago to Cleveland, so this was easier for sure," he said. "Contract-wise we couldn't do anything before August. I knew that, if something happens with [trade interest], my agent will let me know. So I was able to kind of be home with my family and work out and it was easier."

In August, Markkanen signed a new five-year contract with the Jazz that gave him $220 million in new money. The timing of the extension also means he'll stay in Utah through at least the 2024-25 season since he can't be moved before the Feb. 6 trade deadline.

"Obviously I wasn't a free agent, but it was more I had the ability to do the contract and kind of had the choice," he told Stein about being able to exert more influence over his short-term future. "I don't have to do it, but that was something I wanted to get done to stay with the team."

Markkanen turned 27 in May and the Jazz are a long way off serious contention after finishing 31-51 in 2023-24. There may come a time when it makes more sense to trade the Finnish big man than keeping him as a cornerstone of the roster.

For now, Markkanen at least gets to enjoy a full season in Salt Lake City.

More than one week after being traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves, Julius Randle could make his debut for the team before the end of the preseason.

Appearing on NBA Today, ESPN's Shams Charania reported it's likely that Randle will make his first appearance with the T-Wolves "at some point next week" as he continues to rehab a shoulder injury.

Randle originally suffered a dislocated shoulder in the fourth quarter of the New York Knicks' victory over the Miami Heat on Jan. 27. He attempted to rehab the injury with the goal of returning before the end of the season, but eventually had season-ending surgery in April.

The Knicks said at the time of the procedure that Randle would be re-evaluated in five months.

In the interim, the Knicks pulled off a surprise three-team trade late in the offseason. They sent Randle, Donte DiVincenzo and Keita Bates-Diop to Minnesota for Karl-Anthony Towns in a deal that also included the Charlotte Hornets.

The deal reunited Randle with Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch, who was an associate head coach for the New Orleans Pelicans during Randle's lone season with the club in 2018-19.

Minnesota has three preseason games remaining, including a matchup with the Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Sunday. There is no indication Randle will be available to play in that game.

The other remaining preseason matchups for the Timberwolves are against the Chicago Bulls on Oct. 16 and Denver Nuggets on Oct. 17. Both games will be played at the Target Center.

It seems likely the Timberwolves would want to get Randle some minutes before the regular season begins to give him a chance to shake off any rust given how long he's been out of action.

Minnesota will open the regular season with back-to-back road games starting on Oct. 22 against the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena.

Randle averaged 24.0 points on 47.2 percent shooting, 9.2 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game in 46 starts with the Knicks last season.

After the Minnesota Timberwolves handed the Boston Celtics their first loss early in the 2023-24 season, Anthony Edwards had some choice words for Jayson Tatum.

As shown in Netflix's Starting 5 documentary series, Edwards was excited after the overtime victory and told his teammates in the locker room, "You seen Tatum trying to get me on the switch, locked his ass up two times. Tatum was talking crazy, saying, 'Yeah, I'm here,' then I said, 'I'm coming again.' Talking about 'best player in the league'...y'all trippin'."

Edwards was rightly feeling himself after that November 2023 game, as he had 38 points, nine rebounds and seven assists to lead Minnesota to a 114-109 win over a Boston team that entered the matchup undefeated at 5-0. Tatum finished with 32 points and five steals in a losing effort.

Tatum explained the pressure that the Celtics were under while being universally regarded as the best team in the league last season.

"We're expected to win every single night and when we lose, the f--king world is ending, everybody's on TV talking about us, how we're not equipped to win a championship, how I can't lead a team," Tatum said.

The 26-year-old achieved the ultimate goal of leading Boston to its 18th NBA championship in franchise history, the most all-time. He didn't win NBA Finals MVP for his performance in five games against the Dallas Mavericks. That honor went to his longtime teammate Jaylen Brown.

The Celtics are entering the 2024-25 season as the favorites to take home the title once again, as they received 83 percent of the vote in the NBA's 2024-25 GM survey for who will be the 2025 NBA champion.

Another strong season that culminates in a championship could be enough for Tatum to silence those who doubt his status as the best player in the world.

Rudy Gobert isn't a fan of criticism surrounding his ability to switch and guard smaller players.

The Minnesota Timberwolves center told Sportskeeda's Mark Medina that "numbers don't lie" when discussing his defense on guards and shorter forwards.

"Just look at the numbers," Gobert said. "Media manipulation and perception is one thing. But look at who is in the top five with guarding on switches last year or in isos. Look at the numbers. Numbers don't lie."

The 32-year-old was extremely effective when switching throughout the 2023-24 season. He allowed the fewest points per direct isolations in switch situations among players to defend at least 175 isolation possessions, per ESPN's Tim MacMahon (h/t Medina).

Gobert won the fourth Defensive Player of the Year award of his career in 2024, helping the Timberwolves finish the regular season with a record of 56-26 and earn a trip to the Western Conference Finals. He's tied with Basketball Hall of Fame centers Dikembe Mutombo and Ben Wallace as the only players in NBA history to earn Defensive Player of the Year honors four times.

Minnesota finished with a 108.4 defensive rating during its 2023-24 campaign, the best mark in the association (via NBA.com).

The 32-year-old will attempt to help the Timberwolves go on another long playoff run following the blockbuster trade with the New York Knicks involving Karl-Anthony Towns.

All-Star power forward Julius Randle and sharpshooter Donte DiVincenzo headlined the package that Minnesota received in exchange for Towns, as both players should immediately contribute in head coach Chris Finch's rotation.

The Timberwolves' regular season starts with a game against the Los Angeles Lakers on Oct. 22.

Former New York Knicks guard Donte DiVincenzo, who was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Karl-Anthony Towns trade, thanked the New York fans for "one of the best years of my life" on Thursday.

The trade broke up the Villanova quartet of Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, Mikal Bridges and DiVincenzo, who were briefly reunited on the Knicks this summer after Bridges was acquired in a trade before New York landed Towns and sacrificed DiVincenzo in the process.

In Minnesota, DiVincenzo will join Anthony Edwards, Rudy Gobert, Julius Randle, Mike Conley, Jaden McDaniels, Naz Reid and rookie Rob Dillingham, a talented but perhaps mismatched core group of players.

If there were concerns about the duo of Gobert and Towns down on the block, for instance, Randle won't alleviate them. Granted, trading Towns was more about financial flexibility into the future, though breaking up a roster that just reached the Western Conference Finals this season, rather than giving them another year to chase a title, was a surprising choice.

The trade was less surprising for the Knicks, who were linked to Towns in the past. More importantly, he'll offer the team a major offensive upgrade at center, pairing with Brunson, Hart, Bridges and OG Anunoby in a stacked starting lineup.

Whether he can provide the sort of defense that head coach Tom Thibodeau craves is another matter entirely, though the defensive acumen of players like Bridges and Anunoby should help cover up some of Towns' deficiencies on that end. Sacrificing Randle and DiVincenzo for the spacing and scoring that Towns provides was a worthwhile gamble.

The loss of DiVincenzo will be felt beyond just the Nova vibes sacrificed, however. The 27-year-old was fantastic in the 2023-24 season, averaging career highs in points (15.5 PPG), three-point percentage (40.1 percent) and total three-pointers made (283), the latter of which was the 14th-most threes made in a single season in NBA history.

The Wolves would be thrilled if DiVincenzo replicated those types of numbers. It remains to be seen if the 27-year-old took a major step forward last season or if he was simply in the perfect system for his particular skill set in New York.