Hoops Rumors

After acquiring him from Brooklyn, the Lakers would like to hang onto three-and-D forward Dorian Finney-Smith long-term, says Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. However, Scotto hears that the early expectation is that Finney-Smith will decline his $15.4MM player option for the 2025/26 season in order to test free agency. While it’s unclear if Finney-Smith could exceed that $15.4MM … [Read more...] about Pacific Rumors: Finney-Smith, Lakers, Kings, Fox, Clippers

The fighting spirit that makes 6’6″ Justin Champagnie one of NBA’s best offensive rebounders has also helped him survive a difficult journey to earn a secure spot in the league, writes Varun Shankar of The Washington Post. Champagnie is still on a two-way contract he signed in March after joining the Wizards on a 10-day deal, but he’s become one of the team’s most dependable … [Read more...] about Wizards Notes: Champagnie, Kuzma, Carrington, Sarr

Heat forward Jimmy Butler is expected to practice on Tuesday and return to action on Wednesday against the Pelicans, the Miami Herald’s Anthony Chiang reports. Butler has missed the last five games after battling a flu-like illness. Miami president Pat Riley issued a statement last week that he wasn’t going to trade Butler, who holds a $52.4MM player option on next year’s … [Read more...] about Southeast Notes: Butler, Love, Mann, Champagnie

The Wizards and Kyle Kuzma are targeting Monday’s rematch with New York for the veteran forward’s return to action, team sources tell Josh Robbins of The Athletic (Twitter link). As Robbins notes, Kuzma has missed the past 12 games with a sprained rib cartilage, having last played on Nov. 27. The two sides will determine if he’s able to suit up in the hours leading up to the … [Read more...] about Injury Notes: Kuzma, Raptors, Morant, Celtics, Suggs

It’s hard to be optimistic about a team with a 5-24 record, but veteran guard Malcolm Brogdon believes the Wizards are moving in the right direction, tweets Josh Robbins of The Athletic. “This team is actually just getting better every day,” Brogdon said after Saturday’s overtime loss to New York. “… We won that one game — maybe that was Denver, or whatever game that was — and … [Read more...] about Malcolm Brogdon Believes Wizards Are Improving