NBA roundup: Anthony Edwards, Wolves edge Nuggets
Sat Nov 2 2:27am ET
Field Level Media
Anthony Edwards scored 29 points and shot 7-for-14 from 3-point range as the Minnesota Timberwolves escaped with a 119-116 win over the Denver Nuggets on Friday night in Minneapolis.
Julius Randle added 23 points, seven assists and six rebounds for Minnesota, which earned its third win in the past four games. Rudy Gobert notched 17 points and 14 rebounds.
Aaron Gordon scored a game-high 31 points and grabbed 11 rebounds for Denver. Nikola Jokic had 26 points, 13 assists and nine rebounds, and Michael Porter Jr. also logged 26 points.
Denver played down the stretch without guard Jamal Murray, who left in the third quarter after colliding with Randle. Murray was placed in the concussion protocol, the Nuggets said. He finished with six points, three assists and two rebounds in 22 minutes as the Nuggets' two-game winning streak ended.
Celtics 124, Hornets 109
Jayson Tatum scored 32 points and Jaylen Brown pumped in 25 as Boston fended off host Charlotte.
Derrick White added 17 points as the Celtics responded from their overtime loss at Indiana on Wednesday -- their only setback this season. Tatum also pulled in 11 rebounds.
LaMelo Ball racked up 31 points and four assists to lead the Hornets, and Tre Mann had 23 points. The game pitted first-year Hornets coach Charles Lee against the team he helped guide to an NBA title as an assistant coach last season.
Thunder 137, Trail Blazers 114
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander recorded 30 points, seven rebounds and six assists as unbeaten Oklahoma City blitzed host Portland.
Jalen Williams added 22 points, five rebounds, four assists and four steals as the Thunder won their fifth straight game to open the season. Oklahoma City has won 13 consecutive games against the Trail Blazers.
Jerami Grant had 17 points and Deandre Ayton and Rayan Rupert added 14 apiece for Portland, which has started the season with four losses in six games.
Cavaliers 120, Magic 109
Darius Garland scored 25 points and Donovan Mitchell added 22 as Cleveland knocked off visiting Orlando to remain unbeaten .
Cleveland has won its first six games to start the season, matching the franchise's best start since 2016-17. Evan Mobley had 14 points and 12 rebounds.
Orlando, who trailed by as many as 22 points in the third quarter, lost its second straight game despite getting a career-high 28 points from Jalen Suggs. The Magic were without All-Star forward Paolo Banchero, who sustained a torn right oblique in a loss to the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday.
Knicks 128, Pistons 98
Jalen Brunson poured in 36 points in the first three quarters and New York beat host Detroit for the 16th straight time.
Brunson made 14 of 22 field goal attempts and added five assists. Karl-Anthony Towns, who scored 44 points against Miami on Wednesday, supplied 21 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists. OG Anunoby also had 21 points with six assists.
The Pistons were coming off their first victory of the season, a road win at Philadelphia. Cade Cunningham led them on Friday with 22 points, six rebounds and six assists.
Kings 123, Hawks 115
De'Aaron Fox scored a game-high 31 points to help Sacramento defeat host Atlanta, which lost its fourth game in a row.
DeMar DeRozan added 27 points, while Domantas Sabonis tallied 15 points, 14 rebounds and six assists for the Kings, who won their third straight. Keegan Murray chipped in 14 points and 10 rebounds.
Trae Young led Atlanta with 25 points and 12 assists, while Garrison Mathews scored 23 points off the bench.
Nets 120, Bulls 112
Cam Thomas scored 32 points to continue his strong start as Brooklyn made enough plays down the stretch to beat Chicago in New York.
Thomas scored at least 30 for the third time in Brooklyn's initial six games and delivered down the stretch as the Nets outscored the Bulls 16-8 in the final six-plus minutes.
Nikola Vucevic collected 28 and 11 rebounds for the Bulls, who dropped their third straight game. LaVine and Coby White added 21 apiece for Chicago, which shot 6-for-23 from the floor in the fourth, including 2-of-11 from 3-point range.
Lakers 131, Raptors 125
Anthony Davis had 38 points and 11 rebounds and LeBron James added 27 points, six rebounds and 10 assists as Los Angeles held off host Toronto.
Austin Reaves scored 20 points and D'Angelo Russell contributed 19 points for the Lakers, who had lost their two previous games to start a five-game road trip, their first of the season.
RJ Barrett had 33 points and 12 assists for the Raptors, who have lost four in a row. Gradey Dick added a career-best 31 points and Jakob Poeltl had 19 points, 12 rebounds and six assists.
Pelicans 125, Pacers 118
Zion Williamson scored 34 points and handed out 10 assists, Brandon Ingram scored 26 points and short-handed New Orleans defeated visiting Indiana.
Jordan Hawkins scored 23 points for the Pelicans, who played without four of their top players -- Dejounte Murray (hand surgery), CJ McCollum (adductor), Herbert Jones (shoulder) and Trey Murphy III (hamstring).
Ben Sheppard scored 20 points, Bennedict Mathurin had 19 and Pascal Siakam added 16 as the Pacers lost for the fourth time in five games.
- Knicks hiring Mike Brown as head coach
- On verge of $240M deal, surgery next for Grizzlies All-Star Jaren Jackson Jr.
- Hornets reach 3-year, $24M deal with Tre Mann
- Duncan Robinson headed to Pistons in sign-and-trade from Heat
- Tim Hardaway Jr. reaches deal with Nuggets
- Thunder F Jalen Williams undergoes wrist surgery, Nov. return expected
- Raptors C Jakob Poeltl agrees to 4-year, $104M deal
- Kings sign Dennis Schroder, deal Jonas Valanciunas to Denver
- Bucks waive Damian Lillard, sign Myles Turner
- Knicks signing Guerschon Yabusele to 2-year deal
- Thunder sign SGA to record 4-year, $285M extension
- Knicks set second interview with Mike Brown
- Knicks add veteran G Jordan Clarkson
- Bucks retain Kevin Porter Jr., Gary Trent Jr., Tauren Prince
- Pistons reportedly land G Cavis LeVert for 2 years, $29M
- Veteran G Dennis Schroder agrees to deal with Kings
- Hawks, Nickeil Alexander-Walker agree to $62M deal
- Brook Lopez agrees to two-year deal with Clippers
- Dorian Finney-Smith to Rockets on 4-year, $53M deal
- Nuggets sending Michael Porter Jr. to Nets for Cam Johnson
On Wednesday, Shams Charania of ESPN reports that free-agent guard Dante Exum has signed a one-year deal to remain with the Dallas Mavericks. Exum has dealt with several injuries throughout his NBA career and played in only 20 regular-season contests in 2024-25, averaging 8.7 points, 2.8 assists, 1.7 rebounds, and 0.6 steals in 18.6 minutes per game. If the 29-year-old can stay healthy, he could see a significant increase in playing time with Kyrie Irving(knee) expected to be out through January.
On Wednesday, the Memphis Grizzlies announced forward Jaren Jackson Jr. underwent successful surgery to repair a turf toe injury in his right foot and will be re-evaluated in 12 weeks. Jackson will likely be good to go for the start of the regular season. The 25-year-old just signed a massive five-year, $240 million extension with Memphis. Despite the offseason setback, he is deserving of a new contract extension based on the numbers he has been producing over the last few years. During the 2024-25 campaign, the big man averaged 22.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.0 assists across 29.8 minutes per game in 74 appearances. When healthy, Jackson holds plenty of fantasy value and should continue to do so during the 2025-26 season.
Free-agent point guard Spencer Dinwiddie agreed to a one-year deal with the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday, per Shams Charania of ESPN. Dinwiddie spent last season with the Mavericks, posting averages of 11.0 points, 4.4 assists, and 2.6 rebounds in 27.0 minutes per contest across 79 games. Charlotte will be the sixth team Dinwiddie has suited up for in his NBA career since his rookie campaign in 2014-15. The 31-year-old will join newly acquired guards Collin SextonandTre Mann in the Hornets' backcourt.
Shams Charania of ESPN reports that forward Taurean Prince has agreed to a two-year, $7.1 million contract to remain with the Milwaukee Bucks. In 2024-25, Prince started 73 of his 80 regular-season outings during his first year in Milwaukee. He also averaged 8.2 points, 3.6 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1.0 steals in 27.1 minutes per contest, while shooting a career-best 43.9 percent from three-point range. The 31-year-old could remain in the Bucks starting five, but he will likely struggle to stay a fantasy-relevant asset during the 2025-26 regular season.
Houston Rockets forward/centerJeff Green signed aone-year, $3.63 million contract to remain with the franchise. This upcoming campaign will be the third consecutive season for Green in a Rockets uniform. The 38-year-old veteran posted averages of 5.4 points, 1.8 rebounds, 0.6 assists and 0.1 blocks across 12.4 minutes per contest during 32 regular-season outings. At this point in his career, the big man won't factor into fantasy in 2025-26.
The Los Angeles Lakers have added some depth in the form of forward Jake LaRavia on Monday. According to Shams Charania, LaRavia has agreed to a two-year, $12 million deal with the Lakers. The 23-year-old is averaging 6.9 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.7 assists across three NBA seasons. He has spent most of his career with the Memphis Grizzlies before being traded to the Sacramento Kings mid-way last season. This is a nice depth move by the Lakers to add a player like LaRavia who can do a little bit of everything. He figures to play a fairly significant role off the bench, but probably won't be anything more than a streaming option in most fantasy formats.
The Orlando Magic added some depth at the point guard position by signing free-agent guard Tyus Jones on Monday. According to Shams Charania, Jones signed a one-year, $7 million deal with the organization. Jones has bounced around quite a bit during his career, but last played with the Phoenix Suns. He averaged 10.2 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 5.3 assists in 26.8 minutes per game in 81 games with the Suns last season. It's unclear if he'll see that much playing time in Orlando, but that is also dependent on the health of Jalen Suggs. Jones figures to be the primary backup point guard, so he'll likely be asked to step up if the oft-injured Suggs goes down. Jones probably won't have standard league fantasy value on draft day.
The New Orleans Pelicans signed free-agent center Kevon Looney on Monday. According to Shams Charania, Looney agreed to a two-year, $16 million deal with the Pelicans. Looney has spent each of the last 10 years with the Golden State Warriors. Last season, Looney averaged 4.5 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 1.6 assists in 15.0 minutes per game across 76 contests. Looney is an experienced player who won three championships during his time in Golden State. He doesn't offer a ton of upside outside of his elite rebounding skills. He figures to play a role off the bench, which probably won't result in a ton of fantasy value. He'll probably end up being more of a streaming option than an everyday contributor in fantasy leagues.
The Milwaukee Bucks have signed center Jericho Sims to a new deal on Tuesday. The two sides have come to terms on a two-year deal. Sims was acquired by the Bucks mid-season from the New York Knicks. He didn't do too much damage as he averaged 2.4 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 0.8 assists across 15.0 minutes per game in a career-high 53 games. It's worth noting that Sims did play in all the postseason games for the Bucks. Despite that, Sims figures to have a minimal role in the rotation behind newly acquired center Myles Turner. Sims is unlikely to bring much to the table while Turner is healthy.
The Denver Nuggets have agreed on a one-year deal with free-agent guard Tim Hardaway Jr. on Tuesday. After one season in Detroit, Hardaway has departed and will try his luck in Denver. Hardaway made 77 starts with the Pistons last season, but saw his offensive numbers take a hit. He averaged 11.0 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 1.6 assists and 2.2 three-pointers per game last season. Some of those numbers were the lowest Hardaway has produced in nearly a decade. He's a reliable shooter that should rebound with his new organization. However, Hardaway is unlikely to make 77 starts in Denver. In fact, Hardaway will probably come off the bench, so his fantasy value is uncertain right now.
The Detroit Pistons are having a busy offseason as they've acquired guard Duncan Robinson on Tuesday. The Pistons and Miami Heat have agreed on a sign-and-trade that sends Robinson to Detroit in exchange for Simone Fontecchio. After that, Robinson signed a three-year, $48 million deal with Detroit. The Pistons are aggressively adding talent as they signed Caris LeVert on Monday. The combination of the two figures to help fill the void if Malik Beasley misses time due to gambling allegations. Last season, Robinson averaged 11.0 points, 2.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 2.6 three-pointers across 74 games with the Heat. Robinson is a reliable three-point shooter, but doesn't offer a ton of upside elsewhere. Fantasy managers know what they're going to get when adding Robinson.
Charlotte Hornets guard Tre Mann signed a new deal with the organization on Tuesday. The two sides have agreed on a three-year, $24 million deal. Mann was acquired by the Hornets from the Oklahoma City Thunder at the trade deadline in 2024. He only managed to play in 13 games last season due to a back issue. Before going down, Mann averaged 14.1 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 3.0 assists across 24.5 minutes per game. There is certainly good upside here, but Mann figures to mainly play off the bench behind LaMelo Ball. That being said, Mann probably won't see enough playing time to warrant rostering in most fantasy formats.
On Tuesday, free-agent guard Gary Harris signed a two-year deal with the Milwaukee Bucks, per Shams Charania of ESPN. Harris joins the Bucks after spending the last five seasons in Orlando. Milwaukee remains active in the offseason, and it is unclear what the team has planned for the 28-year-old. Despite averaging only 3.0 points and 1.3 rebounds last season, Harris still provides the Bucks with veteran leadership and depth at guard, as he has demonstrated key rotational contributions throughout his time in the league. However, he is not considered a valuable fantasy asset at this point in his 11-year NBA career.
According to ESPN's Shams Charania, the Charlotte Hornets signed free-agent center Mason Plumlee to a one-year, $3.6 million contract. The veteran big man played in 74 regular-season contests with the Phoenix Suns during the 2024-25 campaign, averaging 4.5 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 0.6 blocks per game. Going into his 13th NBA season, the 35-year-old will have to battle for minutes with rookie Ryan Kalkbrenner and Moussa Diabate, who are both 23 years old.
Toronto Raptors center Jakob Poeltl has agreed to a four-year, $104 million contract extension with the organization through the 2029-30 season, per Shams Charania of ESPN. Poeltl picked up his 2026-27 player option at $19.5M and adds three more years to his deal. The 29-year-old had an excellent 2024-25 regular season, registering career-highs with 14.5 points, 9.6 rebounds and 1.2 assists per contest in 57 games. He will likely continue to be a solid fantasy contributor going into the 2025-26 campaign.
ESPN's Shams Charania reports that the Charlotte Hornets have traded 31-year-old guard Vasilije Micic to the Milwaukee Bucks for guard/forwardPat Connaughton. Charlotte also receives two second picks in 2031 and 2032. Milwaukee has been very active this offseason, so it is unclear what the organization has planned for Micic. During the 2024-25 campaign, the 31-year-old veteran guard suited up for 36 games with the Hornets and five with the Suns, averaging 6.6 points, 3.1 assists, and 2.2 rebounds per contest.
On Tuesday, the Milwaukee Bucks traded guard/forwardPat Connaughton and two of their second-round picks in 2031 and 2032 to the Charlotte Hornets for guard Vasilije Micic, per Shams Charania of ESPN. Connaughton heads to the Hornets after exercising his $9.42 million player option for 2025-26. Last season, the 32-year-old averaged 5.3 points, 2.7 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 0.3 blocks, and 0.6 three-pointers in 14.7 minutes per game.
Shams Charania of ESPN reports that guardLuke Kennard has agreed to a one-year, $11 million deal with the Atlanta Hawks. Kennard lands in Atlanta after spending the past two-plus seasons with the Memphis Grizzlies. During the 2024-25 season, he averaged 8.9 points, 3.3 assists, 2.8 rebounds, and 1.7 three-pointers while shooting 43.3 percent from three-point range in 22.6 minutes per contest. The 29-year-old brings veteran leadership and depth to the Hawks on the wing.
According to ESPN's Shams Charania, the Sacramento Kings have signed guard Dennis Schroder to a three-year, $45 million deal on Tuesday. After trading De'Aaron Fox, the Kings have added Schroder to provide depth and a veteran presence. The 31-year-old will backup starting point guard Malik Monk. During the 2024-25 regular season, Schroder played for three different teams, suiting up for the Nets, Warriors, and Pistons, while averaging 13.1 points, 5.4 assists, and 2.6 rebounds per game in 75 appearances.
The Denver Nuggets acquired frontcourt depth in the early days of free agency, trading forward Dario Saric to Sacramento for center Jonas Valanciunas. The 33-year-old played in 81 games last year for Washington and Sacramento, averaging 10.4 points, seven rebounds, and two assists per game. The former top-five pick has been a productive post scorer throughout his career, and should allow Denver to rest Nikola Jokic without the offense falling apart. The acquisition of Valanciunas is the latest move of Denver's offseason. They also traded Michael Porter Jr. to Brooklyn for Cam Johnson and brought back fan-favorite forward Bruce Brown Jr.
