NBA Player News

Reid (wrist) and the Timberwolves agreed Sunday on a three-year, $42 million deal that includes a player option, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports.

Reid broke his wrist a few weeks before the regular season ended and was sidelined for the Timberwolves' postseason series loss to Denver. The talented big man was expected to miss six weeks following his surgery in early April, so he should be full go for offseason workouts this summer. Reid appears to have taken a discount to remain in Minnesota, as he likely could've commanded a bigger deal elsewhere. As a reserve last year (57 games), Reid averaged 10.5 points and 4.5 rebounds in 16.9 minutes, but he thrived as a starter (11 games), posting 16.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.0 blocks in 26.1 minutes. It's unlikely he'll be a regular starter as long as Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert are available, but regardless of his role, Reid will be a critical part of the Timberwolves' rotation for years to come.

The Suns are moving forward with the plan of keeping Ayton (ribs) to play alongside Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal, Chris Haynes of Turner Sports reports.

The Suns were exploring trades involving the talented big man this offseason, but it appears they didn't field any offers enticing enough to part with the 2018 No. 1 overall pick. The 24-year-old has averaged at least 14.0 points and 10.0 rebounds in each of his first five NBA campaigns, including a career-high 18.0 points last season. Ayton signed a four-year, $132.93 million ahead of the 2022-23 campaign, so he's still under contract with Phoenix for three more years.

Bediako signed a one-year contract with the Spurs on Friday, Tom Osborn of the San Antonio Express-Newse reports.

Bediako served as a rim protector for Alabama during the 2022-23 season, racking up 6.4 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per contest. He'll attempt to make a name for himself in training camp but is likely a longshot to provide meaningful NBA minutes anytime soon.

Vukcevic was selected by the Wizards with the 42nd overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.

Vukcevic spent the 2021-22 campaign with KK Partizan in Serbia and will now attempt to carve out a role in the NBA. The big man has solid handling abilities and can finish at the rim, but he also shot 37.3 percent from beyond the arc last year. However, Vukcevic requires some work if he hopes to make an impact in the NBA. It's unclear whether he'll come to the NBA for the 2023-24 campaign or remain overseas.

Nnaji was selected 31st in the 2023 NBA Draft by the Celtics, but he was quickly redirected to the Charlotte Hornets.

Nnaji is a project for the future, as he doesn't turn 19 until August. A 6-foot-11 center with a massive 7-foot-5 wingspan, Nnaji didn't play much for FC Barcelona last season, but he showed off his athleticism and touch around the rim. With Mark Williams and Nick Richards under contract for Charlotte, Nnaji will likely spend some time in the G League, at least in the early going.

Holmes was traded from the Kings to the Mavericks on Thursday along with the No. 24 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports.

The Mavs created a trade exception earlier on Draft Night when they sent Davis Bertans to the Thunder, and they'll immediately use that exception to add some much-needed veteran depth up front. Holmes played sparingly in 42 games for the Kings last season, but in 2021-22 he averaged 10.4 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 0.9 blocks while shooting 66.0 percent from the field. Holmes should have a decent chance to start at center for the Mavs, who also added Duke big man Dereck Lively with the No. 12 overall pick. Dallas selected Olivier-Maxence Prosper with the No. 24 overall selection.

Lively was selected by the Thunder with the 12th overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft before being dealt to the Mavericks, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports.

The Mavericks moved back from the 10th pick to No. 12 to select Lively, who fills a massive need as a defensive stalwart and lob threat. One of the top recruits in the 2022 high school class, Lively earned ACC All-Defensive Team honors as a freshman last season at Duke, averaging 5.2 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.4 blocks on 65.8 percent shooting in 20.6 minutes per game. Though his offensive game is a work in progress, Lively is expected to compete with Christian Wood and Maxi Kleber for regular minutes in the Mavs' frontcourt. Lively could follow the path of 2022 draftees Mark Williams and Walker Kessler by pushing for a starting role deeper in the regular season if he adapts well to the NBA level.

Wembanyama was selected by the Spurs with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.

Wembanyama's height and uniquely well-rounded skillset make him one of the highest-ceiling prospects most scouts have ever seen. Despite being well over seven feet tall, he can handle and shoot the ball like a playmaking wing, but he has skills in the post as well, allowing him to simply shoot over smaller defenders. Wembanyama's length will make him highly disruptive as a defender and rebounder. His relative quickness will allow him to defend some on the perimeter, where he can block jumpers. Wembanyama could be vying for All-Star nods sooner than later, and it's hard to calculate how high his ceiling might be down the line. Last season, with Metropolitans 92 in the French LNB Pro A league, he averaged 20.9 points on 47/27/82 shooting, 10.3 rebounds, 3.0 blocks and 2.4 assists. With the Spurs, he's projected to start in the frontcourt, though whether that's at the four or the five isn't immediately apparent.

The Celtics traded Muscala and Danilo Gallinari to the Wizards on Wednesday as part of a three-team deal including Kristaps Porzingis, Tyus Jones and Marcus Smart, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports.

Though Jones and a draft pick were the main acquisitions for Washington, Gallinari and Muscala were both shipped to the Wizards as part of the blockbuster deal. Per Bobby Marks of ESPN.com, the Wizards exercised Muscala's $3.5 million team option, and he will likely be part of the rebuilding roster. Though Washington is almost certainly going to add frontcourt pieces through the draft and free agency, Muscala's current competition consists of Daniel Gafford and Taj Gibson at the center spot. Though it's unclear how large of a role Muscala will play with the Wizards, he has shown the ability to be impactful on rebuilding rosters in the past, posting at least 8.0 points and 3.0 rebounds per game in 2020-21 and 2021-22 with the Thunder while shooting 37.0 percent and 42.9 percent from deep in each respective season.

The Wizards are finalizing a three-team trade involving the Grizzlies that will send Porzingis to the Celtics, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports.

Porzingis opted into his $36 million contract for 2023-24 in order for the trade to occur. He appeared in 65 games for the Wizards last season, tallying 23.2 points, 8.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.6 blocks on 38.5 percent shooting from beyond the arc. Boston will be the 27-year-old's fourth destination since being drafted fourth overall by the Knicks in 2015. He's expected to slide into the Celtics' starting lineup alongside either Al Horford or Robert Williams in the frontcourt. However, Porzingis will likely be the third option offensively behind Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, meaning his 2022-23 usage rate of 27.3 percent will likely see a significant drop-off. As part of the deal, the Celtics sent Marcus Smart to the Grizzlies and Danilo Gallinari and Mike Muscala to the Wizards, while Memphis shipped Tyus Jones to Washington.