NBA Northwest

Denver Nuggets mascot Rocky is a new hero among NBA fans after it was revealed that he makes $625,000 annually.

Denver Nuggets mascot Rocky is the highest-paid mascot in the NBA with a $625K annual salary 🤯

Rocky makes 10 times the average salary of an NBA mascot (roughly $60K a year)

(via @boardroom) pic.twitter.com/QewR3RCkDK

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) October 2, 2022

Fans were quick to react to the news, either saying how much the salary is deserved or lining up to become the next mascot.

Denver Nuggets mascot Rocky is the highest-paid mascot in the NBA with a $625K annual salary 🤯

Rocky makes 10 times the average salary of an NBA mascot (roughly $60K a year)

(via @boardroom) pic.twitter.com/QewR3RCkDK

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) October 2, 2022

https://twitter.com/kawaii_fieri/status/1576421359160545280

https://twitter.com/cbanksburner/status/1576420084763197440

https://twitter.com/papyfaye1/status/1576419723658477568

https://twitter.com/DerekJBiz/status/1576420042442706946

Searching mascot openings pic.twitter.com/FB6otsKRjj

— Courtney Jacobs (@coolinwithCJ) October 2, 2022

What a gig! Doesn’t have talk & nobody knows who you are! Lol!

— Chris Croft (@CoachChrisCroft) October 2, 2022

He deserves it. Best mascot in all of pro sports.

— Pauletta Tonilas (@PLongoTonilas) October 2, 2022

He’s also really talented. I normally don’t care about mascots, but he’s legit entertaining. Gets up on an 80 ft ladder and shoots basketballs half court backwards

— Ryan (@BaseballGuyRyan) October 2, 2022

Worth every penny.

— Jay (@poopyboobster) October 2, 2022

Worth every penny.

— Jay (@poopyboobster) October 2, 2022

Rocky is worth the money he is some of the reason people go to @nuggets games ask my wife

— phillip castillo (@fepecastillo) October 1, 2022

Rocky has always been the highest paid mascot since I can remember. I got to watch him perform every home game in Denver for years when I covered the Nuggets. Dude is a circus show and a performer 🤣🤣

— Sulaiman Folarin (@sulaiman4real) October 2, 2022

It's clear there is a newfound respect for the position.

Considering other NBA mascots average about $60,000 per year, we could see more aggressive stunts from those around the league.

On the other hand, they don't want to end up like Poe, the Baltimore Ravens mascot who has been ruled out for the season with an injury.

Oklahoma City Thunder rookie center Chet Holmgren saw his first season end before it began after he suffered a Lisfranc injury to his right foot during a pro-am game in Seattle in August.

Here's the play where Chet Holmgren got hurt tonight. He was guarding @KingJames one-on-one. It's hard to tell how he got hurt. He might have just stepped weirdly. @ChetHolmgren @thecrawsover #thunder pic.twitter.com/AzUBYUgnyV

— Nathan Thompson (@NathanDThompson) August 21, 2022

But Holmgren doesn't regret the decision to play in the contest, despite some criticism of his participation.

"There's freedom of speech and criticism comes along with anything. Basketball players are going to play basketball," Holmgren told reporters. "You have to feed the love of the game. I don't want an injury like this to take away from that."

Chet Holmgren on criticisms over NBA players playing in Pro-Am’s: “At the end of the day, basketball players are gonna play basketball.” pic.twitter.com/GedpFEGAsX

— Clemente Almanza (@CAlmanza1007) September 29, 2022

While it's no doubt a major setback, other NBA stars like Joel Embiid, Blake Griffin and Ben Simmons each missed their rookie seasons and went on to have successful NBA careers.

Still, it's no doubt a disappointment for Thunder fans eager to see how Holmgren would fit in with the team's young core of Gilgeous-Alexander, Josh Giddey, Lu Dort, Darius Bazley, Tre Mann and Jalen Williams. They'll have to take a rain check until next season.

Minnesota Timberwolves players were reportedly "shocked" by the team's blockbuster offseason trade to acquire All-Star center Rudy Gobert from the Utah Jazz.

In July, the Wolves dealt Malik Beasley, Patrick Beverley, Leandro Bolmaro, Walker Kessler, Jarred Vanderbilt, four first-round draft picks and a pick swap to acquire the three-time Defensive Player of the Year.

ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported on Minnesota's internal reaction to the trade Friday on The Hoop Collective podcast (24:15 mark of video).

"I talked to some of their guys," Windhorst said. "They expressed that they were shocked when that trade went down. That they had a euphoria about the season, winning that play-in opportunity, getting to the Memphis series and battling with the Grizzlies. And, like, they were assuming they were going to run it back. And the team had extended [Beverley], and Beverley was beloved on that roster. The players were kind of stunned. But as I pointed out, Rudy Gobert is pretty good, with all due respect to the guys they traded."

Judging by how the NBA offseason ground to the halt after that trade, the Wolves' locker room likely wasn't the only group stunned by the scope of the deal.

Brooklyn Nets superstar Kevin Durant requested a trade but, given the king's ransom Minnesota paid for Gobert, it was borderline impossible for another team to come up with an offer that would have been fair-market value for KD, who ultimately rescinded the request.

Fred Katz of The Athletic reported in late July the Gobert deal set the bar at an "objectively nonsensical" level and pushed the trade market toward a point where it "collapses in on itself," which is essentially what happened over the final two months of the summer.

Of course, if the trade allows Minnesota to emerge as a legitimate championship contender, the price it paid to acquire Gobert becomes far less of an issue.

The Timberwolves feature an intriguing projected lineup with Gobert joined by Karl-Anthony Towns, D'Angelo Russell, Anthony Edwards and Kyle Anderson.

There are a couple key questions, though: Is it still possible to build a title-winning team on the foundation of post players, including an old-school center, and does the roster feature enough depth to overcome any injuries that may arise?

The team's new man in the middle expressed optimism about what the team can accomplish this season, especially at the defensive end, on Tuesday.

"There will be situations when I'm going to have to [switch], and I love to do it," Gobert said. "The more important thing is whatever we do, we're on the same page. We all understand the lineup that's on the floor, who we're playing against and we have our mind focused on that. If we do that, we can be a top defense in this league."

Minnesota is set to tip off the preseason Tuesday against the Miami Heat and will open the regular season Oct. 19 when it hosts the Oklahoma City Thunder.

For better or worse, the Wolves will be one of the most fascinating teams to watch in 2022-23.

Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards is already known for his offensive prowess, but he has high aspirations for his defensive performance this season as well.

Edwards told reporters on Thursday that he intends to guard the best opposing player "the majority of the time" and would be "salty" if he isn't selected to the All-Defensive team by the end of the year:

Anthony Edwards said he will be guarding the best opposing offensive player the majority of the time this season — and because of that, Ant says he will be “salty” if he doesn’t make an All-Defense team this season.

— Dane Moore (@DaneMooreNBA) September 29, 2022

The 21-year-old averaged 1.5 steals last season to go with 21.3 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.8 assists. He has a career defensive rating of 114.2, per StatMuse.

Edwards and the Timberwolves should take a major step forward defensively this season after acquiring three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert in a blockbuster trade with the Utah Jazz. Minnesota ranked 24th in the NBA last season with opponents averaging 113.3 points against them.

Edwards' commitment to upping his production on the defensive end will surely make a difference in 2022-23.

The Milwaukee Bucks reportedly expressed interest in trading for Utah Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson this offseason but were unable to reach a trade agreement.

"Milwaukee showed a lot of interest in him," Tony Jones of The Athletic said on The Bill Riley Show. "But the Jazz would have had to take back George Hill in a potential trade, and they weren’t going to do that. That was kind of a non-starter for them. But other than Milwaukee, I don’t think there’s really been a serious suitor for Jordan."

Clarkson is one of several Jazz veterans who could likely be had via trade for the right price as the team embarks on a rebuild. Utah already traded Rudy Gobert, Donovan Mitchell, Bojan Bogdanović and Patrick Beverley earlier this offseason.

Clarkson, 30, will make $13.3 million this season and has a player option at $14.3 million for 2023-24. He averaged 16.0 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists while shooting 41.9 percent from the floor last season, continuing to stand out as one of the league's premier bench scorers.

The Bucks have quietly been aggressive on the trade market looking to fill out their roster. ESPN's Zach Lowe reported Milwaukee expressed interest in Jerami Grant before he was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers, and they're expected to be in the race for disgruntled Phoenix Suns forward Jae Crowder.

From a Jazz perspective, it seems a little odd that taking back the contract of George Hill was a "nonstarter" in Clarkson trade talks. Hill will make just $4 million this season, a pittance in NBA salary circles. While he does not fit in the team's window, Hill could take a buyout for $1.3 million and then sign elsewhere for his veteran's minimum ($2.7 million) and still make the same salary. That's a small cost of business at the NBA level, particularly if there were draft picks involved in Milwaukee's offer.

The Suns could use Hill as part of their rotation, so Milwaukee may find a more natural trade fit in Crowder.

The Toronto Raptors are reportedly "closely monitoring" the situation of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in case the Oklahoma City Thunder guard seeks a trade.

Josh Lewenberg of TSN reported the Raptors "will be ready" if Gilgeous-Alexander ever decides he wants to play in his hometown. The Toronto native has also recently spent time playing under Raptors coach Nick Nurse for the Canadian national team, so the two parties have some level of familiarity.

Lewenberg's report noted there has been no indication Gilgeous-Alexander is dissatisfied in Oklahoma City.

"I know what I signed up for when I signed a five-year extension," Gilgeous-Alexander told Andrew Schlecht of The Athletic. "I don't think we're gonna be losing for much longer, so it's not like I signed up to lose or anything. I believe in this team. Believe in the players we have on this team, and I think we're headed in the right direction and we'll be where we wanna be soon."

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on the speculation that he would want out of Oklahoma City

"I know what I signed up for when I signed a 5 year extension... and I don't think we're gonna be losing for much longer."

"I believe in this team" pic.twitter.com/5Un4Hsb92f

— Andrew Schlecht (@AndrewKSchlecht) September 26, 2022

Gilgeous-Alexander is in the first year of a five-year, $179.3 million contract he signed in August 2021. The deal carries no options and has a 15 percent trade kicker, so there was a true commitment from both parties when the contract was signed.

The Thunder were hoping for a marked improvement in 2022-23 after taking Chet Holmgren with the No. 2 pick in June's draft, but the Gonzaga product will miss the entire season after suffering a foot injury while playing in a Seattle pro-am game.

Gilgeous-Alexander is expected to miss much, if not all, of the preseason while recovering from a knee injury. His status for the beginning of the regular season remains unclear.

It's likely the Thunder will remain one of the worst in the NBA for the third straight season. Oklahoma City went 46-108 over the last two seasons, finishing 14th in the Western Conference in each of those campaigns.

The Raptors, meanwhile, have managed to stay competitive despite undergoing their own full-scale roster overhaul. Toronto finished 48-34 in 2021-22 and appears to have found a gem in Rookie of the Year Scottie Barnes, who already ranks ahead of any teammate Gilgeous-Alexander has in OKC.

The Oklahoma City Thunder have gone 46-108 over the past two years amid a multiyear rebuilding process, but guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is confident that the losing will not last much longer in OKC.

Gilgeous-Alexander made the remarks in a Monday interview with Andrew Schlecht of The Athletic.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on the speculation that he would want out of Oklahoma City

"I know what I signed up for when I signed a 5 year extension... and I don't think we're gonna be losing for much longer."

"I believe in this team" pic.twitter.com/5Un4Hsb92f

— Andrew Schlecht (@AndrewKSchlecht) September 26, 2022

The 24-year-old certainly has the capability to lead OKC out of the league basement someday. The rising star averaged 24.5 points, 5.9 assists, 5.0 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game last year.

Gilgeous-Alexander is in Oklahoma City for the long haul after he signed a five-year, $173 million extension in 2021.

General manager Sam Presti is building a solid core around him that includes second-year guard Josh Giddey and rookie big man Chet Holmgren, who will miss this season with a Lisfranc injury. The Thunder also have a hoard of draft picks for the remainder of the decade to continue their rebuild.

In the present, though, the Thunder will most likely continue to take their lumps, especially with Holmgren out. Last year's team went 24-58 and finished second-to-last in the Western Conference. The Thunder did suffer a litany of injuries, to the point where no player suited up 70 or more times. Twenty-six players also took the court for the team.

Better health and a more consistent rotation should go a long way toward some improvement for now, but all eyes will be on 2023 when the Thunder should have another lottery pick and Holmgren makes his long-awaited debut.

That could be the year OKC starts making its turnaround and starts winning more ballgames. If that's the case, then Gilgeous-Alexander's prediction will be on the money.

The Utah Jazz reportedly continued their offseason fire sale Thursday by trading forward Bojan Bogdanović to the Detroit Pistons.

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, the Jazz will receive center Kelly Olynyk and guard Saben Lee in return.

Tony Jones of The Athletic reported in June that Bogdanović was one of the players on Utah's roster who was expected to draw "significant interest" on the trade market this summer.

The 33-year-old was a key rotation player for the Jazz since he signed a four-year deal with the team in 2019. In 69 games in 2021-22, he was Utah's second-leading scorer with 18.1 points per game, which trailed only Donovan Mitchell.

Bogdanović added 4.3 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game while shooting 45.5 percent from the field and 38.7 percent from three-point range.

After beginning his professional career in Europe, the Croatian joined the NBA in 2014 and signed a three-year deal with the Brooklyn Nets. He was traded to the Washington Wizards in 2017 and signed with the Indiana Pacers later that year. He spent two seasons in Indiana before joining Utah.

The Jazz are a team in transition following the surprising resignation of head coach Quin Snyder on June 5. He guided the team to a 49-33 record last season, but Utah was ousted in the first round of the postseason by the Dallas Mavericks in six games. He was replaced by former Boston Celtics assistant Will Hardy.

Bogdanović wasn't the only player on the move this offseason. Utah traded three-time All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell to the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Jazz also parted ways with center Rudy Gobert, sending the three-time Defensive Player of the Year to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Both deals were in exchange for a haul of players and draft picks, setting up Utah to build for the future.

By acquiring Bogdanović, Detroit is getting a sharpshooter who can stretch the floor on offense. While the seven-year NBA veteran isn't a game-changer by any means, he will be able to provide consistent scoring alongside the likes of Cade Cunningham for a Pistons team that is perhaps trying to accelerate its rebuild.

As for the Jazz, trading Bogdanović brings them even deeper into a rebuild, plus it gives them another potential trade piece in Olynyk, who could be coveted by contenders during the season as a rotational big.

Even if the Jazz are unable to trade the veteran, his salary is only partially guaranteed for the 2023-24 season, meaning they could move on without much issue.

Bojan Bogdanovic is reportedly the next Utah Jazz veteran lined up for a trade.

Andy Larsen of the Salt Lake Tribune reported Wednesday that Bogdanovic expects to be dealt "soon" as teams prepare to report to training camp.

The Jazz are in the midst of a full-scale rebuild after trading Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert this offseason.

Bogdanovic is heading into the final season of his contract and will make $19.3 million in 2022-23. He's been oft-rumored as a potential target for the Los Angeles Lakers, who are still exploring their Russell Westbrook trade options.

Utah would be a natural trade partner given the influx of quality veterans to the roster and its desire to jettison those players for future draft assets. The Lakers can trade their 2027 and 2029 first-round picks along with Westbrook in any deal, and those picks are considered desirable.

LeBron James could be retired by the 2027-28 season, and Anthony Davis has not proved capable of staying healthy long enough to be a franchise cornerstone. With the New Orleans Pelicans owning the Lakers' draft fate for up to the next three seasons—the Pels have pick-swap rights in 2023 and their choice of the Lakers' 2024 or 2025 first-round pick—there also is not much avenue for the front office to fortify the roster with elite young talent.

That said, the Lakers seem to have some level of self-awareness about their bleak long-term prospects. They have been hesitant to attach two first-round picks in Westbrook trade talks, which may be a non-starter for the Jazz.

Utah would almost certainly land a first-round pick by trading Bogdanovic by himself, let alone the other veterans that would be necessary to match salaries. The Jazz may be able to land more draft picks by trading their veterans individually rather than as part of a package.

Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is going to miss the start of training camp.

The team announced Wednesday that Gilgeous-Alexander suffered a Grade 2 MCL sprain in his left knee.

Injuries have already caused the Thunder problems. Chet Holmgren, the No. 2 pick in the 2022 NBA draft, will miss the entire season due to a Lisfranc injury suffered during a pro-am game in August.

The 24-year-old missed 26 games in 2021-22 while dealing with an ankle injury. He still had a productive year, though, averaging career highs of 24.5 points and 5.9 assists to go with 5.0 rebounds per game.

The 11th overall pick in 2018, Gilgeous-Alexander was selected by the Charlotte Hornets and traded to the Los Angeles Clippers on the night of the draft.

After a nondescript rookie season, he was shipped to Oklahoma City as part of the deal that allowed to the Clippers to acquire Paul George.

Since joining the Thunder, Gilgeous-Alexander's career has blossomed. He's improved his scoring average in each of his three years in Oklahoma City. The team signed him to a five-year max extension worth as much as $207 million prior to last season.

However, injuries are starting to become a theme for the Canadian, as this is now the third straight year he's been hobbled. He was limited to 35 games in 2020-21 after suffering a tear in his plantar fascia.

Teams start reporting to training camp next week. The Thunder open the regular season on Oct. 19 against the Minnesota Timberwolves.