P.J. Washington says the Mavericks have told him one thing, even as the rumor mill keeps spinning around him.
In an interview with DLLS earlier this summer, Washington said Mavericks president Masai Ujiri made his stance clear. “He told me I wasn’t going to get traded, and if I was, he would tell me,” Washington said, as recently highlighted by Austin Veazey of Mavericks On SI. Washington added that Ujiri values his size, versatility and ability to play at both ends.
That assurance mattered to Washington, but it came before the latest report that rival teams expect Dallas to at least take calls. Those two realities can coexist: Ujiri can want Washington around, and other teams can still keep asking. The chatter may not lead anywhere soon, but it is out there.
In Phoenix, the center battle is already taking shape.
Oso Ighodaro started at center in the Suns’ preseason opener against the Pistons, coach Jordan Ott said, via Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. He and Khaman Maluach are competing for the job while Mark Williams works back from a torn labrum.
Ighodaro has the early edge in experience. Last season, he started 24 regular-season games and all four Phoenix playoff games. Maluach, though, offers a different look near the basket.
Ott has said he plans to wait until a few days before the regular season opener to name a starter, so Monday’s assignment was simply another chance for Ighodaro to make his case.
Out in Oklahoma City, the Thunder are drawing plenty of respect - and for good reason.
CBS Sports ranked their projected starting five second, trailing only the champion Knicks. That’s hardly a knock. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren give Oklahoma City a strong top-line argument all by themselves.
But as Grayson Buchanan of Thunder On SI pointed out, the Thunder’s depth is part of the real story. Cason Wallace could move into Lu Dort’s starting role, and Ajay Mitchell, Alex Caruso and others give Mark Daigneault more answers once the game is underway.
In Other News...
Suns Frontcourt Battle Is Putting Real Pressure On Oso Ighodaro
The Suns leaned into a three-guard look in preseason against the Detroit Pistons, but the bigger storyline sat in the frontcourt, where Oso Ighodaro got the start and Khaman Maluach continued making his case for a larger role. For a team still sorting out its rotation, that kind of competition matters, especially when the center spot can shape both the defense and the spacing around Phoenixs guards.
Maluach showed the kind of defensive presence that can change a coachs thinking, and he even flashed a bit more on offense with a three-point attempt. Nothing has been decided yet, and the Suns are not tipping their hand on any roster change, but the pressure is real for Ighodaro if Maluach keeps turning preseason minutes into evidence that he belongs in the starting conversation. [Read more 🡒]
Suns Still Have A Few Preseason Battles That Matter Before Opening Night
The Suns still have a few preseason decisions to sort out before opening night, and some of them sit well beyond the top of the rotation. Pat Spencer, on a two-way contract, has been used in a limited role and looks like the kind of depth piece a team hopes it never has to lean on, but is glad to have around if injuries change the picture. For a roster still taking shape, every available minute has a little more meaning than usual.
Haywood Highsmiths rocky preseason debut did not settle anything, and the back end of the roster remains in motion as the staff keeps sorting through options. Ryan Dunn, meanwhile, has to do more to separate himself in the battle for playing time, with the Suns also weighing other young options as they try to find the right mix before the games count. [Read more 🡒]
Suns Fans Get An Early Look At A Rotation Battle Taking Shape
The early preseason minutes already offered a clue about how Jordan Ott wants to sort through the Suns frontcourt, and the next test comes against Chicago after the loss to Detroit. Phoenix is still in the stage where lineup choices matter more for what they reveal than for what they decide, and the staff is using these exhibition games to get a better read on fit, rhythm and chemistry.
Ott is keeping the same starting group in place for a second straight game, a sign that the battle up front is far from settled even as roles begin to take shape. The plan also calls for the starters to log more time against the Bulls, giving the Suns a longer look at how the group functions together before the rotation starts to tighten. [Read more 🡒]