Second-year center Khaman Maluach will open the season as Phoenix’s starter in the middle, with head coach Jordan Ott giving him the nod for the Suns’ regular-season opener on Wednesday, according to Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic.
That decision comes with Mark Williams expected to miss a significant portion of the season after shoulder surgery, leaving Phoenix to sort through its options at center. Maluach and Oso Ighodaro spent training camp and the preseason competing for the job, and Ighodaro made a strong case with solid play in three exhibition appearances.
He also signed a new three-year extension with the Suns right before the regular season began. Even so, the starting role goes to Maluach, the No. 10 pick in the 2025 draft.
Elsewhere in the West, the Trail Blazers are rolling out a backcourt featuring Damian Lillard and Ja Morant to start Wednesday’s game against Phoenix, with Jrue Holiday coming off the bench, as expected, Rankin reports.
The Lakers also made a notable lineup call for their matchup with Golden State, choosing Ziaire Williams and Matisse Thybulle as their starting forwards. That moves Quentin Grimes into the sixth-man role, according to Anthony Slater of ESPN.
Before Wednesday’s opener, Lakers coach JJ Redick also offered a few injury updates. Khobi Price of The California Post reports that rookie guard Cameron Carr, dealing with a right oblique strain, is “ramping up” and day-to-day.
Adou Thiero had some swelling in his knee, so he’ll be shut down for a couple days before being listed as day-to-day as well. Redick added that Collin Sexton, who was ruled out Wednesday because of a calf injury, didn’t have a setback and said the decision to hold him out was a collaborative one.
In Minnesota, the Timberwolves and Jaden McDaniels spent weeks working toward a one-year extension, and the sides finally reached agreement on Monday, according to Jon Krawcznyski of The Athletic. Sources tell Krawcznyski that McDaniels wants to spend the rest of his NBA career in Minnesota if possible. During the negotiations, president of basketball operations Tim Connelly and several ownership figures - Marc Stad, Elisa Stad, and Alex Rodriguez - made it clear to McDaniels how strongly they wanted him to stay with the franchise long-term.
And in Oklahoma City, Rylan Stiles of SI.com made the case that Cason Wallace’s five-year, $134MM rookie scale extension is a win for both sides. The deal also includes a 5% trade kicker, Hoops Rumors has learned.
In Other News...
Bookers Rough Suns Opener Already Has Fans Fired Up
The Suns did not get the kind of opening night they wanted, with Portland jumping out to a big lead after the first quarter and the early tone of the game turning chippy fast. Devin Booker was right in the middle of it, and so was Ja Morant, whose first game with the Trail Blazers after the trade from Memphis brought plenty of extra attention to a matchup that already had a lot riding on it for Phoenix.
What followed was less about rhythm and more about edge, with multiple on-court confrontations between Booker and Morant that included a physical brush and verbal back-and-forths. The situation escalated enough to bring double technical fouls, and for Suns fans trying to size up what this team looks like in a new season, the night already carried the kind of tension that can linger long after the final buzzer. [Read more 🡒]
Suns Fans Already Have A Brutal New Reason To Hate This Trade
The first night of the season did not give Suns fans much reason for optimism, and Miles Bridges only added to the unease. Acquired in a trade that cost Phoenix an unprotected first-round pick, he managed just eight points on rough shooting in the opening loss to the Portland Trail Blazers, a debut that landed far short of what the team needed from him right away.
For a franchise already under pressure to prove its roster can hold together, the problem is bigger than one bad box score. The deal not only put more attention on how the Suns are building around the current core, it also tied a valuable future draft asset to a performance that left plenty of questions hanging early. [Read more 🡒]
Suns May Be Better But The West Just Got Tougher
The Suns head into the new season with a familiar core and a few additions that should help on both ends of the floor, which gives them a reasonable case for being better than they were a year ago. Continuity matters in the NBA, especially for a team trying to stack wins in a conference where every edge can matter, and Phoenix is banking on its returning pieces settling in quickly.
The problem is the rest of the West did not sit still. Several rivals made major moves, and others are getting key players back from injury, which means the path for Phoenix could be steeper even if the roster itself is improved. For a team with bigger ambitions, the question is not only whether the Suns got better, but whether that will be enough in a conference that suddenly feels even more crowded. [Read more 🡒]