The Knicks stop negotiating, Podziemski signs for $110MM, and the NBA roster board for Oct. 5–12
The Oct. 5–12 board freezes Karl-Anthony Towns's extension in New York, pays Brandin Podziemski $110MM in Golden State, and costs Philadelphia center Ariel Hukporti the season.
The window here is Oct. 5–12, 2026. New York stopped negotiating extensions outright, Golden State paid the last piece of its young core, and Philadelphia lost a center for the season five minutes into the preseason. The next forced decision lands on Oct. 19.
The board at a glance
| Player or lane | Status | Verified development | Contract, cap or roster mechanism | Next signal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Karl-Anthony Towns, Knicks | Stalled | New York said on Oct. 9 that it would not negotiate extensions until later in the season; Towns said two days later that he was "very disappointed." 12 | Eligible for a projected four-year, $276MM maximum; due $57.1MM this season with a $61MM player option for 2027/28. The Knicks have offered around $200MM over four years. 34 | Whether he plays out the option and signs in July. 1 |
| Josh Hart, Knicks | Paused | Said on Oct. 10 that he is "not really too stressed," and that he has been willing to take significantly less than his maximum. 4 | $20.9MM this season, with a $22.4MM team option for 2027/28. His four-year maximum is $132MM. 4 | The same in-season window as Towns. 1 |
| Brandin Podziemski, Warriors | Completed | Agreed Oct. 10 and signed Oct. 11 on a five-year, $110MM rookie-scale extension. 5 | $18.9MM in 2027/28, then $20.5MM, $22MM, $23.5MM and $25MM, with a mutual option in 2031/32 and a trade kicker. 5 | Golden State still projects $55–60MM in cap space next summer. 5 |
| Ariel Hukporti, Sixers | Completed, lost | Ruptured his right Achilles on Oct. 5, had surgery the next day and is out for 2026/27. 6 | Signing him used a one-year, $3.4MM bi-annual exception; Philadelphia sat $1.83MM under the first-apron hard cap. 6 | Whether the Sixers trade to open room or wait until Dec. 4. 67 |
| Cason Wallace, Thunder | Imminent | Extension talks have begun in the ballpark of $25MM per year. 7 | Dyson Daniels and Christian Braun are the cited comparables; Wallace may seek Keyonte George's five-year, $155MM. 7 | Oct. 19 at 5:00pm CT. 5 |
| Brandon Miller, Hornets | Imminent | League personnel still expect an extension, and some think it will beat Amen Thompson's five-year, $208MM. 7 | A full camp participant after May shoulder surgery, reporting at 210 pounds. 7 | Oct. 19 at 5:00pm CT. 5 |
| Anthony Black, Magic | Imminent, unlikely | Marc Stein reports no meaningful negotiations, because of what Orlando's core four already costs. 7 | He raised his scoring from 9.4 to 15.0 points per game in his third season. 7 | Oct. 19 at 5:00pm CT. 5 |
| Bilal Coulibaly, Wizards | Exploratory | Extension-eligible, and he came off the bench in Washington's preseason opener. 8 | Unlikely to top the $13.8MM and $13.5MM averages Washington gave Deni Avdija and Corey Kispert. 8 | Oct. 19 at 5:00pm CT. 5 |
| RJ Barrett, Raptors | Stalled | Sources tell TSN there has been "little traction" in extension talks, though both sides are interested. 9 | In the final year of his contract, with Toronto's 2027/28 sheet crowded by Kawhi Leonard's new deal. 9 | Whether he is extended or traded before February. |
| Isaiah Stewart, Grizzlies | Completed, injured | Moderate left ankle sprain on Oct. 5; Memphis will reevaluate him in two weeks. 10 | He misses the Oct. 21 opener; Cameron Boozer, Zach Edey, Quinten Post and Taylor Hendricks absorb the minutes. 10 | Which of Memphis's surplus contracts goes next. 10 |
| Maxime Raynaud, Kings | Injured | MRI confirmed a right patellar subluxation; he left Saturday's game in a wheelchair. 11 | $2.15MM guaranteed this season, with a $2.5MM team option for 2027/28, as Domantas Sabonis's backup. 11 | Whether Sacramento adds a big man. |
| Christian Koloko, Pelicans | Completed, waived | Waived Oct. 9 off a non-guaranteed Exhibit 9 contract. 12 | New Orleans carries no salary for him and opens a camp roster spot. 12 | Who fills the opening. |
| Dwight Powell, Mavericks | Exploratory | Waived his right to block a trade if he makes the regular season roster. 7 | His contract would otherwise act as a de facto no-trade clause; the waiver lets Dallas deal him after Dec. 25. 7 | Whether Dallas keeps Powell or Moussa Cisse out of 16 standard contracts. 13 |
New York stops the clock
The Knicks put out a statement on Oct. 9 saying they would not negotiate extensions until later in the 2026/27 season. Four players were eligible at the time: Towns, Hart, Miles McBride and Tyler Kolek. 1
Towns found out with everyone else. "It was news to me," he said Sunday. "Very disappointed, to say the least. Let's state the obvious: It's a business." 2
New York's offer sits around $200MM over four years, per Stefan Bondy of The New York Post and ESPN. 34 Towns is eligible for a projected maximum of $276MM over four years. 3
He has said repeatedly that he would take less than the maximum. On Oct. 5 he also said the gap had gone too far: "None of those things have come close to happening." 3
Shams Charania reported on ESPN that Towns has been willing to give up "tens of millions," and that the Knicks read a $200MM offer as their ceiling. 4
The mechanism matters as much as the money. Towns earns $57.1MM this season and holds a $61MM player option for 2027/28. 3 A maximum extension would require him to decline that option and take a new deal beginning in 2027/28. 1
He turns 31 in mid-November. If he reached free agency next summer, a rival team could offer a projected $264.9MM over four years. 3
The apron is what froze the talks. 1
Owner James Dolan's mandate is to keep New York out of the second tax apron. 3 OG Anunoby, Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges earn a combined $113.7MM this season, and those figures rise from here. 1
Towns's and Hart's agents, both at CAA, have presented scenarios in which both players extend while New York stays under the 2027/28 second apron. 4
Hart softened his own position. "I'm not really too stressed over it," he said. "We have high expectations." 4
He will make about $20.9MM this season, and the Knicks hold a $22.4MM team option for 2027/28. 4 He is eligible for a four-year maximum of $132MM, and he has been willing to take significantly less. 4
The pause has a cost attached. Postponing past Oct. 19 means Towns can no longer fold his option year into a new deal this season. 1 He could pick up the option in June and extend in July instead. 1
Towns framed the season as the answer. "My only philosophy since we won, only thing on my mind, is how do we win another one?" 14
Golden State closes the Podziemski file
Brandin Podziemski agreed to a five-year, $110MM rookie-scale extension on Oct. 10, and the Warriors announced it the next day. 5
The deal is fully guaranteed and carries a mutual option in 2031/32. 5 Jake Fischer reported the trade kicker is the lesser of $1MM and 15% of his unearned base salary. 5
The schedule runs $18.9MM in 2027/28, then $20.5MM, $22MM, $23.5MM and $25MM in the option year. 5
His first-year salary lands just under $2MM above the $17MM cap hold he would have carried next summer. 5 The raises max out at 8%, which is what keeps the first year that low. 5
The comparables set his price. 5
Ayo Dosunmu signed for five years and $112MM, Peyton Watson for four years and $88MM, and Miami gave Pelle Larsson four years and $60MM in September. 5 Podziemski averages $22MM a year, the same as Watson. 5
He led Golden State in minutes last season, averaging 13.8 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists in 28.5 minutes across all 82 games. 5 He shot 45.2% from the field and 37.5% from three across his first three seasons. 5
"It shows a sign of faith and trust from them," Podziemski said. "I owe it right back to them." 15
He watched two teammates handle the same decision differently. Moses Moody took a three-year, $39MM extension in 2024, while Jonathan Kuminga never signed one and reached restricted free agency before his trade to Atlanta. 15
Steve Kerr said the deal "makes a lot of sense based on our numbers," and conceded that a Curry-Podziemski backcourt carries defensive limits. 15
Curry is being handled separately. He has played only the first half in three straight preseason games, and Kerr plans to lighten his practice work in his 18th season. 15
ESPN's Bobby Marks still projects $55–60MM in cap space for Golden State next summer. 5
Ten days to the Oct. 19 deadline
The rookie-scale extension deadline is Oct. 19 at 5:00pm CT, and Podziemski is the fifth player from this class to sign. 5 Victor Wembanyama, Ausar Thompson, Amen Thompson and Keyonte George signed earlier. 5
Marc Stein's latest reporting sorts the rest by tier. 7
Cason Wallace in Oklahoma City looks closest. Talks have opened near $25MM a year, with Dyson Daniels and Christian Braun as comparables, though Wallace may push toward Keyonte George's $155MM. 7 Oklahoma City cleared the way by trading Luguentz Dort this offseason. 7
Brandon Miller in Charlotte looks likely, and league personnel think his deal could exceed Amen Thompson's five-year, $208MM. 7 That price is a bet on his offense, with his health and defense still open questions. 7
Anthony Black in Orlando looks unlikely. The Magic have not engaged in meaningful talks, because Banchero, Wagner, Suggs and Bane are already expensive. 7
Bilal Coulibaly in Washington is the quietest of the group. He started for two seasons, came off the bench in the preseason opener, and would likely land below Avdija's $13.8MM and Kispert's $13.5MM averages. 8
Milwaukee is the one team negotiating before a player has suited up for it. 16 General manager Jon Horst is open to an extension for Jaime Jaquez Jr., and a $15–18MM annual figure could work for both sides. 16
Two other decisions sit inside the same fortnight. Detroit must decide by the end of October whether to exercise Ron Holland's $11.49MM option for 2027/28. 17 Dallas holds Dereck Lively II's extension eligibility until Oct. 19, after two seasons in which he played 43 games combined. 18
The deadline splits the veteran market in two. A player with multiple years left can only sign a veteran extension on or before Oct. 19, while a veteran on an expiring contract stays eligible through June 30, 2027. 1
Philadelphia loses its five
Ariel Hukporti tore his right Achilles less than five minutes into Philadelphia's preseason opener, on a possession defending Towns. 6
He was diagnosed the next day, had surgery the same afternoon and is out for the season. 6
The Sixers had signed him to a one-year, $3.4MM deal with the bi-annual exception, expecting him to compete with Adem Bona for backup center minutes. 6
Philadelphia sits $1.83MM below its hard cap at the first apron, and a veteran minimum contract would carry a hit near $2.45MM. 6 The routes out are a trade that cuts about $600K in salary, or waiving Jabari Walker, whose minimum is only guaranteed for $250K. 6
Stein reports the Sixers are unlikely to add any player on a standard deal before prorated minimums open in early December. 7
A disabled player exception for Hukporti would be worth $1.7MM, half his salary. 6 The earliest a prorated minimum fits under the apron is Dec. 4. 6
For now, Nick Nurse has Bona, Dominick Barlow and Walker as small-ball options behind Joel Embiid. 7
Philadelphia also holds one of the seven open two-way slots around the league, and camp invitee Tacko Fall is one candidate to fill it. 619
Rosters still over the line
Memphis is the roster that has to move first. 10
Stewart's sprain costs the Grizzlies their best rim protector for the opener, and the team was already working through a roster crunch. 10 Opponents shot 40.1% near the basket against him last season. 10
Dallas is carrying 16 standard contracts into opening night, which puts Powell and Moussa Cisse in direct competition for the 15th spot. 13 Powell has taken the bulk of the backup minutes ahead of Cisse in the preseason. 13
Three Mavericks are still out: Santi Aldama with a knee, Lively with a foot and Marcus Sasser with adductor soreness. 18 Daniel Gafford started at center in Macao with Powell behind him. 13
Los Angeles is still waiting on the center it traded for. 20
Walker Kessler's debut has been delayed by a jammed left pinky, and JJ Redick would not commit to playing him Tuesday against Golden State. 20 Kessler practiced fully Sunday and said he "felt great." 20
Collin Sexton is further behind but is expected for the Oct. 21 opener. 20 Redick also has two starting spots unfilled beside Kessler, Austin Reaves and Luka Doncic. 20
The front office has a plan for next summer: its non-taxpayer mid-level exception on a starting-level wing, possibly Sexton, who holds a $9.8MM player option for 2027/28. 21
New Orleans took the simplest cut available, waiving Koloko off a non-guaranteed Exhibit 9 deal. 12 Dejounte Murray is being handled cautiously with a toe contusion. 18
Around the edges, Washington signed Alondes Williams to an Exhibit 10 deal and waived Skal Labissiere, and seven teams still hold a two-way vacancy: Boston, Houston, the Clippers, Milwaukee, Philadelphia, Sacramento and Washington. 1922 A two-way player earns $678,882 this season. 19
Boston's opening has a favorite. Devin Carter scored 17 points in his preseason debut on an Exhibit 10 deal, and Joe Mazzulla has praised his approach since camp opened. 919
Camp health, in one pass
Sacramento lost two big men in a week. 11
Raynaud's MRI showed a right patellar subluxation, the partial dislocation of the kneecap, and he will be reevaluated in two weeks. 11 He had been the primary backup to Sabonis after averaging 12.5 points and 7.5 rebounds as a rookie. 11
Keegan Murray is managing the left ankle he had scoped in May. 23
Murray missed Sacramento's first two preseason games after a setback in camp and played eight minutes in his debut. 23 He is in the first season of a five-year, $140MM extension. 23
In Utah, Jusuf Nurkic's toe injury has handed the starting center job to Jaxson Hayes, who moved into the lineup and expects to keep it. 24 Nurkic will miss at least four weeks. 24
Indiana's Tyrese Haliburton returned on Oct. 7 after nearly 16 months out with a torn Achilles, scoring seven points with six assists in 16 minutes. 16 He then tweaked his right ankle, and an MRI came back clean. 18 Rick Carlisle has called it a mild tweak and is managing his practice load. 18
Orlando's list is shrinking. Anthony Black (sprained ankle) and Noah Penda (hamstring) were full participants for a second straight day, and Jalen Suggs is working back from an illness. 25 Jonathan Isaac has been away for personal reasons. 25
Chicago has a frontcourt problem. Zach Collins and Nic Claxton have not practiced in camp, Jalen Smith has foot soreness, and coach Tiago Splitter expects to split center minutes three ways. 26
Two comeback stories are running in the other direction. 27
Kyrie Irving played for the first time in 19 months on Oct. 11, finishing with 17 points in 22 minutes against Houston. 27 Cooper Flagg put up 33 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists across two China Games. 27
Denver's Aaron Gordon looked fully recovered in Sunday's win, scoring 25 points on 9-of-12 shooting in 23 minutes. 28 He played 36 games last season. 28
Two league decisions and one price list
The NBA and FIBA said on Oct. 8 that they will keep building NBA Europe whether or not they reach a deal with the EuroLeague. 29
That statement followed EuroLeague shareholders rejecting the NBA's opening proposal. 29 Brian Windhorst reported that Barcelona, one of the permanent clubs, would be open to an amended offer, and the EuroLeague is exploring a counter-proposal. 29
The planned fall 2027 launch is uncertain without EuroLeague cooperation, and a fall 2028 debut has been discussed. 29 The NBA's managing director for Europe and the Middle East criticized the EuroLeague's structure at a London conference. 30
The second apron fight went public on Oct. 9, when the league disputed the claim that it has hurt middle-class players. 31
The league's numbers: roster sizes are unchanged, annual salaries are up nearly $1.3 billion, and every class of player is earning about 30% more. 31 Seventeen players signed through some form of the mid-level will earn at least $6MM this season, against ten at $5MM or more in 2023/24. 31
The complaint came from a player in Knicks camp. Bruce Brown, on a non-guaranteed Exhibit 9 deal, said the CBA "kind of sucks" for middle-tier players. 31 Denver is the only team currently over the second apron. 31
Sportico's 2026 valuations put the backdrop under all of it. 32
Golden State leads for a sixth straight year at $14.5 billion, up 28%. 32 New York is second at $12.8 billion and the Lakers third at $12.5 billion, close to the price Bob Iger and Joshua Kushner agreed to pay for a majority share. 32 The average franchise is worth $6.64 billion, and the 30 teams together are worth about $199 billion. 32
One small contract trend is worth watching. The mutual option, absent from the league for 25 years before Isaiah Hartenstein's Oklahoma City deal, showed up in three more contracts this offseason. 30 Agents told Jake Fischer they plan to ask for one when a player option is unavailable. 30
What the open lanes look like now
Analysis, built on the reported terms above.
No new player-to-team link surfaced in this window, so the lanes below are the ones already open.
Portland is the most interesting experiment in the league this week. 24
Ja Morant and Damian Lillard will start together under Micah Nori, a pairing of two ball-dominant guards who have each been questioned defensively. 24 Lillard compared it to his eight years beside CJ McCollum, and said Morant "is not pretending to be happy." 24
Dallas has given itself an exit on Powell. By waiving his right to block a trade, Powell becomes movable after Dec. 25 if he makes the roster. 7 That matters only if Dallas chooses him over Cisse, which its preseason minutes suggest it might. 13
Toronto's extension math keeps Barrett on the watch list. Leonard's new deal plus Shead's extension already push the Raptors past $185MM for 2027/28, and Barrett is in his final year. 9
Memphis stays the likeliest seller of a mid-sized contract. Stewart's injury removes a rotation player for two weeks, and the frontcourt behind him is deep enough to cover it. 10
Fantasy and roster read
Analysis. These are the role changes the reported moves create.
Memphis's center minutes are the clearest opening of the week. With Stewart out at least two weeks, Zach Edey, Cameron Boozer, Quinten Post and Taylor Hendricks split the work. 10
Utah has already answered its own question: Nurkic is out four weeks and Hayes is the starter. 24
Sacramento's frontcourt thins twice over. Raynaud is out at least two weeks and Keegan Murray is playing on a managed ankle, so Sabonis's minutes and the backup five both change. 1123
Philadelphia's backup center minutes belong to Bona, Barlow and Walker until December. 6 Embiid's load management becomes the swing factor. 7
Denver's bench is the one to watch on the other side. Strawther is being asked to replace Tim Hardaway Jr.'s production, while DeRozan has missed all four of his shots in his most recent preseason game. 28 Alpha Diallo, last season's EuroLeague Best Defender, is also in that mix. 28
Next signals
- Oct. 19, 5:00pm CT — rookie-scale extension deadline for Wallace, Miller, Black, Coulibaly and the rest of the class, and the veteran deadline for every player with multiple years left. 15
- Oct. 20–21 — the regular season opens; Memphis plays its opener on Oct. 21 without Stewart. 10
- End of October — Detroit decides on Ron Holland's $11.49MM option for 2027/28. 17
- Dec. 4 — earliest date a prorated veteran minimum fits under Philadelphia's hard cap. 6
- Dec. 25 — earliest date Dallas can trade Dwight Powell after his veto waiver. 7
- June 30, 2027 — the last day an expiring veteran can sign an extension, which is the window Towns and Hart are now in. 1
References
- 1Knicks Announce They're Pausing All Extension Negotiations\
hoopsrumors.com
- 2Towns 'Very Disappointed' By Knicks Pausing Extension Talks\
hoopsrumors.com
- 3Karl-Anthony Towns Frustrated By Knicks Extension Talks\
hoopsrumors.com
- 4
- 5Warriors Sign Brandin Podziemski To Five-Year Extension\
hoopsrumors.com
- 6Ariel Hukporti Suffers Season-Ending Achilles Tear\
hoopsrumors.com
- 7Stein's Latest: Sixers, Black, Miller, Wallace, Powell\
hoopsrumors.com
- 8Eastern Notes: Coulibaly, Giannis, Powell, M. Thomas\
hoopsrumors.com
- 9Atlantic Notes: Carter, Celtics, Sixers, Raptors, Barrett\
hoopsrumors.com
- 10Grizzlies' Isaiah Stewart (Ankle) Out At Least Two Weeks\
hoopsrumors.com
- 11
- 12Pelicans Waive Christian Koloko\
hoopsrumors.com
- 13Mavericks Notes: Irving, Flagg, De Larrea, Powell\
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- 14Knicks Notes: Brown, Towns, Bridges, Brunson
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- 15Warriors Notes: Podziemski, Curry, Backcourt, Lendeborg
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- 16Central Notes: Haliburton, Toppin, Jaquez, Duren, Pistons
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- 17Pistons Notes: Thompson, Collins, Duren, Okorie, Holland
hoopsrumors.com
- 18Injury Notes: Mavericks, D. Murray, Haliburton, Bryant
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- 19Seven NBA Teams Have Two-Way Openings Ahead Of 2026/27
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- 20Lakers Notes: Kessler, Mamukelashvili, Starters, LaRavia
hoopsrumors.com
- 21Lakers Notes: Kessler, Sexton, Smart, Mamukelashvili
hoopsrumors.com
- 22Wizards Sign Alondes Williams, Waive Skal Labissiere
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- 23Pacific Notes: Murray, Kessler, Sexton, Luka, Suns
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- 24Northwest Notes: Morant, Lillard, Hayes, Williams
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- 25Southeast Notes: Vucevic, Magic Injuries, Dort, Sarr
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- 26
- 27Mavericks Notes: Flagg, Irving, Risacher, China Trip
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- 28Nuggets Notes: Gordon, DeRozan, Strawther, Diallo
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- 29NBA, FIBA Release Joint Statement On NBA Europe Plans
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- 30
- 31
- 32Warriors, Knicks Top 2026 NBA Franchise Valuations
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