This article originally appeared inOpen Floor, Sports Illustrated’s new NBA newsletter. Hello from Los Angeles, and welcome to the first issue of Open Floor, SI’s shiny new NBA newsletter. I’m fresh off a less-than-enlightening Clippers media day, where Kawhi Leonard kinda, sorta answered questions about allegations that he and the team circumvented the salary cap, allegations that, if true, could result in a crippling punishment for Steve Ballmer’s bunch.
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Today we’re going inside Leonard’s first comments since his contract came under scrutiny earlier this month. But first, a few freebies …
Jayson Tatum Injury Update
Jayson Tatum sent social media ablaze over the weekend when he posted a six-minute video on YouTube that included 12 irresistible seconds of Tatum on the court going through a rigorous workout. The clip caught the attention of many, including Kevin Durant, whose recovery from his own Achilles tear in 2019 has been an inspiration for Tatum.
Is this a sign that Tatum could return this season? As Tatum told me last week, he isn’t ruling it out. And Boston isn’t putting any timeline on his return, either. Privately, though, there are many people around Tatum who hope he takes a full season to recover. Achilles injuries are tricky. While there have been examples of speedy recoveries—Wesley Matthews tore his late in the 2014–15 season and was back on the court fewer than eight months later—most players take significantly longer. Damian Lillard and Tyrese Haliburton, two players who tore Achilles around the same time as Tatum, have both been ruled out for this season. Plus Boston, which is gearing up for a run in the 2026–27 season, may see a trip to the lottery as more useful to the team’s long-term goals. The bet here is we don’t see Tatum in live action until next fall.
JJ Redick’s Contract Extension
The Lakers’ decision to extend head coach JJ Redick last week was curious. Redick certainly showed promise in his first season on the Lakers’ bench, steering L.A. to a 50-win season and the third seed in the Western Conference. Rob Pelinka, the Lakers president of basketball operations and general manager, said extending Redick was to “make it clear that he’s the basketball leader.” But Redick signed a four-year deal a year ago. What was the rush to tack on more?
The pending sale of the team could have something to do with it. In the coming months, the NBA is expected to approve the transfer of the team to Mark Walter, the billionaire businessman who owns and operates the Los Angeles Dodgers. While there are no indications that Walter, who has been a minority owner since 2021, has any issue with the current regime, it’s not uncommon to see outgoing owners reward favored employees with new contracts.
Rival coaches and executives point out that this extension could benefit Pelinka, too. Pelinka and Redick have appeared to be in lockstep with each other since Pelinka hired Redick last summer. And if there is an aura around Redick now, it’s good for Pelinka to be seen as a package deal. The longer Redick is around, the longer Pelinka will be.
Free Agency … in September?
Rarely do we get this much free agency intrigue this deep in the offseason but here we are, with Golden State and Philadelphia facing huge decisions this week. In Philly, the 76ers have had no luck bridging a massive gulf between what the team is willing to pay swingman Quentin Grimes (four years, $40-ish million, per sources) and what Grimes is looking for (north of $20 million per season). In San Francisco, the Warriors are facing a similar conundrum with Jonathan Kuminga. Unless extended, both players have until Wednesday to sign a qualifying offer or they would remain restricted free agents.
In each situation, both sides seem dug in. Kuminga’s team has made it clear they are willing to sign the qualifying offer, which would cost him around $40 million in guaranteed money, just to get the flexibility of unrestricted free agency in 2026. While Sixers president Daryl Morey expressed optimism on media day that a deal with Grimes could be worked out, a long-term pact seems equally unlikely. An option there could be a one-year deal that pays Grimes more than the qualifying offer but less than Philly is willing to commit.
The stakes are high in both situations. Golden State needs an engaged Kuminga—or whatever they can get for Kuminga in a trade—to compete in the West. Philadelphia, which is already dealing with injury issues, needs as many healthy wings as it can get. It sets up a fascinating next few days.
Old Friends, New Places
Finally, it was weird to see Kevin Love rocking a Utah Jazz jersey on Monday. Love, who was part of a three-team trade that brought Norman Powell to Miami, was a prime buyout candidate given Love’s small salary (around $4 million) and that the rebuilding Jazz have little need for a 37-year-old forward. Instead, Love was in Utah on Monday talking like a man who planned to stick around for a while.
♒️🫡🎵 pic.twitter.com/63REgzHn7g
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) September 29, 2025
“I’d love to just add value wherever I can,” said Love, who missed large chunks of last season dealing with illness and later the passing of his father, Stan. “The one thing I can do is come in in shape, mind wrapped around the situation. I’m fully aware of where the team is, wanting to hit on younger [players], draft well, acquire assets … I just want to be a value add in any way that I can.”
As for the age gap between Love and most of the Jazz roster, Love smiled and said, “I love bickering with 19-year-olds.”
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as NBA Insider Notebook: Jayson Tatum’s Injury Timeline, Free Agency Updates.
