Blazers’ future in Portland in focus, Northwest Division roundup

There were no games in the Northwest Division on Sunday, but plenty happening behind the scenes. In Portland, the future of the franchise in the city is part of high-stakes arena talks, while the Jazz, Nuggets, Wolves and Thunder all made roster tweaks on the eve of the regular season.

Trail Blazers: lease talks and a waiver decision

The Portland Trail Blazers are in negotiations with local government officials on a new lease tied to renovations of Moda Center, with a December 31 deadline, writes Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic. The possibility of relocation has hovered over those discussions, but new owner Tom Dundon says his priority is to keep the team in Portland. On the roster side, the Blazers requested waivers on forward Jeremy Sochan, who was on a non-guaranteed Exhibit 9 contract. If he goes unclaimed, he’ll become an unrestricted free agent on Monday; his release leaves Portland with 17 players under contract.

Jazz rework the frontcourt and two-way spots

For the Utah Jazz (3-1), the frontcourt looks a little different. According to Shams Charania of ESPN, Utah claimed veteran center Tony Bradley off waivers after he was cut by the Knicks, where he had been one of several veterans on Exhibit 9 contracts fighting for a regular season spot. The Jazz also announced that they converted forward Harrison Ingram’s Exhibit 10 deal into a two-way contract. To create room, Utah waived center Jonas Aidoo, who had been on an Exhibit 10, and guard Tamar Bates, who had held a two-way slot.

Nuggets, Wolves and Thunder trim around the edges

The Denver Nuggets (3-2) waived their Exhibit 10 players, according to the NBA’s official transaction log. At the same time, team insider Chris Dempsey notes that rookie forward Trevon Brazile put together a strong preseason, using his size, leaping ability and finishing to make a case for a rotation role.

In Minnesota (3-3), the Timberwolves announced they’ve released five players to get down to the regular season roster limit. The cuts include third-year power forward Enrique Freeman, who had been on a two-way contract. As relayed by Hoops Rumors, Minnesota intends to keep that newly opened two-way slot vacant for now to maintain flexibility.

The Oklahoma City Thunder (1-4) made a series of moves of their own. The team requested waivers on Buddy Boeheim, Nate Johnson, Lamar Wilkerson and Christoph Tilly, all on Exhibit 10 training camp contracts and now eligible for bonuses if they spend enough time with the Thunder’s G League affiliate. Later, Oklahoma City also waived forward Dariq Whitehead, who had signed an Exhibit 10 on Friday, while signing Boeheim to a new Exhibit 10 deal with the expectation that he’ll return to the G League club.