Roundup
Minnesota Timberwolves
Portland Trail Blazers
Utah Jazz
Denver Nuggets
Oklahoma City Thunder
Miami Heat
Phoenix Suns
San Antonio Spurs
Los Angeles Lakers
Toronto Raptors
Charlotte Hornets
Dallas Mavericks
Sacramento Kings
New Orleans Pelicans
Golden State Warriors
Houston Rockets
Memphis Grizzlies
LaMelo, Wolves roll in opener – Northwest Division roundup
LaMelo Ball’s new-look Timberwolves opened with a 131-106 win over the Heat, while Portland and Utah also made noise around the Northwest Division.
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The Northwest Division wasted no time delivering storylines on Wednesday night: the Minnesota Timberwolves blew out the Miami Heat 131-106, the Portland Trail Blazers crushed the Phoenix Suns 124-83, and the Utah Jazz moved quickly on the two-way contract market.
Timberwolves: LaMelo era starts with a statement win
As CBS Sports noted, Wednesday marked the debut of the Timberwolves’ revamped roster built around LaMelo Ball and star guard Anthony Edwards. Minnesota couldn’t have asked for a better launch, overwhelming the Heat 131-106 to open the season 1-0 in the Northwest Division.
Around that matchup, Hoops Rumors relayed that recently waived Lakers wing Dalton Knecht is drawing interest as a two-way target, with Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report naming the Timberwolves among the suitors. Minnesota may not be done fine-tuning its supporting cast around its new backcourt centerpiece.
Trail Blazers: blowout win and Lillard’s regular-season return
Portland sent an early message by pounding Phoenix 124-83. As Hoops Rumors highlighted, this game marked Damian Lillard’s first regular-season appearance since March 18, 2025. He told Marc J. Spears of Andscape that he considered trying to return from his Achilles tear during the 2026 postseason but ultimately decided against it.
On the other side, Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic, via Hoops Rumors, reported that second-year center Khaman Maluach earned the starting nod in the middle for the Suns in the opener, with primary center Mark Williams expected to miss a significant portion of the season.
Jazz, Nuggets, Thunder: depth moves and early statement
Winless so far at 0-1, the Utah Jazz are already reshaping the back end of their roster. According to Jake Fischer, cited by Hoops Rumors, free agent guard Kobe Bufkin has agreed to a two-way contract with the Jazz after being waived by New Orleans. Utah currently doesn’t have an open two-way slot and will need to waive one of its existing two-way players to finalize the move.
The Denver Nuggets haven’t taken the floor yet (0-0), but Hoops Rumors notes that they’re among the teams showing interest in Dalton Knecht as a potential two-way addition, joining clubs like the Kings, Timberwolves, and Raptors in that pursuit.
Oklahoma City is off to a 1-0 start after spoiling the Spurs’ home opener. As Hoops Rumors pointed out, Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama entered the year widely viewed as the favorite for both MVP and Defensive Player of the Year, but he endured a brutal shooting night at 1-for-13 in San Antonio’s loss to the Thunder.
For Miami, the news was mixed: Hoops Rumors reports that veteran center Nick Richards secured a fully guaranteed 2026-27 salary by remaining on the Heat’s roster through opening night, even as the team absorbed a heavy defeat in Minnesota.