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The Trail Blazers will fill one of the openings on their coaching staff by hiring Kings G League coach Quinton Crawford, sources tell NBA insider Chris Haynes (Twitter link). Crawford will be an assistant to head coach Chauncey Billups , who received a multi-year extension in April.
The 34-year-old guided the Stockton Kings to the G League championship in his first season with the team, defeating the Osceola Magic in the three-game finals. He finished third in the G League Coach of the Year balloting.
Before joining the Kings organization last fall, Crawford spent time on the coaching staffs of the Hornets, Magic, Lakers, Mavericks and Suns. He won an NBA title w ith L.A. in 2020 as an assistant to Frank Vogel .
After being dismissed by Phoenix last spring when Vogel and his staff were fired, Crawford got his next opportunity when Sacramento hired him in September.
Three openings were created last month when Portland decided not to renew the contracts of assistants Roy Rogers , Chris Fleming and Ryan Gomes.
The Blazers are also re-signing assistant coaches Nate Bjorkgren and Ronnie Burrell, along with analytics coach Jacob Mooallem, agent Andy Miller of Klutch Sports confirmed to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).
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Is NBA dragging its feet on expansion to spur arena deals?
NBA commissioner Adam Silver has voiced many reasons to delay expansion for the past few years. But the unspoken reason may be a simple one: leverage for new arenas. Two years ago, Silver told TNT that expansion had to wait until the league secured its new TV rights deal, which was finalized last July. But this summer, Silver said that expansion can't happen until the league resolves its issues with regional sports networks and local cable broadcasts. But one big reason that the NBA wants to wait are a number of unresolved arena situations. The New Orleans Pelicans' home arena, the Smoothie King Center, opened in 1999 and the team moved before the 2002-03 season. It's had minimal renovations since then, and the team's lease on the building only runs through 2029. In Minnesota, the Timberwolves play in the Target Center, an arena that opened in 1990, making it the NBA's second-oldest arena behind Madison Square Garden. It's had extensive renovations in 2004 and 2017, and the team's lease runs through 2035. New owners Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez have called building a new arena a "necessity" while the Minnesota Wild are pushing for extensive upgrades to their own arena. The Portland Trail Blazers' Moda Center opened in 1995, and Silver told reporters in July that Portland "needs a new arena." Their situation is unique in that the city owns the Moda Center, and the team has a new owner, Tom Condon. While Seattle and Las Vegas have long been rumored as likely expansion cities, the NBA may think they're more valuable now as relocation threats, specifically for the Pelicans, who have ranked 24th, 27th, 25th and 24th in attendance the last four seasons. They also play in the NBA's second-smallest TV market, behind the Memphis Grizzlies. Not only could the Pelicans move, but owners could pocket a relocation fee. There's nothing to stop the NBA from expanding after the arena uncertainty is resolved and a team moves to Seattle or Vegas, perhaps choosing another location like Vancouver or Mexico City — then sharing massive expansion fees. The NBA is loaded with talent and ripe for expansion. But don't expect it to happen until the NBA tries to extort its existing cities for arena money.
Celtics Notes: Anfernee Simons Trade Update, Boston Urged to Sign All-Star, Jayson Tatum Gets Honest
Commanders flaw exposed in blowout preseason loss to Ravens
The Washington Commanders have a potentially significant problem on special teams. During Saturday's 30-3 preseason Week 3 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, kicker Matt Gay missed a 53-yard field goal wide left at the end of Washington's first offensive possession. Gay finished the preseason 3-of-5 on field goal attempts. He also missed a 49-yarder wide left in preseason Week 1 against the New England Patriots. Gay's struggles continue the chaotic journey for the Commanders at kicker. Last season's Week 1 starter, Cade York, went 0-of-2 in the opener and was promptly released. His replacement, Austin Seibert, was in the midst of a fantastic season through Week 9, going 25-of-27 on field goals and 22-of-22 on extra points before missing two weeks with a hip injury. He was later placed on injured reserve after missing three kicks in a loss to the Dallas Cowboys, including a would-be tying extra point following a wild 86-yard touchdown with under a minute remaining. Zane Gonzalez and Greg Joseph combined to go 7-of-10 on field goals the rest of the season, including each missing a 50-yard attempt. Overall, Commanders kickers struggled from long distance, with the four combining to go 2-of-8 on attempts of 50 yards or more. Only the Philadelphia Eagles had a worse percentage (14.3%) on attempts of at least 50 yards, per Pro Football Reference data. Washington signed Gay to a one-year, $4.25M fully guaranteed contract in late April following the 2025 NFL Draft. Per CBS Sports, it's the largest guaranteed contract for a kicker on a one-year deal in NFL history. Last season while with the Indianapolis Colts, Gay was 3-of-9 on 50-yard field goals. The Commanders have the talent on offense to be one of the league's top scoring units, so they might not need to convert many tries from over 50 yards. Still, having a kicker who can reliably hit from that distance is an undeniable asset, particularly late in close games or on possessions that stall after crossing midfield. Washington largely has a roster capable of contending for a Super Bowl. But following its final tune-up before the regular season, kicking is a notable flaw.
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Phillies get terrible injury news on ace starting pitcher
The Philadelphia Phillies received the update they did not want to hear on Saturday. Starting pitcher Zack Wheeler is going to miss the remainder of the 2025 season due thoracic outlet syndrome, the team announced. He will have surgery to correct the issue with a recovery time of six to eight months. There is no way to sugarcoat this for the Phillies — this is brutal news and a potentially crushing blow to their World Series chances in the National League. While they still have a strong rotation and two excellent front-line starters in Cristopher Sanchez and Ranger Suarez, Wheeler is their unquestioned ace and been one of the best overall pitchers in the National League since he joined the Phillies prior to the 2020 season. The Phillies are still pretty much a playoff lock at this point and entered the weekend with a six-game lead over the New York Mets in the National League East standings. But taking a front-line starter away from them this late in the season is going to be impossible to replace. With Wheeler, Sanchez and Suarez, they would have had a fierce trio to throw at teams in a short series (or a best-of-seven series) that could have stacked up with anybody. Sanchez and Suarez are still going to give them a great chance, but it's definitely not what they wanted. Prior to Saturday's announcement, Wheeler had a 2.71 ERA and was leading the league in both strikeouts (195) and strikeouts per nine innings (11.7) pitched. He also has the lowest WHIP (walks/hits per innings pitched) in the league (.935).
Indiana Fever Facing Decision After Two New Injuries on Friday
The Indiana Fever’s injury nightmare grew worse Friday night in a 95–90 loss to the Minnesota Lynx, as two more players were sidelined and the team’s WNBA playoff chase hit another hurdle. The defeat marked Indiana’s 14th straight game without superstar Caitlin Clark, who remains out with a right groin injury with no timetable for return. The latest blows could force a roster shake-up before Sunday’s rematch in Minneapolis at 7 p.m. ET. Chloe Bibby and Odyssey Sims Added to Indiana Fever Injury List Against Lynx Forward Chloe Bibby was unexpectedly ruled out of the Lynx game on the Fever's official injury report because of a left knee injury. Head coach Stephanie White described the move as a "precaution." She said Bibby felt something in warmups after experiencing soreness in recent days. Point guard Odyssey Sims started the game but went back to the locker room in the fourth quarter after asking for a substitution and limping off the court. She returned to the bench but did not re-enter the game. White did not provide any details on what Sims injured or how serious it was in the postgame press conference, but said Sims and Bibby will be evaluated on Saturday. Hardship Contract Options Come Into Play The Fever were already withoutSophie Cunningham, Aari McDonald and Sydney Colson for the season, with the trio each suffering season-ending injuries this month. Under league rules, once a team drops below 10 available players, it can sign a player on a hardship contract. The option was not available until Cunningham had officially missed Friday's game. Before Sims’ injury, general manager Amber Cox had told IndyStar reporter Chloe Peterson that Indiana was “definitely planning to sign a wing.” If Sims is unavailable, the Fever may need to prioritize a point guard instead. That decision is urgent — by the end of the loss to the Lynx, veteran Shey Peddy (signed Wednesday) was the only fully healthy ball-handler on the roster. Who Could Indiana Target? At this point in the season, many of the top options are off the market. The decision on who to sign will depend heavily on the severity of Bibby and Sims' injuries, but Indiana's previous hardship additions suggest various routes to take: Veteran point guards who have experience running offenses in the WNBA or other leagues. Indiana's recent signings of Sims and Peddy both had success in Athletes Unlimited Pro Basketball. Wing shooters from training-camp cuts who can replace Cunningham's spacing on offense — similar to what they found in Bibby offered when the Fever signed her in July. After wing Lexie Hull put up a career-high 23 points in the loss, Cox may be persuaded to change her mind on signing a wing and prioritize point guard to give Peddy immediate help and ensure depth if/when Clark returns. Playoff Stakes Getting Higher Indiana sits sixth in the WNBA standings at 19–17 with eight games left. The upcoming stretch won’t be easy: Road rematch vs. league-leading Lynx. Games against the Seattle Storm, Los Angeles Sparks and Golden State Valkyries — the three teams directly chasing them in the standings. The Fever’s stars, Kelsey Mitchell (20.4 PPG) and Aliyah Boston (15.2 PPG), have kept them afloat. But how the decision makers handle this weekend’s roster crunch could determine whether Indiana secures its first playoff berth since 2016. Indiana’s resilience has carried them this far, but Friday’s injuries may force immediate action. With Clark still sidelined and depth evaporating, the Fever’s next roster move could be the one that defines their season.
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