Nickeil Alexander-Walker Rumors

Sources also say the Hawks are likely to re-sign C.J. McCollum, allowing them to bring a young guard along slowly while also giving him opportunities to run the second unit. Flemings’ ability to pressure the rim with his speed would fit wonderfully with Jalen Johnson, Jonathan Kuminga and other high-level athletes on the Hawks’ roster. Atlanta could use a downhill, athletic guard next to McCollum, Dyson Daniels and Nickeil Alexander-Walker. Much like many of the guards, Flemings is seen as unlikely to fall outside the top 10.

New York Times

Josh Lewenberg: To sum up NBAers in for Canada this summer: SGA, NAW, Barrett, Brooks, Dort, Nembhard bros, Mathurin, Olynyk, George, Miller Out this summer but in for this cycle: Edey, Powell Didn’t commit: Murray, Sharpe, Wiggins Committed but not selected: Lawson, Banton, Houstan, Prosper

x.com

After the Timberwolves lost Nickeil Alexander-Walker last summer in free agency -- and after the 27-year-old guard was named 2026 Most Improved Player with the Atlanta Hawks -- Minnesota simply cannot afford to let Ayo Dosunmu walk. That's why sources around the league expect he will be back with the Wolves, but for a price slightly above the midlevel exception (roughly $15 million), which is what most rival teams could offer. Doing so might require Minnesota to move off Donte DiVincenzo, who will miss at least most of next season with a torn right Achilles, to avoid going into the second luxury tax apron.

ESPN

Mikal Bridges is averaging 18.7 points, 3.0 assists and 1.4 steals in his past seven games, while shooting 68.3 percent from the field and 44.4 percent on 3-pointers. Since being held scoreless, Bridges has hit at least half his shots during each victory of the Knicks winning streak while silencing the likes of Harden, Tyrese Maxey and Nickeil Alexander-Walker.  “He just started to impose his will on the game a little bit more,” coach Mike Brown said. “I also have to make sure I call his number every once in a while and make sure he stays in the flow because he has a tough assignment every game defensively … I have to make sure I continue to involve him offensively to let him know: ‘Hey, we know you can do this for us. So go do it.’ ”

New York Post

Who is the most memorable/ favorite interview you had with? Jeff Zillgitt: I've always enjoyed my interactions with Dwyane Wade. He has a great ability to provide a thoughtful/insightful answer. I wrote a story on Kyle Korver one year and he was just fantastic describing the checklist he goes through to make sure he's shooting the way he wants to shoot. Just so detailed. I really appreciate the players who willing to open about their lives and what they do on the court. A recent story I wrote about Daniss Jenkins and Marcus Sasser of the Pistons falls into that category. Jenkins was just a delight to speak with. Same goes with a recent story on Nickeil Alexander-Walker story. He was so thoughtful with his answers and took his time. -- Jeff Zillgitt

reddit

Michael Porter Jr.: If I would have been on the Nuggets, I think we wouldn’t have lost to the Wolves. We would have had too many matchup problems. They were able to put Jaden McDaniels on Jamal Murray, but then who were you going to put on me? When we played them last year, they put Nickeil Alexander-Walker on Jamal. They put Jaden on me. Two really good defenders. If I was out there, I think it would have been a little bit different. But I think it’s weird. I was talking to her earlier. I kind of feel like a hater a little bit, because I’m watching the series and those are my guys on the team. I want them to do well, but I couldn’t fully cheer for them because they traded me. It’s a weird feeling, kind of, because I felt kind of like a hater, low-key.

YouTube

Alexander-Walker said he feels emboldened that the team began something that they can keep building on. “It’s exciting and it’s promising,” Alexander-Walker said. “And it shows that there is something there. Anytime you can have success to any degree when you work really hard, it’s reassuring to the process that you’re on. “And it gives you that trial and error to say, ‘OK, we are doing the right thing. This is the right thing. Now, where did we go wrong along the way?’ Then you kind of, like, just reshape it and keep going and keep growing.”

Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Malik Brown: Nickeil on if the opportunity he had this season lived up to what he said on Media Day: “I think it surpassed it. I didn’t expect it to be all of this. Similarities but not the way it formed itself.. “It was an opportunity that came in an unfortunate way and I had to take advantage of that and grab it by the horns..”

x.com

Malik Brown: Nickeil on how he’ll process this moving forward: “I’m pissed off… “No matter how bad we lose, how big of a win we have. Success, failure, I’ve been through it all now. For me, it’s just about developing, growing, embracing it, and being a better father, husband, son, cousin, all that stuff.”

x.com

David Lee: Nickeil Alexander-Walker: “They’ve had their share of what we’ve yet to endure.”

x.com

Brad Rowland: Nickeil Alexander-Walker received 66 out of 100 first place votes for MIP. Jalen Johnson finished 6th. Full voting results here:

bsky.app

NBA Communications: Atlanta Hawks guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker has been named the 2025-26 Kia NBA Most Improved Player, earning the George Mikan Trophy.

Twitter

Ohm Youngmisuk: Hawks' guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker wins the Most Improved Player award. He is the second Hawk to win the award in a row, following Dyson Daniels. Alexander-Walker averaged a career-high 20.8 points, increasing his scoring by 11.4 points from the 9.4 points per game last season

Twitter

Don't forget, furthermore, that the Wolves felt as though they could withstand Alexander-Walker's exit in large part because they still had DiVincenzo. The Wolves went after him hard in free agency in the summer of 2023 ... only to lose out to the Knicks.  Sources tell The Stein Line now, in fact, that Minnesota would not have been willing to swing its stunning swap of Karl-Anthony Towns to New York for Julius Randle just days before the start of training camp in September 2024 unless DiVincenzo was also included in the deal.

marcstein.substack.com