Mo Williams Undergoes Knee Surgery
Veteran point guard Mo Williams, who remains on the Cavaliers’ roster despite indicating he would retire, underwent left knee surgery on Wednesday, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com. As McMenamin details, the procedure was intended to treat the chondromalacia Williams has dealt with in recent years.
In an Instagram post announcing the surgery, Williams appeared to take a veiled shot at the Cavaliers, writing that it’s been “quite a while” since he was 100% healthy. “Nobody and I repeat nobody actually gave a damn about my health but me,” Williams wrote. “Taking control of my own career/life.”
According to Jason Lloyd of The Akron Beacon Journal, as well as McMenamin, Cavaliers team doctors suggested to Williams that surgery wasn’t necessary for his troublesome knee. Lloyd writes that Williams sought a second opinion from Dr. James Andrews, who also advised against surgery, The third doctor to provide an opinion, Dr. David Altchek, elected to operate on the veteran guard.
Although Williams’ agent has indicated his client will retire, the Cavs intend to keep tabs on the 33-year-old’s recovery and rehabilitation project, and are still carrying him on their roster. Williams hasn’t filed his retirement papers, meaning the Cavs would have to pay his full salary if they waive him. According to both Lloyd and McMenamin, the team has attempted to work out a buyout of his $2.195MM salary, but hasn’t had much luck so far.
With the regular season opener fast approaching, there may be resolution on Williams’ status soon, though the Cavs could carry him as their 15th man into the season to postpone a decision.
Lakers Waive Zach Auguste, Julian Jacobs, Travis Wear
The Lakers have begun making cuts from their offseason roster, announcing today in a press release that they’ve waived camp invitees Zach Auguste, Julian Jacobs, and Travis Wear. All three players will hit the free agent market, assuming they clear waivers later this week.
While Wear and Jacobs saw 11 total minutes in the Lakers’ four preseason games to date, Auguste didn’t see any action. None of the three players had a fully guaranteed salary, but Auguste did have a modest $60K guarantee on his deal, so that figure will remain on the team’s cap following his release.
After cutting Auguste, Jacobs, and Wear, the Lakers will have 17 players on their roster, including 14 on guaranteed contracts. Yi Jianlian, Thomas Robinson, and Metta World Peace appear to be vying for the 15th and final roster spot, with Yi likely holding the edge due to his guarantee ($250K) and his incentive-heavy, trade-friendly contract. Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders tweets that Yi will likely have to beat out Robinson, with World Peace a long shot to make the team.
As for the trio of players waived today, all three could eventually end up joining the Los Angeles D-Fenders, the Lakers’ D-League affiliate. Jacobs, in particular, is a candidate to join L.A.’s D-League squad, tweets Mike Bresnahan of Spectrum SportsNet.
Central Notes: I. Smith, Pistons, Bulls, Zeisloft
Ish Smith was one of the top three point guard targets identified by the Pistons when free agency got underway this summer, according to Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press, who writes that the club was also eyeing D.J. Augustin and Ramon Sessions. Detroit may have had some interest in Brandon Jennings as well, but there are signals that interest wasn’t reciprocated, per Ellis. In any case, it was Smith who ended up becoming a Piston, and now the team will be leaning on him heavily to start the season. With Reggie Jackson sidelined for six to eight weeks, Smith will move into the starting lineup at the point, and as Ellis details, he’s confident he’ll be able to step up for the club.
Here’s more from around the Central:
- James Hawkins of The Detroit News passes along a few Pistons notes, including the latest on Ray McCallum and Lorenzo Brown battling for the backup point guard role
- The Bulls had already been without guard Denzel Valentine due to an injury, and have now learned that Tony Snell will be out at least a week, per K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune (Twitter link). As Nick Friedell of ESPN.com tweeted earlier, Snell sprained his ankle in Monday’s practice and was expected to be out for “a little while.” The injuries don’t appear serious enough to affect Chicago’s regular-season roster decisions, though that’s just my speculation.
- After his final year at Indiana, Nick Zeisloft participated in just one pre-draft workout and didn’t get a Summer League invite. However, Zeisloft still managed to land a training camp deal with the Pacers. Jim Ayello of The Indianapolis Star examines how that agreement came about, and what’s next for the sharpshooter, who figures to head to Fort Wayne to join the Pacers’ D-League affiliate.
League Announces Launch Of NBA Academies
During his time in China this week, NBA commissioner Adam Silver officially confirmed the launch of NBA Academies, a development initiative first reported in September. As Fran Blinebury of NBA.com writes, the project will involve “elite training centers” around the world to develop top male and female basketball prospects.
The Chinese cities of Urumqi, Jinan, and Hangzhou will be the homes for the first three of the international NBA academies, per Blinebury. NBA-trained coaches will work at each training center to help develop international prospects on and off the court, and each center will feature under-16 and under-18 teams that will play against top competition.
“[We] want these players to have the opportunity to play against other elite players,” Silver said. “What we know from our NBA experience that in order to develop the best players, in addition to the wonderful training they’re getting already here in China, they need to play against top-notch competition. That’s what we’re going to do as an important measure to see more great Chinese players coming into the NBA.”
For more details on the NBA Academies initiative, be sure to check out our story from September on the program.
Clippers To Waive Dorell Wright, Xavier Munford
The Clippers are poised to cut a pair of camp invitees, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical, who reports (via Twitter) that the team will waive Dorell Wright and Xavier Munford today. Both players have non-guaranteed salaries, so releasing them won’t affect the Clippers’ cap.
Wright, 30, spent most of last season in China before signing with the Heat in mid-April. He didn’t play any regular season games with Miami, but did appear in five playoff contests, averaging 3.2 points and 3.8 minutes per game. Prior to last season, Wright had appeared in 549 total NBA regular-season contests, spending time with the Heat, Warriors, Sixers, and Trail Blazers over the course of 11 years. In those seasons, he averaged 8.4 PPG and 3.8 RPG, and shot 36.5% on three-point attempts.
According to Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel (Twitter link), Wright bypassed an opportunity to return to China for the 2016/17 season in the hopes of earning a roster spot with the Clippers, his hometown team. Now that he’s returning to the free agent market, perhaps the veteran forward will head back overseas.
As for Munford, the 22-year-old made his NBA debut in March with the Grizzlies, joining the injury-ravaged Memphis roster for the stretch run. In his 14 contests with the team, Munford averaged 5.7 PPG, 2.2 RPG, and 1.6 APG, while connecting on 39.1% of his three-point attempts. Prior to getting called up by the Grizzlies, Munford scored an impressive 20.4 PPG to go along with 6.4 APG and a .412 3PT% for the 2015/16 Bakersfield Jam in the D-League.
The Clippers’ roster had featured 15 players on guaranteed salaries, with Wright and Munford representing the only non-guaranteed camp invitees, so the moves don’t come as a surprise. While Los Angeles could tweak its roster during the final couple weeks before the regular season begins, it appears the team will head into opening night with its current 15-man squad.
Lowe’s Latest: CBA, Heat, Kings, Hayward, Bosh
Despite having long been optimistic about the NBA’s chances of avoiding a lockout, even Zach Lowe of ESPN.com is surprised at how positive the talks between the NBA and NBPA appear to be progressing. As Lowe notes, with so much money at stake, neither the players nor the owners have “the stomach for a work stoppage.”
[RELATED: Latest on CBA talks between NBA, NBPA]
Having spoken to sources “across the spectrum,” Lowe believes there’s about a 50/50 chance that the two sides will strike a deal before the December 15 opt-out date, adding that there’s even a slim possibility that an agreement is announced before the start of the regular season. If December 15 arrives without a new CBA in place, and either the league or the players’ union opts out, the two sides would still have several months until the July 1 “doomsday date” to work something out.
Within his latest ESPN.com piece, Lowe provides several other interesting tidbits scattered throughout his 30 bold predictions for the coming season, so let’s dive in and round up some of the highlights…
- The Heat and Kings have had some “vague” trade discussions since July, sources tell Lowe. It’s not clear which players’ names came up in those talks, but both teams have veterans who have been the subject of trade speculation, including Goran Dragic (Heat) and Rudy Gay (Kings).
- While GM Vlade Divac has said he doesn’t plan to move Gay and Ben McLemore, Lowe believes there’s a decent chance the Kings make a deal, adding that the Thunder are one team to watch for Gay.
- The Celtics continue to have “real interest” in Gordon Hayward, multiple league sources tell Lowe. However, the ESPN scribe thinks Hayward will ultimately decided to re-sign with the Jazz next summer.
- According to sources near the Chris Bosh situation in Miami, the most likely scenario is the Heat waiting until after March 1 to waive the veteran big man, so that he wouldn’t be eligible to appear in the postseason for another team. Lowe believes another team would take a minimum-salary flier on Bosh in that scenario though, which could complicate the Heat’s ability to clear his cap hit from their books.
Anthony Davis Sprains Ankle, Out 10-15 Days
A handful of players left today’s Pelicans/Rockets game in China with what appeared to be minor injuries. Of those players, none were being watched more closely than Anthony Davis, who has never played in more than 68 regular-season games in any of his four NBA seasons. According to Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated (via Twitter), the Pelicans big man suffered a Grade 2 ankle sprain, and is expected to out for 10 to 15 days.
While Davis’ latest injury is unfortunate news for both him and the Pelicans, there’s still a chance that the three-time All-Star could be ready for the club’s regular-season opener, which takes place two weeks from today. The ankle sprain almost certainly ensures that Davis won’t play in any of New Orleans’ remaining preseason games, however.
A left knee injury and a torn labrum in his left shoulder brought Davis’ 2015/16 campaign to a premature end this past spring, and he has dealt with ankle injuries in the past as well. The Pelicans certainly won’t be in any rush to get their former No. 1 pick back on the court — if he misses a couple regular-season games while returning to health, that would be preferable to risking re-injury. Still, Spears notes that Davis was “walking around fine” after leaving today’s game.
During today’s contest, Pelicans guard E’Twaun Moore and Rockets guard Pablo Prigioni also left with injuries. Moore suffered a heel contusion, which eventually forced him out of action, as Scott Kushner of The Advocate writes. As for Prigioni, he suffered a left shoulder strain, per Fran Blinebury of NBA.com (Twitter link). Neither injury appeared to be major, though we’ll have to wait for the two teams to confirm that.
Latest On CBA Talks Between NBA, NBPA
There have been multiple positive reports on the progress of Collective Bargaining Agreement negotiations between the NBA and the players’ union within the last week, with Adrian Wojnarowski suggesting last Thursday that both sides are optimistic about reaching a deal within the next few weeks. Commissioner Adam Silver followed up over the weekend by publicly expressing optimism about the CBA talks.
Speaking again today from China about CBA negotiations, Silver indicated that the league will resume labor talks with the NBPA next week, per Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated (Twitter link). “Both sides are very engaged and eager to get a deal done,” Silver said.
Here are a few more notes and updates on the league’s CBA:
- Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders identifies a few areas of the CBA that may be addressed and tweaked in the next agreement. In Pincus’ view, the two sides should attempt to further incentivize in-season veteran contract extensions, and should ensure that salary scales like the mid-level exception and the rookie scale are tied to salary cap increases. Expanding the NBA’s draft and D-League could also be on the docket.
- Count LeBron James among those who are “very optimistic” about a new labor agreement being reached soon, as Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com details. “The most important thing is that our game is as big as it’s ever been,” said James, an executive vice president for the players’ union. “And we want to continue that, and a stoppage of play will not continue that.”
- In a piece for The Washington Post, Tim Bontemps makes a point similar to LeBron’s, writing that the NBA and NBPA need to turn their positive momentum into a new deal in order to avoid jeopardizing the NBA’s current success.
Atlantic Notes: Thomas, Raptors Bench, Hernangomez
Point guard Isaiah Thomas believes that if the Celtics are to make any trades this season, the team should focus on adding more scoring punch, Chris Forsberg of ESPN.com relays. When asked what needs Boston still has, Thomas responded, “Someone who can put the ball in the basket. A knockdown shooter would be what we need. I’m not saying anything against the guys that are on this team right now, because we have a talented group, but I think that is the most important thing we need. We need spacing, because we got a lot of guys that can create and attack the basket, but we definitely need spacing.”
When asked if he was thinking ahead to becoming a free agent or signing an extension with the Celtics, Thomas told Forsberg, “To be honest, I haven’t thought about it. I haven’t and that’s the honest answer. I feel like I would be selfish to think about that right now. When the time comes, we can weigh the options and see what they want to do, see what I’m able to do. First and foremost, it is about winning. And bringing the best talent we can to Boston. And trying to hang another banner up here.” Thomas is under contract through the 2017/18 campaign, but will be eligible to ink an extension next season.
Here’s more out of the Atlantic Division:
- If the Raptors are to be successful this season, the team will need its bench players to step and produce so the minutes of Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan can be reduced, writes Doug Smith of The Toronto Star. “I hope that one of the young guys steps up and be consistent where we can take them off,” coach Dwayne Casey said. “If not, their workload will probably be as much because it’s hard to take both those guys off the court unless Terrence Ross is consistent, Norman Powell is consistent or one of those backup guys is consistent. If those guys come up and make it easy for me to make that decision, I have no problem in cutting their minutes back but not at the sake of losing games. I think it’s important that we get off to a good start.”
- With the Warriors and Cavaliers looking extremely strong heading into the season, the Celtics should hold off on making any drastic moves until next summer, Jeremias Engelmann of ESPN.com (Insider subscription required) opines. The exception would be if players such as Anthony Davis or DeMarcus Cousins become disgruntled and demand trades, Engelmann adds. Forsberg disagrees in the same post, noting that a trade to clear up the guaranteed contract logjam would be beneficial.
- With Joakim Noah nursing a hamstring injury, rookie big man Guillermo Hernangomez is earning a spot in the Knicks‘ rotation with his solid preseason play, ESPN.com notes.
Eastern Notes: Splitter, Wade, Millsap
The Hawks announced via press release that Tiago Splitter was diagnosed with a grade 2 hamstring strain, which he sustained during a recent practice. An MRI taken Monday at the Emory Orthopaedics and Spine Center revealed the injury and he will be out a minimum of four weeks. A four-week timetable would mean that the earliest Splitter would return would be the second week of November, missing at least seven regular season games as a result.
Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:
- Bulls guard Dwyane Wade says he’s trying to evolve as a player to compensate for age and the loss of athleticism that accompanies growing older in an effort to prolong his career, K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune writes. “The goal is to be around for as long as you can play the game and still be effective,” Wade said. “I’m in the moment. I have to come here and prove to not only my coaches but my team that I can help make them better. I can [play basketball with my pedigree] when I’m done playing to my kids: ‘Hey, this is what Dad used to do. While you’re playing this game, you get your butt tore up if you walk around with that facade. I’m out here at 34 trying to keep up with these young guys. They’re going to come after me. So I got a lot of work to do.“
- The Heat elected to schedule the league-maximum of eight preseason games because of the need to integrate all their new players who need as much action as possible in order to develop chemistry, Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel writes. “I think we’re going to need every one of those eight games,” said coach Erik Spoelstra, who is working with 10 new players. “With previous teams, when we had veteran-laden teams and you bring a large portion of your team back, arguably it might not be as important.“
- Hawks forward Paul Millsap, who has a player option for next season worth $21,472,407, says he hasn’t decided whether or not he’ll opt out, Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution relays. “I think the plan is to see how this season goes and go from there,” Millsap said. “I can’t predict what is going to happen. For me, it’s focus on basketball. Get through this year, try to get a championship for this team first of all. We’ll deal with all that during the summer time when we have all our options on the table.”