Five Key Stories: 12/9/17 – 12/16/17

Hoops Rumors has you covered in the event you missed any of this past week’s headlines from around the NBA. Here are some of the most noteworthy stories from the last 7 days.

NBA: San Antonio Spurs at Chicago BullsOne of the NBA’s top stars made his season debut this week as Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard was medically cleared to return from right quadriceps tendinopathy. Leonard will operate on a minutes restriction for a while, and was limited to 16 minutes Wednesday against the Mavericks and 17 Friday against the Rockets. Leonard, who finished third in last season’s MVP voting, was injured during training camp in late September and missed 25 games.

The arrival of December 15 made most of this year’s offseason signees eligible to be traded. Ninety-three players were affected by the provision, which marks the unofficial start of the NBA’s trading season. Players who signed contracts after September 15 won’t be eligible until later in the season.

Celtics forward Gordon Hayward was able to shed his walking boot this week and expressed hope that he might be able to play before the season ends. One of the top names in this year’s free agent class, Hayward suffered a devastating injury on opening night, a fracture in his left ankle that sidelined him indefinitely. He has been doing daily rehab sessions at the Celtics’ facility and is holding onto hope of playing by April, although the team considers it unlikely.

Jazz center Rudy Gobert suffered a significant injury for the second time this season when he limped off the court Friday night. Gobert was diagnosed with a sprained PCL in his left knee and a bone bruise in his tibia and is expected to be sidelined for about a month. He missed 11 games earlier this season with an injured right knee.

The Rockets‘ strong early-season play has made them a contender for LeBron James in free agency next summer. People inside the organization are confident that James will consider Houston, and several rival executives agree. Off to a 23-4 start, the Rockets give James a shot to keep challenging for NBA titles playing alongside one of his best friends in Chris Paul and an MVP candidate in James Harden.

Here are 10 more headlines from around the NBA last week.

  • Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki said he expects to play at least one more season“I’m not going to say 100% I’ll be back — but it’s looking like it,” said Nowitzki, who will reach age 40 in June.
  • Wizards point guard John Wall returned to action this week after missing nine games after getting platelet-rich plasma and viscosupplementation injections in his left knee. The Wizards posted a 4-5 record without their floor leader.
  • The Bulls have made “preliminary inquiries” to determine the trade value for Nikola Mirotic and Robin Lopez. They are the team’s two highest-paid players.
  • Veteran forward Matt Barnes seemed to announce his retirement in an Instagram post. The 37-year-old joined the Warriors late last season and earned a championship ring.
  • Isaiah Canaan signed with the Suns‘ G League affiliate, then received an NBA contract the next day under the hardship exception. The 23-year-old spent four days with the Rockets earlier this season.
  • Veteran guard Marcus Thornton signed a G League contract and joined the Pistons‘ affiliate. Thornton, 30, played 33 games with the Wizards last season.
  • Archie Goodwin signed a new G League deal and went to the Hornets‘ affiliate in Greensboro as a returning rights player. Goodwin was waived by the Trail Blazers in October before the start of the season.
  • Forward Terrence Jones joined the Warriors‘ G League affiliate. The former first-round pick was waived last month by his Chinese team.
  • Hornets center Cody Zeller is expected to miss six weeks after surgery to fix a torn meniscus in his left knee.
  • Knicks guard Tim Hardaway Jr. called his leg injury “serious” this week and admitted he doesn’t know when he’ll be able to play again. Hardaway has been out since November 29 with a “stress injury” in his lower left leg.
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