If you missed any of this past week’s biggest headlines from around the NBA, we’ve got you covered with our Week in Review. Below are some of the most noteworthy stories from the last seven days:
The Pacers were hit with a devastating loss Wednesday when star guard Victor Oladipo suffered a ruptured quad tendon in his right knee. The injury will require surgery that will keep Oladipo out of action for the rest of the season and perhaps longer. Indiana was third in the East at the time of the injury and has until the February 7 trade deadline to try to remake the team before the playoffs.
The Rockets finally found a taker for Carmelo Anthony, but the deal won’t revive his NBA career. Houston sent Anthony to Chicago in exchange for some cash and a swap of draft-and-stash players, but the Bulls don’t plan to use him. They will either trade Anthony somewhere else before the deadline or waive him so he can search for another opportunity.
The Mavericks’ standoff with Dennis Smith Jr. appears to be over, at least for now. Smith returned to the team after missing more than two weeks and was re-inserted into the rotation. There had been rumors that Dallas was seeking to trade Smith, but those seem to have quieted.
There are fresh rumors that LeBron James wants to see Luke Walton replaced as Lakers’ head coach. Talk of a possible coaching change emerged early in the season as L.A. got off to a slow start, but seemed to subside as the team became more successful. With James missing more than a month because of injury, the Lakers have dropped into ninth place in the West.
The Knicks have made Tim Hardaway Jr. and Courtney Lee available for trades. Both veteran guards have contracts that run beyond this season, and New York wants to maximize cap space for free agency. Enes Kanter expressed a desire to be traded after receiving a DNP in Wednesday’s loss.
Here are 10 more notable NBA headlines from the past week:
- The Grizzlies are willing to part with long-time stars Mike Conley and Marc Gasol as they look toward the future.
- Memphis added some roster depth by signing Bruno Caboclo to a 10-day contract.
- Corey Brewer signed a second 10-day deal with the Sixers, who will have to decide whether to keep for the rest of the season once this one expires.
- Gary Payton II, son of the Hall of Fame guard, agreed to a 10-day contract with the Wizards, bringing Washington back up to the minimum roster count of 14.
- Kenneth Faried agreed to a buyout with the Nets and joined the Rockets, giving Houston some frontcourt depth while Clint Capela recovers from a thumb injury. To make room for Faried, the Rockets waived James Nunnally before his 10-day contract expired.
- Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie opted for surgery to fix damaged ligaments in his right thumb. He is expected to miss three to six weeks.
- Lakers guard Lonzo Ball will be out four to six weeks after spraining his left ankle.
- Darius Garland, a potential lottery pick in this year’s draft, withdrew from Vanderbilt after suffering a season-ending knee injury.
- A pair of Disabled Player Exceptions were granted this week. The Grizzlies received one for an injury to Dillon Brooks, and the Wizards‘ request was approved in the wake of John Wall‘s injury.
- Starters were announced for this year’s All-Star Game. As the top vote-getters in each conference, James and Giannis Antetokounmpo will draft the rosters for each team.