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. Here are some of the most noteworthy stories from the last seven days:
Pelicans forward Zion Williamson underwent meniscus surgery and will be out for six to eight weeks. The No. 1 pick’s regular-season NBA debut was one of the most anticipated events of the league’s opening week, but it sounds like it won’t happen until December now.
The Celtics signed Jaylen Brown to a four-year rookie scale extension that can be worth up to $115MM. The base value of Brown’s new deal, which will run through 2023/24, is said to be $103MM, but it features another $12MM in incentives. The 11th-hour agreement ensures that the swingman won’t become a restricted free agent in 2020.
Suns center Deandre Ayton has been suspended 25 games for violating the NBA’s drug policy. Ayton, who tested positive for a diuretic, is fighting the ban, but Phoenix is preparing to be without last year’s top pick until mid-December.
The Kings locked up Buddy Hield to a four-year extension worth up to $106MM. Hield’s new deal is heavy on incentives and may not ultimately be worth more than $86MM, but the two sides were happy to reach an agreement after a negotiation that got somewhat contentious.
Domantas Sabonis also got a rookie scale extension, signing a four-year, $74.9MM deal with the Pacers. Like Brown and Hield, Sabonis can make a little extra money via incentives. And like Hield, he’ll stick with his current team after it briefly looked as if the situation might go in an entirely different direction.
Here are 10 more noteworthy headlines from around the basketball world this week:
- Dejounte Murray (Spurs), Taurean Prince (Nets), Cedi Osman (Cavaliers), and Joe Ingles (Jazz) were the other players to agree to contract extensions this week.
- A Harvard Business School study quoted Giannis Antetokounmpo as saying his contract decision would become “a lot more difficult” if the Bucks underperform in 2019/20. Antetokounmpo claimed he was misquoted.
- A broken thumb is expected to sideline Kings big man Marvin Bagley for four to six weeks.
- The Heat suspended Dion Waiters for their season opener for conduct detrimental to the team.
- Utah will host the 2023 NBA All-Star Game, the league announced.
- Pistons star Blake Griffin will be out until at least the first week in November due to hamstring and knee pain.
- The Knicks exercised their 2020/21 option on Frank Ntilikina, while the Grizzlies turned down theirs on Josh Jackson.
- The Cavaliers claimed Alonfzo McKinnie off waivers from the Warriors.
- The Pistons opted to retain Christian Wood, releasing Joe Johnson to make room on the roster.
- Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said he’s not expecting Klay Thompson to play at all this season as he recovers from his torn ACL.
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