Walker Kessler To Undergo Tests On Left Shoulder
Walker Kessler been sent back to Utah to undergo additional tests on his left shoulder, reports Andy Larsen of the Salt Lake Tribune (Twitter link).
Kessler missed much of the preseason with left shoulder bursitis, but has been able to play in all five of the Jazz‘s games so far this season, posting career highs in points (14.4), assists (3.0), and steals (1.4) per game while also contributing 10.8 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per night.
The fourth-year center has been Utah’s third-leading scorer in addition to being the anchor of the defense, and is making an effort to expand his shooting range — if his rate of 1.6 three-point attempts per game keeps up, it would represent a significant increase on his previous career high (0.6).
Kessler is in a contract year after failing to come to terms on a rookie scale extension with Utah this offseason. He will become a restricted free agent this summer.
Shoulder bursitis is the result of damage or irritation to the bursae, which are fluid-filled sacs that cushion the area between the rotator cuff and scapula.
Larsen notes (via Twitter) that Jusuf Nurkic will start tonight against his former team, the Hornets, and will likely remain in the starting five for the remaining three games of the road trip, against the Celtics, Pistons, and Timberwolves.
Nurkic is currently averaging 7.8 points, 7.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.4 steals in just 17.2 minutes per night for the Jazz.
Knicks Notes: Bench, Adversity, Robinson, Donovan
The Knicks were hoping to upgrade their bench when they added Jordan Clarkson and Guerschon Yabusele in free agency, but the early returns have been disappointing thus far, writes Bridget Reilly of The New York Post.
Yabusele signed a two-year, $11.3MM deal with the Knicks after a solid season with Philadelphia. He got off to a slow start with New York during the preseason and that has carried over to the regular season as well, with the French forward/center averaging just 2.0 points while shooting 3-of-13 from the floor (.231%) through four games.
After missing one game with a knee sprain, Yabusele only played three minutes during Friday’s loss at Chicago and was benched for the whole second half, Reilly notes.
“He may play a whole bunch of minutes at times, he may play a few, he may not play at all,” head coach Mike Brown said. “And that’s part of what our guys have to accept before we figure out what we want to do.”
As for Clarkson, the 33-year-old guard is averaging career lows in virtually every major statistic for the Knicks. Brown seems to prefer using Landry Shamet, according to Reilly, who reports that Brown “pushed to keep” the veteran guard after he signed a non-guaranteed training camp deal this fall.
“I guess it’s whole new learning for me,” Clarkson told The Post. “New coach, new system, new team. Just trying to pick up on everything I can.”
As Reilly observes, the Knicks’ bench woes go beyond just Clarkson and Yabusele, but they haven’t certainly haven’t helped matters through five games.
Here’s more from New York:
- The Knicks went 0-3 on their road trip and enter Sunday’s rematch with Chicago facing a bit of early-season adversity, per Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. The Knicks aspire to be title contenders after reaching the Eastern Conference finals in 2024/25, but they didn’t play like it in the past three losses. “This is a great test for us,” Brown said. “It’s early, but it’s a great test for us and I’m looking to see what type of resiliency we have as a group.”
- Center Mitchell Robinson didn’t offer any answers on Friday for why he was held out of the first four games of the season with what the team called left ankle injury management, according to Bondy. “I ain’t telling you nothing,” Robinson said. The 27-year-old big man denied he experienced a setback on the ankle, which required two different surgeries, saying the absences were “part of the plan,” though he doesn’t know if said plan will be in place throughout the season. Robinson remains questionable for Sunday’s game.
- Bulls head coach Billy Donovan recently discussed the Knicks’ interest in speaking to him about their coaching vacancy over the offseason, as Bondy relays (via Twitter). “It never really got to me,” said Donovan, who subsequently signed an extension with Chicago. “They reached out to the (Bulls) front office. The front office spoke to me about it, I spoke to (Bulls owner) Jerry Reinsdorf about it. I’m very, very happy in Chicago. I’ve known (Knicks president Leon Rose) for a long time. I have great respect for him growing up in New York. But I was under contract and it got resolved pretty quickly. So it never went anywhere, so to speak. For myself, I did not talk to them. But I think the relationships that have been established with myself, with ownership, with the front office, I’ve enjoyed those. And I certainly felt obligated and committed here.”
Injury Notes: Ball, Clifford, Wesley, Dosunmu, More
Barring an unexpected development, Hornets star LaMelo Ball will miss his first game of the season on Sunday, having been listed as doubtful for the matchup against Utah (Twitter links via the Hornets). Rookie center Ryan Kalkbrenner may miss the game as well — he’s questionable to suit up for personal reasons.
Ball has dealt with numerous ankle injuries over the past years. The 24-year-old point guard’s injury designation is right ankle impingement.
It’s the second of a back-to-back for the Hornets, who dropped their third straight game on Saturday vs. Minnesota.
Here are a few more injury-related notes from around the NBA:
- After missing four games with a right hamstring strain, rookie wing Nique Clifford was able to return to action in Saturday’s two-point win in Milwaukee, as first reported by Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. While Clifford’s traditional stats were very modest (three rebounds and one block), the Kings outscored the Bucks by eight points during his 16 minutes on the court. Veteran guard Malik Monk (personal reasons) missed the game, tweets Sean Cunningham of NBC Sacramento.
- Trail Blazers guard Blake Wesley was forced out of Friday’s win over Denver after sustaining a right foot injury, the team announced (Twitter link). It’s unclear if Wesley, an offseason free agent addition, will miss additional time as a result of the injury. Third-year wing Kris Murray saw a significant uptick in playing time with Matisse Thybulle (thumb surgery) and Wesley out.
- Ayo Dosunmu is off to a terrific start this season, averaging 16.2 points, 3.2 assists and 3.0 rebounds on .577/.476/.846 shooting through five games (26.2 minutes per contest). Unfortunately, the Bulls guard suffered a left quad contusion in Friday’s victory against the Knicks and is questionable for Sunday’s rematch in New York, as Joel Lorenzi of The Athletic relays (via Twitter). Dosunmu is playing on an expiring $7.5MM contract and will be an unrestricted free agent in 2026 unless he signs a veteran extension.
Joel Embiid Fined $50K By NBA
Sixers center Joel Embiid has been fined $50K by the NBA for “making a lewd gesture on the playing court,” the league announced today (via Twitter).
Embiid made a crotch-chop gesture after making a basket through a foul during the first quarter of Philadelphia’s one-point loss to Boston on Friday (Twitter video link). He has been fined multiple times in the past for that same celebration.
The fine is a drop in the bucket for Embiid, who is earning $55,224,526 this season on his maximum-salary contract. Through four games, the seven-time All-Star is averaging 17.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.0 block in 22.3 minutes per contest. His shooting line is .460/.389/.800.
Embiid, 31, will miss Sunday’s game in Brooklyn due to left knee injury management, per the league’s official injury report.
The 76ers have gotten off to a strong start to the 2025/26 campaign, currently holding a 4-1 record.
Pelicans Notes: Green, 0-5 Start, Poole, Looney
The Pelicans are reportedly having “serious” internal discussions about head coach Willie Green. Should they fire him?
Rod Walker of NOLA.com explores that subject, writing that while there is plenty of blame to go around for the team’s 0-5 start, the players seem like they’re tuned out to Green’s messaging at times. More importantly, the Pelicans largely haven’t played with the effort required to be competitive in an extremely difficult Western Conference.
After back-to-back blowouts at the hands of Boston and Denver, the Pelicans put up a much better fight in Friday’s game against the Clippers. They were down 17 points in the third quarter, but managed to even the score late in the fourth prior to a Kawhi Leonard game-winner. Yet it still counts as a loss all the same.
“Even through a difficult loss, the response we all saw tonight is a group that is learning each other and coming together,” Green said (story via Walker). “But they care. They went out and competed at a high level and gave everything they got.”
New Orleans has now dropped 12 straight games dating back to last season, Walker notes.
We have more on the Pelicans:
- Jordan Poole, who was acquired in an offseason trade with the Wizards, had his best game as a Pelican in Friday’s loss, Walker adds. The 26-year-old guard came off the bench for the second straight game and finished with a team-high 30 points on 9-of-15 shooting. “Jordan was great,” Green said. “It’s a tough adjustment for him (coming off the bench). We are all aware of that. He’s such a dynamic player. What he does for our second unit is he’s the hub.”
- Kevon Looney is “extremely close” to making his Pelicans debut, Green said on Friday, according to Mark Medina of EssentiallySports. The veteran big man, who is recovering from a left knee sprain, is listed as questionable for Sunday’s contest in Oklahoma City, per the league’s official injury report.
- In an in-depth interview with Medina, Looney says he’s been trying to make his presence felt despite the injury. “I’ve still been trying to use my voice,” the 29-year-old center said. “It’s harder to lead and be that guy when you’re on the sideline. But the team and the guys respect me. I’ve done a lot of practices before I went down. I played two preseason games. So I was able to be on the floor with them some. They’ve been losing some games. So I’ve been trying to use my voice and use my experience. I’ve been in a lot of different circumstances in this league and have played a lot of different roles. So I’m just trying to connect with all the guys, talking to them and leading my way. And hopefully, when I get on the court, I can do even more. It’s been different. But it’s still been fun. We have a great group of guys. We have a young team who is excited to come to practice every day. We’ve had that joy and have been practicing hard. So it’s been a lot of fun just connecting and learning these new guys every day.”
Warriors Notes: Curry, Butler, Kerr, Jackson-Davis, Post
The Warriors had a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter of Saturday’s game at Indiana, only to let it slip away, eventually falling to an injury-ravaged Pacers team that picked up its first win of the season. With six minutes left, Golden State was up 104-93; the team only scored five points the rest of the game while giving up 21.
Two-time MVP Stephen Curry placed the blame on himself for the loss, according to Anthony Slater of ESPN (Twitter video link). The star guard had 24 points in 29 minutes, but shot just 8-of-23 from the field, had five turnovers and only two assists (zero rebounds), and was a game-worst minus-21.
“This is one of those look in the mirror (type games),” said Curry. “There are parts of the game where I made it too hard on all of us, with not getting getting organized, bad possessions, a little lack of energy.”
After a 4-1 start, the Warriors have dropped two straight games (the first was a loss to the Bucks playing without Giannis Antetokounmpo). Jimmy Butler expressed confidence in the team’s ability to bounce back, as Slater relays.
“We haven’t lost any momentum, we just haven’t been playing our best version of basketball,” said Butler, who recorded 20 points, seven assists, six rebounds, three steals and two blocks on Saturday. “It’s easy to get back to that — taking care of the ball, not fouling, rebounding, sharing, making shots. That’s easy. Like you said, it’s only seven games. Everybody’s still on this bus and doing what we’re supposed to be doing together.”
Here’s more on the Warriors:
- Head coach Steve Kerr was frustrated after Saturday’s loss, per Slater (Twitter video link). “It feels like we just gave away two games,” Kerr said. “ … We have to find a way to be sharper. There’s always tough nights during the season. This should not have been one of them. We had the day off yesterday. We didn’t shoot around today. We had plenty of rest. But execution down the stretch was awful. And it’s a shame because our young guys played their asses off to get us the 11-point lead. Gui (Santos), Moses (Moody), (Brandin Podziemski), those guys were fantastic.”
- As Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star writes (subscriber link), Trayce Jackson-Davis has been out of Golden State’s rotation to open the season, but the third-year center says he’ll be ready to produce when called upon. “It’s not necessarily that I need to show anything,” Jackson-Davis said Saturday morning at an optional shootaround. “But I need to go in and play with high energy. Rebound at a high level and run the floor. Do things of that nature. I think that’s what I bring to our team. We have a lot of older guys on our team, there will be guys who sit out back-to-backs, so when I get a chance I have to do those things and build on it from there.”
- In an interview with Mark Medina of EssentiallySports, Dutch big man Quinten Post discusses his offseason, his expectations for his second season, learning from Al Horford, and more.
Latest On Grizzlies, Ja Morant
Appearing on SportsCenter on Sunday morning (YouTube link), ESPN’s Shams Charania provided more details on what led to Ja Morant receiving a one-game suspension for what the Grizzlies called conduct detrimental to the team.
“There has been tension in the last several days around Ja Morant and his feelings toward head coach Tuomas Iisalo‘s rotation patterns, his plays, but it really culminated after — and during — the loss to the Lakers on Friday night,” Charania said.
“In the post-game locker room, Morant and Iisalo had an exchange where Iisalo called out Morant’s leadership and effort in front of the whole team,” Charania continued. “And as teammates and staffers all looked on, Morant responded in what the team deemed an inappropriate and dismissive way, according to sources.
“And that’s when the Grizzlies, their team officials huddled up. They levied a one-game suspension on Ja Morant he will serve on Sunday in Toronto.”
Charania was then asked how the Grizzlies and Morant planned to proceed after the incident.
“For now, Morant is expected to rejoin the team on Monday at home against the Detroit Pistons,” Charania replied. “The sides are looking to move past this and move on. … Teams across the league though are monitoring this, keeping an eye on where this relationship stands between Ja Morant and the Grizzlies.”
Morant, a two-time All-Star, has gotten off to a slow start in 2025/26, averaging 20.3 points per game but shooting just 40.6% from the field, including 15.6% from three-point range. The 26-year-old point guard’s assists (6.7), rebounds (3.3) and minutes (28.5) per game are all at career-low levels through six contests.
The Grizzlies are currently 3-3. They have been hit hard by injuries again this fall, with multiple key players sidelined to open the season.
Hoops Rumors Mailbag: Mavs’ Backcourt, Raptors, Barrett
Our latest Front Office mailbag covers questions about the Mavericks' backcourt, the Raptors' slow start to the season, and what an RJ Barrett trade might look like. The questions have been lightly edited for clarity.
Ben asks:
With Kyrie Irving out for most (if not all) of the season, Dallas is a bit lacking in the ball-handling department, which probably coaxed them into experimenting with Cooper Flagg at point guard. It's early, but this doesn't seem to be working out particularly well. How much patience do you expect coach Jason Kidd to have with this setup before the lineup gets adjusted, and do you expect the Mavericks to target any point guards before the deadline?
Heat Notes: Powell, Rozier, Herro, Jakucionis, Morant, LaRoche
Heat guard Norman Powell is in the final year of his contract, which will pay him $20.48MM in 2025/26. He will remain extension-eligible through June 30, 2026, and if a deal is not reached he will become an unrestricted free agent.
According to Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald, Powell recently made it clear he hopes to sign a long-term extension with the Heat.
“I love it here. I love everything about the Heat,” Powell emphasized. “I loved them before. They were on my list before I signed my extension in Portland. I wanted to come here and play for the Heat. So I’m excited. I like the culture. I like what they have going on here. I like the mentality and the approach. I feel like they take guys to the next level. They push them past their own expectations, they have high standards. And I always like being around people that have high aspirations and high goals for themselves. It fits who I am, so I want to be here. Hopefully they feel the same way.”
As Chiang writes, Powell was off to a hot start to the season, averaging 24.0 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.0 steals on .477/.500/.913 shooting in three games (31.0 minutes per contest) before suffering a right groin strain that has caused him to miss the past two. The 32-year-old is questionable for Sunday’s contest at the Lakers.
“Hopefully [the Heat] like everything that’s happened so far and what I bring to the table outside of just on the court,” said Powell, who recently described himself as “super low-maintenance.” “But just who I am every single day, stepping into the arena, integrating myself with the team and the staff and the members around. Hopefully everybody appreciates my presence and we’ll be able to get something done. But, yeah, I want to be here.”
Here’s more on the Heat:
- Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel lists the short-term steps he believes commissioner Adam Silver should take to give the Heat more cap and roster flexibility in the wake of Terry Rozier‘s arrest — the veteran guard is facing two federal charges as part of an illegal gambling probe. While the information isn’t really relevant now, a source tells Winderman that the Heat considered waiving Rozier before the season began (a small portion of his contract was non-guaranteed at the time) and also had buyout discussions with the 31-year-old.
- All-Star Tyler Herro (left ankle surgery) and rookie guard Kasparas Jakucionis (right groin strain) are traveling with the team on its current four-game road trip, which ends Wednesday in Denver, per Chiang of The Miami Herald. “It’s good for them,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said about Herro and Jakucionis joining the team on the road. “For us, sure, it’s always good to have them around. But I think it just speeds up the whole process when they’re around the guys, around the game, around the whole travel routine, and participating in some of the things that they can do, which they did this morning.” Both players are out on Sunday, though Jakucionis is closer to making his season debut — the 2025 first-round pick is considered day-to-day.
- Although the Heat have expressed “more than passing” interest in Ja Morant in the past, Winderman doesn’t expect the team to explore the possibility of buying low on the Grizzlies guard in the wake of his latest off-court incident, which resulted in a one-game suspension for detrimental conduct following a disagreement with the coaching staff.
- Speaking of the Grizzlies, former Memphis assistant coach Noah LaRoche is now a consultant with the Heat, who have implemented the movement-heavy offense LaRoche was in charge of last season with Memphis, sources tell Brian Windhorst of ESPN. It’s only been five games, but the Heat currently rank seventh in the league in offensive efficiency after finishing 21st, 21st and 25th in the league in that category over the past three years, Windhorst notes. “You know Spo is running the polar opposite of the system that [Heat president] Pat Riley used to run, where he called every play and each play design was exact,” a league executive said. “And it makes me further appreciate and respect that the organization is about the right s–t. They’re about exploring and teaching in Miami.”
Suns Notes: Green, Brooks, Livers, Williams
Jalen Green won’t be active when the Suns host San Antonio on Sunday night, but he appears to be getting closer to making his season debut, writes Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Phoenix was counting on Green to help carry the scoring load after acquiring him from the Rockets as part of the Kevin Durant trade, but he has been out of action with a strained right hamstring. He took an important step toward returning on Saturday by participating in five-on-five drills.
“It was full-court before practice,” coach Jordan Ott said. “So that part is good. We’ll have to take a look tonight after this and into (Sunday).”
Green was extremely durable during his time in Houston, playing in all 82 games the past two seasons, but he’s been dealing with the hamstring issue since early in training camp. He reaggravated it in early October when the Suns traveled to China for two games against Brooklyn.
There’s more from Phoenix:
- Dillon Brooks will miss his fourth straight game on Sunday, Rankin states in the same piece, and his diagnosis has been changed from right groin soreness to a core muscle strain. “The soft tissue piece to it,” Ott told reporters before Friday’s game. “His pain tolerance being super high and trying to put a timeline on when Dillon Brooks can physically get out there. We know he’s going to step out there. That’s the thing we’re learning (about) Dillon in this process as he returns back.” Brooks was averaging a career-high 19.3 PPG before getting hurt.
- Two-way player Isaiah Livers sat out the second half Friday with a right hip contusion and is considered doubtful for Sunday, Rankin adds. Livers missed all of last season with an injured right hip, but Ott said there’s no cause for concern. “Just got hit on his hip,” he explained. “Sounds like he’ll be day-to-day. It’s nothing from his surgery. Just an unlucky spot.”
- Ott plans to build up Mark Williams‘ minutes as the season progresses, Rankin tweets. Williams, who has been plagued by injuries throughout his career, is averaging just 24.4 minutes per night through five games. “We’re going to be smart. We know it’s an 82-game season,” Ott said. “It’s going to continually be a talking point with our group based on how he played that night and physically how he feels the next day. Ideally, it continues to go up to where it’s lifted. We’re going to be pretty strategic in how we use him because we want him healthy, want him to play game after game after game.”