Grizzlies Rookie Cedric Coward “100% Cleared” After Rotator Cuff Surgery
First-round pick Cedric Coward confirms that he’s “100% cleared” for full basketball activity as the Grizzlies prepare to open training camp at the end of the month, according to Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal (subscription required).
Coward appeared Saturday at a Memphis Redbirds minor league baseball game, where he handled first-pitch duties and signed autographs along with fellow Grizzlies rookie Javon Small. Coward told Cole that he received complete clearance from the team’s medical staff in August.
“I feel good,” he said. “The workouts we’re doing now, I feel great in them.”
A partially torn rotator cuff limited Coward to six games at Washington State last season. He underwent surgery, but said he felt fine by the draft, and Memphis was willing to trade up to the No. 11 pick to take him.
However, he didn’t participate in the Las Vegas Summer League as the team determined he wasn’t ready to play at the time.
Coward isn’t expected to be under any restrictions heading into camp, and he said he’s “super excited” for the team’s first preseason game on October 6.
“That’s the best thing ever,” he said. “I haven’t played live competition since November. … For me, I do it every day now that I can. I don’t have to hold anything back. I don’t got people telling me to take a break and stuff. It’s like letting the wolves out. That’s what it is.”
Anthony Davis Takes Part In Five-on-Five Scrimmages
Anthony Davis participated in five-on-five games this week, according to Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Twitter link), who adds that it’s believed to be Davis’ first “game-speed action” since he underwent eye surgery in July.
The Mavericks‘ big man had a procedure to repair a detached retina, which was reportedly caused by “multiple hits to the face” last season. He was projected to be ready for training camp at the time of the operation, but no medical updates have been issued since then.
Davis’ optical issues began last November when he was still with the Lakers. He visited an ophthalmologist after getting poked in the left eye during a game, which caused swelling and difficulty keeping the eye open.
Davis only appeared in nine games after being traded to Dallas in early February, but that was due to an adductor injury rather than anything to do with his eyes. He averaged 20.0 points, 10.1 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 2.2 blocks in just 29.6 minutes per night in those nine contests.
This week’s scrimmages don’t guarantee that Davis will be a full participant when training camp begins September 30, but they’re definitely a positive sign. Davis made his 10th All-Star appearance last season, and the Mavs are hoping that his improved health, along with the addition of No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg, will lead them back to the playoffs.
Markquis Nowell Signs With Spanish Club
Point guard Markquis Nowell has signed with Spain’s Baskonia, Chema de Lucas tweets.
Nowell was on the Rockets’ training camp roster last year but didn’t make the 15-man regular season squad. He spent the season with the Rockets’ NBA G League team, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. Nowell made 49 NBAGL appearances, averaging 16.1 points and 8.4 assists in 30.9 minutes per game.
Nowell was on Milwaukee’s Summer League roster this July.
A 5’7″ point guard, Nowell spent most of the 2023/24 season on a two-way contract with the Raptors after going undrafted out of Kansas State. He appeared in just one NBA game for Toronto before being cut that March.
Nowell won the Bob Cousy Award for the nation’s top collegiate point guard in his senior season with the Wildcats.
Greek Team Considers Signing Dalano Banton
The Greek team Olympiacos is eyeing free agent guard Dalano Banton, according to Sotiris Vetakis of SDNA.gr (hat tip to Sportando).
Banton appeared in 67 games with the Trail Blazers last season, including seven starts. The 6’8″ guard/forward averaged 8.3 points, 2.0 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 16.7 minutes per game. He also had stints with Toronto and Boston after being drafted in the second round by the Raptors in 2021.
However, Banton has received a cool reception in the free agent market this offseason. Marc Stein recently reported that the 25-year-old has received interest from numerous teams overseas but continues to seek an NBA opportunity. He has auditioned for multiple NBA teams, including the Warriors and Pacers, but hasn’t been able to secure an offer he likes.
Overall, Banton has made 216 NBA appearances, averaging 6.8 points, 2.2 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 14.5 minutes per game. His subpar perimeter shooting (30.4 percent on threes) is a key reason why he’s struggled to secure another contract.
Southwest Notes: D. Smith, J. Jackson, Spurs, Nowitzki, Flagg
While Dennis Smith Jr. rejoining the Mavericks makes for a nice storyline, it’s unlikely the veteran guard will make the 15-man roster out of training camp, Marc Stein of The Stein Line tweets. Smith is signing a one-year deal with Dallas, the team that made him the No. 9 pick of the 2017 draft. However, it’s likely to be only a training camp contract and the Mavericks already have 14 players on fully guaranteed deals, with Brandon Williams on a partial guarantee.
Among Dallas’ motivations for signing Smith, according to Stein, was ensuring he receives an Exhibit 10 bonus if he reports to the G League. That means Smith, who didn’t play in the league last season, will likely wind up with the Texas Legends.
We have more from the Southwest Division:
- Grizzlies big man Jaren Jackson Jr. says he’s progressing well from turf toe surgery, though it’s uncertain whether he’ll be ready to play by the season opener. “I’m aiming for whatever my body is telling me, but I’m progressing the right way,” Jackson told Michael Wallace of GrindCityMedia.com. “I’m feeling good. I’m doing what I need to do. Every day has been a building block, so I’m just trying to make it to whatever (timeframe). I think everybody is going to be happy.”
- San Antonio’s City Council will hold a key vote next week on a proposed new arena for the Spurs, according to Paul Fogerty of Spurs Talk. The cost of the arena is projected to be $1.3-$1.5 billion with the city contributing up to $489MM.
- Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki believes Cooper Flagg will live up to his billing as a franchise-altering talent, he told Christian Clark of The Athletic. “The hype is real, for sure,” Nowitzki said. “I’m not the biggest college sports watcher in general, whether that’s basketball or any sport, but of course I checked out Cooper. Sky is the limit, honestly. What I saw, just the way he reads the game already at that age. (He’s) barely 18, athletic, (has) skills. I heard his work ethic is through the roof. Everything I saw and heard is he’s the real deal.”
Hornets’ Josh Green, Grant Williams To Miss Training Camp
Hornets wing Josh Green and forward Grant Williams will both miss training camp as they continue to recover from their respective injuries, head coach Charles Lee recently told reporters, including Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer.
Green underwent left shoulder surgery in June, while Williams tore the ACL and meniscus in his right knee last November.
According to Boone, Lee said both players are making progress, but neither has a specific timeline to return, though Williams is apparently a little further along in his recovery.
Given that Green and Williams miss training camp, which begins September 30, it’s possible neither player will be active for Charlotte’s regular season opener on Oct. 22.
Here are few more items of interest from Boone’s story:
- In addition to making on-court strides this offseason, Brandon Miller has also impressed Lee by becoming a vocal leader, Boone writes. In particular, Miller has been mentoring fellow 2023 first-round pick Nick Smith Jr. Miller is another Hornet whose ’24/25 season was cut short — he underwent right wrist surgery in January. He said in late July the wrist was close to fully healed.
- Lee wants LaMelo Ball to become a locker-room leader as well and thinks trade addition Collin Sexton will help with that, per Boone. While Lee said Ball has made strides on defense, he still wants the team’s highest-paid player to be more consistent on that end of the court.
- Each of Charlotte’s 2025 draft picks — Kon Knueppel, Liam McNeeley, Sion James and Ryan Kalkbrenner — will receive minutes during the preseason, according to Lee, who thinks big man Kalkbrenner could eventually have a career similar to Brook Lopez.
Hornets Sign Marcus Garrett, Waive Brandon Slater
The Hornets continue to make changes to the back end of their roster ahead of training camp, having signed free agent guard Marcus Garrett, the team announced (via Twitter).
In a corresponding move, forward Brandon Slater has been released.
While the terms of Garrett’s contract were not revealed, it’s likely to be an Exhibit 10 deal, which would make him eligible for a bonus worth up to $85,300 if he’s waived before the season begins and spends at least 60 days with the Hornets’ G League affiliate, the Greensboro Swarm.
Garrett, who went undrafted out of Kansas in 2021, appeared in 12 NBA games while on a two-way contract with the Heat as a rookie, but he has spent most of his professional career in the G League, including the past two seasons with the Swarm. He signed a 10-day hardship contract with the Hornets in March and appeared four NBA games, averaging 7.0 points and 3.3 rebounds in 19.8 minutes per contest.
Known as a solid defender, Garrett played 42 games (29.7 MPG) for the Swarm in 2024/25, averaging 10.4 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 3.8 APG and 1.5 SPG on .451/.298/.705 shooting.
Garrett will fill Charlotte’s 21st and final roster spot for the time being.
And-Ones: Inside The NBA, Rubio, Raduljica, Bleijenbergh
“Inside the NBA” will look a little different this season — it will air on ESPN instead of TNT and won’t be on as often. However, the show’s format will largely remain unchanged, ESPN president of content Burke Magnus tells Richard Deitsch of The Athletic.
“(Fans are) going to get the show they love in a way that’s very similar to the way it’s always been,” Magnus said. “It’s still produced in Atlanta by the very same people that produced it for Turner. It’s in their building. Other than a logo on the set, it’s going to appear the same, and that’s exactly what we want.”
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Former NBA point guard Ricky Rubio broke a Spanish league record during the 2005/06 season when he made his professional debut at age 14. In hindsight, he thinks it was a mistake to start his pro career at such a young age, as Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops relays. “It almost seems like exploitation,” Rubio said in a recent interview with Jijantes FC (Twitch link). “If you have the necessary quality at 13, you’ll probably be able to play at 16 or 17, too, or at 18. … There should be professionals, who already exist, to see at what stage to start playing. There will always be debate, ‘This guy is more mature at 16 and another at 18. Yes, but a rule must be set, behind studies with people who understand the whole issue a little better. … I think debuting in a professional team, where you enter a very dangerous world because you’re open to so many things, should be regulated.”
- After a long basketball career, Serbian big man Miroslav Raduljica has decided to switch to football (soccer) for the 2025/26 season (Instagram link). According to Askounis of Eurohoops, Raduljica’s full salary with Zeleznicar Pancevo will go to charity. The 7’0″ center, who played parts of two seasons in the NBA with the Bucks and Timberwolves, has spent the past two years in Greece with Maroussi B.C.
- Former G League forward Vrenz Bleijenbergh is now a free agent after mutually agreeing to part ways with the South East Melbourne Phoenix of Australia’s National Basketball League (press release via the team). Bleijenbergh, who is from Belgium, had a solid showing in Turkey last season with Merkezefendi, averaging 12.0 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 4.0 APG, 1.1 SPG and 1.0 BPG on .466/.398/.791 shooting in 28 contests (30.4 MPG).
Talen Horton-Tucker Signs Two-Year Deal With Fenerbahce
Free agent guard/forward Talen Horton-Tucker has officially signed a two-year deal with Fenerbahce, according to a press release from the Turkish team.
Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews reported at the beginning of September that Horton-Tucker had reached a tentative agreement with the reigning EuroLeague champion but was still hoping to sign an NBA contract. Marc Stein later clarified that Horton-Tucker had a 21-day window to find a new NBA opportunity.
Evidently Horton-Tucker was unable to find the type of NBA deal he was seeking, as he will now be heading overseas for the first time in his career.
The 46th overall pick of the 2019 draft, Horton-Tucker has spent the past six years in the NBA, most recently suiting up for his hometown Bulls. In 305 regular season games, he holds career averages of 9.2 points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 19.5 minutes per contest, with a shooting line of .427/.299/.771.
Horton-Tucker won a championship as a rookie with Los Angeles in 2020 and was a Laker for three years prior to being traded to Utah in the 2022 offseason. He spent the next two years with the Jazz, but was unable to find a guaranteed contract as an unrestricted free agent in the 2024 offseason.
The Chicago native signed a non-guaranteed Exhibit 10 deal with the Bulls last September and wound up making the team’s regular season roster — he was the only player on an Exhibit 10 contract last fall to have that deal become a standard non-guaranteed pact.
Horton-Tucker, who said it was a “dream come true” to open the 2024/25 season with Chicago, not only made the roster but eventually had his salary guaranteed when the Bulls decided to keep him around past the January deadline to waive non-guaranteed contracts.
Horton-Tucker appeared in 58 games last season for the Bulls, averaging 6.5 PPG, 1.7 RPG and 1.4 APG in 12.5 MPG. His shooting line was .457/.336/.735.
Fenerbahce’s roster features several other former NBA players, including Wade Baldwin IV, Khem Birch, Nicolo Melli and Brandon Boston Jr.
Celtics Sign Kendall Brown, Jalen Bridges, Ron Harper Jr.
September 20: The Celtics have finalized their camp deals with Brown, Bridges and Ron Harper Jr., according to RealGM’s log of NBA transactions. Harper’s agreement with Boston was first reported last month.
September 19: The Celtics intend to sign free agent wing Kendall Brown, sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).
While Scotto doesn’t explicitly state what type of contract Brown will sign, he suggests it will be an Exhibit 10 deal, as the 22-year-old will reportedly have a chance to compete for a two-way contract in training camp. Exhibit 10 contracts, which are non-guaranteed and do not count against the salary cap, can be converted into two-way deals.
A former top high school recruit, Brown was selected 48th overall in the 2022 draft after one college season at Baylor. He spent most of his first two NBA seasons on two-way deals with the Pacers prior to being converted to a standard deal in March 2024.
Brown was released by Indiana last fall and didn’t make any NBA appearances in 2024/25, having spent the year in the G League, though he had a brief stint on a two-way deal with Brooklyn in late winter. In 37 games (33.9 minutes per contest) with the Long Island Nets last season, the athletic guard/forward averaged 16.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.1 steals on .565/.400/.750 shooting.
Scotto also confirms (via Twitter) that Jalen Bridges remains on track to finalize a camp deal with Boston and will be another player vying for a two-way spot. Bridges’ agreement with the Celtics was first reported on July 2.
Bridges spent 2024/25 — his rookie season — on a two-way contract with Phoenix. The Suns chose not to give him a qualifying offer in June, making him an unrestricted free agent.
Both Brown and Bridges suited up for the Celtics during Las Vegas Summer League.
The Celtics do not currently have a two-way opening, with the spots occupied by Max Shulga, Amari Williams and RJ Luis Jr., a trio of rookies. Of the three, Luis’ roster looks the most vulnerable, considering Boston used second-round picks on Williams and Shulga, while Luis — who went undrafted — was acquired in a salary-dump deal with Utah.