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.
Tyler Herro Undergoes Ankle Surgery, Will Miss Start Of Season
3:04 pm: According to a press release from the Heat, Herro underwent successful surgery on Friday to alleviate posterior impingement syndrome in his left ankle. He’s expected to miss about eight weeks, per the team, which would put him on track to return around mid-November.
9:35 am: Heat guard Tyler Herro is having surgery on his left foot that will force him to miss the start of the upcoming season, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).
In a full story, Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald states that the procedure, which involves the ankle and foot area, was necessary to fix a “lingering injury” that bothered Herro throughout the summer. While a timetable hasn’t been set for Herro’s return, multiple sources tell Chiang that he’s not expected to be sidelined for the entire season.
Herro began feeling discomfort in his left ankle during an offseason workout, a source tells Chiang. He was given platelet-rich plasma and cortisone injections over the past few weeks in hopes that surgery wouldn’t be necessary, but the pain subsisted and doctors decided surgery was the best option to prevent it from becoming a long-term issue.
Herro, 25, is coming off his best NBA season and his first All-Star appearance. He averaged a career-high 23.9 PPG in 77 games while adding 5.2 rebounds and 5.5 assists per night and posting a .472/.375/.878 shooting line.
Chiang notes that Miami’s offense was far more productive with Herro on the court, producing 8.6 fewer points per possession while he rested. The team struggled to score in general, finishing 21st in overall offensive rating.
Norman Powell, who was acquired from the Clippers in a three-team deal this summer, will likely take Herro’s spot in the starting lineup and will be counted on to replace some of his scoring punch. Powell is also coming off a career-best season, scoring 21.8 PPG with L.A. while shooting 48.4% from the field and 41.8% from three-point range.
Chiang points out that Herro’s absence will come at a bad time for Miami, which faces a difficult early-season schedule. The Heat will play six of their first eight games on the road, including a West Coast trip, and 11 of their first 15 games are against teams that were in the playoffs last season.
Herro will become eligible for an extension with the team next month, Chiang adds. Beginning October 1, he could add up to three years and $149.7MM to the two seasons (at $31MM and $33MM) remaining on his current deal.
If an extension agreement isn’t reached by October 20, Herro will be eligible for a four-year extension worth up to $206.9MM next summer. That could increase to a potential five-year, $380MM super-max deal if he makes an All-NBA team during the upcoming season, but he’ll have to appear in at least 65 games to qualify and the surgery may make that difficult.
A league source tells Chiang that Herro and his agent are expected to meet with team officials in early October to begin extension talks. He adds that team president Pat Riley indicated in May during his season-ending meeting with reporters that a Herro extension might not happen until 2026.
“Pay me now or pay me later, whatever it is,” Riley said. “We’ve already talked about it. I talked about it with Tyler, and so we’ll see what happens as we plan. The numbers are getting pretty big for a lot of guys. Max salaries in this league, who do they go to? I mean, who do they go to and who is really? If you’re going to make $70 million a year, who are those five or 10 guys that deserve that? But Tyler definitely is deserving of the thought of an extension. But are we going to do it? We haven’t committed to it, but we’re going to discuss it and I’ve already talked to him about it. He’s cool.”
Lauri Markkanen Endorses New All-Star Format
Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen believes adding an international team will help spice up the NBA’s All-Star Game, writes Edvinas Jablonskis of BasketNews.
The new format was revealed earlier this month. It will split the All-Stars into three eight-man squads, one of which will be entirely composed of international players. The teams will compete in a round-robin format to crown a winner.
“There’s always pride when you’re representing your country, or in this case the world, and I think it’s going to be a fun format and hopefully I can be a part of it,” Markkanen said.
Markkanen made an All-Star appearance in 2023 during his first season in Utah, but injuries have prevented him from returning. He appeared in just 55 and 47 games the past two years.
However, at age 28 he still appears to be part of the future as the team transitions to a younger roster. A report in July indicated that the Jazz don’t have any plans to trade Markkanen, who still has four years and nearly $196MM left on his contract.
He seemed to be back in top form while leading Finland to the semifinals at EuroBasket. He averaged 26.0 points, 8.2 rebounds and 2.7 assists in six games while earning second-team all-tournament honors.
Asked to pick the roster for Team World at All-Star weekend, Markkanen selected Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Luka Doncic, Victor Wembanyama and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as his starting five. He admits there will be some tough decisions beyond that and hopes he will be in the mix with players such as Franz Wagner, Alperen Sengun, Domantas Sabonis and Karl-Anthony Towns.
“There are no bad options there. I think it’s a list of really good players, and it’s going to come down to team success and how players perform in each and every year,” Markkanen said. “And so I think the format is going to be fun to compete against the USA teams, and we’ll see who makes the team.”
Luka Doncic Contemplates Finishing Career With Real Madrid
Luka Doncic has a lot of NBA seasons left, but he’s interested in someday finishing his basketball career with his first professional team, Real Madrid. In an interview with Jason Gay of The Wall Street Journal (subscription required), Doncic addressed the possibility of wrapping up his playing days in Spain (hat tip to Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops).
“To play with Real Madrid, you have to be so good,” Doncic said. Asked about potentially returning to the Euroleague and ACB power, he responded, “For sure. They raised me.”
Doncic was only 13 years old when he signed with Real Madrid in 2012. He starred at the junior level for three seasons before being promoted to the senior team and officially beginning his professional career. He was the youngest player ever to take the court for Real Madrid and the third-youngest in ACB history.
He quickly became one of the league’s top stars, capping off his career in Europe in 2018 by winning the EuroLeague scoring title, along with regular season and Final Four MVP honors.
Doncic doesn’t envision himself playing into his 40s like LeBron James, but he hopes to emulate his Lakers teammate in another way. He tells Gay that he would like to become involved in owning a sports franchise, even if it’s not in basketball. James is a minority owner with Fenway Sports Group, which controls the Boston Red Sox, Pittsburgh Penguins and Liverpool F.C.
Doncic also discussed his new emphasis on conditioning, which he said was inspired by teaming up with James. Doncic was noticeably lighter and more mobile as he represented Slovenia in the just-completed EuroBasket tournament.
He used resistance bands, deadlifts and dumbbells to build his strength and added in some agility drills. He hired a private chef to help with a new nutrition routine that included intermittent fasting.
He also stepped away from the basketball court for a while to place his full focus on fitness.
“For the first time, I stopped playing basketball for a month,” Doncic revealed. “Pure training and fitness. And padel tennis.”
Agent: Jonathan Kuminga Willing To Accept Qualifying Offer
Appearing on the latest Hoop Collective podcast (YouTube link), agent Aaron Turner said accepting the $8MM qualifying offer is a realistic option for restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga unless the Warriors‘ offers improve, relays Anthony Slater of ESPN.
“There’s a lot of upside,” Turner told the hosts. “He wants to pick where he wants to go. So the QO is real for sure.”
As Slater reported on Monday, Golden State recently engaged in another negotiating session with Kuminga and Turner, submitting its latest offer of $75.2MM over three years with a team option for the final season. That would give him two fully guaranteed seasons at a total of $48.3MM.
Earlier in the summer, the team offered a two-year, $45MM contract that contains a team option in the second season. The only offer without a team option limits his salary to $54MM over three years, an average of $18MM per season.
Kuminga has refused to accept any of those scenarios, but Turner said this week that he would be agreeable to the latest offer if the Warriors replace the team option with a player option. The team has refused to put a player option on the table, which is why Kuminga finds the QO so appealing. Although he would be playing for far below his market value for one season, Kuminga would become unrestricted next summer and would have the power to choose his next team.
“If (the Warriors) want to win now, if you want a guy that’s happy and treated fairly who is a big part of this team, we believe, moving forward, you give him the player option,” Turner said on the podcast. “You do lose a little of that trade value (giving that up). But if it’s about the here and now, you give him that. You don’t get a perfect deal, but you get a pretty good deal and he gets to feel respected about what he gets and we all move on and worry about winning, helping Steph (Curry).”
The Warriors’ offseason has been on hold while they work toward a solution with Kuminga. They reportedly have deals lined up with free agents Al Horford, De’Anthony Melton and Gary Payton II, but those can’t be finalized because using any portion of the mid-level exception would hard-cap the Warriors at the second apron. That creates the risk that another team could open enough cap room to give Kuminga an offer that Golden State wouldn’t be able to match.
“If JK wants to take (the qualifying offer), it does have upside, right?” Turner said. “We’ve talked about that. You’re not getting traded. You’re going to have unrestricted free agency (next summer). People are going to say, ‘Well, Aaron, there’s not going to be 10 or 12 teams (with cap space).’ Fine, there’ll be six teams with cap space for the clear-cut under-35 top wing on the market. So there’s a lot of upside.”
The Suns and Kings both expressed interest in Kuminga this summer before Golden State shut down sign-and-trade talks. Sacramento was reportedly offering a contract worth $63-66MM over three years, while Phoenix was willing to pay him between $80-88MM over four seasons. However, neither team made a trade offer that enticed the Warriors.
“He’s gotten a chance to hear from other teams,” Turner said. “You know, Sacramento, he’s spent some time with them, got to meet (general manager) Scott Perry, (head coach) Doug Christie, the Suns and what they’ve offered him. There’s been other teams, too, maybe planting seeds for (2026 or 2027). But they’re saying, ‘Hey, we want you to be you. We don’t want you to change anything. We want to put the ball in your hands. We want to give you a huge opportunity to play.'”
Turner added that Kuminga isn’t opposed to staying with the Warriors, but that would mean putting his personal ambitions aside, and Turner believes his client should be financially compensated for that decision. He called Golden State “as first-class as you get,” but pointed out that other teams would be giving Kuminga a chance to play full-time starter’s minutes, while staying put means he would be coming off the bench and battling for playing time with Jimmy Butler, Draymond Green and Horford.
“No guarantees he starts any games,” Turner said. “He may, but we don’t know. Finishing games, night to night, who knows? It depends if (coach Steve Kerr) has a combination he likes and it’s working. Maybe he sticks with it. Maybe he doesn’t. You’re going to have to not have the ball as much. You’re going to have to stay away from developing certain parts of your game, or wanting to lean into certain parts of your game, especially shooting any type of mid-range jump shots, which is something JK does work on. But in the Golden State offense and the role he’s in, that’s not going to be a big shot that he’s really going to be able to take much.”
With media day just 10 days away, there’s a growing urgency on both sides to get the matter resolved. Turner indicated that Kuminga would take the two-year offer if he’s allowed to keep an inherent no-trade clause that would come with it, but the team hasn’t budged on that point. He added that Kuminga would want to be compensated for accepting a team option — something in the neighborhood of $30MM per year.
“Two years from now, if you want to keep him, you’ll have his Bird rights (even if you give him a player option),” Turner said. “You treat him good and you show him the plan, then maybe you keep him. (The player option contract) is not perfect, but I don’t think anybody can get everything they really want.
“If you ask JK, he wants Jalen Green‘s deal. He’s not getting that. He wants Jalen Johnson‘s deal. You’re not getting that. If the Warriors, we feel like, pick the front end (of the contract), if that number needs to be lower to stay under a second apron, (it’s a) player option. Or if it’s about really controlling the back end of the deal, move the number up, shake your roster up and you can have a team option. Or, the hybrid model, let him keep his no-trade clause.”
Jalen Brunson: Knicks Need Right ‘Mindset’ To Surpass Last Season
The Knicks clearly appear to be one of the top two teams in the East, but star guard Jalen Brunson doesn’t want his teammates to believe that means an automatic return to the conference finals, he told D.J. Siddiqi of Games Hub.
“Hopefully we don’t have that mindset going into the season where we think we’re just going to jump back into the Eastern Conference Finals,” Brunson said in an interview this week. “We need to be able to go through this process again and continue to get better and to fight to get over that hump.”
New York returns the core of a roster that fell two games short of a trip to the NBA Finals last season. The team is counting on improved depth after adding Jordan Clarkson and Guerschon Yabusele in free agency, along with several other talents who will compete for roster spots in training camp. The Knicks also made a coaching change, with Mike Brown considered more likely to rely on a deep bench than his predecessor, Tom Thibodeau.
Brunson believes the offseason maneuvering has put the team in position to succeed at the highest level.
“I think we’ve been taking steady steps every year,” he said. “The best part about our team is the chemistry we’ve grown and we’ve created. A lot of people help us on this journey, and to be able to be where we are now, it’s nothing to be satisfied about. Everyone says, ‘Oh, you need to get experience.’ Well, this is us getting experience. This is literally us going through the trials and tribulations of being a good team. So continue to do that and just find a way to see what can we do to get over that hump.
“It’s going to take all of us. It’s not going to take just one change or another small thing. It’s going to take all of us together to kind of put everything aside and pull together.”
Brunson was also complimentary of center Karl-Anthony Towns, who expanded the team’s offensive capabilities after being acquired from Minnesota shortly before the start of last season. There won’t be a learning curve for Towns as he prepares for his second year in New York, and Brunson believes he can be even better after earning third-team All-NBA honors.
“Having him as a teammate has been really fun,” Brunson said. “I think that gets overlooked how good of a teammate he is. Obviously, he’s a great player and what he does on the court. But the teammate he is and what he brings to the locker room for us is special. So I’m really happy to have him. Don’t think you can compare him. He shoots the ball so effortlessly, and he can make plays. He has great touch around the rim, so he’s pretty much his own person. He picks different games of styles of basketball, and kind of makes it into his own.”
Aaron Gordon Thrilled About Nuggets’ Offseason Moves
The Nuggets‘ new front office made several significant additions this summer in an effort to rebuild a championship-level roster. Among those impressed by the moves is power forward Aaron Gordon, who shared his excitement in an interview this week with Malika Andrews on NBA Today (hat tip to The Sports Rush).
Denver sent Michael Porter Jr. to Brooklyn in a trade for Cameron Johnson, and acquired backup center Jonas Valanciunas from Sacramento in a separate deal. The team also added shooting by signing free agent swingman Tim Hardaway Jr.
“That’s a squad, especially with Big Val too,” Gordon said. “Big Val is gonna hold that down. That’s a boy. We got a squad.”
The move that Gordon is most excited about is the return of versatile swingman Bruce Brown, who was also added in free agency. Brown was an important member of the 2023 title team and was used at several positions.
“Brucey B is back. Uh-oh. Might be problems for y’all, Brucey B is back,” Gordon said.
Gordon, who celebrated his 30th birthday on Tuesday, is coming off a typically productive season that saw him average 14.7 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists in 51 games. He has fully recovered from the hamstring injury that limited his effectiveness in Games 6 and 7 of the Western Conference semifinals loss to Oklahoma City.
Gordon, who has developed an on-court chemistry with Nikola Jokic since being traded to Denver in 2021, also talked about the privilege of playing alongside the perennial MVP candidate every night.
“He’s amazing … to get to play around one of the best players, if not the best player of all-time,” Gordon said. “It’s the gravity that Joker has. I think we have a great understanding of each other on and off the basketball floor. You guys are gonna see that flourish.”
Michael Malone To Join NBA Countdown Panel
Former Nuggets head coach Michael Malone is the latest addition to the NBA Countdown pregame show, according to Ben Axelrod of Awful Announcing, who states that ESPN president Jimmy Pitaro revealed the hiring Tuesday during an appearance at Front Office Sports’ Tuned In Summit.
After being dismissed from his coaching job late last season, Malone served as a guest commentator for ESPN during the playoffs. He even sparked a mini-controversy when said Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander “showed why he’s the MVP,” although he later clarified that he would have voted for his former player, Nikola Jokic.
Malone was reportedly a candidate to replace Tom Thibodeau in New York before Mike Brown was ultimately hired. With no other head coaching jobs currently open, Malone has opted to continue his career in broadcasting.
It’s uncertain what other changes will be made to the NBA Countdown team, Axelrod adds. Malika Andrews hosted both versions of the show last season, with Stephen A. Smith, Bob Myers and Kendrick Perkins joining her on ABC broadcasts and Perkins, Chiney Ogwumike, Richard Jefferson, Brian Windhorst and Tim Legler rounding out the panel on ESPN games.
Jefferson has been promoted to the network’s top broadcast team, so Malone may simply take his place.
Malone, 54, brings an extensive NBA background to the job. He spent one year as head coach in Sacramento and 10 with the Nuggets, compiling a career record of 510-394 and capturing the championship in 2023. Before that, he served 13 years as an assistant coach with New York, Cleveland, New Orleans and Golden State.
Jimmy Butler Reached Out To Warriors On Jonathan Kuminga Negotiations
Jimmy Butler has contacted Warriors management to gauge the situation involving restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga, NBC Sports Bay Area reporter Dalton Johnson said on the latest Dubs Talk podcast (YouTube link).
Kuminga remains unsigned with the start of training camp less than two weeks away. A report earlier this week stated that the team recently increased its offer to $75.2MM over three years, but Kuminga and his representatives refused to accept because it contains a team option for the final season.
“I can confidently say that Jimmy Butler has also reached out to the team and been like, ‘What’s going on here? I just want to know the plan,’” Johnson said.
Johnson points out that the Warriors quickly resolved any outstanding issues with Butler when they acquired him from Miami in a February trade. Butler had been engaged in a prolonged standoff with the Heat because they were unwilling to agree to an extension, but Golden State announced a new two-year, $111MM contract with Butler when the trade was finalized.
“I think Jimmy, as someone who came on last year and kind of showed, ‘All right, you took care of me, all the drama’s done, all the Miami stuff, it’s just basketball for me. I’m all about basketball,” Johnson added. “When I’m on the contract for you, it’s about basketball. And now I think he’s saying, ‘Hey, show me that it’s all about basketball. We have two weeks until training camp. So either just pay (Kuminga) or move him. Like, there needs to be a decision.’”
Kuminga’s agent, Aaron Turner, told ESPN’s Anthony Slater that his client would be willing to take the Warriors’ latest offer if the team option is replaced by a player option. If a new deal can’t be worked out, Kuminga can still choose to accept the one-year, $8MM qualifying offer that was tendered in late June. It contains a no-trade clause and would make him an unrestricted free agent next summer.