Andre Roberson Suffers Setback, Out At Least Two Months
Thunder forward Andre Roberson will miss at least two more months of action after suffering a setback in his rehab from knee surgery, tweets Erik Horne of The Oklahoman. Roberson had a procedure on Thursday to alleviate irritation in his left knee caused by a suture.
Roberson could be sidelined for more than two months, with the team set to reevaluate his status in early December. The setback stems from when he ruptured his patellar tendon in January. He resumed various running activities this fall, but was unable to participate in contact drills.
“You don’t replace him,” head coach Billy Donovan said at the time. “It’s no different than having a guy that gets 25 points a game and goes out. You’re not going to have one person go out and replace 25 points.”
Despite not averaging 25 points per contest, Roberson is an accomplished defensive presence and important cog in the team’s plans. He often guards the opposing team’s best player, willing to do whatever it takes to help his team win games.
Roberson, who was drafted with the 26th pick in 2013, is set to enter his sixth professional season. He was named to the NBA All-Defensive Team in 2017 and remains a top defensive player when healthy.
Kyrie Irving Plans To Re-Sign With Celtics
Celtics guard Kyrie Irving said at a team event on Thursday that he plans to re-sign with Boston once he reaches free agency in the summer of 2019, per Kristen Ledlow of NBA TV (Twitter link). The Celtics’ official Twitter account posted a video of the All-Star guard making the announcement to fans.
Irving, who is entering his second season as a member of the Celtics, has also communicated his desire to stick around long-term to team ownership in recent weeks, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Armed with a player option for the 2019/20 season, Irving is widely expected to turn down that option and ink a new deal next July. His free agency is still nine months away and it’s unlikely that he’ll sign an in-season extension, so the Celtics’ level of success this season could alter his future decision, but for now he appears committed to the franchise.
Because the Celtics hold his Bird rights, Irving will be eligible to sign a five-year deal worth up to a projected $189.66MM with the club next summer. It’s not clear if Boston will put that five-year max offer on the table, but any lucrative new contract for Irving would create uncertainty about Terry Rozier‘s future with the organization — Rozier will be eligible for restricted free agency in 2019, and the C’s would be investing heavily in the point guard position already with long-term deals for Irving and Marcus Smart.
Over the offseason, there had been rumors that Irving was interested in teaming up with Jimmy Butler once both players hit the free agent market in 2019, but The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor indicates (via Twitter) that those reports were overblown. Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype suggests (via Twitter) that those whispers were coming out of Butler’s camp.
Boston, led by Irving, is expected to be a lead contender for the NBA title this season. Irving was traded to the team in 2017 after spending six seasons with the Cavaliers, winning a championship in 2016 alongside fellow All-Star LeBron James. In his first season with the C’s, Irving played in 60 games last season, averaging 24.4 points, 5.5 assists and 1.1 steals per contest
Kings Waive Gabe Vincent
The Kings have waived Gabe Vincent after signing him to an Exhibit 10 contract earlier in the week, according to the NBA’s Transactions Page.
Vincent, a 6’3″ guard out of UC Santa Barbara, went unselected in the 2018 Draft. In his four collegiate seasons, he held per-game averages of 12.4 points, 1.9 rebounds and 3.3 assists in 29.1 minutes. He holds the school record for most three-pointers made in his career.
Vincent will likely play for Sacramento’s G League team, the Stockton Kings. The Kings also signed and quickly waived Taren Sullivan and Brandon Austin this past week, with the team once again holding one open roster spot.
Southwest Notes: Anthony, Okafor, Randle, Grizzlies
Carmelo Anthony is looking to make the game fun again in his first season with the Rockets, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle writes. Anthony is set to enter his 16th professional season, with the 34-year-old having his vision set on winning an NBA championship.
“Just enjoy the game and play basketball … I’ve been doing it for a long time,” Anthony said. “I still know how to do it. I’ve just got to make it fun. The game just has to be fun.”
The Rockets are expected to be a championship contender this season, with the team featuring a deep bench, star center and All-Star backcourt of Chris Paul and James Harden. The level of production Anthony gives will help determine how far the team gets in its journey.
“He’s a great basketball player, so we just try to make it optimal for him and us,” head coach Mike D’Antoni said. “It’s always a little bit of a challenge, but if you had asked me the same question (last year) about James and Chris I would have said the same thing: ‘Well, it looks good. I’m excited.’ So same thing with him.”
There’s more out of the Southwest Division:
- Pelicans center Jahlil Okafor will undergo an MRI on Monday after suffering an ankle injury during Sunday’s preseason game, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets. Okafor left the arena on crutches with his ankle taped.
- Over 25 teams expressed a level of interest in Julius Randle during his brief time as a free agent, according to Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated. Randle eventually chose to sign a two-year deal with the Pelicans.
- Grizzlies head coach J.B. Bickerstaff hopes Garrett Temple‘s impact on the team doesn’t go unnoticed, Drew Hill of the Memphis Commercial Appeal writes. “I’m used to (going unnoticed). It’s normal to me,” Temple said. “But, I’m glad that (Bickerstaff) sees my value. The people in the locker room and the people in this organization, at this point, those are the only ones that matter.”
Atlantic Notes: Leonard, Smith, Williams, Brand
Raptors forward Kawhi Leonard showed flashes of brilliance in his debut with the team on Saturday, finishing with 12 points, three assists and one steal in 19 minutes of action.
“I think everybody saw Kawhi, he was shaking off some rust, right?” coach Nick Nurse asked postgame, according to Doug Smith of The Toronto Star. “But you can obviously see the level that he has and I think he looks like we’re all running around really fast and he gets it and everything goes into slow motion. It’s kind of a gift for guys that are as good as him and it’s neat to watch, too.”
Leonard was traded to the Raptors in July after a tumultuous end to his stint with the Spurs. He missed most of last season due to injury, with Saturday’s preseason game marking his first contest since January.
“I think it’s just going to take on-court minutes, getting the experience together, going out there and playing and getting a feel for the overall team, the overall game that he likes to play,” Kyle Lowry said of Leonard. “And the pace. We played at a really good pace tonight. It was a fun game, just good to get out there and compete against another team.”
There’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- Sixers guard Zhaire Smith was admitted to the hospital on Thursday after suffering an allergic reaction, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes. Smith had a thoracoscopy, with tests returning negative. He did not travel with the team to China.
- The Celtics are opting to bring rookie Robert Williams along slowly, A. Sherrod Blakely of NBC Sports Boston details. “You can’t be amazed the whole game,” Williams said. “I had to put that to the side. I saw a couple nice moves by Kemba [Walker], but I want to block that [expletive]. That’s the mentality I’m supposed to have.”
- David Aldridge of The Athletic explains how the Sixers named Elton Brand the new general manager of the team, tasking him with continuing the franchise’s ascension.
Pacific Notes: Kings, Lakers, Booker, Labissiere
The Kings have made two additions to their basketball operations staff, according to James Ham of NBC Sports.
Adam Filippi has joined the team as the Director of Pro Scouting. He most recently served as the Director of Global Scouting with the Hornets, and will be based out of Los Angeles covering the Southeast Region.
Sacramento also hired Anthony Darmiento as the Assistant Performance Coach. Darmiento will work alongside Head Performance & Strength Coach Ramsey Nijem this season, and holds experience in similar roles with USA Volleyball, USA Water Polo and the USA Olympic Committee.
There’s more out of the Pacific division:
- Kings third-year forward Skal Labissiere says he’s more explosive, quicker and faster after bulking up this offseason, as detailed by Noel Harris of The Sacramento Bee.
- Devin Booker has focused on improving his left-hand skills since undergoing surgery, writes Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic. Booker had the procedure in his right hand on September 10. “It’s a time I actually have to use it,” Booker said. “I never expected to actually have to use it.”
- The Lakers envision playing a brand of positionless basketball this season, Joey Ramirez of Lakers.com relays.“We want to be a positionless team,” LeBron James said. “There’s gonna be times when we’re all playing different positions. I think that’s going to be the benefit of our ball club.”
Kings Waive Brandon Austin
The Kings have waived training camp invitee Brandon Austin, tweets James Ham of NBC Sports. Austin signed with the team on Thursday after appearing in 15 games with the team’s G League affiliate Reno Bighorns last season.
Austin, who went undrafted out of Northwest Florida State in 2016, is a 6-foot-6 guard who’s shown flashes of potential on both ends of the floor. He’ll likely rejoin the Bighorns for the upcoming season, according to Sean Cunningham of ABC10.
Following the decision to waive Austin, the Kings now have 19 players on their active roster. This includes the two-way contract of Wenyen Gabriel, along with the non-guaranteed salaries of Cameron Reynolds, Jamel Artis and the recently added Kalin Lucas.
Wolves Notes: Butler, Thibodeau, Wiggins
The Timberwolves have yet to move All-Star shooting guard Jimmy Butler in a trade, keeping a distraction on their roster one game into the preseason and almost a week after the team’s media day. Butler requested a trade in early September after spending just one season with the team, with head coach Tom Thibodeau now focused on making sure his players don’t get distracted.
“That’s the NBA. That’s part of everyone’s job,” Thibodeau said, according to Chris Hine of the Star Tribune. “Don’t allow yourself to be distracted. You have to be focused on what your job is. My job is to do what’s best for the Timberwolves and that’s what we’re going to do.”
Minnesota’s asking price for Butler is said to be steep, with the team reportedly seeking quality veterans, future assets and cap relief. The idea of losing Butler, a longtime teammate of Derrick Rose, Taj Gibson, and other members of the Timberwolves, could make for a period of adjustment in the coming weeks.
“That’s part of being a pro,” Thibodeau said. “So in this league there could be distractions every day if you allow it, so it’s important to understand how to approach your job and I think we have a good mix of veterans who have been through it and they understand how important training camp is and getting ready for the season.”
There’s more from the Timberwolves:
- Butler’s trade request comes at a time when the team still has unfinished work, Steve Aschburner of NBA.com writes.
- The Timberwolves will need more production from Andrew Wiggins this season in order to be successful, Chip Scoggins of the Star Tribune details.
- Thibodeau will attempt to move forward after a forgettable offseason, writes ESPN’s Nick Friedell. “He’s been doing a good job of maintaining and doing the right things for the guys that are here,” Gibson said of the Wolves’ head coach and president of basketball operations.
Rockets Notes: Gordon, D’Antoni, Hartenstein, MCW
Rockets guard Eric Gordon is unlikely to sign a contract extension with the team at this point, the 29-year-old said this week, according to Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. Gordon’s representatives spoke with Rockets management about a potential extension this summer, but talks didn’t advance past the initial stage.
Gordon is set to enter the third season of his four-year, $52MM contract, establishing himself as a valuable scorer off the Rockets’ bench. Since Houston is over the salary cap, the club could only offer a starting salary worth up to 120% of Gordon’s $14MM salary for 2019/20 in any potential extension, according to Feigen. The team can then offer 8% raises for the following seasons, but the thought of receiving better offers in the free agency of 2020 likely intrigues Gordon more.
“There were extension talks, but nothing really serious,” Gordon said. “I would much rather be here (in Houston) as long as I can. Everything will work out. I’ll be here another two years. We’ll see what happens. I’ll see how the next two years go, but I would definitely like to be here the rest of my career.”
There’s more from the Rockets:
- Houston exercised its 2019/20 option on head coach Mike D’Antoni over the summer, but hopes to retain him for many years beyond that, Feigen writes in a separate column. “Mike is going to be here as long as we can keep him here,” Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta said.
- Several players are competing for the Rockets’ backup center position, Feigen notes, but 20-year-old Isaiah Hartenstein appears to have a decisive lead just three days into camp.
- Michael Carter-Williams hopes to take advantage of his versatility this season, Feigen writes, which could allow him to see minutes at the wing positions. “I definitely need to take a look at several positions,” Carter-Williams said.
Pacific Notes: Ball, James, Kings, Cousins
Lonzo Ball has returned to full-contact practice with the Lakers, the team posted on social media. His status for Sunday’s preseason opener against the Nuggets is uncertain, but he was able to play through practice Thursday on the third day of the team’s training camp.
Ball, the second pick of the 2017 NBA Draft, underwent arthroscopy surgery on his left knee in July. The operation was conducted to repair a torn meniscus suffered last spring, with Ball now focused on his second season as a member of the Lakers.
“Lonzo practiced in full today,” Lakers coach Luke Walton said. “He looked really good. It was good to see him out there cutting, making his reads and his passes.”
There’s more from the Pacific Division:
- Despite having a talented roster, Lakers forward LeBron James knows there’s still plenty of work to do before catching the Warriors. “We got a long way to go to get to Golden State,” James said, according to USA TODAY’s Josh Peter. “They could pick up right where they left off starting with training camp if they start today. We’re picking up from scratch, so we have a long way to go.”
- The Kings remain interested in serving as a third team in any Jimmy Butler deal, tweets Sam Amick of USA TODAY. Sacramento is willing to take on a bad contract, but the team will be cautious with its future cap flexibility.
- New Warriors center DeMarcus Cousins published a piece on The Players’ Tribune about why he chose to sign with Golden State this offseason. “It was the best basketball decision I ever made,” Cousins wrote.