Injury Updates: Curry, Martin, Kyrie, Celtics, Harris, Lyles, Hornets
The Warriors will be without Stephen Curry (knee) for at least one more game. The team announced in a press release (via Twitter) that Curry won’t play on Thursday vs. Oklahoma City.
However, the Warriors’ official statement confirmed that an MRI on Curry’s sore right knee showed no structural damage, which is what head coach Steve Kerr told reporters on Tuesday. The plan is for the 35-year-old to be reevaluated later in the week, according to the club.
Here are a few more injury-related updates from around the NBA:
- After missing the last 10 games due to left knee tendinosis, Heat forward Caleb Martin has been listed as available for Thursday’s game vs. Brooklyn, per Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Martin hasn’t played since Miami’s regular season opener, but will rejoin a team riding a six-game winning streak.
- Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving, who was originally listed as questionable, will miss Wednesday’s game in Washington due to a sprained left foot, head coach Jason Kidd told reporters, including Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News (Twitter links). “Left foot is bothering him, sore,” Kidd said. “We’re just not taking any chances.”
- The Celtics will be without a pair of key starters for their Wednesday showdown with Philadelphia. The team has ruled out Jaylen Brown (illness) and Kristaps Porzingis (right knee contusion), tweets Malika Andrews of ESPN.
- Magic wing Gary Harris, who has missed the last five games due to a right groin strain, is listed as available for Wednesday’s game vs. Chicago, notes Dan Savage of OrlandoMagic.com (Twitter link). Harris averaged 18.6 minutes per game in Orlando’s first four contests this season before getting hurt in the fifth.
- Kings forward Trey Lyles has been cleared to resume basketball activities, sources tell Sean Cunningham of Fox 40 Sacramento (Twitter link). Lyles hasn’t played yet this season due to a left calf strain and will require a reconditioning period before being activated.
- Hornets forwards Gordon Hayward (hamstring) and Brandon Miller (ankle) both missed Tuesday’s game, but head coach Steve Clifford doesn’t sound concerned about either injury, writes Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer. Clifford said the team was being cautious with both players – especially Hayward, whose hamstring could turn into a “four-to-six” week injury by not playing it safe – and that he’s hopeful both will be back in action on Friday.
Daniel Theis Agrees To Buyout With Pacers, Will Join Clippers
2:25pm: The Pacers have officially waived Theis, according to a team press release.
11:54am: Theis has agreed to a buyout with the Pacers and intends to sign with the Clippers upon clearing waivers, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).
11:42am: The Pacers and center Daniel Theis are engaged in “serious” discussions about a potential contract buyout, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, who reports (via Twitter) that an agreement between the two sides would clear a path for Theis to sign with the Clippers.
After previously reporting the Clippers’ interest in Theis, Charania doesn’t explicitly say that the big man has reached a deal to sign with Los Angeles. However, he suggests that the only obstacles standing in the way of a move to L.A. for the veteran big man are a finalized buyout with Indiana and a physical exam with the Clippers.
Theis, 31, was limited to just seven NBA appearances last season due to a knee injury, but had a strong summer in international competition. He started at center for the German national team that captured gold at the 2023 World Cup, averaging 10.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 1.9 assists in 21.8 minutes per game in the club’s eight FIBA contests.
Theis had hoped to carry over that success into the NBA season, but the Pacers have a crowded frontcourt behind starting center Myles Turner. Isaiah Jackson and Jalen Smith have both been ahead of Theis on the depth chart through the first three weeks of the season.
As a result, Theis has been limited to just one cameo appearance and admitted earlier this month that he’s “not happy” about his nonexistent role in Indiana. While the Pacers presumably explored trading the German, his pseudo-expiring $9.11MM contract (he has a $9.52MM team option for 2024/25) wouldn’t have positive or even neutral value, given his lack of NBA playing time in the last two seasons, so a buyout makes more sense.
For their part, the Clippers are in the market for help in the middle because reserve center Mason Plumlee is expected to miss a significant chunk of the season due to an MCL sprain. Since Plumlee went down, Los Angeles has had a tough time finding someone who can give the club reliable minutes at center behind Ivica Zubac.
The Clippers have been carrying just 13 players on standard contracts since making their trade for James Harden two weeks ago, so they’ll have an open spot for Theis even after completing their reported promotion of Joshua Primo from a two-way contract to the standard roster. That move was reported back on November 6, but hasn’t yet been made official — that will likely happen later today, since teams aren’t permitted to carry fewer than 14 players on standard contracts for more than two weeks at a time.
Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files first reported on Tuesday that there was a “growing belief” Theis would soon land with the Clippers.
Southwest Notes: Sengun, Mavs, LaVine, Zion, More
Alperen Sengun‘s growing importance to the Rockets has been on display during the first few weeks of the 2023/24 season, writes Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle (subscription required).
Sengun has averaged 19.4 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 6.0 assists in 31.4 minutes per game while making 60.0% of his field goal tries through nine contests. Houston has a +10.7 net rating when the young center is on the court, compared to -5.1 when he sits. Sengun will be eligible for a rookie scale extension in the summer of 2024 and appears to be steadily increasing his value with his strong play in the middle for the Rockets.
Here’s more from around the Southwest:
- Although the Mavericks have been linked to Zach LaVine in the past, a league source tells Marc Stein (Substack link) that Dallas is unlikely to pursue a trade for the Bulls guard at this time.
- Rookie forward Olivier-Maxence Prosper believes he’s ready for an increased role if the Mavericks decide to lean on him a little more with Maxi Kleber sidelined, he tells Noah Weber of The Smoking Cuban. “I’ve put in the work. A lot of hours behind the scenes that nobody has seen,” Prosper said. “… Whatever my opportunity is, I’m going to come in and do what my role is; impact the game defensively, rebound, and knock down open shots. … I feel like I fit great [next to Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving]. Being a strong physical wing that can come in and help them defensively and on offense be able to knock down shots, cut, get to the rim, get fouled. I feel like I play great off of those two.”
- After Zion Williamson referred earlier this week to taking a “back seat” in the Pelicans‘ new offense and doing his best “to buy in,” Christian Clark of NOLA.com notes that the stats don’t back up Williamson’s assertion — his usage rate is a career-high 30.6% and he’s taking more shots per 36 minutes than he has since his rookie year. Williamson’s remarks hint at bigger problems that he and the Pelicans will need to solve, opines Will Guillory of The Athletic.
- Top Pelicans assistant James Borrego assumed head coaching duties on Tuesday vs. Dallas with Willie Green unavailable due to a non-COVID illness (Twitter link). Borrego earned a victory in his first game as head coach since being let go by Charlotte in 2022.
Grizzlies Notes: Smart, Kennard, Injuries, Roster, Jackson
Already missing two point guards in Ja Morant (suspension) and Derrick Rose (knee), the Grizzlies saw another one go down in Tuesday’s loss to the Lakers.
As Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal writes, Marcus Smart left the game in the first quarter with a left ankle injury after landing on Austin Reaves‘ foot while contesting a shot (Twitter video link via Bally Sports). Smart was wearing a walking boot on his left foot after the game and will undergo further evaluation to determine the severity of the injury, per Cole.
Luke Kennard also left Tuesday’s contest due to left knee soreness and didn’t return, but head coach Taylor Jenkins referred to that decision as precautionary, so it sounds like the veteran wing won’t miss much – if any – more time. With the Grizzlies off for three days before resuming their schedule in San Antonio on Saturday, Kennard will have some time to rest that knee.
Here’s more on the Grizzlies:
- When the Grizzlies placed Morant on the suspended list and opened up an extra roster spot, they used it on Bismack Biyombo because they were short on frontcourt depth, with Steven Adams and Brandon Clarke out and Santi Aldama and Xavier Tillman banged up. The original expectation was that they’d use that 16th roster spot to add a point guard during Morant’s absence, according to Cole of The Commercial Appeal, who notes that Memphis could certainly use an extra body in its backcourt now. Two-way player Jacob Gilyard is the only healthy point guard on the roster, though Desmond Bane figures to continue to shoulder plenty of the ball-handling and play-making responsibilities.
- For what it’s worth, the Grizzlies could qualify for another extra roster spot via a hardship exception, but that would require four players to have missed at least three consecutive games due to an injury or illness, with an expectation they’d remain sidelined for some time beyond those three games. For now, only three players fit that bill (Adams, Clarke, and Rose).
- Grizzlies big man Jaren Jackson Jr. spoke to Mark Medina of Sportskeeda about several topics, including the team’s slow start this fall, how his role has changed with Adams and Clarke on the shelf, his position as a team leader, and his experience playing with Team USA. Jackson said he’d “for sure” be interested in playing in the Olympics if he gets the call from USA Basketball. “I haven’t gotten the word. I’ll do it if they ask me,” Jackson said. “It’s random. You never know. It’s whenever they want to call.”
- Medina also conducted a Q&A with Smart prior to Tuesday’s ankle injury. The veteran guard discussed, among other subjects, his adjustment to a new team, the message he’s trying to impart his younger teammates, and the conversations he has had with Morant in practices.
NBA Reviewing Warriors/Timberwolves Altercation
The NBA, as expected, is taking a closer look at Tuesday’s on-court scuffle between the Warriors and the Timberwolves, weighing whether additional punishment – in the form of fines and/or suspensions – will be necessary, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).
As we detailed earlier today, the confrontation began when Klay Thompson and Jaden McDaniels got tied up battling for rebounding positioning early in the first quarter. They continued to grab and shove each other on the way back up the court, prompting referees to stop play and Wolves center Rudy Gobert to try to intervene.
Warriors forward Draymond Green rushed in and put Gobert in a headlock before players were separated (Twitter video link via Bleacher Report). McDaniels and Thompson were each given two technical fouls and ejected from the game, while Green was also thrown out after being assessed with a flagrant 2 foul.
Green’s headlock on Gobert figures to be a focus of the NBA’s review, according to Wojnarowski, who notes (via Twitter) that Green’s reputation as a “repeat offender” was cited by the league in the spring when he was suspended for stepping on Domantas Sabonis in Golden State’s first-round playoff series vs. Sacramento.
The Warriors’ next game is on Thursday vs. Oklahoma City, so the NBA figures to make a ruling by then, if not before the Wolves’ contest in Phoenix on Wednesday.
Head coach Steve Kerr defended Green after Tuesday’s game, telling reporters that the Warriors star went after Gobert because the Minnesota center “had his hands on Klay’s neck.” Gobert chuckled when informed of Kerr’s comments, according to Jon Krawczynski and Sam Amick of The Athletic.
“What do you want me to say? He’s backing his guy, but I think he knows,” Gobert said. “Deep inside, he (doesn’t) want to say it but his guy is a clown.”
Krawczynski and Amick suggest that Green held onto Gobert for about nine seconds. Gobert, who held up his arms during that time to show the officials he wasn’t retaliating, believes the outcome could’ve been worse than it was.
“He’s grabbing me, he’s grabbing me, he’s grabbing me,” Gobert said. “(But) the choke wasn’t good enough. Yeah, it wasn’t enough for me to really have to (go to sleep). But he tried. He tried really hard, but it wasn’t good enough to where I felt like I was really in danger of falling asleep or something like that.
“… It was a long time, and if he knew how to choke it could have been way worse. He tried to. His intention was to really take me out. And I kept my hands up the whole time just to show the officials that I wasn’t trying to escalate the situation.”
Zach LaVine Rumors: Lakers, Heat, Sixers, DeRozan, More
The Lakers, Heat, and Sixers are among the teams expected to have a “level of interest” in Bulls guard Zach LaVine, Shams Charania of The Athletic said during an appearance on The Rally (Twitter video link). Charania reported on Tuesday that the Bulls and LaVine have become increasingly open to exploring the possibility of a trade after Chicago got off to another slow start this season.
The Lakers’ big three experiment with Russell Westbrook alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis didn’t work well, with the team eventually moving off Westbrook in favor of reliable depth around its two superstars. It’s unclear how eager Los Angeles would be to sacrifice some of that depth to bring in another ball-dominant, offensive-minded guard like LaVine.
The Heat, meanwhile, were linked to Damian Lillard for much of the offseason and would perhaps view LaVine as an intriguing alternative, though he’s not the play-maker that Dame is. As for the Sixers, the belief is that they want to turn some of the assets they received for James Harden into another impact player, but the emergence of Tyrese Maxey has lessened the need for another guard. A report on Tuesday downplayed Philadelphia’s interest in LaVine.
In addition to monitoring LaVine, teams around the NBA are keeping an eye on DeMar DeRozan in case the Bulls decide to make him available as well, according to Charania.
“The sense around the league is whether it’s LaVine or DeRozan or both, there could be movement in Chicago sooner than later,” Charania said.
Here’s more on LaVine:
- The Lakers are among five destinations that Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype believes make sense for LaVine, but his other four suggestions are teams not mentioned by Charania: the Magic, Pistons, Hornets, and Mavericks. Dallas may not be an ideal fit for LaVine after adding Kyrie Irving earlier this year, but the Mavs have reportedly had interest in the Bulls guard in the past, Gozlan notes.
- In a mailbag for The Athletic, Kelly Iko makes the case that the Grizzlies would be an ideal fit for LaVine, contending that pairing him with Desmond Bane on the wing would help the team in the short term and open up space for Ja Morant to operate when he returns from his suspension.
- Steve Popper of Newsday doesn’t view the Knicks as a likely suitor for LaVine, suggesting that it wouldn’t make sense to give up RJ Barrett as part of a larger package for the Bulls guard, since LaVine is five years older, significantly more expensive, and has been more injury-prone.
- As good as LaVine has been as a scorer in recent years, his best hasn’t been good enough for the Bulls, according to Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic, who suggests that it might be in both sides’ best interest to go in a new direction.
Warriors Notes: Green, Klay, Curry, Podziemski, More
Tuesday’s in-season tournament game between the Warriors and Timberwolves got chippy before either team had scored a single point.
As Kendra Andrews of ESPN details, Klay Thompson and Jaden McDaniels got tied up battling for rebounding positioning early in the first quarter, then continued to grab and shove each other on the way back up the court, prompting referees to stop play and Wolves center Rudy Gobert to try to intervene. Warriors forward Draymond Green rushed in and put Gobert in a headlock before players were separated (Twitter video link via Bleacher Report).
McDaniels and Thompson were each given two technical fouls and ejected from the game, while Green was also thrown out after being assessed with a flagrant 2 foul. As Anthony Slater of The Athletic relays (via Twitter), official Tyler Ford explained after the game that the referees viewed Gobert as a peacemaker. Warriors head coach Steve Kerr didn’t agree with that ruling or the decision to eject Thompson.
“There is no way Klay should have been ejected. That was ridiculous,” Kerr said, per Andrews. “I was upset about that. As far as the Draymond piece of it, Rudy had his hands on Klay’s neck. That’s why Draymond went after Rudy.”
McDaniels downplayed his role in the altercation following a Minnesota victory, telling reporters that after Thompson grabbed him, he was “trying to defend myself and get him off me.” McDaniels said he was “laughing” as it happened and that he didn’t expect the situion to escalate the way it did, adding, “I guess it was a bigger deal to (Thompson).”
Gobert, meanwhile, referred to Green’s actions as “clown behavior” and offered an explanation for the Warriors star’s early ejection: “Every time Steph (Curry) doesn’t play, (Green) doesn’t want to play without his guy Steph, so he does anything he can to get ejected.”
Here’s more on the Warriors:
- While a suspension seems extremely unlikely for Gobert, McDaniels, or Thompson, it’s possible Green – who has a history of facing fines and suspensions for on-court physicality – will face further punishment. “I do hope that the league is going to do what needs to be done,” Gobert said after the game in reference to an additional penalty for Green, according to Andrews.
- Kerr said the results of an MRI on Curry’s sore right knee were “good news” and that the two-time MVP is unlikely to be sidelined for an extended period, Slater writes for The Athletic. “Nothing alarming. So I would say he’s day to day and we’ll see,” Kerr said. “We’ll just have an update each day and let you know what’s going on. But it won’t be long. If he misses another game or two, whatever, it’s not going to be anything long-term.”
- The Warriors’ rotation without Curry, Thompson, and Green was “jumbled up,” Slater notes, but it gave Brandin Podziemski a chance to play a career-high 39 minutes. The rookie became the first Warrior besides Curry this season to score more than 20 points in a game, finishing with 23 points, seven rebounds, and five assists. Forward Dario Saric, who got his second start as a Warrior, also surpassed the 20-point mark, contributing 21.
- Tim Kawakami of The Athletic takes a closer look at Podziemski’s breakout game, suggesting that the No. 19 overall pick played with the sort of confidence and toughness that Golden State had been looking for. “He’s going to play,” Kerr said of Podziemski, who had previously logged 52 total minutes in six appearances. “He’s going to play every night. He’s earned that. He was incredible tonight. He’s been great in practice. There’s something unique about him at that size to rebound the way he does. He had seven tonight. He’s always in the right spot. He’s fearless. He connects the game. He plays the way we want to play. The ball moves when he’s out there. He’s attacking at the right times, he’s cutting at the right times. Defensively he’s really good. He’s a damn good player, so he’s going to play.”
- Even though the Warriors were without their three stars for nearly all of Tuesday’s game, Jonathan Kuminga only played 16 minutes and Moses Moody just 14, according to Slater, who says neither player has staked out a bigger role in the rotation so far this season. The path to increased minutes for the two former lottery picks may be further complicated by Podziemski’s rise, Slater adds.
Atlantic Notes: Simmons, Sixers, Porzingis, Poeltl
Nets guard Ben Simmons will remain sidelined for at least a little while longer due to a nerve impingement in the lower left side of his back, according to statements from the team and agent Bernie Lee (Twitter links via Brian Lewis of The New York Post).
As Lewis observes (via Twitter), Simmons required surgery in 2022 on multiple herniated disks on the right side of his back, then dealt with a nerve impingement. However, this issue is affecting the other side of his back and isn’t nearly as severe, Lee says. The club indicated an update on Simmons’ status will be provided in a week.
“He’s not experiencing anything similar to what he’s gone through in the past,” Lee said of his client, per Lewis (Twitter links). “And this is something that the expectation is that with the proper kind of rehab he’ll be able to resume his season in a short period of time without any issue.
“It definitely should be on the shorter side of things. It’s really a day-to-day kind of evaluation situation. What has to happen is the area has to calm down. Once it calms down there’s a period of reactivity that’s built into things.”
Here’s more from around the Atlantic:
- Having acquired a handful of draft assets in their James Harden trade, how are the Sixers looking to use those assets on the trade market? President of basketball operations Daryl Morey spoke in a recent appearance on The Rights to Ricky Sanchez podcast about what type of player the team would like to add. “I would say first off, they need to be pretty solid on both ends,” Morey said, per Marc Stein at Substack. “As you get into the playoffs, it gets very hard for your top guys to be elite one way. … The other thing would be we probably need them to have a bit of play-making — sort of connector, ball-movement aspects. We are a little short on that and it becomes more important in the playoffs as well.” As Stein notes, it’s perhaps no surprise, based on that description, that Raptors forward OG Anunoby “keeps coming up” as a potential 76ers target.
- Rumors surfaced during his time with the Knicks that Kristaps Porzingis would be unhappy if he wasn’t treated as the “face of the franchise,” but the Celtics big man is satisfied with being a secondary option in Boston and says he was never focused on being the go-to guy. “Maybe it was falsely pushed,” Porzingis said of the old narrative, according to Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. “I never felt that way because today’s league is, other than [Nikola] Jokic and [Joel] Embiid, it’s a guard league. It’s mostly guards and small forwards. So I knew that if I want to win, you’re going to have to play with somebody… It was never an issue for me.”
- Raptors center Jakob Poeltl spoke to Oren Weisfeld of Yahoo Sports Canada about his first stint in Toronto, the experience of watching the team win a title without him in 2019, and what it’s been like to rejoin the franchise several years later.
Pacific Notes: Curry, Clippers, Theis, Barnes, Suns
Warriors star Stephen Curry has been ruled out of the team’s in-season tournament game on Tuesday vs. Minnesota due to right knee soreness, per ESPN’s Kendra Andrews.
In the last meeting between the two teams on Sunday, Curry took a hard fall following a drive to the net in the fourth quarter (Twitter video link via Anthony Slater of The Athletic). Although he remained in the game, the veteran guard was seen rubbing his right knee after that play.
Sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link) that Curry is believed to have a sprain in the affected knee. He’s undergoing more testing to determine the severity of the injury, but the initial expectation is that he shouldn’t be out for long, per Charania.
As we detailed on Monday, the Warriors have been relying heavily on Curry on offense this season and will need some of their other players to step up with the two-time MVP unavailable. Dario Saric is the only other player on the roster who has scored at least 20 points in a game this season, according to Andrews.
Here’s more from around the Pacific:
- There’s a “growing belief” that the Clippers will add Daniel Theis to their roster soon, writes Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files, citing a league source. As Agness acknowledges, Theis would likely need to reach a buyout agreement with the Pacers to get to Los Angeles, since the Clippers aren’t well positioned to trade for him. L.A.’s interest in the veteran center was previously reported.
- The Kings got a boost on Monday when De’Aaron Fox returned from a five-game absence to lead the team to a 132-120 win over Cleveland. Fox was one of four starters to score at least 20 points, but the fifth starter – Harrison Barnes – continued to struggle, contributing just four points for a second straight game. Head coach Mike Brown isn’t worried about Barnes, praising the forward’s performance on defense, writes Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. “I think he struggled at the beginning of the season, too, and so for me, as long as he continues to show consistency, especially defensively, I’m fine with it,” Brown said. “He’s taking the right shots and all that other stuff, so I kind of like where he is knowing — and I’m sure he feels the same — that he can play much better, especially offensively, and he will.”
- While expecting Devin Booker‘s presence to heal all that ails the Suns may be unrealistic, the star guard can immediately help the team with his scoring, play-making, and defensive communication, says Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Booker is reportedly on track to return from his right calf strain on Wednesday.
Bulls, LaVine Increasingly Open To Exploring Trade
Both the Bulls and Zach LaVine are increasingly open to the idea of exploring a trade involving the two-time All-Star, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic. According to Charania, teams around the NBA are “probing” LaVine’s possible availability.
A number of executives, including many general managers, are in Chicago on Tuesday for the 2023 Champions Classic, the NCAA’s annual fall showcase. Conversations about LaVine could begin there, Charania explains.
LaVine is averaging 21.9 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 3.0 assists in 35.1 minutes per game through his first 11 contests this season. The 28-year-old is off to a bit of a slow start – his .409 FG% and .309 3PT% would be career worsts – but is typically one of the NBA’s best scorers, having averaged at least 23.7 PPG for five straight seasons entering this fall.
LaVine is in the second season of a five-year, maximum-salary deal with the Bulls. He’s earning approximately $40MM in 2023/24 and is owed a guaranteed $89MM over the following two seasons. He holds a 2026/27 player option worth just shy of $49MM.
While the plan was for LaVine to be a key part of a Bulls roster that perennially qualified for the playoffs and contended for titles, the team has struggled to compete on a consistent basis since losing Lonzo Ball to the first in a series of knee injuries midway through the 2021/22 season.
Chicago was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs in 2022 and was knocked out in the play-in tournament in 2023 after posting a losing record (40-42) in the regular season. The club is off to a 4-7 start this fall and there have already been reports that teams are keeping an eye on the Bulls, as well as speculation that changes could be coming. Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic (Twitter link) says one league source predicted this week that Chicago will have a different roster in a month.
As K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago notes (via Twitter), the Bulls held exploratory talks on LaVine over the summer but had a high asking price at that time. It’s unclear if that price might drop at all based on how the club has started this season, but the players are “very aware” that changes could be coming if they don’t turn things around, says Johnson.
Besides LaVine, DeMar DeRozan could be another major trade chip for the Bulls. Charania says the franchise would ideally like to keep DeRozan beyond his current contract, which expires in 2024. However, there has been a gap between the two sides on both years and salary in their extension talks, and the 34-year-old would like to get a sense of the organization’s direction before committing to a new deal, Charania adds.