Magic’s Markelle Fultz Hopes To Return In 3-4 Weeks
Former No. 1 overall pick Markelle Fultz has yet to play in the 2022/23 season after fracturing his left big toe just before training camp started in late September. The Magic guard still has some hurdles to clear before returning to action, but he’s pain-free and hopes to return to action in the next three-to-four weeks, reports Khobi Price of The Orlando Sentinel (subscriber link).
Fultz says feels “ready to play” right now, but his last scan revealed that his toe wasn’t fully healed, according to Price.
“I haven’t felt anything for a minute so it’s kind of weird because I didn’t feel anything before my last scan and then it came back it healed some but not to their liking,” Fultz said. “So hopefully this next scan is fully healed and I’m able to get the green light to get a few practices under my belt and go out there and play.”
Fultz has been doing light on-court work after being cleared to stop using his walking boot last week.
“I just don’t do a lot of contact play,” Fultz said, per Price. “I’m doing a little contact in my drills but not full. That’s pretty much it. I can pretty much do everything except I’m not doing 1-on-1 or 4-on-4 or stuff like that yet.
“I still [am] cutting, dribbling, shooting, jumping — I just haven’t done it against another player, full-on bumping and stuff like that.”
As Price notes, injuries have been a major factor in Fultz’s career, limiting him to just 131 games over five-plus seasons, including 18 in ’21/22 after recovering from a torn ACL. He averaged 10.8 points, 2.7 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 1.1 steals in 20.0 minutes last season. His lengthy injury history has given him some perspective on not rushing the recovery process.
“Of course, I want to play but I don’t want to go out there, break it and then have to get surgery and sit out longer than now,” Fultz said. “My biggest thing now is being smart about and healing all the way so I can play a full season without any more hiccups. And not have any lingering pain.”
Donovan Mitchell On Fit With Cavs, Offseason, Gobert
Even after dropping back-to-back games, the Cavaliers have been one of the best teams in the league in the early portion of the 2022/23 season, holding an 8-3 record and the NBA’s second-best net rating. Three-time All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell is the primary reason for Cleveland’s success, averaging career highs of 31.9 points and 5.8 assists on a career-best shooting line of .514/.448/.862 in 10 games (39.2 minutes per contest).
Mitchell spoke to Sam Amick of The Athletic after Wednesday’s loss to the Kings, addressing a number of different topics, including the surprising trade that sent him to Cleveland from Utah. It’s worth checking out in full for any subscribers to The Athletic. Here are a few highlights:
On why he has fit so well with the Cavs:
“I look at who I’ve been in my career — a guy who could score the ball. (But) I’m asserting myself on a different level defensively. Having another dominant guard (in Darius Garland) who can get you 30 (points on any given night) and also having ‘Vert (Caris LeVert), who can do the same, it relieves that pressure a little bit and allows you to be more engaged defensively, to be there and have the energy. And then on top of that, my coaches (head coach J.B. Bickerstaff and his staff) and my teammates allow me to just go, to be myself — whatever that means.
It’s been scoring for the past few games, but it’s passing, it’s leading. I’m being myself, and honestly I have (former Jazz teammates) Ricky Rubio and Mike Conley to thank for that. Joe Ingles. They’ve taught me different things. So being able to come here in a group where we all have the same intentions (has been good). Last year, I didn’t play my best basketball. I had the worst playoff series of my career. So that stings — being out early. Then you look here, and they were done a week and a half before I was, so they have that same feeling.
On if he was looking for a change of scenery in the offseason:
“I felt it was coming, you know? So I embraced it and I started to accept it. I mean, yeah. After Rudy (Gobert) got traded, it was like, ‘Okay, this is the direction we’re going, like, why not?'”
On his relationship with Gobert and their tenure with the Jazz:
“You know, we gave Utah a lot of special moments. But you know, we didn’t get the job done. Him and I have a great relationship, despite what people may feel. On the court, it didn’t work. I don’t hate Rudy. He doesn’t hate me. It was just one of those things where it just didn’t work out, and I feel like we live in a world where everybody’s gotta hate each other and there’s gotta be some negative thing and that’s just not the case. When I see him on Sunday, I’m gonna give him a hug and smile and laugh. And when we’re on the court, it’s time to go at it. That’s really what it is.”
Injury Updates: Beal, Bucks, Suns, Banchero, Lakers, More
Wizards guard Bradley Beal has cleared the NBA’s health and safety protocols, the team announced. However, Beal will still miss Saturday’s game against Utah due to “return to competition reconditioning,” with further updates to be provided as he continues to inch closer to a return.
Beal has missed three games while in the protocols, with the Wizards going 2-1 without their star shooting guard. Through nine games, he’s averaging 21.6 points, 3.6 rebounds and 5.7 assists on .517/.325/.917 shooting in 35.1 minutes per night.
Here are several more injury-related updates from around the NBA:
- Bucks stars Giannis Antetokounmpo (left knee soreness) and Jrue Holiday (right ankle sprain) were both ruled out for Friday’s loss to the Spurs, tweets Eric Nehm of The Athletic. Both players missed their second consecutive game for the league-leading Bucks, holders of a 10-2 record in the early going.
- Similarly, Suns guard Chris Paul was ruled out for the second straight game Friday, in what turned out to be a loss to the Magic, per Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Fellow guard Landry Shamet (concussion symptoms) was also sidelined after scoring a season-high 16 points in Wednesday’s win over Minnesota. “We didn’t see anything. Just kind of jumped up on him last night. It just speaks to how complicated those things are. Can go for a while and not even know something is going on and then it just jumps up on you,” head coach Monty Williams said of Shamet (Twitter link via Rankin). For Orlando, No. 1 overall pick Paolo Banchero missed his second straight contest with a left ankle sprain.
- The Lakers provided an update today on center Thomas Bryant and guard Dennis Schröder, both of whom are recovering from thumb surgery. They were evaluated this week and are said to be progressing well, and both players will be reevaluated next Thursday, as Brad Turner of The Los Angeles Times relays (via Twitter).
- Shaedon Sharpe, the No. 7 overall pick, has suffered a volar avulsion fracture to his right fifth finger, the Trail Blazers announced in a press release. He’s considered day-to-day going forward and is officially listed as questionable for Saturday’s contest at Dallas.
- Nuggets guard Bones Hyland has entered the league’s health and safety protocols and was ruled out for Friday’s loss at Boston, Denver announced (via Twitter). Hyland is a key reserve for Denver, with averages of 14.0 points and 3.7 assists through nine games (20.7 minutes). He’ll need to pass some testing requirements before returning to action. The Nuggets play Sunday, Wednesday and Friday next week.
- Last year’s No. 1 overall pick, Pistons guard Cade Cunningham, was downgraded from questionable to out on Friday with left shin soreness, tweets Keith Langlois of Pistons.com. On a positive note, wing Alec Burks made his 2022/23 season debut following foot surgery, scoring 17 points in 25 minutes during Detroit’s loss at New York.
Heat Looking For New Arena Name After FTX Files For Bankruptcy
The Heat will have a new arena name in the near future. On Friday, the Heat and Miami-Dade County, which owns the Heat’s arena, announced (via Twitter) that they are severing ties with cryptocurrency giant FTX after the company filed for bankruptcy.
“The reports about FTX and its affiliates are extremely disappointing. Miami-Dade County and the Miami Heat are immediately taking action to terminate our business relationships with FTX, and we will be working together to find a new naming rights partner for the arena,” the statement reads.
As Ken Sweet of The Associated Press writes, FTX CEO and Founder Sam Bankman-Fried has resigned from his post. His estimated net worth was recently listed at $23 billion, but it “has all but evaporated.”
According to Eben Novy-Williams and Jacob Feldman of Sportico (subscription required), FTX’s 19-year, $135MM naming rights deal with Miami-Dade County was shaky from the beginning. The entire process came about very quickly, with county commissioners reportedly only given 16 hours to review “voluminous pages of background, contract, and other materials.” All but one commissioner ultimately approved the deal last March.
Sportico’s duo takes a deep dive into how the naming rights deal was reached, its appeal to the county ($14MM upfront, above-market value on an annual basis, nearly $90MM to address gun-related violence), and why it’s difficult to vet companies that are so new and volatile.
FTX also has several other sponsorship deals across multiple sports, including with Warriors guard Stephen Curry, per Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. Obviously, all of those deals are now in jeopardy.
Nets Notes: Durant, Simmons, Watanabe, Warren
Sean Deveney of Heavy.com recently spoke to a couple of NBA executives, one from each conference, about hypothetical trades involving Nets star Kevin Durant.
As Deveney notes, there’s no indication that Brooklyn is looking to move its best player, but perhaps that could change depending on how the team performs over the next couple months. After starting the season 1-5, the Nets have won four of their past six games, currently sitting with a 5-7 record.
Would the Celtics entertain offering Jaylen Brown for Durant, as was rumored over the summer when Durant requested a trade?
“Oh, it would be zero interest from the Celtics, that would be a non-starter,” the East exec said. “Brown’s an All-Star and he’s eight years younger than KD (who is 34). The team’s playing well, they’re not going to touch that. I am sure it will be talked about again, and maybe the Celtics will struggle and things can change. But that would be shocking.”
What about Suns package centered around Deandre Ayton? Phoenix was reportedly one of Durant’s desired landing spots in the offseason, along with Miami. Ayton cannot be traded until January 15 and has a full no-trade clause for one year after he signed a maximum-salary offer sheet with the Pacers as a restricted free agent (the Suns quickly matched), but as Deveney writes, he could waive it if he wants a fresh start.
“Ayton always made the most sense as a return piece for (the Nets),” the West exec said, per Deveney. “There might have been more to the talks between those teams in the summer if his contract situation wasn’t what it was. But, what else would Phoenix give up?”
Deveney believes the Nets would want Mikal Bridges in addition to Ayton, but speculates that a package of Ayton, Cameron Johnson and Jae Crowder might be enough to get a deal done.
Here’s more on the Nets:
- Ben Simmons will come off the bench against the Clippers on Saturday for the third straight game, writes Chris Milholen of Inside The Nets. Simmons has been on a minutes restriction after returning from a four-game absence due to knee soreness and swelling, but head coach Jacque Vaughn said he’s hopeful he’ll gradually be able to increase Simmons’ minutes, per Milholen.
- Forward Yuta Watanabe is currently dealing with a sprained ankle, which has caused him to miss Brooklyn’s blowout victory over the Knicks on Wednesday. Vaughn told reporters, including ESPN’s Nick Friedell (Twitter link), that Watanabe is unlikely to play in the Nets’ upcoming road games this weekend in Los Angeles, a back-to-back set against the Clippers and Lakers.
- The Nets announced on Friday that forward T.J. Warren, who has yet to make his debut in 2022/23, has begun taking contact with coaches in practices recently. The team is hopeful he’ll participate in contact practices with teammates within the next couple weeks, and Brooklyn will provide another update on his status in two weeks (Twitter link via Friedell). Warren signed a minimum-salary deal as a free agent with the Nets and has appeared in just four games since ’20/21 after undergoing consecutive foot surgeries.
Heat’s Omer Yurtseven Likely Out For Extended Period
Heat second-year center Omer Yurtseven, who injured his ankle during Miami’s first preseason game and has yet to make his regular season debut in 2022/23, is facing an “extensive” recovery timeline, writes Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel.
According to Winderman, there’s a chance Yurtseven might miss the entire season if he opts to undergo surgery, but even if he takes the non-surgical route, he’ll likely be out for an extended period. The Turkish big man is an impending restricted free agent, so surgery might be the safer choice to preserve his long-term health, Winderman writes.
The Heat have been listing Yurtseven as out with a left ankle impingement, but a source familiar with the injury tells Winderman that it appears to be a bone spur that’s been so problematic for the 24-year-old. Yurtseven continues to seek opinions on the exact nature of the injury, Winderman adds.
The injury wasn’t initially believed to be serious, yet it has continued to bother Yurtseven.
“They said structurally [it’s fine],” Yurtseven said last month. “I went to like five different doctors just to make sure everything was fine just to double, triple and quadruple check.”
Just a couple of weeks ago, Yurtseven was traveling with the team while rehabbing the ankle and hoped to return to action within a week. Obviously, that has not happened.
“I think I’m going to be back in less than a week, hopefully,” Yurtseven said at the time. “But I’ve got to sacrifice and I’ve just got to take the pain that comes with it, and that’s what I’m going to do. But hopefully sooner rather than later. But less than a week is my hope.”
As Winderman observes, because the Heat are so close to the luxury tax line, even if Yurtseven were to undergo surgery and be ruled out for the season, and the Heat were subsequently granted a disabled player exception, they still wouldn’t be able to add a 15th man without going into the tax.
Yurtseven was very productive when given playing time as a rookie last season. During one 10-game stretch as a starter with Bam Adebayo sidelined, he averaged 13.6 points, 13.5 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.0 steal in 30.9 minutes per contest. Head coach Erik Spoelstra had said he planned to experiment with lineups featuring both Adebayo and Yurtseven prior to the injury.
Precious Achiuwa Out Indefinitely With Ankle Injury
Raptors big man Precious Achiuwa has suffered partial ligament tears in his right ankle, the team announced today in a press release. According to Toronto, Achiuwa will wear a walking boot for the next 10 days and has been ruled out indefinitely.
The 23-year-old underwent an MRI last night after Toronto’s win over Houston which confirmed the injury, per Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca (Twitter link).
The 20th overall pick of the 2020 draft, Achiuwa has averaged 8.8 points and a career-high 7.0 rebounds in 12 games (20.4 minutes) for the 7-5 Raptors this season, though his three-point percentage has cratered in the early going — he shot a very solid 35.9% from deep in 2021/22 and is at 17.9% thus far.
The Raptors picked up their ’23/24 team option on the fourth year of his rookie contract last month, so he will be eligible for a rookie scale extension next summer.
Achiuwa is an important bench cog for a Toronto team that is already shorthanded in the frontcourt, with All-NBA forward Pascal Siakam (adductor strain) and center Khem Birch (right knee) currently sidelined. As Lewenberg notes (via Twitter), rookie center Christian Koloko, big man Chris Boucher, and veteran forwards Thaddeus Young and Otto Porter are likely to receive an uptick in playing time with Achiuwa out.
It’s unclear how long Achiuwa will be out of action, since indefinitely is a vague timeline (the Raptors might not know), but it sounds like he could be out for at least several weeks given the nature of his injury.
Grizzlies’ Desmond Bane Fined $15K By NBA
Third-year wing Desmond Bane has been fined $15K for kicking the ball into the stands late in the fourth quarter of the Grizzlies‘ loss to the Celtics on Monday, the NBA announced today (via Twitter).
The 30th overall pick of the 2020 draft, Bane has been one of the best bargains in the league on his rookie scale contract, which pays him $2.1MM this season. Since he makes a modest amount compared to the estimate average salary of an NBA player in 2022/23 ($10,792,000), a $15K fine is obviously a more substantial penalty to Bane than it would be to someone who makes more money.
Bane is off to an outstanding start this season for the 8-4 Grizzlies, averaging career highs of 24.7 points, 5.1 rebounds and 4.7 assists with a sparkling .467/.463/.898 shooting line in 11 games (33.5 minutes per night).
After Memphis picked up his $3,845,083 option for ’23/24 last month, Bane became eligible for a rookie scale extension next summer, and he’s a virtual lock to land a huge payday as one of the team’s best players.
“Growing Pessimism” Kyrie Irving Will Play Again For Nets
9:10pm: The meeting between Silver and Irving will take place on Tuesday morning in New York, Stein tweets.
4:01pm: According to Marc Stein at Substack, “there is growing pessimism in various corners of the league that Kyrie Irving will ever play for the Nets again.” Irving is currently suspended without pay by Brooklyn and must meet six requirements before returning to the court after promoting an antisemitic film on social media.
As Stein writes, some close to the process feel that the list of conditions “was crafted with the knowledge that Irving would be unlikely to complete all six and thus could conceivably subject himself to potential outright release.” General manager Sean Marks stated on Friday that the Nets have not considered waiving Irving, but perhaps that could change if he doesn’t fulfill the team’s requirements.
Sources tell Stein that Irving is expected to meet with Adam Silver, the NBA’s commisioner, as early as Tuesday. Silver issued a statement last week about Irving’s “reckless decision” and failure to offer an “unqualified apology” denouncing the “vile and harmful content contained in the film he chose to publicize.” Irving eventually apologized after being suspended, but had chosen not to do so in a couple of combative media sessions with reporters leading up to it.
While the events leading to his suspension have been by far the most damaging of Irving’s career (and most hurtful to others), he’s missed more games (129) than he has played (111) for the Nets during his four years in Brooklyn. He was injured in year one, during the 2020/21 season he was away from the team for a few weeks due to personal reasons, and then last season he was limited to 29 games after refusing to get vaccinated against COVID-19, which played a significant factor in James Harden requesting a trade — and being dealt — to the Sixers in February.
During the offseason, Irving attempted to find a trade with the Nets’ permission, but couldn’t find any takers, so he eventually picked up his $36.9MM player option for ’22/23. All of which led to internal strife with the organization, culminating in his recent suspension.
Stein previously reported that “strong voices” were telling owner Joe Tsai to reconsider hiring Ime Udoka to replace Steve Nash as head coach. That has not occurred as of yet, but Stein says that Udoka is “believed to be the preferred choice” of Marks and star forward Kevin Durant.
In other Udoka-related news, sources tell Stein that Udoka, who was suspended for the season by the Celtics following an investigation into his improper workplace relationship, had to forfeit half of his roughly $4MM salary as part of the suspension. The Celtics declined to comment on the financial specifics of the suspension.
Paul George, Kevin Durant Named Players Of The Week
Clippers forward Paul George and Nets forward Kevin Durant have been named the NBA’s players of the week, the league announced today (via Twitter).
George, the Western Conference winner, led the Clippers to a 3-1 record while averaging 32.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 2.3 steals on .560/.447/.818 shooting in 37.6 minutes per contest. L.A. defeated Houston (twice) and San Antonio during that stretch, falling to Utah, and currently hold a 5-5 record to start 2022/23.
Another veteran star, Durant, was the Eastern Conference winner. Like George, he led his team to a 3-1 record, averaging 30.8 points, 8.8 rebounds, 6.5 assists and 1.8 blocks on .532/.368/1.000 shooting in 36.9 minutes. Brooklyn defeated Indiana, Washington and Charlotte and lost to Chicago last week, and the Nets are currently 4-6.
According to the NBA (Twitter link), the other nominees in the West were Desmond Bane, Luka Doncic, De’Aaron Fox and Lauri Markkanen, while Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jrue Holiday, Paolo Banchero, Donovan Mitchell and Dejounte Murray were nominated in the East.
Bane, Doncic, Fox, Markannen and Mitchell have all been nominated twice through three weeks. Antetokounmpo (one win) and No. 1 overall pick Banchero have been nominated three consecutive times.