Jared Sullinger To Undergo Surgery
OCTOBER 24, 12:11pm: While Raptors GM Masai Ujiri is confident Sullinger will return this season, the big man’s recovery timeline is a little unclear at this point. As Michael Grange of Sportsnet tweets, Ujiri suggested today that Sullinger could miss two or three months, though that’s a rough estimate.
OCTOBER 23, 3:13pm: Raptors power forward Jared Sullinger will undergo foot surgery on Monday and is expected to miss an extended amount of time, Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical reports (on Twitter). It is unclear how long Sullinger will be out, but it will be a minimum of several weeks, Wojnarowski writes in a full story.
Sullinger hurt his left foot when it was stepped in the Raptors’ preseason opener against the Warriors on October 4th, and has been out since. Sullinger was projected to be the Raptors’ starting power forward. Without him, the expectation would be for the Raptors to lean on Patrick Patterson. First-round pick Pascal Siakam may also see an increased role early on in the rotation.
The Raptors signed Sullinger to a one-year deal worth $6MM in July. Sullinger, 24, spent four years in Boston after the Celtics made him the No. 21 overall pick on the 2012 NBA Draft. He appeared in 81 games last season, including 73 starts, averaging 10.3 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 23.6 minutes per game.
Sixers Notes: Embiid, Brand, Rodriguez
The final game of the preseason Friday was the first time Joel Embiid and Jahlil Okafor appeared in the same game for the Sixers, and while coach Brett Brown is open to the idea of using both simultaneously, it will likely take time for that to happen, Brian Seltzer of NBA.com writes. The two big men have often been subject of trade rumors because they present a surplus of the same thing. The two players are also coming off of injuries and their limitations are the reason why they likely won’t be able to share the court early on, Seltzer writes.
Here is more out of Philadelphia:
- The Sixers have approached Elton Brand about accepting a front-office position and he has not ruled out the possibility of taking the job, Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports. It was a formality move when the Sixers announced they waived Brand Sunday because he had already announced his retirement.
- The team has yet to decide on a starting point guard for the season opener, but Sergio Rodriguez was in action with the starting unit during practice, Pompey tweets.
- With Rodriguez the likely starter and with a few notable injuries, the Sixers are reportedly interested in acquiring guard Tyus Jones, but Pompey writes in a separate story that the veteran is a backup at best and would not necessarily solve Philadelphia’s issues.
Hoops Links: Wolves, Warriors, Bulls
Every Sunday, we link to some of the very best work from around the basketball blogosphere. Do you have a link to a great basketball blog post – either your own or someone else’s – that you want to see featured on Hoops Rumors? Then you should send it to us at HoopsLinks@gmail.com. Here’s this week’s rundown …
- Big Three Sports recaps the offseason moves in the Southwest Division.
- The Jump Ball discusses why the Wolves are a notable preseason storyline.
- Blog a Bull analyzes how young the Bulls will actually be.
- Blue Man Hoop argues Kevon Looney needs to be a scoring threat.
- Daily Knicks lists the top five breakout preseason performers.
- Liberty Ballers previews Jahlil Okafor‘s role this season.
- Silver Screen & Roll caught up with Ivica Zubac for his goals with the Lakers.
- Fear The Sword share five advanced stats worth watching on the Cavs.
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Hoops Links: Winslow, Pacers, Wolves
Every Sunday, we link to some of the very best work from around the basketball blogosphere. Do you have a link to a great basketball blog post – either your own or someone else’s – that you want to see featured on Hoops Rumors? Then you should send it to us at HoopsLinks@gmail.com. Here’s this week’s rundown …
- The Hardwood Nation runs down the positives and negatives with a preview of the Heat.
- Big Three Sports recaps the moves made in the offseason by teams in the Pacific Division.
- Completely Biased Sports offers an idea on expanding the league and reducing the season.
- The Jump Ball details why this is an important season for Justise Winslow‘s development.
- Indy Cornrows discusses what the Pacers have to do to contend in the Eastern Conference.
- Canis Hoopus wonders what the Wolves’ offense will look like under Tom Thibodeau.
- Raptors HQ notes another high workload could mean in a profile of Kyle Lowry.
- Posting and Toasting considers how many more young Knicks players will head to the D-League.
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Mavs Waive Jameel Warney
The Mavs waived power forward Jameel Warney Sunday, the team announced in an emailed press release.
Warney went undrafted earlier this year out of Stony Brook. The Mavs signed him in late July. He played in three preseason games for the Mavericks, averaging 4.0 points and 2.7 rebounds in 9.2 minutes per contest. It would not be surprising to see Warney find a spot on a D-League roster.
This is the Mavs’ first cut and their roster is still at 19 players, so more are on the way. Warney played well in the summer league, leading Dallas in field goal percentage and averaging 6.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.2 steals and 1.0 block in 16.5 minutes per contest. He finished his career at Stony Brook as the school’s all-time leader in points (2,132), rebounds (1,275), blocks (275) and games (135).
Rockets Waive Isaiah Taylor
The Rockets waived guard Isaiah Taylor on Sunday, the team announced via Twitter.
Taylor, who is 6’3,” played in three preseason games for the Rockets. He played only five minutes in Saturday’s double overtime loss to Memphis. The Rockets will take a $50K hit for waiving Taylor, as Bobby Marks of The Vertical notes (on Twitter). Houston’s roster is now at 18 players.
The former Texas guard had agreed to a partially-guaranteed contract with the Rockets in September. Taylor was ranked as the No. 67 prospect for last summer’s draft by Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com. He went undrafted after averaging 15 points and 5.0 assists per game in his final season at Texas.
Hoops Links: Parker, Garnett, Suns
Every Sunday, we link to some of the very best work from around the basketball blogosphere. Do you have a link to a great basketball blog post – either your own or someone else’s – that you want to see featured on Hoops Rumors? Then you should send it to us at HoopsLinks@gmail.com. Here’s this week’s rundown …
- The Hardwood Nation details the reasons why Tony Parker has something left in the tank.
- Sir Charles In Charge says goodbye to Kevin Garnett while appreciating his impact.
- The Game Day Report discusses what the Heat’s rotation will look like.
- The Jump Ball chronicles why the Suns can rise in the Western Conference.
- Blog a Bull wonders what might happen if the Bulls suffer a losing season.
- Detroit Bad Boys offers a look at the bright side of Reggie Jackson‘s recovery.
- Bullets Forever names the Wizards’ biggest surprise performer so far.
- Orlando Pinstriped Post relays what this season could mean for Mario Hezonja.
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Celtics Interested In J.R. Smith
The Celtics are interested in adding J.R. Smith, who has carried a contract impasse with the Cavaliers from the summer into the preseason, Frank Isola of the New York Daily News reports.
The Celtics can only offer Smith a salary starting at $9MM unless they make a trade to clear cap space, as Isola notes. Avery Bradley is the Celtics’ starting shooting guard. The Celtics are in the market for Smith in an effort to bolster their second unit’s scoring, Isola adds.
Other teams are interested in Smith, who is still likely to re-sign with the Cavs, Isola adds. Smith has been reportedly wanting a $15MM annual salary, while the Cavs prefer to sign him to a contract in the $10MM to $12MM range. Smith, 31, started a career-high 77 games for the Cavs during the 2015/16 season, and also started all 21 of the team’s playoff games. During the season, he averaged 12.4 PPG and shot 40.0% from long distance, making 2.6 threes per game.
Celtics Notes: Horford, Hunter, Depth
The Celtics and Sixers make sense as trade partners, but a deal between the two seems unlikely, The Celtics need help in the front court, where the Sixers have a surplus, and the Sixers need wing help, where Boston has depth, but the stakes are too high to make a trade, Bulpett details. The teams discussed a significant deal in February and had further talks over the summer, but with each team at pivotal points in their respective processes while playing in the same division, a trade should not be expected right now, Bulpett surmises.
Here’s more out of Boston:
- Al Horford has been a better fit in Boston than expected, Celtics coaches told A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com. The prized newcomer has blended in with his teammates while still asserting himself as a prominent leader on the floor and inside the locker room early on, Blakely writes.
- Second-year player R.J. Hunter needs to string together a few more performances like the one he had against Charlotte on Saturday to avoid possibly being cut, Blakely writes in a separate piece. Hunter’s future on the Celtics is unclear because although he showed potential last season, Boston has 16 players with guaranteed contracts and must get rid of at least one, Blakely adds. Prior to Saturday’s game, Hunter had struggled.
Hoops Links: Bucks, Magic, Clippers
Every Sunday, we link to some of the very best work from around the basketball blogosphere. Do you have a link to a great basketball blog post – either your own or someone else’s – that you want to see featured on Hoops Rumors? Then you should send it to us at HoopsLinks@gmail.com. Here’s this week’s rundown …
- The Hardwood Nation wonders if the Magic can contend in the Eastern Conference.
- Sir Charles In Charge catches up with former prospect Schea Cotton.
- Big Three Sports reviews the summer for the Northwest Division.
- Brew Hoop debates Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s position.
- Liberty Ballers discusses whether or not Jerami Grant can carve out a role on the Sixers.
- Clips Nation profiles Austin Rivers and what the expectations are for him this season.
- Daily Knicks takes a shot at explaining the triangle offense.
- Blazer’s Edge runs down what to watch for in Portland’s preseason.
Please send submissions for Hoops Links to Zach at HoopsLinks@gmail.com.