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Suns’ Jalen Green Aggravates Hamstring Strain

November 9th, 2025 at 11:01am CST by Arthur Hill

The Suns fear that Jalen Green could miss multiple games after aggravating his right hamstring strain in Saturday’s win over the Clippers, according to Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic.

Green felt a sharp pain after passing the ball to Ryan Dunn for a corner three-point shot late in the first quarter, Rankin writes. Green hobbled toward the team’s bench while grabbing at the hamstring and had to be helped off the court by two staff members. He was declared out for the game shortly afterward.

Green was playing for just the second time since being acquired from Houston during the summer as part of the seven-team Kevin Durant trade. After missing the season’s first eight games due to the hamstring, Green scored 29 points on Thursday in his debut.

“That’s tough,” teammate Dillon Brooks told reporters. “Injuries suck, but he’ll work hard. He’ll be diligent with it.”

Medical imaging on the hamstring will likely be conducted when the Suns return home, tweets John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7, who estimates that Green could sidelined for another four-to-six weeks.

That would be a tremendous loss for a Suns team that has gotten off to a promising 5-5 start after last year’s disappointing season. However, new head coach Jordan Ott made it clear that his expectations won’t change.

“This team will have no excuses,” Ott said. “We lace them up, go out and play.” He also expressed sympathy for Green, adding, “You just feel for him. He worked so hard to get back.”

Dunn and Grayson Allen may see more playing time while Green is unavailable.

Phoenix got some positive injury news on Saturday as Brooks returned to the lineup after missing six games with a core muscle strain. He had 16 points, two rebounds and three assists in 28 minutes, including a late three-pointer that helped to quell a Clippers comeback.

Cam Thomas Out At Least 3-4 Weeks With Hamstring Strain

November 7th, 2025 at 4:45pm CST by Rory Maher

Nets guard Cam Thomas has been diagnosed with a left hamstring strain and will miss at least three-to-four weeks, which is when he’ll be reevaluated, the team announced today (Twitter link).

The 24-year-old sustained the injury in the first quarter of Wednesday’s game against Indiana. He was able to leave the court on his own, though he did not return to Brooklyn’s first win of the season.

It’s a tough blow for Thomas, who has now strained his left hamstring four different times in the past year. He was limited to just 25 games played last season due to the same issue.

There could be significant financial ramifications as a result of Thomas’ latest hamstring strain — he will be an unrestricted free agent in 2026 after signing his one-year, $6MM qualifying offer as a restricted free agent this past offseason.

The 27th overall pick in the 2021 draft, Thomas has been a polarizing player during his time with the Nets. While he’s an undeniably gifted scorer, he doesn’t contribute in many other areas. In seven healthy games this season, the former LSU guard has averaged 24.4 points, 2.9 assists and 1.6 rebounds in 31.6 minutes per contest, with a shooting line of .408/.356/.875.

If Thomas is able to return in exactly four weeks, which seems very optimistic given the repeated issues he’s had with his left hamstring, he will miss Brooklyn’s next 14 games.

Terance Mann, Tyrese Martin, Drake Powell and Egor Demin are among the Nets who could receive more minutes and/or touches with Thomas out for at least the next few weeks.

Pacers Sign Monte Morris, Waive Mac McClung

November 7th, 2025 at 4:14pm CST by Rory Maher

November 7: The Pacers have officially signed Morris and waived McClung, per a team press release.

Assuming Morris received a minimum-salary contract, he will earn a prorated $2,980,991 for the rest of the season, while the Pacers will carry a cap charge of $2,071,925. Both of those figures will be non-guaranteed until January.

November 6: The Pacers are waiving Mac McClung and signing Monte Morris, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania (Twitter links).

As ESPN’s Bobby Marks tweets, the Pacers will carry a $164,060 cap hit for the remainder of the season by waiving McClung, whose two-year contract was non-guaranteed for both 2025/26 and 2026/27.

McClung, a 6’2″ guard, has become a household name among NBA fans by winning the past three slam dunk contests despite rarely playing in the league. He appeared in three games with the Pacers, averaging 6.3 points, 1.3 rebounds and 1.7 steals in 11.3 minutes per contest, with a shooting slash line of .389/.200/.750.

McClung signed with Indiana on October 28 after an impressive showing during a free agent workout. Evidently the team prefers a more experienced player in Morris to man the point with several guards sidelined due to injuries.

The Pacers originally planned to sign Morris to compete for a roster spot in training camp, but the deal fell through when he sustained a calf injury in late September.

Morris, 30, is entering his ninth season in the league. He’s known for his ability to limit mistakes, with a career assist-to-turnover ratio of 4.9-to-1 — an elite mark.

Morris has been slowed by injuries the past couple years. He played 45 games (12.7 MPG) for Phoenix in 2024/25, averaging 5.2 PPG, 1.6 APG and 1.5 RPG on .426/.360/.826 shooting.

The defending Eastern Conference champions have been absolutely ravaged by injuries this fall and are off to a disappointing 1-7 start. The Pacers lost to Brooklyn on Wednesday, giving the Nets their first win of the season.

De’Aaron Fox Expects To Make Season Debut On Saturday

November 7th, 2025 at 2:37pm CST by Arthur Hill

Spurs guard De’Aaron Fox is set to make his season debut Saturday night against New Orleans, Shams Charania of ESPN said in an appearance on NBA Today (Twitter video link).

Fox is working his way back from a hamstring injury and will miss his eighth straight game on Friday as San Antonio hosts Houston in an NBA Cup contest. Sources tell Charania that today is considered to be a “ramp-up day” for Fox in preparation for playing on Saturday.

This shapes up to be the first extended run for Fox and Victor Wembanyama as teammates since Fox was acquired from Sacramento in February. They only played five games together before Wembanyama was declared out for the season with deep vein thrombosis.

The Spurs traded for Fox in hopes of finding an accomplished point guard who could bring out the best in the young French star. Since then, they unexpectedly rose to No. 2 in the draft lottery and selected Dylan Harper, raising questions about whether Fox, Harper and Stephon Castle can be successful on the same team.

Even with those concerns, San Antonio gave Fox a four-year max extension in August. Based on current cap projections, the deal projects to be worth over $223MM.

Fox’s return comes at an opportune time, as Harper is currently sidelined with a strained left calf and is expected to miss multiple weeks.

Fox was a former All-Star with the Kings and was considered to be one of the best young point guards in the league. He was traded after extension talks failed amid the belief that he wouldn’t sign a long-term deal in Sacramento.

Bradley Beal Criticizes Usage With Suns In Return To Phoenix

November 7th, 2025 at 12:45pm CST by Arthur Hill

After getting a hostile reception from Phoenix fans on Thursday night, Clippers guard Bradley Beal indicated that he doesn’t have fond memories of his two years with the Suns, writes Law Murray of The Athletic.

Beal was booed during pregame introductions and again each time he touched the ball during a 13-point loss. He turned in his worst performance of the season, finishing with five points in 19 minutes on 2-of-14 shooting before being removed from the game with 6:02 left in the third quarter.

A prolific scorer in Washington, Beal was supposed to form a Big Three along with Devin Booker and Kevin Durant when the Suns acquired him from the Wizards during the 2023 offseason. Injuries limited him to 53 games during both of his seasons in Phoenix, and his reported refusal to waive his no-trade clause limited the Suns’ ability to alter their roster and made him an unpopular figure with fans.

Beal contends he was never properly used by head coaches Frank Vogel or Mike Budenholzer during his time in Phoenix.

“When you allow me to be that guy, I’ll be that,” Beal said. “But when you have two coaches that want you to set screens and play in the dunker, you’re not Brad Beal. You’re somebody else.”

Beal had two years and $110MM remaining on his contract, but he and the Suns were both eager to end their relationship after two frustrating seasons. He agreed to give back $13.9MM as part of a buyout agreement during the summer and joined the Clippers on a two-year, $11MM deal that includes a player option.

He told reporters that he didn’t feel he had anything to prove in his return to Phoenix, pointing out that the Clippers scored a decisive win over the Suns earlier in the season.

“To me, it wasn’t about get back,” Beal said. “We whooped y’all a couple weeks ago. So it wasn’t like, you know, I don’t think it’s about that. For me, it was — no disrespect to Phoenix — but it was more meaningful for me to go back to D.C. and play, after being there for 11 years and that’s my franchise, you know? I feel like I was more geeked about that than coming back here. There’s no disrespect … but they have their way how they feel.”

Injury issues have continued to hamper Beal as he tries to establish himself with another new franchise. He underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right knee during the offseason and remains on a minutes restriction. He hasn’t exceeded 22 minutes or played in the fourth quarter yet this season, but coach Tyronn Lue remains confident that he’ll eventually be a reliable scorer once he’s back to full health.

Beal emphasized that he has no hard feelings toward Phoenix fans or the organization, and he displayed that by signing autographs after Thursday’s game and embracing his former teammates, according to Murray. He won’t have to wait long to see them again, as the Suns will travel to Los Angeles for a rematch Saturday night.

“That’s basketball — we wouldn’t be pros if we couldn’t be mentally tough enough to move on to the next game or be mentally tough to move on to the next play,” Beal said. “It happens, man. It’s going to be games dudes might not make a shot. Might not get a rebound. But how you bounce back and how you respond to that is a testament to your character, who you are as a player. So, see you Saturday.”

Jordan Poole Sidelined With Left Quad Strain

November 7th, 2025 at 10:32am CST by Arthur Hill

Jordan Poole has been diagnosed with a mild left quad strain and will be reevaluated in seven-to-10 days, the Pelicans announced (via Twitter).

After playing 27 minutes Tuesday against Charlotte, Poole missed his first game of the season Wednesday at Dallas due to soreness in his left knee. Subsequent testing showed that pain was being caused by the quad issue.

The 26-year-old guard is enjoying a relatively strong start in New Orleans after being acquired from Washington in an offseason trade. He’s averaging 17.3 points and 3.4 assists in seven games, but he’s fallen into a shooting slump lately, going a combined 5-of-25 in his last two outings.

Saddiq Bey was inserted into the starting lineup on Wednesday and may keep that role while Poole is sidelined. Jose Alvarado and Jordan Hawkins also saw an increase in their minutes.

The Pelicans’ schedule for the upcoming week includes games against San Antonio (Saturday), Phoenix (Monday), Portland (Wednesday) and the Lakers (next Friday), so Poole may not miss much action if his next reevaluation is positive.

New Orleans is already playing without Zion Williamson, who’s sidelined with a Grade 1 left hamstring strain. The Pelicans have won back-to-back games as they try to rebound after an 0-6 start.

Coby White Sets Return Target Date

November 6th, 2025 at 10:00pm CST by Eli Cohen

Coby White has been sidelined during the Bulls‘ red-hot start to the season due to a calf strain, but his time on the sidelines may soon be coming to an end, reports Joel Lorenzi of The Athletic.

According to Lorenzi, White pointed to a three-game Western Conference trip starting on November 16 as “what [he’s] been told” in terms of a potential return. That trip includes matchups with the Jazz in Utah (Nov. 16), the Nuggets in Denver (Nov. 17), and the Trail Blazers in Portland (Nov. 19).

White and head coach Billy Donovan both said that White will likely begin practicing next week, and Donovan points to the team’s three-day break from Nov. 13-15 as a chance for White to get some full-contact practice reps in. White is currently going through 2-on-2 and 3-on-3 work with teammates and the coaching staff.

White has been out since mid-August with the injury. He initially hoped to be ready for the season opener, but calf tightness forced him to push his timetable back.

“I just practiced, and I probably practiced a little too long, and I felt some symptoms,” White said of the delay. “It wasn’t a re-strain or anything, it was just a minor setback.”

The team tested the calf extensively, especially after last season’s league-wide run of Achilles tears that seemed to follow calf injuries, and says his strain wasn’t a serious injury — just one that required a longer-than-expected recovery.

“I feel good physically,” White said, per Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times. “I’ve been running a lot, and a lot, and a lot, so it’s been good just trying to stay with my conditioning. I’ve been pushing it just to build the tolerance in my calf, so it’s been good.”

White has averaged 19.7 points and 4.8 assists per game over the last two years with the Bulls, but the team was unable to surpass 39 wins in either of those seasons. Chicago is off to a 6-1 start this fall, which has him itching to get back on the floor.

“I think the way I play fits perfectly with the way that we play,” he said. “Quick decisions. I’m not a ball stopper, I don’t hold the ball. I just play to win. So I don’t see no problem or anything when it comes to me getting back to it.”

Donovan is excited to get White back on the floor, but also issued a few words of caution when it comes to reintegrating him into a rotation that’s already operating at full speed.

“I think the mistake he can make is to come back tip-toeing in, that’d be the first issue. Then the second thing, I think he’s got to give himself some grace,” Donovan said. “I don’t think that you can go a good portion of August, all of September, October training camp, and doing a several-week ramp up where he’s not in any 5-on-5, and think he’s gonna be at his normal as a player. It’s going to take him some time. And I think he needs to be patient with himself.”

White is on track to become an unrestricted free agent next summer, and while he isn’t expected to sign an extension with the Bulls before then due to the limitations on what they can offer him, Cowley says the two sides have stayed on good terms throughout the negotiation process and both hope to get a deal done once free agency opens up next summer.

Damon Jones Pleads Not Guilty To Gambling Charges

November 6th, 2025 at 8:05pm CST by Eli Cohen

Former NBA player and coach Damon Jones has pleaded not guilty to charges relating to his alleged involvement in a rigged poker game as well as a sports gambling scheme, according to Michael R. Sisak of The Associated Press.

Jones was arrested in late October and was charged in both cases with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering. While 30 people were charged as a result of one of the two indictments, Jones was one of three people who faced charges in both cases.

There was speculation at the time of Jones’ arrest that his involvement could be the most problematic for the league, given his connection to both cases, as well as his alleged use of privileged information involving Lakers star LeBron James.

Jones never held a formal coaching position with the Lakers, but as a longtime friend of James who played with and coached the four-time MVP in Cleveland, he was often around the team and would occasionally fly with the players to road games.

Federal prosecutors have accused Jones of using his access to sell non-public information to sports gamblers, most notably in relation to a game on February 9, 2023 between the Lakers and Bucks, which James sat out. Jones allegedly sent a text message to an unnamed co-conspirator that read, “Get a big bet on Milwaukee tonight before the information is out.”

Jones was released on a $200K bond, as was sports bettor Marves Fairley, who also pleaded not guilty to his charges of alleged involvement in the sports gambling scheme. According to prosecutors, Fairley paid Jones around $2,500 for a tip involving the playing status of then-Laker Anthony Davis, which turned out to be incorrect, causing Fairley to demand a refund from Jones.

As part of his bail agreement, Jones’ travel is restricted to parts of Texas and New York City.

Nuggets, Jonas Valanciunas Adjust 2026/27 Contract Terms

November 6th, 2025 at 6:05pm CST by Rory Maher

The Nuggets and Jonas Valanciunas have agreed to restructure the final year of the veteran center’s contract, reports Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link).

As Fischer details, Valanciunas’ deal runs through 2026/27, but his entire $10MM salary would have been non-guaranteed if he was waived by June 29 — the two sides have agreed to push back that trigger date to July 8.

According to Fischer, the amended terms of Valanciunas’ contract now call for the Lithuanian big man to earn a partially guaranteed $2MM (as opposed to zero) if he’s waived before July 8, which is why he agreed to the arrangement.

The restructured deal gives the Nuggets more time to decide what to do with Valanciunas, who could be an appealing trade option for teams looking to trim salary next summer, Fischer writes. The 33-year-old will also be extension-eligible in the offseason if his deal is guaranteed, Fischer adds.

It’s worth noting that Valanciunas reportedly wanted to sign with Greek powerhouse Panathinaikos over the summer, but the Nuggets wouldn’t agree to a buyout because they had just traded for him and viewed him as an ideal backup to Nikola Jokic. So the fact that Valanciunas could potentially hit free agency much later than other players — after the July moratorium — may not matter much to him if he intends to finish his career overseas anyways.

In seven games with Denver this season, Valanciunas has averaged 8.3 points and 4.6 rebounds in 11.9 minutes per contest.

Pistons Claim Isaac Jones Off Waivers

November 6th, 2025 at 4:10pm CST by Rory Maher

The Pistons have claimed second-year big man Isaac Jones off the waiver wire, according to Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).

Jones was released by Sacramento on Tuesday so the team could create roster space to sign Precious Achiuwa.

As ESPN’s Bobby Marks tweets, the Kings will now have $191,043 removed from their cap sheet — that’s the amount they would have owed Jones had he not been claimed.

Jones will earn $1,955,377 in his second season, though that total won’t become fully guaranteed until January.

A former Washington State standout, Jones caught on with the Kings as an undrafted free agent in 2024 and appeared in 40 games off the bench for the team, earning a promotion from his two-way deal to a standard contract in March.

While he exceeded expectations during his time in Sacramento, Jones played a very limited NBA role, averaging 7.6 minutes per game last season and logging just 17 minutes in three contests so far in 2025/26.

The 25-year-old forward/center was a far more significant contributor at the G League level, averaging 21.4 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks on .580/.294/.735 shooting in 16 games as a rookie for the Stockton Kings (32.1 minutes per contest).

Jones will fill the 15th and final standard roster spot for the Pistons.