Draymond Green Back At Practice, Optimistic About Return
Draymond Green practiced with his Warriors teammates today for the first time since injuring his lower back in early January, writes Kendra Andrews of ESPN.
Green went through 5-on-0 conditioning and participated in shooting drills and “a lot” of other drills during today’s session. He told Andrews that he has improved a lot in the weeks since suffering the injury.
“My progress has been tremendous,” Green said. “I think, where I am today, if you knew where I was eight weeks ago or seven weeks ago, it’s night and day.”
Green was cleared to resume basketball activities in late January, but he was limited to individual workouts until today. A lot of those involved lifting weights, and Green said he can feel the benefits.
“I’m stronger than I’ve ever been in my life,” he said. “… I spent six weeks just sitting in the weight room, working in there for four, five hours a day.”
According to Andrews, the Warriors’ training staff will monitor Green’s conditioning, strength and explosiveness to determine when he can resume scrimmaging and eventually return to game action. There are no set standards that Green has to reach, and the decision will be determined by his progress.
During coverage of Sunday’s All-Star Game, Green estimated that he might be ready in three to four weeks. He was less definite today, but said he anticipates playing in at least a few games before the regular season ends.
“As soon as I feel like I’m whole and can get back out there and get my feet back under me before the playoffs, great,” Green said. “If that’s 15 games, fantastic. If it’s 10, I’ll make do. If it’s five, then five is going to have to work.”
Ben Simmons Bothered By Back Soreness
Ben Simmons has suffered pain in his back while reconditioning to start playing again, so his debut with the Nets could be further delayed, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. Additional strengthening of the area will be necessary before Simmons can resume playing.
Brooklyn is treating the condition as a “day-to-day process,” Charania adds (Twitter link). There’s no set timetable for him to start playing and there’s no way to tell if he will be ready for a return to Philadelphia on March 10.
Coach Steve Nash said Simmons’ condition isn’t extreme and is understandable for someone who has been out of action for so long, tweets Brian Lewis of The New York Post.
Simmons, who was the centerpiece of the trade deadline deal that sent James Harden to Philadelphia, hasn’t appeared in an NBA game since the Sixers were knocked out of the playoffs last June. Amid a protracted standoff with the team, he participated in a few practices, but has mostly been working out on his own.
He began practicing regularly with the Nets following the deal, but Nash admitted this week that there are still conditioning issues. An ESPN report on Tuesday stated that Simmons was “getting close” and planned to “really ramp it up this week” in regard to conditioning, but that apparently resulted in the back issue.
Tim Frazier Signs 10-Day Contract With Cavaliers
FEBRUARY 27: Frazier has officially signed his 10-day contract with the Cavaliers, per a team press release.
FEBRUARY 25: The backcourt-depleted Cavaliers are signing veteran point guard Tim Frazier to a 10-day contract, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets.
The team announced on Thursday that Caris LeVert would miss one to two weeks due to a foot sprain while All-Star Darius Garland is battling lower back soreness. Neither played in the team’s loss to Detroit Thursday night. On Friday, Rajon Rondo was diagnosed with a sprained toe that will sideline him at least two weeks.
Frazier was signed to 10-day contracts with the Magic this season under the hardship exception during the COVID crisis in late December. He wound up playing 10 games for Orlando, including three starts.
Frazier, 31, has also played for Philadelphia, Portland, New Orleans, Washington, Milwaukee, Detroit and Memphis is his journeyman career. He’s averaged 4.9 PPG and 4.0 APG in 17.7 MPG in 287 NBA games.
Cleveland had a roster spot available and won’t have to make a corresponding move.
Tyreke Evans To Work Out For Bucks
Free agent guard Tyreke Evans will visit Milwaukee to work out for the Bucks in the coming days, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium (video link).
Evans was recently reinstated by the NBA following a ban from the league that lasted nearly three full years. Evans, who was dismissed and disqualified from the league back in May of 2019 for violating the anti-drug program, became eligible last Friday to sign with any NBA team.
The fourth overall pick in the 2009 draft, Evans has 10 years of NBA experience under his belt, having played for the Kings, Pelicans, Grizzlies, and Pacers. He last appeared in the league in 2018/19, averaging 10.2 PPG, 2.9 RPG, and 2.4 APG in 69 games (20.3 MPG) for Indiana. It was a down year for the veteran, who posted a career-worst .389 FG%.
The Bucks came out of the trade deadline with three open spots on their 15-man roster and have since filled two of them, adding some help on the wing by signing DeAndre’ Bembry, then shoring up their backcourt depth by inking Jevon Carter to a rest-of-season deal. The team still has one last roster opening and could be in the market for another guard after trading Donte DiVincenzo at the deadline and watching Pat Connaughton go down with a hand injury.
Still, it’s unclear how serious Milwaukee’s interest in Evans is — it’s possible the Bucks just want to assess whether the 32-year-old is still in basketball shape to determine whether he should be among the options they consider for that 15th roster spot.
We also don’t know yet if any other teams are exhibiting interest in Evans. As our tracker shows, about half the league’s clubs have a roster spot available.
Tomas Satoransky Bought Out By Spurs, Looks To Join Wizards
12:37pm: The Spurs have officially waived Satoransky, the team announced in a press release. He’ll clear waivers on Monday, at which point he’ll be free to sign with Washington.
11:19am: Veteran guard Tomas Satoransky is preparing to sign with the Wizards after agreeing to a contract buyout with the Spurs, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets.
Satoransky is in the final year of a three-year, $30MM contract and it’s safe to say he’ll clear waivers.
Satoransky appeared in 32 games with New Orleans and one game with San Antonio this season. He was involved in two deadline deals — he was traded from the Pelicans to the Trail Blazers in the CJ McCollum blockbuster, then was shipped to the Spurs in a three-team swap.
Satoransky played his first three seasons in the league (2016-19) with Washington. With Bradley Beal out for the season and Spencer Dinwiddie having been traded to Dallas in the Kristaps Porzingis deal, Satoransky should jump right into the Wizards’ rotation.
The Spurs previously bought out another player they acquired at the trade deadline, Goran Dragic. As a result, they’ll have two open spots on their 15-man roster once they officially waive Satoransky — they’ll have two weeks to go back to the NBA-mandated minimum of 14 players.
Markelle Fultz To Return On Monday
Magic guard Markelle Fultz announced that he’ll return to action on Monday, the team’s PR department tweets.
Fultz will be making his season debut after rehabbing from an ACL injury to his left knee suffered early last season. He had been practicing off and on with the team since December and is finally return to step on the court again. He appeared in just eight games last season but suffering the tear in early January 2021.
Fultz’s three-year, $50MM contract extension kicked in at the beginning of this season.
The Magic already have some young pieces in the backcourt in Cole Anthony, Jalen Suggs and R.J. Hampton, so it will be interesting to see how Fultz, the top pick in the 2017 draft, will fit in for the remainder of this season. Hampton returned to action on Friday after missing 14 games due to a knee sprain.
LeBron Clears Air, Wants To Stay With Lakers For “As Long As I Can Play”
LeBron James reiterated his desire to finish out his career with the Lakers and said he doesn’t “push the buttons” when it comes to personnel decisions, as he told ESPN’s Dave McMenamin and other media members after the team’s loss to the Clippers on Friday night.
James is under contract for one more season and will be eligible to sign a two-year extension this summer.
“This is a franchise I see myself being with. I’m here. I’m here,” James said. “I see myself being with the Purple and Gold as long as I can play.”
James raised a lot of eyebrows with his comments during All-Star weekend that he wouldn’t close the door on a possible return to Cleveland. He also stirred the pot by heaping praise on Thunder general manager Sam Presti for his ability to identify talent.
James also expressed his desire in an interview with The Athletic to eventually play with his 17-year-old son, Bronny. However, James said Friday he hopes that will occur in L.A.
“I also have a goal that, if it’s possible — I don’t even know if it’s possible — that if I can play with my son, I would love to do that,” he said. “Is that, like, something that any man shouldn’t want that in life? That’s like the coolest thing that could possibly happen. That doesn’t mean I don’t want to be with this franchise.”
Bronny would not be eligible to play in the NBA until the 2024/25 season.
In terms of his relationship with the front office, James said his comments about Presti were not a potshot toward GM Rob Pelinka.
“If I comment [on] or compliment the GM that’s in OKC — I really believe he’s done a phenomenal job. And you guys spin that to me saying that Rob is not doing a great job,” James said.
Super-agent Rich Paul, whose agency represents James and Anthony Davis, met with Pelinka and owner Jeanie Buss on Tuesday in what could be characterized as a clear-the-air session.
Pelinka consults his superstars regarding potential moves, including the Russell Westbrook trade with Washington that contributed significantly to the Lakers’ poor season. There were also reports James and Davis were unhappy the front office stood pat at the trade deadline.
James says he doesn’t have final say on trades.
“I don’t push the buttons,” James said. “They ask for my opinion, and I voice my opinion and what I believe. But I don’t press any buttons. That’s what our front office is for, and that’s what our leadership group is for.”
He also feels the influence that he and his representative have within the franchise sparks jealousy.
“I mean, I think a lot of people are, to be honest, just jealous of the relationship that Rich has with the front office and with this team and with the relationship that I have, that I’ve grown over the last four years. I mean, that’s what I think it boils down to,” he said.
Knicks Rookie Quentin Grimes Suffers Patella Injury
Knicks rookie guard Quentin Grimes suffered a subluxation of his right patella on Friday, the team’s PR department tweets.
The non-contact injury to the first-round pick occurred during the first quarter against Miami as he tried to fight past a screen. He required help from his teammates to leave the court and could not putting any pressure on his right leg as he headed to the locker room, according to Greg Joyce of the New York Post.
Grimes will undergo an MRI. It’s an injury that can take four-to-six weeks to heal without surgery and sometimes requires surgery depending on the severity, Steve Popper of Newsday tweets.
Coach Tom Thibodeau didn’t have an update on Grimes’ injury after the game, Fred Katz of The Athletic tweets.
Grimes had earned more playing time this month due to his defensive commitment. He was averaging 9.5 PPG in 28.3 MPG in six February appearances, including a 40-minute stint against Oklahoma City in which he scored 19 points.
The injury to Grimes comes on the heels of the announcement this week that Kemba Walker would sit out the rest of the season. Derrick Rose‘s return to action from ankle surgery was delayed after he underwent another minor procedure on Friday.
Derrick Rose Undergoes Another Procedure On Ankle
7:02pm: The procedure was performed on Friday and addressed a skin infection on his right ankle, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets. There’s optimism that Rose will be able to return to action in one or two weeks, Woj adds.
1:39pm: Knicks guard Derrick Rose will undergo another procedure on his right ankle, the team announced today (via Twitter).
The Knicks’ announcement is scarce on details, simply referring to the procedure as a “minor” one and noting that no timeline has been set for Rose’s return. The ankle is the same one that the former MVP underwent surgery on in December.
Rose, 33, has appeared in 26 games (24.5 MPG) for New York this season, averaging 12.0 PPG, 4.0 APG, and 3.0 RPG on .445/.402/.968 shooting. He last played on December 16.
Recent reports had suggested Rose was nearing a return to action, but it now seems unlikely he’ll play anytime in the short-term future. As of this Sunday, there are just six weeks left in the regular season, so there’s no guarantee we’ll see him again before 2022/23, especially if the Knicks continue to fall out of play-in contention.
With Rose still on the shelf and Kemba Walker shut down for the season, Alec Burks will likely handle be the Knicks’ starter at point guard, with Miles McBride and Immanuel Quickley potentially in the mix as well.
Rich Paul Meets With Lakers’ Brass, Assures Team LeBron Wants To Stay In L.A.
LeBron James wants to remain with the Lakers and he and his representatives are not insisting on front office changes, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports.
James’ representative, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul, met with Lakers owner Jeanie Buss and VP of basketball operations Rob Pelinka on Tuesday, and expressed LeBron’s desire to remain with the team beyond this season. James is eligible for an extension this offseason.
Paul also stressed that there’s no push from his side for management changes and that there’s shared accountability, as Wojnarowski described it, for the team’s disappointing season.
James and Klutch Sports were reportedly upset with Pelinka for standing pat at the trade deadline.
Paul also spoke to Buss and Pelinka of James’ desire to finish off the season as strong as possible and then seek to upgrade the roster in the offseason.
Paul’s agency also represents Anthony Davis, who is out several weeks due to a foot injury.
James raised a lot of eyebrows with his comments during All-Star weekend that he wouldn’t close the door on a possible return to Cleveland. He also stirred the pot by heaping praise on Thunder general manager Sam Presti for his ability to identify talent.