Gary Payton II Still At Least Two Weeks Away From Blazers Debut
Trail Blazers guard Gary Payton II has been experiencing “intermittent soreness” during his rehab from core muscle surgery as he ramps up for a return to play, the team announced today in a press release.
According to the Blazers, Payton will continue his rehab work in anticipation of returning to full practice. He’ll be reevaluated in two weeks, meaning he won’t make his Portland debut until at least December.
The Blazers’ statement doesn’t use the term “setback,” and their wording doesn’t suggest that Payton has suffered a new injury or aggravated a core muscle issue.
Still, when the surgery was first announced in September, the team indicated the veteran guard was expected to be ready for the start of the season, and there was a sense at the start of the month that he could be ready to play as soon as November 15, so his rehab process is taking a little longer than anticipated.
The Blazers haven’t missed a beat with Payton unavailable. Their 10-5 record puts them atop the Western Conference, and their 109.9 defensive rating is the seventh-best mark in the NBA. Given Payton’s lock-down ability as a perimeter defender, that unit should only improve once he’s ready to play.
With Payton out until at least December, the Blazers will continue to lean heavily on Damian Lillard and Anfernee Simons in the backcourt, with Josh Hart and rookie Shaedon Sharpe also playing regular roles.
Blazers Waive Olivier Sarr, Sign Ibou Badji To Two-Way Deal
2:52pm: The Blazers have officially waived Sarr and signed Badji, the team confirmed today in a press release.
12:47pm: The Trail Blazers are waiving one of their two-way players, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link), who reports that center Olivier Sarr is being released. In Sarr’s place, Portland will sign big man Ibou Badji to a two-way contract, per Wojnarowski.
Sarr, who was in training camp with the Blazers on an Exhibit 10 contract, had that deal converted to a two-way after impressing the team in the preseason. Around the same time, he was diagnosed with a high-grade partial tear of the scapholunate ligament in his right wrist and was ruled out for six weeks, so he has yet to make his season debut in either the NBA or the G League. It appears he’ll have to seek out a new opportunity once he gets healthy.
As for Badji, he has been playing in the G League for the Wisconsin Herd, Milwaukee’s affiliate. Through seven games for the Herd, the 20-year-old from Senegal has averaged a modest 7.3 points in 35.0 minutes per contest. However, as Wojnarowski observes, Badji – who is 7’1″ with a 7’9″ wingspan – has been one of the G League’s best rim protectors, averaging 2.4 blocked shots per game.
The Blazers don’t have an NBAGL club of their own, so if they opt to keep Badji in the G League for now, he’ll have to either remain in Wisconsin or join another team’s affiliate.
Badij will be eligible to be active for up to 42 NBA games if he officially signs his contract on Friday. A player on a full-season two-way contract can be active for as many as 50 NBA games, but that limit is prorated when the player signs after the regular season has started.
Injury Updates: Magic, Bulls, Celtics, Raptors, Heat, Hayward, More
The Magic will be getting some reinforcements for Friday’s game in Chicago, according to Khobi Price of The Orlando Sentinel. Veteran guard Gary Harris has been cleared to make his regular season debut following offseason arthroscopic surgery on his left knee, Price reports. Additionally, starting center Wendell Carter Jr. will be back in the lineup after missing Wednesday’s game due to a strained right plantar fascia.
Orlando’s opponents also got some good injury-related news on Friday. As Rob Schaefer of NBC Sports Chicago writes, Bulls guard Coby White (left quad contusion) and forward Patrick Williams (right ankle sprain) both said at Friday’s shootaround that they’ll be able to play against the Magic. White has missed the last eight games as a result of his injury; Williams sprained his ankle on Wednesday, but it appears the injury won’t cost him any games.
Here are several more injury updates from around the NBA:
- As expected, Celtics guard Malcolm Brogdon will be available on Friday vs. New Orleans after missing four games with a hamstring injury. However, the team announced that Marcus Smart (right ankle inflammation) will miss a second straight game (Twitter link).
- The already shorthanded Raptors will be missing Gary Trent Jr. and Chris Boucher on Saturday vs. Atlanta due to non-COVID illnesses, tweets Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca. However, Eric Koreen of The Athletic tweets that Dalano Banton‘s ankle sprain isn’t as serious as initially feared and Pascal Siakam (adductor strain) has resumed on-court activity. Another update on Siakam is expected in a week or so, Koreen adds.
- Heat star Jimmy Butler (knee soreness) has been ruled out for Friday’s game against Washington and it’s possible that Bam Adebayo (knee contusion) won’t be available either, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Adebayo is currently listed as questionable.
- Hornets forward Gordon Hayward, who has been on the shelf since November 2 due to a left shoulder contusion, has been upgraded from doubtful to questionable for Friday’s game vs. Cleveland, according to the team (Twitter link).
- Pacers sharpshooter Chris Duarte isn’t expected to be available during the team’s upcoming four-game home stand, but could return from his ankle sprain at some point in the subsequent seven-game road trip, tweets Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star. That trip begins on November 27 and runs through December 7.
- Sixers guard Jaden Springer, currently assigned to the Delaware Blue Coats in the G League, will miss at least one week due to a right quadriceps strain, tweets Kyle Neubeck of PhillyVoice.com.
Kawhi Leonard: ACL Recovery Is “Two-Year Process”
Kawhi Leonard returned from a 12-game absence on Thursday and played 25 minutes in the Clippers‘ 96-91 win over Detroit. Although Leonard only scored six points on 2-of-8 shooting, he impacted the game in ways beyond his scoring, posting a team-high plus-26 rating.
After the victory, Leonard – who missed all of the 2021/22 season after tearing his ACL in June 2021 – spoke to reporters about coming back from that injury and about a recovery process that isn’t always linear.
“Like I said before, at the start of the season, it’s going to be a long journey,” Leonard said, per Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. “ACL recovery isn’t just one year. Everybody thinks that, but it’s a two-year process, so I know that and I’m going to keep going and going through the process.”
As Leonard suggests, it’s not uncommon for NBA players to come back from ACL tears within 12 months, but it’s rare for a player to look like his old self right away upon returning. It often takes another year for a player to feel like he’s back to 100%.
Leonard appeared in two of the Clippers’ first three games of the season before being ruled out for the next 12 contests due to knee stiffness. As Youngmisuk relays, the two-time NBA Finals MVP didn’t offer any further specifics about his absence after Thursday’s game.
“Just rehabbing, getting ready,” Leonard said of his last few weeks. “I’m not going to explain it because I’m not a doctor, and nobody in here is one. So just getting back, ready to get on the floor.”
Leonard came off the bench in his first two games, but was reinserted into the Clippers’ starting five in his third game of the season on Thursday. According to Youngmisuk, head coach Tyronn Lue told reporters that he hadn’t been a fan of the substitution pattern he had to use for Leonard when he was bringing him off the bench, while Kawhi suggested the plan to move him into the starting lineup had been in the works for a while.
“After I played those first two games, it was dead already,” Leonard said of being a reserve. “T-Lue wanted me to start the games and get us going in a flow. So, before I sat out (for 12 games), I knew I was gonna be starting.”
The Clippers will be back in action on Saturday vs. San Antonio, Leonard’s former team. While there’s no indication at this point that his knee didn’t respond well to his return on Thursday or that he won’t be available on Saturday, it’s probably premature to assume he’s simply back for good now — there will likely be more absences coming, even if those absences are just for one game at a time rather than for extended stretches.
“Like I said, it’s a two-year process,” Leonard said when asked about whether he’s past the “stiffness” that sidelined him for 12 games. “Everybody thinks it’s a one-year process, but we don’t know. We’ll see what happens once we keep moving forward.”
Knicks Open To Discussing Immanuel Quickley, Derrick Rose
The Knicks have exhibited a willingness to discuss guards Immanuel Quickley and Derrick Rose in trade talks in the early part of the 2022/23 season, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, who says the team is considering ways to clear a logjam in its backcourt.
Ian Begley of SNY.tv reported last week that the Knicks had received some inquiries on Quickley, with teams around the NBA viewing New York’s crowded rotation as something the club will want to address sooner or later. Following up on The Athletic’s report today, Begley confirms that there have been some “cursory” trade conversations involving Rose as well (Twitter links).
Sources tell Begley that the Knicks have sought draft compensation as part of the return in some of their trade discussions involving the two guards.
Following Jalen Brunson‘s arrival, both Quickley and Rose are averaging fewer minutes per game than they did last season. Rose’s drop-off has been far more substantial — after averaging 25.8 minutes per game in his first 61 appearances with New York, he has logged just 13.5 MPG this season through 15 contests. Quickley is averaging 22.1 MPG, a slight dip from last season’s 23.1 MPG.
Besides having fewer minutes available for Quickley and Rose, the Knicks have also removed shooting guards Quentin Grimes and Evan Fournier from their rotation entirely within the last week.
Rose is on a de facto expiring contract, earning approximately $14.5MM this season with a $15.6MM team option for 2023/24. Quickley, meanwhile, is in the third season of his four-year rookie deal and has a modest cap hit of just $2.3MM. He’ll become extension-eligible in the 2023 offseason and will earn $4.2MM next season.
Central Notes: Crowder, Bucks, Lopez, Cavs, Duren, Bulls
After reporting earlier in the week that the Suns appeared to be making real progress on trading Jae Crowder – perhaps in a three-team scenario – Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports was hesitant to offer many specific details in the latest episode of his Please Don’t Aggregate This podcast on Thursday, noting that he has yet to confirm the exact framework of the deals Phoenix is discussing. However, Fischer was able to identify a presumed frontrunner for Crowder.
“The only other thing I really feel comfortable sharing and confident sharing is that people around the situation have said that Milwaukee is the most likely team to land him,” Fischer said. “I can say that.”
As Fischer notes, he reported last week that the Bucks – who have long been identified as a possible suitor for Crowder – were gauging Grayson Allen‘s trade value around the league. So if Milwaukee does make a deal for Crowder, it seems likely that Allen would be an outgoing piece, either to Phoenix or to a third team.
Here’s more from around the Central:
- After missing most of last season due to a back injury, Bucks center Brook Lopez is healthy and making a significant impact on the defensive end this season, according to Nekias Duncan of BasketballNews.com, who argues that the big man should be in the early Defensive Player of the Year conversation. Lopez is on an expiring contract and will be an unrestricted free agent in 2023.
- Logan Murdock of The Ringer takes a look at the Cavaliers‘ recent slump and their efforts to become a title contender without LeBron James for the first time in the 21st century. “I think for all of us, everyone is preaching championship,” Cavs wing Caris LeVert told Murdock. “I’ve been around a lot of teams, and it’s a long season. A lot of things happen within the season. So I think for us, just staying focused on the day-to-day, getting the most of each day, trying to maximize our potential each and every day will take care of all the rest of the stuff.”
- Pistons center Jalen Duren is the NBA’s youngest player and the only one who was born after LeBron James made his NBA debut in 2003, but his teammates and coaches have been impressed with his maturity, writes Jamal Collier of ESPN.com. “He don’t feel 18. He’s not built like he’s 18,” Isaiah Stewart said of Duren, who turns 19 on Friday. “He’s built like a grown man. He’s very mature for his age.”
- In a pair of stories for The Chicago Sun-Times, Joe Cowley considers what’s next for the enigmatic Coby White once he gets healthy and wonders if some lineup changes are in store for the struggling Bulls.
New York Notes: Durant, Harris, Grimes, Fournier
Will Nets superstar forward Kevin Durant opt to once again demand a trade from a Brooklyn team that seems far, far away from title contention prior to the February 9 deadline? Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report takes a look at some realistic potential trade destinations for the 12-time All-Star if he revives his offseason trade request.
Pincus notes that the Raptors have plenty of intriguing assets, but does not anticipate they will ever include second-year star Scottie Barnes. Instead, he thinks they would center a possible offer around swingman OG Anunoby and future draft equity. Other possible scenarios suggested by Pincus include a Suns package highlighted by wing Mikal Bridges and draft picks, a Grizzlies offer featuring an intriguing young player like Desmond Bane or Jaren Jackson Jr. plus some draft capital, a Pelicans swap involving Brandon Ingram, a Knicks deal with RJ Barrett, and trades with the Warriors, Celtics and Lakers.
There’s more out of New York:
- Speaking to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, Nets reserve forward Joe Harris discussed his efforts to remain on the court for the 2021/22 season, and his availability this season. “I thought that I could get back [last year], when the reality was that my ankle was not in a good spot,” Harris said. “I exhausted basically every single option that I could. Pretty much anything you could possibly think of to get me back on the floor.”
- Young Knicks reserve guard Quentin Grimes has been a healthy scratch in back-to-back games on Tuesday and Wednesday. However, head coach Tom Thibodeau isn’t considering sending Grimes down to the club’s NBAGL affiliate in Westchester for some playing experience, despite his absence from the rotation, per Zach Braziller of The New York Post. “I think him being here with us is the best thing right now,” Thibodeau opined. Grimes said of his coach: “I know that he’s trying to do what he feels is the best for the team so we can go out there and win games.”
- Knicks shooting guard Evan Fournier has fallen from a starting role earlier in the 2022/23 season to now being on the outside of the team’s rotation looking in. “It’s not easy,” Fournier said of the situation, per Zach Braziller of The New York Post. “I’ll tell you that.” The 30-year-old is earning $18MM this season. “I mean, you know I always try to put myself in other people’s shoes. [Thibodeau] is trying to find a solution… I don’t think he made that decision because he [doesn’t] like me or anything like it’s a personal thing. He just wants to win, man. He does whatever he thinks is best. I can argue whether that’s good or not, sure.” Fournier is logging just 6.9 PPG on a measly 34.4% shooting percentage this season.
Atlantic Notes: Banton, VanVleet, Harden, Brogdon
The already-shorthanded Raptors lost guard Dalano Banton to a left ankle sprain during Toronto’s 112-104 victory against the Heat on Wednesday, reports Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter link).
Toronto head coach Nick Nurse is pessimistic about the outlook, indicating that the ankle “doesn’t look too good,” per Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports (via Twitter). Nurse revealed that Banton will be undergoing tests to determine the extent of the injury.
The second-year guard out of Nebraska is averaging 6.4 PPG, 1.3 RPG and 1.1 APG for the Raptors as a reserve in just 11.2 MPG, but had a breakout performance on Monday, scoring a career-high 27 points.
There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:
- Raptors point guard Fred VanVleet made his return to the floor for Toronto in its Miami victory following a bad cold. He noted that he is continuing to test negative for COVID-19, tweets Lewenberg. “It wasn’t fun but hopefully the worst is behind me, just happy to be back,” VanVleet said. In 39 minutes, he scored 23 points on 7-of-21 shooting.
- Sixers guard James Harden reveals that he has been progressing positively from his tendon strain, per Derek Bodner (Twitter link). Bodner notes that Harden has indicated he is “on pace” to come back to the floor in line with his initially projected one-month rehab window. “We’ve got a plan,” Harden said, according to Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer (via Twitter). “We’ve got a script that we’re trying to stick to. All in all, I feel good.”
- Celtics sixth man Malcolm Brogdon looks set to suit up once again for Boston, having made significant progress in his recovery from a tight right hamstring, reports The Athletic’s Jared Weiss (Twitter link). The 6’5″ vet has not played since November 9.
NBA Fines JaMychal Green
The NBA has fined Warriors power forward JaMychal Green $20K for shouting expletives at a referee near the end of Wednesday’s 130-119 loss to the Suns in Phoenix, the league announced in a statement (Twitter link).
Green has been somewhat underwhelming for the somewhat underwhelming 6-9 reigning champs this season, averaging 4.8 PPG on .411/.227/.857 shooting splits and 4.5 RPG across 17.0 MPG. He was signed to a veteran’s minimum deal to help replace reserve forward Otto Porter Jr., who left Golden State over the summer to ink a two-year, $12.4MM deal with the Raptors.
The 32-year-old Green is a career 36.4% three-point shooter, though he has made just 26.0% during the last two seasons. Against the Suns on Wednesday, Green scored two points on 1-of-7 shooting and pulled down two boards in 17 minutes of action.
The 6’8″ reserve will next suit up for Golden State on Friday against the Knicks.
Northwest Notes: Murray, Nnaji, Pokusevski, Jazz
Nuggets guard Jamal Murray is the team’s second star player to enter the NBA’s COVID-19 health and safety protocols, reports Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports (Twitter link).
The 6’3″ point guard has been playing solidly since his return from an ACL tear that kept him unavailable throughout the 2021/22 season. Through 13 games, Murray is averaging 16.5 PPG, 4.5 APG, and 3.9 RPG on .429/.355/.767 shooting splits.
Two-time MVP center Nikola Jokic, who entered the league’s coronavirus protocols earlier this week, remains sidelined, and both he and Murray will miss tomorrow’s contest against the Mavericks, Wind adds.
The league’s updated coronavirus policy this season dictates that vaccinated players only need to test for COVID-19 if they exhibit symptoms of the virus. Unvaccinated players are now tested just once a week.
There’s more out of the Northwest Division:
- Third-year Nuggets power forward Zeke Nnaji would love more rotation minutes for Denver, and expects to make the most of whatever playing time he gets, writes Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post. Given the COVID-19 absence of Jokic, the 6’9″ big man has been able to get a bit more run in the short term. “A lot of the coaches said I had a great camp and made some huge jumps, so I’m just looking to apply that out on the court in an actual game,” Nnaji said. “I have to stay ready. I want to make it hard for them to put me back on the bench… I’m also a relentless rebounder and somebody who plays physical inside as well. I can promise that I will bring energy to the court.” Nnaji is averaging a career-low 6.3 MPG on a deep Denver club this year.
- Third-year Thunder forward Aleksej Pokusevski seems to be turning a corner in his development this year, writes Ethan Fuller of Basketball News. The 20-year-old is averaging a career-best 9.8 PPG, 5.5 RPG, and 1.8 BPG. Fuller adds that Pokusevski has also improved as a more efficient scorer and that the seven-footer seems to noticeably more assertive.
- Jazz forward Rudy Gay continues to rehabilitate from a third finger MCP joint sprain in his left hand, Utah announced in a press release. The Jazz add that the 6’8″ vet will have his injured finger reevaluated in two weeks. In 12 games this season, Gay is averaging 4.5 PPG and 3.4 RPG across 15.8 MPG.