Injury Notes: Strus, Embiid, Suggs, Booker, Nets
Cavaliers wing Max Strus, who initially hoped to make his season debut last Friday, is being listed as questionable for tonight’s Central Division showdown with the Bucks and has a chance to suit up for the first time this season, writes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com.
Strus sustained a hip contusion early in the preseason and was nearing a return from that injury when he sprained his right ankle during an individual workout just days before the season opener. He has been recovering from that sprain for the last two months.
“Nine weeks is a very long time,” Strus said on Thursday. “It’s been hard. There’s been definitely dark days. But this is the best team. Best vibes ever been around. These guys have made it easy and kept me involved and kept me around and made sure to reach out at times when I needed it. I’m itching to get back.”
As Fedor writes, Strus’ impending return is coming at a good time, given that the player who replaced him at small forward in the starting five – Isaac Okoro – is now sidelined with an injury of his own. Strus will be on a minutes restriction upon returning, so he may not reclaim his starting role right away, Fedor writes, but there’s excitement within the organization about how he’ll fit in head coach Kenny Atkinson‘s offense.
“It’s been fun to watch from the outside, but also frustrating that I haven’t been able to be a part of it. Hopefully sometime soon I could join the party,” Strus said. “The way we’ve played offense and scored the ball, it’s kind of everything I’ve wanted to do since I’ve been here. We struggled with that last year.”
Here are a few more injury notes from around the NBA:
- Sixers star Joel Embiid (sinus fracture) practiced on Wednesday and Thursday and is considered questionable to play on Friday vs. Charlotte, tweets Tim Bontemps of ESPN. The 76ers announced on Monday that Embiid would be reevaluated in one week, but it sounds like he has a good chance to return to the court before that one-week evaluation date.
- Magic guard Jalen Suggs sustained an ankle injury on Thursday vs. Oklahoma City, as Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel tweets. Suggs injured the ankle late in the first half and started the third quarter, but was pulled after less than four minutes and didn’t play the rest of the night. “As he comes out in the second (half) I just saw there wasn’t a high pace,” head coach Jamahl Mosley explained. “I mean, there were moments of it but I just want to make sure he’s going to be OK for the long haul.” Orlando is already playing without forwards Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, so the team will be hoping Suggs doesn’t have to miss much – if any – time.
[UPDATE: Suggs has been listed as probable to play on Saturday vs. Miami, per Beede.] - Suns guard Devin Booker exited Thursday’s game vs. Indiana in the third quarter with left groin tightness and didn’t return, writes Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Booker’s status for Saturday’s game vs. Detroit remains unclear.
- Nets guards Cam Thomas (left hamstring strain) and Ziaire Williams (left knee sprain) are making progress in their respective recoveries but aren’t yet cleared for contact, according to head coach Jordi Fernandez (story via Bridget Reilly of The New York Post). “They’ve been able to shoot, and that’s all they’re doing right now,” Fernandez said. “It’s step by step.” Meanwhile, Nets forward Trendon Watford was out for Thursday’s game due to left hamstring soreness — Watford missed the first 13 games of the season due to a left hamstring strain.
Warriors Remain Atop 2024 NBA Franchise Valuations
The Warriors remain the NBA’s most valuable team, according to Kurt Badenhausen of Sportico, who unveiled the website’s updated NBA franchise valuations for 2024 on Wednesday.
Badenhausen projects the Warriors’ value at $9.14 billion, making them one of three teams to surpass the $8 billion mark this year. The Knicks have a projected worth of $8.3 billion, while the Lakers come in at $8.07 billion, per Sportico. Only the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys – at $10.3 billion – have a higher valuation than Golden State among North American sports teams, says Badenhausen.
While Sportico’s figures suggest the Warriors, Knicks, and Lakers are worth significantly more than the fourth-place team (the Nets at $5.7 billion), the average value of an NBA franchise is up to $4.6 billion, with no team worth less than $3 billion.
That average has increased by 15% since Sportico released its 2023 valuations last December and has nearly doubled since the site published its first NBA franchise valuations four years ago, when the average was $2.37 billion.
The NBA’s new $77 billion media rights deal and a 15% increase in team sponsorship are among the factors contributing to the rising valuations of the league’s franchises, according to Badenhausen, who notes that a post-COVID boom in concerts and other major events has been good news for team owners who also control their arenas.
NBA team owners operated 10 of the world’s 20 highest-grossing concert venues in 2024, with the Nets’ Barclays Center coming in at No. 1, says Badenhausen. The Nets’ valuation is up 43% this year, per Sportico, easily the largest year-over-year increase among the 30 NBA franchises.
When Forbes put out its NBA franchise valuations in October, it pegged the average value of a team at $4.4 billion. In the past, we’ve used Forbes as our primary source for NBA franchise valuations, but with Badenhausen making the move from Forbes to Sportico in recent years and the outlet establishing itself as a go-to resource for sports business news, we begun highlighting Sportico’s projections as of 2023.
Of course, it’s worth noting that figures from Sportico, Forbes, or any other media outlet are just estimates and often don’t quite match up with the sale prices for franchises that change hands. But these projections are usually in the right ballpark and remain useful for getting a sense of the league’s most and least valuable teams.
Here’s Sportico’s full list of NBA franchise valuations for 2024:
- Golden State Warriors: $9.14 billion
- New York Knicks: $8.3 billion
- Los Angeles Lakers: $8.07 billion
- Brooklyn Nets: $5.7 billion
- Los Angeles Clippers: $5.68 billion
- Boston Celtics: $5.66 billion
- Chicago Bulls: $5.56 billion
- Miami Heat: $5 billion
- Houston Rockets: $4.77 billion
- Toronto Raptors: $4.66 billion
- Philadelphia 76ers: $4.57 billion
- Dallas Mavericks: $4.46 billion
- Phoenix Suns: $4.32 billion
- Sacramento Kings: $4.11 billion
- Atlanta Hawks: $4.07 billion
- Denver Nuggets: $4.06 billion
- Washington Wizards: $3.98 billion
- Cleveland Cavaliers: $3.95 billion
- Milwaukee Bucks: $3.91 billion
- San Antonio Spurs: $3.79 billion
- Indiana Pacers: $3.74 billion
- Utah Jazz: $3.67 billion
- Portland Trail Blazers: $3.6 billion
- Oklahoma City Thunder: $3.55 billion
- Orlando Magic: $3.46 billion
- Detroit Pistons: $3.45 billion
- Charlotte Hornets: $3.39 billion
- Minnesota Timberwolves: $3.29 billion
- New Orleans Pelicans: $3.09 billion
- Memphis Grizzlies: $3.06 billion
As Badenhausen notes, Sportico’s projections are based on a control sale price, rather than limited stake purchases. No NBA franchise saw its majority control change hands in 2024, but that could change in 2025, with control of the Celtics up for sale.
According to Badenhausen, team executives and investors have predicted a sale price ranging from $4.5 billion to $6.5 billion for the Celtics. The final valuation will be determined by a number of factors, including how many bidders are on the mix, what percentage of the team they can buy, and whether current governor Wyc Grousbeck insists on remaining in that role until 2028, which he has indicated is his goal.
Jared McCain Undergoes Knee Surgery
Sixers rookie guard Jared McCain underwent successful surgery on Tuesday to repair the lateral meniscus tear in his left knee, according to a team press release. He remains out indefinitely, the statement adds.
McCain experienced left knee soreness after a game against Indiana last week and underwent an MRI on Saturday, which revealed the extent of the injury.
The 16th overall pick of June’s draft after one college season at Duke, McCain has been one of the most productive rookies in the NBA this fall, averaging 15.3 points, 2.4 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 25.7 minutes per game, with a .460/.383/.875 shooting line in 23 appearances. He was named the East’s Rookie of the Month for games played in October and November.
It’s a blow to the Sixers, though they are getting healthier at the guard spots. Tyrese Maxey, Eric Gordon and Kyle Lowry are all back in action after dealing with assorted ailments.
As we noted earlier today, McCain’s recovery timeline will depend on whether he underwent a full repair of his meniscus or a meniscectomy, which involves removing the meniscus. While the Sixers’ announcement doesn’t provide confirmation one way or the other, the wording suggests it was the former, which typically results in an absence of several months.
Sixers Notes: McCain, Gordon, Embiid, George
Jared McCain‘s unexpected early-season emergence as a productive rotation player had been one of the only positive stories for the Sixers this fall, so his teammates are understandably disappointed that the rookie’s progress will be halted by a meniscus tear, which will sideline him indefinitely.
“You hate it for him,” Sixers forward Caleb Martin said, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. “He’s playing at such a high level, man. He’s such a great kid, and brings such good energy, and you know that does really hurt. Everybody feels for him and really, really hates that for him. It just (stinks).”
“I think it’s definitely going to be hard (to replace him),” big man Guerschon Yabusele added. “I think Jared is one of a kind, a kid with a lot of energy, no fear, being able to bring so many good things for us on offense. I think it’s going to be hard.”
The Sixers announced that McCain will require surgery, but it remains unclear what kind of procedure he’ll undergo. As Jeff Stotts of In Street Clothes tweets, the location of a meniscus tear determines whether the cartilage can be repaired or if it must be removed. The recovery timeline for a removal is often measured in weeks, whereas a full repair typically sidelines a player for multiple months.
Here’s more on the 76ers:
- Veteran shooting guard Eric Gordon, an offseason free agent addition, fell out of Philadelphia’s rotation after struggling early in the season, but played 26 minutes and made three 3-pointers on Monday in his first appearance since November 30. Head coach Nick Nurse suggested prior to Monday’s game that Gordon was “one of the candidates” to play more minutes as a result of McCain’s injury. “I think the first step is if somebody is out of the rotation, what are they doing to try to get themselves back in, right?” Nurse said, per Pompey. “Eric has come in here (on Saturday) and had a great workout. He’s trying to get himself back in there. He’s trying to stay ready and be ready to go.”
- Joel Embiid‘s sinus fracture is “not nearly as severe” as the two orbital bone fractures the star center previously sustained, Nurse said on Monday, according to Steve Reed of The Associated Press. While Nurse acknowledged Embiid’s “breathing isn’t going to be easy for a little bit” and the Sixers ruled him out for at least one week, it’s possible his absence won’t extend much beyond that. According to Stotts (Twitter link), Embiid’s first orbital fracture sidelined him for 22 days, while the second kept him out for eight days, though in each of those cases he returned in the postseason, which likely sped up his timeline.
- Paul George‘s performance in Monday’s win over Charlotte was very encouraging, according to Pompey, who says the star forward was moving as well as he has all season, having shed his bulky knee brace. George’s involvement in the offense – or lack thereof – has been a concern as of late, but his 33 points and 20 field goal attempts vs. the Hornets both represented season highs.
Joel Embiid Out At Least One Week With Sinus Fracture
Former NBA MVP Joel Embiid will miss at least one week due to the right sinus fracture he sustained in Friday’s loss to Indiana, the Sixers announced in a press release (Twitter link via Chris Haynes).
Embiid, who had already been ruled out for Monday’s game in Charlotte, will be reevaluated in a week.
Embiid exited Friday’s game just before halftime after being struck in the face by Pacers wing Bennedict Mathurin and didn’t return in the second half. Mathurin and Embiid were battling for a rebound under the Sixers’ basket when Mathurin’s left forearm and elbow made hard contact with the the right side of Embiid’s face and the bridge of his nose (Twitter video link via Bleacher Report).
Friday’s contest was just the sixth of 23 Sixers games that Embiid has played this season. He has missed time due to left knee swelling and was also suspended three games for a locker room run-in with a reporter.
If there’s a silver lining to Embiid’s latest injury absence, it’s that Philadelphia only has three games this week. After Monday’s contest, the 76ers will host the Hornets on Friday, then travel to Cleveland on Saturday for a back-to-back. Their next game after that is Monday vs. San Antonio.
Unfortunately, the 30-year-old center wasn’t the only Sixer injured on Friday, as rookie guard Jared McCain suffered a torn meniscus in his left knee and requires surgery. Philadelphia’s 2024 first-round pick is out indefinitely.
Stein’s Latest: Schröder, Johnson, Pelicans, Lakers, Kings, Reed
The Warriors acquired a valuable rotation piece in Dennis Schröder this weekend, but it’s possible he won’t last the season with his new team. Schröder can traded again this season and could be part of a package to get a star-level player before February’s trade deadline, according to Marc Stein in his latest Substack post.
Miami’s Jimmy Butler could be among the players targeted by the Warriors, whom many rival teams believe will make a splashier move this season. Stein notes the Warriors aggressively pursued Lauri Markkanen and Paul George during the offseason.
The timing of the Warriors’ trade for Schröder was significant. The latest CBA instituted a new exception that allowed players who are traded by Dec. 16th to be aggregated in another deal before the trade deadline.
Golden State had interest in trading for Nets’ forward Cameron Johnson as well as Schröder but would likely have needed to include Jonathan Kuminga in a deal for both players, Stein suggests.
Here’s more from Stein:
- The Pelicans aren’t inclined to trade young pieces Herbert Jones, Yves Missi and Trey Murphy but they are open to trade inquiries for virtually anyone else on the roster.
- The Lakers aren’t looking to make a blockbuster move but they’d like to add depth and are expected to make at least one trade.
- The Kings are dangling the contracts of Kevin Huerter and Trey Lyles in order to upgrade the roster.
- The Sixers have some interest in a reunion with Paul Reed, who waived by the Pistons on Saturday. However, it’s unlikely they’d attempt to add him prior to the trade deadline in order to maximize their roster and cap flexibility. Reed was waived by Philadelphia during the offseason.
Eastern Notes: Pistons Defense, Embiid, George, Ball
The Pistons have lost four of their last five games and eight of their last 11. That’s due to defensive issues that they are trying to clean up after playing just one game this past week.
“We’ve had some slippage because we haven’t had a ton of practice time,” coach J.B. Bickerstaff told Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press. “This week has been really, really good for us to be able to get that practice time. And then obviously you play good offensive teams like we’ve played through this stretch, that’s gonna have an impact on it also.”
Guarding the perimeter has been their biggest problem. They’ve dropped to the bottom five in the league in defensive three-point field goal percentage (37.7 percent). They’ll look to bounce back against Miami on Monday.
“You notice and try to recognize things that are trending,” Bickerstaff said. “I think our three-point defense has slipped as of late as far as the quality of shots we’re giving up, the percentages that teams are making from those spots, and the breakdowns that are leading to those. I think we have shown some pretty consistent stretches of it, but we haven’t put together the four quarters that we’re looking for.”
We have more from the Eastern Conference:
- Sixers star center Joel Embiid has officially been listed as out for their game against Charlotte on Monday due to a sinus fracture, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets. Embiid’s injury occurred during Philadelphia’s game against Indiana on Friday when he was struck in the face by Pacers wing Bennedict Mathurin.
- The Sixers need to get Paul George more involved in the offense, Pompey writes. He is averaging 15.9 points per game while shooting just 31.7% from deep. George has averaged at least 21.5 PPG every year since the 2015/16 season. “I think just moving a little more, just finding my way of moving,” George said. “Running the floor a little bit better. “I think we got to allow each other to create space. So I have to cut to the nail sometimes to allow Tyrese (Maxey) to play in the open court, then I got to do it. But I think for sure, just more clarity for myself.”
- Hornets star guard LaMelo Ball appears to be on the verge of returning to action, having been listed as questionable to play on Monday vs. Philadelphia due to a left calf injury, according to Charlotte’s PR department (Twitter link). Ball hasn’t played since November 27.
Atlantic Notes: George, Oubre, Cui, Knicks
Paul George‘s first season with the Sixers has been a disappointment so far, and not just because of the team’s 7-16 record, writes Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Adding George in free agency was the team’s major move of the summer, but he has struggled to find his role in the offense since returning from an early-season injury. Joel Embiid‘s sinus fracture may force George to take on more of the scoring, but the Sixers have to find a way to get everyone involved when he, Embiid and Tyrese Maxey are on the court together.
“I think just moving a little more, just finding my way of moving,” George responded when asked about improving his production. “Running the floor a little bit better. I think we got to allow each other to create space. So I have to cut to the nail sometimes to allow Tyrese to play in the open court, then I got to do it. But I think for sure, just more clarity for myself.”
Pompey states that George was virtually a “bystander” for much of Friday’s loss to Indiana, finishing the first half with just three points on three shots. Coach Nick Nurse acknowledged the need to get George more involved, but he said the Pacers’ aggressive defense disrupted his team’s normal attack.
“We weren’t very good in the first half,” Nurse said. “Some of the up-court pressure took us out of better execution, right? We really got to look at that and get better. It’s just full-court man-to-man, pick-up pressure. It’s not like it’s a trapping thing. It’s just you still got to be able to ball down the first and get into our stuff and execute stuff.”
There’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- Although the Sixers are still in 12th place in the East, Kelly Oubre believes they have solved some of their early-season issues, Pompey adds in a separate story. “We’ve been taking strides in the right direction,” Oubre said after the team had its two-game winning streak snapped. “I think tonight was a little step back. But at the end of the day, we cannot define or determine us because we are getting better. Our last ten games have been really good for us. We just have to learn from this one. I wouldn’t say forget it or wash it at all because, obviously, we have enough of those losses that we can do that with, but every game is more and more important. We need to win these. So continue to stay confident and get back to who we are, figure that out, and keep getting better off of that.”
- The Nets will waive rookie wing Yongxi Cui to open up a two-way spot for Reece Beekman, who’s being acquired from the Warriors in the Dennis Schröder trade, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). Cui will miss the rest of the season after tearing the ACL in his left knee.
- The Knicks‘ trade options will be limited this season because they’re about $500K away from their second-apron hard cap, notes Steve Popper of Newsday. Popper considers Mitchell Robinson to be the team’s most valuable trade piece, as the arrival of Karl-Anthony Towns may have made Robinson expendable.
Sixers’ Jared McCain Out Indefinitely With Torn Meniscus
Sixers guard Jared McCain experienced left knee soreness after last night’s loss to Indiana and underwent an MRI on Saturday, which revealed a torn meniscus, league sources tell Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Twitter link).
According to Fischer, McCain requires surgery and will be out indefinitely. Philadelphia confirmed the news in a press release (Twitter link).
The news is devastating for the 76ers, who have struggled mightily to open 2024/25 amid injuries to Joel Embiid, Paul George and Tyrese Maxey, among others. The team hoped to be in title contention, but is currently just 7-16, the No. 12 seed in the Eastern Conference.
Embiid suffered a sinus fracture on Friday as well, though it’s unclear how long he’ll be sidelined as a result of his latest injury.
The 16th overall pick of June’s draft after one college season at Duke, McCain has been arguably the most productive rookie in the NBA this fall, averaging 15.3 points, 2.4 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 25.7 minutes per game, with a .460/.383/.875 shooting line in 23 appearances. He was named the East’s Rookie of the Month for games played in October and November.
McCain also had a very hard fall on Friday vs. the Pacers, but a concussion was ultimately ruled out after multiple tests, including one today, per Kyle Neubeck and Derek Bodner of PHLY Sports (Twitter link). Obviously, that’s of little consolation now that the 20-year-old sharpshooter is out for the foreseeable future with a knee injury.
It’s unclear how Philadelphia will look to fill the void of McCain’s pace, energy and scoring, but second-year wing Ricky Council saw an uptick in minutes vs. Indiana and could receive more run going forward.
Trade Rumors: Sixers, Pelicans, Nuggets, Early Movers, Simmons
The Sixers‘ slow start this fall hasn’t changed the expectation that Daryl Morey and the front office in Philadelphia will be active leading up to the February 6 trade deadline, sources tell Tim Bontemps of ESPN (Insider link).
Shooting and frontcourt size are among the area the 76ers may look to address, with KJ Martin viewed as the team’s most logical trade chip due to his pseudo-expiring contract, which includes a cap hit of $7.98MM for this season. However, Martin won’t become trade-eligible until January 15, so Philadelphia will have another month to assess its needs before moving forward on potential trade scenarios.
Within that same ESPN story, Bontemps and Brian Windhorst address another injury-plagued team off to a disappointing start, citing sources who say that there has been an increase in opposing scouts at Pelicans games, with rivals looking to gather intel for possible deals. While New Orleans’ plans are unclear at this point, the club is expected to at least make a move to get out of the luxury tax — its team salary is currently $1.4MM above that threshold.
Brandon Ingram, of course, is considered a potential trade candidate, but his $36MM+ cap hit will complicate trade talks. According to Bontemps, several sources have recently told ESPN that they’re not sure whether anyone making more than $20-25MM will be dealt during the season.
Here are a few more trade-related notes and rumors from around the NBA:
- The Nuggets are interested in making a trade to upgrade their rotation and “know they need a shake-up move of some sort,” but will be hard-pressed to find an appealing deal due to their position relative to the tax aprons and their lack of movable contracts, NBA insider Marc Stein said during an appearance on DNVR Sports (Twitter video link). “It’s been painted to me as eager. They are eager to make a move,” Stein said. “(But) the reality is if they don’t involve (Michael) Porter (Jr.), the optionality there is extremely limited.”
- While most in-season deals are unlikely to be completed until much closer to the February 6 trade deadline, Jake Fischer (Bleacher Report video link) identifies the Lakers and Bucks as teams who could be motivated to act sooner rather than later on the trade market, adding that the Knicks are also “still sniffing around on what to do for their center depth.”
- In a separate video clip, Fischer explores whether the Nets could realistically trade Ben Simmons and his $40MM+ expiring contract, suggesting that a team seeking 2025 cap room might be able to incentivize Brooklyn to take on multiyear salary in exchange for Simmons by attaching an intriguing young player and/or draft assets.
- Fred Katz of The Athletic takes a closer look at several of the CBA and trade rules – new and old – that are expected to make it more challenging than ever for teams to pull off trades this season.