LaMelo Ball

Southeast Notes: Ball, Miller, Rozier, Bey

January 29th, 2024 at 10:47pm CST by Dana Gauruder

LaMelo Ball missed his second consecutive game due to right ankle soreness on Monday. The Hornets star guard admits his frequent absences have taken a toll mentally and that his primary focus is staying off the injury report, Roderick Boone of the Charlotte Observer writes.

“Facts,” Ball said. “That’s pretty much my main thing.”

Ball appeared in just 36 games last season and has missed more than half of Charlotte’s games this season. He’s working with the team’s medical staff, hoping to find ways to keep him on the court more often.

“We are pretty much just trying to put a whole game plan together right now, get everything right, see what it’s going to be, see how my body is feeling, just see what’s the best solution moving forward,” he said.

We have more from the Southwest Division:

Brandon Miller‘s ability to soak up knowledge has impressed Hornets coach Steve Clifford. The second pick of the draft is averaging 14.7 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game. “People always look at these guys and think they’re the fastest, strongest, quickest — that’s not at all what it is,” Clifford told Shane Connuck of the Charlotte Observer. “In the NBA, guys that last learn better, they’re smarter, and they pick things up faster. That’s one of (Miller’s) big strengths.”
Terry Rozier is still trying to get acclimated to his Heat teammates, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald notes. The former Hornets guard scored just 26 points in his first three games with Miami before his 21-point outing against Phoenix on Monday. “He’ll figure it out,” coach Erik Spoelstra said. “He’s trying to fit in and I get that. We’re all saying the same thing. We want Terry to be Terry. He’s going to unlock other things for us. You can see the burst that he gives us, the rim pressure, which we need. That’s not just the head coach saying that, that’s his teammates saying that.”
Hawks forward Saddiq Bey becomes a restricted free agent after the season and he’s been enhancing his value as of late. He scored the game-winning basket on a putback against the Raptors on Sunday. Over the past four games, Bey is shooting 44.8% from the field while averaging 18.3 points and 8.5 rebounds, Lawrence Price III of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution notes. “I don’t really have a specific mentality coming in besides just to play hard and just be grateful for the opportunity,” Bey said. “I try to just be the most multifaceted guy I can be…just try to affect the game in each and every way.”

Hornets Notes: Rozier Trade, Ball, Miller, Lowry, Hayward

January 24th, 2024 at 9:17am CST by Luke Adams

After trading Terry Rozier to Miami on Tuesday in exchange for Kyle Lowry‘s expiring contract and a future first-round pick, president of basketball operations Mitch Kupchak said that the financial flexibility the deal affords the Hornets going forward was important. However, getting that first-rounder was the key part of the trade from Charlotte’s perspective, as Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer writes.

“The pick itself has potential for incredible upside,” Kupchak said. “We don’t know who that player may be several years down the road. But an asset that valuable can also become something that you can put in a trade and make a deal. So. yeah, the financial part of it was a part of it. But getting the pick was probably the most important part.”

According to Boone, one factor in the Hornets’ decision to move on from Rozier at this time is the fact that it will give the team’s backcourt of the future – LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller – more opportunities to play alongside one another. Kupchak singled out those two players on Tuesday when he discussed Charlotte’s core pieces.

“We think we’ve got a foundation of players in place,” he said. “I’m not going to mention all of our players, but I’m going to mention our two highest picks — LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller. But there are other players that we’ve pegged that would be very difficult to trade.”

A report last week suggested that Ball, Miller, and center Mark Williams are likely the only players on the Hornets’ roster who are off-limits in trade talks.

Here’s more out of Charlotte:

Kupchak indicated on Tuesday that the Rozier trade doesn’t signal the beginning of an all-out rebuild, per Boone. “I wouldn’t call it a rebuild,” Kupchak said. “A rebuild is, in my opinion, something where you start from scratch and you convert everything you have into draft capital, and you create gobs of cap room, and you start taking in contracts to get picks and it could drag out years. That’s not the case. I think it’s more of a case of recognizing where we are this year.”
Still, Kupchak suggested the Hornets will remain very open to making additional trades on or before February 8, as Steve Reed of The Associated Press relays. “I can’t discount the fact that we’re a team that is trying to build something that can sustain something going forward, and … we will look for opportunities,” Kupchak said when asked about the possibility of more deals. “And if there is something out there we will look to do it. It’s as simple as that.”
The Hornets are expected to explore the possibility of flipping Lowry to a new team, though two league sources who spoke to Boone believe he’ll ultimately become a buyout candidate instead. Either way, it doesn’t sound like Charlotte is intent on actually playing the veteran point guard. “He’s got to report, he’s got to pass a physical,” Kupchak said of Lowry. “It’s going to take a couple of days. I can’t say that that’s something we look to accomplish right away. We may wait to see what happens out of respect to him and what he’s accomplished in this league. Maybe we wait to see and have the trade deadline pass, rather than have him relocate and start something that may or may not take place. I think that’s probably what we will do. Don’t know for sure, but that seems to make the most sense.”
Veteran forward Gordon Hayward is another player on a sizable veteran contract who is available in trade talks. Boone hears from league sources that Hayward is “at the very top” of Charlotte’s list of trade candidates. However, the 33-year-old has been out since December due to a left calf strain and there’s no timeline for his return, so it’s unclear whether the Hornets will be able to acquire anything of value for him. He’s another possible buyout candidate if no trade arises, Boone notes.
While it’s typically difficult to determine right away which teams won and lost a trade, there’s one clear winner in the deal between the Heat and Hornets, according to Scott Fowler of The Charlotte Observer: Rozier. As Fowler details, Rozier appeared in 50 postseason contests with Boston during his first four NBA seasons, but didn’t get to play a single playoff game during his time in Charlotte — that figures to change in Miami.

Minimum Game Requirement For Awards Looms Large For Super-Max Candidates

January 20th, 2024 at 3:55pm CST by Luke Adams

As we detailed back in September, there are several players around the NBA who would benefit financially from making an All-NBA team or winning a Most Valuable Player of Defensive Player of the Year award in 2023/24.

Heat big man Bam Adebayo, Kings guard De’Aaron Fox, Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram, Nuggets guard Jamal Murray are among the players who would become eligible to sign a super-max (Designated Veteran) contract during the 2024 offseason by earning one of those honors this season.

Mavericks guard Luka Doncic and Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander could ensure they become eligible to sign a super-max extension in 2025 by making this year’s All-NBA team. Grizzlies big man Jaren Jackson Jr. could do the same by winning a second consecutive Defensive Player of the Year award.

Additionally, Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards, Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton, and Hornets guard LaMelo Ball signed maximum-salary rookie scale extensions that will be worth 30% of next season’s salary cap (instead of 25%) if they make an All-NBA team this spring. These “Rose Rule” contracts are essentially “mini” super-max deals.

Not all of those 10 players look like legitimate All-NBA, MVP, or DPOY candidates this season, but many of them will be in the mix. However, as Tim Bontemps and Bobby Marks write at ESPN.com, the newly implemented 65-game minimum requirement for award winners looms large for this group.

Without appearing in 65 games (including at least 63 of 20-plus minutes and two of 15-plus minutes), these players will be ineligible to earn an All-NBA spot, and without that end-of-season honor, they won’t be in position to receive a higher maximum salary.

According to Bontemps and Marks, a player who misses more than 17 of his team’s games, falling short of appearing in the required 65, can technically still qualify for award recognition, but only in very specific scenarios:

If the player appeared in at least 62 games (and 85% of his team’s games to that point) and then suffers a season-ending injury.
If the player files a grievance and presents “clear and convincing evidence” that his team limited his games or his minutes with the intention of depriving him of award eligibility.

While there’s also a clause for “extraordinary circumstances,” the NBA and NBPA don’t expect that clause to apply to injury absences, since it would essentially defeat the purpose of the rule, per ESPN’s duo.

Of the 10 players mentioned above, one is already ineligible for a major end-of-season award — Ball has appeared in just 19 of the Hornets’ first 39 games due to an ankle injury, so even if he doesn’t miss a game for the rest of the season, he’ll max out at 62 appearances. Given Charlotte’s spot in the standings, Ball would have been an All-NBA long shot anyway, but he has been playing at a very high level when he’s been healthy.

The 65-game mark remains within reach for the rest of this group, though some players can’t really afford any sort of extended absence. Adebayo, for instance, has missed 10 of Miami’s 42 games so far and only logged 12 minutes in an 11th, which means it won’t count toward his 65. Seven more missed games would cost him his award eligibility.

Murray is in a similar spot — he has missed 14 of Denver’s 43 games and played just 10 minutes in a 15th, so three more missed games would make him ineligible for award consideration.

Doncic has missed seven games for the Mavericks, while Fox has missed six for the Kings, so they’re on pace to play in enough games, but if either player turns an ankle or tweaks a hamstring and is forced to the sidelines for a couple weeks, he’d be in trouble.

It looked like that might happen with Haliburton, who sat out just three of the Pacers’ first 36 games, then strained his hamstring earlier this month. He was expected to be unavailable for at least a couple weeks, but returned to action on Friday night, ahead of schedule, after missing just five contests.

Haliburton is a legitimate All-NBA candidate and would be in line for a projected $41MM pay increase across his five-year extension if he earns one of those 15 spots. Were those financial considerations a factor in his early return to action? Would he still have been inactive on Friday if that 65-game minimum weren’t in play?

It’s hard to imagine the Pacers allowing their franchise player to risk potential re-injury by coming back too early, but Haliburton certainly has a ton of motivation to play in every game he can this year.

As Howard Beck of The Ringer writes, that 65-game minimum will be a fascinating subplot to follow in the second half of the season. Although we’ve focused here on players whose future earnings could be directly tied to whether or not they claim an end-of-season award, there are many other potential All-NBA candidates who may fall short of 65 games, changing the equation for voters.

Joel Embiid, Jimmy Butler, Kyrie Irving, Donovan Mitchell, Devin Booker, Zion Williamson, and Lauri Markkanen are among the stars who have been out for eight or more games so far this season, Beck observes. Kevin Durant has missed seven.

The 65-game minimum isn’t necessary to earn votes for Sixth Man of the Year, Rookie of the Year, or an All-Rookie spot, but the other major awards require at least 65 appearances.

In 2023, five of the 15 players who made an All-NBA team appeared in fewer than 65 games, but that won’t be the case in 2024. The players who have the most riding on All-NBA honors from a financial perspective may be the ones most motivated to stay on the court, but as Adebayo points out, you “can’t stop injuries from happening.”

“God forbid nobody gets hurt, but you can’t [prevent] injury,” he said, per Bontemps and Marks. “I think it’s crazy that we even have the rule. It’s one of those things where you just accept the rule. … I guess use your 17 games as wisely as possible.”

Hornets Rumors: Trade Deadline, Untouchables, Rozier, Hayward

January 17th, 2024 at 11:46am CST by Luke Adams

The Hornets are expected to be more active at this season’s trade deadline than they have been in recent transaction windows, according to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, who notes that the team is under new ownership after the sale of the franchise to a group led by Rick Schnall and Gabe Plotkin was finalized last summer.

Although Schnall and Plotkin reached an agreement to buy a majority stake in the team from Michael Jordan in June, the transaction wasn’t completed until August, so the new owners weren’t yet in full control at the draft and in free agency. That means this year’s trade deadline represents the Hornets’ first opportunity to reshape its roster under their new leadership group.

Here’s more from Fischer on the Hornets:

According to Fischer, league personnel have indicated that the only three players on Charlotte’s roster that the team isn’t open to moving are guard LaMelo Ball, forward Brandon Miller, and center Mark Williams.
Terry Rozier‘s impressive play this season – including a career-best 24.0 points and 6.8 assists per game on .457/.369/.875 shooting – has made him a more viable trade candidate than ever, Fischer says, adding that the guard has a “known preference” to end up with the Heat if he’s dealt. Rozier, who is earning $23.2MM in 2023/24, is owed $51MM+ across two more seasons after this one.
Veteran forward Gordon Hayward has generated a good deal of rival interest, but seems more likely to change teams via buyout than trade, per Fischer. While that could open the door for certain teams that aren’t in position to match Hayward’s $31.5MM salary to pursue him, it could close the door on others — a club whose salary is above either tax apron wouldn’t be permitted to sign him on the buyout market.

Southeast Notes: Hornets, Black, Bagley, Livers

January 15th, 2024 at 9:02am CST by Arthur Hill

The Hornets were expecting to improve once their roster got healthier, but it hasn’t worked out that way, writes Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer. Charlotte dropped its fifth straight game Sunday at Miami and its second since LaMelo Ball returned after missing 20 games with a severely sprained right ankle. The two losses with Ball have been by 36 and 17 points, and the players understand that something has to change.

“I think we are going to talk it over at a players’ only (meeting) and I think we are going to figure it out,” Terry Rozier said, “because as bad as things are going, we are only five, six games behind a (play-in tournament spot). We win the next three, things can turn for us. We’ve just got to believe that as a team and put that effort toward it.”

Postseason talk doesn’t seem realistic for a team with just one victory in its past 17 games. The Hornets are struggling everywhere, as the offense failed to reach 100 points Sunday for the third time in four games and coach Steve Clifford lamented a lack of effort on defense.

“A bunch of stuff is happening,” said P.J. Washington, who was back in the lineup after missing three games with a sprained ankle. “If I had the answers, I feel like things would be different. But for us, we’ve just got to buy into the process and keep trying to get better each and every day and have a better attitude and play more together.”

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

Rookie guard Anthony Black has become the Magic‘s best defender and has gotten used to matching up with elite scorers every night, notes Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel. Black’s 108.1 defensive rating is tops among all rookies who average more than 15 minutes per game and ranks 25th overall in the NBA, according to Beede. “Really just getting more settled in,” Black said. “Game by game, I feel like I’m getting more comfortable and finding my spots — just being aggressive when I’m out there and disrupting the game on defense.”
Marvin Bagley III and Isaiah Livers will get a chance to prove themselves with the Wizards, but fans shouldn’t expect them to be a lot better than they were in Detroit, James L. Edwards III of The Athletic says in a discussion with Josh Robbins about Sunday’s trade. Edwards views Bagley as a proven low-post scorer with limited impact on defense, while Livers was a huge disappointment as a shooter this season.
The Wizards created a $3.5MM trade exception in the deal with the Pistons, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). Washington could have structured the trade to create an exception worth $6.8MM, but it would’ve required the team to use an existing $12MM+ TPE.

Southeast Notes: Wizards, Ball, Miller, Martin, Isaac

January 13th, 2024 at 1:20pm CST by Rory Maher

Billionaire executive Laurene Powell Jobs plans to sell about half of her substantial stake in Monumental Sports & Entertainment, the holding company that controls the Washington Wizards, Capital One Arena, and the NHL’s Washington Capitals, according to Eben Novy-Williams and Scott Soshnick of Sportico. Powell Jobs will reportedly sell approximately 10% of Monumental.

The widow of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, Powell Jobs is one of the wealthiest women in the world, with major shares in Apple and the Walt Disney Company. She is currently the second-largest Monumental Sports & Entertainment shareholder, only trailing managing partner Ted Leonsis, per Sportico. It’s unclear if that will remain the case once she sells 10% of the company.

As Sportico’s authors write, it’s too early to speculate on how much 10% of Monumental might be worth, but a smaller stake sold at a $4.05 billion valuation last year.

Here’s more from the Southeast:

Hornets star LaMelo Ball returned from a 20-game absence on Friday following a severe right ankle sprain, recording 28 points, five assists and five steals in 27 minutes. While the 22-year-old said he felt “great,” the blowout loss to San Antonio didn’t sit well with him, writes Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer. “It’s always good to play basketball, but (shoot), not like that,” Ball said. “But it was cool to get back out there.”
On the same day Ball returned, the injury-plagued Hornets lost No. 2 pick Brandon Miller to a lower back contusion, according to Boone, who says the young wing was still in discomfort after the game. “That definitely took a little bit out of us for sure,” head coach Steve Clifford said. “Hopefully, he’s OK and it’s not serious.”
Heat wing Caleb Martin recorded 11 points, four rebounds and two assists in 24 minutes during Friday’s win over Orlando, which marked his first game back from an ankle injury, as Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel relays (subscriber link). Martin had missed the past seven games with a right ankle sprain. “Caleb is so dynamic,” Bam Adebayo said. “He can score. He can defend. He can play point if you need him to. You can put him in so many different roles and he accepts that challenge.“
Magic big man Jonathan Isaac is on track to return on Saturday vs. OKC following a 10-game absence, tweets Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel. One of the team’s best defenders, Isaac missed nine games due to a right hamstring strain before missing a 10th game with an illness, Beede notes.

Hornets’ LaMelo Ball Expected To Return Friday

January 12th, 2024 at 11:57am CST by Tristan Tucker

JANUARY 12: Ball participated in this morning’s shootaround and is expected to return tonight, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).

JANUARY 11: Hornets guard LaMelo Ball could return to action on Friday against the Spurs after missing over a month and a half due to a sprained ankle, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania (Twitter link). Ball has been upgraded to questionable for the contest. He hasn’t appeared in a game since Nov. 26 against the Magic, when he left action after just 14 minutes.

Having Ball back is undoubtedly a major boost for a struggling Hornets team who sits at 8-27, 13th in the Eastern Conference. In the 14 games Ball was healthy for, the Hornets were 5-9 compared to 3-18 without him. Charlotte sits 9.5 games back on a play-in spot though, so they’d have to quickly catch up in the standings to have a shot at the postseason.

In his 14 healthy games this season, Ball averaged 25.9 points, 8.6 assists and 5.8 rebounds while shooting 38.9% from three on 9.4 attempts per game. His 15th game is the one in which he left due to his injury.

Additionally, guard Frank Ntilikina, who has missed the entire season with a leg injury, could make his season debut on Friday. Like Ball, Ntilikina was upgraded to questionable ahead of the contest against San Antonio, according to The Charlotte Observer’s Rod Boone (Twitter link).

The Hornets signed Ntilikina, the former eighth overall pick, to a minimum contract in the offseason. Ntilikina spent the first four seasons of his career with the Knicks before signing with the Mavericks in 2021. In six NBA seasons, the 25-year-old guard holds career averages of 4.8 points and 2.2 assists.

With both Ball and Ntilikina sidelined for a portion of the season, the Hornets primarily turned to Terry Rozier to take over primary point guard duties, often playing him alongside other guards like Bryce McGowens. Ball and Ntilikina both returning may spell fewer minutes for backup point guard veteran Ish Smith, along with McGowens or Nick Smith, with Rozier playing alongside Ball in the starting lineup.

Southeast Notes: Ball, Hornets, F. Wagner, Queen, Jones

January 8th, 2024 at 3:47pm CST by Rory Maher

The Hornets have dealt with several injuries this season, most notably to point guard LaMelo Ball, who has been out since November 26 with a right ankle sprain. However, the former All-Star was a full practice participant on Sunday and also scrimmaged 5-on-5, which means he’s nearing a return, reports Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer.

Ball, 22, has averaged 24.7 points, 5.5 rebounds, 8.2 assists and 1.4 steals on .443/.388/.857 shooting in 15 games this season (33.4 minutes). He’s under contract through 2028/29 after signing a five-year, rookie scale max extension last summer.

According to Boone, reserve guard Frank Ntilikina has also been practicing and scrimmaging with the Hornets and could make his 2023/24 season debut in the near future. Ntilikina fractured his left tibia in the team’s preseason finale, but Charlotte decided to keep him past Sunday’s salary guarantee deadline.

As for P.J. Washington, he sustained a right foot sprain on Friday and it’s unclear how much time he might miss, Boone adds. All three players will be out for Monday’s contest vs. Chicago, per the league’s official injury report.

Here’s more from the Southeast:

Franz Wagner underwent an MRI on Thursday which confirmed a right ankle sprain, the Magic announced (via Twitter). Orlando is typically vague when it comes to injuries and recovery timelines and this was no exception; the team simply said “Wagner’s return to play will depend on how he responds to rehabilitation and treatment.”
While the Magic‘s update didn’t reveal much about Wagner’s injury, head coach Jamahl Mosley sounded relieved it wasn’t more serious, according to Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel, who notes that Wagner had to be helped off the court on Wednesday vs. Sacramento. “Seeing how he went down and how he was grimacing through that,” Mosley said, “to be an ankle sprain at that level is very great news to have at this moment.”
Injuries — including Wagner’s — recently created an opportunity for major minutes for Magic two-way guard Trevelin Queen, Beede writes for The Orlando Sentinel. The former G League MVP had only played one minute in one game leading up to Wednesday’s contest in Sacramento, but he played 38 minutes that night and 31 minutes two days later in Denver. As Beede notes, Queen was recently named to the NBAGL’s All-Showcase Team and he will likely continue bouncing back and forth between the NBA and G League. “I stay ready because I know it’s bigger than me,” Queen said. “For me, I don’t care what I’ve got going on, I’m just ready to hoop at any time. It’s just being mentally ready. Whether it’s for Osceola or Orlando, it’s just being the best teammate I can be.”
The Wizards‘ 6-29 record is underwhelming to say the least, but one bright spot in their season has been the leadership and play of point guard Tyus Jones, per Ava Wallace of The Washington Post. A full-time starter for the first time in 2023/24, Jones is averaging career highs in several categories, Wallace notes, and has helped cultivate a good locker-room environment for the Wizards despite their lack of on-court success.

Southeast Notes: Carter, Wizards, Ball, Martin

December 23rd, 2023 at 5:14pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Magic welcomed back starting center Wendell Carter Jr. this week after he missed 20 games due to surgery on a fractured bone in his left hand, writes Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel. Carter got an immediate test with games on back-to-back nights against Miami and Milwaukee, and he said he’s still getting used to being on the court again.

“It’s solid,” Carter responded when asked how his hand is feeling. “I go through my stretches where I’m just more timid than anything but constantly being out there, I’ll get over it. … Walking right into a back-to-back after missing 20 games was tough, but that’s really no excuse for anything.”

Carter’s return should solidify the frontcourt for an Orlando team that has dropped four straight games after a strong start. He was greeted with two significant challenges right away, facing Bam Adebayo, who posted 18 points and seven rebounds against the Magic, and Giannis Antetokounmpo, who followed with 37 points and 10 rebounds the next night.

“It just shows that I’ve got to get back to where I was at before I got injured,” Carter said. “A lot of the plays out there, I felt like I was one or two steps slower than I usually am. It just gave me somewhere I can look at in terms of getting back to at some point. I definitely got a lot of respect for the coaches trusting in me [and] putting me out there when I might not be able to play my best game.”

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

Suns guard Bradley Beal doesn’t want to see his former team move forward with relocation plans to northern Virginia. Beal, who spent 11 seasons with the Wizards before being traded this summer, appealed to owner Ted Leonsis to reconsider last week’s announcement (video link). “D.C, there is no moving to Virginia, like what is that?” Beal said. “Ted, we love you to death. We understand what you want to do and trying to do, but you can’t take the team out of D.C.”
It appears unlikely that Hornets guard LaMelo Ball can secure a spot in the All-Star Game even if he returns soon from his right ankle sprain, Roderick Boone of the Charlotte Observer states in a mailbag column. Ball was making a strong All-Star case, averaging 24.7 points, 5.5 rebounds and 8.2 assists before the injury, but he has only played 15 games and his candidacy figures to be affected by Charlotte’s poor record.
Hornets forward Cody Martin has been cleared to make his season debut tonight, Boone tweets. Martin underwent surgery on his left knee last season and hasn’t played since January 14.

Southeast Notes: Fultz, Ball, Mensah, Wizards

December 16th, 2023 at 3:07pm CST by Luke Adams

After being upgraded to questionable for Friday’s game in Boston, Magic guard Markelle Fultz (left knee tendinitis) was ultimately ruled out for a 16th consecutive contest. As Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel tweets, Fultz has only gone through portions of practice this week, so the club wasn’t quite ready to clear him for game action.

Asked what went into the decision to rule out Fultz on Friday, head coach Jamahl Mosley explained: “Just being able to check to make sure he’s fully back to what we need him to do and getting full practices in with full contact. That’s going to be very important.”

Although his return didn’t happen on Friday and he didn’t take contact in Saturday’s practice, Fultz told reporters on Thursday that he thinks he’ll be back sooner rather than later, per Beede (subscription required). The former No. 1 overall pick said that he’s been “progressing great,” though he’s also on board with the team’s cautious approach to the injury.

“I’m thinking the long game here,” Fultz said. “I don’t want to come back in, play a few games and have to sit back out. When I’m back, I want to stay back for the long run.”

Here’s more from around the Southeast:

After announcing on December 8 that they’d reevaluate LaMelo Ball (right ankle sprain) in a week, the Hornets offered a very minor update on Friday, tweeting that the star guard has “continued progressing” in his conditioning and individual activities. Updates on his status will be provided “as appropriate,” the Hornets added. It doesn’t sound as if Ball has resumed practicing with the team or that his return is imminent.
After signing a two-way contract with the Hornets on Thursday, center Nathan Mensah was immediately thrust into a rotation role for the injury-plagued club, backing up Nick Richards at the five in Friday’s loss to New Orleans. Mensah fouled out in just 13 minutes of action but he grabbed seven rebounds and made a solid first impression, per Shane Connuck of The Charlotte Observer. “He did a great job,” Brandon Miller said. “His presence down there, I felt like he did a great job on the defensive side, just getting boards, some blocks. He’s gonna be great for us.”
Following this week’s announcement stating that the Wizards plan to move from the District of Columbia to Virginia, David Aldridge of The Athletic and Candace Buckner of The Washington Post published columns criticizing team owner Ted Leonsis for his handling of the situation and his treatment of the franchise’s long-time D.C. market.
In a pair of stories focusing on the Wizards‘ rebuilding process, Aldridge and Josh Robbins of The Athletic take a look at how the new front office is emphasizing “small wins” as part of its culture-building efforts and explore how the organization is attempting to improve its off-court infrastructure.

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