Central Notes: Allen, Harden, Dieng, Q. Jackson, Oladipo
Starting center Jarrett Allen has impressed new Cavaliers point guard James Harden, writes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. Harden, an 11-time All-Star, was acquired a couple weeks ago in a blockbuster trade with the Clippers.
“He’s better than I thought he was‚” Harden said of Allen following Cleveland’s blowout victory over the Nets on Thursday. “He’s able to catch the ball and finish around the rim with both hands. He has so much touch around the rim. That’s I think probably one of the most underrated parts of his game.
“Just trying to find ways to get him the ball, in positions where he can be successful. It’s only been four games, but it’s easy for me to just figure it out.”
The 35-21 Cavaliers have been surging up the Eastern Conference standings over the past four-plus weeks, winning 11 of their past 12 games, including six straight. Head coach Kenny Atkinson says he’s been focused on getting Allen more involved offensively, according to Fedor, and Harden has quickly developed impressive chemistry with the 27-year-old big man.
“Almost like a renewed energy, a belief,” Atkinson reiterated when asked about Harden’s presence. “They know we got something good going on. We brought in guys that are going to help us. Wow we’ve got to confirm it, right? I’m not going to sit up here after four games or whatever and say we’re this juggernaut. We still have a lot to prove. But I think the early returns with our spirit and our confidence and our aggressiveness is really good.”
Here’s more from around the Central Division:
- It was a whirlwind trade deadline for fourth-year forward Ousmane Dieng, who was involved in three different deals before finally ending up with the Bucks. He said Milwaukee had been interested in him for some time, according to Eric Nehm of The Athletic. “It was a little crazy, but I’m excited to be here,” Dieng said. “I know they were trying to get me for a while here in Milwaukee, so I’m excited and just ready to help the team.” As Nehm writes, the 22-year-old caught fire in his final two games before the All-Star break, scoring 17 points on 6-of-10 shooting in 23 minutes in a win at Orlando. The impending restricted free agent followed that up with the best stat line of his career against his former team, recording 19 points (on 7-of-12 shooting), 11 rebounds, six assists and four blocks in a victory at Oklahoma City. “I think he’s just scratching the surface,” Bucks lead assistant coach Darvin Ham said in Oklahoma City. “He’s so young, and just his size, his athleticism, his smarts … some of the passes he made, some of the finishes, the 3s, the defense, like, he’s just scratching the surface. We found a jewel.”
- In an in-depth subscriber-only story for The Indianapolis Star, Dustin Dopirak takes a look at Quenton Jackson‘s upbringing and unconventional path to the NBA. The Pacers guard, who is on a two-way contract, is a candidate to be promoted to a standard deal before the season ends, Dopirak writes. “The love that they showed was different,” Jackson said of the Pacers. “And just the way they played. It’s a free-spirited game. They don’t put too much pressure on you to do too much. They don’t put you in a box. They kinda just allow you to be you within the system that they have. I love that. They play fast. That was always my game. I was always quick, I was always in shape, I was always playing fast, a transition guy. That worked out for me as well. I just love it here. The people are cool. It was kinda just my atmosphere. This is my vibe. I love everybody here.”
- Former All-Star guard Victor Oladipo, who is attempting an NBA comeback by playing in the G League, has been traded from the Bucks‘ affiliate team (the Wisconsin Herd) to the Cavaliers‘ affiliate club (the Cleveland Charge), the Herd announced in a press release. Wisconsin received the returning player rights to Jacob Gilyard and Drake Jeffries, a 2026 second-round pick and a 2026 international pick. Oladipo, 33, has averaged 14.0 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 3.8 APG and 1.8 SPG on .396/.321/.714 shooting in 26 games with the Herd this season (28.7 MPG).
Pacers Notes: Zubac, Jackson, Toppin, Roster
After losing Myles Turner in free agency last summer, the Pacers experimented this season with players like Isaiah Jackson and Jay Huff in the starting center role. However, the team felt that acquiring a veteran five was a priority, according to general manager Chad Buchanan, who tells Tony East of Forbes that Ivica Zubac emerged as Indiana’s “number one clear target” ahead of the trade deadline due to his fit, age, production, and character.
The Pacers are lottery-bound this season and could’ve waited until the summer to address their center spot, but Buchanan and the front office felt like it made more sense to come up with a solution now rather than wait to see what options were available in a few months.
“You just never know if you wait, is the opportunity still there? There could be other opportunities. There could be no opportunities. You just don’t know,” Buchanan said. “Other teams may have a need this summer and now you have more competition for a player. I kind of equate it as if there’s a race taking place for a championship – some teams are in the race, some teams are preparing for the race, some teams are watching the race. And we wanted to be in the race, not standing on the sidelines watching.”
The package that the Pacers sent the Clippers for Zubac includes a 2026 first-round pick that will stay in Indiana if it lands in the top four or outside the top nine, with L.A. receiving it if it’s between No. 5 and No. 9. There’s a possibility the Pacers will end up surrendering the fifth or sixth overall pick in a strong draft, but Buchanan said the team was happy not to have to sacrifice the upside at the very top of the draft and recognized giving up assets of real value was necessary to land a player like Zubac.
“Ideally, you don’t have to give up anything, but hey, to get a good player, you’ve got to give up something too. There’s a little pain on both sides in any trade,” Buchanan said. “The pain for us is giving up two players that we drafted and developed and had a lot of good experiences together (Bennedict Mathurin and Jackson). And obviously the picks. On their end, they’re giving up a player who was a big part of who their organization was. Had a lot of longevity there, a lot of attachment emotionally to what he’d done for that team. So there’s always a little pain on both sides.”
Here’s more on the Pacers:
- Indiana has an open spot on its 15-man roster after its deadline moves and Buchanan acknowledged to East that promoting Quenton Jackson from his two-way contract is a “real possibility” to fill that opening. The Pacers’ GM referred to Jackson as “a big part of our culture in our locker room” and lauded his energy, toughness, and positive attitude. Jackson still has 18 games of eligibility remaining on his two-way deal, so if he’s going to fill that 15th roster spot, there’s no real urgency for the Pacers – who are operating less than $900K from the tax line – to convert him right away.
- Zubac has yet to make his Pacers debut due to an ankle issue while forward Obi Toppin has been out since October as he recovers from foot surgery. However, Buchanan tell East that he expects to see both players back on the court this season.
- Asked by East what the Pacers’ roster still needs now that it has a new starting center, Buchanan joked that it’d be great to add a top-four pick in this year’s draft. The GM went on to say that the team will use the final two months of the season as an evaluation period before making additional roster decisions in the summer. “Depending on if we have the pick or don’t have the pick determines some of what we do roster-wise, what we have flexibility-wise with the cap,” he said. “But we’re going to be aggressive to try to put ourselves in a position to compete and contend for a championship next year. And whatever that means, we’re going to try and do it.”
- Zubac has made just 1-of-12 three-pointers since entering the NBA in 2016, but he said this week that he and head coach Rick Carlisle have already talked about him spending more time in the corner and having more opportunities to shoot from beyond the arc. “I always thought I could shoot that shot,” Zubac said, per Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star (subscription required). “I obviously didn’t get a lot of chances to do it with the Clippers, but I always worked on it and wanted to shoot it but never had a chance. We’ll see how open he will be for that. If that’s what they want me to do, I have the rest of the season and the whole summer to work on it and be ready for next year.”
Central Notes: Tomlin, Cunningham, Bucks Trades, Jackson
Cavaliers forward Nae’Qwan Tomlin is likely to be promoted from his two-way deal to a standard contract, but not right away, Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com writes in his latest mailbag (subsciber-only story).
Teammates and coaches are lobbying for Tomlin’s promotion, he has the support of the front office, and Cleveland has an open spot on its 15-man roster.
Still, the cap-strapped team is in no hurry to make the move and will likely keep its roster options open until the trade deadline passes, since Tomlin has only been active for 41 games — that means he’s still nine away from the 50-game threshold for two-way players. The Cavs only have seven games prior to the Feb. 5 trade deadline.
Here’s more from the Central Division:
- The Pistons defeated New Orleans without All-Star starter Cade Cunningham in the lineup on Wednesday. Cunningham sat out due to an illness and a left hip contusion. He’s questionable to play in Detroit’s home game against Houston on Friday, Hunter Patterson of The Athletic tweets.
- The Bucks have limited trade assets but they’re comfortably below the luxury tax line and about $18MM under the first apron. So what kind of moves might they make, short of trading their superstar? The Athletic’s Eric Nehm proposes a number of hypothetical deals, a few of which include Kyle Kuzma, Gary Harris and Amir Coffey as well as a blockbuster that would involve Bobby Portis and several other players to acquire the Kings’ Zach LaVine.
- Quenton Jackson‘s ankle was “jammed,” according to coach Rick Carlisle, during the Pacers’ loss to the Celtics on Wednesday. Jackson wasn’t on crutches in the locker room afterward, according to the Indianapolis Star’s Dustin Dopirak (Twitter link), and seemed to be moving around OK though he was in some pain. He’s questionable to play against Oklahoma City on Friday.
Kam Jones, Quenton Jackson Active Tonight For Pacers
The Pacers are finally getting some reinforcements back. According to the team (Twitter link), second-round pick Kam Jones will be active to potentially make his NBA debut on Friday in Philadelphia.
Jones was upgraded to questionable for the first time in 2025/26 earlier on Friday, notes Tony East of Circle City Spin (via Twitter).
The 38th pick in this year’s draft, Jones missed the first 24 games of his rookie season after experiencing a lower back stress reaction in training camp. The 23-year-old guard played four years at Marquette prior to signing a four-year standard contract with Indiana.
Quenton Jackson, who has been out since November 3 due to a right hamstring strain, will also be available tonight. He suited up for the Pacers’ G League affiliate on Thursday before rejoining the NBA club ahead of Friday’s game.
A fourth-year guard who is on a two-way contract, Jackson was off to a solid start before the injury, averaging 11.8 points, 3.6 assists, 3.4 rebounds and 1.0 steal on .541/.500/.722 shooting through five games (20.2 minutes per contest).
The Pacers have been absolutely ravaged by injuries this season and still have four players — Tyrese Haliburton (torn Achilles tendon), Obi Toppin (right foot stress fracture), Aaron Nesmith (left knee sprain) and Ben Sheppard (left calf strain) — sidelined.
Central Notes: Davis, Prince, Jackson, Robinson-Earl
The Pistons have been mentioned as a possible suitor for Anthony Davis but The Detroit Free Press’ Omari Sankofa II (subscription required) doubts Detroit will make a deal for the Mavericks big man.
According to Sankofa’s sources, the Pistons haven’t had discussions with the Mavericks regarding a trade for Davis. Moreover, it appears unlikely the Pistons will be among the teams looking to acquire him.
Sankofa notes Davis’ age, salary and injury history make him an awkward fit on a team loaded with young players. He also points out that the front office isn’t eager to make the roster both older and more expensive, especially with restricted free agent Jalen Duren potentially signing a huge new deal in the summer.
Here’s more from the Central Division:
- It has been nearly a month since Bucks forward Taurean Prince underwent neck surgery. He spoke about the procedure for the first time on Thursday following a shootaround. “It was definitely a tough process, definitely tough getting the news,” he said, per Jim Owczarski of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “The only way to hoop again would be to get the surgery. So, that was my mindset from the jump. And really just taking everything in and knowing how serious of a situation it was, so just being thankful that I’m still here to speak and be able to have an opportunity to hoop again. I’m gonna play again, for sure.” Prince, who holds a $3.81MM option on his contract for next season, is still unable to do any physical activity but is looking forward to eventually returning to action. “I still feel like I got a lot in the tank,” he said. “I’m only 31. God blessed me with these talents so I feel like I should exert ‘em till the end. And after that I’ll have plenty of life to live and plenty of time to be a great husband and a great dad.”
- Pacers guard Quenton Jackson is playing for the G League’s Noblesville Boom tonight and then will rejoin the NBA team in Philadelphia on Friday, Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star tweets. Jackson hasn’t appeared in an NBA game since he suffered a hamstring strain on Nov. 3. Jackson’s ramp up to action is going well, coach Rick Carlisle told Dopirak. Jackson is listed as questionable for Friday’s contest.
- Veteran forward Jeremiah Robinson-Earl is pondering his options after he was waived by the Pacers on Wednesday, Carlisle told Dopirak (Twitter link). One of those options is for Robinson-Earl to join the Boom in the G League. Robinson-Earl averaged 4.6 points and 5.2 rebounds per game in 17 appearances (17.6 MPG) for Indiana but fell out of the team’s rotation this month.
Central Notes: Cunningham, Nesmith, Pacers, Bucks
It was only two seasons ago that the Pistons lost 28 games in a row and wound up with the league’s worst record. Many of the players from that squad now find themselves on the top team in the Eastern Conference.
Cade Cunningham said the team’s previous futility is a constant motivator.
“So many long car rides after the games and stuff, long nights thinking about what could’ve happened different, stuff like that,” Cunningham told The Detroit Free Press’ Omari Sankofa II (subscription required). “That stuff lives with you. I carry it on the court all the time. I know my teammates carry it. (Isaiah Stewart) has had a lot of experiences in this league that he carries with him every time he plays. I think we’re all better for it.
“It’s the small things that make it up, and we’ve been through the losing end of those things and now, every night, we’re just trying to find ways to come out on top,” he added. “It’s just the details and (it’s) still early. We’re not satisfied or content with where we’re at right now. We’re just trying to keep on stacking, see where it takes us.”
Entering Saturday’s game, each of Detroit’s previous seven matchups had been decided by six points or less. The Pistons were 4-3 during that stretch.
“It’s crazy this year,” Cunningham said. “The difference in those plays is so small, you know? A loose ball with a minute and a half left in the fourth quarter, this year we’re coming up with it. In the past we don’t come up with it. We lose those games. This year we had a game [against Orlando] where we gave up a few offensive rebounds at the end, we lose that game. It’s the little plays that make up the outcomes. I think we’re just getting better at finding those moments and taking advantage more.”
We have more from the Central Division:
- Pacers wing Aaron Nesmith has been out since Nov. 13 with a left knee MCL sprain. He’s not close to coming back, according to Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star. “There’s no timetable,” coach Rick Carlisle said. “… It’s gonna be a while. Hopefully not too long. It would be great if he could be back playing some time this month. He’s making great progress with no setbacks. Time will tell, but I don’t have any set timetable for you.” Quenton Jackson, who has been out with a right hamstring strain since November 3, could return later this week. Second-round pick Kam Jones, sidelined since suffering a back injury in training camp, is ramping up his conditioning. Carlisle said Jones’ first games will most likely be with the Noblesville Boom, the Pacers’ G League affiliate.
- Carlisle has been employing a center by committee approach with Jay Huff, Isaiah Jackson, and Tony Bradley sharing minutes. The Pacers were forced to improvise when Myles Turner left in free agency, and Carlisle has been pleased with the results in recent games. “A lot of progress,” he told Dopirak. “Doesn’t matter who starts. It’s a tag-team thing, it’s a brotherhood thing. Those guys’ job is to hold down the fort. Tony is included in that too. It’s important that the spirit is we just find a way to get it done.”
- Bucks coach Doc Rivers gave his team two days off after playing back-to-back games on Friday and Saturday. His banged-up squad will have two big practice days on Tuesday and Wednesday before Thursday’s game against the Celtics, according to The Athletic’s Eric Nehm. “I think it’s a very pivotal time for us,” forward Kyle Kuzma said. “It’s sink or swim. We have to treat it like that.”
Injury Notes: Warriors, Davis, Barrett, Sixers, Collins, Pacers
The Warriors will be without three important frontcourt players on Monday against Utah. In addition to center Al Horford, who will miss at least a week due to right sciatic nerve irritation, and forward Jonathan Kuminga, who has been unavailable since November 12 due to bilateral knee tendonitis, Draymond Green has been ruled out for Monday’s game due to a right foot sprain, per Anthony Slater of ESPN.
Green was listed as questionable before being downgraded to out, which may be a sign that his injury isn’t considered significant. Of course, Kuminga’s knee soreness also wasn’t intially viewed as a cause for much concern, but he’ll miss a sixth straight contest on Monday and his return isn’t necessarily imminent.
The Warriors had hoped he’d be able to practice on Sunday, but that didn’t happen, according to Slater, who adds that imaging on Kuminga’s knees came back clean, showing no structural damage.
“He said he’s not moving that well, so I can’t tell you what the outlook is,” head coach Steve Kerr said on Sunday. “He needs to feel better and be able to move better before we can put him out there.”
We have several more injury updates from around the NBA:
- Mavericks big man Anthony Davis will miss a 14th consecutive game due to a left calf strain on Monday, but head coach Jason Kidd said the plan is for Davis to take part in practice on Wednesday, writes Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal. Assuming Davis practices without a setback, his return shouldn’t be far off, Afseth notes.
- The imaging results on RJ Barrett‘s sprained right knee “look promising,” according to Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic (Twitter link via Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca). Barrett is out for Monday’s game vs. Cleveland but seems to have avoided a serious injury and is being considered day-to-day.
- Sixers rookie VJ Edgecombe (left calf tightness) will miss a second consecutive game on Tuesday vs. Orlando, but center Joel Embiid (right knee injury management) has been upgraded to questionable, tweets Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports.
- The Bulls are hopeful that Zach Collins (left wrist surgery) will be able to practice with contact this week, according to Joel Lorenzi of The Athletic (Twitter link), who says Collins has a chance to return during the team’s post-Thanksgiving road trip that begins on Friday and runs through next Monday.
- Pacers guards Johnny Furphy (left ankle sprain) and Quenton Jackson (right hamstring strain) could be back in action within the next couple weeks, head coach Rick Carlisle said today (Twitter links via Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star). Carlisle added that rookie Kam Jones has recovered from his back injury, but is still in the ramp-up process and could play for the Noblesville Boom in the G League before making his NBA debut.
Pacers Notes: Turner, Furphy, Jackson, Nesmith, Walker
After predicting ahead of his return to Indiana that he’d hear “some cheers” and “some boos,” longtime Pacers center Myles Turner – now a member of the division rival Bucks – admitted following Monday’s game that he wasn’t able to easily shrug off the fact that the boos were far more prevalent.
“It was disheartening, man. It was frustrating,” Turner said of the reaction (Twitter video link via WISH-TV News). “You give 10 years of your life, your blood, your sweat, your tears. You take pay cuts. You survive trade rumors. You try to do everything the right way, and then sometimes stuff shakes out. It is cool. I take it on the chin.”
Turner, who was selected by the Pacers with the 11th overall pick in the 2015 draft, spent the first decade of his professional career in Indiana, making 616 regular season starts – and another 63 in the playoffs – during that time. After he reached free agency this past offseason, he felt he was low-balled by the Pacers and opted to accept a more lucrative offer from Milwaukee.
In his first game back in Indiana on Monday, Pacers fans booed during Turner’s pregame tribute video and continued to boo each time he touched the ball once the game started, notes Jamal Collier of ESPN. Turner and his new team got the last laugh, however, as Giannis Antetokounmpo made a game-winning shot at the buzzer and gave the fans in Indiana a thumbs down as he walked off the court (Twitter video link).
“He had 10 years of service with one franchise,” Antetokounmpo said of Turner after the game, per Akeem Glaspie of The Indianapolis Star. “To be able to come to Indiana as the all-time blocks leader, to be booed, he might not say it but it kind of hurt.
“We’re here to pick him up. Tell him how much we love him and respect him. We understand how much he gave to Indiana and how much he’s going to give to Milwaukee. He’s a great, great person; great character, great competitor. I played against him for 10 years. I think he gave everything he had; blood, sweat, tears, his body, many times on the line for Indiana. … You can boo the Bucks, I understand. But booing Myles Turner, just think about yourself, put yourself in that position.”
Here’s more on the Pacers:
- Second-year Pacers guard Johnny Furphy, who missed four games early in the season due to left foot soreness, exited Monday’s game early due to a left ankle sprain, writes Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star. While head coach Rick Carlisle told reporters after the game that he didn’t have an update on Furphy’s status, the 20-year-old left the locker room on crutches, according to Dopirak.
- Furphy wasn’t the only Pacer to leave Monday’s game early due to an injury. Quenton Jackson, who is on a two-way contract, checked out in the third quarter due to right hamstring tightness. While he was initially listed as questionable to return, Jackson remained out for the rest of the night, per Dopirak. The fourth-year point guard had enjoyed a career night in Saturday’s win over Golden State, with 25 points, 10 assists, six rebounds, and three steals.
- Discussing the two latest injuries affecting the banged-up Pacers, star forward Pascal Siakam referred to it as “almost laughable” how many health issues the team has had to deal with so far this season, according to Dopirak (subscription required). “As bad as it’s getting I know there’s going to be another side of it and we’re going to come out of it,” Siakam said. “I’m just wired that way in a positive manner. I’m just going to continue to work and scratch and claw and we’re gonna find a way.”
- Aaron Nesmith, who is averaging more than five field goal attempts more than his previous career high, and Jarace Walker, whose shot attempts are up from 4.8 per game last year to 12.6 this season, are among the players who have been asked to take on more offensive responsibilities due to Indiana’s injury absences. “They’ve had to figure things out on the fly,” head coach Rick Carlisle said, per Dopirak. “We have a lot of moving parts here. … We have a lot of guys who are playing unusual positions, and so there’s adjustments that are happening there. Everybody’s spirit is good about it and we just have to keep working at it. Both Aaron and Jarace are doing a good job and they’re both growing through this.”
Pacers Notes: Injuries, Mathurin, Peter, Nembhard, Carlisle
The Pacers were playing without six injured guards — Tyrese Haliburton (torn Achilles), T.J. McConnell (left hamstring strain), Kam Jones (lower back stress reaction), Quenton Jackson (right hamstring strain), Johnny Furphy (left foot soreness) and Andrew Nembhard (left shoulder strain) — during Saturday’s contest in Memphis (Twitter link).
Two more — rookie Taelon Peter (sore right groin) and Bennedict Mathurin (sore right foot) — were forced to exit the blowout loss after sustaining their own injuries, according to the team (Twitter links).
It’s an extremely unfortunate and seemingly unprecedented situation, as the reigning Eastern Conference champions now only have two healthy guards — Ben Sheppard and two-way player RayJ Dennis — on the roster just two games into the season. And even Sheppard chipped a tooth on Saturday, per Tony East of Circle City Spin (Twitter video link).
The Pacers may soon qualify for a hardship exception (perhaps more than one), depending on the severity of some of the team’s injuries.
We have more on the Pacers:
- Head coach Rick Carlisle said after Saturday’s game that Mathurin’s injury is specifically in the “forefoot” and he may undergo imaging tomorrow, assuming the Pacers can find somewhere to do it in Minneapolis on Sunday (Twitter link via Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star). Mathurin, who will be a restricted free agent next summer, was walking gingerly in the locker room, though he wasn’t in a walking boot or using crutches, Dopirak adds (via Twitter).
- It’s unclear how long Nembhard will be out after exiting Indiana’s season-opener against Oklahoma City. Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files (Substack link) provides more context on when the injury occurred, stating that Nembhard appeared to get tangled up with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in the first half of Thursday’s game and immediately grabbed his left arm.
- Carlisle was incensed with the officials in the double-overtime thriller against the Thunder. As Dopirak writes (subscription required), two controversial plays involving timeouts went against Indiana during the nail-biting loss, one of which resulted in a technical foul on Carlisle. “I’m not talking about the refs,” Carlisle said after the game. “If I talk about the refs, I’m going to get fined an exorbitant amount of money.”
Injury Notes: Garland, Suggs, Adebayo, Bucks, Pacers, Thiero
Cavaliers point guard Darius Garland took an important step forward in his recovery from toe surgery by participating in a 5-on-5 contact scrimmage on Tuesday, writes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (subscription required). While head coach Kenny Atkinson referred to as a positive development, he cautioned that it doesn’t mean Garland’s return is imminent.
“It was live. It was very short,” Atkinson said. “Now let’s see what tomorrow looks like. What does the recovery look like? We know this is not an easy injury to come back from. It’s just not. You see what happens in the NFL with this injury. It’s not linear, usually, the return to performance, and we’re hoping it will be and he’ll progress. But I side on the side of being conservative and making sure. This is a good step today. A small step but a good step.”
Sources who have spoken to Fedor have maintained that Garland still could miss the first 10-15 games of the regular season. With their starting point guard expected to be unavailable when the season tips off, the Cavs intend to start Sam Merrill in the backcourt alongside Donovan Mitchell, who will take on more ball-handling responsibilities, says Fedor.
We have several more injury-related updates from around the NBA:
- Magic guard Jalen Suggs did “a little bit” of contact work on Tuesday in a 3-on-3 setting, head coach Jamahl Mosley told reporters, including Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (subscription required). It’s unclear whether Suggs will be able to play in Orlando’s remaining preseason game on Thursday or if he’ll be ready for the season opener next Wednesday.
- Heat big man Bam Adebayo exited Monday’s preseason game early due to a knee injury, but it’s just a contusion and wasn’t serious enough to require an MRI, according to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald (Twitter link). While it remains to be seen if Adebayo will suit up in the team’s preseason finale on Friday, it sounds like he should fine for the start of the season.
- After Myles Turner (right calf soreness) and Gary Harris (right hamstring strain) sat out the Bucks‘ last preseason game on Tuesday, head coach Doc Rivers downplayed Turner’s issue and suggested he’ll be ready for the start of the season, but said Harris’ hamstring injury will likely sideline him for a week or two, per Eric Nehm of The Athletic (Twitter links).
- The injuries that Pacers reserves Johnny Furphy (left ankle sprain) and Quenton Jackson (right hamstring soreness) are dealing with aren’t “serious,” according to head coach Rick Carlisle, but there’s no guarantee either player will be ready for opening night. “There’s a chance they could be back for the opening of the season, but I don’t know how big of a chance,” Carlisle said, according to Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star. The Pacers’ coach added Ben Sheppard, who has been out with an undisclosed injury, is “trending in a good direction” and could be available on Friday for the club’s preseason finale.
- Lakers rookie Adou Thiero remains sidelined due to swelling in his knee but has progressed to on-court activities, the team announced on Tuesday (Twitter link via Dan Woike of The Athletic). The Lakers added that Thiero will be reevaluated in approximately two or three weeks.