Injury Notes: McBride, Grant, Edwards, Pistons
Miles McBride will return to action for the Knicks on Sunday after being sidelined since January 27 due to a sports hernia surgery, per James L. Edwards III of The Athletic (via Twitter).
McBride is scoring at a career-best rate this season, averaging 12.9 points per game while hitting a career-high 42.0% of his 6.9 three-point attempts per contest.
His return comes during a key stretch for the Knicks, who are looking to catch the Celtics for the No. 2 seed in the East while playing in Oklahoma City on Sunday and Houston on Tuesday in two of their remaining regular season tests. Entering Sunday, the Knicks trail the Celtics by 1.5 games.
Edwards adds (via Twitter) that McBride will be on a minutes restriction, though he doesn’t specify what the restriction will be. Stefan Bondy of the New York Post adds that Landry Shamet is with the Knicks on their road trip, and, according to coach Mike Brown, is progressing in his recovery from a bone bruise in his knee (Twitter link).
We have more injury notes from around the league:
- According to Trail Blazers coach Tiago Splitter, veteran forward Jerami Grant underwent an MRI on his calf and will remain without a recovery timeline until he can go through more testing, per Sean Highkin of the Rose Garden Report (via Twitter). Grant said he “felt a pop” in his right calf during the third quarter of Friday’s loss to the Mavericks.
- Anthony Edwards has been upgraded to questionable for the Timberwolves‘ game on Monday, per Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Twitter link). Edwards has missed Minnesota’s last six games with a knee injury, with the team going 4-2 during that stretch. The Wolves currently hold a half-game lead over the Rockets for the No. 5 seed in the West.
- The Pistons have a lengthy injury report for Monday’s game against the Thunder, with Jalen Duren (right knee), Tobias Harris (left hip), and Duncan Robinson (right hip) all listed as doubtful, while Ausar Thompson (right ankle) is questionable. Detroit is already missing Cade Cunningham (left lung) and Isaiah Stewart (left calf).
Northwest Notes: Grant, R. Williams, Murray, George, J. Williams
It was a rough Friday night for the Trail Blazers, who lost to Dallas while two frontcourt players departed early due to injuries. Forward Jerami Grant felt a “pop” in his right calf while running down court in the third quarter and did not play in the final quarter. He’s expected to undergo further medical testing on Saturday, according to Joe Freeman of The Oregonian. Center Robert Williams tweaked his lower back in the first half and didn’t play after the break.
“They’re very important for us,” Blazers All-Star forward Deni Avdija said of Grant and Williams. “They’re a really, really big part of our team. They’re great players. And I hope they’re OK. I haven’t checked with them yet, but I hope they’re going to come back fast because we need those guys on the court for sure.”
Here’s more from the Northwest Division:
- Jamal Murray set a new Nuggets franchise record for three-pointers in a season on Friday. Murray hit his 221st three-pointer in a win over Utah, surpassing Michael Porter Jr.‘s previous mark. He finished with 31 points. “I remember every single time I yell into the crowd,” Murray said, per Vinny Benedetto of the Denver Gazette. “It’s just a good feeling when they cheer you on and know what’s coming. They know I’m going to shoot some tough shots and probably make it. … I gain more confidence as they yell more and appreciate it more. It’s just fun to have those interactions and lift up the crowd.”
- Keyonte George is now ineligible for postseason awards due to a hamstring injury that has kept him out since March 11. However, he has tried to remain a positive influence off the court. “Nobody wants to get hurt and Keyonte has put in a lot of work,” Jazz head coach Will Hardy said, per Sarah Todd of the Deseret News. “But he’s a good teammate, and he cares about the other guys. He also recognizes his position in our locker room and on our team. When you want to be somebody that’s in a leadership role…he understands that he has to give himself to the group, and he has to be there for the guys that are playing.” In his third season, George is averaging 23.6 points and 6.1 assists per game in 54 games — he would’ve been a Most Improved Player candidate if he had reached the 65-game benchmark. He’s eligible for a rookie scale extension this offseason.
- Jalen Williams has been sidelined for two stretches this season due to hamstring injuries. The Thunder forward admitted to ESPN’s Vince Goodwill that it affected him mentally. “It’s an eerie feeling,” Williams said. “When you pull it, it’s such a new feeling, the movements you do when you’re ramping back up is scary. But now I have confidence, working out, I don’t think about it when I’m playing.” Williams appears to be rounding to form. He had 18 points, eight assists and six rebounds in 27 minutes against Chicago on Friday.
Adam Silver Discusses Expansion, NBA Europe, Tanking, More
Adam Silver‘s press conference at the conclusion of the league’s latest Board of Governors meetings on Wednesday was an eventful one, as the NBA commissioner discussed next steps for potential expansion, the latest developments related to NBA Europe, the league’s anti-tanking efforts, and more.
Here are some of the highlights from Silver’s presser, sorted by subject:
On exploring expansion to Vegas and Seattle:
- Silver hopes to have a formal decision by the end of this year on the possibility of expanding to Las Vegas and/or Seattle, according to Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. “Our goal was in 2026 to resolve this issue one way or the other,” Silver said. “So, my timeline — we weren’t so specific with the board — is that we need to know by the end of this calendar year what it is we’re doing. It may not be that every ‘I’ is dotted, but that would be our goal, this year.”
- The NBA has yet to reach any deals with potential ownership groups, Silver said, adding that the bidding process is wide open. “If you are interested, and I’ll say that now to people who may be listening or watching this, if you’re interested, call the league office, call PJT Partners directly in New York,” Silver said, referring to the investment bank the league hired as a strategic adviser. “I just want to make sure everybody understands there’s been no handshakes on the side. There’s been no commitments. There’s no promises to anyone. This is a completely transparent process.”
- Expanding to 32 teams isn’t a given, Silver said today (Twitter link via Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints): “There is absolutely a chance expansion may not happen. It’s also possible we could expand to one market, maybe two, or no markets.” Silver did add that there’s reason to believe there will be “enormous” interest in the Vegas and Seattle markets.
- Silver acknowledged that some team owners don’t see the need to expand beyond 30 teams, citing concerns about possible dilution of talent and further divvying up NBA revenue shares, tweets Chris Mannix of SI.com. However, the substantial potential of the Vegas and Seattle markets factored into the decision to move forward with exploring expansion. That vote was unanimous, ESPN’s Shams Charania said during an NBA Today appearance (Twitter video link).
On NBA Europe:
- Mark Tatum, the NBA’s deputy commissioner, provided team owners with an update on plans for NBA Europe at the Board of Governors meetings, but no vote was conducted on the potential European league, tweets Tim Bontemps of ESPN.
- Although Silver said there has been a ton of enthusiasm about NBA Europe, he acknowledged that the “best outcome” would be if the NBA could join forces with the EuroLeague on the venture rather than the two leagues competing against one another (Twitter link via Marc Stein).
On tanking:
- The NBA will hold a special Board of Governors meeting in May to make a decision on what new rules will be implemented to deter tanking, Silver told reporters (Twitter link via Reynolds).
- “We are going to fix it … full stop,” Silver said in reference to the NBA’s tanking issue (Twitter link via Stein).
- The commissioner added that the league needs to do something more “extreme” than it has in the past, per Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic (Twitter link). “Going into next season, the incentives will be completely different than we are right now,” Silver said.
On the 65-game rule:
- Despite backlash from media members, the National Basketball Players Association, and agents, it doesn’t sound like Silver is eager to abolish – or even make changes to – the 65-game rule for end-of-season award eligibility, tweets Tim Bontemps of ESPN.
- Calls to modify the rule have increased with Pistons star Cade Cunningham looking likely to fall a few games short of the minimum. While Silver is sympathetic to Cunningham’s situation and says he’s always open to talking to the NBPA, he’s less convinced it’s a major problem. “I’m not ready to say it’s not working,” Silver said of the rule (Twitter link via Siegel). “It is working… I’m not ready to say because there is a sense of unfairness for one player, that the rule doesn’t work.”
[UPDATE: NBPA To Seek Change To 65-Game Rule]
On the Trail Blazers’ sale to incoming owner Tom Dundon and their future in Portland:
- Reporting last summer suggested that March 31 was the target date for Tom Dundon to close his purchase of majority control of the Trail Blazers. Silver suggested on Wednesday that timeline hasn’t changed. “We expect that there’ll be a vote shortly from our board,” he said, per Joe Freeman of The Oregonian (subscription required). “Tom and his group were just interviewed yesterday, so that’s now the additional process. But that should happen in short order. I think Tom is anxious and ready to go and wants to build a championship franchise there.”
- As the Blazers look to secure a long-term future in Portland, they’ve focused on making renovations to the Moda Center rather than building a new arena, writes Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report (subscription required). Asked if the NBA views those renovations as sufficient to keep the team in Portland and incentivize Dundon to agree to the 20-year lease terms being discussed, Silver replied, “I believe so. The plan is to have long-term stability for the franchise. I’ve talked directly to the governor, the mayor, the city council. We wouldn’t be going through this process if the plan wasn’t to have a long-term lease in Portland. I don’t want to speak for Tom Dundon, but I know he sees the opportunity to be very successful in Portland. It’s an important market for the NBA. Tom understands that, and I admire the way the community has come together.”
Bucks’ Nance Among Two-Way Players Nearing Game Limit
Bucks forward Pete Nance had one of his best games of the season in Tuesday’s loss to Cleveland, scoring 13 points on 5-of-6 shooting, grabbing seven rebounds, and blocking two shots. Although Milwaukee lost the game by a score of 123-116, Nance was a +7 during his 30 minutes of action.
As Keith Smith of Spotrac observes (via Twitter), it was the 29th consecutive game – and the 47th overall – in which Nance was active. That’s important because the 26-year-old is on a two-way contract, which comes with a limit of 50 active games.
The Bucks still have 14 games left on their regular season schedule, but if they want Nance to be active for more than three of those contests, they’d have to promote him to their standard 15-man roster, which is currently full.
Most promotions from a two-way contract to a standard deal in a given league year occur between the trade deadline and March 4. That way, teams don’t prematurely fill a roster spot they might need for a deadline deal and have the ability to back-fill a newly opened two-way slot on or before March 4, the deadline to sign players to two-way contracts. Promoting a two-way player to the 15-man roster after that deadline means that a club would have to leave one of its two-way slots open for the rest of the season.
Promotions can still happen between March 5 and the end of the regular season, but it’s a less pressing priority for teams who don’t have 15-man roster spots available and/or won’t need their two-way standouts for the postseason. The Bucks, whose playoff chances are on life support, probably fall into both of those categories, so it will be interesting to see whether they feel compelled to make a move with Nance as he nears his 50-game limit.
Here are the other players are on two-way contracts around the NBA who have fewer than 10 games of eligibility remaining (their remaining games are noted in parentheses):
- Moussa Cisse, Mavericks (4)
JD Davison, Rockets (4)
Tyrese Martin, Sixers (4) - Caleb Love, Trail Blazers (5)
David Roddy, Nuggets (5) - Tristan Enaruna, Cavaliers (6)
Blake Hinson, Jazz (6)
Rayan Rupert, Grizzlies (6)
Payton Sandfort, Thunder (6)
Dalen Terry, Sixers (6) - Norchad Omier, Clippers (7)
Nate Williams, Warriors (7) - Patrick Baldwin Jr., Kings (8)
Jamal Cain, Magic (8)
Julian Reese, Wizards (8) - Trevor Keels, Heat (9)
KJ Simpson, Nuggets (9)
Jalen Slawson, Pacers (9)
Ethan Thompson, Pacers (9)
Chris Youngblood, Trail Blazers (9)
Some of these players were just signed a couple weeks ago and didn’t have that many games of two-way eligibility to begin with, so the fact that they’re nearing their limit isn’t a big deal for their respective teams.
Sandfort, for instance, joined the Thunder on March 2, giving him 12 total games of regular season eligibility. He has been active for six, but has a DNP-CD in all of them. It’s safe to assume Oklahoma City won’t be looking to find a way to promote him to its standard roster.
Others on this list were regular contributors earlier in the season but have been deactivated since they got close to their respective limits. Cisse, for example, was at 42 active games at the trade deadline, but has been in the Mavericks’ lineup for just four of 18 contests since then. Davison and Love are among the others who have found themselves exiled to the inactive list on a permanent basis in recent weeks. Their teams have gotten by without them lately and don’t appear to be prioritizing promotions.
That doesn’t mean none of these players will be converted to standard contracts by April 12 though. The Jazz, Warriors, and Magic are among the teams that have open roster spots, so Hinson, Williams, and Cain, each of whom has been seeing a decent amount of playing time recently, should be considered candidates to fill those openings.
Northwest Notes: George, SGA, C. Johnson, Blazers
With Jazz guard Keyonte George not expected to have his hamstring strain reevaluated for another week-and-a-half, his chances of winning this year’s Most Improved Player award appear to be on life support. Most Improved Player is one of the awards that requires candidates to appear in at least 65 games — George is at 54, and one of those games won’t count toward his minimum, since he played fewer than 15 minutes.
In other words, in order to qualify for award consideration, George would have to return to action next Saturday and play in Utah’s final 12 games, which appears highly unlikely. As Kevin Reynolds of The Salt Lake Tribune writes, even before George’s most recent injury, head coach Will Hardy had made it clear that the 22-year-old’s long-term health would be the team’s priority over reaching that 65-game threshold.
“I would like to get Keyonte 65. I’m not ever trying to take away someone’s ability to have individual success,” head coach Will Hardy said in early March. “But I think Keyonte also understands that we’re going to approach it a game at a time, and we’re going to try to make sure that he’s healthy. That’s always going to be our approach. We’re going to choose the health of our organization, the health of our players, over chasing awards.”
While he likely won’t be on the ballot for Most Improved Player this spring, George has taken a promising step forward in 2025/26, registering new career highs in points (23.6), assists (6.1), and steals (1.1) per game, as well as field goal percentage (45.6%), three-point percentage (37.1%), and free throw percentage (89.2%). He’ll be eligible for a rookie scale extension beginning in July.
We have more from around the Northwest:
- In the wake of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander breaking Wilt Chamberlain‘s NBA record for most consecutive games with at least 20 points, Justin Martinez of The Oklahoman takes a look at how the Thunder guard became the league’s most consistent scorer. Gilgeous-Alexander has scored 20 or more points in 127 consecutive regular season games — the last time he failed to reach that mark was on October 30, 2024, when he had 18 vs. San Antonio.
- Nuggets forward Cameron Johnson has had an up-and-down first year in Denver and admits that there’s “still an element of figuring it out,” even with just a month left in the regular season, per Bennett Durando of The Denver Post (subscription required). According to Johnson, who has scored at least 15 points in three straight games for just the second time this season, the coaching staff has encouraged him to be more decisive. “I think sometimes, he’s trying to make perfect plays, instead of just making the play that is right there in front of you (that) is the right decision,” head coach David Adelman said. Johnson will be extension-eligible this summer as he enters the final year of his current contract, which will pay him $23.1MM in 2026/27.
- Visiting Portland this week, NBA commissioner Adam Silver said he has been encouraged by the steps that have been taken so far to secure public funding for renovations to the Trail Blazers‘ Moda Center, according to The Associated Press. “I’ve had great conversations with the governor and the mayor, and it’s been a bipartisan effort,” Silver said. “I think everyone in this community recognizes that, even in addition to the Trail Blazers and the (WNBA expansion) Fire — and we can’t forget about the Fire, which are about to open this season — that these arenas are multi-use facilities, whether it’s conventions or trade shows, concerts, graduations, you name it. They’re part of the life blood of communities. So it’s not just for the Trail Blazers and the Fire. You need a state-of-the-art arena here.”
Victor Wembanyama, Tyler Herro Named Players Of Week
Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama and Heat guard Tyler Herro have been named the Western and Eastern Conference Players of the Week, respectively, according to the league (Twitter links). The weekly award covers games played from March 2-8.
Wembanyama averaged 26.0 points, 10.5 rebounds and 4.8 blocks per game as San Antonio went 4-0 last week. It’s the second weekly award this season for the former No. 1 overall pick and the third of his career.
The Player of the Week honor continues an impressive run of award recognition for Wembanyama, who last week was named the Western Conference’s Player of the Month and Defensive Player of the Month for February.
Herro averaged 26.3 points and 5.5 rebounds per game while shooting 51.7 percent from three-point range as Miami also went 4-0 last week. This marks Herro’s second career Player of the Week award and his first of the season. He has been limited to just 20 appearances so far due to injuries but has been highly productive when available, averaging 22.1 PPG on .500/.402/.917 shooting.
Devin Booker (Suns), Luka Dončić (Lakers), Anthony Edwards (Timberwolves), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder), Jrue Holiday (Trail Blazers) and Kawhi Leonard (Clippers) were the other nominees from the Western Conference. Bam Adebayo (Heat), Paolo Banchero (Magic), Jalen Johnson (Hawks) and Karl-Anthony Towns (Knicks) were also nominated in the East.
And-Ones: Beasley, FIBA, 2026 Draft, More
A federal judge in New York has found former NBA sharpshooter Malik Beasley liable for $1MM in damages (plus interest) to be paid to Hazan Sports Management, the agency that previously represented him, according to David Purdum of ESPN.
The agency filed a lawsuit earlier this year seeking $2.25MM in damages and legal fees for breach of contract. Hazan Sports alleged in that suit that Beasley left the agency in February 2025 without paying back a $650K marketing advance.
Judge Jeannette A. Vargas wrote in her ruling that “no objections have been filed and no request for an extension of time to object has been made” by Beasley. According to Purdum, the suit doesn’t list an attorney for Beasley.
Beasley finished second in Sixth Man of the Year voting in 2024/25 and appeared poised to land a lucrative multiyear deal in free agency. However, his contract negotiations ended when word broke that federal investigators and the NBA were investigating him due to possible connection to illegal betting activity. The veteran wing signed last month with Cangrejeros de Santurce, a Puerto Rican team owned by Bad Bunny, as he awaits clarity on his NBA future.
We have more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- FIBA has reached an agreement on a broadcasting deal with TNT Sports that will give the network the rights to several international basketball competitions, including the 2026 women’s World Cup in Germany and the 2027 men’s World Cup in Qatar, according to a press release.
- In his latest preview of the 2026 NBA draft, Jeremy Woo of ESPN.com explores one big question facing each of the top nine prospects on his board, including how real Kingston Flemings‘ shooting improvements are and whether Tennessee’s Nate Ament can make a leap as a shot creator.
- ESPN’s Tim Bontemps shares his “all-contract team” for the 2025/26 season, building the best possible 15-man roster without exceeding the salary cap and without selecting any players on maximum-salary, minimum-salary, or rookie scale contracts. Knicks guard Jalen Brunson, Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija, and Hawks forward Jalen Johnson are among Bontemps’ headliners.
- One month removed from this year’s trade deadline, Dan Devine of Yahoo Sports checks in on the early returns of some of February’s biggest deals, noting that Cavaliers guard James Harden, Thunder guard Jared McCain, Hawks forward Jonathan Kuminga, and Timberwolves guard Ayo Dosunmu are some of the players off to strong starts with their new teams.
NBA Explores Launching Streaming RSN Hub For 2026/27
The NBA has let its teams know that there’s a chance it will introduce a streaming hub for local broadcasts as soon as next season, sources tell Tom Friend of Sports Business Journal. Many clubs’ local broadcasts have been thrown into disarray due to the fact that Main Street Sports Group, which has regional TV agreements with 13 NBA teams, is likely headed for insolvency.
That group of 13 teams – which includes the defending champion Thunder, along with the Spurs, Pistons, Cavaliers, Clippers, Heat, Timberwolves, Magic, Hornets, Hawks, Pacers, Grizzlies, and Bucks – would be the most likely candidates to be involved in the NBA’s new streaming hub.
As Friend points out, there are a few more teams (the Suns, Jazz, Trail Blazers, Mavericks, and Pelicans) who have already abandoned their respective regional sports networks and could be candidates for the new venture as well. On top of that, Friend’s sources suspect the four teams who have deals with NBC Sports – the Celtics, Warriors, Sixers, and Kings – could be in play due to a sense that NBC may want out of the regional sports network business.
The other eight teams broadcast games on their own networks, which doesn’t necessarily rule them out, but would make it more complicated for the league to negotiate deals with each of them.
While it remains unclear exactly what the new setup will look like, Friend hears that the NBA has engaged in talks with potential partners like YouTube TV, DAZN, Amazon, and ESPN as it considers a package that might resemble NFL Sunday Ticket.
The total number of teams that opt in figures to be a major factor in determining the viability of this new streaming hub, Friend writes, citing sources who think the NBA would need to guarantee a broadcast partner a certain threshold of clubs in order to secure a significant deal. With enough teams involved, industry insiders believe an agreement would be worth billions, Friend adds.
Due to its financial woes, Main Street has missed payments to its teams on January 1, February 1, and March 1, per Sports Business Journal. The NBA originally didn’t plan on launching this sort of streaming hub until down the road, Friend writes, but it has become a higher priority in order to help teams make up for those lost rights-fee payments.
Although the league has informed its teams that it’s trying to get something together for the 2026/27 season, there’s no guarantee that will happen, so Main Street clubs have been advised to explore lining up a bridge deal for their local broadcasts. Those teams are exploring both linear and streaming options, Friend notes.
Friend also points out that, since a new league-wide streaming hub may overlap with League Pass, the NBA may need to either restructure League Pass or eliminate it all together down the road. Amazon currently distributes League Pass as part of its national broadcast agreement with the NBA, so those negotiations would be simpler if the league ultimately strikes a deal to make Amazon its partner on a new streaming RSN.
Northwest Notes: Anderson, Jazz, Dundon, Caruso, Hartenstein
It’s rare for a player added on the buyout market to make a significant impact on his new team, but the Timberwolves believe Kyle Anderson is capable of doing just that, writes Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. Besides the fact that the 32-year-old is very familiar with the Wolves, whom he played for from 2022-24, the team also has a need for a versatile wing like Anderson, according to head coach Chris Finch.
“We’re very comfortable, I think, in what he can do and how he fits into us,” Finch said. “We need more connectors, more play-makers. We’ll put the ball in his hands. We’ll treat him like a point guard. Defensively, he gives us versatility, switching, intelligence. He’s a great quarterback of the defense.”
Anderson left Minnesota in free agency in 2024 with the Wolves facing a cap crunch. He received a three-year, $27MM deal from Golden State that his former team likely wasn’t in position to offer, but his time with the Warriors didn’t last long. Anderson was traded from Golden State to Miami to Utah to Memphis in the past two seasons, and after being let go by the Grizzlies, he jumped at the chance to rejoin the Wolves.
“With Kyle, it feels good that A) he had such a great experience here, B) he went on and was rewarded for that experience financially, which we always root for, and C) he wanted to come back because he enjoyed being here, and his family enjoyed being here,” Finch said. “The circle is complete in that regard, and hopefully we can all benefit from it in these last 20 games and in the playoffs.”
We have more from around the Northwest:
- Anderson, who appeared in 20 games with the Jazz this season before being dealt to Memphis, admitted he didn’t love playing for a team that was more focused on preserving its top-eight protected 2026 first-round pick than making the playoffs. “I had a lot of fun in the organization and everybody in the organization was awesome,” Anderson said (Twitter video link via Andrew Dukowitz of Zone Coverage). “Obviously, playing not to win (a championship) is tricky and tough, and I didn’t enjoy it personally, but the staff and the players, I loved the players… the people in the organization were awesome, nothing bad to say about them.”
- Tom Dundon, whose purchase of the Trail Blazers is expected to close at some point in the coming weeks, has reached a deal to sell a 12.5% stake in the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes at a valuation of $2.66 billion, according to Scott Soshnick, Eben Novy-Williams, and Kurt Badenhausen of Sportico. It’s unclear, per Sportico, whether the timing of the transaction means Dundon is seeking additional liquidity as he prepares to finalize the Blazers sale.
- The Thunder earned their fourth consecutive victory on Wednesday, beating the Knicks 103-100 on the second night of a road back-to-back. However, they didn’t leave New York unscathed. As Marc Stein tweets, both Alex Caruso (left hip contusion) and Isaiah Hartenstein (left calf tightness) exited early and were ruled out for the rest of the night. It remains to be seen whether they’ll miss more time as a result of those injuries.
Northwest Notes: Hyland, Dort, Nuggets, Blazers
In an excellent profile, Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic explores the journey Bones Hyland has taken to end up with the Timberwolves, detailing the tragic 2018 fire that burned down Hyland’s childhood home and took the lives of his grandmother and 11-month-old cousin. Hyland, who jumped out of a second-floor window to safety, tore the patellar tendon in his right knee and was initially told by doctors that they didn’t think he’d play basketball again, Krawcyznski writes.
“I cried my eyes out,” Hyland said. “But I knew it wasn’t the end for me. God always got the last say-so.”
Grieving the loss of two family members and recovering from his own injuries with the overwhelming support of a Wilmington community that made sure he was never alone in his hospital room, Hyland began rehabbing his knee and eventually made it back onto the basketball court, earning a scholarship to VCU and then becoming a first-round pick in the 2021 NBA draft.
Although earlier stints with the Nuggets and Clippers didn’t end the way he hoped, Hyland has found a new NBA home in Minnesota, where he has settled into a second-unit role for the Wolves this season, averaging 7.1 points and 2.5 assists in 14.7 minutes per game, with a 38.8% three-point mark.
“I love having him on the team,” head coach Chris Finch said, per Krawczynski. “He’s the same every day. He’s a super happy guy. He’s one of these guys who brings joy to the game in the way that he plays it.”
We have more from around the Northwest:
- Four days after being ejected from a showdown with the Nuggets after tripping Nikola Jokic on his way up the court, Thunder forward Luguentz Dort expressed some regret for the play that was ruled a flagrant 2 foul, writes Joel Lorenzi of The Athletic. “Obviously, that was unnecessary contact that I shouldn’t have done,” Dort said. “… That’s a physical game and there’s limits to it. And I went over the limit.” Informed of Dort’s comments, Nuggets coaches and players were unmoved, with David Adelman, Bruce Brown, and Jonas Valanciunas each responding with a “no” when asked by Troy Renck of The Denver Post if Dort’s acknowledgement meant anything to them (Twitter video links).
- Efforts to secure public funding for the Trail Blazers‘ arena renovation took a step forward on Wednesday as the Oregon state senate passed Senate Bill 1501, which would allow the state to issue up to $360MM in bonds toward the renovation plan (Twitter links via Sean Highkin of the Rose Garden Report). The bill, which will be sent to the state’s house of representatives for a vote, is just one piece of the overall puzzle, according to Bill Oram of The Oregonian (subscription required), who notes that the project will also require funding from the city and the county. Additionally, the Blazers still need to negotiate a new Moda Center lease once new owner Tom Dundon takes control of the franchise.
- The two-way deals recently signed by guard Chris Youngblood and forward Jayson Kent with the Trail Blazers will each cover two seasons, running through 2026/27, Hoops Rumors has learned.