Week in Review News & Rumors

Hoops Rumors has you covered in the event you missed any of this past week’s headlines from around the NBA. Here are some of the most noteworthy stories from the last 7 days.

Isaiah Thomas is expected to be back in uniform for the Cavaliers sometime within the first week of the new year. Thomas, who has been sidelined with a torn labrum in his right hip since last season’s Eastern Conference Finals, apparently feels good enough to play now, but the Cavs are being extra cautious to ensure that Thomas doesn’t re-injure himself. The Cavs begin 2018 with games against Portland (1/2), at Boston (1/3), and at Orlando (1/6).

In what was reported as an unpopular move within the locker room, the Bucks waived Gary Payton II in order to make room for Sean Kilpatrick, whom the Bucks signed to their second two-way contract slot alongside Joel Bolomboy. Kilpatrick was waived by Brooklyn back in early December in order to open up a roster spot for the trade that brought in Jahlil Okafor and Nik Stauskas.

Days after general manager Ryan McDonough spoke about how the Suns planned to keep newly-acquired Isaiah Canaan on the team’s roster moving forward, the team announced that Canaan has been signed for the remainder of the season. In order to make room for Canaan, the Suns had to waive rookie point guard Mike James, the first player to have his two-way contract converted to a standard NBA deal.

In what has become less and less surprising each time it occurs, LaVar Ball made an announcement this week. In it, he proclaimed that he will launch the Junior Basketball Association, a newly-formed professional basketball league for nationally ranked high-school players who have graduated from high school but do not want to go to college.  Ball’s Big Baller Brand will fund the league, where players can reportedly expect to make between $3-10K per month.

The Jazz made some roster moves this week, waiving both of their two-way players – Eric Griffin and Nate Wolters. Griffin was released in order to make room for the signing of forward Erik McCree, who profiles as a stretch-4 with three-point range. Wolters was released a day later in order to open up a spot for newly signed two-way player Naz Mitrou-Long.

Here are 10 more headlines from around the NBA last week.

• Turkish prosecutors are seeking a ridiculous prison sentence for Knicks‘ center Enes Kanter in regard to insulting comments he made about Turkey’s president.
• According to the man himself, Vince Carter is confident that he will end up back on the Raptors‘ roster before he calls it a career.
• As expected, the Hawks converted the two-way contract of rookie big man Tyler Cavanaugh into a standard NBA contract.
• Mike Conley continues to undergo therapy and treatment on his left heel, and the Grizzlies do not expect him back before the new year.
• After leaving Monday night’s game against Golden State with a sprained right ankle, Lakers‘ starting center Brook Lopez is expected to miss at least three weeks.
• Despite the relatively rocky start to their season, the Thunder have no plans to trade Paul George.
• Mavericks‘ owner Mark Cuban, whilst discussing the sale of the Carolina Panthers, said he has no interest in owning an NFL franchise.
• The Cavaliers are quietly exploring the possibility of trading for Clippers‘ center DeAndre Jordan.
• After already missing time earlier this season, Clippers‘ offseason acquisition Danilo Gallinari is expected to miss several more weeks after re-injuring his glute.
• The Bulls waived seldom-used second-year guard Kay Felder.

Hoops Rumors has you covered in the event you missed any of this past week’s headlines from around the NBA. Here are some of the most noteworthy stories from the last 7 days.

One of the NBA’s top stars made his season debut this week as Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard was medically cleared to return from right quadriceps tendinopathy. Leonard will operate on a minutes restriction for a while, and was limited to 16 minutes Wednesday against the Mavericks and 17 Friday against the Rockets. Leonard, who finished third in last season’s MVP voting, was injured during training camp in late September and missed 25 games.

The arrival of December 15 made most of this year’s offseason signees eligible to be traded. Ninety-three players were affected by the provision, which marks the unofficial start of the NBA’s trading season. Players who signed contracts after September 15 won’t be eligible until later in the season.

Celtics forward Gordon Hayward was able to shed his walking boot this week and expressed hope that he might be able to play before the season ends. One of the top names in this year’s free agent class, Hayward suffered a devastating injury on opening night, a fracture in his left ankle that sidelined him indefinitely. He has been doing daily rehab sessions at the Celtics’ facility and is holding onto hope of playing by April, although the team considers it unlikely.

Jazz center Rudy Gobert suffered a significant injury for the second time this season when he limped off the court Friday night. Gobert was diagnosed with a sprained PCL in his left knee and a bone bruise in his tibia and is expected to be sidelined for about a month. He missed 11 games earlier this season with an injured right knee.

The Rockets‘ strong early-season play has made them a contender for LeBron James in free agency next summer. People inside the organization are confident that James will consider Houston, and several rival executives agree. Off to a 23-4 start, the Rockets give James a shot to keep challenging for NBA titles playing alongside one of his best friends in Chris Paul and an MVP candidate in James Harden.

Here are 10 more headlines from around the NBA last week.

• Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki said he expects to play at least one more season. “I’m not going to say 100% I’ll be back — but it’s looking like it,” said Nowitzki, who will reach age 40 in June.
• Wizards point guard John Wall returned to action this week after missing nine games after getting platelet-rich plasma and viscosupplementation injections in his left knee. The Wizards posted a 4-5 record without their floor leader.
• The Bulls have made “preliminary inquiries” to determine the trade value for Nikola Mirotic and Robin Lopez. They are the team’s two highest-paid players.
• Veteran forward Matt Barnes seemed to announce his retirement in an Instagram post. The 37-year-old joined the Warriors late last season and earned a championship ring.
• Isaiah Canaan signed with the Suns‘ G League affiliate, then received an NBA contract the next day under the hardship exception. The 23-year-old spent four days with the Rockets earlier this season.
• Veteran guard Marcus Thornton signed a G League contract and joined the Pistons‘ affiliate. Thornton, 30, played 33 games with the Wizards last season.
• Archie Goodwin signed a new G League deal and went to the Hornets‘ affiliate in Greensboro as a returning rights player. Goodwin was waived by the Trail Blazers in October before the start of the season.
• Forward Terrence Jones joined the Warriors‘ G League affiliate. The former first-round pick was waived last month by his Chinese team.
• Hornets center Cody Zeller is expected to miss six weeks after surgery to fix a torn meniscus in his left knee.
• Knicks guard Tim Hardaway Jr. called his leg injury “serious” this week and admitted he doesn’t know when he’ll be able to play again. Hardaway has been out since November 29 with a “stress injury” in his lower left leg.

Hoops Rumors has you covered in the event you missed any of this past week’s headlines from around the NBA. Below are some of the most noteworthy stories from the last 7 days.

The Sixers and Nets completed a trade that sent Jahlil Okafor, Nik Stauskas, and the Knicks’ 2019 second-round pick to Brooklyn in exchange for Trevor Booker. In order to make room on their roster for Okafor and Stauskas, the Nets waived guard Sean Kilpatrick and his $1.52MM in guaranteed salary. The Sixers, who were determined to fine a suitable trade partner for Okafor in lieu of a buyout, will now look for Booker to provide extra depth and leadership for a young team that is looking to make the playoffs for the first time since 2012.

The two-way contract of Suns’ rookie point guard Mike James was converted into a standard NBA contract on Thursday, marking the first time in league history such a transaction has taken place. In order to make room on their roster for James, the Suns’ waived seldom used second-year swingman Derrick Jones. James new contract will pay him approximately $580.6K for the remainder of the season.

After spending nearly two weeks away from the Cavaliers in order to mentally cope with injury frustrations and contemplate his future, Derrick Rose is officially back with the team. Rose will continue to seek treatment on his injured left ankle in hopes of returning to the court sometime in the near future.

Warriors‘ two-time MVP Stephen Curry is out indefinitely after suffering a sprained ankle in Monday’s game against New Orleans. While an MRI revealed no structural damage to Curry’s right ankle, the Warriors are being cautious given his history of ankles issues, with reports that Curry will be re-evaluated in “a couple of weeks.”

The Clippers were granted a disabled player exception worth $2.75MM as a result of Patrick Beverley being lost for the season after knee surgery. Use of the entire exception would put the Clippers well over the luxury tax line, so it remains to be seen if the exception will be utilized. The deadline to use the exception is March 10th.

Here are 11 more headlines from around the NBA last week.

• After suffering what appeared to be a scary injury a week ago Friday, an MRI revealed no serious damage to the groin of Anthony Davis.
• Clippers’ big man DeAndre Jordan has hired Jeff Schwartz of Excel Sports Management as his first agent since the summer of 2015.
• Spurs forward Kyle Anderson was diagnosed with a sprained left MCL and will be sidelined for the next two to three weeks. Fortunately for the Spurs, All-Star Kawhi Leonard is expected to return to the court for Tuesday’s game in Dallas.
• Originally expected to return to the Bulls this month, Zach LaVine is now targeted to return from his ACL injury in January.
• The Knicks will be without the services of Tim Hardaway Jr. for the next couple of weeks after the team announced that Hardaway began a treatment and rehabilitation plan for a stress injury in his lower left leg.
• Hornets head coach Steve Clifford has taken a leave of absence from the team in order to address health concerns, while Cody Zeller has been ruled out indefinitely after tearing the meniscus in his left knee in the team’s loss to Golden State on Wednesday.
• After being connected to the recent FBI investigation into college basketball, ASM Sports Andy Miller relinquished his certification as an NBPA agent.
• The younger brothers of Lakers’ rookie Lonzo Ball, LiAngelo, 19, and LaMelo, 16, have relinquished their NCAA eligibility in an effort to find professional work overseas.
• Suns guard Devin Booker is expected to be out of the lineup for two to three weeks after suffering a left adductor strain in the team’s loss to Toronto on Tuesday.
• Mavericks center Nerlens Noel underwent surgery on his left thumb on Friday to repair a torn ligament. Noel will be out for “several weeks.”
• The NBA is expected to establish an NBA G League franchise in Mexico City as early as next season.

Hoops Rumors has you covered in the event you missed any of this past week’s headlines from around the NBA. Below are some of the most noteworthy stories from the last 7 days.

The Grizzlies fired head coach David Fizdale a day after All-Star center Marc Gasol decried Fizdale’s decision to bench Gasol in the fourth quarter of the team’s home loss to the Nets. The loss extended the Grizzlies’ losing streak to eight games, and while the team downplayed Gasol’s comments as reason for the firing, rumors coming out of Memphis suggested that Gasol and Fizdale were already on poor terms before this latest incident.

While there hasn’t been any corroboration from the Spurs, point guard Tony Parker believes that perennial MVP candidate and All-Star Kawhi Leonard could return to the team from injury in as little as two to three weeks. Leonard, who continues to recover from quadriceps tendinopathy, had (see below) been working out with Parker while they were both out from injury.

Clippers‘ forward Blake Griffin suffered a sprained MCL in his left knee during Monday night’s game against the Lakers. While Griffin did not sustain any structural damage to the knee and the Clippers were apparently relieved after believing the injury could have been worse, his recovery time has still been estimated at around two months.

The Sixers are expected to be in the market for LeBron James this offseason, with several factors making the marriage a possible reality: James and rookie phenom Ben Simmons share an agent, the Sixers will be one of a small number of teams with the requisite cap space, and James’ previous endorsement of head coach Brett Brown.

The Grizzlies‘ ownership situation took an interesting turn this week, with minority owners Steve Kaplan and Daniel Straus activating a clause in the ownership agreement that will afford them the opportunity to buy out majority owner Robert Pera. The Grizzlies were last sold and purchased for $377MM back in 2012.

The Bucks are seriously interested in acquiring DeAndre Jordan from the Clippers. In return, however, the Clippers are looking to acquire at least two of the following three players from the Bucks: John Henson, Malcolm Brogdon, and/or Khris Middleton. Both Henson and Middleton currently start for Milwaukee and Brogdon plays a significant role off the bench.

Here are 10 more headlines from around the NBA last week.

• In the midst of playing doctor, Parker also found time to return to the court from his own injury. Parker returned to the line-up for the Spurs on Monday after missing the first nineteen games of the 2017/18 season with a ruptured left quadriceps tendon.
• The feud between the Bulls‘ Nikola Mirotic and Bobby Portis continues to simmer, but Mirotic has finally accepted Portis’ apology, presumably allowing the two to coexist moving forward.
• The Cavaliers‘ Iman Shumpert underwent surgery to repair the meniscus on his left knee. Shumpert will out of commission for approximately two months.
• The Wizards unveiled the name of their new G League affiliate – the Capital City Go-Go.
• Heat center Hassan Whiteside is expected to be out for a couple of weeks in order to rehab, and recover from, a bone bruise in his left knee.
• Magic guard Terrence Ross will miss “a significant amount of time” after being diagnosed with a sprained right MCL and a non-displaced fracture of his right tibial plateau.
• Jahlil Okafor is still pushing the Sixers to buy out his contract while president of basketball operations Bryan Colangelo remains focused on finding a trade partner(s).
• Former NBA big man Lavoy Allen has found a new home in China, agreeing to terms on a contract with the CBA’s Zhejiang Golden Bulls.
• The Hawks‘ starting center Dewayne Dedmon will be sidelined for 3-6 weeks after suffering a stress reaction in his left tibia.
• Despite being in the midst of a 10-game losing streak, the Grizzlies have no plans to go into rebuilding mode this season.

Hoops Rumors has you covered in case you missed any of this past week’s NBA headlines. Below are some of the most noteworthy stories from the last 7 days.

After undergoing surgery on his right knee, Clippers guard Patrick Beverly has been ruled out for the remainder of the 2017/18 season. Beverly’s surgery included a microfracture and meniscus repair, leaving his estimated recovery time at nine months. The Clippers are now free to apply for a disabled player exception worth about $2.76MM.

Upset with being hurt and unable to play, Cavaliers guard Derrick Rose has (permissibly) left the team while he evaluates his future in the NBA. Rose, who has been plagued by health problems since winning the NBA’s MVP award in 2011, signed a one-year, minimum salary contract with the Cavaliers over the summer. There is no timetable for his return to the team.

Paul Millsap will be sidelined for approximately the next three months after undergoing surgery for a torn ligament in his left wrist. Millsap, who signed a three-year, $90MM deal with the Nuggets this past offseason, injured his wrist during this past Sunday’s game against the Lakers.

The Orlando Magic will not be hosting their annual summer league in 2018, opting instead to join other franchises in the Las Vegas Summer League. New management believes that among other factors, having a large crowd will help better prepare young players for NBA life, as the Orlando league was always closed to the public.

Two-time NBA All-Star David Lee has announced his retirement from the NBA. Lee, a first-round draft pick in 2005, declined his player option for the 2017/18 season in June, and was unable to find his way back onto another NBA roster. Lee finishes his career with averages of 13.5 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game.

Here are 10 more NBA headlines from the last week.

• Suns rookie point guard Mike James is expected to sign a standard NBA contract before he reaches the 45-day NBA limit on his two-way contract.
• Blue-chip recruit Anfernee Simons is strongly considering entering the 2018 NBA draft straight out of high school.
• Missouri freshman forward Michael Porter Jr. will likely miss the remainder of the college basketball season after undergoing surgery.
• Former NBA guard Leandro Barbosa has signed a deal to continue his playing career in his home country of Brazil.
• Wizards guard John Wall will miss approximately two weeks while seeking treatment to reduce inflammation in his left knee.
• Bulls guard Zach LaVine has been cleared for contact as he continues to recover from last season’s ACL tear.
• Sidelined since October 23, Sixers guard Markelle Fultz is making progress towards returning to action. The team plans to re-evaluate him in two to three weeks.
• Bucks forward Mirza Teletovic is expected to be sidelined for the next four weeks after undergoing successful surgery on his left knee.
• Kendall Marshall, a 2012 first-round pick, has decided to retire from the G League.
• After getting kicked out of practice and leaving his Chinese team, former first-round pick Terrence Jones has been waived.

Hoops Rumors has you covered in case you missed any of this past week’s NBA headlines. Below are some of the most noteworthy stories from the last 7 days.

The Sixers and Robert Covington reached an agreement on a four-year extension valued at $62MM. The Sixers made the news official yesterday with a press release from President of Basketball Operations Bryan Colangelo, who hailed Covington as a prime example of someone whose hard work has paid dividends.  Covington is expected to receive a raise to this season’s salary for all of the Sixers’ remaining cap room (roughly $15MM).

The Knicks waived Mindaugas Kuzminskas in order to clear a roster spot for newly reinstated Joakim Noah. The Lakers, Bulls, and Hawks are all reportedly said to have interest in Kuzminskas now that he has cleared waivers and become an unrestricted free agent. Given his salary figure, Kuzminskas was not originally expected to be a casualty of Noah’s return, but a public declaration of unhappiness from earlier this month seemed to be the beginning of the end of his tenure in New York.

Jazz All-Star center Rudy Gobert is expected to miss 4-6 weeks with a bone bruise in his right knee. Interestingly, the injury occurred on a play in which the big man collided with Heat guard Dion Waiters, and Gobert suggested after the game that he believed the play was “dirty”. Gobert will be reevaluated in early to mid-December.

Nikola Mirotic has returned to the Bulls after the now-infamous altercation with teammate Bobby Portis. Portis has been open with his willingness to let bygones be bygones, but Mirotic apparently still doesn’t feel the same way, as he and Portis have yet to make contact with one another since the altercation.

Despite impressing the Mavericks during the preseason, Gian Clavell‘s time in Dallas has come to an end.  The Mavericks released Clavell yesterday in order to make room for Antonius Cleveland, who the Mavs have signed to a two-way contract in place of Clavell. The Mavericks were recently reported as looking to make roster upgrades, so perhaps they feel that Cleveland can provide a spark to their roster.

Here are 10 more NBA headlines from the last week.

• Given their lack of frontcourt depth and size, the Cavaliers have “strong interest” in Suns center Greg Monroe.
• D’Angelo Russell was expected to miss “several games” after injuring his left knee. However, after undergoing successful arthroscopic surgery, the timetable for his return is now unknown.
• Metta World Peace has signed on to play in the BIG3 next season. Interestingly, he’ll be playing under his former name – Ron Artest.
• USA Basketball announced its 12-man roster for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 Americas Qualifiers.
• Nicolas Batum, JaMychal Green, and Ersan Ilyasova all returned to action this week for the Hornets, Grizzlies, and Hawks, respectively.
• Also returning to the court this week was perennial All-Star Chris Paul. The Rockets have started the season 11-4 almost entirely without Paul’s services.
• Heat forward Okaro White is out indefinitely after breaking a bone in his left foot during practice.
• The NBA and the NBPA formally discussed the one-and-done rule with the federal government’s Commission on College Basketball.
• In addition to the Lakers, Bulls, and Hawks, the Bucks also have interest in Kuzminskas.
• Mike Conley will remain out of the Grizzlies’ lineup for at least two weeks after missing Wednesday’s game with a troublesome left heel and Achilles.

Hoops Rumors has you covered in case you missed any of this past week’s NBA headlines. Below are some of the most noteworthy stories from the last 7 days.

In the biggest news of the week, Eric Bledsoe was traded from the Suns to the Bucks in exchange for Greg Monroe, a 2018 first-round pick, and a 2018 second-round pick. Both draft selections being sent to Phoenix are Milwaukee’s own, but the first-rounder has some interesting protections, with the pick not wholly unprotected until 2021.

The Pelicans waived Josh Smith after he appeared in only 3 games and logged just 12 total minutes. The move reduces New Orleans’ roster count to 15 and, more importantly, puts the Pelicans back under the luxury tax threshold.

With Joakim Noah‘s return from suspension imminent, both he and Mindaugas Kuzminskas are now on the trade block in anticipation of the Knicks deadline to drop its roster count from 16 to 15 by early Sunday evening. If a trade cannot be completed, it appears that the Knicks will likely waive Ramon Sessions.

The Sixers and Robert Covington are on track for a contract renegotiation and extension. Covington is eligible to renegotiate and extend his current contract (which allows for a more substantial raise than a simple extension) this Wednesday, and multiple reports are relaying that a new deal is imminent.  

The Lakers and Luol Deng are discussing buyout and trade options for the 32 year-old veteran. Including this season, Deng still has 3 years and $54MM left on the contract he signed last summer. Despite the high salary, however, Deng has only appeared in one game so far this season.

Here are 10 more NBA headlines from the last week.

• In addition to being traded, Bledsoe was also fined $10K for the tweet that ultimately led to the trade.
• The Suns are doubtful that Monroe will remain on their roster until the end of the season.
• The Hawks filled their second two-way roster spot with 23 year-old undrafted rookie Tyler Cavanaugh.
• The two franchises that appear to be most interested in the services of Jahlil Okafor are the Hawks and Bulls.
  • But, don’t count out the Suns either.
• The Knicks’ Kristaps Porzingis may need offseason surgery to alleviate chronic inflammation in his right elbow.
• Ben McLemore is set to make his debut with the Grizzlies tonight against Houston.
• Given the Lakers‘ desire to make a big splash in free agency next summer, Julius Randle is unlikely to figure in to the team’s future plans.
• The Windy City and the Bulls will host the 2020 NBA All-Star Game.
• The Cavaliers will keep Derrick Rose on a minutes cap of 28-31 minutes per game for the remainder of the season.

In case you missed any of this past week’s NBA headlines, we have you covered. Here are some of the more noteworthy stories from the last 7 days.

The Sixers opted not to exercise Jahlil Okafor‘s fourth-year team option for 2018/19. The decision will maintain the Sixers’ cap flexibility for next summer as they try to secure some notable free agents, re-sign Robert Covington, and pay for Joel Embiid‘s max extension. In light of the Sixers’ decision, Okafor confirmed to reporters that he would like to be bought out or traded as soon as possible.

The Magic explored trading Mario Hezonja before ultimately deciding not to exercise his fourth-year option for 2018/19. The decision by the Sixers and the Magic to decline the options of Okafor and Hezonja, respectively, marks the first time in six years that a pair of players selected in the top six of the draft both had their final season’s options declined.

Despite rumors to the contrary, the Pistons are apparently not interested in trading Reggie Jackson for Eric Bledsoe. Reports surfaced earlier this week that the Suns, Pelicans, and Pistons were involved in trade discussions that would have sent Bledsoe to Detroit and Jackson to New Orleans, but Pistons head coach and president of basketball operations Stan Van Gundy says no deal is in the works.

Both the Warriors and head coach Steve Kerr are confident that the two sides will finalize a new contract in 2018. Kerr, who has battled some health problems over the last few seasons, says that he opted to table extension talks until next summer so that he can be sure his health will allow him to make a long-term commitment to the franchise.

Cavaliers starting center Tristan Thompson is expected to miss 3-4 weeks with a calf injury. Thompson, 26, sustained the left calf strain during the second quarter of Wednesday night’s game vs. Indiana.  Despite the loss of Thompson, the Cavs are not expected to make a roster move at this time.

Here are 10 more notable NBA headlines from the last week:

• The Kings exercised all five of their available rookie-scale options — on Willie Cauley-Stein, Buddy Hield, Georgios Papagiannis, Malachi Richardson, and Skal Labissiere.
• The Celtics picked up 2018/19 rookie-scale options on Jaylen Brown and Terry Rozier.
• After nearly being waived in the preseason, Jarell Martin had his fourth-year option exercised by the Grizzlies.
• The Bucks picked up their third-year option on Thon Maker, but have decided to turn down Rashad Vaughn‘s fourth-year option.
• The Clippers have declined Brice Johnson‘s rookie-scale option after deciding to exercise the fourth-year option of Sam Dekker.
• In addition to Okafor, Hezonja, Vaughn, and Johnson, three other players on rookie-scale contracts (Josh Huestis – Thunder, Chris McCullough – Wizards, and Kevon Looney – Warriors) also had their options declined.
• According to his brother, Kristaps Porzingis is not a guarantee to re-sign with the Knicks.
• Glen Davis is returning to the G League in an effort to resurrect his NBA career.
• Lakers forward Larry Nance has been ruled out for 4-6 weeks with a fractured hand.
• The Rockets waived point guard Isaiah Canaan less than a week after he signed with the team.

If you missed this week’s NBA headlines, we’ve got your covered. Here are some of the most noteworthy stories from the past seven days:

Gordon Hayward suffered a serious injury on opening night, dislocating his left ankle and fracturing his tibia. The injury occurred about five minutes into Boston’s game at Cleveland and was a gruesome sight. While uncertain, it is unlikely that Hayward will return to the court this year. The Celtics could apply for a disabled player exception worth about $8.4MM which, if granted, could be used to acquire one player.

Jeremy Lin suffered a similar fate as Hayward, rupturing the patella tendon in his right knee during New Jersey’s opening night lost to Indiana. Lin will be gone for the entire season, which likely means increased minutes for backup point guard Isaiah Whitehead and other Nets guards.

The San Antonio Spurs and big man LaMarcus Aldridge reached an agreement on a three-year contract extension worth a reported $72.3MM. Aldridge, 32, will be locked up for four years total, although the final year of the extension is partially guaranteed. Given Aldridge’s age and slip in production, it is fair to question the typically above-reproach Spurs for this transaction.

Bulls teammates Bobby Portis and Nikola Mirotic fought during practice, resulting an eight game suspension for Portis and hospitalization for Mirotic. Portis will be eligible to return on November 7. Mirotic has a much longer timeline due to a concussion and facial fractures he suffered during the melee.

Richard Jefferson signed with the Nuggets. The 37-year-old forward agreed to a one-year deal for $2.3MM. Jefferson was traded from the Cavs to the Hawks in a cost-cutting move and then was immediately released by Atlanta. Jefferson averaged 5.7 PPG and 2.6 RPG last year.

Here are 10 more notable NBA headlines from the last week:

• Chris Paul’s return from injury is up in the air. The Rockets have indicated it could be days or weeks.
• Jameer Nelson was waived by the Nuggets to create a roster spot for Jefferson. He agreed to sign with the Pelicans less than 24 hours after clearing waivers.
• Kendrick Perkins accepted an assignment to the Cavs’ G League affiliate, the Canton Charge.
• Dennis Schroder was arrested last month on battery charges, and the Hawks appear intent on taking some disciplinary measures.
• Wade Baldwin, the Grizzlies’ first-round pick last year, and rookie Rade Zagorac were both waived by the team this week. Baldwin was subsequently signed to a two-way contract by the Trail Blazers.
• The Bucks claimed DeAndre Liggins off waivers to fill the 15th spot on their roster.
• The Bulls claimed point guard Kay Felder off waivers. To make room for Felder, the team waived Jarell Eddie and Diamond Stone.
• The Celtics and point guard Marcus Smart could not agree on a contract extension, which means Smart will likely head into restricted free agency next offseason.
• The Jazz waived Joel Bolomboy, who was then signed by the Bucks to a two-way contract.
• Tiago Splitter is hoping to latch onto an NBA team after playing just six games last season.