Adam Silver traveled to Sacramento on Wednesday in his first trip as commissioner to check in on the Kings and their efforts to construct a new arena. Silver was effusive in expressing confidence that owner Vivek Ranadive and Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson will overcome arena opponents and have the arena ready in advance of a league-imposed 2017 deadline, notes USA Today’s Sam Amick. Here’s more from the West:
- There’s a chance JaVale McGee will miss the rest of the season with a stress fracture in his left leg that’s been slow to heal properly, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. The Nuggets have already lost Danilo Gallinari and Nate Robinson for the year.
- The Mavericks are taking a patient approach and aren’t keen on making a splash at the deadline, and any trade they make will be small-scale, writes Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders. Their priority in any deal appears to be finding a big man or someone who can score, and Kyler mentions Spencer Hawes and Jordan Hill as possibilities. Hawes, for whom the Sixers are demanding a first-round pick, would represent a fairly significant acquisition, though Kyler may merely be speculating about any interest Dallas has in either of those players.
- The Lakers didn’t re-sign Manny Harris when his second 10-day contract expired this week, but they expect him to re-sign with their D-League affiliate if he doesn’t wind up with another NBA deal, according to Mike Trudell of Lakers.com. The shooting guard made quite an impression with 19 points in his final game before the Lakers let him go, and Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside examines his worth.