Deron Williams, who signed a two-year deal with the Mavs, will miss at least the entire preseason — which ends Friday for Dallas — with a strained right calf, and his status for the season opener is unknown, Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com relays. Williams, as MacMahon points out, has yet to complete a full practice with his new team. An inability to stay healthy, of course, was a big reason for Williams’ decline while with the Nets. Mavs head coach Rick Carlisle told reporters, including MacMahon, that there is no timetable yet for Williams’ return to the court.
Here’s more from around the league:
- There is not much reason for Kevin Durant to sign an extension with the Thunder that would guarantee him $70MM when he could instead wait until he becomes a free agent and potentially sign a contract guaranteeing him roughly $140MM because of his tenure and the expected rise in salary cap, Moke Hamilton of Basketball Insiders opines in a detailed overview of the superstar’s options.
- Derrick Rose, in response to his comments he made on media day when he said that he’s already looking toward his next foray into free agency, said he is focused on winning a championship with the Bulls this season, K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune tweets.