After leaving Monday night’s game against the Hornets with an apparent leg injury, Mavericks center Andrew Bogut has initially been diagnosed with a hyperextended knee, according to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon. MacMahon reports that Bogut will undergo an MRI on Tuesday, which the team is hoping will confirm that initial diagnosis.
As head coach Rick Carlisle said, the Mavericks believe they “dodged a bullet” on Bogut’s injury, which could have been much more serious, but the veteran center will still likely be sidelined for multiple weeks, per MacMahon. Bogut should return to the court well in advance of February’s trade deadline, and by the time he gets back in the lineup, the Mavs’ hopes of making a run at a playoff spot may have further dwindled, increasing the likelihood that the former No. 1 pick gets dealt. MacMahon reported on Monday that Dallas isn’t shopping Bogut at the moment, but could consider a move in the new year if the chance to make the postseason slips away.
Here are a few more injury notes and updates from around the NBA:
- Having missed two games with a thigh contusion, Tony Parker returned to the Spurs‘ lineup on Monday, but was sidelined again with an apparent knee injury. There’s no official word on Parker’s situation yet, but head coach Gregg Popovich said the point guard’s latest injury could keep him out for an extended period (link via ESPN.com).
- J.R. Smith didn’t return to the Cavaliers‘ game on Monday against Toronto after suffering a left knee injury in the first quarter. As Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com details, initial X-rays were negative, but Smith will be further evaluated to determine the extent of the injury.
- While the aforementioned players were being knocked out of action, one injured player returned to his team’s lineup on Monday, as Al-Farouq Aminu was active for the Trail Blazers after being sidelined for nearly a month due to a calf injury (Associated Press link via ESPN.com). Aminu saw 17 minutes of action in his return for Portland.