MARCH 24: Irving has undergone a minimally-invasive procedure to remove a tension wire in his left knee, the team has announced. The wire, removal of which should relieve the irritation Irving has been going through, was originally placed as part of the surgical repair of his fractured patella sustained during the 2015 NBA Finals.
Irving’s knee was otherwise found to be completely structurally sound and he is expected to return to basketball activities in 3-6 weeks. As a point of reference, the playoffs begin exactly three weeks from today.
MARCH 23: Celtics star Kyrie Irving will undergo a procedure on his troublesome left knee on Saturday, the Celtics announced today in a press release. The team classified it as a “minimally invasive” procedure, but didn’t provide a timeline for Irving’s return to the court.
As ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets, that recovery timetable is expected to become clearer after Saturday, with the C’s hoping that the procedure will help alleviate the soreness in Irving’s knee.
Given the fact that the Celtics’ announcement suggests that the procedure is a minor one, and the team isn’t taking any extra time to deliberate whether or not to get it done right away, I expect the goal is to get Irving back on the court in time for the postseason. Still, we’ll have to wait for specifics from the team.
The Celtics are a banged-up bench right now, with several key rotation players sidelined due to injuries. Daniel Theis and Gordon Hayward are expected to be out through the postseason, while Marcus Smart is hoping to return by the end of the first round of the playoffs. Jaylen Brown hopes to return on Sunday in Sacramento, while Irving remains a wild card, based on today’s news.
Despite all those injuries, the Celtics continue to hold a comfortable lead for the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference. They’re currently six games up on the third-seeded Cavaliers, with just 11 games left to play.
Should have stayed in Cleveland Kyrie.
Lol why? His team is ahead. He wouldn’t have been any less hurt.
The Cavs would have been favorites with Kyrie and Bron together. Kyrie ruined everything.
Cry us a river. He wasn’t happy with baby James. He is happy now…and winning.
He should have been patient, Lebron was ready to hand him the reins.
The reins to a dumpster fire in 2019.
Lol LeBron does not share the reins.
Nor should he until there is a player better than him on the roster
I’m glad Kyrie took his flat earth to Boston. In the long run, Cavs are better with Hill, Calderon, Clarkson, Hood, Nance, Osman, J Green, the nets pick and the rest of the crew.
It would be, for irving, apx.: the brk pick, Zizic, and half of Hood, Clarkson and Nance. The brk pick may be Trae Young. Zizic has looked good lately.
Sure they are lol they’re definitely gonna be better for the next few years than the team who actually won the championship against the Warriors. Ooooh I can’t wait for some Jeff Green highlights as Finals MVP!! Lobs from Calderon all day!!
With all these injuries, it looks like it just wasn’t meant to be this year. However with Hayward back, Tatum & Brown a year older, and Kyrie in a contract year the Celts could be the favorite to win it all next year.
Doubt it, Rockets and Warriors would still be better. If Lebron goes to Philly they’ll be better also.
Rockets going nowhere. You forget so quickly Chris Paul will be getting hurt in the next 30 to 45 days. It’s in his contract every year.
Favorites over the Warriors? As long as the Warriors make the WCF and don’t get swept out of that, they’ll be the favorites next year. I’ll take Steph, Klay, Durant, and Draymond over Kyrie, Hayward, Horford, Tatum, and Brown.
Cavs will win it all this year and a runaway next season in a record breaking pace.
What’s the consensus in Kyrie’s knee? Is it round or flat?
Better luck next year Kyrie. Wouldn’t be surprised to see LBJ and another top player in Philly next season. PG13? Kawhi? Don’t think Gordon will be enough to over come that.
I just talked to PG13 last week. He said he wants to join the Celtics!
If LeBron can leave Cleveland to go to Miami. Why can’t Kyrie leave to go to Boston. I say Wizards sweep the Cavs in the playoffs. Otto porter will kick LeBron’s butt. For next season. After 1 month Markelle Fultz will be Sixers leading scorer. Embiid will ask to be traded because he wants to be the team leader. LeBron will sign with Rockets without a no trade clause. They will trade him to Atlanta.
In the playoffs, the Pacers will beat the Sixers, then the Wizards, then Toronto. They beat OKC for the title. See, I can dream too!
See the difference is they expressed a decent opinion even if it’s unlikely, while you’re just being ridiculous especially for an 82 year old. Man 3 replies to that 1 comment, you’re speaking to yourself at this point.
His comment is ridiculous. You are too young to understand the finances of the NBA. PG13 and Kawhi are not going to the Sixers. You, ZA and everyone knows it. You and all your Cavs fans think your sh-t doesn’t stink. There is a very distinct possibility the Cavs will not make the Finals this season. Kevin Durant took the torch from LeBron last season. The reason the Cavs haven’t had a good season is Kyrie didn’t want to play with LeBron anymore. People forget LeBron left Cleveland with a 61-19 record. That’s a pathetic human being. You and your friends need to use the ESPN trade machine and study how the cap works. I know you’re not old enough to understand real life yet. If you want to go to college, you’d better learn it.
I’m not talking about finances at all I’m talking about you somehow being the oldest and most childish person on this website simultaneously
I’m not a LeBron lover like you. You are the child and from LeBron’s generation. You are gaga like wanting to offer Myers Leonard and 50 first round picks for LeBron. And saying you’ll take the $60,000 the 10 day players make to get you through college. The 10 day players most likely won’t see the floor specially with 7 games left. I’m standing up for my generation. LeBron is good and may have been the best at one time. You guys sensationalizing LeBron isn’t smart considering you aren’t old enough to know the majority of the NBA players. For your comment about giving up 50 first round picks for LeBron, I don’t think you are very smart.
It was a joke, you can’t even trade 1st round picks in back to back years so if you couldn’t see the joke that’s on you. 50 wasn’t exaggerating it enough to make that obvious? What is your point about the 10 day? My point was the player who gets signed isn’t even gonna play, so might as well give that money to me, another joke. Like man I can’t believe I have to explain this to you. Do you know how much your hatred of LeBron makes you come off as a jealous Pacers fan?
Most Pacer fans don’t like LeBron. He is the competition. I know the 50 was a joke. Your compassion for LeBron isn’t. I graduated from the same college as Caleb Swannigan. I’m smarter than you think. Don’t compare LeBron to guys in the past you’ve never seen.
Actually I think I’m the oldest. Warriors fan since 88.
What LeBron does isn’t up to us, it’s between LeBron, his agent, and Dan Gilbert. If Gilbert doesn’t offer what LeBron wants, he’ll leave, probably for less.
PG13 made it clear he wants to play for a superteam. The most likelihood is PG13, Westbrook, and Melo staying together, just like Anthony Davis wants to keep playing with DeMarcus Cousins.
Kawhi has made it clear, even with the players meeting he wants to retire with San Antonio. He’ll be there longer than the guys in the meeting.
The Cavs fans talk about LeBron. The Cavs win for the first time in 50 years, and it’s like nobody else has ever won a championship. They don’t talk about LeBron winning 2 titles in Miami. Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving have proven the Cavs are only as good as the guys around LeBron. And like San Antonio thumping Miami and GSW thumping the Cavs (the Cavs never would have won if Durant played for GSW), if LeBron played the regular season in the western conference, he wouldn’t have had 7 consecutive finals. If he’d have stayed with the same team like Curry, Thompson, Isaiah Thomas, Jordan, Bird, McHale, Magic Johnson, Kobe, and so on, I’d have more respect for LeBron. Durant is the best player in the world now, and Harden is MVP.
We Pacer fans have the right to want a championship, but don’t expect it. Like you know as a Portland fan, because of Lilliard and McCollum, you don’t have much of a chance of getting another good player.
For the Eastern Conference, Toronto has the most chance to win. The Celtics chance is hindered by injuries. Based on records Cleveland, Washington, Indiana, Philadelphia, Miami, and Milwaukee all have a chance. You Cav and Sixer fans are playing in the Fantasy league. In the real world league, the Eastern Conference is wide open. You guys seriously need to study the salary cap, you make up these gaga scenarios and have no idea how the cap works.
It’s not because of Lillard and McCollum, it’s because of the Allen Crabbe deal where we took back Andrew Nicholson and waived and stretched his contract putting dead money on the books, because of Evan Turner making $17.5 million a year and Meyers Leonard making $10 million a year. McCollum and Lillard’s contracts are a great value at ~$25 million a year especially when you consider super max players are making $40-$45 million a year. CJ and Dame are not the reason the Blazers can’t add players. “You guys seriously need to study the cap” but you didn’t even study Portland’s cap situation before commenting. You’re right about the Raptors though, everyone is sleeping on them but they’re the best team in the east easily right now.
Yes very true. Portland cap looks like crap right now.
I know the cap very well. I know if the Cavs reisign LeBron, Jeff Green, and Rodney Hood they’ll have a $300 million salary, with a $150 million luxury tax included. OKC, Houston, and Golden State will be right with them.
I’m old. I understand finances better than you do. When you get older you will too. The salary cap is $99 million. Say C.J. and Lilliard make $60 million together, that leaves the others salaries minus $40 million they can spend on a free agent unless they do a sign and trade.
Like Ryan Anderson, J.R. Smith, Tristan Thompson, and the Trailblazers frontline, nobody wants overpaid veterans. I know the Trailblazers have tried to trade for frontcourt help for a couple years. Damon tried to recruit Carmelo. Centers in the NBA now are like running backs in the NFL. Nobody wants them. The Trailblazers want frontcourt help, but the only players the other teams want is Damon and C.J.
Someone said the other day LeBron can go whereever he wants because he is a free agent. Like the NBA executives said, when the tv revenues went up, teams overspent on free agency 3 years ago. Those contracts won’t fall off until after next year. In the meantime few teams have cap space to sign free agents.
I’m glad you like Kyrie. He’s an all-star. Sure he left Cleveland for a better situation. So did LeBron, and he may do it again.
Lol his name isn’t Damon it’s Damian. Obviously 2 players making $50-$60 million combined leaves less space to sign other players, but compare that to the Warriors once Durant gets his max. Him and Steph will be making a combined $80-$90 million a year. I’m pointing out that Dame and CJ’s contract are not an albatross for the Blazers at all, and that they are actually providing surplus value for their price tag. It’s the other contracts that hamper them, like Meyers Leonard sitting on the bench collecting $10 million a year. If you watched the Blazers at all you’d know they have a lot of very good players on tradeable contracts. Ed Davis had value leading into the trade deadline because he is on a 3 yr/$18 million deal, but now he’ll be a UFA at the end of the season. Aminu is making $8 million a year, playing great defense, and shooting 40% from 3. Maurice Harkless is actually starting to earn his contract, he’s shooting ~37% from 3 and plays defense. Nurkic is going to be a RFA, he’s on a cheap deal, they could have flipped him. This team was always built to get better with development, not a big move to take them over the top. That’s why they paid Crabbe, Harkless, Leonard, and CJ in the same offseason. They knew they likely wouldn’t be able to land a big FA, since they didn’t get Whiteside or Chandler Parsons (thank god), so they doubled down on development. It’s now about those players earning their contracts and becoming trade assets for them to make a move. I definitely understand the cap didn’t go up as was expected, and that’s why there are so many overpaid players in the NBA right now relative to their skills. I don’t hate any players in the NBA except maybe Jared Dudley, I love watching skilled players play and that’s why liking Kyrie and LeBron aren’t mutually exclusive. I like that he’s trying to win on his own, mamba mentality. I grew up watching Kobe so I definitely appreciate that hunger Kyrie has to be the #1 guy on a championship team. But why does Kyrie get a pass for requesting a trade but LeBron doesn’t for leaving a team that didn’t put enough talent around him? And that never would have won if he didn’t come back? And at the end of the day he did come back, and won one for them.
Kyrie didn’t get a pass. He got booed when he came back to Cleveland. You are biased for Portland and LeBron,so nothing I say will matter. Tell me what teams want Ed Davis, Mo Harkless, or Myers Leonard. they’ve been trying to trade them for 2 years.
My salary cap point is they have a $99 million cap to sign 15 players. After that they can only sign and trade players, they can’t sign other teams players. Like the Trailblazers, the Warriors will only be able to sign players to minimum contracts. Golden State, Cleveland, OKC, Houston, and Portland are at the top of the list for players salaries. The Pacers like the Trailblazers just want to compete. For the salaries they are laughing at everybody.
It’s obvious this season that the Cavs needed both Kyrie and Love. they said this will be the first year in 7 years LeBron has been on a team seeded lower than 2, and it’s only going to get worse.
Obviously nobody wants Meyers Leonard, but Ed Davis is a steal for the contract they signed him to. Mo Harkless is showing he’s worth the $10 million a year they gave him. And they haven’t been trying to trade Ed Davis. All those teams you mentioned are top 7 in the league and 3 of them are top 5. Good for the Pacers for spending money wisely. Oladipo has been playing great for them, I’m watching them right now, you think I don’t know any players but I watch a lot of teams that aren’t the Blazers play all the time. Those teams all have super rich owners and superstar players as well. And also hasn’t he been to like 7 straight Finals in those years? Once he’s in the playoffs, it’s gonna take a great team to stop playoff LeBron.
It’s not just the Trailblazers frontcourt teams don’t want. Houston wanted Carmelo they tried to offload Ryan Anderson and couldn’t. The Cavs tried to dump J.R. and couldn’t. The Grizzlies tried to get a first round pick for Tyreke Evans and couldn’t. The Pacers said the only thing they are interested in are shooters. Most teams are. Because of the salary cap, teams don’t have much to spend.
It bothers me Cavs fans keep talking about LeBron and his Finals. If he’d spent his career in the Western Conference, he wouldn’t have them. LeBron has always taken the easy way out. Took the easiest conference. Went out and talked a couple superstars to play with him. Without Kyrie and Love, he plays great, the team stinks. I’m old. The guys used to be loyal.
I wish you could have seen Hakeem Olajuwon. I felt great for Dirk Nowitzki. People say LeBron is all about Cleveland. The Cavs were 61-19 the year LeBron left for Miami. LeBron is all about LeBron. Now he has to decide between the money with the Cavs and the championships. Like Wade’s best years are behind him, LeBron’s will be before too long. My beef with LeBron is his loyalty and not getting along with Gilbert or the players. I don’t blame Kyrie one bit. He’s an All-Star point guard and should control the offense, not LeBron who is a small forward.
I didn’t say you didn’t know players. My beef is like Grant saying everybody wants to trade their worst players for his best players. I’ve seen some doozies. And ZA not understanding you have to follow the salary cap. These NBA GM’s would be laughing their asses off if they read some of this stuff. I mentioned the ESPN trade machine. I’m glad people are using it.
Look at the Lakers after Kobe. When LeBron left the first time, they had the worst team in NBA history. Gilbert is trying to avoid a repeat.
I read that Oladipo would be the most improved player in NBA history. He played his college ball at Indiana University. He is well liked. Sabonis has been out with an ankle sprain. They play their best when he plays. What they did as a team going to Pritchard and asking him not to trade anyone is unusual. I still have family in Indiana. Everyone says they are a lot more fun to watch since George left. Oladipo is the leader, but everybody gets involved.
Admit it. If LeBron stays and Love leaves, the Cavs will be hurting. They’ll be over the cap with a bunch of overpaid players. I think LeBron will sign a 1 year deal and see what Love does next year. I’m partial to loyalty. Like I said I’ll take Magic and Jordan over any of these guys. And you didn’t know Bill Russell. He watched LeBron’s kid for him the game against Golden State when the Cavs won the title.
For the Trailblazers frontline, don’t get too excited. The NBA GM’s don’t think like the guys on this site do.
I graduated from the same college as Caleb Swanigan (Purdue), so since you are still a kid I don’t care what you think. I’m at the age I saw Bill Russell, Bird, McHale, Magic, Hakeem, Thomas, Jordan, Pippen, etc. all be loyal to their teams and win championships. The style of play was different then. You never saw them play so I could care less what you think. I can read. Nobody wants any Portland players except McCollum and Lilliard. I won’t change and neither will you. I’ll be a Magic and Jordan fan for life for their play and loyalty.
Don’t forget the early 80s included Dr. J Moses Malone Mo cheeks Andrew toney Sixers teams. It was always the Sixers Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks with Moncrief, Marquess Johnson and their excellent bench back then. Good times!
I forgot about Sidney Moncrief. I remember him at Arkansas. Milwaukee liked UCLA players. They had Kareem, David Meyers, and Johnson. I remember Moses Malone coming out of high school the same time as Daryl Dawkins. They were behemoths.
Watching the Pistons with Laimbeer against the Bulls with Charles Oakley was fun to watch. Those were good days. I really do hope Steph gets healthy and him and Klay thompson get to play their careers together.
The good old days.
I was a Bucks Fan and they would beat the Sixers and then lose to the Celtics one year and then the next year beat the Celtics and lose to the Sixers. It was a frustrating time.
Didn’t Lew Alcindor and Oscar Robertson play together with the Bucks? Oscar played his high school ball at Crispus Attucks in Indy. Larry Bird played his high school south of Indy. Philly had George McGinnis who was from Indy. He played with Dr. J and Mo Cheeks.
I was watching Pacer games at Market Square in Indy in 1976. There’s another person on this site with me. He hates LeBron too. Moncrief was an athlete!
Moncreif a defensive player of the year two years in a row. 22 point a game score as well.
Him and David Thompson could jump out of the gym.
I do see Kevin Love going to the Lakers next year. His job is done in Cleveland.
Doesn’t his contract make moving Love impossible? Sure he love the Lakers but these guys don’t like giving up millions of dollars. Unless they’re like David West and ZaZa and Livingston.
He’ll have his option after next year. He has said he wants to play on a winning team. He has a house that he actually lives in (not like LeBron) and has a girlfriend who is a Playboy Playmate (like beachfront living). he’ll make $25 million next year, so he’ll be hard to move. The Cav fans wanted him traded after his shooting performance against Golden State last year. If the Lakers only sign 1 max free agent this year, they can give him the max next year. Might be reason Magic is holding off.
Teams can go over the salary cap for their own free agents, but not other teams. for the trades if both teams are over the cap, they have to match salaries within a certain percent, and may use trade exceptions. I wish before commenting these guys would use the ESPN trade machine. It tells you yes or no if a trade can be made.
Grant made the comment that everybody wanted to trade for the Suns best players, but want to give up their worst. That’s a problem. ZA keeps coming up with these wild scenarios for Philly. They don’t have the cap space for 2 max free agents. Most free agents will remain with the team they are playing for. The All NBA players can make more money with the team they are with. If they leave they want to go somewhere they can win, preferably an established team.
You are right. Damon will make $28 million next season and McCollum $26 million. Their team salary is $112 million so they are over the cap. The only way they can get free agents is sign and trade, and the Trailblazers won’t trade McCollum or Lilliard, so they are stuck with minimum salary players. Most midwest people don’t follow the west coast because of the time difference. About the only thing I do is read the L.A. Times.
The Trailblaers did draft Sam Bowie over Michael Jordan and Greg Oden over Kevin Durant, the 2 biggest gaffs in NBA history. LaRue Martin was another.
I respect Lilliard and McCollum. Both are good players and both are loyal to the Trailblazers. The Pacers took care of Reggie Miller, and he showed his loyalty in return.
Remember Bobby Knights advice whether to draft Sam Bowie or Michael Jordan? The Blazers already had Clyde Drexler at the two and I think Jerome Kersey at the 3 and a pretty good power forward but they needed a center.
Bobby Knight said just draft Michael Jordan and play him at Center LOL. One of the best lines of all time.
When Bobby got fired at IU, I’ll never forget his press conference. He said “When I die and my time has passed, I want to be burried upside down so everybody can kiss my ass.” I waited 2 hours to get him to sign his book. His throwing the chair at the Purdue game will be an all time classic.
Us Pacer fans aren’t jealous over LeBron. We don’t want selfish players on the Pacers. The Pacers are staying with the Cavs with a $95 million salary compared to the Cavs $200 million salary. The players went to President Kevin Pritchard and said they didn’t want anyone traded. The Pacers are a team. They don’t have any selfish, arrogant players. You don’t see anyone going to the front office telling them what to do. I wish I could watch the Pacers instead of the Cavs. Seeing the Cavs constantly having to trade players, having the highest salary in the NBA, and now without Kyrie being to the point they are not in competition, LeBron isn’t the kind of player I want to deal with. Dan Gilbert and his teammates don’t either. i’m not the only one with a problem.
That’s in competition for a Finals. Pritchard talked about the Paul George situation. He said we decided we wouldn’t go over the cap unless they were guaranteed to go deep into the playoffs. The Cavs aren’t either now. Kyrie is gone and Love will be after next season too.