Five Key Stories: 11/17/18 – 11/24/18

In the event you missed any of this past week’s biggest headlines from around the NBA, we’ve got you covered with our Week in Review. Below are some of the most noteworthy stories from the last seven days.

Less than 24 hours after J.R. Smith expressed his belief that the Cavaliers are not interested in winning, the Cavs officially confirmed that Smith will no longer be with the team as the club and Smith’s reps work to resolve his situation and find a trade or buyout opportunity. The Cavs reportedly gave Smith the opportunity to take time away from the club earlier in the season, but he turned down the offer at the time. Now, it seems he has reconsidered his position after he deemed the team as playing for the future instead of trying to win this season.

At the direction of his agent and attorney, Raymond Brothers, Sixers point guard Markelle Fultz is holding himself out of further basketball action until he sees a shoulder specialist and receives an evaluation. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2017 draft, Fultz missed nearly all of his rookie season last year, in large part due to ongoing shoulder issues. And while he has appeared healthy this season, he has continued to struggle with his shot. Rumors have also surfaced that Fultz has a bad wrist and wants a trade, but Brothers has shot those rumors down.

Despite the Kings’ surprisingly good start to this season, head coach Dave Joerger may find himself on the hot seat at some point. Per reports, Joerger is locked in a philosophical battle with the front office over minutes for the team’s younger, potential-star players, such as rookie big man Marvin Bagley III. Management sees this as a developmental year for the organization, wanting to play Bagley and other youngsters like forwards Harry Giles and Skal Labissiere, while Joerger is focused on winning as many games as possible, opting instead to give big minutes to veterans such as 30-year-old Nemanja Bjelica, who has started every game this season.

The Grizzlies and Joakim Noah will meet next week to finalize a contract for the veteran big man. Noah, 33, was waived by the Knicks last month with two years left on his contract, and since reaching free agency, Memphis had consistently been the only team linked to him. Having waived Andrew Harrison last month, the Grizzlies have an open spot on their 15-man roster, but since they used their bi-annual exception last season and committed their entire mid-level exception to Kyle Anderson, the Grizzlies are limited to offering Noah a minimum salary contract.

Here are 11 more notable NBA headlines from the last week:

• Warriors‘ All-NBA forward, Kevin Durant, says the incident he had with Draymond Green will not affect his free agency decision.
• The Wizards signed free agent forward Okaro White to fill one of the open spots on their roster.
• The Bucks will waive guard Jodie Meeks upon his return from suspension.
• Pelicans guard Elfrid Payton broke his left pinky finger and, after having surgery, will be sidelined for about six weeks.
• The Wizards may be open to trading any player on their roster, including John Wall and Bradley Beal.
• Accordingly, the Hornets have inquired on the possibility of trading for Beal.
• Bulls guard Denzel Valentine appears unlikely to play at all during the 2018/19 season after being diagnosed with “ongoing ankle instability.” The 25-year-old will undergo surgery and miss four to six months.
• The Sixers are optimistic that Jimmy Butler will remain in Philadelphia after this season.
• Cavaliers‘ All-Star power forward Kevin Love will likely be out until January at the earliest.
• Clippers‘ point guard Milos Teodosic is frustrated with his playing time and thinking about returning to the EuroLeague before the NBA season is over.
• Heat guard Dwyane Wade isn’t open to the idea of being talked out of retirement after this season.