Victor Oladipo will begin participating in some full-contact 5-on-5 half-court scrimmages in the coming days but he still has more hurdles to clear before he’ll return to action, Tyler Kraft and Nathan Brown of the Indianapolis Star report. The Pacers have yet to announce a target date for the star guard, who suffered a ruptured quad tendon last season.
“He’s been doing some things 1-on-1,” Pacers head coach Nate McMillan said. “But this is a good sign. They’re going slowly to try to work him into being able to go every day, but it’s good news to know he’ll be able to participate in that first part of practice.”
We have more Eastern Conference news:
- Raptors swingman Patrick McCaw had an MRI on his left knee which revealed no structural damage, Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports tweets. McCaw suffered the injury during a preseason game last weekend. The Raptors re-signed McCaw to a two-year deal in July.
- The Sixers were interested in acquiring Josh Richardson last season from the Heat before they traded for Jimmy Butler, Michael Lee of The Athletic reports. The Sixers were open to being a third party when the Heat were in trade talks with the Timberwolves for Butler with Philadelphia targeting Richardson. When those talks collapsed, the Sixers eventually worked out a trade for Butler. Those two swingmen were the main components of the sign-and-trade this summer when Butler agreed to join Miami.
- Forward Taurean Prince is hopeful that he can reached an extension agreement with the Nets prior to Monday’s deadline, as he told Brian Lewis of the New York Post. He’ll be a restricted free agent next summer if he doesn’t sign an extension. “I want to be here as long as I can. And whatever happens, happens, but I’m just happy to play good basketball,” Prince said. “One hundred percent, yeah. For sure. This is the best organization I’ve been in.”
Would never ever happen but imagine a Ben Simmons and Al Horford to Phoenix trade for Devin Booker, Ricky Rubio and a salary cap filler.
Phoenix gets a All Star PG in Simmons who gets his own team. Horford and Ayton would be great together and they have wing options in Cam Johnson and Bridges. You also get to spend some free agency money once Tyler Johnson goes and you might let Oubre walk at 15 mil a year too. Maybe you resign Saric at cheap for a floor space. Simmons becomes the best PG at the Suns along with Nash and Kidd. Phoenix also becomes a better team.
Philly may think it’s getting a bad deal but it allows Harris to move to PF and Richardson to move to SF. Embid gets to be the boss of this team and is surrounded by decent shooter and people that can create there own offence. Rubio is a solid defender and playmaker, Booker is the elite shooter, Richardson does a little bit of everything and is a good playmaker also. It releases abit of salary cap pressure and having an ageing Horford off the books could be a good thing too.