If you missed any of this past week’s biggest headlines from around the NBA, we’ve got you covered with our Week in Review. Here are some of the most noteworthy stories from the last seven days:
Blake Griffin is sidelined indefinitely after undergoing knee surgery. Griffin has only been able to play 18 games so far and may be lost for the rest of the season, increasing the chances that Andre Drummond will be moved before next month’s trade deadline. Detroit has applied for a Disabled Player Exception worth $9.26MM.
Also having surgery this week was Sixers center Joel Embiid, who will be re-evaluated in one to two weeks after an operation on his left hand. The All-Star center suffered a dislocation of his ring finger on Monday.
Anthony Davis will be a free agent this summer after turning down a four-year, $145.7MM extension offfer from the Lakers. The decision was financially based, as Davis will be eligible to sign a five-year deal with the team in July worth $202MM.
General manager Rob Pelinka received an extension and promotion from the Lakers this week. Now the vice president of basketball operations, Pelinka has transformed the franchise by signing LeBron James in 2018 and trading for Davis last summer.
In a move that could shake up the Eastern Conference playoff race, Victor Oladipo announced that he is hoping to return to action January 29. The Pacers‘ All-Star guard has been sidelined since suffering a torn quad tendon last January.
Here are 10 more noteworthy headlines from around the basketball world this week:
- Lakers backup center Dwight Howard was among several players around the league who had their contracts guaranteed for the rest of the season by staying on the roster through Jan. 7. Howard signed with L.A. for the veteran’s minimum of $2.56MM.
- The Warriors waived Marquese Chriss before the guarantee date, although both sides are interested in a possible reunion. Golden State used the open roster spot to convert Damion Lee, who was running out of NBA days on his two-way contract.
- Paul Watson became the first player to sign a 10-day deal this season, reaching an agreement with the Hawks. Sunday was the first day that 10-day contracts could be offered.
- Magic forward Al-Farouq Aminu may be lost for the rest of the season after having meniscus surgery on his right knee. Aminu won’t be re-evaluated for 12 weeks, which puts him out through the beginning of April.
- The Magic applied for two Disabled Player Exceptions after injuries to Aminu and Jonathan Isaac. If granted by the league, they would be valued at $4,629,000 for Aminu and $2,903,220 for Isaac.
- Nets guard Kyrie Irving, who has been sidelined since November 14 with a shoulder injury, appears ready to return tomorrow. He met with reporters earlier this week and said he had a cortisone short in hopes of avoiding season-ending surgery.
- First-year Cavaliers coach John Beilein apologized to his team for saying they had been playing like “a bunch of thugs,” saying he meant to use the word “slugs.”
- Cavaliers forward Kevin Love was also remorseful for a confrontation with general manager Koby Altman. Love was recently fined $1K for his behavior on the sidelines in a loss to Toronto and has exhibited frustration with some of his young teammates.
- Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie is ready to offer digital investment opportunities. Because the NBA objected to a plan to tie the investments to his contract, he has abandoned that part of the plan and won’t use the league’s likeness or name.
- The NBA may drop its proposal to reseed the final four playoff teams.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.