Southeast Notes: Wizards, Ball, Miller, Martin, Isaac

Billionaire executive Laurene Powell Jobs plans to sell about half of her substantial stake in Monumental Sports & Entertainment, the holding company that controls the Washington Wizards, Capital One Arena, and the NHL’s Washington Capitals, according to Eben Novy-Williams and Scott Soshnick of Sportico. Powell Jobs will reportedly sell approximately 10% of Monumental.

The widow of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, Powell Jobs is one of the wealthiest women in the world, with major shares in Apple and the Walt Disney Company. She is currently the second-largest Monumental Sports & Entertainment shareholder, only trailing managing partner Ted Leonsis, per Sportico. It’s unclear if that will remain the case once she sells 10% of the company.

As Sportico’s authors write, it’s too early to speculate on how much 10% of Monumental might be worth, but a smaller stake sold at a $4.05 billion valuation last year.

Here’s more from the Southeast:

• Hornets star LaMelo Ball returned from a 20-game absence on Friday following a severe right ankle sprain, recording 28 points, five assists and five steals in 27 minutes. While the 22-year-old said he felt “great,” the blowout loss to San Antonio didn’t sit well with him, writes Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer. “It’s always good to play basketball, but (shoot), not like that,” Ball said. “But it was cool to get back out there.”
• On the same day Ball returned, the injury-plagued Hornets lost No. 2 pick Brandon Miller to a lower back contusion, according to Boone, who says the young wing was still in discomfort after the game. “That definitely took a little bit out of us for sure,” head coach Steve Clifford said. “Hopefully, he’s OK and it’s not serious.”
• Heat wing Caleb Martin recorded 11 points, four rebounds and two assists in 24 minutes during Friday’s win over Orlando, which marked his first game back from an ankle injury, as Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel relays (subscriber link). Martin had missed the past seven games with a right ankle sprain. “Caleb is so dynamic,” Bam Adebayo said. “He can score. He can defend. He can play point if you need him to. You can put him in so many different roles and he accepts that challenge.“
• Magic big man Jonathan Isaac is on track to return on Saturday vs. OKC following a 10-game absence, tweets Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel. One of the team’s best defenders, Isaac missed nine games due to a right hamstring strain before missing a 10th game with an illness, Beede notes.