Kings wing Kevin Huerter, who underwent left shoulder surgery in the spring due to a torn labrum, has been cleared for full contact work, the team announced (Twitter link via Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee).
While it’s obviously great news that Huerter is getting closer to a return, he’ll still have to clear the Kings’ return-to-play protocol before he suits up in an official game, per the team.
Huerter, whose name has popped up in several trade rumors over the past year-plus, is coming off a down 2023/24 season in which he averaged career lows in multiple statistics, including minutes per game (24.4) and three-point percentage (36.1). He’s under contract through ’25/26.
Here’s more from around the Pacific:
- Kings guard Malik Monk exited Wednesday’s preseason contest early due to personal reasons. He remains away from the team and will miss Friday’s preseason contest vs. Golden State, but sources tell Anderson that the Sixth Man of the Year runner-up is “not expected to miss an extended period of time” (Twitter links).
- Third-year guard Alondes Williams, who is on an Exhibit 10 deal with the Clippers, impressed several of his veteran teammates with his strong preseason play on Tuesday vs. Brooklyn, tweets Law Murray of The Athletic. Williams finished with 10 points (on 4-of-7 shooting), six rebounds, seven assists and a steal in 16 minutes off the bench. If he keeps it up, it’s possible the 25-year-old could earn a promotion — Exhibit 10 deals can be converted to two-way contracts, and the Clips have a two-way opening.
- JJ Redick had some pointed criticism for Bucks coach Doc Rivers, his former head coach with the Clippers, last season while he was working as an analyst for ESPN. Asked about the status of their relationship before Thursday’s preseason game, the new Lakers head coach didn’t offer many details, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN. “I don’t carry beef with people,” Redick said. “And I’m not going to get into the history of Doc and I’s relationship right now. And I probably won’t ever. He’s fine in my book.”
- At his media availability on Wednesday, Rivers was critical of the Lakers‘ decision to fire Darvin Ham, who is now his top assistant in Milwaukee (YouTube link). “I’m not going to get into the whole thing that happened there, but he took a team to a Western Finals, and then the following year, he won the in-season tournament, which they say we should have a lot of value on, and then they release him,” Rivers said (hat tip to Paul Terrazzano Jr. of TalkBasket.net). “It literally makes no sense, but it happens. It happens to all of us. It’s part of what we do.”
Doc w some wisdom…