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Injury Notes: Jackson, Grizzlies, Sixers, Raptors, Bufkin

October 21st, 2024 at 4:00pm CST by Rory Maher

Grizzlies big man Jaren Jackson Jr. will be sidelined for Wednesday’s regular season opener vs. Utah but head coach Taylor Jenkins said there’s a chance he could suit up later this week, as Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal relays. Jackson was diagnosed with a low-grade hamstring strain at the beginning of October.

“Hamstring’s in a good spot, he’s been progressing well,” Jenkins said. “We’re going to be cautious, have him get a little more five-on-five in the next couple of days and probably trend more towards later in the week when he’ll return.”

Jackson has two years and about $48.7MM remaining on his contract. He was eligible to sign an extension worth $103MM over three years prior to Monday night’s deadline, but he’ll revisit a potential new deal in the offseason, sources tell ESPN’s Bobby Marks. That outcome was always considered likely, as the 2023 Defensive Player of the Year could earn far more money in 2025 than he can right now — he’d be eligible for a super-max extension if he wins DPOY, MVP or make an All-NBA team in 2024/25.

Jenkins also provided injury updates on Luke Kennard (foot soreness), Vince Williams (shin stress reaction), GG Jackson (foot surgery) and Cam Spencer (ankle sprain), Cole adds. Kennard will be sidelined for the first week of the season, Williams and Spencer are “still a couple of weeks away,” and Jackson will be reevaluated in late November.

Here are some more injury notes from around the NBA:

  • Joel Embiid (knee management) and Jared McCain (pulmonary contusion) were able to go through all of the Sixers‘ practice on Monday aside from 5-on-5 scrimmaging, tweets Derek Bodner of PHLY Sports. Free agent addition Paul George, who sustained a hyperextended left knee in preseason action, did not practice but will be reevaluated on Tuesday, per head coach Nick Nurse.
  • Raptors wings RJ Barrett and Ja’Kobe Walter practiced on Monday, but the team didn’t do any contact work, per Eric Koreen of The Athletic (Twitter link). Head coach Darko Rajakovic called Barrett day-to-day, while Walter is considered seven-to-10 days behind his veteran teammate. Both players are dealing with sprained AC joints in their right shoulders.
  • Second-year guard Kobe Bufkin suffered a right shoulder injury in Saturday’s practice and is undergoing testing to determine the severity of the injury, the Hawks announced (via Twitter). It’s unclear at this time how long Bufkin will be out, but he’ll be sidelined for Wednesday’s regular season opener, per the team. Bufkin was limited to just 17 games as a rookie last season due to toe and finger injuries.
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And-Ones: M. Williams, Rookies, International Prospects, G League Trade

October 20th, 2024 at 7:06pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Monty Williams will be a head coach after all this season, just not in the pro or college ranks.

Williams has accepted the head coaching job at TMI Episcopal prep school in San Antonio, where he will coach his son Elijah, NBA insider Chris Haynes tweets. The Pistons fired Williams in June just one season after he signed a six-year, $78.5MM contract.

Williams is replacing former NBA forward Bruce Bowen at the San Antonio prep school, Haynes adds in another tweet.

We have more from around the basketball world:

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Sixers Notes: Martin, Star Trio, Arena

October 20th, 2024 at 3:09pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

One of the most underrated Sixers free agent additions of the summer was versatile three-and-D combo forward Caleb Martin. The veteran wing may not be a marquee name like nine-time All-Star Paul George, but he’s eager to prove his mettle as a multifaceted role player, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Pompey notes that Martin could prove to be a crucial “glue guy” for the club as it seeks its first title in 42 seasons. Martin expressed enthusiasm about taking on a complementary role.

“That’s how you fit in,” Martin said. “That’s how you complete the pieces of the puzzle. If everybody’s got the same agenda, averaging 20 points, playing the most minutes, getting up the most shots, that’s not how you complete a team.”

Although he’s just 6’5″, the 29-year-old is projected to serve as Philadelphia’s starting power forward, as he did during much of his tenure with the Heat. Martin was a key member of Miami’s charmed 2023 playoff run, which saw the club reach the NBA Finals.

During his final season in Miami in 2023/24, Martin averaged a career-best 10.0 points per game on .431/.349/.778 shooting splits, along with 4.4 rebounds and 2.2 assists per contest. He inked a four-year, $35MM deal with the Sixers this summer.

There’s more out of Philadelphia:

  • Health will be paramount for the Sixers’ new “Big Three” of All-NBA center Joel Embiid, George, and All-Star point guard Tyrese Maxey, Pompey writes in another Inquirer story. Maxey exited Friday’s preseason finale against the Magic after bruising his right thumb, but that was viewed as a precautionary decision. George is dealing with a hyperextended knee and is questionable to play in the team’s regular season opener Wednesday. Embiid hasn’t scrimmaged with the team or played a single game during the preseason as the 2023 MVP looks to manage his health with an eye towards playoff glory. Pompey notes that Philadelphia plans to exercise caution with the 34-year-old George in addition to Embiid.
  • Critics of the Sixers’ impending new arena in downtown Philadelphia have asked who will truly benefit from the building’s construction, according to Jeff Gammage, Sean Collins Walsh, and Anna Orsol of The Philadelphia Inquirer. While $50MM from team ownership has been allocated for the community, those critics question just how that money will be doled out. “We still have negotiations to do, and working with the development team and administration to make sure those changes that we believe are necessary will be put into either the legislation or the [agreement for the new arena,” city councilman Mark Squilla said.
  • In case you missed it, Philadelphia waived four players ahead of the start of the regular season.
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Central Notes: Drummond, Pistons, Bucks, Rivers, Garland, Carlisle

October 18th, 2024 at 11:39pm CST by Luke Adams

Sixers center Andre Drummond spent the first seven-and-a-half seasons of his NBA career in Detroit, earning a pair of All-Star nods and leading the league in rebounding four times during his tenure with the Pistons. Even though the team only made the playoffs twice during that time and was swept out of the first round in both instances, Drummond looks back fondly on his stint with the franchise and hopes to eventually return.

“I call Detroit home to this day,” Drummond said on the Run Your Race podcast (YouTube link). “I still have a house in Detroit, just because of the connection that I have with the city. I feel like I became a man in that city. … I grew up so much there. I met some of my best friends there. I built a relationship with the fanbase and the community in Detroit.

“I’ve always said it, I want to finish my career there. The year I’m trying to retire, I want to finish in Detroit. Because that’s where I started and I want to finish there.”

Drummond is the second all-time rebounder in Pistons history, behind only Bill Laimbeer. He also ranks third in blocked shots on the franchise leaderboard.

Here’s more from around the Central:

  • Sam Amick of The Athletic spoke to Bucks stars Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard and head coach Doc Rivers to get a sense of why the team is confident it will be better in 2024/25 than it was in ’23/24. “This year, a challenge for me is to be healthy,” Antetokounmpo said. “A challenge for me is to play in the playoffs, to get out of the f—ing first round. Assert myself even more. Every year for me is important because one day, I’m going to be 35 or 36 or 38 and I’m going to be like, ‘Oh, my prime just went, and I wasn’t able to do something.’ So dominate.”
  • In a separate interview with Eric Nehm of The Athletic, Rivers spoke about his enthusiasm for the upcoming season with the Bucks and defended his coaching record, pointing out that he’s constantly been in situations where he knows he’ll be criticized for anything less than a championship. “If you look at my path since leaving Boston, I’ve intentionally put myself in win-or-failure positions, knowing that in a lot of cases that if we fail, it’s on me,” Rivers said. “But if I’ve learned anything from my journey with Boston and how long it took me as a coach to get there, I want that position more than the, ‘Well, we can be fifth seed if some things go right’ position.”
  • After a trying 2023/24 season that included the death of his grandmother and a broken jaw that left him drinking out of a straw for weeks, Cavaliers guard Darius Garland says his “joy is back” ahead of the 2024/25 campaign. Chris Fedor has the story in a subscriber-only feature for Cleveland.com.
  • A resolution has been reached in a civil lawsuit filed by former agent Jarinn Akana against Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle, reports Tim MacMahon of ESPN. Akana alleged that Carlisle breached their contract by refusing to pay the full commission owed to the agent as a result of his 2018 extension with the Mavericks. A trial had been scheduled for April 28, 2025, but that court date will be avoided as a result of the resolution (the terms of which are confidential).
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And-Ones: Role Players, Mays, JTA, Dekker, Breakout Candidates

October 18th, 2024 at 11:02pm CST by Rory Maher

Pacers point guard T.J. McConnell is an example of a solid role player on a reasonable contract who has risen in prominence due to the roster building restrictions of the new CBA, as Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic details. McConnell signed a four-year, $45MM extension this offseason, though only the first two years are fully guaranteed.

“I’ve played the same way, I feel like, since I’ve gotten into the league,” he said. “The people that are best at adapting and changing, especially as role players, are the ones that last. And that’s what I’ve tried to do, play my game, but also adapt and change to what my team needs me to do.”

With stars frequently earning anywhere from 25-35% of the salary cap, and the league’s top spenders dealing with the ramifications of the tax aprons, finding role players who outperform their contracts has become even more important than it was previously, Thompson writes.

Here’s more from around the basketball world:

  • Former NBA guard Skylar Mays has officially signed a one-year deal with Turkish EuroLeague club Fenerbahce, Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops relays. The move was expected, with reports out of Europe stating Mays was expected to be an injury replacement for veteran guard Scottie Wilbekin, who sustained a torn ACL. Mays, 27, split last season with the Trail Blazers and Lakers. Minnesota released him from his Exhibit 10 deal to give him the opportunity to sign with Fenerbahce.
  • Free agent forward Juan Toscano-Anderson has re-signed with the NBA G League’s Mexico City Capitanes, the team announced (via Twitter). A five-year veteran, Toscano-Anderson spent a little over a month with the Kings last season, appearing in 11 games for 53 total minutes. He spent the rest of the 2023/24 season with the Capitanes.
  • In an interesting interview with Marc Stein (Substack link), veteran forward Sam Dekker discussed how he’s reinvented his game playing for the London Lions and why the implementation of a new salary cap system has complicated his situation in the British Basketball League. A former first-round pick (18th overall in 2015), the 30-year-old last played in the NBA in 2021 but he hasn’t given up on making it back — he worked out for the Warriors, Sixers and Bucks in June, though none of those sessions led to a contract offer.
  • Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports lists five breakout candidates for the 2024/25 season, including Hornets wing Brandon Miller, who was the No. 2 overall pick of last year’s draft.
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Atlantic Notes: McCain, Yabusele, Raptors Injuries, Shead, Walker

October 17th, 2024 at 10:46pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Promising Sixers rookie guard Jared McCain took a hard fall late in the fourth quarter of Philadelphia’s Wednesday preseason game against the Nets. He was down for a while, according to ESPN’s Tim Bontemps (Twitter link), but he was able to get up under his own power.

Head coach Nick Nurse said McCain went to the hospital to be evaluated and the Sixers announced he’d be checked for a concussion, according to Bontemps.

McCain was reevaluated on Thursday afternoon and was diagnosed with a pulmonary contusion, but has not displayed symptoms consistent with a concussion (Twitter link via NBA insider Chris B. Haynes). McCain is out for Friday’s preseason finale against the Magic and will continue to be evaluated daily.

Missing McCain for any time is a blow for the Sixers, but avoiding a concussion is good news for the young guard. He’s been a preseason revelation for the team, averaging 12.8 points and shooting 37.9% on 5.8 three-point attempts per game.

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

  • Sixers forward Guerschon Yabusele made headlines in the Olympics after playing well for the French national team, then parlayed that performance into a contract with Philadelphia, his first since the 2018/19 season. Andscape’s Marc J. Spears details Yabusele’s return to the league in a recent feature. “My advice is just work hard, never give up and make your dream come true. If you want it, you’re going to have to go get it,” Yabusele said.
  • Raptors guard Immanuel Quickley went through a full practice on Thursday for the first time since the start of training camp, Josh Lewenerg of TSN reports (Twitter link). Quickly is questionable for the team’s Friday preseason finale against Brooklyn. According to Sportsnet.ca’s Michael Grange (Twitter link), the guard is still sporting a brace on his thumb. Meanwhile, RJ Barrett is still recovering from shoulder surgery and will not travel for the preseason finale. The hope for Barrett is that he’s ready for the start of the regular season, but there are no guarantees. Ja’Kobe Walter is dealing with the same shoulder injury as Barrett but he’s about 10 days ahead in the recovery process, according to Lewenberg (Twitter links). Walter has yet to be cleared for contact.
  • With Quickley soon to return and Davion Mitchell and Jamal Shead both playing well in the preseason, it’s possible the Raptors could roll with three point guards in their regular season rotation. However, according to Lewenberg (Twitter link), Darko Rajakovic‘s comments suggest Shead may start the season as the third-stringer, not part of the regular rotation. “I think it’s amazing that we have three point guards, and in practice you could see that everybody is pushing each other,” the Raptors’ head coach said. “Davion is making Quickley better. Jamal is making Davion better. They’re really, really competing and every team wishes for that. When you have more players competing for the same spot, it makes everybody better.”
  • With the Celtics cutting all their non-guaranteed camp invitees except for Lonnie Walker, it puts the seventh-year guard in the spotlight ahead of final cuts. Souichi Terada of MassLive believes Boston will ultimately waive Walker, since keeping him for the season would cost upward of $10MM in additional tax penalties due to the team’s position against the second apron. The Celtics have also opted to keep that 15th roster spot open to start the season in recent years.
  • Earlier this offseason, former Knicks manager of coaching analytics Nick Restifo left for the Hawks to be their director of basketball research. According to Fred Katz of The Athletic (Twitter link), the Knicks hired CB Garrett, previously with the Bucks, to replace him.
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Sixers Waive Four Players

October 16th, 2024 at 10:10pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Sixers made four roster cuts after Wednesday’s preseason game, waiving Jordan Tucker, Isaiah Mobley, Judah Mintz and Max Fiedler, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link).

All four players were on Exhibit 10 contracts and are likely to wind up with the team’s G League affiliate in Delaware, where they can earn bonuses worth up to $77.5K if they remain there for at least 60 days.

Tucker and Mobley signed in late September, just before the start of training camp. Tucker was in the LNB Pro A League in France last season and has played in the G League and internationally since going undrafted out of Butler in 2020. Mobley, the brother of Cavaliers star Evan Mobley, had been with Cleveland on two-way deals the past two seasons.

Mintz, a former standout guard at Syracuse, inked an Exhibit 10 contract in early September, while Fielder, a rookie big man out of Rice, signed in late August.

The moves bring Philadelphia’s roster down to 17 players ahead of the upcoming cutdown date. The team has 13 players on fully guaranteed contracts, along with Ricky Council, whose $1.9MM salary for this season and $2.2MM for 2025/26 are both non-guaranteed.

Although there’s still a few days for the Sixers to make last-minute moves, it’s possible that the roster is set heading into the October 23 opener against Milwaukee.

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Paul George To Be Reevaluated Tuesday

October 16th, 2024 at 8:42pm CST by Arthur Hill
  • Paul George will be reevaluated next Tuesday to determine if he can play in Wednesday’s season opener against Milwaukee, ESPN’s Shams Charania said on NBA Today (video link). Sixers officials confirmed to Charania that there was no structural damage from the injury George suffered on Monday, but there’s a “level of uncertainty” about his availability for opening night.
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Atlantic Notes: George, Nets, Walsh, Raptors

October 15th, 2024 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Discussing Paul George‘s hyperextended knee on Tuesday, Sixers head coach Nick Nurse told reporters that “everything checks out OK” so far. Nurse added the team will do imaging later in the day and confirmed that George won’t be active for Wednesday’s preseason contest vs. Brooklyn, tweets Derek Bodner of PHLY Sports.

After completing an MRI on George’s injured knee, the 76ers announced that he has been diagnosed with a bone bruise, according to Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports, who tweets that the imaging showed no structural damage. The team intends to reevaluate the star forward in approximately one week.

It’s good news for the Sixers and for George, who avoided a more serious injury. However, it remains to be seen whether or not Philadelphia’s top offseason addition will be ready to go when the club’s regular season tips off in eight days vs. the Bucks.

Here’s more from around the Atlantic:

  • Veteran Nets players have said this month’s training camp is the toughest they’ve ever experienced, according to Brian Lewis of The New York Post. While first-time head coach Jordi Fernandez has focused on conditioning work and demanded high intensity in team scrimmages, he credits the players for fostering that environment. “The ones that are making it competitive, hard, physical and challenging are the players,” Fernandez said on Monday. “Obviously, my demands are to work extremely hard, to be a good teammate, to build relationships, to compete, to get one percent better, so on and so forth. … But the guys are buying into it, and they’re fighting for their opportunities, their spots, their roles.”
  • Second-year forward Jordan Walsh continued a strong preseason on Sunday with 16 points and 10 rebounds in 30 minutes of action in the Celtics‘ win over Toronto. Head coach Joe Mazzulla said he’s “really proud of (the) growth” he’s seen from Walsh this fall and spoke about the specific areas where the 20-year-old has made strides. “Just having an understanding of what his job is,” Mazzulla said, per Brian Robb of MassLive.com. “Defend at a high level, defend multiple positions, rebound, and then make reads on the offensive end.”
  • The Raptors lost games over to the weekend to Washington and to a Boston team resting its stars, but there were a few bright spots, writes Eric Koreen of The Athletic. Big man Chris Boucher is having a strong preseason, as is third-year wing Ochai Agbaji, who figures to start on opening night due to RJ Barrett‘s shoulder injury. Newcomer Davion Mitchell, starting in place of Immanuel Quickley, has also made a case for a regular season role, Koreen notes — while defense is his calling card, Mitchell has done a very good job taking care of the ball on offense this preseason, with 14 assists and no turnovers in three games.
  • In case you missed it, we rounded up several Knicks-related notes earlier this afternoon.
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Paul George Suffers Hyperextended Left Knee

October 14th, 2024 at 9:33pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Paul George left the Sixers’ preseason game against Atlanta on Monday with a hyperextended left knee, according to the team.

George, the biggest free agent acquisition of the offseason, suffered the non-contact injury during the first half. The injury puts George’s availability for the start of the regular season in jeopardy. Philadelphia opens at home against Minnesota on Oct. 23 and has three more regular season games before the end of the month.

George was signed away from the Clippers on a four-year, maximum-salary contract as Philadelphia’s top target. George appeared in 74 regular season games last season, the most he played since the 2018/19 season with Oklahoma City. He averaged 22.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists per contest. He also played in all six postseason games against Dallas.

Sixers head coach Nick Nurse sounded somewhat optimistic about George’s injury after the game, Gina Mizell of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets.

“Certainly trying to work him into things, and he wants to work into things, too. So this doesn’t give him a chance to do that,” Nurse said about George getting acclimated with his new teammates. “Hopefully, it’ll be OK so he’s back with us right away.”

George told Mizell he was “not too concerned” about his knee (Twitter link).

Sixers superstar Joel Embiid has already been ruled out for the rest of the preseason due to left knee management.

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