Immanuel Quickley Rumors

Raptors Notes: Lineup, Mogbo, Barnes, Trade Candidates

December 20th, 2024 at 5:02pm CST by Luke Adams

The Raptors deployed their youngest starting lineup in franchise history in Thursday’s game vs. Brooklyn, according to Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca, who notes that the average age of Ja’Kobe Walter, Jonathan Mogbo, Ochai Agbaji, Gradey Dick, and returning star Scottie Barnes was 22 years and 187 days. Agbaji, who is 24, called it “crazy” that he was the oldest starter in the lineup.

Missing reliable regulars like Jakob Poeltl, RJ Barrett, and Immanuel Quickley, the Raptors lost a winnable game to the Nets by a score of 101-94, but there were some intriguing takeaways, including the use of Mogbo as a switchable small-ball five, Murphy writes.

Toronto has been better defensively with Mogbo on the court this season and the rookie has provided some reasons for optimism with his play on the offensive end of the floor too, according to Murphy, though he’s still in the early stages of his NBA development.

“There is a lot, for sure, for him. He is learning a lot and every time,” head coach Darko Rajakovic said of Mogbo prior to the loss. “When you learn different positions that he’s played lately, different matchups, at some point it comes to you slowing down a little bit with your aggressiveness. But we are working through that, and we want him to be aggressive, we want him to be forceful and when he does that, he’s the player that we like.”

Here’s more on the Raptors:

The Raptors haven’t had much good fortune so far this season, but the team caught a break with Barnes’ speedy return from his ankle injury, notes Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca (Twitter link). The All-Star forward was originally projected to miss “several weeks” due to the sprain, but ended up missing just two games and returning to action 10 days after sustaining the injury. He had 16 points and six assists in 36 minutes on Thursday in his first game back.
Eric Koreen of The Athletic breaks down the Raptors’ roster into “trade tiers,” evaluating which players are the most and least likely to be on the move at this season’s deadline. Koreen classifies veteran swingman Bruce Brown, who is on a $23MM expiring contract, as Toronto’s most likely player to be traded, and suggests Chris Boucher, Bruno Fernando, Davion Mitchell, Kelly Olynyk, and Garrett Temple are the other top candidates to be moved.
Within the same story, Koreen says he views Barnes as essentially untouchable, with Barrett, Quickley, Dick, Agbaji, Mogbo, Walter, and Jamal Shead also unlikely to be dealt. That leaves Poeltl, who probably won’t be untouchable but also likely won’t go anywhere unless Toronto gets a very strong offer, Koreen says.
In case you missed it, the Raptors remained in the top 10 in Sportico’s latest NBA franchise valuations, coming in at $4.66 billion.

Raptors Notes: Carton, Barrett, Quickley

December 10th, 2024 at 5:41pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Injuries apparently played a role in the Raptors decision to waive two-way player D.J. Carton.

With Scottie Barnes, Immanuel Quickley and Bruce Brown dealing with injuries, Toronto wanted to add depth. Carton couldn’t provide that in the short run because he’s expected to miss the next three-to-four weeks with an ankle injury of his own, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype tweets.

It’s possible that Carton will be re-signed at some point, Scotto adds.

We have more on the Raptors:

While the team awaits an update on Barnes, who injured his right ankle and foot against the Knicks on Monday, RJ Barrett will have to ramp up his production in Barnes’ absence, Eric Koreen of The Athletic writes. Barrett wound up with 30 points, eight rebounds and four assists against his former team, and did his best to get the Raptors good looks in crunch time, Koreen notes. However, after this season Barrett could see a much different role if the Raptors get a high lottery pick who commands a high percentage of the offense.
In an extensive interview with Michael Grange of Sportsnet, Barrett says that playing for coach Darko Rajakovic has been a boon for his career. “He’s very, you know, straight to the point, but very encouraging, very encouraging. He believes in me,” Barrett said. “Whenever a coach has that spirit, you want to run through a wall for him.” Barrett still has two years and over $57MM remaining on his contract but that might be considered a relative bargain with the way he’s expanded his game since he was acquired from the Knicks.
Quickley had more imaging done on his injured left elbow that has kept him out since Nov. 10, Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports tweets. He’s progressing, per the Raptors, but he still hasn’t been cleared to ramp up or practice. There’s still no timeline for his return.

Raptors Notes: Olynyk, Brown, Quickley, Mogbo, Rhoden

December 8th, 2024 at 10:16am CST by Rory Maher

After missing the first 21 games of the season with a back injury, Raptors big man Kelly Olynyk made his season debut in Saturday’s loss to Dallas, writes Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca. Olynyk explained that his back unexpectedly tightened up after a training camp practice, and it took six weeks for him to recover.

“Playing basketball is what I love to do,” Olynyk said of finally returning to the lineup. “So you know, whenever you get to wake up and play basketball, it’s a great day. Obviously, it took a lot longer than I wanted, probably the team wanted, everybody wanted, but those kind of things happen. You’ve got to take your time. You can’t rush it, but it’s nice to get back out there and get into the flow of things.”

The 33-year-old forward/center had an excellent night, recording 13 points, four rebounds and two steals in 14 minutes without missing a shot (3-of-3 on three-pointers, 4-of-4 on free throws).

Here’s more on the Raptors, mostly from Grange:

Bruce Brown appears to be close behind Olynyk in making his own season debut after undergoing offseason knee surgery, with Grange saying the veteran swingman “should be back any time.” Long viewed as a trade candidate, Brown is on an expiring $23MM contract.
Immanuel Quickley‘s return to action does not appear to be imminent, however. According to Grange, there’s still no recovery timeline for the 25-year-old, who sustained a torn ligament in his left elbow on November 10.
As Grange writes, despite losing to Dallas, Toronto had some impressive performances from its young players, with head coach Darko Rajakovic singling out rookie forward Jonathan Mogbo for the “awesome” job he did defending Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. “Jonathan’s super versatile. He can guard one through five,” said Olynk. “ … So that’s really exciting, and he can rebound, he can run, he can put the ball on the floor and handle it a little bit. He made some shots today. As he continues to develop that three-point shot, it’s going to be, obviously, big for him and for us, but he has that athletic ability around the rim. He caught a lob today that looked like he got boosted in the air. It was unbelievable. But you know, his skill set will definitely, I think, complement mine, and mine will complement his. So looking forward to that.” The 31st pick of June’s draft, Mogbo finished with eight points, seven rebounds, two assists, one steal and two blocks in 21 minutes.
Third-year guard Jared Rhoden spent training camp with Toronto on an Exhibit 10 contract, but was waived before the season began. Charlotte claimed him off waivers and converted him to a two-way deal, but he was recently cut by the Hornets to make room for Isaiah Wong. According to Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter link), Rhoden will join Toronto’s G League affiliate, the Raptors 905, which controls his returning player rights, but the team will have to release someone to make room for him.

Raptors Notes: Barnes, Brown, Walter, Olynyk, Poeltl, More

November 20th, 2024 at 1:03pm CST by Luke Adams

Raptors star Scottie Barnes, who has been out since October due to an orbital bone fracture, appears to be nearing a return. The All-Star forward has been cleared for contact and was a full participant in practice on Wednesday, according to Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca (Twitter link), who says it sounds like Barnes will be listed as questionable to play vs. Minnesota on Thursday.

Although Barnes’ right eye is still red, he told reporters that he’s no longer feeling pain in the eye like he was in the days after the injury. His plan is to wear protective goggles as a precaution, which he admitted is “going to take some getting used to” (Twitter link via Lewenberg).

Two more injured Raptors players fully participated in practice on Wednesday too, according to Lewenberg (Twitter link), though he says Bruce Brown (knee) and Ja’Kobe Walter (shoulder) will require longer ramp-up periods than Barnes. That’s especially true for Brown, who has been on the shelf since undergoing knee surgery in September.

Kelly Olynyk (back) and Immanuel Quickley (elbow) remain sidelined for Toronto, but Olynyk was a limited participant in practice on Wednesday, Lewenberg adds.

We have more on the Raptors:

While Toronto’s decision to trade a lightly protected 2024 first-round pick in a package for Jakob Poeltl at the 2023 deadline looks like a mistake in retrospect, that’s certainly no fault of the veteran center, who has been playing some of the best basketball of his career as of late, writes Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca. Poeltl is averaging career highs in points (17.1) and rebounds (11.9) per game this season and has been more of a threat on offense than he showed in his first eight NBA seasons. “I mean, maybe there’s a little bit of a mindset change with me personally, but I think, more than anything, the reason why I feel like I’m getting more opportunities is just within the flow of our offense, our guys are finding me,” he said. “There are situations when I’m catching in rhythm because I’m getting a couple of easy ones.”
Within the same Sportsnet.ca story, Grange notes that Poeltl’s strong play this fall could boost his value as a trade chip, but suggests the Raptors might be better off keeping the big man. As Grange explains, a healthy version of the current roster, perhaps with another prospect added via the 2025 draft lottery, has a chance to be competitive sooner rather than later.
Despite their 3-12 start, the Raptors can’t be too upset about how the first month of the season has played out, as Grange and Lewenberg detail in a pair of stories. The vibes in the locker room are still positive, individual players – including 2023 lottery pick Gradey Dick – are making positive strides, the team has been competitive in most of its losses, and they seem to be buying into the way that head coach Darko Rajakovic wants to play.
While RJ Barrett‘s shooting percentages are down so far this season (.422 FG%, .338 3PT%), the forward’s passing ability has been a pleasant surprise, writes Eric Koreen of The Athletic. With primary play-makers Quickley and Barnes battling injuries, Barrett is averaging 6.5 assists, well above his career rate coming into this season (2.9 APG).
Eugene Omoruyi, who appeared in 87 total NBA games for four teams from 2021-24, has signed a G League contract and has been acquired off waivers by the Raptors 905, Toronto’s NBAGL affiliate. As Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca tweets, Omoruyi – who grew up near Toronto – opted to join the G League in the hopes that he could land with his hometown team. The 6’7″ forward has averaged 5.7 points and 2.3 rebounds in 12.1 minutes per game with the Mavericks, Thunder, Pistons, and Wizards since going undrafted out of Oregon in 2021.

Atlantic Notes: McCain, Bona, Quickley, Pritchard

November 14th, 2024 at 7:21pm CST by Tristan Tucker

The Sixers fell to 2-9 on Wednesday with their loss to the Cavaliers, but rookie Jared McCain continued to be a bright spot for his team. The Duke product scored career highs of 34 points and 10 assists in the loss, making six of his 13 three-point attempts. As Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer observes, McCain’s 34 points were the most by a rookie in a game this season and they came in his first career start.

“I just attribute [the career night] to my work,” McCain said. “I work so hard, so I feel like I need these games. I’m starting to learn more about being a lead guard. I feel like in college [at Duke], it was more off-ball. So definitely learning the process there, cutting back on turnovers and reading the game a little slower. But then again, I feel like I’m finding my shot, whether it’s midrange, getting to the rim, and obviously shooting the three.”

As we noted Wednesday, McCain has logged 30 or more minutes in each of his last four games. Without Tyrese Maxey, the Sixers are leaning more on the rookie’s guard skills.

“Obviously, another great game for him,” head coach Nick Nurse said. “I think the biggest thing was the 10 assists for me. I know 34 is a huge number. Again, he’s mostly been doing it one way. And to do that you are starting to … create. I felt he did a good job for the most part, getting it out to other people to get some buckets. And that’s pretty fast learning, right?”

As Pompey notes, McCain is one of five Sixers to play in every game, and his 13.5 points per contest rank fourth on the team. He’s making 38.5% of his three-point attempts this season.

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

Fellow Sixers rookie Adem Bona received his first big minutes on Wednesday against the Cavaliers. Bona produced four points and nine rebounds in 17 minutes, which left him feeling encouraged, Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer writes. “It felt amazing having the opportunity to do what I do out there,” Bona said. “The coaches trusted me, putting me in the game. That was like a little confidence boost for me, to show the coach I can contribute and help the team.” Bona might not play much this season, but he got this opportunity with Joel Embiid out due to injury management and Andre Drummond sidelined due to an illness. “He should be excited to get his opportunity,” Nurse said. “Let’s see what he does with it.“
The first anniversary of the trade for Immanuel Quickley is coming up for the Raptors, but he has only played 25 games alongside fellow cornerstone Scottie Barnes, Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca writes. Quickley and Barnes have traded off time on the injured list since the acquisition, and Quickley’s now likely to miss about a month with a UCL injury, Grange notes.
The four-year, $30MM deal Payton Pritchard signed with the Celtics in 2023 continues to look like a bargain, Brian Robb of MassLive.com writes. Pritchard has been a tremendous factor in the rotation this season, averaging 16.2 points per game while shooting 42.7% from three. His 23 points on Wednesday against Brooklyn helped the Celtics turn an 11-point first-half deficit into a blowout win. “Payton’s been excellent,” teammate Jaylen Brown said. “He’s been great, and that’s what we need. He’s been a superstar in his role. It’s almost like now it’s kind of expected because he’s done it so much and he’s done it so well. But obviously, it’s a long season. We’ve got to keep encouraging and finding him. And at times even playing through him; let Payton run the show. I don’t mind, especially when guys have a role in it. Just have the mindset that we’re a team, and whatever it takes to get it done.“

Raptors Notes: Quickley, Rajakovic, Agbaji

November 12th, 2024 at 5:27pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Immanuel Quickley has endured an unfortunate string of injuries and another one has cropped up. The Raptors guard has been diagnosed with a partial UCL tear in his left elbow, Blake Murphy of Sportsnet tweets. He’ll be reevaluated in a week.

As Michael Grange of Sportsnet notes (Twitter link), Quickley missed all of training camp and four preseason games with a thumb sprain. He also sat out eight games with a pelvic contusion from a fall in the season opener. The elbow injury comes after he returned for two games. Quickley averaged 75 games a season in the past three seasons.

We have more on the Raptors:

Head coach Darko Rajakovic knows what the organization wants out of him this season, as he told The Athletic’s Eric Koreen in a Q&A session. “This year the focus is very clear. We need to develop young guys. We need to develop our roster,” he said. “The main thing, the most important thing, is being dedicated to the process of the development — individually and as a team. And this year for us, process has to be more important than the outcome of some of those games. That’s not saying that you’re not competing. That’s not saying that we don’t want to win. I think it’s completely opposite. As you can see, we are undermanned, but we are really competing and staying in all of those games against really good teams.”
Rajakovic and his staff deserve credit for the team’s competitiveness in the early going, despite its shortcomings. He has also earned the right to be second-guessed on some of his late-game decisions in the final two minutes of a close game, and Grange details some moves that Rajakovic could have handled differently.
When the team picked up the fourth-year option on Ochai Agbaji‘s contract, there were legitimate reasons to question the move. That’s not the case anymore. Through 11 games this season, he’s averaging 14.0 points while shooting 58.8% from the field and 47.7% on 3-point tries. “Summer league wasn’t the way I wanted it to go. I would say I was a little discouraged after that, but that was kind of just motivation even more for me going back into (team) mini-camps that we had just to kind of go and prove myself again and kind of re-establish that confidence,” Agbaji told Koreen. “Summer league and last year, I’ll always tell people now, those were kind of just the building blocks of me. Obviously you have to have those down days to have up days.” Agbaji is eligible for a rookie scale extension next summer.

Atlantic Notes: Powell, Quickley, Brown, Simmons

November 10th, 2024 at 8:54pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Norman Powell played for the Raptors from 2015-21. The veteran forward is enjoying the best start of his career with the Clippers this season, averaging 25.5 points per game. Toronto traded him for Gary Trent Jr. and now Powell, 31, has emerged as an offensive force, while Trent is no longer on the Toronto roster.

“I’ve always had the confidence in myself and the belief that when an opportunity came to be one of the go-to guys every single night and I can play at a high level and compete against the top guys,” Powell told Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca. “That’s the reason I’ve worked so hard. It’s something that’s been on my mind for a long time, so I’m just excited and grateful for the opportunity.”

Powell had 24 points in the Clippers’ two-point win over the Raptors on Saturday.

We have more on the Atlantic Division:

Immanuel Quickley, out since the Raptors’ opener due to a pelvic injury, gave his club an immediate offensive boost upon his return. He had 21 points and four assists in 26 minutes against the Clippers. “He was just turned up, and he obviously turned us up offensively, defensively,” wing Ochai Agbaji told Eric Koreen of The Athletic. “He brought a lot for us.”
Jaylen Brown returned to the Celtics’ lineup against the Bucks on Sunday after missing the previous four games with a strained left hip flexor. He had 14 points in 37 minutes. Brown had been listed as questionable on Boston’s injury report. Brown was averaging 25.7 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.8 assists in six games entering the contest.
New Nets coach Jordi Fernandez is reluctant to start both Nic Claxton and Ben Simmons due to Simmons’ offensive limitations. Simmons, a free agent after the season, views himself as a starter but will accept whatever role he’s given. “For the flow of the team, whatever the team needs me to do in terms of whether it’s coming off the bench or starting, I’ve got to do. So, that’s what coach wants right now,” Simmons said, per Brian Lewis of the New York Post.

Atlantic Notes: Sixers, Barrett, Quickley, J. Brown

November 9th, 2024 at 7:38pm CST by Arthur Hill

Sixers players are trying to avoid getting discouraged as they work to overcome an unexpected rough start to the season, writes Tony Jones of The Athletic.

Within the past week, Joel Embiid was suspended for shoving a Philadelphia Inquirer columnist, delaying his season debut by three more games, and Tyrese Maxey was sidelined with a hamstring injury. Paul George‘s return from a bruised knee was expected to help, but the team has the worst record in the league at 1-7 and is in the midst of a five-game losing streak.

“The ship hasn’t sunk,” George said. “We know that we have to remain positive. We know that big fella is coming back and he’s one of the best. We’re going to get Tyrese healthy and we’ll get him back. Then we can finally be a complete team and start to build, and then we can finally begin to find out who we are. We’re still positive. We’re going to show up and we’re going to have the intention of winning games. We need more attention to detail, but we just have to continue to remain positive.”

The Sixers entered the season with championship aspirations, but Jones points out that no team has ever started 1-7 and recovered to win a title, while only one team in the past five years has overcome such a poor start to make the playoffs. Working to Philadelphia’s advantage is the weakness of the Eastern Conference, where only two teams currently have winning records. The Sixers are a mere three games out of third place, so there’s a chance to rise up the standings quickly once everyone is available.

“There isn’t a magic formula for us,” Kyle Lowry said. “We have a lot of work to do. We have to get better offensively. We have to get better defensively. We have to play hard. We have to stay positive and not get down on ourselves. It’s a dark time, but we have to figure out a way to handle the adversity.”

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

Injuries have forced RJ Barrett to take on a larger role in the Raptors‘ offense, and he has responded by putting up the best numbers of his career, notes Michael Pina of The Ringer. Through six games, Barrett is averaging career highs with 25.7 points and 7.0 assists as the absences of Scottie Barnes and Immanuel Quickley have required him to handle the ball more often. Pina points out that Barrett was the second-best player on Team Canada during the Summer Olympics and suggests that he may be headed for his first All-Star Game.
Quickley could return for tonight’s game against the Clippers, which should help the Raptors at both ends of the court, per Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca. Quickley has been sidelined since suffering a pelvic contusion midway through the season opener. “He brings a lot to our team from shooting, from opening up the floor for other guys as well, spacing,” coach Darko Rajakovic said. “He’s learning our system more and more, so he’s becoming more comfortable with cutting and just running our team well. Obviously, those [first] couple of games, he’ll need his reconditioning back. We’ll be intentional about his minutes on the court as well. So hopefully, 10 days from now, he’s really rocking and helping us big time.”
Celtics guard Jaylen Brown has been upgraded to questionable for Sunday after missing the past four games with a hip flexor strain, tweets Tim Bontemps of ESPN.

Injury Notes: Raptors, Zion, Morant, Melton, Vassell

November 8th, 2024 at 5:57pm CST by Luke Adams

Raptors rookie Ja’Kobe Walter, who missed the preseason and the first five games of the regular season with a sprained right AC joint, has re-sprained that joint and will be reevaluated in a week, tweets Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca.

It’s not all bad news on the injury front for Toronto though. Rookie forward Jonathan Mogbo is listed as probable to play on Saturday after exiting Wednesday’s game with a hip pointer, while starting point guard Immanuel Quickley has been upgraded to questionable after missing the last eight games with a pelvic contusion (Twitter link via Murphy).

There’s optimism Quickley will be back in action this weekend, either on Saturday vs. the Clippers or Sunday vs. the Lakers, tweets Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca.

Here are a few more injury updates from around the NBA:

Pelicans star Zion Williamson was ruled out for Friday’s game against Orlando about 90 minutes before tip-off (Twitter link via the team). As Christian Clark of NOLA.com notes (via Twitter), Williamson has now missed three of the team’s past four games with three different injury designations. He was sidelined by right hamstring tightness on Sunday, right thigh soreness on Monday, and left hamstring tightness today. With Zion out, the injury-plagued Pelicans are running out a starting lineup of Jose Alvarado, Brandon Boston, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, and Yves Missi alongside Brandon Ingram, tweets Clark.
After leaving Wednesday’s win due to hip and hamstring discomfort, Grizzlies star Ja Morant will miss Friday’s contest vs. Washington due to right hip soreness. The point guard will undergo more imaging on Saturday to assess the severity of his injury and determine a return timeline, head coach Taylor Jenkins told reporters today (Twitter link via Michael Wallace of Grizzlies.com).
Warriors guard De’Anthony Melton, who has missed five consecutive games due to a low back strain, has been cleared to return for Friday’s showdown vs. the 9-0 Cavaliers, per Anthony Slater of The Athletic (Twitter link). Draymond Green (right knee contusion) and Brandin Podziemski (illness) will also be available for Golden State, giving the team a fully healthy roster (Twitter link via Slater).
As expected, Devin Vassell remains on track to make his season debut for the Spurs on Saturday after nine games while recovering from foot surgery. The team has listed him as probable to play vs. Utah, according to Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News (Twitter link).

Injury Notes: Curry, Melton, Wiggins, Raptors, Clarkson, More

November 1st, 2024 at 7:13pm CST by Luke Adams

Warriors guards Stephen Curry (left peroneal strain) and De’Anthony Melton (strained lower back) have been ruled out for Saturday’s contest against Houston, the team announced today (via Twitter), and Melton will remain sidelined for at least two games beyond that before being reevaluated a week from now.

However, the injury news from Golden State isn’t all bad. As Anthony Slater of The Athletic tweets, Curry has been cleared to participate in parts of Friday night’s practice and will be reevaluated on Sunday, so it’s possible he could return to action as soon as Monday vs. Washington.

Additionally, forward Andrew Wiggins is on track to suit up on Saturday after missing two games due to a low back strain. He’ll be immediately reinserted into the starting lineup upon returning, according to head coach Steve Kerr (Twitter link via Slater).

Here are a few more injury updates from around the NBA:

After missing the first five games of his rookie season, Raptors first-round pick Ja’Kobe Walter was cleared to make his NBA debut on Friday vs. the Lakers, tweets Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca. Elsewhere on the Raptors injury front, forward Scottie Barnes (orbital fracture) has a doctor’s appointment on Monday, which could help determine the treatment plan for his injury, while big man Kelly Olynyk (back/lumbar strain) is still at least a “couple more weeks” away from playing, per head coach Darko Rajakovic (Twitter links via Lewenberg). Guard Immanuel Quickley (pelvic contusion) isn’t far off from returning, but he remains out on Friday and will likely miss Saturday’s game vs. Sacramento too, tweets Lewenberg.
Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson has been diagnosed with left plantar fasciitis and will be reevaluated in a week, the team announced today (via Twitter). Collin Sexton, who figures to play an increased role with Clarkson out, suffered a left fourth finger distal interphalangeal (DIP) joint avulsion fracture on Thursday but will attempt to play through the injury, according to the Jazz.
Hornets center Mark Williams is doing a “good amount of individual work,” per head coach Charles Lee, but he hasn’t been cleared for full team drills or scrimmages yet, writes Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer. Williams has yet to play this season due to a sprained tendon in his left foot.
Lakers forward Jarred Vanderbilt, who is recovering from offseason surgeries on both feet, has experienced some “minor discomfort,” but that’s a normal part of the recovery process, head coach J.J. Redick told reporters on Friday (Twitter link via Jovan Buha of The Athletic). Redick added that Vanderbilt is “progressing” but that his return isn’t imminent. “We’ll have another update in a week or so,” he said.