Zach LaVine Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Bulls Notes: Ball, LaVine, Dragić, White, Drummond

November 4th, 2022 at 10:13pm CST by Rory Maher

Bulls head coach Billy Donovan provided a positive update on Lonzo Ball on Friday night, though he admitted that there’s still no timetable for the point guard’s return, writes K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. As Johnson notes, it has been a little more than five weeks since the team announced that Ball would be reevaluated in four-to-six weeks following another knee surgery.

“Everything is very, very optimistic right now. I think there are things that he is able to do that he feels a lot freer that he did prior to the surgery,” Donovan said. “The biggest part was allowing the incision inside of his knee to heal. And then he started to do some things. He has done some running on a treadmill in the water, which is a positive sign. There are things he’s doing that he wasn’t able to do.

“Don’t have any timeline on when he’ll really be able to ramp up, but things have progressed. And everything that I’ve gotten from the medical guys has been positive. Obviously, he’s a ways away from running and cutting and doing all those things. But there is optimism that this hopefully has helped him.”

According to Johnson, Donovan said Ball’s discomfort has eased, but until he begins running and cutting again, the team won’t really know where he stands as far as a potential timetable, since Ball will still need to work on conditioning after missing so much time. He last played on January 14.

Ball’s knee issues date back to a torn meniscus that limited him to just 35 games last season. He was originally projected to return a few weeks after the surgery, but a bone bruise disrupted his rehab process.

Here’s more on the Bulls:

Two-time All-Star Zach LaVine (knee) was able to play his third game in four nights in Friday’s loss to the Celtics, which is a positive development. However, it appears as though he’s still trying to regain his finishing ability near the basket, with Johnson noting (via Twitter) that LaVine took exclusively jump shots in the first half. When Johnson (Twitter link) asked LaVine after the game if he felt he had his normal explosion on drives, LaVine said he doesn’t, but he’s not worried about it. “Obviously, I’m not all the way back yet. I feel that. I’m not going to lie. But it’s coming. I’m not scared or anything like that. It’s seven games in. I feel fine,” he said.
Veteran point guard Goran Dragić, a free agent addition over the summer, says he loves his fit with the Bulls after a tumultuous ’21/22 season. “I enjoy it so much here. You get to a new team, new city, new people, and it’s such a nice vibe for me,” Dragić told Johnson in an interview for NBC Sports Chicago. “Good communication with Billy, who is a great coach. I just feel happy. I think that’s the most important thing, especially at the end of your career. That you’re productive and happy.” The 36-year-old also said he’d consider continuing his career beyond this season as long as he’s healthy.
In addition to Ball, Donovan also provided updates on guard Coby White (thigh) and center Andre Drummond (shoulder sprain), who remain sidelined. According to Johnson (Twitter link), Donovan said White has “a significant deep thigh contusion” and is still in a lot of pain, while Drummond is having difficult raising his arm above his head. He didn’t suffer a torn labrum or dislocation like the team feared he might have, but he’s not close to returning to action.

Bulls Notes: LaVine, Dosunmu, Williams, Drummond, White

November 3rd, 2022 at 9:11am CST by Luke Adams

Bulls star Zach LaVine played in both games of a back-to-back set for the first time this season on Tuesday and Wednesday, suiting up in Brooklyn vs. the Nets and then at home vs. the Hornets. LaVine scored just 10 points on 4-of-16 shooting on Wednesday, but said after the win that his surgically repaired knee wasn’t an issue, as Rob Schaefer of NBC Sports Chicago writes.

“I felt good. My legs were tired. A couple of my shots were short,” LaVine said. “But, you know, it was one of them games.”

Given how carefully the Bulls have managed LaVine so far this season coming off left knee surgery, it’s a cause for optimism that he logged a total of 69 minutes across those two games and came out feeling OK. Still, head coach Billy Donovan said the team will continue to take a day-to-day approach to how it handles LaVine’s workload and availability, according to Schaefer.

“I think the thing for him is it’s the cumulative,” Donovan said on Tuesday, per Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. “That’s really where I think (the medical staff is) concerned, like the cumulative buildup of things. He could be totally fine today, come out of this game totally fine. Then let’s say he plays tomorrow. He can wake up the next day and be in some discomfort.”

Here’s more on the Bulls:

Ayo Dosunmu, who has emerged as the Bulls’ starting point guard in his second NBA season, has impressed his teammates with his leadership, as Schaefer details in another NBC Sports Chicago story. “He steps up to the challenge all the time. Ayo even in his second year is a vocal leader,” LaVine said on Tuesday. “He helps pick up our energy, offensively, defensively, just the way he carries himself.”
There have been questions about whether Patrick Williams should keep his spot in the Bulls’ starting lineup, but the former No. 4 overall pick had his best game of the season on Tuesday in Brooklyn. According to K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago, Donovan essentially challenged Williams to do it again, and he responded with an even better performance on Wednesday vs. Charlotte, scoring a season-high 16 points on 7-of-9 shooting and posting a positive net rating (+19) for the first time this season.
Following Wednesday’s game, Donovan praised Williams for starting to produce more consistently and urged fans to be patient with the forward’s ongoing development. “I get everyone wants to see this progression. But in fairness to him, he hasn’t had a normal two-year NBA schedule like a lot of guys have had. It’s taken him some time,” Donovan said, according to Johnson. “And every player develops and evolves at a different rate.”
Andre Drummond (shoulder) and Coby White (quad) have both missed multiple games due to their respective injuries, but the Bulls don’t view either as a long-term concern, Cowley writes for The Sun-Times. According to Donovan, MRIs on both players came back clean.

Injury Updates: GPII, DiVincenzo, LaVine, Middleton, Suggs, Grimes

November 1st, 2022 at 2:31pm CST by Luke Adams

Trail Blazers guard Gary Payton II, who continues to recover from offseason abdominal surgery, could will be out for at least two more weeks, reports Chris Haynes of TNT (Twitter link). According to Haynes, Payton’s earliest possible return date will be November 15 vs. San Antonio. That will be Portland’s first home game following a six-game road trip that begins this Friday.

The Blazers issued a press release confirming the timeline reported by Haynes and noting that Payton has been cleared to increase his conditioning and on-court activity.

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

The Warriors announced today (via Twitter) that guard Donte DiVincenzo is “making good progress” as he recovers from a strained left hamstring, but isn’t ready to return quite yet. DiVincenzo will be reevaluated when the Warriors return home this weekend, per the team. That means he’ll miss at least three more games, since the Dubs will be in Miami on Tuesday, Orlando on Thursday, and New Orleans on Friday.
Bulls star Zach LaVine, listed as questionable for Tuesday’s game vs. Brooklyn, is expected to play, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). According to Charania, LaVine will likely sit Wednesday’s game vs. Charlotte, the second half of a back-to-back set, as the team continues to manage his return from knee surgery.
Bucks forward Khris Middleton, who underwent offseason wrist surgery, has been assigned to the G League to practice with the Wisconsin Herd as he advances to the next stage of his rehab, tweets Jim Owczarski of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. A previous report indicated the Bucks hope to have Middleton back at some point in November.
Magic guard Jalen Suggs, out since October 21 with an ankle injury, has been upgraded to questionable for Tuesday’s game in Oklahoma City, writes Khobi Price of The Orlando Sentinel. Meanwhile, Knicks wing Quentin Grimes, who hasn’t played yet this season due to a foot injury, has been listed as questionable for Wednesday’s game vs. Atlanta, tweets Fred Katz of The Athletic.

Central Notes: Turner, LaVine, Bogdanovic, Duren

October 31st, 2022 at 10:01am CST by Arthur Hill

Appearing on a podcast with ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Pacers center Myles Turner said the Lakers should take “a hard look” at a deal that would bring him to L.A. (Twitter link). A trade rumor that simmered for much of the summer had Turner and Buddy Hield headed to the Lakers in exchange for Russell Westbrook and the team’s unprotected first-round picks in 2027 and 2029. The deal reportedly didn’t happen because of the Lakers’ reluctance to part with both draft picks.

“That’s such an intriguing question,” Turner responded when Wojnarowski asked if the Lakers should make the trade. “… We all know picks are so valuable in this league, and someone like myself, I’m heading into the last year of my deal and you want to make sure you’re getting a return for your assets. If I’m the Lakers, I take a very hard look at this with the position that you’re in. I know what I can provide for a team.”

Wojnarowski recently reported that the Lakers don’t expect to make any trades until at least Thanksgiving, so it doesn’t appear a Turner deal will happen in the immediate future. The Pacers have been managing Turner’s return from an ankle injury, and he has only played in two games so far.

There’s more from the Central Division:

The Bulls could benefit by creating more motion for Zach LaVine, suggests Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic, who notes that LaVine has just seven possessions in four games as a shooter after an off-ball screen, Coach Billy Donovan admits he reduced those situations for LaVine last season in response to lingering left knee pain, and LaVine believes they will eventually return as the offense evolves. “We have to look for them. I have to try to look for them,” LaVine said. “And then everybody off the ball has to recognize who we’re screening, who we’re pinning down on. That’s going to be the process of us starting this offense.”
Bojan Bogdanovic‘s two-year extension with the Pistons will pay him $20MM in 2023/24 and $19.03MM in 2024/25, tweets Bobby Marks of ESPN. Only $2MM is guaranteed for the final year, but it will become fully guaranteed in late June of 2024, Marks adds. As we noted in our story on the deal, Bogdanovic remains trade-eligible since his new deal doesn’t exceed the extend-and-trade restrictions (and couldn’t have done so, since he was just traded last month).
James L. Edwards of The Athletic examines Jalen Duren‘s journey from a 13-year-old basketball prodigy to a lottery pick in his rookie season with the Pistons.

Central Notes: Okoro, Bogdanovic, Pistons, LaVine, DeRozan

October 29th, 2022 at 8:01am CST by Luke Adams

Isaac Okoro‘s stint as a starter for the Cavaliers in the absence of Darius Garland was short-lived. After starting the team’s second and third games of the season, Okoro was moved back to the bench for games four and five, with Dean Wade joining Caris LeVert, Donovan Mitchell, Jarrett Allen, and Evan Mobley in the starting five.

Given that the Cavaliers spent much of last season starting three big men, Joe Vardon of The Athletic (Twitter link) wonders if the team could go back to that look even after Garland returns, keeping Wade in the starting five in place of LeVert. However, Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (Twitter link) said he wouldn’t count on that, even before LeVert went off for 41 points in Boston on Friday night.

Okoro’s role, meanwhile, will be worth keeping an eye on. The former fifth overall pick has struggled so far this season, recording more fouls (11) than points (8). He played just five minutes in the Cavaliers’ dramatic overtime win in Boston on Friday.

Here’s more from around the Central:

The Pistons are tied for last place in the East with a 1-5 record, but they’ve gotten all they hoped for so far from Bojan Bogdanovic, who has been a leader both on and off the court, writes James L. Edwards III of The Athletic. The veteran forward is averaging a team-high 23.0 PPG with a scorching-hot .517/.511/.923 shooting line through six games.“He’s very knowledgable about the game, and he shares his knowledge,” Cade Cunningham said of his new teammate. “He doesn’t hold it to himself. He makes sure that all of us are on the same page. He talks to us a lot. It’s fun to play with a guy like that, one who has a high IQ and cares about winning.”
Sopan Deb of The New York Times takes a broad look at the Pistons‘ rebuilding process, or what general manager Troy Weaver calls a “restoration.” As Deb writes, the team is laying promising groundwork, but still has a ways to go before becoming a contender. “Every morning, you want to drink a cup of urgency, and at night you want to drink a cup of patience,” Weaver said. “You’ve got to let it organically happen. And I think a lot of teams, they shortcut the process. They get impatient with process. We won’t do that.”
Bulls guard Zach LaVine missed his third game of the season on Friday due to “management” of his surgically repaired left knee, but intends to play on Saturday, per Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. As Cowley relays, head coach Billy Donovan said on Friday that Chicago’s medical staff seems to be getting a better grasp of LaVine’s situation and how to handle it.
The Bulls‘ loss to San Antonio on Friday was a disappointing one, but DeMar DeRozan reached an impressive milestone in the game, recording his 20,000th career point, notes Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic.

Bulls Notes: Bench, Drummond, Ball, Williams, DeRozan

October 27th, 2022 at 10:00am CST by Luke Adams

The Bulls‘ bench came up big again on Wednesday in the team’s win over Indiana, scoring a season-high 43 points, according to K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. Alex Caruso, Goran Dragic, Andre Drummond, Javonte Green, Derrick Jones, and Coby White have all been regular contributors outside of the starting five, with the team frequently running out lineups that feature Zach LaVine and four reserves.

On Wednesday, Dragic was a game-high plus-19, while Caruso (+18), Drummond (+16), and Jones (+16) were right behind him. LaVine (+12), who saw action with those second units, was the only starter who had a positive rating.

“We mesh really well because everybody does what they do at a high level. And I think it complements each other really well,” Caruso said. “Drum gives us that inside presence—great screener, great rebounder, rim protection. Me on the outside kind of stirring everybody up on defense whether it’s Woo (Green) or D.J. helping out with the four-man doing the same thing. And then any of the guards that are in with us, whether it’s Coby, Goran or Zach, doing a good job making decisive decisions.”

Of the Bulls’ lineups that have played at least 10 minutes so far this season, none have performed better than the five-man group of Caruso, Dragic, LaVine, Jones, and Drummond, which has outscored opponents 42-21 in 17 minutes of play.

Here’s more on the Bulls:

Drummond, who referred to Chicago’s second unit as “pretty much a starting lineup,” also dubbed himself “the best rebounder of the past century,” Johnson writes for NBC Sports Chicago. And, as Johnson points out, Drummond may have a statistical case for that title, given that his career average of 13.2 rebounds per game ranks first among players since 2000, as does his 24.68% rebounding percentage. The big man is averaging 9.4 RPG this season despite playing just 15.6 MPG.
It has been four weeks since the Bulls announced they would reevaluate Lonzo Ball in four-to-six weeks following his knee surgery, but head coach Billy Donovan didn’t have any concrete updates on Wednesday, says Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. “I have not heard anything as of yet with that,” Donovan said. “He’s doing good. He feels like he’s progressing. He’s pretty optimistic and positive about everything. I think the biggest thing with the surgery is the incision healing in order to continue to make progress, and I just don’t know how far along he is in that process.”
While Patrick Williams‘ inconsistent start to the season has raised questions about his spot in the starting lineup, it doesn’t sound like Donovan intends to move him to the bench anytime soon, Cowley writes in another Sun-Times story. “I do think that with it being early in the season, taking four or five games and saying, ‘OK, we’re scrapping this,’ you never get a chance to see and maybe get enough information to make those decisions,” Donovan said.
In a conversation with David Aldridge of The Athletic, Bulls star DeMar DeRozan spoke about embracing his role as a veteran mentor and enjoying a strong second act to his NBA career after being devastated by the trade that sent him to San Antonio following nine seasons in Toronto. “It’s definitely gratifying from the standpoint that I hope I can be an inspiration for guys who lose confidence in themselves. Or they hit a rock in the road, and (are) struggling to figure it out,” DeRozan said. “There’s always a way. You can’t get down on yourself mentally, you can’t doubt yourself. You can’t get caught up into what everybody else may say and the expectations they put on you. As long as you have the ultimate belief in you and your work ethic, that’s the only thing that matters, that will pay off.”

Team USA Rumors: Young, Beal, Allen, Embiid

October 25th, 2022 at 9:22am CST by Luke Adams

Under former USA Basketball managing director Jerry Colangelo, continuity was a top priority for the men’s national team. Colangelo required players to make two-year commitments to the program, maintained a pool of about 40 Team USA players, and conducted training camps in summers when there was no major international competition.

However, as Joe Vardon of The Athletic details, new managing director Grant Hill has decided to take a different approach, having concluded – along with new Team USA head coach Steve Kerr – that it’s not realistic to expect NBA superstars to commit back-to-back summers to the national program.

The plan for Team USA is to spend the next several months, into the spring, building the team that will represent the country at the World Cup in the Philippines next fall. USA Basketball will then repeat that process the following year in preparation for the 2024 Olympics in Paris, Vardon writes.

While it remains to be seen which players will ultimately suit up for Team USA at those two events, Vardon’s article includes some additional info on potential candidates. Here are some highlights:

Hawks star Trae Young has long wanted to play for Team USA at a World Cup or Olympics, but hasn’t gotten the chance to do so yet. He’s optimistic he’ll get that chance now that Hill – a minority owner of the Hawks – is so involved in the process. “It’s exciting, knowing someone who has more of a say,” Young told Vardon.
Wizards star Bradley Beal missed the last World Cup due to the birth of his son and also had to sit out of the Olympics after contracting COVID-19, but he’s interested in playing for the team going forward. “I definitely see myself playing for USA,” Beal told Vardon. “That’s always been a goal of mine, obviously to play in the Olympics, but there’s a step to get there (the World Cup). So if it’s available to me, for sure.”
Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen is receiving “heavy consideration” from Team USA officials, according to Vardon. Allen would be interested if he’s invited to take part, telling Vardon he would “take a lot of pride in representing us on a stage in front of the world.”
Confirming a previous report from Marc Stein, Vardon says Team USA is very interested in Joel Embiid, a native of Cameroon who has French and U.S. citizenship. USA Basketball hasn’t begun a formal recruitment of Embiid, but doesn’t want to see him join a French frontcourt that already features Rudy Gobert and Victor Wembanyama.
Jayson Tatum, Bam Adebayo, Devin Booker, Khris Middleton, and Zach LaVine are among the players who won gold with Team USA in Tokyo and would be welcomed back if they want to play in the 2023 World Cup, says Vardon.

Central Notes: LaVine, Mitchell, Garland, Lopez

October 22nd, 2022 at 8:42pm CST by Arthur Hill

Bulls coach Billy Donovan provided more insight into Zach LaVine‘s condition during a session with reporters before Saturday’s game, tweets Rob Schaefer of NBC Sports Chicago. Donovan admits that the team didn’t expect LaVine to miss the first two games before making his season debut tonight. However, he said decisions will have to be made based on LaVine’s level of pain and stressed that his left knee is strong after arthroscopic surgery in May.

“There’s nothing wrong with him structurally, he’s fine,” Donovan said. “It’s just something that we’ll have to manage. We knew we were going to have to manage that going into the season. We just didn’t know when or what it will look like.”

Donovan didn’t rule out back-to-backs for LaVine for the rest of the season, but he said it’s something else that will be “managed.” He explained that those decisions will be made by the medical staff in consultation with LaVine. Donovan added that the team understood that pain issues might persist even after the operation.

“But it’s not a situation where it’s going to limit him from playing,” Donovan said. “It’s just a matter of, OK, how much are all these loads and the build-up of 82 games, how much of an effect does that have on him and how does the medical staff and Zach and all of us help him get to a place where he can be really effective.”

There’s more from the Central Division:

Donovan Mitchell was surprised to wind up with the Cavaliers when the Jazz decided to pull the trigger on a trade. During an appearance this week on JJ Redick’s podcast, Mitchell talked about spending the summer playing in pro-ams in Florida and thinking he might be headed to the Heat. “Miami, New York, where else?” Mitchell said. “Maybe Washington. Those were the three in my head that I thought, ‘Okay, if anything were to happen, it would probably be on that side.’”
Cavaliers guard Darius Garland, who missed another game tonight with a laceration of his left eyelid, hopes to return on Friday, although a source tells Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com that he may be out even longer. There’s no structural damage, Fedor adds, and Garland won’t need surgery. Fedor’s source said the swelling has eased up and Garland was able to open the eye slightly today for the first time since the injury.
The return of Brook Lopez is making a difference for the Bucks‘ defense, per Eric Nehm of The Athletic. Lopez is fully healthy after playing just 13 games last season due to back problems. “You kind of forget how important he is for our defense,” Giannis Antetokounmpo said. “This is my year five with him. You kind of take it for granted. But the games he didn’t play last year, you kind of realize the load you have to carry when Brook is not on the floor. Like me and Bobby (Portis), we had to do everything.”

Zach LaVine To Play Saturday After Missing First Two Games

October 22nd, 2022 at 1:36pm CST by Rory Maher

Two-time All-Star Zach LaVine will make his regular season debut on Saturday against the Cavaliers after missing the Bulls‘ first two games, writes Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times.

LaVine has been dealing with left knee soreness and the issue isn’t a new one — he dealt with knee problems most of last season and had arthroscopic surgery during the offseason.

Head coach Billy Donovan said that LaVine won’t have a minutes restriction, but a substantial workload is unlikely.

“There’s no minute restriction on him, but clearly the more load there is on him, you’ll have to take a look at him,” Donovan said. “There’s nothing going into the [games] where they are saying, ‘Listen, we’ve got to keep his minutes right here.’ Certainly, him playing 40 minutes or 39 or 38 isn’t the best thing.”

According to Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune, LaVine was a full participant in Thursday’s practice.

“He feels fine,” Donovan said Friday. “He was able to get work in and told me he felt good. Obviously yesterday (Thursday) was a very, very light day. He had player development guys out there guarding him, he was coming off screens, working on his ballhandling, using pick-and-rolls. He was doing his normal things. He needed a crisp workout and he was able to do that.”

After reporting to camp this fall, LaVine spoke repeatedly about how good his knee was feeling, and was able to play in three of four preseason games. However, he later stated that he and the team decided it would be best to manage the issue so he’s feeling his best at the end of the season.

LaVine, who re-signed with the Bulls on a five-year, maximum-salary deal over the summer, will be held out one game of back-to-backs for the foreseeable future, but his availability remains unclear beyond that.

“It’s hard just to go in and say, ‘OK, here’s the schedule, and here’s the games that we’re going to rest him or manage him when he’s feeling great,’” Donovan said, per Cowley. “You know if he’s feeling great, he’s obviously going to want to play, but I also think we need to be smart and [that] this is more the medical and doctors, those guys looking at, ‘OK, sometimes it’s not in that moment — it’s a cumulative effect of something happening later on.’

“There may be some times where he does feel OK and the doctors, our medical group, says, ‘OK, this is the game to rest and get yourself back.’ So I can’t tell you I’ve looked at the schedule and here are the games we know [he’ll sit].”

Health Updates: LaVine, Garland, Turner, K. Murray

October 20th, 2022 at 8:00am CST by Luke Adams

After being ruled out for the Bulls‘ regular season opener due to “left knee management,” Zach LaVine told reporters that his absence was simply precautionary and that the left knee he underwent arthroscopic surgery on in the spring still felt fine. However, head coach Billy Donovan offered a different story when he spoke to the media, writes Rob Schaefer of NBC Sports Chicago.

“There was a lot of very, very physically demanding practices, to be quite honest with you, coming out of the Milwaukee game,” Donovan said, referring to last Tuesday’s preseason finale. “And I think after a few of those, he felt some discomfort.”

As Donovan observed, the Bulls open the season with seven games in 11 days, so they didn’t want to ride their star swingman too hard out of the gate. LaVine’s absence won’t be “a long-term thing where he’s out for weeks,” according to Chicago’s head coach, who insisted that any discomfort LaVine felt didn’t come as a surprise to the club and is part of the recovery process.

“This is not, to me, anything that is unexpected,” Donovan said. “He’s going to experience, at times, whatever word you want to use, discomfort, soreness, whatever it is.”

Here are a few more updates on health issues from around the NBA:

Cavaliers point guard Darius Garland left Wednesday’s opener in the second quarter after getting hit in the face by Toronto’s Gary Trent Jr. during a steal attempt and sustaining a left eyelid laceration, writes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. “His head and everything was clear,” head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “But he was cut and bleeding pretty bad from the inside of his eyelid.” According to Fedor, there’s no clarity yet on how much time Garland might miss, but the consensus among those who saw him after the game was that the eye “looked like it was in bad shape.”
Myles Turner‘s ankle sprain isn’t considered serious, Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said after Wednesday’s game, according to Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files (Twitter link). It’s still unclear when Turner will return to action after missing Indiana’s opener on Wednesday, but it sounds like the team isn’t expecting it to be a long-term issue.
Kings rookie forward Keegan Murray cleared the NBA’s health and safety protocols on Wednesday and was in attendance at shootaround, though he didn’t play in the team’s season opener, tweets James Ham of ESPN 1320 Sacramento. Murray should be ready to make his regular season debut soon, after he clears the necessary conditioning benchmarks.