Category: NBA News Blog

NBA news blog

Jazz forward Bojan Bogdanovic undergoes wrist surgery

Following multiple medical consultations, Utah Jazz forward Bojan Bogdanovic underwent a successful surgical procedure on Tuesday morning to repair a ruptured scapholunate ligament in his right wrist. The procedure was performed at Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City by orthopedic surgeon Dr. Michelle Carlson.

It’s not yet clear how long Bogdanovic’s recovery will take.

The current NBA season is on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic, and how it will be concluded remains unknown. But Bogdanovic isn’t expected to play until 2020-21.

Per the Deseret News, “the scapholunate ligament is the main ligament in the wrist that couples extension and the side-to-side motion of the wrist. “It’s probably the most important ligament in the wrist and the most commonly injured one,” said Dr. David Clark Hay, the orthopedic hand and wrist surgeon at the Cedars-Sinai Kerlan-Jobe Institute in Los Angeles, who has long worked with professional athletes and is the hand surgery consultant to the Anaheim Ducks.”

In his first season with the Jazz, the sixth-year forward was averaging a career-high 20.2 points on 44.7 percent from the field and 41.4 percent from downtown, 4.1 rebounds and 2.1 assists in a career-high 33.1 minutes per contest. Bogdanovic has played in 63 games during the 2019-20 season (all starts) and is one of only two players in the NBA this season to average 20 points, 40 percent from the three-point line and 90 percent from the free-throw line.

After standing out in Europe for half a decade and spending the past five years in the NBA, Bogdanovic signed with the Jazz in July 2019.

Knicks will reportedly hire Walt Perrin for front office

Here’s New York Newsday reporting on a front office addition that the Knicks are set to make:

The Knicks are finalizing a deal to bolster their front office by adding veteran NBA executive Walt Perrin, according to a league source.

Leon Rose, who was named team president March 2, added Brock Aller earlier this month to serve as chief strategist, specializing in helping with the salary cap. In Perrin, Rose lands a seasoned scouting presence.

Perrin is expected to serve as assistant general manager/college scouting. He worked for the Utah Jazz the last 19 years as vice president of player personnel.

And here’s the Deseret News reporting:

Perrin has long been respected throughout the league for being one of the most well connected figures when it comes to NBA prospects and scouting.

A native of Chicago, Perrin started his NBA career as a scout for the Minnesota Timberwolves in 1993 and spent time with the Detroit Pistons in the scouting and coaching departments before joining the Jazz.

Dan Majerle reportedly files lawsuit against Grand Canyon University

Here’s Arizona Sports reporting on former NBA player turned college coach Dan Majerle:

Former Grand Canyon University men’s basketball coach Dan Majerle is suing the school that fired him, according to court documents obtained by Arizona Sports.

Majerle is suing under three causes for action, including breach of contract.

The court documents detail Majerle’s firing and the wrongdoing he alleges, including not providing a severance provision.

Pelicans practice facility reopens for voluntary individual player workouts

Here’s the New Orleans Times-Picayune reporting that the Pelicans practice facility has reopened, with severe limitations for safety reasons due to the cornavirus pandemic:

At the Ochsner Sports Performance Center, there are arrows taped to the floor to instruct players where they can and can’t go. Only two baskets inside the entire facility are available to shoot on. And anyone who goes in must have their temperature checked.

These are just a few of the precautions the Pelicans are taking at their practice facility, which reopened Monday for voluntary individual workouts. David Griffin, the Pelicans’ executive vice president of basketball operations, said seven players worked out. There were three players in the first group and four players in the second group. Both groups spent two hours in the building.

The rules the NBA has put in place about reopening practice facilities are so restrictive, Griffin said he believes some of the players who are social distancing outside of the greater New Orleans area are better positioned to keep their skills sharp than the ones here.

Utah Jazz forward Bojan Bogdanovic will undergo wrist surgery

Here’s NBA.com reporting on Jazz forward Bojan Bogdanovic:

Utah Jazz forward Bojan Bogdanovic will undergo season-ending wrist surgery.

Bogdanovic hurt his right wrist sometime in 2019 and the injury continued to bother him throughout the season…

Bogdanovic was averaging 20.2 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.1 assists in his first season with the Jazz.

NBA Players Union reportedly pauses search for new executive director

So far, 2020 has been the year of pauses and cancellations. Here’s Yahoo Sports with a report on the NBPA:

The National Basketball Players Association has temporarily suspended its search for a successor to executive director Michele Roberts until there is more certainty on the future of the NBA season, league sources told Yahoo Sports.

With the union in good hands, Roberts, who has two years remaining on her contract, will continue to lead the NBPA through the coronavirus crisis, which caused the NBA to suspend the season on March 11. Critical decisions and negotiations lie ahead that could drastically affect the players’ earnings in the next CBA in the wake of the pandemic.

Bulls and assistant coach Shawn Respert will reportedly part ways after this season

Here’s the Chicago Sun-Times reporting on Bulls head coach Jim Boylen and his plans beyond this season — the one that’s currently on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic — regarding one of his assistants:

Boylen won’t retain assistant coach/player-development coach Shawn Respert when his contract is up at the end of the season, but it was obvious weeks ago that Respert was looking for a new career path long before the season was shut down because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Respert had long hinted that he wanted to be a head coach at the college or pro level and couldn’t really envision achieving that goal with his role on the Bulls’ staff.

Steve Kerr hotel check-in alias used to be ‘Austin Powers’

Here’s NBC Sports Chicago reporting a fun item from the Bulls’ past:

In news that really only would have made sense in 1997 or 1998, it appears current Warriors coach Steve Kerr used “Austin Powers” as his alias to check into hotel rooms on road trips while playing with the Chicago Bulls.

NBC Sports Chicago’s Rob Schaefer deduced Kerr’s nom de plume after examining a list of road-trip room assignments that ’97-98 Bulls reserve Rusty LaRue shared on Twitter. Schaefer found that the list, which wasn’t presented in alphabetical order, closely corresponded with an A-Z list of Chicago’s roster from that season.

Kai Sotto signs to play in G League

NBA G League President Shareef Abdur-Rahim today announced that Kai Sotto, a top prospect from the Philippines, has signed to play in the NBA G League next season. Sotto, ranked by ESPN as the No. 4 player in Georgia in the Class of 2020, spent this past season at Atlanta-based sports development organization The Skill Factory.

The NBA G League gives top young prospects a chance to begin their professional careers while receiving mentorship and life skills training. Sotto will have the opportunity to accelerate his on-court development as he learns NBA-style basketball.

Sotto joins consensus five-star high school recruits Jalen Green, Isaiah Todd and Daishen Nix in signing to play in the NBA G League for the 2020-21 season. Details of the new team Sotto, Green, Todd and Nix will play for, which will be unaffiliated with any existing NBA G League franchise or NBA team, are forthcoming.

A 7-2 center, Sotto excelled at Ateneo de Manila High School in Quezon City, the Philippines, before playing at The Skill Factory. In February, Sotto participated in the Basketball Without Borders (BWB) Global Camp during NBA All-Star 2020 in Chicago. He has represented the Philippines in several competitions, including the 2019 FIBA Under-19 Basketball World Cup.

Orlando Magic practice facility likely opening soon for individual workouts

Here’s the Orlando Sentinel with an update on the magic:

The Orlando Magic did not reopen team facilities Tuesday for voluntary individual player workouts amid the coronavirus pandemic as they had tentatively planned last week.

The team now plans to reopen Wednesday, but even that is subject to change, according to a team spokesman.

The Magic delayed the works while they wait for COVID-19 test results for players and staff who will be on hand for workouts, according to the spokesman.