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The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced the following injury update on guard Jordan McLaughlin who experienced right knee soreness in the third quarter of yesterday’s game vs. the Boston Celtics.
An MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) taken today at Mayo Clinic Square by Dr. Kelechi Okoroha on McLaughlin revealed a right knee MCL sprain. He will be re-evaluated in four weeks and further updates of his progress will be provided at that time.
Detroit Pistons guard Joe Harris suffered a sprained AC joint in his right shoulder in Sunday’s game vs. Phoenix.
Harris will be reevaluated in 10-14 days.
Per the Detroit Free Press, “Detroit now has seven injured players. Bojan Bogdanovic (right calf strain), Monte Morris (right quad strain) and Isaiah Livers (left ankle sprain) have yet to make their season debuts. Alec Burks (left forearm contusion) has missed four consecutive games. And Jaden Ivey (illness) will miss his third straight game against the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday.”
The New Orleans Pelicans announced today the following medical updates:
CJ McCollum, who was diagnosed with a small pneumothorax in his right lung, was re-examined yesterday. Medical imaging showed positive healing. He will be re-evaluated at a later date.
Jose Alvarado, who sustained a right ankle sprain during an offseason workout, continues to make good progress in his return to play progression. Alvarado has returned to light on-court work and is expected to return to full team practice in the next 1-2 weeks.
Per the Sacramento Bee:
Houston Rockets forward Dillon Brooks threw up three fingers and stared down the Sacramento bench after hitting a big 3-pointer in the fourth quarter of Saturday’s game against the Kings. Brooks blew the Kings a kiss moments later after burying another long ball to seal Sacramento’s fate.
Brooks had 26 points and nine rebounds to lead the Rockets to a 107-89 victory over the Kings before a sellout crowd of 18,055 at Toyota Center in Houston. Brooks made 9 of 14 from the field and 2 of 4 from 3-point range, both coming during a decisive stretch late in the fourth quarter.
“(Brooks) got in a rhythm,” Kings guard Davion Mitchell said. “He had a really good game. He hits shots. He got comfortable. He’s a basketball player. We’re all competitive and he hit shots. He’s going to talk trash. If he wasn’t hitting shots, he wouldn’t be doing the same thing, so it’s OK. We’ll live with the results and we’ll see them again.”
Atlanta Hawks rookie guard Kobe Bufkin injured his left thumb during the College Park Skyhawks’ practice session last night while on assignment.
An X-ray taken earlier today at the Emory Sports Medicine Complex revealed a left thumb fracture.
He will be re-evaluated in two weeks
The New Orleans Pelicans have signed forward/center Jeremiah Robinson-Earl to a two-way contract.
And in a corresponding move, the Pelicans have waived forward Kaiser Gates.
Robinson-Earl, 6-9, 230, has appeared in 92 games (56 starts) over the past two seasons with Oklahoma City, averaging 7.2 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.0 assist. The Villanova product holds career shooting averages of .427 from the floor, .344 from deep, and .781 from the foul line.
The New Orleans roster stands at 17, including three two-way players.
Sacramento Kings forward Trey Lyles injured his left calf during warmups of the Kings preseason game vs. the Golden State Warriors on October 18.
Multiple imaging studies confirmed Lyles suffered a left calf strain. Lyles continues to progress through return to play protocol.
Lyles will not travel to Houston with the team and he will be ruled out for the next two games.
The Sacramento Kings have acquired forward Filip Petrušev and cash considerations in a trade with the L.A. Clippers for the draft rights to forward Luka Mitrović.
Drafted in the second round (20th pick, 50th overall) by the Philadelphia 76ers, Petrušev played two seasons for the Gonzaga Bulldogs from 2018-20, averaging 12.0 points and 5.4 rebounds per game. The Serbian native then spent three seasons in Europe, averaging 12.8 points, 1.1 assists and 5.1 rebounds per game.
The Philadelphia 76ers have acquired Nicolas Batum, Robert Covington, Kenyon Martin Jr., and Marcus Morris Sr., as part of a seven-player, three-team deal with the LA Clippers and Oklahoma City Thunder that sent James Harden to LA.
The 76ers sent Harden, Filip Petrušev, and P.J. Tucker to the Clippers to complete the deal.
The 76ers obtained two first-round draft picks – an unprotected 2028 first-round selection from the Clippers, and a 2026 first-round pick from Oklahoma City (the least favorable 2026 first-round pick among (i) Houston (if not in Top 4 picks), (ii) LA Clippers, and (iii) Oklahoma City) – in addition to the right to swap 2029 first-round picks with LA (protected 1-3), two second-round picks from LA, and cash considerations.
As part of the transaction, Philadelphia will receive the more favorable of (i) Toronto’s 2024 second-round pick and (ii) the more favorable of (a) Indiana’s 2024 second-round pick and (b) the less favorable of (1) Utah’s 2024 second-round pick and (2) Cleveland’s 2024 second-round pick. The 76ers will also acquire LA’s 2029 second-round pick.
“James is one of the most prolific and efficient playmakers in the NBA,” said Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank. “With his size and vision, he possesses an extraordinary ability to create for himself and others. The Los Angeles area has produced so many elite players in recent years. With Kawhi, Paul, Russ and James, we’re excited to bring four of them together, and eager to see what they can accomplish with the rest of our group.”
Harden is a three-time NBA scoring champion (2018, 2019, 2020) and NBA MVP (2018) who has played in 1,000 career games and holds averages of 24.7 points, 5.6 rebounds, 7.0 assists and 1.5 steals. In his 15th NBA season, Harden is one of four players in league history to have averaged at least 20 points, five rebounds and 10 assists in three or more seasons. The only other players to do so more than once are Russell Westbrook (5) and Hall of Famers Oscar Robertson (5) and Magic Johnson (3). With the trade, LAC becomes the Los Angeles native’s fifth NBA team, following stints in Philadelphia, Brooklyn, Houston and Oklahoma City.
The Golden State Warriors have exercised the fourth-year contract options on forward Jonathan Kuminga and guard Moses Moody.
Kuminga, 21, is averaging 11.0 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.00 steal and 21.6 minutes in three games this season. Selected by Golden State with the seventh overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, he became the youngest player in Warriors history to reach the 1,000-point plateau last season surpassing, Joe Smith. Kuminga owns career averages of 9.7 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 18.9 minutes in 140 games (28 starts).
Moody, 21, is averaging 9.8 points, 3.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.50 steals and 19.4 minutes in four games (one start) this season. He was selected by Golden State with the 14th overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft and owns career averages of 4.8 points, 1.7 rebounds and 12.6 minutes in 119 games (15 starts). Moody has scored in double figures in eight of his 15 starts.
Under the terms of the NBA’s current collective bargaining agreement, the first two years of a first round draft pick’s contract are guaranteed, while the third and fourth year of the contract are the team’s option.