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The Oklahoma City Thunder signed guard Norris Cole, it was announced today by Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti.
Cole (6-2, 175), a two-time NBA Champion, owns career averages 7.1 points, 2.8 assists, 2.0 rebounds and 22.7 minutes in 347 games (60 starts) over five seasons with Miami and New Orleans. The 28th overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, he most recently played with the Shandong Golden Stars of the Chinese Basketball Association.
Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant, who left last night’s game in Washington with 10:27 remaining in the first quarter due to a left knee injury, underwent an MRI last night at MedStar Washington Hospital Center in the DC area.
Following reviews of the MRI by the Warriors’ medical staff, it has been determined that Durant suffered a Grade 2 Medial Collateral Ligament (MCL) sprain and a tibial bone bruise. He will be out of action indefinitely and will be re-evaluated in four (4) weeks. There is no timetable for his return, but it has not been ruled out that he could play again before the end of the regular season.
Hoping for the best here. Kevin Durant hurt his knee last night. More will be known Wednesday. Here’s CSN Bay Area reporting:
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Kevin Durant played one minute in Washington on Tuesday before limping away for the rest of the night. Though it is not yet known how long he will be out, his absence changes everything for the Warriors.
From general scoring ability to playing rotations to floor spacing to rim protection to, maybe most of all, the swagger with which they take the floor, the Warriors will have to make massive adjustments to maintain the best record in the NBA.
As a largely veteran team they are capable, at least in the short term, of doing so.
Durant left with a hyperextended left knee and underwent an MRI test late Tuesday night in Washington. Diagnosis and prognosis are expected Wednesday.
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The Philadelphia 76ers announced today the team has waived center Andrew Bogut.
Bogut was acquired as part of a trade with the Dallas Mavericks on February 23, 2017. He was never really going to be a part of the Sixers, so today’s news isn’t a huge surprise.
Bogut doesn’t score much, but he’s an excellent defender.
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New York Knicks President Phil Jackson announced today the team has waived guard Brandon Jennings, and signed free agent guard Chasson Randle to a contract.
Randle, 6-2, 185-pounds, appeared in eight games for Philadelphia this season, averaging 5.3 points over 9.3 minutes, before being waived on Feb. 23. Signed on Jan. 10 by the 76ers, the Stanford University product became the fourth-ever NBA Call-Up of the D-League’s Westchester Knicks, where he averaged 20.4 points, on 42.2-percent shooting, over 32.2 minutes in 20 games. Prior to the D-League, Randle appeared in three preseason games for New York before being waived on Oct. 21.
Jennings, 6-1, 170-pounds, was originally signed by the Knicks as a free agent on Jul. 8, 2016. He had averaged 8.6 points, 4.9 assists and 24.6 minutes in 58 games.
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The Los Angeles Lakers have waived guard José Calderón, it was announced today by President of Basketball Operations Earvin “Magic” Johnson.
Calderón (6-3, 200) appeared in 24 games (11 starts) for the Lakers this season, averaging 3.3 points, 2.1 assists and 1.7 rebounds in 12.2 minutes per game.
The Lakers roster now stands at 14.
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The Toronto Raptors announced Monday guard Kyle Lowry will have surgery Tuesday morning to remove loose bodies from his right wrist. The procedure will be performed by Dr. Michelle Carlson in New York City.
Symptoms began following the February 15 contest versus Charlotte and Lowry has missed the past two games with the injury. Swelling is persistent with pain and limited joint range. The surgery is being done at this time with the intention to put Lowry in a position to get ready for the postseason.
Lowry is averaging 22.8 points, 6.9 assists, 4.7 rebounds and 37.7 minutes in 56 games this season.
According to the National Post, “with 23 games left in the regular season, it’s a big blow to a team looking to climb back up the Eastern Conference standings. Lowry is second on the Raptors with his average of 22.8 points and leads Toronto with 6.9 assists per game. The Raptors have averaged 113.2 points with Lowry on the floor this season compared to 105.1 without him. Defensively, they’ve allowed 105.1 points with Lowry in the game versus 108.6 without him.”
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Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki begins the week on the verge of a major milestone.
The 13-time NBA All-Star from Germany needs 67 points to reach 30,000 for his career, a mark achieved by only the five players ahead of him on the league’s all-time scoring list: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain.
Nowitzki, the NBA’s active scoring leader and the highest-scoring player born outside the United States, is set to join Malone and Bryant as the only players to score 30,000 points with one franchise. The 38-year-old Nowitzki has spent his entire 19-year career with the Mavericks; the only player in NBA history with a longer tenure with one team is Bryant, who played 20 seasons with the Lakers.
Dallas plays six of its next seven games at home, beginning tonight against Miami at American Airlines Center. Nowitzki is averaging 18.1 points over his last seven games, putting his season average at 13.8 points.
— Via NBA Newsletter
Charlotte Hornets General Manager Rich Cho announced today that the team has signed guard Brianté Weber to a 10-day contract. Weber joins the Hornets after signing two consecutive 10-day contracts with the Golden State Warriors.
This season with Golden State, Weber played in seven contests and averaged 1.7 points, 0.6 rebounds and 0.7 assists in 6.6 minutes per game. In his NBA career, the 6-2 guard has appeared in 14 games (four starts) over two seasons with the Memphis Grizzlies, Miami Heat and Warriors, averaging 3.1 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 15.4 minutes per contest. Weber appeared in two postseason games with the Heat, logging six minutes of action during the 2016 NBA Playoffs.
The Virginia Commonwealth University product also played with the Sioux Falls Skyforce of the NBA Development League this season. The 24-year-old appeared in 31 games (all starts) posting averages of 16.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 7.4 assists and 3.3 steals in 36.8 minutes per game. Weber was named NBA D-League Player of the Month in January, and was also selected as a 2016-17 NBA D-League All-Star.
The Hornets roster now stands at 15 players.
Well, this isn’t good. Sixers center Joel “The Process” Embiid is dealing with a lingering knee issue. Hoping for the best. Here’s CSN Philly reporting:
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Joel Embiid on Monday will have an MRI on his injured left knee and is now listed as out indefinitely.
Embiid has been experiencing swelling and soreness in the left knee injury that has caused him to miss 16 out of the last 17 games. Bryan Colangelo announced back on Feb. 11 that Embiid has a minor meniscal tear. In his most recent press conference last Friday, Colangelo had targeted this Friday’s home game against the Knicks as a possibility for Embiid’s return. Now, that isn’t the case.