NBA Blog: The NBA basketball news blog section of Inside Hoops
The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced the following injury update on guard Terrence Shannon Jr., who suffered a right foot injury on Saturday, Jan. 11 at the 1:26 minute mark of the third quarter of the Iowa Wolves vs. Rio Grande Valley Vipers game:
Shannon Jr. has been cleared for full-contact, 5-on-5 basketball activities, and will be listed as Questionable on the Status Report for tomorrow’s game against the Washington Wizards.
Detroit Pistons forward-center Isaiah Stewart has been suspended one game without pay for accruing his sixth Flagrant Foul point of the 2024-25 regular season, it was announced today by Joe Dumars, Executive Vice President, Head of Basketball Operations.
Stewart, who entered Wednesday’s game with four Flagrant Foul points, received a Flagrant Foul 2 and was ejected with 8:45 remaining in the second quarter of the Pistons’ 133-119 loss to the Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Jan. 29. Stewart will serve his suspension tonight when the Pistons host the Dallas Mavericks at Little Caesars Arena.
The Dallas Mavericks announced today that Mavericks forward/center Maxi Kleber has undergone surgery to repair a right foot fracture. Kleber sustained the injury during the Dallas game against Boston on Jan. 25.
Further medical updates on Kleber’s status will be provided as appropriate.
Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson, who left Atlanta’s Jan. 23 game vs. Toronto after sustaining a left shoulder dislocation, has been diagnosed with a torn labrum in his left shoulder. He is scheduled to undergo surgery next week at the Emory Sports Medicine Complex, performed by Dr. Kyle Hammond. Johnson will miss the remainder of the 2024-25 season and is expected to make a full recovery in advance of the 2025-26 season.
The Cleveland Cavaliers released today a status update on forward Dean Wade:
Dean Wade sustained a right knee injury during the third quarter of the Cavaliers’ January 24thgame at Philadelphia. An MRI administered on Monday at Cleveland Clinic Sports Medicine revealed a right knee bone bruise. Wade will be re-evaluated in approximately two (2) weeks, following a series of treatment and rehabilitation. His status and return to basketball activities will be updated as appropriate. Wade was not available for the Cavaliers previous two games versus Houston (1/25) and Detroit (1/27).
The Toronto Raptors have signed center Orlando Robinson to a second 10-day contract.
Robinson, 6-foot-10, 235 pounds, appeared in three games with the Raptors during his first 10-day contract with the Raptors (Jan. 18-27), averaging 2.7 points, 2.3 rebounds and 11.0 minutes. He recorded four points, six rebounds and two blocks in 21 minutes in a victory Jan. 25 at Atlanta. In 12 games with Toronto and Sacramento this season, Robinson has posted averages of 2.3 points, 1.8 rebounds and 7.5 minutes. He was waived by the Kings on Jan. 7.
A native of Las Vegas, Nevada, Robinson owns career averages of 3.1 points, 2.9 rebounds and 10.4 minutes in 79 games (eight starts) with Miami, Sacramento and Toronto. He signed with the Heat as an undrafted free agent in July 2022 following three seasons at Fresno State (2019-22). As a junior, Robinson became just the second player in NCAA history to accumulate at least 700 points, 300 rebounds and 100 assists in a single season and earned All-Mountain West First Team honours.
The Miami HEAT has released the following statement on Jimmy Butler:
The Miami HEAT are suspending Jimmy Butler without pay effective immediately for an indefinite period to last no fewer than five games. The suspension is due to a continued pattern of disregard of team rules, engaging in conduct detrimental to the team and intentionally withholding services. This includes walking out of practice earlier today.
The Dallas Mavericks have signed center Kylor Kelley to a Two-Way contract and requested waivers on Two-Way guard Jazian Gortman.
Kelley (7-0, 230) joins Dallas after spending the 2024-25 season with the G League’s South Bay Lakers, where he appeared in nine regular-season games, making seven starts, and averaging 9.2 points (.635 FG%), 5.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.7 blocks per game. In 14 Tip-off Tournament games for South Bay, he averaged 12.1 points (.692 FG%), 7.9 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 2.9 blocks in 13 starts.
Kelley was named to the NBA G League All-Defensive Team in 2023-24 after leading the G League in blocks per game (2.86) and total blocks (83) last season.
The Gervais, Oregon, native finished his collegiate career in Oregon, where he was named to the Pac-12 All-Defensive Team in each of his two seasons with Oregon State (2019, 2020).
Kelley will wear No. 50 for the Mavericks.
Gortman (6-2, 184) originally signed with Dallas on July 10, and had his contract converted to a Two-Way contract on Oct. 18. He appeared in 16 games for the Mavericks this season, averaging 1.5 points in 3.6 minutes. Gortman also saw action in 12 total games, all starts, for the Mavericks’ G League team, the Texas Legends, in 2024-25. In five regular-season games for the Legends this year, he averaged 21.4 points, 3.8 rebounds, 7.2 assists and 1.6 steals.
The Memphis Grizzlies today announced that FedEx has committed to continuing its long-term partnership with the franchise.
“We are proud to continue our longstanding and successful partnership with FedEx,” Grizzlies President Jason Wexler said. “It gives us tremendous satisfaction to have a partner equally committed to bolstering the Memphis community.”
The Grizzlies and FedEx partnered on Day One following the franchise’s arrival in Memphis in 2001. FedEx signed a naming rights deal in 2002 for FedExForum, which opened in 2004 as the premier arena in the Mid-South.
The Oklahoma City Thunder have signed center Branden Carlson to a second 10-day contract, it was announced today by Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti.
Carlson (7-0, 220) has appeared in 13 games for the Thunder this season after originally being signed on November 16. The Utah native scored a career-high 11 points and grabbed four rebounds in a win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on January 16 and has totaled 37 points and 23 rebounds in 81 minutes of action this season.
In five games (all starts) for the Oklahoma City Blue of the NBA’s G League, Carlson has averaged 15.2 points, 8.2 rebounds and 1.20 blocks in 25.6 minutes per contest.