LeBron James dealing with swelling in knee

LeBron James’ knee needs to be checked out. Via ESPN.com:

Lakers star LeBron James flew back to Los Angeles on Saturday for treatment on his ailing left knee and will not be with the team for the end of its six-game road trip against the Hawks on Sunday, according to Lakers coach Frank Vogel.

James underwent an MRI that revealed “general swelling,” Vogel said. Sunday is the third straight game that James, 37, has missed because of the knee.

“As long as the swelling is there, he’s going to be out and we’ll get him back as soon as we can,” Vogel said.

Pelicans sign Wenyen Gabriel to 10-day contract

The New Orleans Pelicans have signed forward Wenyen Gabriel to a 10-day contract via the COVID hardship exception.

Gabriel, 6’9”, 205, has appeared in 58 career games (one start) across three seasons with the LA Clippers, Brooklyn, New Orleans, Portland, and Sacramento, recording averages of 2.6 points and 2.1 rebounds in 9.0 minutes per contest while shooting .413 from the field. Gabriel has appeared in seven games this season with the Clippers and Nets, averaging 2.0 points and 2.1 rebounds in 6.7 minutes per game.

Most recently, Gabriel has appeared in 14 games (12 starts) for the Wisconsin Herd of the NBA G League this season, averaging 14.1 points on .464 percent shooting from the field and .350 percent shooting from three-point range, 8.2 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 0.7 steals and 2.1 blocks in 25.9 minutes per contest. He also spent two seasons (2018-20) with the Stockton Kings of the NBA G League.

A native of South Sudan, Gabriel went undrafted in the 2018 NBA Draft after playing two collegiate seasons (2016-18) at the University of Kentucky. In his final season as a sophomore, Gabriel averaged 6.8 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 23.1 minutes per game while leading the Wildcats in total rejections (40).

Gabriel will wear #32 with the Pelicans.

New Orleans’s roster now stands at 18 players, including two two-way players.

Utah Jazz sign Danuel House Jr. to 10-day contract

The Utah Jazz have signed forward Danuel House Jr. to a 10-day contract.

House Jr. (6-6, 215, Texas A&M) is in his sixth NBA season and previously signed two 10-day contracts with Utah on Jan. 6 and Jan. 18 and has played in six games (one start) with the Jazz, averaging 6.2 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.7 assists. In his NBA career, he has also played with Washington (2016-17), Phoenix (2017-18), Houston (2018-22) and New York (2021-22) owning career averages of 8.7 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 24.8 minutes per game.

The Houston-native has additional NBA G League experience, competing for Delaware (2016-17), Northern Arizona (2017-18) and Rio Grande Valley (2017-19), playing in 60 total games (42 starts), averaging 18.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.2 steals in 32.0 minutes per contest.

Trail Blazers forward Nassir Little suffers shoulder injury

An MRI taken January 26 revealed Trail Blazers forward Nassir Little with a left shoulder labral tear.

The injury occurred with 8:11 remaining in the fourth quarter of Portland’s game against Minnesota on January 25.

An update on his status will be provided as available. This sort of injury can often be season-ending.

In 42 games this season (23 starts), Little is averaging career highs of 9.8 points (46.0% FG, 33.1% 3-PT, 73.4% FT), 5.6 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 0.86 blocks and 25.9 minutes.

Lakers sign Stanley Johnson

The Los Angeles Lakers have signed forward Stanley Johnson, it was announced today by Vice President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Rob Pelinka.

Johnson has averaged 6.4 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 21.2 minutes through 14 games (six starts) with Los Angeles this season.

Per the Los Angeles Times, “Johnson, who has played through three 10-day contracts with the Lakers, originally joined them as hardship a exemption during the Lakers’ coronavirus outbreak. He quickly earned two more 10-day deals because of his defensive versatility, starting six times. The Lakers won five of those games, including Tuesday against the Nets in Brooklyn.”

Initially called up from the South Bay Lakers on December 24, the Fullerton native is shooting a career-high 51.6 percent from the field and a career-best 34.4 percent from three-point range.

Rockets forward Usman Garuba undergoes wrist surgery

Houston Rockets forward Usman Garuba has undergone surgery to repair his fractured left wrist.

The procedure was performed by Dr. Matthew Koepplinger, Assistant Professor, McGovern Medical School at UTHealth and affiliated Memorial Hermann orthopedic surgeon.

The injury occurred while Garuba was on assignment with the Rockets NBA G League affiliate, Rio Grande Valley.

He is expected to miss 6-8 weeks for rehabilitation.

Kings guard Terence Davis out with wrist injury

Sacramento Kings guard Terence Davis underwent an MRI in Atlanta this morning that confirmed a right wrist ECU tendon injury, which will require Davis to miss an indefinite period of time.

The injury was sustained at the 6:28 mark of the second quarter during Tuesday’s game at Boston.

Additionally, an X-ray conducted in Boston was negative for a right wrist fracture.

Davis also received five stitches to repair a laceration above his right eye.

Will the Pistons trade Jerami Grant?

Will the Pistons trade forward Jerami Grant? Here’s the Detroit Free Press on it:

The NBA trade deadline is nearly two weeks away and the rumor mill ahead of Feb. 10 is heating up. (Ah, if only it could thaw the winter freeze here in Michigan…)

The prevailing theory is the Pistons might accept a young player and first-round pick for Grant, but will anyone meet that requirement? How flexible are the Pistons with their price? And how flexible is Grant in taking a lesser role on a better team? So far, reports are that’s not what he wants, which would dwindle his market and hurt the Pistons’ leverage…

In a bold move, Grant and his representatives have reportedly shown the Pistons a list of teams he would prefer to be traded to if dealt. He will be eligible for a contract extension this summer and can get up to $112 million over four years — $28 million per year. He signed a three-year deal worth $60 million with the Pistons in 2020.

The Pistons are 11-35 this season and in a rebuilding situation. Whatever moves they make are with the future, not present, in mind.

Rockets notes as team prepares to face Spurs

The Rockets have held opponents to 34.0% shooting from 3-point range over the past 11 games after the opposition shot 39.9% the 12 games prior… Houston ranks 14th in 3-point defense this season (opponents: 34.6%) after finishing 27th in 2020-21 (opponents: 38.2%).

Houston has scored 20+ points off turnovers twice over the past four games, including a season-high 29 at Golden State on 1/21, after not having more than 16 in any of the eight games prior.

Christian Wood has hit 2+ 3-pointers in a career-high tying five straight games and is averaging 3.0 3FGM on 51.7% shooting over that span… he is tied for the third-most 3FGM (77) of any player listed 6’10” or taller this season.

Garrison Mathews is averaging 14.4 points while shooting 11-of-20 from 3-point range over the past three games after having a total of 5 points while shooting 1-of-11 from behind-the-arc the three games prior… Houston is 9-5 when he scores at least 13 points this season.

The latest on the Celtics

The latest on the Boston Celtics, from the Boston Herald:

In a time-worn ritual — the one where an underperforming team bonds together because of outside doubt and criticism — the Celtics are standing against the world, according to Marcus Smart.

Jaylen Brown believes this is exactly the approach the Celtics need.

“The season hasn’t gone the way we expected as far as ups and downs, but we always try to find ways to come together as a team,” said Brown. “So the mentality of us against the world is the right frame of mind to be in. If these are the guys that we’ve got, the guys that we’re rolling with, then we’ve got to make the best of our situation regardless of the media or whatever other people are saying. I would support that.

“There’s always urgency, always a sense of urgency, for sure,” he said. “Whether you’re winning or you’re losing, there’s always gotta be that approach of, you know, we’ve had some ups and downs this season and put some stretches together, and we’re looking to do so more as we took what we learned from the first half of the season into All-Star break and beyond. I think that we have improved in a lot of areas offensively, as a team, as a coaching staff, as players, I think we’ve gotten a little bit more comfortable. We’ve just got to keep that sense of urgency and keep building on top of it.”