The Lakers are getting healthier at the right time, and the early signs on several key injuries are better than they first looked.
Quentin Grimes has sat out the last two games because of a right finger sprain, but he appears to be trending toward a return. He said he feels good and expects to play Sunday against the Suns, according to Lakers reporter Jovan Buha.
“ The swelling has gone down a lot, it’s basically down to normal,” Grimes said of dealing with the injury to his shooting hand, per Mark Medina.
Luka Doncic also looks set to be available after a scary-looking fall in the Lakers’ last game. Head coach JJ Redick said Doncic is “fine” and expects him to play Sunday, Buha notes. Collin Sexton is day-to-day after getting stitches over his eye.
Austin Reaves is in the same day-to-day category after bruising his left heel when he landed awkwardly during Wednesday’s game against the Bucks. He had X-rays at the arena, and they came back clean, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN. The team and Reaves decided no further imaging was needed.
In Cleveland, Evan Mobley was ruled out for Friday’s game against the Heat with a left great toe sprain he picked up late in Wednesday’s matchup with the Knicks. The Cavaliers did get a positive update when his MRI came back clean, Chris Fedor reports for Cleveland.com. “ It’s a sprain, so he’s definitely sore and all that, but we don’t expect it to be a long-term thing at all,” coach Kenny Atkinson said.
Brooklyn should have more of its young backcourt back soon. Nolan Traore is probable for Saturday after missing the previous game with right calf soreness, Brian Lewis reports for the New York Post.
Mikel Brown Jr., who also sat out the last game, is questionable because of illness. Ben Saraf will stay on assignment with the Long Island Nets.
New Orleans also got a useful update on Yves Missi. The Pelicans’ medical staff has cleared him to resume on-court work after a bruise to his left knee kept him out since the second game of the season, Rod Walker writes for NOLA.com. Missi went through a light practice Thursday and said the work felt good.
“ I’m feeling pretty good,” Missi said. “ The past two days I’ve been running and jumping.”
There still isn’t a timetable for his return, though, as coach Jamahl Mosley said the team wants to see how he handles the increased workload first.
Jimmy Butler is moving forward in his recovery from a torn ACL, and while he is not ready to play yet, he already has a plan that includes at least one game with the Warriors’ G League affiliate in Santa Cruz, according to Pratham Valluri of NBC Sports Bay Area. Steve Kerr backed the idea and had plenty of praise for Butler’s mindset.
“ I think it makes such perfect sense,” Kerr said. “ But most guys in the league in Jimmy’s position are, like, too vain to do it - and Jimmy’s the opposite.
I think he would love giving the fans down there a great surprise. That’s amazing.
I love that.”
In Other News...
Nets Fans Should Watch One Costly Trade Possibility Closely
The Spurs have already done plenty to reshape their roster, re-signing most of last seasons group and adding veteran forward Tobias Harris to help with shooting on the wing. Even with Harris currently sidelined by a calf injury, San Antonio still looks like a team trying to sharpen its perimeter attack, which is why the Nets have reason to pay attention to the chatter coming out of the rumor mill.
Brooklyns angle is obvious: Michael Porter Jr. is one of the bigger-name pieces on the roster, and any serious movement around him would carry major roster and cap implications for the Nets. For now, it is only speculation from media sources, but it is the kind of possibility that can linger if the Spurs keep looking for more shooting help and decide they want to be more aggressive about it. [Read more 🡒]
Nets Rebuild Could Force Another Tough Roster Call Soon
The Nets win over the New Orleans Pelicans offered another reminder that there is still some real talent on this roster, even as the bigger picture remains centered on the rebuild. Jordi Fernandez is trying to fit Michael Porter Jr. and Julius Randle into a group that is still taking shape, while the organization continues to lean into draft capital and the development of younger players.
Still, the more Brooklyn keeps one eye on the future, the more the roster questions linger around its veteran pieces. Porter and Randle give the Nets a level of talent and flexibility that other teams notice, and that leaves the front office balancing present competitiveness against the kind of long-term move that could reshape the next phase of the rebuild. [Read more 🡒]
Nets Should Avoid A Risky Dejounte Murray Gamble
Dejounte Murrays situation in New Orleans is already drawing attention around the league, and it is easy to see why teams would at least monitor it. The veteran guard is back after a torn Achilles, but his fit with the Pelicans has been uneven enough to keep the conversation going, especially for a Brooklyn team that just saw him up close in a recent matchup.
The Nets do not need to chase every name that surfaces on the market, and Murray looks like the kind of swing that could bring more uncertainty than reward. Any trade pursuit would have to account for both his post-injury trajectory and the price it would take to pry him loose, which is why Brooklyn would be wise to keep its distance unless the cost drops well below the usual asking range. [Read more 🡒]