Earl K. Sneed: Rick Carlisle says there’s no timetable for Dennis Smith Jr. (left hip strain) to return: “Him getting 100 percent healthy is our No. 1 priority.” Smith will meet with the team physician when the @Dallas Mavericks return home.
Earl K. Sneed: To be clear, Dennis Smith Jr. (left hip strain) is progressing, per Rick Carlisle. Mavs just don't want to put a timetable on his return until they're sure he's 100 percent.
Earl K. Sneed: Dennis Smith Jr. (left hip strain) says he hopes to return sooner than Rick Carlisle’s two-game prediction: “I don’t know about two (games). I know one is mandatory. We’ll see how I feel tomorrow.”
Eddie Sefko: Dennis Smith Jr. (Hip) will be out at least the next two games, per source.
Earl K. Sneed: Per Rick Carlisle, Dennis Smith Jr. (left hip strain) is still questionable tonight vs. Milwaukee. #DALatMIL
Eddie Sefko: Rookie point guard Dennis Smith Jr. did not go through practice on Thursday to rest a sore hip area. Not believed to be anything serious. Status to be updated Friday in advance of Milwaukee game.
Eddie Sefko: Dennis Smith Jr. says his left knee is fine and he'll play tonight at Utah 8 pm tip. Said the "questionable" designation doesn't apply 2nite
Earl K. Sneed: Rick Carlisle says the @Dallas Mavericks are monitoring Dennis Smith Jr.'s left knee closely: "This is a greater workload than he's ever hard."
Tim MacMahon: Mavs rookie PG Dennis Smith Jr., who missed the last two games due to left knee effusion, is questionable for Monday against the Warriors.
Eddie Sefko: Rick Carlisle on any news re: Dennis Smith Jr.s, left knee: "Nothing that I’m going to report.” Don't overreact to that. Just nothing new.
Smith tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in August 2015, the summer before his senior year of high school. He experienced swelling in the knee after shootaround Friday, and the decision was made to not start him less than an hour before the game.
Earl K. Sneed: Per @MavsPR, Dennis Smith Jr. is out for the @Dallas Mavericks vs. Sacramento with left knee effusion. #DALvsSAC
Earl K. Sneed: Dennis Smith Jr. (left ankle sprain) says he will play for the @Dallas Mavericks tonight in Charlotte. He'll have a lot of family in the crowd.
Earl K. Sneed: Dennis Smith Jr.: "Being a gamer, one of my goals is just to not miss any games after my ACL injury. I missed a whole year with that."
June 30, 2022 | 4:29 pm EDT Update
Malik Monk nearing deal with the Kings?

James Ham: As @Jake Fischer reported on @Marc Stein pod, there is a lot of smoke with regards to Malik Monk landing with Kings. Nothing confirmed yet on length of contract/money, but multiple league sources are linking Lakers guard to Sacramento hours before start of free agency.
As the NBA world deals with Kevin Durant’s blockbuster trade demand, it’s become apparent that Kyrie Irving is also likely headed elsewhere. “Everybody’s in play in Brooklyn, certainly. I think it’s very likely that not only Kevin Durant but Kyrie Irving have played their last games for the Nets,” ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said Thursday on NBA Today.
Ja Morant: easy money
Quincy Pondexter: NBA off-seasons better than a WWE storyline 🤯
June 30, 2022 | 4:15 pm EDT Update
Extension agreements expected for Jokic, Booker, Towns, Morant

Marc Stein: Denver’s Nikola Jokic, Phoenix’s Devin Booker, Minnesota’s Karl-Anthony Towns and Memphis’ Ja Morant are all expected to verbally seal mammoth contract extensions soon after 6 PM ET tonight … for those tracking notable sidebars to the Kevin Durant Requests A Trade blockbuster.