Utah Jazz power forward/center Derrick Favors will play Wednesday night after missing the previous 12 games due to a bone bruise in his left knee, league sources told ESPN. Favors isn't expected to play much against the Oklahoma City Thunder, as he will be on a strict minutes restriction. He returned to practice this week and was a full participant Tuesday. "I don't want to try to do too much too soon," Favors told Utah reporters Monday. "I want to get back into a rhythm and get in shape."
While only Dallas can offer a five-year contract and still has the ability to put a richer offer on the table than New York, sources indicate that the Mavericks don’t expect to be able to sway Brunson at this point. It is more likely, sources say, that Dallas will try to engage the Knicks in sign-and-trade talks to try to salvage a measure of compensation (and perhaps a trade exception) by trying to collaborate with New York on a deal.