Storyline: Thomas Bryant Injury
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Adrian Wojnarowski: Wizards center Thomas Bryant is returning to lineup today after missing six weeks with a right foot stress reaction, league source tells ESPN.
Candace Buckner: Thomas Bryant after practice today: “I feel like I’m very, very close” to returning. He said he experienced no pain and was able to do everything he normally does. Also, Bryant did not practice with the Go-Go yesterday.
Fred Katz: I do, however, have some good Wizards injury news: Thomas Bryant told me he’s out of his boot now. Said doctors told him everything is progressing well. Bryant hasn’t played since Dec. 1 because of a stress reaction in his right foot.
Fred Katz: Jordan McRae is out tonight with flu-like symptoms, the Wizards say. Thomas Bryant (hip) will play
Mike Bresnahan: Lakers PF/C Thomas Bryant sprained his left ankle at today’s summer-league practice. It’s unclear if he’ll be ready for Monday’s summer-League opener in Sacramento.
July 14, 2020 | 3:58 pm EDT Update
Andre Fernandez: Jimmy Butler on playing the #Pacers twice in seeding games. Smiling under his mask: “It’s just a basketball game to me.” #HeatTwitter
July 14, 2020 | 3:46 pm EDT Update
Lance Thomas contract with Nets finalized
Ian Begley: Lance Thomas has finalized his deal with the Brooklyn Nets, per SNY sources.
NBA players reporting each other for bubble protocol violations
Shams Charania: Multiple tips have been placed into the NBA’s anonymous hotline to report protocol violations on campus, sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium.
July 14, 2020 | 3:14 pm EDT Update
Harrison Barnes tests positive for COVID-19
Shams Charania: Kings forward Harrison Barnes says he has tested positive for coronavirus, is in quarantine and will join the team in Orlando when he clears.
ESPN cancels Kevin Durant show
Kevin Durant’s show has been cancelled by ESPN, The Post has learned. “The Boardroom,” featuring Durant, Jay Williams and Durant’s agent Rich Kleiman, will not be renewed after being on ESPN+ for two seasons. While there are no public metrics for shows on this platform, ESPN is able to internally identify engagement and its impact on the $4.99-per-month subscription-based service.
“The Boardroom is not being renewed following two seasons on ESPN+,” ESPN said in a statement to The Post. “Thirty Five Ventures are great partners and we look forward to continuing to discuss any future projects.” “The Boardroom” was publicized at its start as a program to “bring fans behind the scenes of the modern boardroom, showcasing the evolution of sports business through the minds of athletes, sports executives and tech moguls alike.” It didn’t make that many waves, except for one episode that featured Stephen A. Smith.
A woman whose car was left stranded along a Florida interstate when her tire blew out got a little unexpected help from former NBA star Shaquille O’Neal, sheriff’s officials say. O’Neal, who lives in the Orlando area, was traveling on Interstate 75 near Gainesville on Monday when he saw the woman pull onto the side of the road, the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office said on a Facebook post.
July 14, 2020 | 2:38 pm EDT Update
Anderson went on the Virginia basketball podcast “J Willy Show” on Monday and accepted congratulations on joining the Nets. Granted, they haven’t signed him yet; but considering he gets daily practice updates from Joe Harris and is reportedly the replacement for Wilson Chandler, it strains credulity to think a deal isn’t in the offing. “I just got to Orlando (Sunday), following protocol. I had a negative test, waiting on the next result. I have to get another one,” said Anderson, 27, currently quarantining in an Orlando-area hotel.
“Very strict protocol, but it’s all worth it just to make sure entering the bubble everything is clean and clear for everybody who’s already in there, and myself as well. So I’m back in Orlando right now.” Anderson spent most of the season in the G League, first with Toronto’s affiliate Raptors 905 and then with the Long Island Nets. He averaged 20.6 points and 6.6 rebounds to earn All-NBA G League honors, and even got a 10-day contract with Brooklyn.
Marc Stein: Tim Duncan will not be here at Walt Disney World on the Spurs’ bench … The team says Duncan, in his first season as an assistant coach to Gregg Popovich, stayed in San Antonio with a few Spurs medical and performance staffers to supervise LaMarcus Aldridge’s injury rehab
July 14, 2020 | 1:26 pm EDT Update
Victor Oladipo's remaining salary in dispute
Indiana Pacers star Victor Oladipo is in an unresolved situation over $3 million in salary, multiple sources told ESPN. Under the rules the NBA established for its season restart in Orlando, players who were healthy but opted not to play would have to forgo their remaining salary for the season. Two weeks ago, in an interview with The Athletic, Oladipo said he was healthy but had decided not to play to ensure recovery from tearing his quad tendon in January 2019.
In the days since, lawyers from the player’s union and the NBA have reviewed the situation and there is dispute over where Oladipo’s situation falls. The union believes Oladipo, who went to Orlando with the Pacers and then cleared quarantine so he could practice, should be paid his remaining salary, sources said. The league, largely in an effort to set a precedent in case other players who are deemed healthy want to leave Orlando and no longer play, believes Oladipo has opted out and should not be paid, sources said. His public comments about feeling healthy has only solidified the league’s position on the matter, sources said. The Pacers support Oladipo’s decision and are willing to pay him the salary whether he plays or not, sources said.
Carmelo Anthony was by no means one of the bigger players in the NBA before the restart in the bubble at Disney World. But it appears he’s joining names like Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic and Toronto Raptors center Marc Gasol — he looks slimmer than he did before the league took a pause. Photos of the Portland Trail Blazers legend have made the rounds on social media and “Skinny Melo” has been dubbed. Maybe it’s the right move since he won’t have to do as much work inside the paint with Jusuf Nurkic back and healthy.
Now, for the reasoning. Schofield, who is now down to around 225 pounds, said it’s partly so he can be more versatile. “I was able to get down to a weight where I’m able to play even more positions for the team, and to just be more active on the floor and go longer with higher energy,” he said. “I’m just trying to be an all-star in my role and affect winning.”
The two accomplished NBA stars have traded insults in recent years. Now, Basketball Hall-of-Famer Charles Barkley and Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green have a chance to exchange barbs directly. Barkley and Green will be part of “The Arena,” a new one-hour long NBA show that TNT will launch July 20, air nightly through July 24 and then continue into the restart of the NBA regular season (July 30) and playoffs (Aug. 17). Cari Champion will host the show that will also include NBA star Dwyane Wade.
A Canadian marketing representative who allegedly had an agreement to represent Zion Williamson and purportedly paid his stepfather $400,000 while Williamson was enrolled at Duke said he was conned by someone acting like they were in the New Orleans Pelicans star’s inner circle. In a court filing last week, Gina Ford’s attorneys included documents that they said showed Williamson’s stepfather, Lee Anderson, solicited and accepted a $400,000 payment in October 2018 from Slavko Duric, a Canadian marketing representative.
Duric told Sports Illustrated on Monday that he was contacted by someone in 2018 who was allegedly acting as a middle man for Williamson’s family and friend, James “Chubby” Wells. Duric said he was offered a percentage of Williamson’s future earnings in exchange for a $100,000 payment to Williamson’s family. “I tried to do something I would characterize as outside the lines,” Duric told SI. “I allegedly was involved early. I was at the front of the line through a person who said he knew the family. Somebody who said he was [Williamson’s stepdad] Lee Anderson spoke with me. Someone who said they were Chubby Wells spoke with me a dozen times.”
July 14, 2020 | 12:38 pm EDT Update
James Harden and Russell Westbrook traveling to Disney together?
Stadium: A source tells our NBA Insider @ShamsCharania that Rockets star James Harden is feeling fine, working out and may travel with Russell Westbrook to Orlando when Westbrook clears from coronavirus.
Marc J. Spears: The Lakers are not practicing today.
Lakers Nation: Frank Vogel has said the #Lakers will cautiously push players during this ramp-up period. Team had three consecutive days with practice and now are off today.
Sirius XM NBA: “The Raptors have absolutely taken on the personality of Kyle Lowry” @Kyle Lowry’s agent Mark Bartelstein tells @TermineRadio & @Eddie Johnson how Kyle Lowry has grown as a leader. #WeTheNorth pic.twitter.com/K5yCPyyCaR
When the Raptors won the title in 2019, it was the only time that the NBA champions did not have a lottery pick on their roster since the league changed to a weighted lotto system in 1990. In fact, the 2019 Raptors had the lowest drafted players among NBA champions since the Houston Rockets in 1993-94. (Although those numbers were a bit impacted by the fact that Mario Elie was selected at No. 160 overall, fully one hundred spots later than the final selection eligible in the modern draft).
July 14, 2020 | 12:02 pm EDT Update
Keith Pompey: Simmons was asked if BB came to him about the position switch or did he go to the coach. He said this: “You just got to work with different things. You got to try different things out to see if they work. We are not at a stage where not a stage where we can be comfortable yet … “So I’ve been having fun in that position, whether you guys say the four whatever it is. At the end of the day,once you just see me on the floor, I’m making plays. “
Marc J. Spears: To pursue change in communities of color and develop programs, the Lakers, Clippers and 10 other pro sports teams in greater Los Angeles joined together to launch The ALLIANCE: Los Angeles, a five-year commitment to drive investment and impact for social justice through sport.
Monty Williams has always enjoyed watching historical documentaries, thanks to his thirst to learn about various people’s backgrounds. So while scanning Amazon Prime shortly after the killing of George Floyd, “The Uncomfortable Truth” piqued Williams’ interest. White filmmaker Loki Mulholland, the son of Freedom Rider Joan Trumpauer Mulholland, digs into America’s history of systemic racism — and confronts his family’s history of slave ownership. When it ended, Williams immediately began texting friends and family — including his young-adult daughters — to suggest they carve out time for their own viewing. The coach knew that, whenever the Suns could safely gather again, he would recommend the film to players and “hope it has a thought-provoking impact on them.”
Williams took things one step further. Instead of practicing inside a Walt Disney World gym Sunday, the team watched “The Uncomfortable Truth” together. It was the latest example of Williams’ leadership during the ongoing social-justice movement, by encouraging education, understanding and love while guiding his roster primarily comprised of young Black men. “We cannot change out history, but we can learn from it,” Williams said Monday on a videoconference with reporters. “I’m not quite sure if we’re learning from it. I’ll do my part. This is an action for me to be with some guys that I care about deeply, and share with them some things that have impacted me.”
July 14, 2020 | 11:12 am EDT Update
Myles Turner: Contrary to popular belief bubble life ain’t half bad. Don’t get me wrong I catch myself staring at the ceiling a couple times a day ?? and the meals ain’t what we accustom too, but overall the set up is straight. Strictly bussiness. The effort put In is greatly appreciated!
Ohm Youngmisuk: Wizards’ Johnathan Williams says he will wear “Say Her Name” on the back of his jersey for Breonna Taylor.
One of the goals for Reimagining Justice is to deconstruct America’s War on Drugs, and that’s a massive thing. How do we turn that around? Al Harrington: We’re really focused on trying to bring home these people who are sitting in jail, still, for marijuana possession. Obviously, there are people now who’ve made millions and almost billions of dollars from it and, you know, there are still people locked up. And after these people have served their time, they have no opportunities because they have to work around with this blemish on their record where it doesn’t allow them to apply for jobs.
Right, they still have that on their record. Al Harrington: And we have to honestly do a better job of holding police accountable for the way they police cannabis. Because I can tell you, for sure, that the way they police cannabis in Beverly Hills compared to where they do it in Compton is totally different. So, there’s a lot of things to peel back in regards to reform in general … At the end of the day, there are still people dealing with this.
How do you feel about the turn on marijuana in sports, particularly with the NBA? It feels like things are changing around the country but sports is coming slow. Al Harrington: Things are definitely changing. The MLB is no longer testing. The NFL is still testing with no penalty, which is kind of weird. The NBA is kind of the last to the party, but they’re going to not test for cannabis in the bubble with the mental ride that they’re about to go through. Change is happening slowly but surely. When we get the schedule to change and start to do real research on stuff like that, that’s when we’ll be off to the races in regards to opening up cannabis to all of sports.
July 14, 2020 | 9:34 am EDT Update
Ky Carlin: Ben Simmons reveals that his daily routine in the bubble has been working out, playing video games, and fishing #Sixers
Derek Bodner: Brett Brown sets a target of 38 minutes per game for Joel Embiid in the playoffs. Embiid averaged 30 per game in the playoffs last year, which jumped up to 34 per night in the second round against the Raptors.
Chris Grenham: The entire Celtics roster surprised Kara Lawson last night by wearing Duke t-shirts, which made her cry. “These men have changed my life. I have loved my time with the Boston Celtics. Our players are authentic, intelligent, creative and passionate men.” pic.twitter.com/ZqNXHiKEVE
July 14, 2020 | 8:40 am EDT Update
Greg Monroe to Russia?
Zenit Saint-Petersburg is seriously considering to sign Greg Monroe, according to Eurohoops sources. Talks between the involved parties are ongoing with the “Moose” still exploring his NBA and overseas options.
Zalgiris fans will see yet another new face in green-and-white, as the Lithuanian champions have signed a one-year deal with French center Joffrey Lauvergne Zalgiris fans will see yet another new face in green-and-white, as the Lithuanian champions have signed a one-year deal with French center Joffrey Lauvergne.
Zach Lowe: I was talking to someone around the league the other day, and we were just sort of spitballing about players. There’s a lot of people within the league that think Donovan Mitchell is still a bit overrated. And this guy was one of them. We were talking about who would you rather have Devin Booker or Donovan Mitchell. And I think the only skill in which Donovan Mitchell is ahead of Devin Booker is defense and I don’t think he’s ahead by as much as you think he’s ahead of Devin Booker.
July 14, 2020 | 3:03 am EDT Update
Frank Vogel expects Rajon Rondo to play in postseason
The Los Angeles Lakers’ time in the NBA bubble might have had an inauspicious start, with guard Rajon Rondo discovering a fractured right thumb during the team’s second practice, but coach Frank Vogel is still counting on the veteran’s contributions. “What we have to understand about Rajon, losing Rajon is a huge loss for our team, but we expect Rajon to be a part of our playoff run,” Vogel said on a video conference call with reporters Monday.
Even with his upcoming supermax decision full of uncertainty, with the new realities of the league in effect following the pandemic, Milwaukee’s front office isn’t worried about opposing players trying to potentially recruit him. “Zero. We can only control what we can control. If it’s considered tampering or recruiting or whatever it is, in our league people talk, people are connected, people have relationships,” said Bucks GM Jon Horst. “At the end of the day, I have full confidence in my personal relationship, our league’s relationship, our coach’s relationship, his teammate’s relationship with Giannis in what we’re doing and what we’re about.
Exactly one month before announcing he’s tested positive for COVID-19, Russell Westbrook was hanging poolside at Encore Beach Club at Wynn Las Vegas. Westbrook was with a group of friends, including former NFL running back Reggie Bush, fashion jeweler Greg Yuna, bodybuilders and trainers Mike Rashid and Valeriu Guto and Wynn club host Jai Shaun White at the outdoor dayclub on June 13. The group posed for a photo at one of the party space’s VIP bungalows.
