Russell Westbrook was forced out of the Los Angeles Lakers final preseason early due to a hamstring injury which head coach Darvin Ham says will be re-evaluated on Saturday.
Westbrook exited with 2:34 remaining in the first quarter of the 133-86 loss to the Sacramento Kings with a left hamstring concern.
The 2017 NBA MVP had started from the bench in the game as part of a potential new role, but he did not last beyond the opening period, playing five minutes with no points and one assist.
"He told me he thought he'd be fine," Ham told reporters after the game. "But we'll be re-evaluating him in the morning."
Ham had insisted pre-game Westbrook's role off the bench was "not a demotion", rather a "realignment" following the Lakers' poor 2021-22 season where they missed the playoffs.
The Lakers will open their 2022-23 NBA season against reigning champions, the Golden State Warriors, on Tuesday.
Anthony Davis was absent for Friday's preseason finale for precautionary reasons due to lower back tightness.
Sky rookie Reese out for season with wrist injury
Chicago Sky rookie Angel Reese will miss the rest of the WNBA season with a wrist injury.
Reese was listed as questionable on the Sky’s latest injury report heading into Sunday’s game against the Dallas Wings.
“What a year. I never would have imagined the last bucket of my rookie season would be a 3 but maybe that was God saying give them a taste of what they will be seeing more of in Year 2 lol,” Reese wrote. “Through it all, I have showed that I belong in this league even when no one else believed. All I have ever wanted was to come into the W and make an impact. I can confidently say I have done that and will strive to keep doing so.”
Reese, the No. 7 pick in the 2024 draft after a stellar career at LSU, finishes the season averaging 13.6 points and 13.1 rebounds - the highest rebound average in league history. Reese also set the rookie record with 26 double-doubles - her last coming in a win over Los Angeles on Friday night.
Earlier in the season, Reese had 15 straight games with a double-double to break the league's record. She also set the mark for total rebounds in a season, passing Sylvia Fowles' mark.
Nuggets sign Jamal Murray to $208M max extension
The Denver Nuggets and star guard Jamal Murray have agreed to a four-year, $208million max contract extension, multiple media outlets reported Saturday.
Murray had been scheduled to be a free agent next offseason but will now earn a total of $244million through the 2028-29 season.
Murray, 27, has emerged as the primary sidekick to three-time MVP Nikola Jokić and helped the Nuggets win the franchise’s first NBA championship in 2023.
Since returning from a torn ACL that cost him the 2021-22 season, Murray has emerged as one of the premier perimeter scorers in the NBA and a seamless fit with Jokic.
Murray averaged 21.2 points and 6.5 assists last season while shooting a career-high 42.5 percent from 3-point range.
Over 469 career games, all with Denver, Murray has averaged 17.5 points and 4.5 assists.
Murray has two 50-point play-off games and has averaged 24.2 points over 65 career post-season games.
The offseason spending of the Nuggets’ front office has become a controversial topic since they elected not to re-sign Bruce Brown and Jeff Green after winning the 2023 championship. This offseason, starting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope left in free agency to sign with the Orlando Magic.
With several veteran role-players leaving over the last two seasons, the Nuggets will rely even more on the two-man game between Murray and Jokić, as well as younger players like Christian Braun and Peyton Watson.
Thompson set to seal Cavs return
The Cleveland Cavaliers have agreed to a one-year deal for the return of free agent Tristan Thompson, according to his agency.
Thompson, who spent his first nine professional seasons with the Cavs and is represented by Klutch Sports, played a key role in their first championship success back in 2016 alongside LeBron James.
The 33-year-old has since turned out for the Indiana Pacers, Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls, Sacramento Kings, and Los Angeles Lakers, but his best years have come with the Cavaliers.
He was the fourth overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft and has averaged nine points and 8.3 rebounds for the Cavaliers in 10 seasons.
Thompson was re-signed by the Cavs as a free agent before the 2023-24 season, appearing in 49 games around a 25-game suspension he received after testing positive for a banned substance.
With Thompson's impending arrival, the Cavs are hoping they can make a deeper run in the playoffs this campaign after falling to the Celtics in the second round of the playoffs last season.
They will be doing so under new management, after parting ways with J.B. Bickerstaff and bringing in Kenny Atkinson, who had been the assistant at the Golden State Warriors for the last four campaigns.
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