Cade Cunningham will miss the remainder of the NBA season after it was revealed on Monday the Detroit Pistons' franchise cornerstone will undergo surgery on his bothersome left shin.
According to a report from ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Cunningham has been dealing with pain in his shin since the preseason, with the injury keeping him out of action since November 9.
The plan was to give him a month off to see if the rest would address the issue, but its persistence required further action, leading to the decision to send the former first overall pick in the 2021 draft under the knife.
He is expected to make a full recovery and be ready for the start of the 2023-24 campaign, when the Pistons will look to begin their ascent out of the NBA's cellar.
It has been a lean few years in the win column for Detroit, landing the top pick in the 2021 draft after finishing dead last in the Eastern Conference with a record of 20-52 in the shortened 2020-21 season, before following it with a 23-59 campaign, ultimately resulting in Jaden Ivey's arrival with the fifth pick this year.
They are on track for another top-five pick in next year's draft as they own the worst record in the league at 7-22 – but it is a year where the front office will be happy to continue losing.
The light at the end of the tunnel is 18-year-old French super-prospect Victor Wembanyama, who will assuredly be selected by whichever team is fortunate enough to win the draft lottery and the top pick in the draft.
Standing at 7ft 4in with an 8ft wingspan – longer than any player currently in the league – Wembanyama is plying his trade in the French LNB Pro A, which is France's top men's league.
He is leading the league in scoring (23.6 points per game), rebounding (9.4), and blocks (2.8), while hitting 1.4 three-pointers per game, including high-difficulty attempts off the bounce, and even off one leg.
Cunningham and Wembanyama is a pairing that would have the Pistons on an express path to contention, and it will be no surprise to see Detroit trade away veterans with any value – such as Bojan Bogdanovic, whom The Athletic is reporting as a target for the Los Angeles Lakers – to lose as many games as possible.
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.
Sky rookie Reese sets WNBA single-season rebounding record
Chicago Sky rookie Angel Reese set a WNBA record for the most rebounds in a single season on Sunday when she pulled down 19 boards in a 79-74 loss to the Minnesota Lynx.
Reese pushed her season total to 418 rebounds, surpassing Sylvia Fowles' record of 404 established in 2018 with the Lynx.
The 6-foot-3 Reese set another record Sunday by reaching 165 offensive rebounds this season to move past Yolanda Griffith, who had 162 for the Sacramento Monarchs in 2001.
Reese, the seventh overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft, added 17 points against Minnesota to post her 24th double-double and extend her league rookie record.
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