NBA Rumors and News Roundup: Dwyane Wade, Stephen Curry Injury Updates and More

Stephen Curry's ankle continues to be a troublesome problem for the Golden State Warriors, but several teams around the NBA are dealing with injuries to key players early in the 2011-12 season.

Between the condensed schedule and the lack of preparation prior to the start of the campaign, we knew that there was a possibility for more guys to miss time than we've been used to seeing in previous years.

There is no doubt that multiple teams will be active and aggressive in the market with the hopes of improving the roster, especially as the injuries pile up, and the trade deadline is just about two months away.

Aaron Gray

Gray has yet to play in a single regular season game for the Raptors, and it's going to be a little bit longer before we see him in action.

He had been experiencing a rapid heart rate which had sent him to the sidelines, and the Raptors announced that the center underwent an ablation procedure.

His timetable to return to the court is set at two weeks, but Toronto will certainly exercise extreme caution in his road to a return.

Josh Childress

Childress agreed to a five-year contract with the Suns worth approximately $34 million prior to the 2010-11 season, but the signing has been an absolute disaster.

He has failed to produce during his tenure in the desert, and now he's buried at the end of the bench, finding himself out of the rotation.

It wouldn't be surprising to see him dealt at some point with Michael Redd getting healthy for the team, but the Suns would likely have to eat a serious portion of his contract to facilitate such a move.

Lamar Odom

Odom has been struggling to find his game in Dallas with the Mavericks, and it's clear that the marriage between the two parties is a short-term one.

With the team angling to clear massive cap space before a loaded 2012 free-agent class comes around, Odom is expected to be bought out of the final year of his contract.

Although he's slated to make $8.2 million, the Mavericks can buy him out for just $2.4 million (the guaranteed portion of the salary) and have another $5.8 million to spend in free agency.

Matt Barnes

Barnes started the season at the end of the bench for the Lakers, but he's really stepped up his play and coach Mike Brown has taken notice.

Brown called Barnes his starting small forward for the "foreseeable future," and with just Metta World Peace, Luke Walton and Devin Ebanks behind him, it definitely makes a ton of sense.

A healthy Barnes is not an element the Lakers had last season, and his tenacity on the defensive end of the floor is something that could really boost the production in the starting five.

Michael Beasley

Beasley has been out with a mid-foot sprain, and it's become obvious throughout the season that his style of play doesn't mesh all that well with what coach Rick Adelman is trying to accomplish.

He loves to use isolation plays in order to score, and Minnesota is trying to increase the ball movement between players in every game.

Adelman said that he's given thought to shifting Beasley to a sixth man role, and also noted that he was planning to give rookie Derrick Williams increased playing time as well.

No matter what Beasley's role is, he's a good bet to see 25-30 minutes on a regular basis.

Baron Davis

The Knicks have been a work in progress to begin the season, and that assessment is a generous one.

With the club struggling to find any sort of offensive semblance, a healthy Baron Davis could go a long way toward New York fulfilling the lofty expectations held for the team prior to the year beginning.

He's still rehabbing from a herniated disc in his lower back, and it's sounding like the earliest we'll see him back on the court is at the end of January.

Nene

Nene has been dealing with a nagging heel injury throughout the season, but he returned to the Nuggets lineup on Monday night and played 30 minutes.

However, the big man had to take a painkilling injection prior to the game, and he also revealed that the injury actually worsens from time to time after playing.

He also said that he'll have to take it day by day to see how it feels, but this has the feel of something that could linger.

Dwyane Wade

Wade has been sidelined with a "sore foot," but he has not yet been ruled out of Tuesday's game.

Erik Spoelstra said that Wade was feeling "significantly better," but he mentioned plantar fasciitis when discussing the injury on Monday.

That is an injury which can be especially troubling for basketball players as it is one that only heals with varying timetables of rest, and the Heat can't afford for Wade to miss a significant amount of time.

Stephen Curry

Curry has sprained his ankle a ridiculous seven times over the last 15 months, and he spent a good portion of the offseason rehabbing from a surgery he had to strengthen the ankle over the summer.

He flew to Charlotte and met with his surgeon on Monday, and the Warriors are expected to reveal a plan for Curry's return to the court on Tuesday.

Prior to the Monday meeting, Curry was hoping to return this week, so we'll have to see what course of action has been prescribed for him and his chronic ankle issues.