NBA Rumors: Latest Buzz on Nic Batum Injury, Cavaliers Roster and More
Charlotte Hornets forward Nicolas Batum will miss Monday night's game with the Philadelphia 76ers due to chronic tendinitis in his left Achilles and could be out for more, as reported by ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
According to Wojnarowski's league sources, Batum underwent an MRI Sunday after the Hornets lost 124-101 to the New York Knicks on Saturday.
The 6'8" swingman left the game early and complained about soreness in his Achilles.
Because the timetable for Batum's recovery in unknown, the Frenchman's status will be listed as game-by-game until there is more clarity surrounding how he responds to treatment.
Charlotte is 10th in the standings with a 30-40 record with only 12 games left, so its chances of making the playoffs are slim to none.
That means that bringing back Batum, rather than sitting him for the remainder of the season, wouldn't make much sense.
The Hornets signed the 10-year veteran to a five-year, $120 million contract in 2016, so they should focus more on protecting their investment by exercising caution.
Batum was out at the beginning of the season with a tear in the ulnar collateral ligament in his left elbow. He missed 12 games.
In 56 games, he averaged 11.9 points, 4.9 rebounds and 5.5 assists per contest.
Cavaliers sign White to 10-day contract
The Cleveland Cavaliers aren't done tweaking their roster.
The Cavs will sign free agent Okaro White to a 10-day contract, according to Yahoo Sports' Shams Charania.
By adding the 6'8" power forward, Cleveland can shore up their frontline, which took another hit with Larry Nance Jr. out.
Nance is sitting out due to a recurring hamstring injury, and the team just wants to be cautious with it.
"I just kind of pulled it a little bit against the Clippers (last Friday) but it's nothing that will keep me out extended time," Nance told Cleveland.com's Joe Vardon. "It's just something I was playing with, and they had a chance to re-evaluate it and said 'you know what, let's not irritate it anymore.'"
In addition to Nance, Kevin Love is out with a broken hand bone and Tristan Thompson is out with a right ankle sprain.
White last played with the Miami Heat before suffering an injury of him own: a fractured fifth metatarsal in his left foot.
He was traded to the Atlanta Hawks at the trade deadline but was waived.
In six games with Miami, White averaged 3.3 points and 1.8 rebounds per contest.
Utah signs another Stockton
The Utah Jazz can't bring back Hall of Famer John Stockton, but they can bring on his son.
The Jazz have signed David Stockton to a 10-day contract, Wojnarowski reported.
Living up to his father's reputation could be a tall order—especially since his jersey hangs in the rafters and there's a statue of him outside Vivint Arena—but the 26-year old Stockton is used to it.
"I try not to think about it," Stockton told Deseret News' Eric Woodyard. "The statue has been there, and it's kind of been the same old story my whole life as far as basketball and playing and having this name, so I try not to think about it, and I don't think there's too much pressure.
"I've been playing basketball my whole life so I'm just going to try and do what I do."
The former Sacramento Kings point guard will fill in the gap left by reserve playmaker Raul Neto, who is sidelined with a fractured left wrist.
Stockton, a G League All-Star, averaged 16.3 points, 5.2 assists and 1.8 steals over 39 games this season with the Reno Bighorns.
His shooting should be a welcome addition for Utah. He's shooting 45 percent from the field and 40 percent from behind the arc.
"He's got an aptitude for the game, and we're happy to have him," head coach Quin Snyder said. "We know him as a player; that's why we called him up."
Portland signs 7-footer for rest of the season
The Portland Trail Blazers plan to sign center Georgios Papagiannis for the rest of this season, Wojnarowski reported.
The 7-footer was waived by the Sacramento Kings at the trade deadline after spending two years with the team.
Portland brought Papagiannis on for a 10-day contract back on March 8 and have seen enough to give him an extended run, even though he hasn't stepped on the court for them yet.
A lottery pick in 2016, the Greek big man only saw limited minutes while in Sacramento.
Over the span of 38 games in the league, he has averaged 4.2 points, 3.2 rebounds and 0.6 blocks per outing.
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