Three separate NBA storylines developed Tuesday, with Denver monitoring another injury, Orlando’s top pick addressing roster fit questions, and Miami guard Terry Rozier trying to eliminate federal gambling charges.
Nuggets Forward Leaves Game With Right Knee Injury
Denver forward Cameron Johnson exited during the fourth quarter of Tuesday’s matchup against Dallas after hurting his right knee. ESPN’s Tim MacMahon reported the 6-foot-8 forward will undergo an MRI to determine the extent of the damage.
Johnson had started 27 games before Tuesday, averaging 11.8 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists in just under 31 minutes. The 27-year-old scored 20 points in Monday’s win over Utah and is in the third season of a four-year, $94.5 million contract signed prior to being acquired from Brooklyn this summer.
Denver is already shorthanded, with Christian Braun sidelined since Nov. 12 by an ankle sprain and Aaron Gordon out since Nov. 21 with a hamstring strain. Should Johnson miss time, the club is expected to rely more heavily on Tim Hardaway Jr., Bruce Brown and rookie Julian Strawther during a packed holiday schedule.
Banchero Says Magic Are “Stronger” With Wagner on Floor
Paolo Banchero pushed back on the notion that he and Franz Wagner struggle to share the court. “I think that’s bull,” the 2022 No. 1 pick told Josh Robbins of The Athletic, insisting Orlando operates best when both players are involved.
Banchero also addressed shooting issues that have him at 43.4 percent from the field and a career-low 23.7 percent from beyond the arc entering Tuesday’s contest versus Portland. He linked some of the dip to the groin strain that sidelined him for 10 games earlier in the season. “It was definitely a setback,” he said. “I knew coming back it would take some time.”
Rozier Seeks Dismissal of Federal Gambling Charges
Attorneys for Terry Rozier filed a motion Tuesday aiming to dismiss conspiracy charges tied to sports betting. The Miami guard pleaded not guilty earlier this month to counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering in U.S. District Court in Brooklyn.
Rozier has been on league leave since his Oct. 23 arrest and is free on a $3 million bond secured by his Florida residence. In court documents, attorney Jim Trusty argued prosecutors did not establish a wire-fraud offense, claiming the indictment focuses on alleged violations of sportsbook terms of service rather than game manipulation.
Legal experts cited by ESPN’s David Purdum noted that wire-fraud statutes require intent to deprive a victim of money or property, a threshold Trusty says the government has not met. Prosecutors have until Feb. 2 to respond.
Source: Hoops Wire
