TITLE: Injury Update on Nikola Jokić, Wizards Add Skal Labissière, DeMar DeRozan Monitors Kings’ Direction
SLUG: nba-updates-jokic-status-labissiere-wizards-derozan-kings
CONTENT:
DENVER — Nikola Jokić’s left-knee recovery remains on schedule, and the Denver Nuggets are content to wait. According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the two-time MVP will be re-evaluated in roughly one week as he continues to ramp up from a hyperextended knee and bone bruise. The report noted “great progress” and no setbacks.
Denver has weathered the absence. The Nuggets are 9-5 since Jokić went down and enter Tuesday at 31-15, tied for second place in the Western Conference. A year ago, the club went 4-8 without him.
The only immediate concern is awards eligibility. If Jokić does not play by Feb. 1, he will fall short of the NBA’s 65-game minimum for postseason honors—an outcome Denver appears willing to accept. Before the injury, the Serbian center was averaging a career-high 29.6 points to go with a league-leading 12.2 rebounds and 11.0 assists while shooting 58.5 percent from the field, 37.4 percent from three and 82.1 percent at the line.
Wizards hand Skal Labissière a 10-day contract
WASHINGTON — Forward/center Skal Labissière is back in the NBA on a 10-day deal with the Washington Wizards, the team announced Monday. The former first-round pick (No. 28 in 2016) has logged 148 career games with Sacramento and Portland, averaging 7.2 points and 4.5 rebounds.
Labissière, 27, resurfaced this season with the Capital City Go-Go, Washington’s G League affiliate, where he posted 19.2 points, 7.7 boards, 2.5 blocks and 2.1 assists on 55.4 percent shooting, including 44.1 percent from deep. The Wizards had an open roster spot following their recent Trae Young trade, so no additional move was required.
The 10-day contract runs through Feb. 5. If active Tuesday against Portland, Labissière could appear in as many as six games before the deal expires.
DeMar DeRozan weighs future amid Kings’ struggles
SACRAMENTO — DeMar DeRozan is not seeking a trade, but the veteran swingman acknowledged he is mindful of the ticking clock on his career. “It’s not like I’m playing another 10 years,” he told The Sacramento Bee. “You definitely want to maximize your time.”
Sacramento sits at 12-35 after a coaching change and the trade of guard De’Aaron Fox. Most veterans are considered available at the right price. DeRozan, 34, continues to deliver nearly 19 points per game on efficient shooting and remains under contract at a significant yet manageable salary.
Whether the Kings can find a suitor willing to meet their asking price before the deadline remains uncertain.
Source: Hoops Wire
