San Antonio, TX — De’Aaron Fox completed a full 5-on-5 scrimmage on Friday, a key milestone in his recovery from a lingering hamstring injury that has sidelined him since training camp. The veteran guard said he is “close” to playing, and team optimism points to a possible return before the end of October.
Head coach Mitch Johnson also welcomed forward Jeremy Sochan and center Kelly Olynyk to the same scrimmage session, indicating that their comebacks are approaching as well. “It’s October, so we’re probably going to be a little later than early,” Johnson said. “But they look great. I hope it will be sooner rather than later.”
Hornets
Charlotte’s youth movement paid immediate dividends on opening night. Rookie center Ryan Kalkbrenner and rookie guard Kon Knueppel started and helped the Hornets defeat the Brooklyn Nets. Kalkbrenner, selected in the second round, posted 10 points and 11 rebounds, becoming only the second player in franchise history to register a double-double in his NBA debut. Knueppel added 11 points and five boards as Charlotte became the first team since 2019 to win its season opener while starting two rookies.
“Everybody is playing unselfishly,” Knueppel said after nine Hornets reached double figures. “That’s winning basketball.”
Free Agency
Veteran guard Cameron Payne, 31, is drawing serious interest from EuroLeague powerhouse Partizan Belgrade after the club lost former NBA guard Carlik Jones to a season-ending ankle injury. Payne appeared in 72 games for the New York Knicks last season, averaging 6.9 points and 2.8 assists in 15 minutes. He briefly signed with the Indiana Pacers earlier this month but was waived before the regular season.
The 14th overall pick in the 2015 draft has played 10 NBA seasons with Oklahoma City, Phoenix, Chicago, and New York, and could provide Partizan with immediate backcourt experience.
Source: Hoops Wire
