Jazz
Utah forward Jaren Jackson Jr. will miss the remainder of the season after doctors discovered a localized pigmented villonodular synovitis growth in his left knee, the team said. The condition was found during an MRI that was part of his post-trade physical, and surgery is set for the All-Star break.
Jackson, acquired at the trade deadline, appeared in just three games for Utah, averaging 22.3 points while the club went 2-1. The Jazz are 18-37, sixth-worst in the NBA, and will owe Oklahoma City a first-round pick only if it falls outside the top eight. Utah officials emphasized that getting Jackson healthy for training camp is the priority.
Wizards
Washington rookie center Alex Sarr will be out roughly two weeks with a hamstring strain, ruling him out of Friday’s Rising Stars game and likely keeping him sidelined through the All-Star break. The No. 2 pick in the 2024 draft is averaging 17.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.0 blocks in his second NBA season.
The Wizards hold the league’s second-worst record at 14-39 and control a top-eight protected first-round pick, giving the club little incentive to hasten Sarr’s return. Wednesday’s game left Washington even thinner: Tristan Vukcevic missed time because of illness, and Anthony Davis remained out amid uncertainty about a potential season return.
Mavericks
Marc Stein of The Stein Line reports that Mark Cuban’s influence inside the Mavericks has continued to wane. Co-interim general managers Matt Riccardi and Michael Finley made last week’s trade decision involving Anthony Davis without Cuban’s input, according to the report. Riccardi later addressed the roster to outline the organization’s direction.
The 2023 sale agreement allows the franchise’s majority owners, the Dumont and Adelson families, to reduce Cuban’s minority stake to as low as seven percent by December 2027. Cuban told Stein he has had no recent talks with team governor Patrick Dumont, though interest from external investors persists should more shares become available.
Source: Hoops Wire
