Salt Lake City — Veteran forward Kevin Love, 37, has moved from presumed buyout candidate to rotation piece with the Utah Jazz after starting center Walker Kessler was ruled out for the remainder of the season.
Love, acquired from the Miami Heat during the offseason, has logged an average of 15.5 minutes in Utah’s last two games, producing 4.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists per contest. Head coach Will Hardy is expected to fill Kessler’s minutes “by committee,” primarily using Love alongside Jusuf Nurkic and rookie Kyle Filipowski.
Although a season-long stay in Utah is not guaranteed, the current depth chart could give Love more playing time than he would likely receive elsewhere.
Spurs
San Antonio — Second-year guard Stephon Castle, last season’s Rookie of the Year, has targeted an All-Defensive Team selection as his next milestone. Assistant coach Mitch Johnson said Castle has already been assigned the opposition’s toughest perimeter matchups, noting, “He has an opportunity to affect the game as much as anybody.”
Grizzlies / Rockets
Houston — Despite losing starting point guard Fred VanVleet to an ACL tear, the Rockets are “unlikely” to pursue Ja Morant in trade talks, according to a team source who spoke with The Athletic’s Sam Amick. The in-season trade deadline is three months away, and many players will not become trade-eligible until December 15, leaving the timeline misaligned for any immediate pursuit.
League sources added that the Minnesota Timberwolves and Sacramento Kings are among clubs keeping tabs on the situation in Memphis.
Source: Hoops Wire
