San Francisco — The Golden State Warriors transferred guard DeAnthony Melton and forwards Jonathan Kuminga and Gui Santos to their G League affiliate in Santa Cruz on Wednesday to participate in scrimmages, according to ESPN’s Anthony Slater.
Melton, working back from an ACL tear, is expected to be reevaluated this weekend, and team officials are hopeful the veteran guard can make his season debut in the first week of December, Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints reported. Kuminga, sidelined with bilateral knee tendinitis, will use the assignment to test his recovery. If no setbacks occur, the fifth-year forward could return during Golden State’s current home stand, which ends on December 2. Santos joined the G League squad primarily for conditioning.
Kings benefit from Murray’s return
The Sacramento Kings have captured two of three games since forward Keegan Murray rejoined the lineup. Murray posted 26 points and 14 rebounds in Monday’s overtime win against Minnesota. “It’s everything,” teammate DeMar DeRozan said afterward. “Keegan is the key to this team. It’s his team.”
Questions about head coach Doug Christie’s job security surfaced recently, but general manager Scott Perry told The Athletic he has “complete confidence” in Christie. The coach welcomed the public endorsement, noting the importance of presenting “a style and a brand of basketball that Sacramento Kings fans can be proud of.”
Brooks faces former club
Phoenix Suns forward Dillon Brooks squared off against the Houston Rockets on Monday for the first time since being traded over the summer. Brooks exchanged trash talk with ex-teammates and accused them of flopping, The Athletic’s Doug Haller wrote. Rockets head coach Ime Udoka downplayed the banter, calling Brooks’ two-year stint in Houston “invaluable” to the franchise’s culture shift alongside guard Fred VanVleet.
Udoka added, “I don’t mind at all. We both toe the line at times, but he’s a guy that I love and have a ton of respect for.”
The Warriors’ injury updates, the Kings’ resurgence with Murray and Christie’s backing, and Brooks’ reunion with Houston round out the latest developments across the Pacific Division.
Source: Hoops Rumors
