NBA Rumors: Latest Updates On Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, Isaiah Thomas, And More

It is the middle of December and some of the NBA’s biggest superstars are already sidelined by different injuries. Most notable of them are the Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry and Draymond Green. Meanwhile, Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Isaiah Thomas’ highly-anticipated season debut has yet to happen.

Many basketball analysts and fans believe that the Warriors and Cavs are going to meet again in the Finals this year. Thus, having their roster healthy and at full strength for the playoffs is of utmost importance.

Stephen Curry Still Out During Warriors Win Over Lakers On Monday

Curry missed the Warriors’ 116-114 overtime win over the Lakers on Monday, ESPN reported. It is the fifth consecutive absence of the two-time MVP because of an ankle injury. He has a long history of ankle problems, especially early in his career, but he was able to avoid any major injuries in recent years.

The two-time NBA champion was having another great season, averaging 26.3 points, 5.1 rebounds, 6.6 assists, and 1.7 steals in 32.6 minutes per game, when he twisted his ankle in the team’s 125-115 victory against the New Orleans Pelicans on December 4.

In the waning moments of that game where he broke Ray Allen’s record of fastest NBA player to reach 2,000 career three-pointers, Curry tried to steal the ball off Pelicans combo guard E’Twaun Moore. Rather than giving his team the possession, Curry sprained his right ankle instead as he stepped on Moore’s foot.

It was the same ankle that was surgically repaired back in 2011. The ensuing X-ray and MRI did not find any structural damage to the foot, which led doctors to rule him out for at least two weeks.

Fourteen days have passed since the injury, and Curry is now into on-court shooting drills. However, he is not yet cleared for practice.

CBS Sports noted that until he is allowed to practice, his Warriors return is still on hold.

Draymond Green’s Return Uncertain, Says Steve Kerr

Curry is not the only Warriors star currently sidelined as the reigning NBA Defensive Player of Year, Draymond Green, is also out with an injured right shoulder.

Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said that “it’s just not easy” to make an exact timetable for Green’s return, declaring that his current status is “day-to-day,” via Sporting News.

“It just got sore, probably wear and tear. There’s nothing we can do about it. I don’t spend any time worrying about it. When he’s ready, he’s ready. He’ll be all right, I’m sure of that. It’s just not easy to pinpoint when.”

Kerr admitted, though, that he would have played Green right now if it was already the playoffs rather than the third month of the season.

Isaiah Thomas Could Finally Play For The Cavaliers Next Month

Multiple reports are out that Isaiah Thomas could finally suit up for the Cavs in January. Yahoo Sports‘ Shams Charania reported it first before ESPN’s Dave McMenamin followed it up.

Thomas has yet to play a single minute on the court this season as he is recuperating from a previous hip injury. The two-time NBA All-Star has been out since Game 2 of last season’s Eastern Conference Finals when he was still with the Boston Celtics.

Last summer, the Cavs agreed to trade Kyrie Irving for Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic, and the Brooklyn Nets’ 2018 first-round selection. The deal was delayed for a bit after Cleveland found out about Thomas’ injury following a medical exam. Boston then added a 2020 second-round pick to finalize the trade.

However, Thomas has since denied the reports via his social media platform.

More Updates

Houston Rockets superstar James Harden is reportedly “playing through” a bruised knee, says Kurt Helin of NBC Sports’ Pro Basketball Talk.

The Rockets is the hottest team in the NBA right now and Harden seemed to be relishing the moment as he refused to rest his aching knee. He told ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, though, that “it can’t get worse.”

“I wasn’t feeling well at all (Saturday), but the doc came in and just told me that there’s going to be pain for a bit, but you can play through it. It can’t get worse, but it’s going to be pretty painful until obviously you give it some time. Once he said that, I was like, ‘Let’s go.'”

Meanwhile, Fansided’s Sir Charles In Charge blog said that Denver Nuggets power forward Paul Millsap will not return to the court “until after the All-Star break.”

Millsap was indefinitely sidelined last month after sustaining a left wrist injury that required surgery to repair. The operation was successfully made on November 26.