NBA News Wire
NBA roundup: Westbrook out 4-6 weeks
Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in the industry (print and digital media). A freelance writer/stay-at-home dad since 2008, Hawkins started his career with newspaper stints in Michigan, North Carolina, Florida, Upstate New York and Illinois, where he earned the 2004 APSE first-place award for column writing (under 40,000 circulation). As a beat writer, he covered NASCAR Winston Cup events at NHIS (1999-2003), the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks (2003-06) and the NFL's Carolina Panthers (2011-12). Hawkins penned four youth sports books, including a Michael Jordan biography. Hawkins' main hobbies include mountain bike riding, 5k trail runs at the Whitewater Center in Charlotte, N.C., and live music.
All posts by Jeff HawkinsUpdated15 Oct 2021
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook suffered a small fracture in his right hand Thursday night and is expected to miss four to six weeks.
Westbrook exited Thursday night’s 93-90 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers with 6:35 left in the second quarter and did not return.
Westbrook had X-rays taken at Staples Center and was set to be re-evaluated Friday. He had a soft cast on his hand when he left Staples Center and didn’t talk with reporters.
Oklahoma City already was without Kevin Durant, last season’s league MVP who broke his right foot before the regular season began, as well as guard Reggie Jackson and forward Jeremy Lamb, both significant contributors last season.
Westbrook appeared to injure his hand while going up for a rebound and hitting center Kendrick Perkins’ elbow.
—The Golden State Warriors signed shooting guard Klay Thompson to a multi-year contract extension, the team announced.
Although the Warriors did not provide details of the extension, multiple media outlets reported it is four-year maximum extension worth approximately $70 million.
If an agreement with Thompson had not been reached by midnight Friday, he would have become a restricted free agent next summer.
—Forward Kawhi Leonard and the San Antonio Spurs are unlikely to reach a contract extension by Friday’s midnight deadline to sign 2011 first-round picks to long-term deals. Without a new contract, Leonard will be a restricted free agent in July.
—The Utah Jazz and guard Alec Burks agreed to terms on a four-year, $42 million contract extension, according to a Yahoo Sports report.
The deal includes incentive clauses could increase the total value to $45 million.
—The New York Post reported via Twitter that the New York Knicks
will decline the option on Shane Larkin, who has been the Knicks starting point guard in their first two games in place of injured Jose Calderon.
—The Milwaukee Bucks have ended contract extension talks with guard Brandon Knight, who will become a restricted free agent next summer.
—The Philadelphia 76ers exercised the third-year options on the contracts for point guard Michael Carter-Williams and forward Nerlens Noel as well as the fourth-year option on guard Tony Wroten’s contract.
—Several 2011 first-round picks signed long-term contracts in the past several weeks, including Phoenix Suns forwards Markieff and Marcus Morris, Orlando Magic big man Nikola Vucevic, Denver Nuggets forward Kenneth Faried, Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Kyrie Irving and Charlotte Hornets guard Kemba Walker.
—Cleveland Cavaliers’ center Anderson Varejao signed a multi-year contract extension with Cleveland, the Cavaliers announced.
The Cavs did not release terms of the deal, but ESPN.com reported Thursday that the contract would be for three years at an estimated $30 million starting with the 2015-16 season. The Brazilian native is in the final year of a six-year, $42.5 million contract. He is making $9.7 million this season.
