Here's our team-by-team analysis of the major and minor injuries and other moves from the preseason.
In our next edition, we'll look at Joel Embiid's new deal and other contractual situations.
All events listed alphabetically by team.
Charlotte Hornets
Announced that guard Nicolas Batum suffered a tear of the UCL in his left elbow
The injury Batum suffered in the Hornets' preseason game at Detroit is one more common for baseball pitchers, who have it repaired with Tommy John surgery. Since Batum doesn't need to touch 90 on the radar gun or rip off a curveball, surgery isn't necessary, and the six-to-eight-week timetable Charlotte offered as a minimum seems realistic. That would put Batum back in late November or early December.
Before then, Batum's absence moves Jeremy Lamb into the starting lineup. Lamb has struggled to earn coach Steve Clifford's trust, and this is a big opportunity for him with first-round pick Malik Monk -- and possibly second-rounder Dwayne Bacon -- providing competition for wing minutes. Batum's injury might also help secure a roster spot for Treveon Graham, who spent all of last season in Charlotte but has a nonguaranteed contract this season. Graham has yet to play this preseason due to a hamstring strain, but he could be back before opening night.
Assuming that Batum comes back on schedule, and the Hornets avoid other wing injuries, his absence shouldn't cause a huge hit to Charlotte's playoffs hopes. With Batum projected to miss 25 games, the Hornets' RPM projection declines by about a win -- still good for sixth in the East on average.
Cleveland Cavaliers
Announced that guard Iman Shumpert suffered a left foot sprain
Shumpert's foot injury was a source of concern when he first went down, but the news was relatively good for him and the Cavaliers, putting him out an estimated week to 10 days. It's still unclear whether there's a rotation role for Shumpert with the addition of Dwyane Wade, but having him healthy maintains the possibility of a trade -- which would probably be the best outcome for both parties.
Dallas Mavericks
Announced that guard Seth Curry will be sidelined indefinitely with a stress reaction in his left tibia
A stress reaction like the one Curry suffered is the precursor to a stress fracture, so it's good the Mavericks were able to catch it early and give it a chance to heal before things got worse. Still, it will mean missed time for Curry. According to the database of player injuries maintained by Jeff Stotts of InStreetClothes.com, the average stress reaction sidelines a player between four and five weeks, which would put early November as Curry's return. Odds are he'll miss at least some time during the regular season.
Rick Carlisle has two options for replacing Curry in the starting five. He could move Wesley Matthews back to the 2 and put Dorian Finney-Smith, who started 35 games last year, at the 3. Given Carlisle's fondness for putting as many ball handlers as possible on the court, however, it appears more likely he'll play another point guard alongside rookie Dennis Smith Jr., with Yogi Ferrell as the early favorite for that role. Ferrell started next to Smith Jr. Monday night against the Orlando Magic.
The desire for more ballhandling depth could help the chances of Gian Clavell and Maalik Wayns to win the five-way competition for the last spot on Dallas' 15-man roster, with a two-way deal also a possible outcome.
Denver Nuggets
Signed guard Gary Harris to a reported four-year, $74 million extension with incentives that could push the value to $84 million
Harris follows T.J. Warren of the Phoenix Suns as the second 2014 first-round pick to sign a rookie extension, with more surely to follow by next Monday's deadline. Like all rookie extensions for less than the maximum salary, this deal represents a balancing of the risk for both sides created by restricted free agency.
Given the limited cap space available and the depth at shooting guard in free agency next year -- Avery Bradley, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Danny Green are all similar players who can be unrestricted -- it's certainly possible Harris could have been stuck in a similar impasse to many of this year's restricted free agents, with nobody to bid against the Nuggets.
However, if Bradley and Green re-sign with their original teams (or Green exercises his 2018-19 player option and avoids free agency altogether), a strong season for a playoff-bound Denver team could have established Harris as the best wing free agent outside the surefire max tier (Kevin Durant, Paul George and LeBron James). Given his age (he'll be 23 next summer), Harris could have landed a max offer sheet along the lines of the one Otto Porter got from the Brooklyn Nets as a restricted free agent, which the Washington Wizards had little choice but to match.
Ultimately, I think this is a pretty fair trade-off, with incentives playing a role in that. If Harris continues to develop and the Nuggets become contenders, he'll get more than $20 million a year over the life of the extension. And in the worst-case scenario, he's still guaranteed $18.5 million a year, more than the average starter makes.
Harris' defensive development will be key. While he has a strong reputation as a wing stopper, Denver hasn't defended better with Harris on the court thus far, which is why his defensive rating in ESPN's real plus-minus (RPM) ranked among the bottom 10 shooting guards in 2016-17. This year, with more defensive talent around him in the starting five, will be a better test of whether Harris is truly a 3-and-D player or merely a strong outside shooter with the ability to create his own shot.
Indiana Pacers
Forward Glenn Robinson III suffered a severe left ankle sprain
According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, who broke the news of Robinson's diagnosis, the sprain is severe enough that he's expected to miss two months. That leaves the Pacers perilously thin at small forward behind starter Bojan Bogdanovic. Lance Stephenson can defend 3s if Nate McMillan wants to go smaller with his second unit, but Robinson's absence opens the door for one of the nonguaranteed wings in training camp (DeQuan Jones, Jarrod Uthoff and Damien Wilkins) to earn rotation minutes.
Early returns suggest that role could go to Wilkins, who has played heavy minutes in the preseason. The 37-year-old Wilkins, who last played in the NBA in 2012-13 with a pre-process Philadelphia 76ers, has been playing in the G League. He began his career playing for McMillan with the Seattle SuperSonics, and it looks now like Wilkins may finish his career with McMillan as well.
Los Angeles Lakers
Hired Jason Rosenfeld as director of basketball analytics
When I put together the NBA section of ESPN's Great Analytics Rankings in February 2015, the Lakers were one of three teams (the Brooklyn Nets and New York Knicks were the others) in the nonbelievers category. In response to that ranking, the Lakers pulled back the curtain to some extent on their investment in their analytics department, but their moves under Jim Buss and Mitch Kupchak never really reflected much weight on statistical analysis.
Now, the Lakers have a fresh start under Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka, and though it took a while (Pelinka was hired in February), hiring Rosenfeld from the NBA league office is a promising sign that they're serious about utilizing statistical analysis. He comes highly regarded from his role in leading the NBA's analytics efforts, including the NBA Hackathon, and filled the same role with the Charlotte Hornets before joining the league office.
Philadelphia 76ers
Announced that center Richaun Holmes suffered a nondisplaced fracture of the radial bone in his left wrist
Quietly, Holmes was terrific after the 76ers traded Nerlens Noel at the trade deadline, averaging 13.6 points on 58.1 percent shooting, 6.9 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in 26.9 minutes per game. Given the limitations on Joel Embiid's playing time, having a reliable backup is important for Philadelphia, so Holmes will be missed while he's out of the lineup. The Sixers said he'll be re-evaluated in three weeks, so he'll miss at list that much time.
The need for depth there explains why the 76ers signed Amir Johnson as a free agent to go along with Jahlil Okafor, Embiid and Holmes. The biggest impact of Holmes' injury could be delaying the timetable for a possible Okafor trade, which feels like an inevitability at this point. If Philadelphia does trade Okafor before opening night, Kris Humphries could take his spot on the roster and play minutes as a small-ball 5.
Sacramento Kings
Announced that forward Harry Giles will be out through at least January
Giles has an unfortunate history of knee injuries for someone who is just 19. He tore both ACLs at various points in high school, as well as the MCL and meniscus in his left knee simultaneous to that ACL tear, and then underwent arthroscopic knee surgery on his left knee at the start of his lone season at Duke. Concerns about the health of Giles' knees were a major factor in him dropping to 20th in this year's draft, and he's yet to take the court since the Kings selected him.
According to the news release, Sacramento's intention is to strengthen Giles' knees before he returns to game action. That seems like a wise course of action, particularly because Giles is unlikely to be a useful player as a rookie anyway. The Kings drafted Giles for what he can provide down the road, and giving him the best chance of staying healthy will help them realize that potential.
Toronto Raptors
Signed guard Norman Powell to a reported four-year, $42 million extension
Powell's extension is identical to the one signed by Miami Heat guard Josh Richardson last month, including a player option for the final season of both contracts. Like Richardson, Powell is heading into the final season of the three-year, minimum-salary contract he signed as a second-round pick in 2015.
Which of those two players will be most valuable going forward is an interesting debate. Powell has probably been more productive to date, since Richardson slumped as a sophomore after dealing with an MCL injury during the preseason, and has the slightly better SCHOENE projection. However, Richardson might have a little more defensive upside because of his combination of length and agility. I guess I'd ultimately go Powell, but it's close.
As with Richardson, it made a lot of sense for Powell to lock in a contract slightly more lucrative than the estimated non-taxpayer midlevel exception will be next summer. There was a small chance that Powell could have gotten a bigger deal as a restricted free agent, but the security is useful for a player who's made relatively little during his NBA career to date.
The Raptors get cost certainty while avoiding the risk that Powell gets an offer too big for them to match. Nonetheless, adding Powell's extension puts the Raptors into the projected luxury tax for 2018-19 with just 11 players under contract, including nonguaranteed salaries and team options. Unless Toronto sheds a big deal -- center Jonas Valanciunas is a likely candidate -- the Raptors will be taxpayers next season.
Utah Jazz
Guard Dante Exum suffered a separated left shoulder
Exum landed hard on a drive to the basket during Friday's preseason game against the Phoenix Suns, and according to Wojnarowski he suffered a separated shoulder and ligament damage that could require season-ending surgery. The fact that the Jazz have yet to announce an official diagnosis or timetable suggests that the organization is probably exploring every possibility to avoid surgery, which would wipe out Exum's season for the second time in his short career.
The timing is particularly devastating because Exum finally enjoyed his first healthy offseason as an NBA player. After a rookie season in which he was inefficient offensively but showed promise defensively, Exum tore his ACL while playing for the Australian national team, then sat out all of 2015-16. He was tentative and inconsistent in his return to the court but dominated in three games at the Utah Jazz Summer League in July, showing the quickness and skill that made him the No. 5 pick of the 2014 draft.
This could be another lost season of development for Exum, who has played just 3,045 minutes to date -- fewer than fellow 2014 selection Andrew Wiggins logged in 2016-17 alone. Like Harris, Exum was eligible for a rookie extension, and any chances of a deal getting done now appear slim. The Jazz will have a tricky decision to make with Exum next summer as a restricted free agent (assuming they tender a qualifying offer). Can they count on him as part of their future? Probably not at this point.
Frankly, Utah may not miss Exum much this season given the uncertainty about whether he'd be a useful NBA reserve. Losing him does put more pressure on the rest of the backcourt -- particularly Rodney Hood and the star-crossed Alec Burks -- to stay healthy. And it helps Royce O'Neale's bid to make the roster as a perimeter reserve. (Utah has 15 guaranteed contracts, plus backup point guard Raul Neto, and will have to eat a guaranteed deal assuming Neto makes the team.) But the Jazz's RPM projection barely budged after Exum's injury.
Washington Wizards
Announced that guard Sheldon Mac suffered a ruptured left Achilles
Mac, who stuck with the Wizards as an undrafted rookie last season, looked likely to make the team despite having just $50,000 of his salary guaranteed. That changed when Mac suffered an Achilles rupture during Sunday's preseason game. Because Mac did not have an Exhibit 9 clause in his contract -- not possible with a multiyear deal -- he'll get his salary as long as he's sidelined, which is the entire season in this case.
That detail is crucial because Washington is a taxpaying team, which means paying tax on Mac's entire salary. Expect the Wizards to trade Mac to another team with enough cash to cover his salary, saving the tax payment and freeing up the roster spot. Not wanting to risk a repeat, Washington quickly waived center Daniel Ochefu -- who has a similar contract -- on Monday.
The benefit of full salary in case of injury is the lone upside for players on the team-friendly multiyear contracts at the minimum with limited guarantees. Of course, though he gets his money, the injury is still brutal for Mac as he tries to establish an NBA career.