Jan 16, 2017; Washington, DC, USA; Portland Trail Blazers center Mason Plumlee (24) shoots the ball as Washington Wizards forward Otto Porter Jr. (22) defends in the second quarter at Verizon Center. Photo Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
The Portland Trail Blazers traded center Mason Plumlee and a future second-round draft pick to the Denver Nuggets for center Jusuf Nurkic and a 2017 first-round pick, according to reports Sunday.
Portland now owns three picks in the 2017 NBA Draft, including its own, Cleveland’s and Memphis’ via the deal with Denver, Yahoo! Sports reported. The Trail Blazers will send their 2018 second-round pick to the Grizzlies as part of the deal, sources told Yahoo Sports.
The 26-year-old Plumlee, who has started 54 games for the Blazers this season, is averaging career highs of 11.1 points, 8.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists. He is scheduled to become a restricted free agent this summer.
The 6-foot-11, 255-pound Plumlee was drafted by the Brooklyn Nets as the 22nd overall pick in 2013 and traded in 2015 to the Trail Blazers.
Nurkic, 22, was the 16th overall pick in 2014. The 7-0, 280-pounder is averaging 8.0 points and 5.8 rebounds in 45 games (29 starts) this season.
–Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love underwent an MRI on his ailing left knee, with the team already ruling out the four-time All-Star for Tuesday’s game against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Love experienced pain during Saturday’s game against Denver, prompting the Cavaliers to examine him Sunday at Cleveland Clinic Sports Healthy by Dr. James Rosneck.
Love, 28, is expected to undergo additional treatment and be evaluated over the next several days. He is averaging 20.0 points, 11.1 rebounds and 1.9 assists.
–The Chicago Bulls were without guard Dwyane Wade and forwards Jimmy Butler, Nikola Mirotic and Paul Zipser in Sunday afternoon’s game against the host Minnesota Timberwolves.
Butler, who’s slated to start for the Eastern Conference in the All-Star Game, has been dealing with a nagging heel injury. He missed his fourth game in five contests because of the injury. Butler returned Friday against Phoenix and scored 20 points.
Wade fell hard and hurt his wrists during Friday’s loss. He is listed with a right wrist contusion. It will be the seventh game Wade has missed this season.
Butler, who missed his sixth contest this season, leads the team with 24.5 points per game. Wade is second with 19.1 points per game.
Mirotic woke up Sunday with back spasms and Zipser, who is listed with left ankle tendonitis, was held out because of illness. Mirotic is averaging 9.0 points and 5.1 rebounds per game. Zipser has averaged 4.1 points per game.
–Former New York Knicks guard Latrell Sprewell returned to Madison Square Garden and sat next to owner James Dolan, four days after Charles Oakley was physically removed from the arena and arrested.
Sprewell and Dolan have had an icy relationship dating back to the former’s trade to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Sprewell screamed obscenities at Dolan in his first game back to Madison Square Garden in 2003, but the two were cordial during Sunday’s home game against the San Antonio Spurs.
Sprewell, who received a warm reception from the fans on Sunday, told ABC that the handling of the Oakley incident was “disappointing” and “unfortunate” and that it was time to “iron it out and get past it.”
Sprewell wasn’t the only former Knick in attendance as Bernard King and Larry Johnson also sat near Dolan.
