Windhorst: Grizzlies determined to move Ja Morant

During Lakers media day, president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka said Kessler is “fully healthy and cleared” to resume all basketball activities. After undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery last year, Kessler should enter training camp without restrictions and appears on track to be available for the start of the season. The 24-year-old center spent the first four years of his career with the Utah Jazz, and is expected to have a large role in Los Angeles.

Broome was dealt to the Clippers in July to help keep the 76ers under the aprons, and the only return LA had to part with was cash. That wasn’t enough for them to keep him around, as this move will get them under the roster limit. Broome will likely find a two-way contract on a different team ahead of the season.

Reese was productive last year for the Wizards after going undrafted, but he was traded to Denver, who waived him immediately after, in August to help facilitate that Peyton Watson trade. Reese will now get a chance in New Orleans, though he likely won’t see the minutes he saw late last season in Washington.

The important thing to note is that this isn’t because they’re still hurt, but rather because the Thunder want to bring them along slowly since both are returning from multiple injuries. While they are both exciting young prospects that could make an impact for OKC in the future, it is unlikely that either will play a significant role this season due to how much depth they have.

Not only will all three take on larger roles with Luguentz Dort now in Atlanta, but Presti is expecting genuine jumps in their production. All 3 players had strong stretches for OKC last season, and they’ll be relied on once again to help the Thunder get back on track after losing in the Western Conference Finals last season. Wallace seems like the most likely choice to start, but Mitchell and McCain will play big minutes off the bench.

J-Dub missed a lot of time with a right hamstring injury during the regular season last year, and then he injured his left one during the postseason. However, after a full offseason to recover, Williams appears poised to bounce back after a frustrating season that started with him missing time with a wrist injury. He is a fantasy star when healthy and should be ready to make a big impact this season.

Sarr underwent on his right foot in June after fracturing it during an offseason workout. Foot injuries for big men aren’t something to toy around with, and they’ll take the necessary precautions, which means he’ll be limited during camp. Sarr will be an important piece of the starting lineup once again this season and will form a formidable duo down low alongside Anthony Davis. However, that can only happen if the pair are healthy.

Lively underwent season-ending surgery in December after playing in just seven games last season. It’s unclear what his status will be as the regular season approaches, though he hasn’t suffered any setbacks. It just takes time for a big man to recover from a major foot surgery, and they don’t want to rush him back and risk further injury. If he isn’t available for the season opener, Daniel Gafford should be locked in as the starting center, and even if Lively is available, Gafford still may start if they opt to bring Lively along slowly.

Charania’s report aired on ESPN Wednesday afternoon. Towns is eligible to sign a four-year, $276 million max extension. According to a report from Stefan Bondy of the New York Post, the Knicks are asking Towns to take less than the max, which explains how the negotiations have seemingly fallen apart. Towns’ stock will likely never be higher coming off a championship run where he was arguably the second-best player on the team. He’s coming off the board in the early part of the second-round of fantasy drafts.

Ball reflected on his NBA career in a podcast appearance that made the rounds Wednesday morning. The 28-year-old point guard spoke about how he had given everything to the game of basketball and even candidly admitted he never reached the peak of his potential due to chronic knee injuries. Still, Ball never explicitly said he was retiring and cleared up confusion over whether he intends to continue his NBA career in a tweet Wednesday. He indicated that he’s waiting for a team to show interest in signing him and also mentioned the length of the NBA season, implying he might be willing to join a team midseason as an injury replacement. For now, it doesn’t seem like the last chapter of Ball’s NBA career has been written just yet.