Khris Middleton said that he plans to play in the Milwaukee Bucks’ regular season opener on October 26.
“That’s the plan. I mean, sometimes things change, but so far, I’ve been on pace with everything that I’ve been doing, so we’ll go over the schedule again, see where I’m at, see how I feel. Just keep tracking things that way. I don’t want to set a hard date of when I’ll be out there because it’s all feel and comfort,” said Middleton.
Middleton, who is recovering from offseason knee surgery, has yet to participate in live action thus far in training camp.
Middleton added that he feels close to fully participating in practice.
“I think I’m very close. Everything that they mapped out after my procedure and being able to get in the weight room and court, I’ve been right on pace. It’s been slow, but that’s kind of the way they planned it out. But I think everything’s been going great so far. No setbacks.”
Nick Nurse stated that he didn’t know whether James Harden would play in the Philadelphia 76ers’ preseason opener on Sunday.
“I do not know. I think that we still got a number of people that we’re trying to kind of ramp up to get to Sunday, so I don’t know how that’ll go yet,” said Nurse on Friday.
Harden participated fully in Friday’s practice, though there are still concerns whether he intends to rejoin the team “in earnest.“
Harden still has yet to speak to reporters since returning to the Sixers.
Nurse admitted that he was still tinkering with lineups.
“I’ll probably push some lineups and rotations around a little bit on the flight here this afternoon. I think all that stuff’s just a little bit fluid. Again, see how everybody comes out of [practice] tomorrow.”
In an early-September meeting of Portland Trail Blazers leadership, team owner Jody Allen made it clear it was time to move on from Damian Lillard. Although the team was initially caught off-guard by Lillard’s trade request, Allen was ready for the Trail Blazers to go in a different direction.
“We really need to move on. We’ve got great young talent. We’re not like other rebuilding teams who don’t have a strong core of young players. It’s time to turn the page,” Allen said.
Portland traded Lillard in a deal that brought Deandre Ayton, Toumani Camara and Jrue Holiday to Portland, as well as a first-round pick and two first-round pick swaps. The Blazers subsequently traded Holiday to the Boston Celtics for Malcolm Brogdon, Robert Williams III and another first-round pick.
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