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Injury Notes: Towns, Hauser, Garland, Dillingham, Tyson

May 11th, 2025 at 7:22pm CST by Luke Adams

Knicks big man Karl-Anthony Towns appeared to suffer a hand or finger injury in Saturday’s Game 3 loss to Boston, but he was a full participant in practice on Sunday and isn’t listed on the injury report for Monday’s Game 4, per Kristian Winfield of The New York Daily News and Stefan Bondy of The New York Post (Twitter links).

It’s positive news for the Knicks after both Towns and head coach Tom Thibodeau were cagey about the potential injury following Game 3. Towns is coming off his worst shooting game of the postseason, as he made just 5-of-18 field goal attempts on Saturday, including 1-of-5 three-pointers.

The only player on Monday’s injury report for either team is Celtics forward Sam Hauser, who has been upgraded to questionable after having been initially listed as doubtful and then downgraded to out for each of the past two games. While it remains to be seen if he’ll be active for Game 4, the new designation suggests he’s nearing a return.

“He’s getting there,” head coach Joe Mazzulla said on Sunday (Twitter video link via CLNS Media). “He’s getting better. He’s day-to-day.”

Here are a few more injury-related notes from around the NBA:

The three injured Cavaliers who returned for Game 3 – Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and De’Andre Hunter – were no longer on the injury report ahead of Game 4 on Sunday evening. Although head coach Kenny Atkinson said the trio has recovered well in the past couple days, he identified Garland as the player the Cavs are still most worried about and whose minutes will be monitored the closest (Twitter links via Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star). “He’s doing what he can do. I’ll just put it that way,” Atkinson said of the point guard. “You saw it the other night. I got him in and out. It’s something he’s grinding through. There’s been a lot of stuff that’s gone into him playing.”
The Timberwolves‘ injury report for Monday’s Game 4 is clean, the team announced today (via Twitter). Rookie guard Rob Dillingham had been the only player listed on the injury report as of late due to a sprained ankle. He was upgraded to available for Game 3 and is now off the report altogether, though he’s unlikely to play outside of garbage time.
Nuggets forward Hunter Tyson, who has only played in garbage time during the postseason, was inactive for Game 4 on Sunday due to a right ankle sprain, according to the club (Twitter link).

Wolves Notes: Edwards, Conley, Gobert, Fan Ejection, Dillingham

May 9th, 2025 at 8:08pm CST by Eli Cohen

After being upset by the Warriors at home in Game 1, Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves won Game 2 by a margin of 117-93. For the Wolves, who led the game from start to finish, the biggest scare of the night came when Edwards had to leave the game in the second quarter after re-injuring the left ankle that he had previously hurt in Game 4 of the first round.

The injury occurred when Warriors big man Trayce Jackson-Davis stepped on Edwards’ ankle after meeting him at the rim for a block. Head coach Chris Finch immediately feared the worst.

“This one, I was really planning on not seeing him the rest of the game, to be honest with you,” Finch said, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.

The Wolves managed to hold off the Warriors, who were missing their own star in Stephen Curry after he left Game 1 with a Grade 1 hamstring strain, for the rest of the half while Edwards got worked on in the locker room.

“Once we got to like the third movement in my ankle, I’m like, ‘All right, it’s starting to feel good. If we tape it, I’ll see how it feels,'” Edwards said. “[Wolves VP of medical operations and performance David Hines] does a great job of making sure I’m good before I get out there, so big shoutout to David.”

Edwards was able to return to the game in the second half and lead the Wolves to their commanding victory in a game he called “the biggest game of our career.” Afterward, he told reporters he planned on being good to go for the crucial Game 3 in Golden State — he’s not listed on the injury report for Saturday’s contest.

Here’s more on the Wolves:

Mike Conley is known for his stoic floor generalship, but in Game 2 of the series against the Warriors, he made a point to set a tone, both in terms of defense and demonstrativeness. “I just wanted to really show the guys I’m going to do whatever I can for the team, sacrifice,” Conley said, per The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski. “That’s all I was focused on for the majority of the game. I know our guys kind of fed off the energy I was bringing.” The Wolves, led by Edwards and Julius Randle, are a team built on defense, trash talk, and a chip that never leaves their shoulder. With Minnesota 1-0 heading into the game, Conley focused on channeling that energy to bring out the best in the team. For at least one game, the strategy worked.
Timberwolves coach Chris Finch took umbrage with the level of physicality in Game 1 of Minnesota’s second-round series with the Warriors, particularly when it came to the contact Golden State was able to inflict on star big man Rudy Gobert. Despite a relatively similar number of overall fouls called (Minnesota had 21 to Golden State’s 18), Finch wasn’t satisfied. “We sent a bunch of those clips into the league. In fact, I’m not sure I know another player in the league with Rudy’s pedigree that is allowed to be physically beaten on the way he is. And so, we’ve got to address that one way or another,” Finch said, according to McMenamin. He wasn’t the only one frustrated, as Warriors coach Steve Kerr had his own litany of complaints, especially in regards to how Curry was guarded before getting injured. If Game 2 of the series is any indication, the clips sent in didn’t have much of an impact, as the Wolves were called for 22 fouls that led to 25 Warriors free throws, while the Warriors were called for 16 fouls that led to 20 Wolves free throws.
Game 2 also saw a Minnesota fan ejected from the game, and another one leave voluntarily before they could be ejected. In a press release (via Twitter), the Timberwolves cited the fan “… Violating the NBA Fan Code of Conduct in an incident involving Draymond Green.” The second fan was alleged to have made racially charged comments at Green, though Wolves reporter Chris Hine reported (via Twitter) that the first fan may have been the one to use that language. Kerr thanked the Wolves organization for how they dealt with the unfortunate situation. “The Wolves handled that beautifully and Draymond is handling it well,” he said.
Rookie point guard Rob Dillingham has been upgraded to questionable for Game 3, per Timberwolves PR (via Twitter). Dillingham has missed the previous eight games with a right ankle sprain. The 20-year-old scoring guard was only averaging 3.8 minutes from the beginning of March onward, so he may not play even if he’s active.

Northwest Notes: Jokic, MPJ, Blazers, Timberwolves

February 26th, 2025 at 2:03pm CST by Luke Adams

Nikola Jokic continued to bolster his case for a fourth MVP award on Monday by racking up a career-high 19 assists in a road win over the Pacers.

Jokic, who grabbed nine rebounds in the victory, narrowly missed his 27th triple-double of the season, but the Nuggets star is now averaging a triple-double on the year, with 29.2 points, 12.6 rebounds, and 10.4 assists per contest. If he can maintain those averages, it would be the first time in his career that he has averaged a triple-double for a full season.

“The guy is just an amazing, complete basketball player,” head coach Michael Malone said, per ESPN. “And I think the most remarkable thing is not just 19 assists, but the satisfaction and joy that Nikola gets from making his teammates better. … He’s a humble person and understands that this whole thing is always much bigger than the individual. It’s the collective.

“But 19? … What is that? … He’s just an incredible player. And what a luxury to have when you can just play through him down the stretch of a close game and you know something good is going to happen each and every time.”

Here’s more from around the Northwest:

Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr., who missed the final three games before the All-Star break due to a minor hamstring injury, struggled upon returning last week, scoring 19 total points on 7-of-25 shooting (28.0%) in his first two games back. After contributing 19 points and 11 rebounds in Monday’s win over Indiana, Porter explained that he’s still working on getting his conditioning back to normal, according to Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. “I hadn’t ran at all for those three games I missed before the break, and then over the break, I didn’t run, so the first time I really ran was that first game back (last Thursday),” Porter said. “Now I’m just kind of getting my wind back and getting my groove back. It’s still not ‘a hundred a hundred’ percent, but it’ll be back in probably the next couple of games.”
How do the Trail Blazers stack up against the NBA’s other rebuilding teams? Sean Highkin of the Rose Garden Report (Substack link) considers that question, evaluating how the Blazers compare to Brooklyn, Utah, Charlotte, Toronto, and Washington in terms of young talent, future draft assets, and a few other variables. Although the Blazers have a solid base of young talent, they don’t have a clear-cut franchise player, their cap sheet isn’t clean as some of the others, and it’s unclear whether Chauncey Billups will be their long-term answer at head coach, Highkin writes.
The Timberwolves pulled off arguably the most impressive comeback in franchise history on Monday, rallying from a 25-point deficit to knock off the West-leading Thunder in overtime. Chris Hine of The Star Tribune has the story on the improbable, galvanizing victory, exploring how the Wolves got crucial contributions from role players like Jaden McDaniels and Nickeil Alexander-Walker and rookies Rob Dillingham and Terrence Shannon Jr.

Timberwolves Notes: Dillingham, Clark, Finch, Alexander-Walker, Ingles

January 31st, 2025 at 10:01am CST by Arthur Hill

A trio of little-used players helped the Timberwolves pick up a win Thursday night at Utah, writes Chris Hine of The Star Tribune. With three members of the rotation unavailable, Rob Dillingham, Jaylen Clark and Luka Garza stepped in to fill the void. Dillingham, a lottery pick last summer, turned in one of the best games of his career with 19 points and eight assists while shooting 8-of-11 from the field.

“There was really no figuring it out,” he said of the team’s changing lineups. “We work out every day together. We get ready to play together. Them guys put in the work, even though they don’t get to show it all the time. They put in the work.”

Clark, a two-way guard who was appearing in just his sixth game, saw significant minutes off the bench for the second straight night. He was selected with the 53rd pick in the 2023 draft, but missed all of last season due to a ruptured Achilles. He won Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year honors at UCLA, and the Wolves believe he could have a future as a defensive specialist.

“He’s got a maturity that we could use,” coach Chris Finch said. “Just felt like he deserved a chance. Been thinking that way for a little while, and Wednesday [against Phoenix] was certainly an opportunity to do it.”

There’s more on the Timberwolves:

Finch received the first ejection of his coaching career on Wednesday and Anthony Edwards had to separate him from referee C.J. Washington before he left the court, Hine adds in a separate story. His players said Finch was in a confrontational mood all day after Monday’s lethargic effort against a short-handed Atlanta team. “I think he went to sleep last night with violence on his mind, and you know how you go to sleep with something on your mind and you’re hoping when you wake up — I don’t think his sleep was good enough,” Edwards said. “The way he did us in film today, particularly me, it was a tough day for us.”
Nickeil Alexander-Walker was able to play 25 minutes on Wednesday, even though he had to be helped off the court Monday after suffering a lower leg contusion. With Donte DiVincenzo already sidelined, Alexander-Walker knew he had to be ready, notes Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. “Everything I’ve been through in my career, playing, not playing, every time I can play I don’t want to miss that,” he said.
Joe Ingles, who signed with Minnesota as a free agent last summer, remains a popular figure in Utah, where he played the first eight seasons of his career, per Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune. With Thursday’s game well out of hand, fans chanted for Ingles to be inserted, which he was for the final 3:51. The 37-year-old forward has made 10 brief appearances this season and has yet to score.

Northwest Notes: Williams, SGA, Gordon, Dillingham

January 23rd, 2025 at 8:12pm CST by Tristan Tucker

The Thunder continue to deal with major injuries, including playing chunks of the season without Isaiah Hartenstein and nearly all of it without Chet Holmgren. Part of the reason Oklahoma City is staying afloat – far above and beyond in fact – is the play of Jaylin Williams, Rylan Stiles of Thunder on SI writes.

“First off, he has become a leader. Always doing the right things, just trying to win games by any means necessary,” teammate Isaiah Joe said. “He is a very smart player. He is willing to play hard, does all the little things and wants to win at all cost no matter what it takes.”

Williams is averaging 5.5 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game in 16 outings. He has started Oklahoma City’s past four contests with Hartenstein and Holmgren both sidelined, averaging 8.5 PPG and 6.3 RPG during that stretch.

We have more from the Northwest Division:

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander got over the 50-point threshold for the first time in his career on Wednesday, scoring a career-high 54 points. According to Joel Lorenzi of The Oklahoman, Wednesday’s game was a byproduct of Gilgeous-Alexander’s mentality shifting. “I think this season I’ve taken a leap in my mental. In the past, I’ve been hyper focused on efficiency, and in moments I would — not defer, but I would be conscious of it, and I think it would like affect my decision making,” the Thunder star said. “And this year, I think I’ve got over the hump of not worrying about efficiency. Like, I’m just playing.“
Aaron Gordon fortifying the second unit might be key to the back half of the Nuggets‘ season, Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports opines (Twitter link). In each of Denver’s last four wins, superstar Nikola Jokic played fewer than 31 minutes. After returning from a nine-game absence, Gordon came off the bench in each of his past six games. According to Matt Moore of Action Network HQ (Twitter link), head coach Michael Malone said Gordon told him he’d be fine with coming off the bench for the foreseeable future if that’s what’s best for the team. Gordon is a combined plus-50 in Denver’s last five victories.
Timberwolves rookie Rob Dillingham expressed that he’s ready to take on a heavier workload, The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski writes. “I’ve always played. I never had to go through where I’m not playing, especially because of injury,” said Dillingham, who recently returned from an ankle sprain. “It was new to me. But I just had to sit back and realize why it was happening, then take my time off and get ready for when I do get in the game, just like now.” The 2024 lottery pick out of Kentucky is averaging 4.8 points in 9.7 minutes per game across 19 appearances this season.

Wolves’ DiVincenzo Ruled Out Indefinitely With Grade 3 Toe Sprain

January 20th, 2025 at 12:42pm CST by Luke Adams

Timberwolves wing Donte DiVincenzo, who has missed the past two games with a toe injury, underwent an MRI and has been diagnosed with a Grade 3 left great toe sprain, the team announced today in a press release.

According to the Timberwolves, DiVincenzo has been ruled out indefinitely, with he and the club currently seeking a second opinion to determine the best treatment option going forward.

While the Wolves don’t explicitly refer to DiVincenzo’s injury as turf toe, it sounds like that may be what he’s dealing with, and a Grade 3 designation represents the most severe form of that injury.

The Thunder recently ruled out Ajay Mitchell for at least 10-to-12 weeks after he underwent a procedure to address a turf toe sprain. If DiVincenzo and the Wolves ultimately determine that he needs to address his ailment via surgery, he could face a similar recovery timeline. Figuring out whether or not surgery is necessary is likely the impetus for the two parties seeking a second opinion.

DiVincenzo, who was traded from New York to Minnesota in the Karl-Anthony Towns blockbuster just ahead of training camp, got off to a slow start with his new team, averaging 9.0 points, 3.3 assists, and 3.2 rebounds in 24.6 minutes per game across his first 29 outings, with an underwhelming shooting line of .370/.335/.783.

However, the 27-year-old had been heating up in recent weeks, boosting his averages to 16.4 PPG, 4.3 APG, and 4.9 RPG on .446/.436/.852 in his last 11 contests before the injury.

With DiVincenzo sidelined, rookie guard Rob Dillingham – whose return from an ankle injury coincided with DiVincenzo going down – figures to take on an increased role going forward. He has averaged 10.5 points in 15.7 minutes per night in his first two games back in action.

Northwest Notes: Wolves, Dillingham, Murray, Westbrook, Simons

January 18th, 2025 at 8:32am CST by Tristan Tucker

For the second time in three seasons, the Timberwolves have struggled to develop chemistry following a massive offseason trade, Tim MacMahon of ESPN writes.

“It’s an adjustment, but we want to be winning games while we’re figuring it out,” Julius Randle said. “We show phases of being able to do that.”

MacMahon explores the various reasons for Minnesota’s troubles, including defensive slippage from last season, a lack of ball movement, and statistical regressions from top players.

After a career year for the Knicks last season, guard Donte DiVincenzo in particular hasn’t adapted as quickly to Minnesota. However, it seems as though DiVincenzo has turned a corner since mid-December, averaging 15.5 points per game on 43.7% shooting from deep in his last 15 games.

“It’s a mental game of just being aggressive and just going out there and being myself,” DiVincenzo said, who is now out with a toe injury. “There’s no secret behind that for me. When I’m passive, I’m not my best self.”

Despite DiVincenzo and others turning around their individual games, the Wolves continue to have an up-and-down season. They’re fresh off a 17-point win against the Knicks, but are 2-2 in their last four, 5-5 in their last 10, and 8-8 in their last 16.

We have more from the Northwest Division:

Wolves rookie guard Rob Dillingham returned from an ankle injury on Friday. After not appearing in a game since Dec. 23, Dillingham played over 13 minutes in the win over New York, making four of his six field goal attempts and notching nine points and three assists. “He fire. Everybody know it. The world know it. It just takes time,” teammate Anthony Edwards said, per Chris Hine of The Star Tribune (Twitter link). “It’s going to happen. … We been missing him the last couple weeks. He just got back out there and showed why he should be playing.”
The Nuggets‘ season hinges on Jamal Murray continuing to find high-level success, Troy Renck of The Denver Post opines. It seems as though Murray is hitting a stride, racking up 45 points in a 19-point win over Dallas on Tuesday and scoring 30 in a 20-point victory against Miami on Friday.
Denver is 9-4 in its last 13 games, with Russell Westbrook in the starting lineup as Aaron Gordon recovered from a calf injury and dealt with a minutes restriction upon returning to action. Bennett Durando of The Denver Post explores whether Westbrook will remain a starter once Gordon’s restriction is lifted and, if so, whose spot he’ll take. Westbrook has had his most productive stretch of the season during this stretch, averaging 15.2 points, 6.7 rebounds and 7.2 assists while shooting 51.3% from the field and 38.3% from three.
Trail Blazers guard Anfernee Simons went scoreless for the first time since 2021 in a loss to the Clippers on Thursday, Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian writes. Simons is averaging 18.2 points per game on 42.0% shooting this season after putting up 21.7 PPG on 43.9% shooting across the previous two seasons.

Northwest Notes: Shannon, Dillingham, Murray, Gordon, J. Williams

January 13th, 2025 at 3:57pm CST by Rory Maher

Rookie guard Terrence Shannon has been diagnosed with a Grade 2 right mid-foot sprain, the Timberwolves announced in a press release.

Shannon, who sustained the injury on Saturday while on a G League assignment with the Iowa Wolves, will be out at least two weeks, which is when he’ll be reevaluated. His return timeline is expected to be two-to-four weeks, per the Timberwolves.

The 27th overall pick of the 2024 draft, Shannon hasn’t played much for Minnesota during his debut campaign in the NBA, averaging just 4.5 minutes per contest in 10 appearances. The former Texas Tech and Illinois star has been dominant in the NBAGL though, averaging 36.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.0 steal on .540/.364/.963 shooting in four total games with Iowa (36.3 MPG).

Here’s more from the Northwest:

The Timberwolves‘ other first-round pick, Rob Dillingham, is on the mend from a right ankle sprain. On Sunday, Minnesota announced (via Twitter) that the former Kentucky guard was cleared for full contact 5-on-5 work. He was subsequently sent to Iowa for a rehab assignment.
Nuggets guard Jamal Murray has been playing through left knee soreness, which caused him to be pulled at halftime from Friday’s victory over Brooklyn, writes Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. Head coach Michael Malone admitted that he almost repeated that on Sunday in Dallas, when Murray struggled mightily in the first half vs. Dallas, only to help lead the team to a turnaround victory in the second half. “I’m just gonna defend him for a second. Because he’s not 100% healthy,” Malone said after the win. “I thought about shutting him down at halftime. Because I’m watching him out there, and I know that’s not the Jamal Murray that (I watch) when he’s playing healthy. That wasn’t him, if that makes sense.”
Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon had an “outstanding” showing in his return to action on Sunday, Durando writes in another story for The Denver Post. “I think we’ll probably stay right around 20 (minutes) for a while, and then probably go to about 25,” said Gordon, who had 13 points (on 6-of-7 shooting), six rebounds, two assists and a block, with Denver outscoring Dallas by 23 points in his 18 minutes. “And then I don’t know. We’ll probably stay around there for a little while. … I don’t care whether I start or come off the bench. It does not matter to me. As long as I can contribute to winning the game for us and help us win, I don’t care.” Gordon has missed a total of 19 games this season due to right calf issues.
Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman makes the case for Jalen Williams to be selected to his first All-Star game, noting that the third-year forward is putting up career-best counting stats for the Thunder, who hold the best record in the Western Conference (32-6). Mussatto points out that Williams’ efficiency has dipped as his usage rate has increased, but ultimately thinks the 23-year-old will be one of the final wild card selections, as he’s been the second-best player on the second-best team in the league.

Timberwolves’ Rob Dillingham Out 1-2 More Weeks With Ankle Sprain

January 3rd, 2025 at 7:02pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Rookie Timberwolves guard Rob Dillingham, who has already been out for his team’s last three games with an ankle ailment, has been diagnosed with a Grade 2 right lateral ankle sprain, the team has announced in a press statement.

According to the Timberwolves, the lottery pick will be on the shelf for the an additional one-to-two weeks. He is set to be reassessed in one week.

Minnesota traded to acquire the draft rights to the 6’1″ guard, the No. 8 pick out of Kentucky, this summer.

Through 15 games with the Timberwolves, he has played relatively sparingly. The 20-year-old is averaging 8.5 minutes per night across 15 contests. In that time, he’s scoring 3.7 points per game on 45.1% shooting from the field and 42.9% shooting from long range. He’s also chipping in 1.7 assists per game.

At 17-16, Minnesota is currently the Western Conference’s No. 8 seed. Losing a deep-bench player like Dillingham shouldn’t impact the Timberwolves significantly in the short-term, but he still has exciting long-term upside.

Northwest Notes: Conley, Dillingham, Hartenstein, Sensabaugh, Blazers

November 27th, 2024 at 9:59am CST by Luke Adams

The Timberwolves, who fell to 8-9 on the season on Tuesday with a loss to Houston, have a Mike Conley problem, says Fred Katz of The Athletic.

As Katz outlines, Conley was an extremely valuable role player for Minnesota last season, organizing the offense and knocking down a carer-high 44.2% of his three-point attempts. So far this season, the veteran point guard has battled injuries and has seen his shooting percentages drop off to 31.9% from the field and 33.8% from beyond the arc.

Conley’s teammates still perform better on offense when he’s on the court to set them up, per Katz. The club has a +5.5 net rating during the 37-year-old’s 325 minutes this fall, compared to a -0.8 mark in the 501 minutes he hasn’t played. Minnesota has also lost all four games he has missed, so getting him healthy will help. But if the Timberwolves want to make another deep playoff run in 2025, they’ll likely need Conley to serve as a more reliable offensive threat than he has been so far.

As for the Wolves’ options when Conley is unavailable, they’ve tried using Donte DiVincenzo and Nickeil Alexander-Walker in the point guard role, but both players are better fits off the ball, notes Chris Hine of The Star Tribune. As Hine writes, the team’s best alternative to Conley at the point may be rookie Rob Dillingham, who enjoyed his best game as a pro on Tuesday, racking up 12 points, seven assists, and five rebounds in 24 minutes of action. Minnesota was a +26 in those minutes.

“He’s been working extremely hard all year,” teammate Julius Randle said of the No. 8 overall pick. “And these past few games he’s got his number called and been ready for his moment.”

Here’s more from around the Northwest:

Isaiah Hartenstein has been an ideal fit in his first two games with the Thunder (both wins), earning praise from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who called Hartenstein a “dream big man for a marquee guy,” according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic. Gilgeous-Alexander said he watched Hartenstein with the Knicks in the 2024 playoffs and knew he might be available in the offseason, but didn’t actively recruit him or encourage general manager Sam Presti to pursue him. “I leave the front office stuff to Sam,” he said. “Trust him really well. Obviously he reads minds. So I didn’t have to say anything. … We knew as a group and the world kinda knew there was a hole in us as a team last year. I think Isaiah fills that hole very well. Sam did a good job filling it. We are better because of it.”
The Jazz‘s decision to assign rookie Cody Williams to the G League for a stint with the Salt Lake City Stars should open up regular rotation minutes for second-year forward Brice Sensabaugh, as Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune details. Sensabaugh has had his two best scoring games of the season within the last week vs. the Spurs (18 points last Thursday and 16 points on Tuesday), but Utah still needs more from him on defense and as a rebounder, Larsen writes.
In a pair of mailbags for his Substack subscribers, Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report tackles several Trail Blazers-related questions, discussing Deni Avdija‘s role, Anfernee Simons‘s trade candidacy, and Shaedon Sharpe‘s ceiling, among other topics. Noting that both Simons and Scoot Henderson are off to slow starts this season, Highkin suggests the conditions aren’t ideal right now for a Simons trade — not only has Simons’ slump limited his trade value, but Henderson’s struggles mean Portland won’t feel comfortable handing the former No. 3 overall pick the keys to the offense.