NBA News Round-Up, Oct. 3: Latest in Jimmy Butler Trade Request Saga; KD to New York?
At the time of writing (Oct. 4), we are just under two weeks away from the NBA's 2018-19 season opener in Boston and Oakland respectively. And as happy as we are that the world's best basketball league is up and running again, it's not too harsh to say that a majority of the preseason action is unwatchable.
That's the case every year and not just this season.
Having said that, the NBA is never short of any news. Other than August, the league, in this age of social media, has something to offer almost every day. And Wednesday (Oct. 3) was no different. Although headlined by the ongoing Jimmy Butler saga in Minnesota, there were few small and big notable headlines across the league that made noise.
Here's a recap of all of that:
Dirk Nowitzki could be out for weeks with a foot injury
By featuring in the 2018-19 season, Dirk Nowitzki will hold the record for the most NBA seasons with a single franchise (21) but that 21st campaign probably might not start on opening night. He is slated to miss 'weeks" as he continues to deal with some soreness in his left foot.
In China, on Wednesday, the Dallas Mavericks' coach Rick Carlisle said "He [Nowitzki] won't do anything on this trip", per the Dallas Morning News' Eddie Sefko. He further added:
"I can't give you any kind of a soft timeline. It's weeks, not days, as far as getting on the court for live action. He is making gradual progress. We're just not at a point where we can talk about a hard timeline."
Yes, he's 40 but Nowitzki has been quite durable in the twilight of his career, having played more than 75 games in four of the last five seasons. As things stand right now, he isn't confirmed to play in the team's season opener against the Phoenix Suns on Oct. 17