Batum to miss 6-8 weeks with elbow injury
Hornets swingman Nicolas Batum will miss a minimum of six to eight weeks with a left elbow injury.
The team announced that an MRI on Thursday revealed the nine-year NBA veteran tore his ulnar collateral ligament in his non-dominant arm in the first quarter of Charlotte's preseason road contest against the Pistons on Wednesday.
The Hornets have not decided if Batum will need surgery or will attempt to rehab the injury.
Batum, who signed a fiveyear, $120 million contract in 2016, was expected to start for Charlotte. Batum's injury means former Oklahoma City Thunder guard Jeremy Lamb could be thrust into a starting role to open the regular season.
Batum last year became the first Charlotte player to score more than 1,000 points, grab 450 rebounds and hand out over 450 assists in a season.
Raptors sign guard Norman Powell to 4-year extension
The Toronto Raptors signed guard Norman Powell to a four-year extension Thursday.
The deal begins next season and is reportedly worth $42 million.
The 24-year-old Powell averaged 8.4 points and 2.2 rebounds in 76 games last season. The former UCLA player was drafted 46th overall in 2015, and averaged 5.6 points in 49 games as a rookie.
Joel Embiid cleared for practice
Joel Embiid was cleared for 5-on-5 drills and participated in a full practice with the Philadelphia 76ers for the first time Thursday.
Embiid sat out Philadelphia's preseason opener on Wednesday and won't play against Boston on Friday. The Sixers are hopeful Embiid will be in the lineup on opening night.
It was Embiid's first full practice since having surgery March 24 for a meniscus tear in his left knee. He hasn't played in a game since Jan. 27.
Embiid's career has been riddled with injuries dating to his college days at Kansas and all three seasons with the Sixers. Embiid, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2014 draft, missed his first two NBA seasons with injuries and played only 31 games last season. He averaged 20.2 points and 7.8 rebounds.
Markieff Morris back with Wizards
Washington Wizards power forward Markieff Morris had a busy month.
"I'm in a great position. I just had a beautiful young daughter. I just had successful surgery, and of course we beat the case," Morris said Thursday in his return to the team for the first time since his wild ride began.
The most recent milestone occurred Tuesday, when a Phoenix jury acquitted Markieff and his twin brother, Boston Celtics forward Marcus, after a twoweek trial on aggravated assault charges. The Morris brothers were accused of being part of a group that beat a former friend in January 2015 outside a high school basketball game.