The NBA season is now a couple of weeks old, but there are a plethora of rumors already swirling around the league. A few teams are dealing with injury issues a few games into the new year, while others are looking to the trade market to help strengthen their roster. Here are the latest NBA rumors you need to know:
No timetable for Horford's return
Boston Celtics big man Al Horford has been out for a week with a concussion, and it doesn't like he'll be returning anytime soon, according to ESPN's Chris Forsberg.
One week after Boston Celtics big man Al Horford suffered a concussion during an off-day practice, coach Brad Stevens said the 10th-year veteran has not progressed in the NBA's concussion protocol and he is uncertain when Horford will return to basketball activities.
Horford, who signed a four-year, $113 million contract with the Celtics over the summer, has missed Boston's past three games. The concussion was diagnosed Tuesday, after he experienced nausea while attempting to practice a day after absorbing an inadvertent blow to the head from a teammate.
"[Horford] has not advanced in the protocol, based on what I've been told," Stevens said after Monday's practice. "I have not gotten anything deeper than that, but he did not do anything with our team today."
Horford is averaging 12.0 points and 5.3 rebounds per game so far this season.
Jackson upset with Knicks
When the New York Knicks hired head coach Jeff Hornacek, many saw it as team president Phil Jackson breaking away from the Triangle offense. The team hasn't run it much at all this season, and that has upset Jackson, according to ESPN's Ian Begley:
Phil Jackson hasn’t been pleased with the New York Knicks’ performance on offense — particularly with the amount of times the team has run the triangle offense — during their 2-4 start, league sources told ESPN.
New Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek has tried to speed up the offense this season and hasn’t run much of the triangle in the first six games. After watching the Knicks’ win over the Chicago Bulls last Friday, one Eastern Conference scout said the Knicks ran something out of a triangle set only a handful of times.
The Knicks are 2-4 this season.
Payne still out indefinitely
Oklahoma City Thunder backup point guard Cameron Payne suffered a broken foot in the offseason, but there still is no date for his return, according to Brett Dawson of The Oklahoman
Billy Donovan says Cameron Payne is healing and progressing but there's "no timetable" on him.
— Brett Dawson (@BDawsonWrites) November 7, 2016
Payne averaged 5.0 points and 1.9 rebounds per game as a rookie last season.
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