Boston Celtics star point guard Rajon Rondo is inching closer and closer to a return from an ACL injury, and he hasn't ruled out the possibility of first making a stop in the D-League, according to Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe.
NBA news roundup: Rajon Rondo doesn’t rule out D-League stint, C.J. McCollum likely to debut next week
The Celtics star could make his return to the court with the Maine Red Claws, while the Blazers rookie may make his NBA debut on Tuesday.
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Celtics head coach Brad Stevens broached the idea of a D-League stint with the Maine Red Claws for Rondo earlier in the week, and the point guard finally addressed it on Thursday:
“That’s an idea definitely,” he said. “That’s more game-like speed with our schedule, the Celtics, we don’t a chance to play a lot of pickup, so that might be a possibility. You just never know, I might just pop up and play. You guys won’t get the memo. You just have to catch me on YouTube or something. Each week I’m getting better so I just want to give it a test when I have a chance.”
Rondo was pressed on the issue and reiterated he wouldn’t rule it out. Playing in the D-League would seem to make some sense for players trying to get a rhythm back after major injuries, but nobody has really ever used it to their advantage.
If Rondo does play with Maine, it would likely be on the road. After Sunday, the Red Claws are away until Jan. 18.
McCollum likely to debut next week
Portland Trail Blazers rookie guard C.J. McCollum could make his NBA debut as early as Tuesday, according to Yahoo! Sports' Marc Spears.
McCollum, the No. 10 pick in the 2013 NBA Draft, broke his left foot during training camp. McCollum was assigned to the Idaho Stampede of the D-League this week, and Blazers head coach Terry Stotts told Ben Golliver of Blazer's Edge the 22-year-old could be ready to roll if the two-game stint goes well:
“The plan is for him to play in Friday and Saturday night’s games in Boise and then come back here, we’ve got a practice on Monday. We’ll see how he is, we’ll see how this weekend goes, we’ll see how practice goes, and then we’ll make decisions after that.”
Stotts revealed the plan is for McCollum to play mostly off the ball in Idaho. There won’t be much opportunity to play the point with the big club, so the Blazers want to simulate the role he’ll have in Portland.
J.R. Smith 'over' release of brother
New York Knicks guard J.R. Smith admitted he was upset over the release of his brother, Chris Smith, but has gotten "over it," according to Marc Berman of the New York Post.
The Knicks waived Chris earlier this week in order to free up a spot for big man Jeremy Tyler. J.R. was noticeably peeved based on this Instagram post:
Chris’ roster spot on the Knicks was a bit of controversy to begin with. He received a guaranteed contract despite no prior NBA success and a disastrous Summer League, leading many to believe there was a package deal with Chris and J.R.
Chris played just two minutes before his release. While J.R. was mad, he realized he couldn’t do anything about the situation and is ready to welcome Tyler with open arms.
Lin signs adidas shoe deal
Houston Rockets guard Jeremy Lin has agreed to a new shoe deal with adidas, according to Chris Haynes of CSN Northwest. The deal is expected to officially be announced on Friday.
Lin previously had a deal with Nike. Lin joins a long list of NBA players with adidas that includes Derrick Rose and Dwight Howard, and he will help increase the company's global brand.
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