Kobe Bryant suffered a right wrist injury – Bryant underwent an MRI on Wednesday that revealed a torn lunotriquetral ligament in his right (shooting) wrist. The lunotriquetral ligament is a band of tissue that connects bones in the wrist. Wrist injuries of this nature do not require surgery, but Bryant could be forced to sit out 3-to-4 weeks depending on the degree of the tear.
The Lakers have already decided to hold Bryant out of Wednesday's preseason finally. He's officially listed as day-to-day at this time and more details should surface in the coming days, but this obviously makes him questionable for the first regular season game on Christmas Day.
Bryant has always shown a willingness to play through injuries, but I wouldn't be surprised to see the Lakers be somewhat cautious with their star player in the early going. Be prepared to have Kobe sit on your bench for at least the first few games of the season.
Samuel Dalembert agrees to two-year deal with the Rockets – After the Kings voided Chuck Hayes' contract due to his heart condition, it looked like Dalembert was set to return to Sacramento. Instead, he'll join the Rockets, who have been desperately shopping for a center all offseason.
This is depressing news for anyone who drafted Jordan Hill as a sleeper. Dalembert will eat into the third-year big man's production immediately and will eventually take over as the starting pivot.
Despite averaging 26 minutes per game or less each of the past three seasons, Dalembert has remained a solid source of rebounds and blocks. He'll have a bigger role in Houston, so improvements across the board should be expected.
Marcin Gortat suffered a hairline fraction in his right thumb – The injury was sustained during Tuesday's preseason loss to the Nuggets. The good news for owners is Gortat has already vowed to not miss any time because of the injury. Despite his enthusiasm, owners will want to keep a close eye on his status leading up to the start of the regular season to see if Phoenix does indeed allow him to play through the injury.
Sean Williams officially signs with the Mavericks – Williams first appeared on fantasy radars during his rookie season with the Nets in 2007-08. He was intriguing in fantasy due to his ability to rack up big block totals. In 126 career NBA games, Williams has averaged 3.0 blocks per 36 minutes. Of course, he was always lacked the basketball IQ to stay on the court long, so his playing time was always limited.
The 25-year-old big man spent the 2010-11 season playing for the Texas Legends of the NBA D-League. He finished with impressive averages of 14.4 points, 9.4 rebounds and 2.9 blocks in 49 games.
The Mavericks signed Williams to provide depth to their frontcourt. Brendan Haywood is currently expected to log heavy minutes at center, but Williams could work his way into the rotation and provide some of the defensive presence that left town when Tyson Chandler signed with the Knicks.
There aren't many leagues deep enough to take a flier on Williams, but he's an intereting name to keep an eye on, as he could develop into a categorical specialist later this year.