Russell Westbrook announced on Tuesday that he had surgery on his right hand to prepare two broken bones. 

The Denver Nuggets guard wrote that he sustained the injuries during the season, implying that he played with the fractures in his shooting hand. Westbrook made the announcement in his blog, Word of Westbrook.

“This morning, I’m undergoing surgery on my right hand to fix two breaks that happened during the season,” Westbrook wrote. “I’m grateful for everyone’s support all year and I can’t wait to be back out there 100% very soon. The comeback is already in motion.”

Westbrook did not provide details of the precise nature of the breaks or when they happened. But it appears that he played with the fractures through some or all of Denver’s playoff run. 

A former league MVP, Westbrook was Denver’s top option off the bench last season in addition to being a spot starter. He averaged 13.3 points, 6.1 assists and 4.9 rebounds per game while shooting 44.9% from the field and 32.3% from 3-point distance. 

Westbrook played exclusively off the bench during the postseason as the Nuggets beat the Los Angeles Clippers in Round 1, then lost a seven-game series against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the second round. 

Westbrook offered a spark off the bench at his best, but his inefficiencies on offense were frequently a problem during the postseason as he shot 39.1% from the field and 31.7% from 3 while turning the ball over 2.3 times per game. Opponents repeatedly left Westbrook open on the perimeter, daring him to shoot while double-teaming elsewhere.

Westbrook, 36, has one year remaining on a two-year, $6.8 million contract he signed to join the Nuggets as a free agent last offseason. His contract will count roughly $3.5 million against the salary cap in 2025-26.

The Nuggets are entering a high-stakes offseason in which they’ll hire a general manager to replace Calvin Booth, who was fired late in the season. The new general manager will be tasked with reconstructing a roster that was exposed for its lack of depth against the considerably deeper Thunder. 

David Adelman will return as the full-time head coach after replacing the fired Michael Malone late in the season and coaching Denver through its playoff run on an interim tag. 

Russell Westbrook announced on Tuesday that he had surgery on his right hand to prepare two broken bones. 

The Denver Nuggets guard wrote that he sustained the injuries during the season, implying that he played with the fractures in his shooting hand. Westbrook made the announcement in his blog, Word of Westbrook.

“This morning, I’m undergoing surgery on my right hand to fix two breaks that happened during the season,” Westbrook wrote. “I’m grateful for everyone’s support all year and I can’t wait to be back out there 100% very soon. The comeback is already in motion.”

Westbrook did not provide details of the precise nature of the breaks or when they happened. But it appears that he played with the fractures through some or all of Denver’s playoff run. 

A former league MVP, Westbrook was Denver’s top option off the bench last season in addition to being a spot starter. He averaged 13.3 points, 6.1 assists and 4.9 rebounds per game while shooting 44.9% from the field and 32.3% from 3-point distance. 

Westbrook played exclusively off the bench during the postseason as the Nuggets beat the Los Angeles Clippers in Round 1, then lost a seven-game series against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the second round. 

Westbrook offered a spark off the bench at his best, but his inefficiencies on offense were frequently a problem during the postseason as he shot 39.1% from the field and 31.7% from 3 while turning the ball over 2.3 times per game. Opponents repeatedly left Westbrook open on the perimeter, daring him to shoot while double-teaming elsewhere.

Westbrook, 36, has one year remaining on a two-year, $6.8 million contract he signed to join the Nuggets as a free agent last offseason. His contract will count roughly $3.5 million against the salary cap in 2025-26.

The Nuggets are entering a high-stakes offseason in which they’ll hire a general manager to replace Calvin Booth, who was fired late in the season. The new general manager will be tasked with reconstructing a roster that was exposed for its lack of depth against the considerably deeper Thunder. 

David Adelman will return as the full-time head coach after replacing the fired Michael Malone late in the season and coaching Denver through its playoff run on an interim tag. 

Giants manager Melvin ejected, erupts into tirade after arguing calls originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Bob Melvin had seen enough during the Giants’ game against the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday at Comerica Park.

The San Francisco manager was ejected from the game in the bottom of the fifth inning after home plate umpire Tony Randazzo called a low Logan Webb sinker a ball. And after he was booted, Melvin unleashed on Randazzo.

But to understand the situation, more context is needed. Moments earlier, in the top of the fifth, Giants catcher Patrick Bailey struck out looking on a pitch outside of the zone to end the inning, and he exchanged words with Randazzo as well when he took the field.

It’s clear Melvin was fed up with the umpire’s zone by the time Webb was back on the mound, and the manager took up for his players by questioning Randazzo’s calls as San Francisco trailed 3-0.

The ejection was the 66th of Melvin’s managerial career, and he is No. 2 on the active list behind Texas Rangers manager Bruce Bochy, who has 87.

As the Giants’ offense continues to struggle, they need all the help they can get at the plate — and Randazzo certainly did them no favors on Tuesday.

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LeBron James will likely return to the Los Angeles Lakers next season after losing to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of the playoffs, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.

On Tuesday, Charania appeared on the Pat McAfee Show and shared what he knew about the 40-year-old’s future with the team.

“I’m told he’s likely to opt in,” Charania said. “He’s got a player option of $54-57 million. He’s got a massive player option. That’s likely, that’s the plan. His option date is June 29, so he still has about a month to figure [it] out.

“There’s gonna be some hard conversations that are gonna happen between him [and] the Lakers,” Charania added. “Seeing what this team looks like. Because LeBron James, whether he plays one more season or a few more seasons, he wants to be in a competitive environment.” 

James is in the second year of a two-year, $101,355,998 million contract with the Lakers, with a reported cap hit of just over $52.6 million in the 2025-26 season per Spotrac.

In his 22nd campaign in the NBA and seventh in purple and gold, James impressively averaged 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 8.2 assists per game while shooting 51.3% from the field. That earned him All-NBA second-team honors.

This past season has been eventful for the four-time champion, as the Lakers hired his podcast co-host, JJ Redick, to replace Darvin Ham as their head coach. Days later, the team drafted his son, Bronny James, out of USC with the 55th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.

Despite Bronny and LeBron being the first father-son duo to play in the NBA, his junior spent much of the season swinging between the NBA and the G League. 

Los Angeles also acquired Luka Dončić in February in a shocking trade that sent Anthony Davis to the Dallas Mavericks. The Lakers went on to secure the third seed in the Western Conference with a 50-32 record before falling to the Timberwolves in five games. 

James suffered a Grad 2 MCL sprain on his left knee in Game 5 against Minnesota after colliding with Donte DiVincenzo. After getting an MRI, James was given a recovery time of three to five weeks, which would have ended his run of 292 consecutive playoff games played without a miss due to injury, Dave McMenamin of ESPN reported.

LeBron James will likely return to the Los Angeles Lakers next season after losing to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of the playoffs, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.

On Tuesday, Charania appeared on the Pat McAfee Show and shared what he knew about the 40-year-old’s future with the team.

“I’m told he’s likely to opt in,” Charania said. “He’s got a player option of $54-57 million. He’s got a massive player option. That’s likely, that’s the plan. His option date is June 29, so he still has about a month to figure [it] out.

“There’s gonna be some hard conversations that are gonna happen between him [and] the Lakers,” Charania added. “Seeing what this team looks like. Because LeBron James, whether he plays one more season or a few more seasons, he wants to be in a competitive environment.” 

James is in the second year of a two-year, $101,355,998 million contract with the Lakers, with a reported cap hit of just over $52.6 million in the 2025-26 season per Spotrac.

In his 22nd campaign in the NBA and seventh in purple and gold, James impressively averaged 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 8.2 assists per game while shooting 51.3% from the field. That earned him All-NBA second-team honors.

This past season has been eventful for the four-time champion, as the Lakers hired his podcast co-host, JJ Redick, to replace Darvin Ham as their head coach. Days later, the team drafted his son, Bronny James, out of USC with the 55th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.

Despite Bronny and LeBron being the first father-son duo to play in the NBA, his junior spent much of the season swinging between the NBA and the G League. 

Los Angeles also acquired Luka Dončić in February in a shocking trade that sent Anthony Davis to the Dallas Mavericks. The Lakers went on to secure the third seed in the Western Conference with a 50-32 record before falling to the Timberwolves in five games. 

James suffered a Grad 2 MCL sprain on his left knee in Game 5 against Minnesota after colliding with Donte DiVincenzo. After getting an MRI, James was given a recovery time of three to five weeks, which would have ended his run of 292 consecutive playoff games played without a miss due to injury, Dave McMenamin of ESPN reported.

MINNEAPOLIS –Isaiah Hartenstein is one win away from the NBA Finals. The Knicks have a chance to make their first NBA Finals in 25 years. Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo have helped Minnesota reach the Western Conference finals for the second straight season.

“It’s funny when you see all three teams, I think for everyone it was a win-win,” Hartenstein told SNY from the visitor’s locker room at the Target Center late Monday night. “…. Then you see Obi (Toppin) with Indiana. I think it’s bittersweet for everybody.”

With the Thunder up 3-1 in the Conference Finals, Hartenstein didn’t want to look ahead to a potential Finals matchup with the Knicks.

But he still believes New York had a chance to do something special last season – if healthy. 

“I think we got unlucky that (OG Anunoby) got hurt,” Hartenstein said. “I think we had a chance last year if we had the same team … don’t want to live in the hypothetical, but I felt like when we were all together, we were a really good team.”

Hartenstein is on another really good team at the moment. The Thunder are the favorite to win the title this season, regardless of who they face. The Thunder have been dominant all year long behind incredible depth, two-way talent, and MVP play from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. 

This is exactly what Hartenstein was looking for when he signed with the Thunder in free agency last summer.

He inked a three-year, $87 million deal with Oklahoma City in free agency. Due to CBA rules, the Knicks were limited in what they could offer Hartenstein. They could offer him a four-year, $72 million contract. But the $72 million total includes several incentives. So the guaranteed money is under $65 million. If you factor in state taxes, Hartenstein had more guaranteed money in two years of his Thunder contract than the four-year Knicks offer. 

“What a lot of people don’t get in our space is that it’s a business at the end of the day. Everyone gets kind of mad when you make a decision for yourself. But at the end of the day, you can get traded,” Hartenstein said. “There’s been so many examples of guys taking less money and they get traded to the team that was going to pay them more.”

Hartenstein still hears some hate from Knicks fans who are upset that he left.

“I get a little bit (of hate), but I still love them,” Hartenstein said.

(As an aside: If you would turn down the money Hartenstein was offered, more power to you. I think nearly everyone would have done what Hartenstein did.)

Hartenstein’s departure and Mitchell Robinson’s injury motivated the Knicks to trade for Karl-Anthony Towns. The club also re-signed Anunoby and traded for Mikal Bridges. All three players have been pivotal to the Knicks’ success in the playoffs.

“(Team president) Leon (Rose) did a great job adjusting,” Hartenstein said.

Like all NBA fans, Hartenstein has been watching the Knicks during their run. He’s happy for his old team, happy to see Robinson back on the floor and playing at a high level. He doesn’t want to look ahead to a possible Knicks-Thunder Finals. But he’s impressed by what he’s seen from New York.

“For Leon (Rose), how he adjusted, how he built that up, for them now to be in the Conference Finals,” Hartenstein said, “who would have thought that when he took over?”