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Utah Jazz star Mike Conley Jr. reportedly avoided the worst-case scenario when suffering a knee injury during Saturday's win over the Portland Trail Blazers.

Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported Conley will miss at least two weeks with a knee strain but "avoided major injury or ligament damage on the non-contact left knee injury."

Conley remains a member of the Jazz for now, but his departure felt all but inevitable amid Utah's roster teardown this past offseason. The team traded away its two cornerstones, Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert, to trigger a long-term rebuild.

Once Mitchell, the second of the two to go, was sent to the Cleveland Cavaliers, the focus shifted to how quickly the front office would jettison the remaining veterans such as Conley, Jordan Clarkson and Bojan Bogdanović.

Yet the Jazz have impressed this season at 12-6, which could change the trajectory.

While he has lost a step, Conley remains an effective playmaker and ball-handler. He averaged 13.7 points and 5.3 assists while shooting 40.8 percent from beyond the arc last season.

For the Jazz, an injury to the 35-year-old has less impact on the court and more of an effect on his trade value.

Conley makes $22.7 million in 2022-23 and has a $14.3 million partial guarantee for his full $24.4 million salary in 2023-24. In total, that's not an insignificant investment, and it's one interested suitors may balk at if there are lingering questions over his durability.

Detroit Pistons star Cade Cunningham is feared to have a stress fracture in his left shin and is considered to be out indefinitely, though he hasn't been ruled out for the entirety of the 2022-23 season.

However, rival executives are wondering whether the Pistons would prefer Cunningham to "shut it down for the future" in an effort to land the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NBA draft, which would give them the chance to select highly-touted prospect Victor Wembanyama, per NBA insider Marc Stein.

Stein also noted that Cunningham's absence "could encourage the Pistons to trade Bojan Bogdanović to the highest bidder between now and the Feb. 9 trade deadline since there are no longer any illusions that this team is a viable contender for even a play-in spot."

The Pistons already own the NBA's worst record at 3-14, though the Houston Rockets may also get the opportunity to land the No. 1 pick this year as they currently sit last in the Western Conference with a 3-13 record.

Wembanyama is considered a generational talent, and he'll surely alter the trajectory of whichever team selects him.

The superstar French center made his United States debut in October, suiting up for the Metropolitans 92 against the G League Ignite in two showcase games. In the first game, he finished with 37 points, four rebounds and five blocks. In Game 2, he notched 36 points, 11 rebounds, four blocks and four assists.

Following his performance against the G League Ignite, an Eastern Conference scout told ESPN's Myron Medcalf that "we've never seen anyone like" Wembanyama before.

Wembanyama's talent has led many to believe teams will tank in an effort to land him. NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in October that he hoped that wouldn't happen.

"I know that many of our NBA teams are salivating at the notion that potentially through our lottery, they can get him, so they should all still compete very hard next season," Silver told reporters.

The Pistons have been one of the Eastern Conference's worst teams for more than a decade, but pairing Wembanyama with someone like Cunningham, in addition to Jaden Ivey, could help the team return to prominence sooner rather than later.

Still, there's no guarantee they land the coveted No. 1 pick, though they would get a pretty good consolation prize in Scoot Henderson if they were to land the No. 2 pick.

Kawhi Leonard said there is no bad blood between him and San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich after the Los Angeles Clippers star faced his old team Sunday.

Kawhi Leonard on Gregg Popovich: "He's a great coach. One of the best coaches I had. We've been in too many battles to have a scar in our relationship."

"Can you tell us what you said on the court?"

"Nah, you know I don't tell what goes on on the court. Maybe if you ask him." pic.twitter.com/GlSUPAepdJ

— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) November 20, 2022

Leonard scored 11 points as the Clippers earned a 119-97 win over the Spurs on Saturday.

The 31-year-old spent his first seven seasons in San Antonio, helping the team win a championship in 2014. The relationship still didn't end well, with injuries limiting Leonard to just nine games in 2017-18 before a trade to the Toronto Raptors the following offseason.

It's clear Leonard has plenty of respect for Popovich, a three-time NBA Coach of the Year who will go down as one of the best in league history.

The 73-year-old Indiana native has led San Antonio to five NBA championships since taking over the job early in the 1996-97 campaign. The team's most recent title came in 2014.

Popovich, who coached the United States national team to a gold medal in the 2021 Summer Olympics, owns a 1,350-712 record (.655 winning percentage) in the regular season and a 170-114 mark (.599) in the playoffs.

He's been guiding the Spurs through a period of transition, with the 2018-19 season being the first without at least one of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker or Manu Ginobili on the roster since 1996-97.

That's why extending the franchise's playoff streak to a record-tying 22 years required one of his best coaching jobs to date in 2018-19.

In an era dominated by three-point shooting and star power, the Spurs managed to earn the seventh seed in the loaded Western Conference with a 48-34 record despite being led by DeMar DeRozan and LaMarcus Aldridge, two players who rely heavily on mid-range jumpers, and no other All-Stars.

The terrific run came to an end when they missed the postseason during the coronavirus-shortened 2019-20 campaign and again in 2020-21. They returned after earning a play-in tournament bid in 2021-22, but a 6-11 start to this year could make it difficult to earn another postseason appearance.

The coach is well-respected across the league, including, it seems, among former players like Leonard.

Los Angeles Clippers guard John Wall believes he and other veterans have been getting pushed out of the league by teams in recent years:

"I think it's kind of frustrating for a lot of great veterans in this league because a lot of those guys are getting pushed out… Melo, Dwight, even Kemba Walker. You need veteran guys to help these young teams out."

— John Wall

(via @LandonBuford)pic.twitter.com/TNi1FAxD88

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) November 19, 2022

"I feel like I was on the edge of kinda getting pushed out myself," Wall said (h/t Paolo Songco of ClutchPoints). "If I wasn't a true professional last year and the Clippers didn't give me a chance, I don't know if I'd probably been here right now."

Wall did not play all last season while a member of the Houston Rockets, with the team seeking to make a trade that never occurred. After agreeing to a buyout this offseason, he signed with the Clippers with a chance to restart his career.

Through 13 games this season, the veteran is averaging 11.6 points and 5.7 assists per game off the bench.

The production shows what the 32-year-old can provide a team on the court, while Wall also noted veteran leadership is valuable off the court to "help these young teams as much as possible" and provide "guidance."

Houston prioritized playing time for younger players last season and finished with an NBA-worst 20-62 record.

Wall argues other veterans who are currently unsigned could also help a team, including Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard and Kemba Walker.

Walker averaged 11.6 points and 3.5 assists per game with the New York Knicks last season, but was traded to the Detroit Pistons before being waived ahead of the 2022-23 season. Like Wall, the point guard is unlikely to regain his form from when he was a perennial All-Star, but he could still help a contender as part of a rotation.

Howard joined Taiwan’s T1 League after failing to secure an NBA contract and put up 38 points, 25 rebounds, nine assists and four blocks in his first game.

Despite missing James Harden, Tyrese Maxey and Tobias Harris because of injury, the Philadelphia 76ers nearly beat the Minnesota Timberwolves before falling at home, 112-109 on Saturday.

The 76ers were in this one because of center Joel Embiid, who continues his torrid pace. Last year's NBA MVP runner-up collected 32 points, nine rebounds, six assists and three steals. He notably went 18-of-20 from the free-throw line as well.

Minnesota led this game by as many as 20 points and held a 15-point lead in the fourth quarter, but Embiid and Shake Milton (27 points on the night) combined to score the next 12 for Philly to cut the lead to 105-102. The last bucket in that run consisted of an impeccable Embiidd effort on both ends.

HIM. pic.twitter.com/G8wLKNzec4

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) November 20, 2022

Embiid's performance was nothing short of exceptional on a night where he appeared to have suffered a significant injury involving teammate Georges Niang.

Embiid walked to the bench under his own power after getting taken out by Georges Niang on his way to the ground. Grabbed his left ankle, one that he was rubbing a bit earlier tonight as it was. Gotta simply get out of this game with no injuries at this point, but gutsy 2nd half.

— Kyle Neubeck (@KyleNeubeck) November 20, 2022

But he stayed in the game to nearly will Philly to the win.

After the 12-0 run, the Timberwolves scored the next five before the 76ers rolled off a 7-0 run to slash the deficit to 110-109. However, Minnesota held on after the 76ers came up empty on their next two possessions.

Despite the loss, Embiid was the best player on the floor, which has been the case for a while now.

Embiid last 4 games:

32 PTS | 9 REB | 6 AST | 3 STL
32 PTS | 11 REB | 8 AST | 3 BLK
59 PTS | 11 REB | 8 AST | 7 BLK
42 PTS | 10 REB | 6 AST | 2 BLK

Mind blowing. pic.twitter.com/W9R1n1wVO1

— StatMuse (@statmuse) November 20, 2022

Twitter praised Embiid after another dominant performance.

Joel Embiid could barely stand about three minutes ago. He just dove for a loose ball on the floor, got up and hit a three. The lead is three. Unreal

— Adam Aaronson (@SixersAdam) November 20, 2022

There is just so much being asked of Joel Embiid right now. The lineups are so funky. Not much you can do with three starters out.

— Paul Hudrick (@PaulHudrick) November 20, 2022

Embiid was playing without his 2nd, 3rd, or 4th option and the 5th option is out there doing this 💀💀 https://t.co/yGfMsgk763

— bxyxe 🍉 (@FAGG0TKISSER) November 20, 2022

The fact that Joel Embiid is still walking, let along staying in the game after this, is nothing short of a miracle.

Philadelphia personified @JoelEmbiid pic.twitter.com/sDMsv7EBy9

— Josh Reynolds (@JoshReynolds24) November 20, 2022

https://twitter.com/EmBeardx21/status/1594161673899855872

Philadelphia will return to the court Tuesday at home against the Brooklyn Nets.

Cleveland Cavaliers power forward Kevin Love suffered a hairline fracture in his right thumb and will be evaluated daily, per Shams Charania of Stadium and The Athletic.

Love, a five-time All-Star, settled nicely into a bench role last season. Through 74 games in 2021-22, he averaged 13.6 points, 7.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists while shooting 39.2 percent from three-point range. Heading into 2022-23, Love told Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com he's "never had so much fun coming into work."

This year, he's posting 11.3 points, 7.4 rebounds and 2.6 assists for the 9-6 Cavs, who sit fourth in the Eastern Conference after their offseason trade for star guard Donovan Mitchell.

Last season was the healthiest Love has been in quite some time. The 34-year-old veteran had struggled to stay healthy in previous years. He was limited to 25 games in 2020-21 because of a calf injury.

After signing a four-year, $120 million contract extension prior to the 2018-19 season, Love suffered a foot injury that forced him to miss 60 games that year.

The UCLA product is the only player remaining from Cleveland's 2016 NBA championship team. The Cavaliers chose not to trade him or buy him out because he remains an integral veteran presence in the locker room. Love is making $28.9 million in the final year of his contract this season.

Cleveland has a frontcourt full of youngsters with Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley, who are already seeing a hefty amount of playing time. Mobley finished second in Rookie of the Year voting last season with averages of 15.0 points and 8.3 rebounds.

The Cavaliers will continue to lean on their young forwards while Love is sidelined.

Klay Thompson continued to show signs of a resurgence with 20 points to help lead the Golden State Warriors to a 111-101 win over the New York Knicks on Friday night.

Thompson knocked down eight of his 16 shots from the field, including four three-pointers, to go along with three rebounds and two assists in 31 minutes.

"It seemed like every time Klay just made an extra pass, the ball started to move and then we got a wide open shot," Golden State head coach Steve Kerr told reporters. "We ended up with 32 assists. It started with early on Klay taking a more patient approach. And then the game rewarded him."

After a sluggish start to the campaign, the five-time All-Star has slowly been rounding into form over the past few weeks, which is a great sign for the Warriors as they attempt to pick up steam. Their record stands at 7-9 after beating the Knicks.

Let's check out some social-media reaction to Thompson's performance:

Klay Thompson tonight:
20 PTS
8-16 FG (50%)
4-10 3PT (40%)

He's back pic.twitter.com/78ra4ckapB

— LeChefCurry (@LeChefCurry30) November 19, 2022

KLAY IS BACK BABY THE LEAGUE IS QUAKING

— damien (@ToasterKlay) November 19, 2022

Dating back to last season, the Warriors are 10-1 when Klay Thompson shoots 50% from the field. pic.twitter.com/LKIPioqQ5r

— WarriorsMuse (@WarriorsMuse) November 19, 2022

KLAY THOMPSON IS BACK!!! pic.twitter.com/u4AxsnckYr

— Stephshowyo🐐 (@gswplayoffs) November 19, 2022

Klay is a top 5 shooter ever and y’all are really doubting this man won’t get back into form

— Just a fan of a fan (@ALLICONICSPORTS) November 19, 2022

Klay Thompson scoring 20 points on 50% shooting with 4 threes after being slandered on social pic.twitter.com/5DIEEMiTjt

— Warriors Nation (@WarriorNationCP) November 19, 2022

Congrats to @KlayThompson of the @warriors for moving up to 16th on the All-Time three-pointers made list! pic.twitter.com/5nPzHYtj3G

— NBA (@NBA) November 19, 2022

Stephen Curry once again paced the Warriors with 24 points, 10 assists, six rebounds and two steals as he builds a strong early-season MVP candidacy. Draymond Green chipped in 10 points, nine boards, seven dimes and two blocks.

So, for at least one night, it looked like the reigning NBA champions were ready to start making some noise once again.

"We played that Warriors brand of basketball that has made us the best team of the past decade," Thompson said.

Julius Randle scored a team-high 20 points for the Knicks, who dropped to 8-8. RJ Barrett posted 18 points, five assists and four rebounds.

"We still got a chance to make it a great trip," Randle said. "We got two more games, two more very winnable games. We've got a chance to make it a great trip and go back home feeling pretty good about ourselves."

Both teams are back in action Sunday. New York continues its five-game road trip against the Phoenix Suns, while Golden State travels to face the Houston Rockets.

Memphis Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant left his team's home game against the Oklahoma City Thunder with a left ankle injury.

Ja Morant heads back to the locker room with the Grizzlies training staff with an apparent ankle injury.

Stay tuned for updates. pic.twitter.com/LMNt6FacMs

— Grizzlies On FanDuel Sports Network (@FDSN_Grizzlies) November 19, 2022

ESPN's Tim MacMahon and Mike Ceide of WREG TV offered more insight and context.

Grizzlies are already without Ja Morant’s co-star Desmond Bane for at least 2-3 weeks due to a sprained big toe. https://t.co/AnfEO7JqqJ

— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) November 19, 2022

Ja Morant is being helped off the court in the 4th quarter of tonight's game against OKC after turning his ankle. He's putting no weight on that left ankle.

— Mike Ceide (@MCeide_WREG3) November 19, 2022

The injury occurred with the Grizzlies up 106-100 with just over three minutes remaining. He had 19 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds in 32 minutes before exiting. Tyus Jones replaced him on the court to finish off a 121-110 win.

Morant's health became the biggest storyline of the Grizzlies' second-round playoff loss to the Golden State Warriors last season. That an injury appeared to happen during a play when Warriors guard Jordan Poole grabbed his knee only added to the controversy of the series that also saw Gary Payton II fracture his elbow from a hard flagrant foul by Dillon Brooks.

The Grizzlies announced Morant was out for the rest of the playoffs with a bone bruise in his right knee, and he played just 57 games during the regular season.

That, along with the reality that he is the face of the franchise, made his health a focal point heading into the 2022-23 campaign.

When healthy, Morant is one of the best players in the NBA who entered Friday with 29.3 points, 6.8 assists, 6.2 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game after posting 27.4 points, 6.7 assists, 5.7 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game in 2021-22.

One silver lining for Memphis is the fact it went 20-5 without him last season. It will likely turn toward Jones to start if Morant is sidelined following this setback.

Philadelphia 76ers star Tyrese Maxey was ruled out of Friday's game against the Milwaukee Bucks at the Wells Fargo Center with a left foot injury.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported the X-rays on Maxey's foot were negative, and he is expected to undergo an MRI on Saturday. He notched 24 points, four rebounds and five assists in 21 minutes before exiting.

Maxey appeared to suffer the injury while driving to the basket and stepping on Jevon Carter's foot in the first half. He was fouled while driving to the hoop and shot his two free throws before limping off the court and to the locker room.

Maxey is in the midst of an impressive season. He entered Friday's game averaging 22.8 points, 3.4 rebounds and 4.4 assists in 14 games, all starts, while shooting 44.8 percent from the floor and 40.8 percent from deep.

The 2020 first-round pick has never missed a significant amount of time because of injury. He appeared in 61 games as a rookie during the 2020-21 season and played in 75 games (74 starts) during the 2021-22 campaign.

Losing Maxey would be a tough blow for the Sixers, who are already down two starters in James Harden (foot) and Tobias Harris (hip).

The Sixers entered Friday's game against Milwaukee ninth in the Eastern Conference with a 7-7 record and have thus far failed to meet expectations after entering the season projected to be one of the top teams in the NBA.

New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson will miss his eighth straight game with a right knee sprain when his team takes on the Golden State Warriors in San Francisco's Chase Center on Friday evening.

Robinson has been sidelined since Nov. 4, when he suffered the injury against the Philadelphia 76ers. As Fred Katz of The Athletic noted, Robinson has been listed as out on the team's injury reports since then.

However, there was at least a glimmer of hope for Friday when the Knicks listed Robinson as doubtful instead of out immediately.

The 24-year-old Robinson re-signed with the Knicks on a four-year, $60 million contract last offseason. In eight games (all starts), he has averaged 6.5 points on 69.7 percent shooting, 6.4 rebounds and 2.3 blocks in 21.8 minutes per contest.

The upgrade from out to doubtful could be a sign that Robinson's rehab is trending in the right direction, at least.

For now, Isaiah Hartenstein and Jericho Sims will absorb the bulk of the minutes at center.

Hartenstein, who signed a two-year, $16 million deal with New York as a free agent last offseason, is posting 6.9 points on 53.6 percent shooting and 8.0 rebounds in 24.6 minutes per game.

Sims, who is in his second year in the NBA (both with the Knicks), has averaged 3.8 points on 85.7 percent shooting and 4.3 rebounds in 13.1 minutes per game.