NBA Notes: Jazz, Kevin Love, Bulls, Coby White, Clippers

Jazz

Kevin Love arrived in Utah as little more than salary ballast in the three-team deal that sent Norman Powell to Miami and John Collins to the Clippers. Instead, he’s carved out a real role.

Love was considered a buyout candidate during the offseason, but the Jazz have leaned on him more than expected. After averaging just 10.9 minutes per game with Miami last season, the veteran big man is logging 20.1 minutes per night in December, posting 9.9 points and 5.8 rebounds while shooting .413 from the field and .370 from three.

Coach Will Hardy pointed to Love’s rebounding, spacing and experience as reasons he continues to matter.

“He’s an elite rebounder,” Hardy said, via Sarah Todd of the Deseret News. “And just his general savvy in his 18th year. His spacing gives us a different look.”

For a team balancing development and competitiveness, Love has been more than a throw-in.

Bulls

The Bulls confirmed what had already been trending toward official.

Coby White, Josh Giddey and Zach Collins will all miss multiple games due to injuries, the team announced.

White is dealing with right calf tightness and will be reevaluated in one week. That timeline rules him out for at least four games after he exited Monday’s loss to Minnesota in the first quarter.

Giddey, whose left hamstring issue was first reported by ESPN’s Shams Charania, has now officially been diagnosed with a strain. He will be reevaluated in two weeks, meaning he’ll miss at least the next eight games and potentially more.

Collins suffered a right toe sprain and will be reevaluated in 10 days. It marks his second extended absence of the season after a fractured wrist delayed his debut until early December.

White and Giddey have been Chicago’s leading scorers at 19.2 points per game each, while Collins had reached double figures in six straight outings before getting hurt.

The injuries open the door for expanded roles for Tre Jones, Ayo Dosunmu, Kevin Huerter and Jevon Carter in the backcourt. Patrick Williams also figures to reenter the frontcourt mix with Collins sidelined.

And it’s not just the main roster. All three of Chicago’s two-way players are currently injured, and lottery pick Noa Essengue remains out for the season following shoulder surgery.

It’s been that kind of stretch.

Clippers

Despite a sluggish start, the Clippers are not in sell mode.

League sources told Sam Amick of The Athletic that Los Angeles would prefer to add an impact piece rather than strip the roster down. The context matters. The Clippers have won five straight and believe they’re moving in the right direction.

There’s also no indication James Harden is angling for an exit. The 36-year-old holds a $42 million player option for next season and is widely expected to exercise it. Kawhi Leonard is owed $50 million this season and next, giving the Clippers a clear financial picture and a defined window.

That window ends in the summer of 2027.

According to Amick, the organization is focused on preserving flexibility beyond that point and will be reluctant to take on contracts that extend past it.

In other words, the Clippers are open to improving, but not desperate. They don’t view themselves as a discount aisle, even after a rough opening month.