NBA Notes: Cavs, Darius Garland, Nuggets, Heat

Cavaliers

While the Cavaliers remain hopeful that Darius Garland, Evan Mobley and De’Andre Hunter will be available for Game 3 vs. the Pacers, questions persist about how effective they’ll be if they do suit up.

As The Athletic’s Joe Vardon reported, swelling in Hunter’s thumb has subsided, but both Garland and Mobley appeared hobbled during Thursday’s walk-through. Garland, in particular, continues to battle significant pain and swelling in his toe — an injury he aggravated during Cleveland’s first-round series against Miami.

The toe issue has made sharp, explosive movements “incredibly difficult” for Garland, noted Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com.

“He desperately wants to get on the court,” coach Kenny Atkinson said of the All-Star point guard. “In these situations, I step back. I support him 100%, whichever way it goes. I think he’s probably like, ‘I’ve got to get to a certain point where I can compete at a high-intensity playoff level.’ That type of intensity is tough to simulate. I guess at some point hopefully he will get out there and try it. But obviously couldn’t run or anything.”

Nuggets

Nuggets vice president of basketball operations Ben Tenzer, a longtime member of the organization, is expected to be a candidate for the full-time general manager role following Calvin Booth’s dismissal, per Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line.

Tenzer, who has been involved with the franchise in some capacity since 2005 and was formally hired in 2013, was elevated to interim GM in mid-April.

Denver is planning a comprehensive search for Booth’s permanent replacement once the season concludes, with Timberwolves GM Matt Lloyd and former Nuggets president Tim Connelly among the external names linked to the opening.

Tenzer, 39, not the only interim decision-maker in Denver. David Adelman, who stepped in as acting head coach late in the regular season, led the Nuggets to three straight wins to secure a top-four seed in the West and a first-round series win over the Clippers in seven games.

Denver is currently tied 1-1 with the top-seeded Thunder in their Western Conference semifinal series heading into Friday’s pivotal Game 3 in Denver.

Heat

Billionaire tech investor Joshua Kushner has purchased a minority stake in the Heat, the team confirmed Wednesday.

Kushner, founder and managing partner of Thrive Capital, now owns less than 5% of the franchise, according to Puck News, which first reported the transaction. The shares were not acquired from majority owner Micky Arison, the team noted.

Per the New York Post, Kushner completed the deal last year. He previously held a minority stake in the Grizzlies but sold it to become a part-owner in Miami.

Kushner, who owns a home in Miami with his wife, model Karlie Kloss, is the brother of Jared Kushner, a former adviser to President Donald Trump during his first term.