NBA Rumors: Ja Morant injury update, Mavs lose rotational piece, Knicks sign center

The NBA season is finally drawing near. Preseason games are being played, and complaints are being made. With the NBA season finally within reach, the rumor mill has picked up steam. We saw Karl-Anthony Towns get traded, and there will certainly be more unpredictable moves and trades to come.

With that in mind, let's get caught up on the latest NBA rumors on this fine Wednesday evening.

NBA Rumors: Knicks sign Moses Brown to give themselves much-needed center depth

No team has had more of an eventful offseason than the New York Knicks. Not only did they just acquire Towns, but they traded for Mikal Bridges earlier this offseason, and re-signed OG Anunoby. This feels like New York's best shot to win an NBA Championship in decades.

Part of why the Knicks benefitted by executing the Towns deal when they did is because their expected starting center, Mitchell Robinson, is likely going to miss the first couple of months of the season rehabbing from offseason ankle surgery.

New York's depth behind Towns at the center spot is suspect, at best. Precious Achiuwa brings energy off the bench, but is undersized for a center. Jericho Sims is another option, but he's incredibly raw. With that in mind, adding more depth was essential. Sure enough, they did that, inking Moses Brown to an Exhibit 10 contract.

Brown's deal, since it's an Exhibit 10 contract, is not guaranteed, but he'd fit in nicely as a center playing for Tom Thibodeau. Despite averaging just 11.9 minutes per game over parts of five NBA seasons, the 24-year-old New York native has averaged 5.2 points and 5.0 rebounds per game. That's nearly one rebound per two minutes of action, which is pretty incredible.

He doesn't have much offensive skill, but brings energy, is a great rebounder, and can protect the rim. Depth never hurts, especially in a position of need and when the contract isn't even guaranteed.

NBA Rumors: Mavericks will have to begin the season without Dante Exum

To say Dante Exum didn't live up to expectations as a No. 5 overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft would be a major understatement. He had parts of five underwhelming seasons with the Utah Jazz and wasn't much better in a short stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers before playing in a couple of seasons overseas. He'd sign with the Dallas Mavericks ahead of the 2024 campaign and finally found his footing in the NBA.

No, he wasn't the star he was drafted to be, but he proved to be a valuable role player for the Mavs, averaging 7.8 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 2.9 assists in 55 games (17 starts) and 19.8 minutes per game.

What was especially valuable for Dallas was Exum's efficiency as a shooter. His volume wasn't incredibly high, but he shot 53.3 percent from the field and 49.1 percent from three-point range. His ability to handle the ball and defend can't be overlooked, either.

Unfortunately for Dallas, they'll have to navigate the beginning of the season without the 29-year-old role player. Exum suffered a wrist injury during training camp and will miss the first three months of the season after undergoing surgery according to Shams Charania of ESPN.

The Mavericks added some guard depth this offseason by bringing Spencer Dinwiddie back to Dallas, and they have Jaden Hardy as well, but the Mavs will miss Exum's presence immensely.

NBA Rumors: Grizzlies get positive Ja Morant injury update

The Memphis Grizzlies had a season to forget in the 2023-24 campaign, entering the year with championship aspirations and finishing it with a 27-55 record. Virtually everything that could've gone wrong for Memphis did, especially on the injury front. Ja Morant was in the center of that.

The star guard was limited to only nine games due to injury and suspension. He played well in those nine games, but the Grizzlies getting nine games from their best player was almost certainly going to lead to all kinds of trouble.

With last season in mind, the last thing Grizzlies fans wanted to see was another Morant injury yet in the first half of their first preseason game, he left due to an ankle injury. Grizzlies fans had reason for concern, but thankfully, head coach Taylor Jenkins brushed concerns aside with the latest update.

An MRI revealed a mild ankle sprain. Obviously not ideal, but it also could've been so much worse. The team will be cautious with Morant, but the expectation is he'll be available for their regular season opener on October 23 against the Utah Jazz.

Morant will presumably sit for a couple of preseason games at least, but knowing that he avoided the worst, especially after last season, has to feel good for Grizzlies fans. When healthy, there's every reason to believe they can compete in this loaded Western Conference.