NBA Notes: Jazz, Ace Bailey, Thunder, Buddy Boeheim, Nets

Jazz

The Jazz are taking no chances with rookie forward Ace Bailey, who’s dealing with tendonitis in both knees. Head coach Will Hardy told reporters the issue isn’t serious, adding that Bailey was pulled from Monday’s preseason game as a precaution.

“He’s got some tendonitis in both knees. It’s nothing that we’re overly concerned with,” Hardy said, via Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune. “He’s not going to be getting imaged or anything like that. It’s just trying to take care of him.”

Bailey has started all three preseason games he’s played, scoring 25 and 20 points before leaving Monday’s game after just 10 minutes. The 6-foot-9 forward is considered a key piece of Utah’s rebuild, and the team plans to keep managing his workload carefully.

Thunder

Oklahoma City continues to shuffle the back end of its roster, signing Buddy Boeheim and waiving Payton Sandfort, per the team.

Boeheim, a former Syracuse standout, played 20 NBA games with the Pistons from 2022–24 and spent last season with the Oklahoma City Blue in the G League. He averaged 12.5 points and hit 37.7 percent of his threes on more than nine attempts per game.

The 25-year-old sharpshooter is expected to return to the Blue under an Exhibit 10 contract, which could earn him an $85,300 bonus if he sticks for at least 60 days. Sandfort, meanwhile, should land with the Blue as an affiliate player.

Nets

The Nets have added guards Terry Roberts and Tre Scott, according to Keith Smith of Spotrac.

Roberts, undrafted out of Georgia in 2023, survived a harrowing ordeal last year when he was shot in the chest by a stray bullet. He made a full recovery and returned to play for Long Island, averaging 6.7 points and 5.2 assists in 31 games.

Scott, a 6-foot-8 forward, has bounced around the G League and overseas since 2020 and even saw a short stint with the Cavaliers. He averaged 11.6 points and 7.1 rebounds for Long Island last season.

Both players likely signed Exhibit 10 contracts that could turn into G League bonuses if they stay with Brooklyn’s affiliate.

The Nets are now back at the offseason limit of 21 players after waiving Dariq Whitehead and Drew Timme.