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Thunder crushed in Houston, Strawther injury scare — Northwest Division roundup
A rough night for the Thunder in Houston, an upcoming MRI for Julian Strawther and a new deal for Caleb Houstan in Portland headline the Northwest Division.
By the PickALeague Newsroom · Published · Source: PickALeagueSummary written with AI assistance — how we workLire en français →
It was an eventful day in the Northwest Division, with the Thunder taking another heavy loss, a concerning injury update in Denver, and a depth signing in Portland, while Utah tweaked its roster under the radar and Minnesota stayed quiet.
Thunder blown out in Houston, slide further down the standings
The Oklahoma City Thunder were the only Northwest team on the floor Thursday and came away with a lopsided 116-89 road loss to the Houston Rockets. The defeat drops Oklahoma City to 1-4 in the Northwest Division standings, a shaky start that leaves the Thunder well behind the rest of the pack.
The margin in Houston underlines how rough this early stretch has been for Oklahoma City, which will need to tighten up quickly to avoid losing more ground in a competitive Western Conference field.
Nuggets: Strawther headed for MRI, Lonnie Walker signs overseas
According to Hoops Rumors, Denver Nuggets guard Julian Strawther is scheduled for an MRI on Thursday after injuring his left leg during Wednesday's preseason game against the Clippers in Los Angeles. Head coach David Adelman relayed the news to reporters, per the report. No further details on the severity of Strawther's injury have been made public yet.
Hoops Rumors also notes that veteran guard Lonnie Walker IV has already found a new opportunity after being waived by the Nuggets three days ago. He has signed with Turkish club Besiktas, a move announced by the team and his agent. Walker was originally the 18th overall pick in the 2018 draft.
Blazers add Caleb Houstan; quiet tweaks in Utah, calm in Minnesota
As reported by Hoops Rumors, the Portland Trail Blazers, off to a strong 3-0 start, are signing forward Caleb Houstan to an Exhibit 10 contract. Joe Freeman of The Oregonian, cited in the report, indicates that the plan is for Houstan to eventually join the Rip City Remix, Portland's G League affiliate. Houstan was the 32nd overall selection in the 2022 draft.
In Utah, Hoops Rumors lists the Jazz (2-1) among a group of teams — along with the Hornets, Rockets, Hawks and Nets — making minor back-of-the-roster moves late in camp. No major transactions surfaced in the region, and the Minnesota Timberwolves, sitting at 3-2, had a quiet 24 hours with no new headlines.