NBA notebook: Nuggets G Thomas nears season debut

[February 13, 2019]  Isaiah Thomas could make his Denver Nuggets debut on Wednesday against the Sacramento Kings, 10 1/2 months after undergoing surgery on his right hip for the second time.

Thomas was upgraded to questionable on Tuesday and a decision will be made early Wednesday based on how the 30-year-old feels after going through his most extensive practice of the season on Tuesday.

"I'm feeling really good. I'm feeling the best I felt," Thomas told reporters after Tuesday's practice. "I feel like I'm almost ready to play, but it really matters how my body feels tomorrow. If my body is feeling pretty good, I feel I might give it a go."

Thomas was a star guard for the Boston Celtics when he injured the hip for the first time during the 2017 playoffs. He averaged 28.9 points per game in the regular season that campaign.

--Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James is the NBA's highest-paid player for the fifth consecutive year with $88.7 million in earnings -- including $53 million off the court -- according to a Forbes ranking.

Golden State Warriors teammates Stephen Curry ($79.5 million) and Kevin Durant ($65 million) ranked second and third, respectively, with Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook ($53.7 million) and Houston Rockets guard James Harden ($47.4 million) rounding out the top five.

James' non-salary income includes lucrative endorsement deals with Nike, Coca-Cola and Beats By Dre, plus revenue from his Hollywood production company, SpringHill Entertainment, and his investment in the Blaze Pizza company. Forbes estimated James' net worth at $450 million.

--The NBA has determined there were no tampering violations committed by Lakers president of basketball operations Magic Johnson regarding potentially speaking with Philadelphia 76ers point guard Ben Simmons.

Denver Nuggets guard Isaiah Thomas (0) warms up prior to the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Harrison Barden-USA TODAY Sports

"We have concluded that Magic Johnson's statements regarding Ben Simmons do not constitute a tampering violation," the league's statement began. "The Philadelphia 76ers initiated the contact with the Los Angeles Lakers by requesting a meeting between Johnson and Simmons.

"Both organizations ultimately concluded that such a meeting did not make sense at this time but in that context, Johnson's response to a media inquiry regarding Simmons does not run afoul of league rules."

--Chris Bosh said he will officially retire from the NBA next month, putting an end to a career derailed by health issues.

"That part of my life is over," Bosh told Bill Simmons of The Ringer. "That has been a tough thing to deal with but I'm good, which has taken a long time (to accept) ... I could have kept playing. But man, that time has passed. I've made the decision not to pursue it anymore."

Bosh, 34, has not played since the 2015-16 NBA season, shut down by a recurrence of blood clots. He had held out hope he could play again. The No. 4 overall pick of the Toronto Raptors in the 2003 NBA Draft, he played there until 2010, when he completed a sign-and-trade deal and was shipped to Miami. There, he formed the "Big Three" with James and Dwyane Wade, and the Heat won NBA titles in 2012 and 2013.

--Field Level Media

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