For the first time since he tweaked his left ankle last week, Cleveland Cavaliers superstar LeBron James was a full participant in practice and could play in their preseason game against the Indiana Pacers Friday. According to head coach Tyronn Lue, they will look at James’ ankle to determine if he can play against the Pacers. If James plays, this will be the first time that the new starting unit will play together outside of practice. Aside from James, the new-look starting unit also features Kevin Love, Jae Crowder, J.R. Smith and Derrick Rose.

The Cavaliers lost to the Atlanta Hawks, 109-93, in their first preseason game Wednesday. James suffered the ankle injury when he stepped on the foot of Cavaliers rookie Cedi Osman on the second day of training camp.

Osman filled in for Iman Shumpert, who suffered a left foot injury when he landed awkwardly after a dunk attempt in the first quarter against the Hawks. After undergoing MRI, the team determined that Shumpert suffered a left foot sprain that will sideline him for seven to 10 days, effectively ending his preseason. Lue said he expects Shumpert to be ready before the regular season. In the offseason, Shumpert reportedly asked for a trade from the Cavaliers.

Hornets’ Nicolas Batum out 8-to-12 weeks

Shams Charania of The Vertical reported that Charlotte Hornets forward Nicolas Batum will be out eight to 12 weeks after suffering a torn ligament in his left elbow. The 28-year-old Batum sustained the injury in their 108-106 win over the Detroit Pistons Wednesday. The team said Batum will ask for second opinions to determine if he needs to undergo surgery.

The 6-foot-8 Batum averaged 15.1 points, 6.2 boards, and 5.9 assists in 77 games for the Hornets last season. The Hornets see Batum as a vital cog for their team, signing him to a five-year deal worth $120 million in 2016. Batum was the 25th overall pick by the Houston Rockets in 2008 but he was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers.

He is scheduled to earn $22.4 million for the 2017-18 season.

Raptors sign Norman Powell to four-year deal

Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported that the Toronto Raptors signed guard Norman Powell to a four-year, $42 million contract extension. The deal will keep the 24-year-old Powell with the Raptors through the 2021-22 season. Last season, Powell averaged 8.4 points and 2.2 boards for the Raptors last season. As a second-round pick, Powell can become a restricted free agent after his third NBA season. With Powell’s deal, the Raptors will be in a deep hole in terms of luxury tax next season, according to Bobby Marks of ESPN. Marks said the Raptors now has $124 million in guaranteed contracts on their books.
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