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OAKLAND, Calif. The Golden State Warriors suspended injured guard Monta Ellis for 30 games without pay Saturday for violating his lucrative new contract by getting into a moped accident.
Ellis, who agreed to a six-year deal worth $66 million in July, severely sprained his ankle in a low-speed crash in late August. The suspension will cost the guard slightly less than $3 million.
The Warriors counted four preseason games in the suspension's length, which means Ellis can't return to the club until after Golden State's 26th regular-season game, against Indiana on Dec. 17.
Ellis, who recently underwent surgery to repair a torn ligament, was unlikely to return before then anyway, but the suspension means the guard won't be paid during his absence. Ellis' agent, Jeff Fried, met with Golden State officials during the week to settle Ellis' punishment.
Ellis compounded his mistake by initially lying to the Warriors about the accident. He told Chris Mullin, the Warriors' top basketball executive, that he hurt himself playing pickup ball in his native Mississippi, but came clean about the accident several days later.
The guard will be allowed to spend time at the Warriors' training complex for rehabilitation during his suspension, but Golden State president Robert Rowell is taking a risk of possibly alienating the player expected to be the centerpiece of coach Don Nelson's up-tempo offense after Baron Davis' defection to the Los Angeles Clippers.
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MIAMI : Heat center Jamaal Magloire will miss at least six weeks with a broken left hand, and could be sidelined even longer if surgery is required to repair the fracture.
Magloire was injured in Miami's preseason overtime loss against New Jersey in Paris on Thursday.
He returned to South Florida after the game, while the Heat remained behind for a rematch with the Nets on Sunday in London.
“It's unfortunate what happened,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said in London on Saturday.
“He was just starting to get into his rhythm. He got himself into great condition, lost a couple percent body fat, over 10 pounds. So it's unfortunate but we've got to move forward and now we get a look at the other guys, and they're ready to go.”
Magloire's fracture was reset without surgery, which would minimize his recovery time.
If the procedure, called a closed reduction, doesn't work, surgery to insert screws remains an option and would be a more significant setback for Magloire, a former All-Star who was looking to revive his career in Miami this season.
With Magloire out indefinitely, the Heat will see more of Joel Anthony and David Padgett at center.
