The Denver Nuggets would not include Jamal Murray in trade talks with the Cleveland Cavaliers for Kyrie Irving.

If Denver had offered Cleveland a package of Murray, Wilson Chandler and a top-3 protected first round pick for Irving, they would have been in the bidding.

The Nuggets also had trade talks with the Suns for Eric Bledsoe.

Steve Kerr described the Boston Celtics as the next great team in the Eastern Conference.

"It sure looks like Boston is the team of the future in the East, with the assets that they still have and their young talent and their coaching, and Kyrie [Irving] is amazing," Kerr said after practice Tuesday. "That looks like a team that is going to be at the top of the East for a long time to come. Whether their time is now or the future, that's to be determined, but they sure look like they want it to be right now."

Kerr complimented the Celtics for how they've worked in younger players while continuing to play excellent basketball at the top of league.

"They're really sound, and they're motivated," he said. "It's a team that's been on the rise the last couple of years. They lost in the conference finals. They want to win a championship, and it looks like it. Even without Gordon Hayward and that awful injury, Boston is just crushing people. So, it's going to be really fun to go against them on Thursday. We know how tough it's going to be."

The Warriors will play at the Celtics on Thursday.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have begun the 17-18 season slowly, but that doesn't change LeBron James' goals.

"I'm in win mode still," said James on Saturday.

James is looking forward to playing with Isaiah Thomas, who was acquired to help replace Kyrie Irving.

"It's been a while since I've had that clear-cut guy who can get guys involved but also score at the same time," James told B/R Mag. "But it's fine. It's something that our team will make an adjustment to."

James has played more point guard than ever while waiting for Thomas.

"I'm a student of the game, so I know everywhere I can help, man," Thomas told B/R Mag. "I can help, first off with my aggressiveness and my scoring ability. But just putting pressure on the defense every time down. Being able to get in the paint and make the defense pick and choose what they want to stop. Being able to get to the free-throw line. Little things like that that I see nobody's really doing but Bron."

While the Cavaliers remain favorites to win the East, they are vulnerable.

"They could be a team that gets beat early in the playoffs," said one longtime scout, citing the Cavaliers' aging rotation and lack of athleticism. "I think we're seeing the twilight of that group."

During their trade discussions in June involving Paul George, the Indiana Pacers asked for Kyrie Irving on several occasions and the Cleveland Cavaliers told them he wasn't available.

Irving requested a trade approximately eight days after George was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Irving was ultimately dealt to the Boston Celtics.

Brian Windhorst offered the additional reporting details in response to a Frank Isola Tweet about how the Cavaliers attempted to trade Irving to the Pacers.

Once upon a time the Cavs had a point guard better than Dennis Smith Jr. and Frank Ntilikina. And then "they" tried to trade him to Indiana.

— Frank Isola (@FisolaNYDN) November 13, 2017

Kyrie Irving will likely miss at least one game due to a facial fracture he suffered on Friday.

Irving is expected to wear a protective mask for two weeks.

Irving was inadvertently hit in the face by teammate Aron Baynes.

Irving has averaged 20.3 points, 5.2 assists and 1.9 steals this season.

Isaiah Thomas anticipates being able to adjust to playing beside LeBron James more easily than Kyrie Irving did.

"It's definitely going to be an adjustment period but me being older, me knowing the game a little bit more and being a student of the game, I'm going to be able to adjust quicker than somebody else could," Thomas said.

Irving was 22 when James joined the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2014.

Thomas is continuing to work his way back from his hip injury.

"I feel good man," Thomas said. "Every week I'm getting better and better, and I'm able to do more and more, and it's getting there."

Kyrie Irving spoke about how valuable Marcus Smart is for the Boston Celtics.

"He's a true necessity," said Irving. "He does the little things. Are there really little things in the grand scheme of things for us? 

"We understand how importantly he is offensively and defensively for us."

Smart is averaging 9.7 points, 4.6 rebounds and 5.4 assists in 29.7 minutes per game this season for the Celtics.

Al Horford will miss Wednesday's game against the Los Angeles Lakers after entering the NBA’s concussion protocol.

Horford’s first symptoms linking him to a possible concussion occurred this morning (Nov. 8). Initially struck in the head on a foul called in the second quarter of Boston’s Nov. 6 contest at Atlanta, Horford did not experience any concussion-like symptoms during the game nor immediately following.

Horford will continue to be monitored as he progresses through concussion protocol.

The Boston Celtics are considered the most likely destination for Jahlil Okafor if he agrees upon a buyout with the Philadelphia 76ers.

The Celtics have expressed interest in Okafor in the past and they also own a disabled player exception.

The 76ers have rejected Okafor's buyout request after they were unable to trade him ahead of the deadline on rookie scale options.