The Golden State Warriors are expected this week to sign Andrew Bogut.

Golden State Preparing To Sign Bogut

The 34-year-old center is coming off an NBL MVP season in his native Australia and was a member of the first two Warriors campaigns that ended with them reaching the Finals.

Once Bogut obtains a work visa and gets clearance from FIBA, he can sign a contract for the remainder of the season. His season with the Sydney Kings of the NBL wrapped up on Sunday. Sources are saying that a FIBA clearance will come at some point this week. However, receiving a visa will take longer, between seven and 10 days.

Warriors assistant general manager Larry Harris selected Bogut first overall in the 2005 NBA Draft when he led the Milwaukee Bucks‘ front office. Reports claim that Harris recently went out to Australia to see Bogut play.

Coach Steve Kerr said that the team had discussed bringing the center back into the fold — after Bogut last played with the Warriors from 2012 to 2016 — but that there are no contracts signed yet.

“I’m not going to go into kind of our needs and all that,” Kerr said after Monday’s practice. “Just cut right to the chase and tell you that we have been talking to Bogut and his representatives and nothing is official. And there’s things that have to happen and we can’t really comment on it until it’s official. The other question I’ll answer at the appropriate time.”

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Warriors forward Kevin Durant, in the last year of his deal, expressed confidence in the front office to fill the final roster spot.”We trust whoever they bring in as long as he do his job,” he said. “I’m sure Bogut’s going to add a little bit of knowledge and wisdom because he’s been a part of the system before. We’re looking forward to having him on the team.”

It should also be noted that Lakers head coach Luke Walton could also find his way back to the squad before the playoffs. He’s been in hot water recently as it looks like LA will miss the playoffs but the Warriors would be happy to have him back. During Walton’s time as interim coach of Golden State, he had a 39-4 record.

Free-agent center Andrew Bogut has agreed to a one-year contract with the Los Angeles Lakers, his agent David Bauman announced late Monday.

Andrew Bogut Lakers Deal news

Bauman confirmed on Twitter the deal is for a veterans minimum of $2.3 million.

Bogut, 32, suffered a broken leg during his debut with the Cleveland Cavaliers in March and missed the rest of the season. The center crashed with the Miami Heat’s Okaro White and fractured his left tibia less than one minute after stepping onto the court.

At that moment, the Cavs stated Bogut would not have surgery but would instead undergo “an extended period of immobilization and healing stimulation.”

The seven-foot Australian previously played for the Dallas Mavericks (2016-2017), the Golden State Warriors (2012-2016) and the Milwaukee Bucks, who drafted him as the top overall pick out of Utah in 2005.

Bogut had previously reached a buyout agreement with the Philadelphia 76ers, then several other teams began competing for him.

Bogut has career averages of ten points, 8.9 rebounds and 1.6 blocks. He helped lead the Warriors to a national championship in 2015, and his best season came in 2009-2010, when he averaged 15.2 points and 10.2 rebounds for the Bucks. He was also named to an All-NBA Third Team in 2010 and was the league blocks leader in 2011.

The Lakers have also added this year No. 2 overall draft pick Lonzo Ball, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Brook Lopez, and Kyle Kuzma. With Bogut, the team’s training camp roster has now reached the maximum of 20 players.

The Lakers will face the Clippers in their NBA season opener on Oct. 19.

CLEVELAND, OH – MARCH 06: Andrew Bogut #6 of the Cleveland Cavaliers reacts after getting hurt in the first half while playing the Miami Heat at Quicken Loans Arena on March 6, 2017 in Cleveland, Ohio.

Andrew Bogut won’t be playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers again this season.

Cavs’ Andrew Bogut out for Season, No Surgery Required

The 32-year-old Australian center was ruled out for the rest of the regular season and the playoffs on Wednesday following his horrific leg injury.

Bogut, who signed with the Cavs last week, fractured his left tibia just 58 seconds into his debut with the team on Monday when he crashed into the Miami Heat’s Okaro White. Despite the severity of the injury, however, Bogut will not undergo surgery, but instead go through “an extended period of immobilization and healing stimulation,” the Cavaliers stated. He is expected to be completely healthy by the beginning of training camp for the 2017-18 season.

Cleveland (42-20, 1st in Eastern Conference) hopes to waive Bogut in order to open up a roster spot to replace the Australian, who was acquired for both his rim-protecting and play-making skills. Bogut plans to rehabilitate in his home country with his family.

The Cavs could waive another player— DeAndre Liggins seems like a probable candidate— to compensate for the high cost it would take to replace Bogut, who is earning nearly $1 million in salary tax and luxury tax fees.

Cleveland will likely make their roster adjustment after their upcoming three-game road trip through Detroit, Orlando and Houston, according to ESPN.

The team also announced guard J.R. Smith returned to practice Wednesday for his first full session since fracturing his thumb on his right (shooting) hand last December. He is marked questionable for Thursday’s game in Detroit.

Smith is medically cleared to play, although he says he still needs to get into the right mentality.

“Mentally I just [am thinking about] going in there, swiping at the ball,” Smith said. “Diving for loose balls. That plays a factor and you never really want to go into any type of game or whatever you’re doing second guessing yourself. So, if I got to second guess myself, I won’t play. If I feel like I’m not going to, then I’ll play.”

Cavs assistant coach Larry Drew filled in for head coach Tyronn Lue on Wednesday and was impressed by Smith’s performance at practice.

“He didn’t shoot it rusty,” Drew said. “He’s still shooting the ball extremely well, but it’s a totally different story once you start getting up and down the floor. We understand that, but it’s really good to have him back.”

On Thursday, the Cavs will also miss Kyle Korver, who is receiving treatment on his sore left foot.  Lue is still recovering from a sinus infection that caused him to miss Monday’s loss to Miami. He is expected to rejoin the team on Thursday in Detroit.

CLEVELAND, OH – MARCH 06: Andrew Bogut #6 of the Cleveland Cavaliers reacts after getting hurt in the first half while playing the Miami Heat at Quicken Loans Arena on March 6, 2017 in Cleveland, Ohio.

LeBron James said he realized immediately how severe teammate Andrew Bogut’s leg injury was in the Cleveland Cavaliers’ home game on Monday night.

Andrew Bogut Breaks Leg in Cavs Debut, Loss to Heat

“I heard it break,” James claimed. “I heard it crack.”

Bogut, a former No. 1 overall pick, fractured his left tibia less than one minute into his Cavs debut, and his team suffered a 106-98 loss to the Miami Heat.

The Australian center — a former Golden State Warriors star who signed with Cleveland last Thursday— became injured when his leg collided with Heat forward Okaro White’s knee early in the second quarter, just 58 seconds after Bogut stepped on the court.

White immediately hit the floor, while Bogut began hobbling toward the sideline and then eventually went down too, grabbing his left leg in pain before teammates Tristan Thompson and James Jones helped carry him to the locker room.

The Cavs said Bogut was taken to the Cleveland Clinic for further tests.

“It’s very deflating,” James said. “It’s a tough moment. We all were excited about the acquisition, you know, bring him in here. It’s a tough one, not only obviously for him, first of all, but then for our ballclub.”

Bogut’s injury sent a chill through the Q Arena crowd. The setback for the center, who earlier was cracking jokes about Vladimir Putin and discussing house shopping in his new NBA home, was compounded by the fact that the Cavs were playing without ill coach Tyronn Lue and seemed out of rhythm.

The Cavaliers also lost to the Heat in Miami on Saturday, a game that ended with injured Cavs guard J.R. Smith being restrained and escorted from the floor by security after arguing with Dion Waiters and Heat rookie Rodney McGruder.

On Monday, Waiters scored 29 points, Goran Dragic added 21 and the Heat held off a late rally by the Cavs, who trimmed a 20-point deficit to 103-98 in the final minute.

Perhaps still angry over his altercation with Smith, Waiters scored 24 against his former team in the first half.

”Guys like that, you can’t let them get going,” said Cavs assistant Larry Drew, who sat in for Lue. ”They make a couple shots and the basket starts looking a little bigger and bigger and bigger.”

Bogut, who signed with Cleveland after being waived by the Philadelphia 76ers (who acquired him at the trade deadline from the Dallas Mavericks), is averaging a career-low 3 points this season along with 8.3 rebounds.

The Heat next host Charlotte on Wednesday to begin stretch of seven of eight games at home.

The Cavaliers will begin a three-game trip at Detroit on Thursday.

CLEVELAND, OH – MARCH 06: Andrew Bogut #6 of the Cleveland Cavaliers reacts after getting hurt in the first half while playing the Miami Heat at Quicken Loans Arena on March 6, 2017 in Cleveland, Ohio.

Andrew Bogut is negotiating his release from the Philadelphia 76ers and the Cleveland Cavaliers are the favorite to sign the Australian center, according to NBA sources.

Andrew Bogut Negotiating Sixers Release, Hopes to Join Cavs

Bogut, 32, is hoping to get released by Wednesday, which is the last day this season players can be released and remain playoff-eligible with their next team.

Sources told ESPN on Sunday that Bogut’s agent, David Bauman, and the Sixers remain in active buyout negotiations.

Dallas traded Bogut to Philadelphia on Thursday as part of the Nerlens Noel deal. ESPN reported later Thursday that the Cavaliers, Houston Rockets and San Antonio Spurs were pursuing Bogut as long as he could convince the Sixers to release him.

Though he has a strong relationship with 76ers coach Brett Brown– formerly Bogut’s national team coach with Australia– the center has told Philadelphia officials that he is eager to join a playoff team if possible to compensate for all the time he has lost to injury this season with the Mavericks during what is a contract year for him.

Several illnesses held Bogut to 26 games with Dallas. A bone bruise in his knee and a hamstring strain particularly led Bogut to be sidelined for long stretches.

The Australian was the starting center on Golden State’s championship team in 2015 but was traded by the Warriors following last season’s seven-game loss to Cleveland in a Finals rematch as part of a payroll cleanse to create the needed salary-cap space to sign Kevin Durant from Oklahoma City. This same cleanse allowed the Mavericks to acquire Harrison Barnes, who has since become Dallas’ leading scorer.

Should Bogut choose the Cavaliers as expected, he would be rejecting a more lucrative offer from the Houston Rockets, who created an extra $3.5 million in spending money through two deadline-day trades Thursday to help their search for additional depth via the buyout market.

DALLAS, TX – OCTOBER 11: Andrew Bogut #6 of the Dallas Mavericks during a preseason game at American Airlines Center on October 11, 2016 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

Much has been said about the accommodations, or lack thereof, for the athletes participating in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, From complaints by athletes to entire nations, Rio has gotten off to a rocky start before the games have even begun.

That plotline to an interesting twist Wednesday when it was revealed that Team USA Basketball will be staying on a luxury cruise liner instead of the Olympic Village.

Team USA Basketball Cruises To Rio In Style

TMZ first reported Team USA’s decision to stay on the 16,800 ton cruise ship dubbed, the Silver Cloud.

The decision by U.S. Basketball officials comes after several complaints about the accommodations in the Olympic Village, which include poor plumbing and beds that taller athletes cannot properly fit in.

Dallas Mavericks center Andrew Bogut, who is an Australian national and member of their Olympic team, is one of many athletes to launch a satirical assault on the Brazilian Olympic Organization Committee.

Bogut posted a series of tweets poking fun at the amenities of the Olympic Village, punctuated with the hashtag “IOCLuxuryLodging.”

“Putting together a shower curtain so we can shower and not flood the place,” one of Boguts posts read. “We believe a bed is not vital for sleep. Fine tuned athletes can sleep standing up,” he wrote in another.

The porous conditions made headlines when Australia’s Olympic Committee chose to put their entire roster of athletes in hotels for for a couple days as opposed to the multi-billion dollar Olympic Village, which was supposed to be “state of the art.”

The rooms were apparently having significant issues with water leaks and shoddy electricity.

“Electricity and water is not a good combination,” Kitty Chiller told reporters July 24, the day athletes were scheduled to move into the Village, according to AP.

Chiller said this was her fifth Olympics and she had never has such an experience.

“I have never experienced a village in this state — or lack of state — of readiness at this point in time,” she said.

A source within Team USA basketball told TMZ Sports that “hotel rooms were scarce in Rio, we ended up getting some rooms on the ship for our teams.”

All the more reason to rest in style, cue Smokey Robinson.