The Oklahoma City Thunder are about to get better, and the NBA is about to get even more exciting than it’s already been in this first week of action.

The following statement was issued today by Oklahoma City Thunder Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti regarding Russell Westbrook’s availability to play in tonight’s game against the Phoenix Suns:

“Russell Westbrook has gone through a methodical rehab process jointly created by our medical and performance teams and treating physicians. The process has been instrumental in getting Russell to this point and has included various physical and medical benchmarks. The final benchmark being unrestricted basketball activity. After hitting the necessary marks, all parties, including the team, consulting physicians, Russell’s representatives, and most importantly Russell, jointly determined that returning to play was the correct next step.”

According to the Oklahoman, “Thunder players, coaches and front office executives all said Westbrook looked great in on-court activities in the days leading up to training camp. But the loose stitch in his knee caused swelling that would not subside until Westbrook underwent the second procedure. Thunder general manager Sam Presti, however, said last month that the second surgery, though pushing back Westbrook’s return date, allowed the team an opportunity to see Westbrook’s meniscus and gain confidence that it had properly healed.”

Brooklyn Nets center-forward Andray Blatche has been fined $15,000 for making an obscene gesture during the Nets 101-100 win over the Heat on Friday, Nov. 1, at Barclays Center, it was announced today by Rod Thorn, President, Basketball Operations.

Blatche’s actions occurred with 2:40 remaining in the 4th quarter of the game.

The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced that Ronny Turiaf underwent a MRI (Magnetic Resonance Image) this morning at TRIA Orthopedics in Bloomington, Minn. that revealed a radial head fracture of the right elbow. Turiaf will be re-evaluated later this week to determine an approximate time table for a return to the court.

Turiaf suffered the injury at the 10:17 mark of the second quarter during last night’s 100-81 Wolves win over Oklahoma City.

Jimmer Fredette got a lot of attention before and during his entrance into the world of NBA basketball, but ever since he actually put on a Kings jersey, we haven’t seen a lot of him. There have been flashes here and there, but for now, Jimmer is still proving his worth. As for his Kings situation, here’s the Sacramento Bee:

The Kings on Thursday declined to pick up the fourth-year option on guard Jimmer Fredette’s contract for the 2014-15 season, which would have paid the 2011 first-round draft pick a little more than $3 million. The deadline to do so was Thursday at 9 p.m.

Therefore, Fredette will be an unrestricted free agent after the season. The Kings could re-sign him at a reduced salary, but the decision likely means this will be Fredette’s final season with the team.

It also means Fredette probably would bring more value in a trade because his expiring deal would create salary cap space for next summer’s free-agent class. The trade deadline is Feb. 20.

Orlando Magic forward/center Solomon Jones has suffered a torn lateral meniscus in his left knee, General Manager Rob Hennigan announced today. Jones will undergo surgery and will be out indefinitely. He suffered the injury during Orlando’s overtime loss on Oct. 30 @ Minnesota.

Jones (6-10, 235, 7/16/84) was signed as a free agent on Sep. 27. He has played in two games this season, averaging 2.0 ppg. and 5.0 rpg. in 13.7 minpg. Jones also appeared in seven preseason outings, averaging 4.6 ppg., 4.3 rpg. and 1.29 stlpg. in 16.0 minpg.

A graduate of nearby Mount Dora High School, Jones was originally selected in the second round (33rd overall) of the 2006 NBA Draft by Atlanta. He has appeared in 272 career NBA games with Atlanta, Indiana, New Orleans, the Los Angeles Clippers, New York and Orlando, averaging 3.1 ppg. and 2.4 rpg. in 11.1 minpg. Collegiately, Jones played two years at Daytona Beach Community College, then two years at the University of South Florida.

The Philadelphia 76ers today announced they have exercised the third-year team options on the Rookie Scale Contracts for forward Arnett Moultrie and guard Tony Wroten.

Moultrie (6-10, 240) was originally the 27th overall pick by Miami in the 2012 NBA Draft before his rights were traded to Philadelphia. As a rookie last season, Moultrie appeared in 47 games for the Sixers and had the second-highest field goal percentage (.582) of any rookie with more than 25 games played. The 22-year-old was named First Team All-SEC as a junior at Mississippi State in 2011-12 and led the SEC in rebounding.

Wroten (6-6, 205) was selected by Memphis with the 25th overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft. He was acquired via trade by the Sixers back in August. The 20-year-old averaged 11 points for the Sixers this preseason after scoring 10-plus points once as a rookie for the Grizzlies in 2012-13. In his only season at the University of Washington, Wroten was named Pac-12 Freshman of the Year and became the first freshman in school history to earn First Team All-Conference honors.

The Atlanta Hawks have exercised the third-year (2014-‘15) option on the contract of John Jenkins, it was announced Thursday by President of Basketball Operations/General Manager Danny Ferry.

As a rookie last season, Jenkins averaged 6.1 points and 1.5 rebounds in 14.8 minutes (.446 FG%, .384 3FG%, .843 FT%), playing in 61 games (two starts). He ranked fifth among all rookies in three-point percentage, was tied for 18th in scoring and tied for 19th in assists per game. He was Atlanta’s first-round pick (23rd overall) of the 2012 NBA Draft.

Charlotte Bobcats President of Basketball Operations Rod Higgins announced today that the team has exercised its fourth-year options on forward/center Bismack Biyombo and guard Kemba Walker, as well as the third-year option on forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist.

“We are excited to keep these three up-and-coming players as part of our core for another season,” Higgins said. “We have been very pleased with their development over their careers so far and look forward to seeing them continue to grow both in the season that is just starting and in 2014-15.”

The seventh overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, Biyombo has played in 144 career games for the Bobcats, averaging 5.0 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.8 blocks in 25.5 minutes. Biyombo, who is already third on the team’s career blocked shot list (258), ranked eighth in the NBA in blocked shots as a rookie in 2011-12 (1.8) and ninth in 2012-13 (1.8). He has led the Bobcats in both rebounding and blocks in each of his two seasons, setting a franchise single-season record with 44 multiple-block games last season.

The ninth overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, Walker has played in 149 straight games since joining the Bobcats, with averages of 15.2 points, 5.1 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 1.5 steals in 31.4 minutes. In 2012-13, he was one of five players in the NBA to lead his team in scoring (17.7), assists (5.7) and steals (2.0). Walker ranked fifth in the league in steals per game and set the franchise single-season record for steals with 160. He has participated in the BBVA Rising Stars Challenge at All-Star Weekend in each of his two NBA seasons.

The second overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft, Kidd-Gilchrist earned Second Team All-Rookie honors last season after averaging 9.0 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 78 games played. In addition to being named Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for November 2012, he was also selected to participate in the BBVA Rising Stars Challenge at All-Star Weekend. Kidd-Gilchrist posted a pair of games with 25 points and 12 rebounds, joining LeBron James as the only players to record two such games prior to their 20th birthday.

The Memphis Grizzlies signed guard/forward Quincy Pondexter to a contract extension, the team announced today. According to CSNNW, the deal is for four years, $14 million.

Pondexter (6-6, 225) led the Grizzlies in three-point field goal percentage (career-high .395) in 59 games (one start) last season and also averaged career highs with 6.4 points and 2.2 rebounds in 21.1 minutes. He made 60 three-pointers last season after recording a total of 40 threes over his first two NBA seasons.

Pondexter further increased his production during the 2013 NBA Playoffs, averaging 8.9 points and 2.5 rebounds on .489 shooting (.453 3FG shooting) in 23.8 minutes in 15 postseason games. The 25-year-old posted 15.3 points and 3.3 rebounds on .537 shooting (.480 3FG shooting) in 32.0 minutes during the 2013 Western Conference Finals, leading the Grizzlies in scoring twice during the series.

After a 13-point performance in the 2013-14 season opener on Oct. 30 at San Antonio, Pondexter holds career averages of 4.5 points, 1.8 rebounds and 0.6 assists on .431 shooting (.366 3FG shooting) in 15.8 minutes in 190 games (15 starts) for Memphis and New Orleans.

The Boston Celtics announced today that they have exercised a contract option on forward Jared Sullinger for the 2014-15 season.

This was an expected move. Sullinger is a talented young player and it makes sense to keep him around and see how he develops.

According to the Boston Herald, Sullinger will make $1,424,520 in the 2014-15 season.

Sullinger, a 6’9” forward, averaged 6.0 points and 5.9 rebounds in 19.8 minutes per game during the 2012-13 season. The second-year player only appeared in 45 games as a rookie for the Celtics before missing the final 37 games of the season due to lumbar disc surgery. Sullinger averaged 10.1 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.0 steal in 20.6 minutes per game during the 2013 preseason. He notched preseason highs of 19 points and nine rebounds at Philadelphia on October 11.

The Nuggets have exercised the fourth-year contract option on forward Kenneth Faried and the third-year option on guard Evan Fournier for 2014-15, general manager/executive vice president of basketball operations Tim Connelly announced today.

Faried, the 22nd overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, averaged 11.5 points and 9.2 rebounds – both career-highs – in 80 games for the Nuggets last season. He recorded 31 double-doubles and ranked ninth in the NBA in field-goal percentage (.552).

In 126 career games (119 starts), Faried has averaged 11.1 points and 8.6 rebounds, while posting 43 double-doubles. He was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team in 2011-12.

In addition to his production on the court, Faried received the 2012-13 J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award presented annually by the Professional Basketball Writers Association.

Fournier, the 20th overall pick in 2012, averaged 5.3 points and 1.2 assists in 38 games as a rookie last season. He scored in double-figures in six of his final nine appearances, including a career-high 24 points against the Portland Trail Blazers on April 14.

Fournier, 21, turned pro as a teenager and played for Union Poitiers Basket 86 in France’s top pro league before entering the NBA Draft. He twice was named the French League’s Most Improved Player.

The Dallas Mavericks announced today that Gersson Rosas has resigned as the General Manager.

“I made the personal decision to resign as General Manager of the Dallas Mavericks after determining that the position was not the best fit for me at this point in my career,” said Rosas. “The decision was made solely by me, as I firmly believe this change is in my best interest.”

“Mark Cuban asked me to reconsider my decision, but graciously accepted my decision and we part as friends, Rosas continued. “I would like to thank Mark and the Dallas Mavericks for the opportunity.”

“I was disappointed when Gersson told me of his decision, but I understand and all of us wish him the best,” Cuban said.

Rosas was hired as the team’s General Manager on Aug. 1, 2013.

Here is a statement from the Boston Celtics:

The Boston Celtics announced today that they have suspended forward Jared Sullinger one game for his role in an incident that occurred on August 31, 2013. The suspension will be served during the team’s game at Toronto on October 30, 2013.

“Jared’s case was dismissed yesterday in Waltham District Court,” said Celtics President of Basketball Operations Danny Ainge. “While we are satisfied that this was the correct ruling, we are suspending Jared for one game because he failed to meet the high expectations we have for all Celtics employees.”

The team will have no further comment on this matter.

New York Knicks President and General Manager Steve Mills announced today that the team has exercised its fourth-year contract option on guard Iman Shumpert.

This was expected. Shumpert is one of the few young building blocks on the Knicks roster, and has exceeded expectations so far in his early NBA career.

In two seasons, Shumpert, 6-5, 220-pounds, holds career averages of 8.3 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists over 26.0 minutes in 104 games (80 starts) with New York. He appeared in, and started, 45 games last season to average 6.8 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.7 assists over 22.1 minutes. The Oak Park, IL native was originally selected by the Knicks in the first round (17th overall) of 2011 NBA Draft and earned 2011-12 NBA All-Rookie First Team honors.

Washington Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld announced today that the team has waived guards Shannon Brown, Malcolm Lee and Kendall Marshall. The trio was acquired from Phoenix, along with center Marcin Gortat, in exchange for center Emeka Okafor and a 2014 protected first round draft pick.

Brown has averaged 8.1 points and 2.0 rebounds in 374 career games with Cleveland, Chicago, L.A. Lakers, Charlotte and Phoenix. Lee has averaged 4.9 points and 2.4 rebounds in 35 career games with Minnesota before being traded to Phoenix last summer. Marshall averaged 3.0 points and 3.0 assists during his rookie season with Phoenix last year.

The Wizards roster now stands at 15.

The San Antonio Spurs today announced that they have exercised their fourth-year options on forward Kawhi Leonard and guard Cory Joseph. Both players are now signed through the 2014-15 season.

In two seasons with the Spurs, Leonard has appeared in 122 games, averaging 9.8 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.49 steals in 32.8 minutes. In 35 career playoff games, the California native has averaged 11.6 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.54 steals in 33.0 minutes. Leonard joined the Spurs in a 2011 draft night deal that saw the Silver and Black send George Hill to the Indiana Pacers in exchange for Leonard’s rights, along with the rights to Davis Bertans and Erazem Lorbek.

Now entering his third season in San Antonio, Joseph has averaged 3.2 points, 1.5 assists and 1.4 rebounds in 11.5 minutes in a total of 57 games during his first two NBA campaigns. The University of Texas product was drafted by San Antonio with the 29th overall pick in the first round of the 2011 NBA Draft.

Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey announced that the team has waived center Marcus Camby (as of Oct. 27) and guard Reggie Williams, which brings the Rockets roster down to 15 players.

Camby has had lingering injury problems, and it doesn’t appear he’ll be able to help any NBA team in the near future. It’ll be interesting to see if he tries to keep playing, or calls it a career.

Indiana Pacers forward Danny Granger will miss approximately three weeks as he rehabilitates a strained left calf injury sustained in the preseason.The length of time is a precautionary measure as the team wants to ensure Granger is physically ready to play in light of missing all but five games last season due to his knee injury. The rehabilitation time is strictly related to the calf injury.

Hopefully Granger finally returns for the Pacers and is able to contribute regularly from that point on.

According to the Pacers.com blog, “What we know for sure now is that Lance Stephenson will start for the immediate future, and probably for the rest of the season. Coach Frank Vogel stated early in training camp that Granger would start if healthy. More recently, he said Granger would be given starting opportunities once healthy to see how it worked. Given the uncertainty of Granger’s availability, Vogel might decide to stick with Granger in a reserve role, where any uncertainty surrounding him would have less impact. If the Pacers open the season well with Stephenson in the starting lineup, why change?”

The Philadelphia 76ers announced today that they waived the contracts of guard Rodney Williams and forward Gani Lawal.

The NBA regular season starts Tuesday night, and teams around the league must trim their rosters to 15 players or less. So, lots of players signed to non-guaranteed or low-paying contracts are being let go.

The Miami Heat announced today that they have waived forward Eric Griffin and center Justin Hamilton.

Griffin, who was signed by as a free agent in September, appeared in seven games with the Heat this preseason and averaged 1.7 points, 1.1 rebounds and 6.1 minutes.

Hamilton, who was acquired by the Heat in a draft night trade in 2012, appeared in five games and averaged 2.6 points, 1.0 rebounds and 5.6 minutes.

The Heat’s roster now stands at 15.