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Magic, Knicks Advance To Cup Semifinals

December 9th, 2025 at 10:30pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Magic and Knicks advanced to the NBA Cup semifinals in Las Vegas with victories on Tuesday. They’ll face each other in the East semifinal on Saturday at 5:30 ET, NBA Communications tweets.

Orlando was carried by a big outing from offseason acquisition Desmond Bane. He scored 37 points, while Jalen Suggs had 20 points and Paolo Banchero supplied 18. The Magic trailed by 13 after the first quarter, pulled within one by halftime, then outscored Miami 61-51 in the second half.

The Heat had four starters with at least 19 points, led by Norman Powell‘s 21.

The Knicks moved on with a 117-101 win over the Raptors. Jalen Brunson was the star of the game with 35 points. Josh Hart contributed 21 points and Karl-Anthony Towns tossed in 14 with 16 rebounds. Brandon Ingram led the Raptors with 31 points.

New York took control in the second quarter, outscoring Toronto 34-13.

The teams that were eliminated on Tuesday will now play each other on Monday, as the Heat will host the Raptors at 7:30 ET, Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press tweets.

Northwest Notes: Kessler, Hendricks, Hyland, Braun, Gordon, Strawther

December 9th, 2025 at 9:35pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Jazz center Walker Kessler indicated to the media that his season-ending left shoulder injury stems back to his college days at Auburn. Kessler only played five games before surgery was required.

“I’ve had a posterior labrum tear on my left shoulder since Auburn. I think the Tennessee game, I tore it and just kind of tried to play through and strengthen it,” Kessler said, per Andy Larsen of the Salt Lake Tribune. “The doctor explained it … there’s no amount of strength that’ll keep it from slipping out again and again. So he told me, ‘You got to have the surgery.’”

If he didn’t address the problem, he could have endured many more issues with the shoulder during his career.

“Another thing is, the more you sublux it, the more risk of injury (there is), of destroying everything around it: you know, the rotator cuff, the anterior labrum, and so that’s why it was necessary,” Kessler said.

Here’s more from the Northwest Division:

After suffering a severe leg injury last season, Taylor Hendricks has been in and out of the Jazz rotation and is now getting reps in the G League. “I think right now, the G League minutes are so important for Taylor, because he needs as many repetitions as he can get at the reactive part of the sport that you just can’t replicate when you miss a year,” coach Will Hardy said. “Getting your body used to making those decisions and reacting and fully trusting your body in those moments is where we’re trying to get to with Taylor.” The 2023 lottery pick has appeared in 13 games with Utah this season.
Bones Hyland has at least temporarily displaced Rob Dillingham in the Timberwolves rotation, according to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. “We’re 24 games in, and I thought it was time to try something different,” coach Chris Finch said. “He’s been patient. He’s been playing really well in practice, doing everything we ask him to do. We need a spark there.” Hyland, who signed a one-year contract during the offseason to return to Minnesota, had 14 points and three assists in 16 minutes against Phoenix on Monday.
Nuggets coach David Adelman doesn’t expect Christian Braun (ankle) or Aaron Gordon (hamstring) to return to action before Christmas, Vinny Benedetto of the Denver Gazette tweets. Julian Strawther (back) is a little bit closer in his rehab. He played some half court 3-on-3 after Tuesday’s practice.

Los Angeles Notes: Paul, Lue, Smart, Kleber, James

December 9th, 2025 at 8:30pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Chris Paul says he’s “at peace” with the Clippers’ decision to “part ways” with him and is looking forward to his next NBA opportunity, ESPN relays. Paul commented on his exile with People Magazine.

“I’m actually at peace with everything,” he said. “More than anything, I’m excited about being around and getting a chance to play a small role in whatever anything looks like next.”

On a related subject, Clippers coach Tyronn Lue denies reports that he wasn’t on speaking terms with Paul.

“That ain’t true,” Lue said, per Clippers beat writer Joey Linn (Twitter link). “How he gonna play and I’m not talking to him? There was a stretch when he wasn’t gonna play and be out of the rotation, it was tough for him because he’s a competitor.”

Lue added he wasn’t part of the final conversation with Paul when the future Hall of Famer was told by team officials that he was no longer welcome around the club. Lue added that Clippers players aren’t happy about the decision but he has “no problem with Chris.”

Here’s more on the Los Angeles teams:

Lakers guard Marcus Smart is not on the injury report for the team’s NBA Cup game against the Spurs on Wednesday. Smart missed the last six games due to a back ailment. “Back is feeling good. Felt good in practice today … I’m gonna give it a shot tomorrow and see how it feels,” Smart said, according to Lakers reporter Mike Trudell (Twitter link).
In fact, the Lakers could be at full strength on Wednesday. Maxi Kleber (lumbar muscle strain) is the only player who is questionable, Marc Stein tweets.
LeBron James scored 29 points — a season high — against Philadelphia on Sunday, including 10 straight points in the fourth quarter. He feels he’s rounding into form, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN. “At 40 years old, I mean, it just takes a while for my body to kind of get back into a rhythm,” James said. “And so it felt good (Sunday) to kind of feel like myself a little bit.”

Monte Morris In Advanced Talks With Olympiacos

December 9th, 2025 at 7:26pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Greece’s Olympiacos is in advanced talks with veteran NBA guard Monte Morris, according to Michalis Stefanou of Eurohoops.net.

There’s optimism from the Greek club that they’ll be able to ink Morris sooner rather than later on a one-year contract. Morris became a free agent when the Pacers waived him on Nov. 21 after he appeared in six games, averaging just 10.8 minutes per game.

Indiana signed him two weeks earlier. The Pacers originally planned to sign Morris to compete for a roster spot in training camp, but the deal fell through when he sustained a calf injury in late September. Morris, 30, played 45 games (12.7 MPG) for Phoenix in 2024/25, averaging 5.2 PPG, 1.6 APG and 1.5 RPG on .426/.360/.826 shooting.

He’s also played for the Nuggets, Pistons and Timberwolves.

Frank Ntilikina, Saben Lee and Evan Fournier are among the former NBA players on the Olympiacos roster.

Raptors’ Quickley To Miss NBA Cup Game With Illness

December 9th, 2025 at 6:04pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Raptors guard Immanuel Quickley will miss his team’s NBA Cup quarterfinal game against the Knicks tonight due to an illness, Steve Popper of Newsday tweets.

It’s a big blow to Toronto’s chances of advancing. The Raptors are already without RJ Barrett, who is sidelined by a right knee sprain. The good news is that Jamal Shead, who was listed as questionable with a right quad contusion, will play tonight.

Quickley has started all 25 games for Toronto, averaging 16.5 points, 6.2 assists, 4.2 assists and 1.2 assists in 32.2 minutes per game. Shead figures to receive the bulk of his minutes with Ja’Kobe Walter also seeing plenty of action.

Heat Notes: Adebayo, Big Lineup, Fontecchio, Herro

December 9th, 2025 at 4:50pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Heat–Magic matchup in the quarterfinals of the NBA Cup will begin shortly. Bam Adebayo believes Miami can not only make noise during the in-season tournament but also the postseason.

“People are going to call us crazy, but I think we’re a contender,” Adebayo told Marc J. Spears of Andscape. “We’re going to be called delusional. But how I look at delusion [is] if you ask how many people could be NBA players, what is the percentage of that? So, you’ve got to have a little bit of delusion when it comes to speaking stuff into existence. Like I always say, ‘Speak stuff into existence that matters.’ Manifest things that matter. Being able to just dream about that, write it down and keep looking at that. That goes a long way. And some of that is real. So, I think we’re contenders when we’re fully healthy.”

Adebayo has embraced the role of team leader and face of the franchise.

“This season, for sure, it’s like I’m the one in the driver’s seat,” Adebayo said. “That’s a big responsibility. It’s a big ask. But if they didn’t believe in me, they wouldn’t put me in the seat. That’s how I look at it. If I haven’t done things in the past where they were comfortable with saying, ‘He can be our guide,’ and I wouldn’t be in this seat.”

Here’s more on the Heat:

Coach Erik Spoelstra is banking on the two-big lineup of Adebayo and Kel’el Ware to show improvement. “I just want to see that group, when we play bigger, just for it to be a plus,” Spoelstra said, per Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald. “So we have some work to do there. It should be a very good defensive group, but that’s a group that hasn’t been able to defend so far, and we’ve got to continue to work at that.” The Heat has been outscored by 12.5 points per 100 possessions in the 123 minutes that they’ve played together this season.
Simone Fontecchio snapped a 3-point shooting slump by hitting four against the Kings on Saturday. Spoelstra didn’t consider taking him out of the rotation despite his shooting woes. “For us we know the value that he brings,” Spoelstra said, per Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel. “One way or another, he gives you the gravity. But all the other details, we’ve been really encouraged by the team defense that he provides. He’s very detailed. He’s intentional. He wants to do the right thing defensively. He also has a toughness about him. He handles his own under the basket, rebounding against bigger players. He sticks his nose in there.”
After a two-game absence with a toe contusion, Tyler Herro was cleared to return for tonight’s game. Herro is averaging 23.8 points in the five games he’s played. He’s in the starting lineup tonight, Chiang tweets.

Pelicans Notes: Queen, Jones, Murphy, Poole, Zion

December 9th, 2025 at 4:05pm CST by Luke Adams

Two of the league’s most promising rookies had the best games of their respective NBA careers on Monday in New Orleans. The Spurs and Dylan Harper, who scored 22 points and handed out six assists in 26 minutes off the bench, ultimately came out on top, with a three-point win over the Pelicans and Derik Queen.

Still, it was a memorable night for Queen, who became the first rookie center to ever record a 30-point triple-double, per ESPN’s Michael C. Wright, with 33 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists. The big man also blocked four shots and was a +14 in 33 minutes.

“Special night for him,” Pelicans interim head coach James Borrego said of his standout rookie. “He was great. He did a really good job defensively on the boards, controlled the offense. We ran a lot of our stuff through him. He was fantastic.”

Although Monday’s loss dropped the Pelicans to a league-worst 3-22 on the season, Queen’s ongoing emergence is one reason for optimism, according to Rod Walker of NOLA.com (subscription required). Walker adds that the rookie’s strong play may help turn down the heat on head of basketball operations Joe Dumars, who faced loud criticism for his decision to trade an unprotected 2026 pick to move up 10 spots for Queen in June.

Those critics are unlikely to go away if the pick Dumars sent to Atlanta in that deal lands in the top three next June, especially since there will always be questions about whether the Pelicans could’ve moved up from No. 23 to No. 13 in this year’s draft without giving up quite such a valuable asset. However, if Queen – who will turn 21 later this month – continues to turn in performance like Monday’s, the deal could turn into a win-win for the Pelicans and Hawks.

Here’s more from out of New Orleans:

William Guillory of The Athletic considers what sort of in-season trades to expect from the Pelicans, writing that he views Herbert Jones as more likely to be moved than Trey Murphy III, though there’s no guarantee New Orleans will seriously consider dealing either player. Guillory notes that a move involving Zion Williamson would be easier to complete in the offseason than before the trade deadline, and adds that high-priced guards Jordan Poole and Dejounte Murray and role players Saddiq Bey and Kevon Looney could also emerge as trade candidates.
Although there’s still skepticism around the league that the Pelicans will trade either Jones or Murphy this season, Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link) says he spoke to five separate rival teams last week that said New Orleans isn’t shutting down inquiries on those players like the front office has in the past.
Poole, who has been sidelined since November 4 due to a quad strain, participated in some parts of Tuesday’s practice, according to Borrego, who said the plan is for Poole to go through a full practice on Wednesday (Twitter link via Guillory).
In a subscriber-only column for NOLA.com, Walker takes a look at the latest disappointing turn of events in the Williamson saga. This was supposed to be a “get-right” season for the former No. 1 overall pick, Walker writes, but hamstring and adductor strains have limited the two-time All-Star to just 10 appearances, and the Pelicans haven’t played well with or without him.

And-Ones: Reddish, Two-Ways, Rozier, East, All-In Trades

December 9th, 2025 at 3:31pm CST by Luke Adams

Veteran NBA forward Cam Reddish, who signed with BC Šiauliai in September, has officially left the team and returned to the U.S. for personal reasons, the Lithuanian club announced in a press release.

The 10th overall pick in the 2019 draft, Reddish spent six years in the NBA, playing for the Hawks, Knicks, Trail Blazers, and Lakers. He failed to develop into a reliable offensive threat during that time, averaging 8.5 points per game on .398/.322/.821 shooting in 254 total outings (116 starts).

In nine appearances in the Lithuanian Basketball League this season, Reddish averaged 14.7 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per contest.

We have more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

As Keith Smith of Spotrac tweets, there are a dozen players on two-way contracts around the NBA who are already approaching the halfway point of their active-game limit of 50 games. While promotions to standard rosters may not happen quite yet, teams will be looking for a way to accommodate their two-way standouts later in the season. Bobby Marks of ESPN points out (via Twitter) that 22 of the 26 conversions from two-ways to standard deals last season occurred after February 1.
Jim Trusty, the attorney for Terry Rozier, said an arbitration hearing with the NBA has been scheduled for December 17 to determine whether the Heat guard will continue not to be paid, per Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic. The federal judge overseeing Rozier’s case said that Dec. 17 hearing and other NBA proceedings won’t affect the schedule for the case.
Vincent Goodwill of ESPN takes a look at five key players (beyond the most obvious names) who could play significant roles in determining which team comes out of the Eastern Conference this season.
There may be one or more teams prepared to go “all-in” for Giannis Antetokounmpo if the Bucks superstar requests a trade, but Howard Beck of The Ringer makes the case that the history of all-in deals doesn’t point toward it being a fruitful approach for most buyers.

Fischer’s Latest: Gafford, Pacers, CP3, Clippers, Turner, Warriors

December 9th, 2025 at 2:45pm CST by Luke Adams

Earlier today, Shams Charania of ESPN passed along several rumors related to the NBA’s trade market, including the fact that the Pacers are on the lookout for a long-term answer at center and that Daniel Gafford is among the players the Mavericks are willing to discuss in trade talks.

In his own look at the trade market on Tuesday, Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link) links those two items, reporting that the Pacers are believed to have interest in Gafford, who could make sense as a pick-and-roll partner for Tyrese Haliburton once the star point guard returns from his Achilles tear.

As we noted earlier in the day, Gafford signed a three-year extension during the offseason that will run through 2028/29, but he remains trade-eligible because that three-year, $54MM+ deal didn’t exceed the NBA’s extend-and-trade restrictions.

It’s unclear exactly what sort of return the Mavs would be seeking for the veteran center, but Obi Toppin ($14MM) or a package of Bennedict Mathurin ($9.2MM) and Tony Bradley ($2.9MM) are a couple examples of potential matches for Gafford ($14.4MM) from a salary perspective. Indiana also controls all of its own future first-round picks and most of its second-rounders.

Here are a few more highlights from Fischer’s latest rumor round-up:

According to Fischer, the Clippers fully intend to work with Chris Paul and his representatives at CAA to find a new home for the veteran point guard, who may be the top candidate to be dealt on December 15 when dozens of players become newly trade-eligible. Playing close to his home in Los Angeles was Paul’s top priority in the offseason, but Fischer wonders if playing time will be a more important factor for the future Hall of Famer this time around, pointing out that CP3’s dissatisfaction grew as his minutes decreased in L.A.
Outside of Paul, the Clippers aren’t considered likely to pursue any significant deals right away when trade season unofficially opens next Monday, says Fischer, adding that he views Ivica Zubac, James Harden, and Kawhi Leonard as unlikely candidates to be moved — at least for now. Sam Amick of The Athletic made a similar point during an appearance on FanDuel’s Run it Back show on Tuesday (Twitter video link), pointing out half-jokingly that Clippers owner Steve Ballmer has an “inexplicable, borderline insane addiction to this group.”
Maintaining cap flexibility beginning in 2027 remains a top priority for the Clippers, according to Fischer, who hears from sources that the team never offered Norman Powell a contract extension before trading him to the Heat over the summer. The Clippers’ front office expected Powell to seek a new deal in the neighborhood of $30MM, per Fischer.
While Giannis Antetokounmpo would obviously be of greater interest if the Bucks become sellers, Fischer suggests that Milwaukee center Myles Turner could be a target worth watching for the Warriors as they explore the market for potential deals involving Jonathan Kuminga. Golden State has had interest in Turner in the past, having discussed scenarios involving Kuminga, Buddy Hield, and Andrew Wiggins back when the big man was still in Indiana, Fischer writes.

Kings Rumors: Long-Term Plan, DeRozan, Sabonis, Kuminga

December 9th, 2025 at 1:52pm CST by Luke Adams

Appearing on FanDuel’s Run it Back show on Tuesday (Twitter video link), Sam Amick of The Athletic said that Kings general manager Scott Perry is trying to keep team owner Vivek Ranadive “at bay” and sell him on taking a long-term view toward rebuilding Sacramento’s roster.

“(Perry is trying to) convince him that this might take three, four, or five years to turn around,” Amick said.

In a follow-up tweet, Amick clarifies that Ranadive – who has historically been very involved in the team’s roster decisions – isn’t pushing back on a plan to rebuild the roster. Perry is simply making it clear, Amick says, that the organization’s approach needs to be extremely “patient and prudent.”

According to Amick, the Kings’ roster is very much “in flux,” with only a very small handful of younger players, such as forward Keegan Murray and rookie Nique Clifford, looking like locks to be part of Sacramento’s future.

Here’s more on the Kings:

Within the same FanDuel appearance, Amick said he views DeMar DeRozan as a more likely in-season trade candidate than either Zach LaVine or Domantas Sabonis, who have larger contracts that would be more difficult to move.
Sabonis is at his best when he can be the hub of an offense, according to Amick, but most teams wouldn’t be targeting him to be that player, which would be another factor that makes a trade more complicated. “I’ve talked to his camp recently,” Amick said of Sabonis. “It does not sound like they anticipate (him) being moved at the deadline. It’s more a message of patience.”
The Kings, who seemed to be Jonathan Kuminga‘s top rival suitor when he was a restricted free agent this past offseason, remain interested in the Warriors forward, Marc J. Spears of Andscape said during Monday’s edition of NBA Today on ESPN (YouTube link). However, according to Spears, the Kings may no longer be willing to offer what they did over the summer. “They threw (Malik) Monk at it before, and a first(-round pick),” Spears said. “But I don’t think that first would be available anymore.”