Latest On Ja Morant
Following a six-game absence due to a right calf injury, Ja Morant returned to action on Sunday and delivered one of his best performances of the season in the Grizzlies‘ 126-109 victory over the Magic in London.
According to Damichael Cole of the Memphis Commercial Appeal, Morant became the first player in franchise history to record 20 points and 10 assists in the first half of a game. He ultimately finished with 24 points and 13 assists in just 28 minutes of action.
Given the public trade rumors swirling around Morant, the performance left some wondering how the game could impact his perceived trade value around the league, but the guard made a point after the game to emphasize his desire to stay in Memphis, Marc Stein writes for The Stein Line (Substack link).
“I’m a very loyal guy,” Morant said. “I got a (Grizzlies) logo on my back, so that should tell you exactly where I want to be,” he added, referencing a tattoo of the Grizzlies bear on his back.
As Stein writes, Memphis has been willing to listen to offers on Morant due to the fact that impressive outings like Sunday’s have been rarer in recent years. Morant hasn’t played seven consecutive games since the 2022/23 season, and the injuries have seemingly taken a toll on his game. He is getting to the rim at the lowest rate of his career, while simultaneously having his worst shooting season as a pro.
However, Stein also notes that the team seems to have had a real bonding experience during this in-season trip abroad, saying that Morant was “at the heart of all the good vibes.”
In a final update on Morant, Stein reports that the Heat, whose interest in the two-time All-Star had been previously reported as “tepid,” aren’t interested in making a trade that would eat into the assets they could offer in a potential Giannis Antetokounmpo deal. Miami believes itself to be a real threat to land the Bucks star if he asks for a trade and doesn’t want to compromise its position on that front.
Injury Notes: Green, Herro, Lakers, Knicks
The Suns are rolling, winning 11 of their past 16 games, including two victories over the Knicks in just over a week. They’re currently fighting for a top-six seed in the Western Conference and boast a 25-17 record, despite having spent most of the season playing without Jalen Green, a key offseason addition.
“We miss Jalen,” Booker said after Phoenix’s latest win over New York on Saturday, per Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic. “I think Jalen, he’s another person out there that’ll have rim presence for us and draw a lot of fouls. [Collin Gillespie], he’s really punctual. He’s going to get to his middy. Grayson (Allen) has some rim pressure, but we’re all getting excited for Jalen.”
Allen echoed Booker’s sentiment and expressed excitement about how Green could fit into the offense.
“Just another guy who can create his own shot, create advantages for other people,” Allen said. “Make tough shots. Draw two defenders. He’s a big-time scorer. So he’ll help a lot.”
The wait for Green’s return may be over. According to Rankin (Twitter link), the fifth-year guard is listed as questionable for Monday’s game against the Nets. While his return isn’t guaranteed, coach Jordan Ott spoke in optimistic terms after the team’s shootaround on Saturday.
“Everything seemed to be good,” Ott said of Green’s third stint of five-on-five work. “So, we’ll see. Still going in the right direction.”
Booker hinted that Green could have returned earlier, suggesting that the Suns were being cautious with his recovery.
“He’s been licking his chops getting ready for this moment,” Booker said. “I think we’ve overdone it with keeping him out. He’s going to be healthy and strong and ready to go.”
We have more injury notes from around the NBA:
- Tyler Herro didn’t travel with the Heat for their five-game road trip after suffering a rib contusion that caused him to miss Saturday’s game against the Thunder, writes Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel (via Twitter). While initial reports indicated that the injury was on the more minor side, he is now set to undergo an MRI, per Winderman (Twitter link), and it’s unclear how many more games he’ll be held out for. Herro has been plagued by injuries for most of the season, having missed 31 of Miami’s first 42 games.
- Lakers stars Luka Doncic and LeBron James are questionable to play in Sunday night’s matchup against the Raptors, tweets Marc Stein. Doncic is dealing with left groin soreness, while James continues to fight through left foot joint arthritis and sciatica. The Lakers are still missing their third star, Austin Reaves, due to the calf strain that has sidelined him since Christmas.
- The Knicks are in a tailspin, having lost eight of their last 10 games, and they may have to make do without two of their leaders against the beat-up Mavericks on Monday. Stefan Bondy notes (via Twitter) that Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart are both listed as questionable for the game. Brunson, the team’s captain and offensive hub, is dealing with a right ankle sprain, while Josh Hart, who in many ways represents the team’s emotional leader, has right ankle soreness.
- While the Mavericks are still missing a majority of the top end of their roster, including P.J. Washington (personal reasons), Daniel Gafford (right ankle sprain), and D’Angelo Russell (illness), they got a bit of good news, as star rookie Cooper Flagg was upgraded to questionable as he looks to return from a left ankle sprain, per Dallas Morning News’ Mike Curtis (Twitter link).
NBA Europe Notes: Alba Berlin, PSG, Barcelona, Italian Teams
The NBA is moving forward on laying the groundwork for its European league, with an eye on launching in October 2027, and Germany’s Alba Berlin appears likely to be a major part of that new league, writes The Athletic’s Joe Vardon.
According to Vardon, one of the reasons this weekend’s Grizzlies/Magic games in Berlin and London were so important is that those two cities are being eyed as possible anchor teams for the NBA’s European league, with Alba Berlin expected to be the representative for the German capital.
“To me, they are an exemplar of how a top-tier club should be run and organized,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver said. “[With] their tremendous youth programs, they have deep fan support. They’ve created enormous enthusiasm around the game. Look no further than the Wagner brothers, who were developed, as part of the Alba Berlin ecosystem. So, they are the model of the type of club that we would like to see in a potential European league.”
While Alba Berlin doesn’t have rich parent organizations like Barcelona, it’s considered to have one of the most impressive farm systems of any team in the world, Vardon writes, with a network of coaches and employees around the city who are ready to train anyone who picks up a basketball.
The German club also has a cleaner path to joining the NBA’s league than many, given that it no longer has an agreement in place with the EuroLeague.
“EuroLeague is not financially sustainable for the licensed clubs, and especially for the non-licensed clubs,” said owner Axel Schweitzer. “I’m not saying it’s good or bad (for everyone), but for us, with the NBA and the potential to tap into the market … we feel it’s possible to achieve much more than what’s been in reach.”
We have more updates on teams linked to NBA Europe:
- Silver is hopeful that a partnership can be struck with French soccer powerhouse Paris Saint-Germain, writes Javier Molero of EuroHoops. “They play at the highest level of competition (in soccer), and they have the know-how to operate a basketball club at the highest level, if they’re interested,” Silver said. “Yes, it’s a club we’re talking to.” NBA deputy commissioner Mark Tatum expanded on the league’s interest in the club. “There’s their ability to create a brand, a culture, their association with the Jordan Brand, which is linked to basketball,” Tatum said. “We’re looking for the right partners for our project, and PSG brings a very interesting level of expertise in terms of marketing, promotion, and building a global brand.”
- FC Barcelona is looking less likely to join the ground floor of the NBA’s European league, Alex Molina reports for Eurohoops. Molina notes that Barcelona is expected to formally approve a 10-year commitment to EuroLeague at the end of this week, though he adds that this decision would not fully eliminate the possibility of Barcelona eventually joining the NBA’s venture should it prove to be a stable, long-term alternative.
- Silver and the NBA are also hoping to land an Italian team. They have meetings scheduled with Olimpia Milano and AC Milan on Monday, per Kevin Martorano of Sportando. Inter Milan will not attend the meeting, indicating that they are less likely to consider joining the nascent league. According to Martorano, the meeting will allow the NBA to illustrate what such a partnership would look like, economically and in terms of managing franchises within the league.
Blazers Notes: Avdija, Injuries, Love, Cissoko, Hinson
Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija has been upgraded to questionable for Sunday’s game in Sacramento, the team announced (Twitter link). As Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report observes (via Twitter), the upgraded status is a good sign for Avdija potentially returning after missing three games with a lower back strain.
Avdija is having an excellent season for Portland, averaging 26.1 points, 7.1 rebounds and 6.9 assists on .468/.355/.801 shooting in 40 appearances (35.4 minutes per game). The 25-year-old suffered the back injury last Sunday against New York.
Jrue Holiday, Jerami Grant and Robert Williams are all doubtful to suit up on the second night of a back-to-back. Holiday and Grant recently returned from lengthy injury absences, while Williams has battled knee issues for years.
Here’s more on the Trail Blazers:
- Portland has dealt with a series of injuries in 2025/26, but improved to 21-22 with a 16-point victory over the Lakers on Saturday. According to Joe Freeman of The Oregonian, the team feels as though it’s rounding into form. “It feels like we’re starting to be the team that everyone thought we were going to be at the beginning of the year,” center Donovan Clingan said, flashing a wide smile. “Hopefully, once we get everyone healthy, we’re going to make a big jump and we’re going to start winning a lot of games. This is just the start of it and it feels really good.”
- Two-way players Caleb Love and Sidy Cissoko have emerged as viable members of the rotation in the wake of the injuries. Love, who went undrafted out of Arizona in 2025, recorded 22 points and seven assists in yesterday’s win and has now scored 10-plus points in 14 straight games, per the Blazers (Twitter link). The 24-year-old guard has also made multiple three-pointers in 14 consecutive games, tied for the second-longest streak by a rookie in league history.
- As Highkin recently noted, Love and Cissoko are nearing their active-game limits and both players have made cases to be converted to standard deals. If and when those conversions occur, Highkin believes the Blazers should promote Rip City Remix standout Blake Hinson to a two-way contract. The 6’8″ forward has played 21 games (32.6 MPG) with Portland’s G League affiliate in ’25/26, averaging 24.4 PPG, 4.5 RPG and 2.4 APG on .491/.388/.717 shooting.
Jalen Williams Suffers Right Hamstring Strain, Out Indefinitely
3:06 pm: Williams has been diagnosed with a right hamstring strain and will be out for Monday’s game at Cleveland, tweets Rylan Stiles of Sports Illustrated. The Thunder are typically cagey about providing injury timelines, but based on the diagnosis, Williams seems likely to miss multiple weeks.
9:30 am: Thunder forward Jalen Williams suffered a right leg injury during Saturday’s loss at Miami, writes Justin Martinez of The Oklahoman (subscription required). Williams was technically ruled out with what the team called right thigh soreness, but he grabbed at his hamstring when the injury occurred about halfway through the second quarter (YouTube link).
Williams was able to limp off the court on his own, but he was hunched over in pain and was holding the back of his right leg (where the hamstring is located) for most of his steps. Head coach Mark Daigneault said the 24-year-old will be checked out on Sunday, tweets Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press.
The former Santa Clara star was sidelined for the first 19 games of the 2025/26 campaign after undergoing a pair of surgeries on his right wrist. Williams has made 24 appearances so far this season, averaging 16.8 points, 5.6 assists, 4.8 rebounds and 1.3 steals in 29.6 minutes per contest, with a shooting line of .470/.300/.833.
The fourth-year wing earned numerous accolades in ’24/25, making his first All-Star, All-NBA (third team) and All-Defensive (second team) appearances. He played a key role in helping Oklahoma City win the 2025 NBA Finals.
Williams didn’t talk to reporters after Saturday’s game, but he did make an ominous post on Instagram about the possible severity of the injury, per Andrew Schlect of The Athletic (Twitter link). The post is an image of a child in a toilet attempting to flush himself.
In another subscriber-only story for The Oklahoman, Martinez notes that Chet Holmgren will likely take on a larger scoring role if Williams misses additional time due to the leg injury.
Darius Garland Has Grade 1 Toe Sprain, Out At Least One Week
Two-time All-Star Darius Garland has been diagnosed with a Grade 1 right great toe sprain and will be reevaluated in seven-to-10 days, the Cavaliers announced in a press release.
Garland, a 6’1″ point guard, suffered the injury in the third quarter of Wednesday’s win in Philadelphia. He underwent imaging at the Cleveland Clinic on Saturday, which revealed the Grade 1 sprain.
According to the Cavaliers, Garland will receive treatment and rehabilitate the toe injury over the next week or so until he’s checked out again.
It’s a tough setback for the 25-year-old, who has already missed extended time this season due to a toe injury on his opposite foot.
Garland underwent surgery over the offseason to address a great toe injury on his left foot. He missed the first eight games of 2025/26 while recovering from that surgery, then re-injured his left big toe in November, causing him to miss another five games (eight if you include not playing both ends of back-to-backs).
Garland got off to a slow start this season while dealing with the lingering effects of that left toe injury, averaging just 15.4 points and 6.4 assists on .363/.295/.870 shooting in his first 12 games (29.8 minutes per contest). However, he has started to round into form over the past month, averaging 20.1 PPG and 7.4 APG on .522/.419/.848 shooting in his last 14 games (30.9 MPG).
With Garland out at least four more games (he missed Friday’s rematch with the 76ers), Craig Porter Jr., Jaylon Tyson and Tyrese Proctor are among the Cavs who could get more playing time.
Warriors Notes: Hield, Butler, Richard, Kerr, More
Veteran guard/forward Buddy Hield capitalized in his unexpected return to the Warriors‘ rotation during Saturday’s win vs. Charlotte, writes Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area. Hield, one of the most prolific three-point shooters in NBA history, has struggled from long distance in a limited role this season, converting just 32.7% of his outside attempts.
Hield got an opportunity to play Saturday because Jimmy Butler was a (very) late scratch because of personal reasons. The 33-year-old finished with 14 points (on 5-of-8 shooting), three rebounds, three blocks and two steals in 18 minutes.
“It was great. He’s one of the best teammates I’ve ever seen,” head coach Steve Kerr said. “Just the way he conducts himself. His energy, his joy — whether he’s playing or not — it’s just the light that he brings to the locker room every day is infectious and powerful. He’s just an incredible guy to coach. I was happy for him that he had that night given that he’s been out of the loop for a while.”
Here’s more on the Warriors:
- Butler was announced as a starter during pregame player introductions, so the crowd at Chase Center was confused when rookie Will Richard — not Butler — was part of the starting lineup, Johnson notes. General manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. told Kerr that everything was OK with Butler, according to Johnson (Twitter link).
- Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area shares his takeaways from Saturday’s victory, which featured solid performances from Richard (11 points, six rebounds, five assists, three steals), De’Anthony Melton (24 points, six rebounds, three assists) and Brandin Podziemski (16 points, seven assists, six rebounds, two steals), among others.
- Kerr said prior to Saturday’s game that he doesn’t think another team will be able to break Golden State’s regular season record of 73 wins, which came back in ’15/16, as Nick Friedell of The Athletic relays. “I remember at the time I thought, ‘No way,’” Kerr said. “And then, about a month ago, I thought it would be broken. And now, I don’t think there’s any way anybody’s gonna break it again. It’s such a difficult thing, but Oklahoma City looked like they were on their way to doing it. But the reason it’s so hard is just you have to have good health — you have to have some luck. And most teams probably aren’t going to push themselves that hard to get there. It’s so difficult. My guess is it won’t be broken.”
Injury Notes: Reid, Giddey, M. Wagner, Alvarado, H. Jones
Big man Naz Reid, who was starting in place of Rudy Gobert, was ruled out after playing just five minutes in Saturday’s loss at San Antonio due to soreness in his left shoulder, the Timberwolves announced (via Twitter).
It’s unclear if Reid, the 2024 Sixth Man of the Year, will miss additional time as a result of the shoulder injury.
The 26-year-old forward/center had been playing some of his best basketball of the season in the four games leading up to Saturday, averaging 21.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.0 steal and 1.0 block per night on .604/.577/.700 shooting during that brief stretch (29.8 minutes per contest).
Here are a few more injury updates from around the NBA:
- Bulls guard Josh Giddey has been assigned to the G League’s Windy City Bulls as he works his way back from a left hamstring strain, per the team (Twitter link). Assuming Sunday’s practice goes well, Giddey should be back in action either Tuesday against the Clippers or Thursday at Minnesota, tweets K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network.
- While there’s no indication that he experienced a setback, Magic center Moritz Wagner was ruled out of Sunday’s game vs. Memphis with what the team called left knee injury management (Twitter link). The German big man just made his season debut last Sunday after missing most of 2024/25 with a torn ACL in his left knee.
- A pair of trade candidates for the Pelicans continue to be sidelined with injuries. Guard Jose Alvarado will miss his seventh consecutive game Sunday at Houston due to a left oblique strain, while forward Herbert Jones remains out with a right ankle sprain (link to injury report). Jones, who made the All-Defensive First Team in 2023/24, will miss his 14th game as a result of the injury.
Mavericks Notes: Christie, Thompson, Williams, Martin
Max Christie returned to action on Saturday and helped spark a Mavericks victory, writes Eddie Sefko of Mavs.com. The 22-year-old guard had missed Dallas’ previous two games because of an illness that has impacted multiple players, Sefko notes.
Christie finished with 22 points (on 7-of-13) shooting, four assists, two rebounds and two steals and was plus-29 in 26 minutes during Saturday’s 18-point win over Utah.
“He’s one of our best shooters and most athletic guys, so offensively, he helps us there,” head coach Jason Kidd said. “But we missed him on the defensive end, too. To get him back from illness is good.
“He just competes (defensively). He’s one of those guys who can go both ways. He can have an impact on defense, too.”
Here’s more on the Mavs:
- Guard/forward Klay Thompson passed Damian Lillard for fourth place on the NBA’s all-time made three-pointers list on Thursday and reached another milestone on Saturday, per Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News. Thompson, who scored 23 points (on 7-of-11 shooting) in 20 minutes, eclipsed 17,000 career points during the victory. “It’s been awesome, especially when I shoot the ball well and we win. What a nice combo,” Thompson said of his historic week.
- Backup guard Brandon Williams, who will be a free agent in the offseason, had another productive game, Curtis adds. The 27-year-old finished with 22 points (on 8-of-13 shooting), five assists, four rebounds and two steals and was plus-30 in 28 minutes.
- While his contributions were fairly modest on Saturday (six rebounds, five assists, three points in 21 minutes), veteran wing Caleb Martin was coming off his best two-game stretch as a Maverick, averaging 14.5 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 4.5 APG and 3.0 SPG while shooting 83.3% on twos and 60% on threes, Curtis writes in another story. The 30-year-old was slowed by a hip injury for several months, but he says he’s feeling much healthier now compared to the start of the season. “Just thinking less. Feeling better,” said Martin, who has started the past two games in place of Cooper Flagg (sprained ankle). “Just trying to get as much rhythm as I can. … I’m one of the guys who tries to impact as much as I can as quick as I possibly can. It’s not always going to be an offensive mindset first coming into the game so just trying to let the game come to me.”
Kawhi Leonard Out At Least Two More Games With Knee Injury
Star forward Kawhi Leonard is being sent home to Los Angeles for treatment on his injured left knee and will miss the final two games of the Clippers‘ road trip, the team announced (Twitter link via Law Murray of The Athletic). The Clips play at Washington on Monday and at Chicago on Tuesday.
Leonard, who missed Friday’s overtime win in Toronto with a right ankle sprain and left knee contusion, is dealing with irritation in his knee. He will be checked out again when the team returns to Los Angeles on Wednesday.
According to NBA insider Chris Haynes, who first reported the news (Twitter link), Leonard’s knee injury isn’t considered serious. The six-time All-NBA member sustained the contusion in a January 10 victory at Detroit.
The 33-year-old also missed 10 games in November with right foot and ankle injuries. The Clippers are 3-8 without Leonard so far in 2025/26.
Leonard has played at an MVP level during the Clippers’ dramatic turnaround. They were 6-21 on December 18 but have gone 12-2 since, currently holding an 18-23 record, good for the No. 10 seed in the Western Conference.
In 30 games this season (33.8 minutes per contest), Leonard is averaging a career-high 28.2 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.2 steals, with an excellent .499/.399/.941 shooting line.
Kobe Sanders and Jordan Miller, who are both on two-way contracts, have played important roles for the Clippers recently and are likely to receive more minutes with Leonard out.