Atlanta Hawks Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Stein’s Latest: Davis, Mavs, VanVleet, Lakers

January 4th, 2026 at 5:02pm CST by Eli Cohen

The Hawks and Mavericks are in something of a holding pattern when it comes to a potential Anthony Davis trade, Marc Stein reports for The Stein Line (subscriber link).

Given Atlanta’s tendency to avoid the luxury tax, Stein writes that it’s unlikely that the team will add Davis’ contract, which will pay him $58.5MM next season and $62.8MM in the 2027/28 season, without moving Trae Young, who has a $48.9MM player option for next season.

Stein adds that, despite previous reports that the Hawks would be willing to move former No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher in the right deal, his sources indicate that an in-season trade for Davis would not likely be considered one such deal.

Rich Paul, who represents Davis, is also a player in these conversations. Stein notes that Paul has a strong, plugged-in relationship with many of the top decision-makers in the Mavericks organization and that there are indications that he views Atlanta as a good landing spot for his client, though such a deal could have to wait until the offseason.

We have more from Stein’s most recent newsletter:

Regardless of what happens with Davis, it’s clear that the Mavs are taking a hard look at their roster. Stein writes that there’s a belief that everyone on the team outside of Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving is considered potentially on the table. The Mavs are currently 13-23 on the season and have lost six of their last eight games.
When Fred VanVleet tore his ACL during an unofficial Rockets preseason mini-camp, it was expected that he would miss the rest of the 2025/26 season. However, Stein reports that Houston isn’t ruling out a return for the 31-year-old point guard. VanVleet is apparently attacking his rehab process hard with the intention of giving himself the chance of returning to play before the season is over.
The Lakers‘ desire to add a two-way wing such as Herbert Jones or Trey Murphy III is well-documented, but their pathway to adding that player is complicated for multiple reasons. The first is that the two Pelicans’ wings are considered unlikely to be moved before the trade deadline, and the second is that the Lakers are not expected to sacrifice financial flexibility in any deal that doesn’t bring in a player they consider a real needle-mover, Stein writes. With two-way wings being some of the most coveted players around the league, there’s a question of how likely it is that someone who fits the bill will suddenly become available.

Injury Notes: LaVine, D. Jones, T. Young, J. Smith, C. White

January 4th, 2026 at 2:26pm CST by Rory Maher

After missing nine games with a left ankle sprain, Kings wing Zach LaVine will return to action on Sunday against Milwaukee, tweets James Ham of TheKingsBeat.com. Rookie center Maxime Raynaud will also be active after having an injury scare in Friday’s loss to Phoenix.

LaVine is reportedly one of several players the Bucks are monitoring ahead of the trade deadline, so it’s an interesting coincidence that he’s returning today.

Here are a few more injury-relates updates from around the NBA:

Clippers forward Derrick Jones Jr. suffered a right knee injury in Saturday’s loss to Boston and will undergo an MRI on Sunday, reports Law Murray of The Athletic (All Twitter links here). According to Murray, Jones limped to the locker room after being fouled by Payton Pritchard in the fourth quarter. It’s a disappointing development for the high-flying Jones, who just returned to action on December 28 after missing several weeks with a sprained MCL in the same knee.
Hawks point guard Trae Young missed his fourth straight game on Saturday at Toronto, per Brad Rowland of Locked On Hawks (Twitter link). The four-time All-Star has been battling a right quad contusion. Kristaps Porzingis (return to competition reconditioning) was also out for the second night of a back-to-back, which was expected, Rowland notes (via Twitter).
Bulls big man Jalen Smith has entered the NBA’s concussion protocol after taking a hard hit to the head in the third quarter of Saturday’s loss to Charlotte, head coach Billy Donovan said after the game (Twitter link via K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network). Smith has been ruled out of Monday’s contest at Boston after being diagnosed with a concussion (link to injury report). On a brighter note, guard Coby White has a chance to return Monday — he’s questionable with what the team is calling right calf injury management.

Heat Notes: Jaquez, Larsson, Adebayo, Herro

January 3rd, 2026 at 5:55pm CST by Arthur Hill

Jaime Jaquez Jr. has become one of the NBA’s top reserves in his third season, and his Heat teammates view him as a legitimate contender for Sixth Man of the Year honors, Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald writes in a subscriber-only story. Jaquez, who has started just once in his 33 appearances this season, leads the league with 530 points off the bench and is at or near the top in several other categories.

“He definitely should be in the category for Sixth Man of the Year,” Norman Powell said. “He’s been doing a great job all year in putting his imprint on the game and helping us win close games or helping us open up some games with his play style and the force of his downhill attacks that he comes with every single night.”

Jaquez was a member of the All-Rookie Team in 2024, but he suffered through a disappointing second season and was eventually pulled from the rotation. He acknowledges that it took a lot of “hard work” to bring his game back up to the standards of his first year.

“You realize how much you love basketball, how much fun it is to play every single night,” Jaquez said. “It’s really just having fun out there. It’s not fun not playing. Everybody wants to get on the court, so I’m just appreciating how fun the sport is.”

There’s more from Miami:

Pelle Larsson is missing his second straight game tonight with a sprained right ankle, Chiang adds. Larsson had been listed as questionable, but he was downgraded to out shortly before game time.
The Heat have received trade inquiries about Bam Adebayo, but are refusing to consider parting with their star big man, according to NBA analyst Zach Lowe (Twitter video link). “Would they ever include Bam in a package to clear their books and pivot to a younger direction? Other teams I know have for sure asked about Bam and have been told ‘Hell no,’” Lowe said. “As they sniff around at Giannis (Antetokounmpo) and other star players, all of those star players want to play with Bam. I do think the Heat will more than sniff around with Giannis’ situation.”
With the Heat hoping to have Tyler Herro return soon from a toe contusion, Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel (subscription required) talked to Hawks coach Quin Snyder about the difficulty of reintroducing a dominant scorer, since Snyder has been going through the same experience with Trae Young. “A process, that’s what it is,” Snyder said. “And it’s a long runway. Everybody is not going to be acclimated to one another like immediately. … It’s minor adjustments for a lot of guys. And there’s a critical mass of things that you’re going through. You just keep working at it.”

Injury Notes: Warriors, Young, LaVine, Pistons

January 2nd, 2026 at 4:01pm CST by Luke Adams

After previously announcing that Draymond Green would miss Friday’s matchup with the defending champion Thunder, the Warriors have also ruled out Stephen Curry (left ankle sprain) and Jimmy Butler (illness), per Anthony Slater and Shams Charania of ESPN.

It’s the first half of a back-to-back set, and the Warriors are hopeful that all three players will be back on Saturday vs. Utah, according to Slater and Charania. It’s also worth noting that Friday’s game will be nationally televised, which means Curry and Butler couldn’t be rested without legitimate ailments, since they qualify as “stars” under the NBA’s player participation policy. Green, who doesn’t meet the star criteria, is listed on the injury report as out due to “rest.”

With three starters sidelined, forward Jonathan Kuminga is expected to play on Friday for the first time in over two weeks, head coach Steve Kerr said today during a radio appearance on 95.7 The Game (Twitter link).

Here are a few more injury updates from around the NBA:

Hawks guard Trae Young (right quad contusion) has been ruled out for a third consecutive game and won’t be available on Friday in New York, tweets Brad Rowland of Locked on Hawks. Young was initially listed as questionable, which suggests he’s considered day-to-day and should probably return soon, barring a setback.
Kings guard Zach LaVine will miss a ninth straight game on Friday vs. Phoenix due to a left ankle sprain. Asked on Thursday if he had any updates on LaVine’s status, head coach Doug Christie had little to offer, telling reporters there’s “nothing new” (Twitter video link via James Ham of The Kings Beat).
The Pistons were without Tobias Harris (left hip sprain) and Caris LeVert (left knee inflammation) for Thursday’s loss to Miami (Twitter links via Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press and Hunter Patterson of The Athletic). Head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said that LeVert’s injury, which has kept him on the shelf for the past two games, is one they’ve been managing all season and that it “flared up on him” this week. As for Harris, Bickerstaff suggested he would have more info on the forward’s prognosis within the next few days.

Jalen Brunson, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Win Player Of The Month Awards

January 2nd, 2026 at 2:14pm CST by Luke Adams

A pair of star point guards and MVP candidates have been named the NBA’s Players of the Month for December, with Jalen Brunson of the Knicks winning the award in the East and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Thunder claiming it in the West, per the league (Twitter link).

Brunson was named Player of the Week twice in December and led the Knicks to an NBA Cup championship. He averaged 30.6 points, 7.1 assists, and 3.2 rebounds per contest in 13 December outings, posting a strong shooting line of .475/.405/.826 and leading his team to a 10-3 record in the games he played.

Those stats don’t include the NBA Cup final, which doesn’t count toward the regular season, but he was excellent in that game too, racking up 25 points and eight assists as the Knicks toppled the Spurs.

Gilgeous-Alexander, meanwhile, continued to strengthen his case for a second consecutive Most Valuable Player award in 12 December appearances, with averages of 31.4 points, 6.1 assists, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.7 steals per game, and a scorching-hot .594/.436/.882 shooting line.

Gilgeous-Alexander now ranks second in the NBA in scoring (32.1 PPG), while his Thunder – following a 9-4 December – hold the league’s best record at 29-5.

It’s the third time Brunson has won a Player of the Month award and the fifth time Gilgeous-Alexander has earned the honor. Pistons guard Cade Cunningham and Nuggets center Nikola Jokic were the NBA’s first Players of the Month this season, for games played in October and November.

Cunningham was also nominated for the Eastern Conference award in December, along with Celtics wing Jaylen Brown, Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey, Raptors forward Brandon Ingram, Hawks forward, Jalen Johnson, Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell, Nets forward Michael Porter Jr., and Brunson’s teammate Karl-Anthony Towns, according to the NBA (Twitter link).

The other Western Conference nominees were Jokic, Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard, Warriors guard Stephen Curry, Rockets forward Kevin Durant, Spurs guard De’Aaron Fox, Jazz guard Keyonte George, Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg, Trail Blazers teammates Deni Avdija and Shaedon Sharpe, Timberwolves teammates Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle, and Lakers teammates Luka Doncic, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves.

Eastern Notes: Kennard, Pacers, Martin, Hall

January 1st, 2026 at 10:28pm CST by Rory Maher

Luke Kennard had one of his best outings of the 2025/26 campaign in Wednesday’s victory over Minnesota, recording 15 points, six rebounds and five assists in 27 minutes off the bench. However, the veteran shooting guard admits his performance so far with the Hawks hasn’t been up to his typical standard, according to Lauren L. Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Twitter links).

“I’ve had some good moments, good games, but nowhere near what I can be and what I expect of myself,” Kennard said. “They’ve been on me, my teammates and coaches, just to be aggressive and shoot the ball when I can. … I’m here for a reason, and for myself, I’m very hard on myself. I think I can do more, and I’m excited to just build off of it. And today was a great day for everybody, a great team win, and hopefully we can just build off of that.”

Kennard, who signed a one-year, $11MM deal with Atlanta last summer, will be an unrestricted free agent again in 2026.

Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:

After Wednesday’s loss to Orlando, head coach Rick Carlisle said the Pacers have had some in-game disagreements amid their disastrous 6-28 start to the season, per Tony East of Circle City Spin (Twitter link). “In the second half, we played like a together team that was supporting each other and not like strangers. That’s how this has got to be. We’re having too much petty nonsense going on during games that needs to go away,” said Carlisle, who didn’t elaborate on what he meant by “petty nonsense.” When asked about his coach’s comment, forward Aaron Nesmith didn’t disagree, but said it wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. “There may have been some petty nonsense, but I think it comes from a good place,” Nesmith said (Twitter link via East). “I think our competitive spirit in this game was pretty high. Sometimes that bleeds over into disagreeing on calls or guys help… guys are tired of losing.”
The Pacers‘ G League affiliate, the Noblesville Boom, has acquired the returning player rights to Cody Martin in a trade with the Capital City Go-Go, tweets East. The veteran wing had a brief stint with the Pacers earlier this season on a 10-day hardship contract.
South Carolina native PJ Hall, who recently signed a two-way contract with the Hornets covering two seasons, tells Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer it’s “surreal” to join a team he grew up cheering on. “I grew up a Panthers fan, I grew up a Bobcats fan, grew up watching Al Jefferson and then Kemba (Walker) and he’s with the Hornets now,” Hall said. “So, I mean, it’s been awesome and a great experience to be able to come back, have that full circle moment.” The 23-year-old big man has gotten an opportunity to play amid injuries to Mason Plumlee and Ryan Kalkbrenner, and he may even get his first career start Friday at Milwaukee — Moussa Diabate is questionable to suit up due to a right wrist sprain, the Hornets announced (via Twitter).

Bucks, Pistons, Warriors Among Potential MPJ Suitors

January 1st, 2026 at 8:15pm CST by Rory Maher

As we relayed in a Front Office article earlier on Thursday, Nets forward Michael Porter Jr. is an intriguing trade candidate ahead of the February 5 deadline. Just six months after essentially being treated as a salary dump by Denver, Porter has rebuilt his value with an outstanding first season in Brooklyn — he’s averaging career highs of 25.8 PPG, 7.5 RPG and 3.3 APG through 26 games, with an excellent .496/.410/812 shooting line.

“At worst he’s returned to neutral value, which is a major development,” one veteran NBA executive recently told Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link).

Brooklyn has been taking incoming calls on Porter but the team doesn’t appear to be actively trying to move him, Fischer writes. Several people around the league familiar with the Nets’ thinking believe they will be aggressive in trying to accelerate their rebuild next offseason if they land a top pick in the 2026 draft, according to Fischer, who suggests the team might have a fairly high asking price to consider trading Porter mid-season.

Confirming a recent report from Sam Amick of The Athletic, Fischer says the Bucks are one team monitoring Porter’s situation as they look for roster upgrades around Giannis Antetokounmpo. Assuming he plays well in his return from a torn Achilles tendon, which is expected to occur in January, Pelicans guard Dejounte Murray is another player the Bucks could pursue in the coming weeks, multiple sources tell Fischer.

Although the Pistons have not yet called the Nets about Porter, they’re considered a potential suitor for the 27-year-old, Fischer reports. Detroit is my favorite theoretical landing spot for Porter, as he would provide a secondary scorer and top-tier shooter alongside Cade Cunningham. As Fischer writes, the Pistons aren’t expected to make an all-in move for Anthony Davis or Lauri Markkanen, but Porter makes less money than either of those players and likely wouldn’t cost as much to acquire as Markkanen.

The Warriors have considered making a run at Porter, sources tell Fischer, and head coach Steve Kerr praised the 6’10” forward after Monday’s game in Brooklyn. But a two-team deal between the Nets and Warriors appears unlikely right now, per Fischer, as Brooklyn doesn’t seem high on Jonathan Kuminga, whose outgoing salary would be necessary for matching purposes.

While it’s unclear if they’ll be buyers or sellers and they aren’t expected to pick a direction until closer to the deadline, the Bulls are another possible suitor for Porter, according to Fischer, who says Chicago was in serious talks to acquire the former lottery pick from Denver last year for Zach LaVine. Obviously the trade didn’t occur and LaVine is no longer a Bull, but it shows Chicago’s front office has an affinity for Porter.

The Hawks and Sixers are two other teams who expressed interest in Porter when he was still a Nugget, but neither club seems to be targeting him this season, Fischer adds.

Eastern Notes: Edgecombe, Wizards, Hall, Williams, Cavs

December 31st, 2025 at 12:03pm CST by Luke Adams

While he has been overshadowed to some extent by former Duke teammates Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel, Sixers guard VJ Edgecombe has been one of the NBA’s very best rookies so far this season. As Tony Jones of The Athletic writes, Edgecombe is further along his development than anticipated and showed again on Tuesday why Philadelphia made the right call drafting him with the No. 3 overall pick.

In a back-and-forth overtime matchup with Memphis, Edgecombe racked up 25 points, six rebounds, four assists, and four steals in nearly 41 minutes of action. He also knocked down five shots from beyond the arc, including a game-winning three-pointer with two seconds left in the overtime period (video link via NBA.com).

“VJ has been telling us for three weeks that he deserves to shoot a game-winner,” said Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey, who had the assist on that final shot. “I said, OK. I trust him. I knew he would shoot it with confidence. He took the shot, and he made it. We’re blessed to have him. You can thank the basketball gods, or (Sixers president of basketball operations) Daryl Morey, or whoever. He’s got a chance to be a special player.”

We have more from around the Eastern Conference:

The Sixers were able to draft Edgecombe because they were bad enough last season to hang onto a top-six protected 2025 first-round pick. The Wizards find themselves in a similar position this season, with their 2026 first-rounder headed to New York if it doesn’t land in the top eight. As David Aldridge of The Athletic writes, that no longer looks like the lock that it did after Washington lost 15 of its first 16 games this season. The Wizards’ young core has shown positive signs during the team’s recent 4-4 stretch, which bodes well for the future but could jeopardize the team’s 2026 first-round pick if the trend continues.
The two-way contracts recently signed by PJ Hall with the Hornets and Malik Williams with the Hawks each cover two seasons, Hoops Rumors has learned. If Hall and Williams play out those full deals, they’ll be eligible for restricted free agency during the 2027 offseason.
With the Cavaliers off to an 18-16 start after winning 64 games last season and surpassing the second tax apron over the summer, Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron (Substack link) considers potential moves for Cleveland’s front office, exploring whether it would make sense for the team to shake up its roster in a major way at the upcoming trade deadline. As Gozlan outlines, the Cavs’ inability to aggregate salaries will create challenges on the trade market, but players on smaller or mid-sized contracts – like Herbert Jones and Jose Alvarado of the Pelicans – would still theoretically be attainable.

Amick’s Latest: AD, Kuminga, Warriors, Hawks, Trae, Bucks, MPJ, Clippers

December 31st, 2025 at 10:05am CST by Luke Adams

Although team sources tell Sam Amick of The Athletic that the Warriors haven’t fully closed the door on the possibility of pursuing a trade for Mavericks big man Anthony Davis, Amick also hears from club sources that Golden State is “staunchly” opposed to the idea of trading Jimmy Butler or Draymond Green.

The Mavericks do have some interest in Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga, a league source tells Amick. But given that Golden State is operating right up against the second tax apron and Davis is earning $54MM+ this season, it would be nearly impossible to trade for the Warriors to acquire AD without an outgoing salary bigger than Kuminga’s $22.5MM.

Amick adds that it was the Mavericks, not the Warriors, who instigated discussions about the possibility of the two teams making a Davis trade, so it’s not as if Golden State was actively looking for a way to make it work.

Focusing on a handful of teams who look like they need to make a trade, Amick shares several more items of interest in his latest story for The Athletic. Here are more highlights:

Following up on rumors linking Davis to the Hawks, Amick says sources in Atlanta have “pushed back hard” on the idea that the team would be willing to send 2024’s first overall pick, Zaccharie Risacher, to the Mavericks in a deal for the veteran big man. Dallas is known to be seeking young prospects and expiring contracts in return for Davis, but Hawks officials remain bullish on Risacher’s long-term potential based on his second-half performance in 2024/25, Amick explains.
The Hawks appear more open than ever to talking to teams about a potential Trae Young trade, but the veteran guard’s market seems to be limited, according to Amick, who suggests that Atlanta might need to wait until the summer to resolve Young’s situation. “Trae is an extremely difficult player to win at the highest level with,” one rival scout said, explaining why a market for the four-time All-Star hasn’t materialized.
League sources who spoke to Amick added Nets forward Michael Porter Jr. to the growing list of potential trade targets on the Bucks‘ radar. Jerami Grant, Zach LaVine, and Malik Monk are among the other players who have been cited as possible options for Milwaukee.
Despite a very slow start to the season, the Clippers have no plans to sell off veterans and would actually prefer to add an impact player to complement James Harden and Kawhi Leonard, league sources tell Amick. L.A. has been surging as of late, with five consecutive wins, and there have been no signs that Harden is seeking a change of scenery, Amick notes, adding that the Clippers still hope to maintain cap flexibility for the summer of 2027 and will be hesitant to take on any contracts that run beyond that.

Hawks Sign RayJ Dennis To Two-Way Deal

December 31st, 2025 at 9:02am CST by Luke Adams

8:00 pm: The signing is official, per NBA.com’s transaction log.

9:02 am: Just four days after being cut by the Clippers, free agent point guard RayJ Dennis has reached an agreement on a two-way deal with the Hawks, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

Atlanta will be Dennis’ third team of the season. The former Baylor standout opened the fall with the Pacers on a two-way contract that carried over from 2024/25, but was waived on November 30. He signed a new two-way deal with the Clippers on December 4 and spent most of the month with L.A. before being let go on Saturday to make room for TyTy Washington Jr.

A second-year pro, Dennis has appeared in 25 total NBA games for the Pacers and Clippers, but hasn’t seen much playing time. He holds averages of 3.8 points, 1.6 assists, and 1.4 rebounds in 9.7 minutes per contest.

While his NBA output has been modest, Dennis keeps earning new contracts due in large part to his play in the G League. In seven outings this fall for the Noblesville Boom and San Diego Clippers, the 6’1″ guard averaged 20.9 points, 5.4 assists, 3.7 rebounds, and 2.3 steals in 33.1 minutes per game.

News of Dennis’ agreement with Atlanta comes on the heels of the team waiving forward Eli Ndiaye following a season-ending shoulder injury. Dennis will join center Malik Williams and forward Caleb Houstan as the Hawks’ two-way players.

If Dennis officially finalizes his new deal before the end of the day, he’ll be eligible to be active in up to 30 NBA games for his new team. His two-way salary would become fully guaranteed as long as he sticks with the Hawks through next Wednesday (January 7).