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Afseth’s Latest: Spurs, Giannis, J. Johnson, Jazz, Bey

December 23rd, 2025 at 11:31am CST by Luke Adams

The Spurs have flashed tantalizing potential this season with a 21-7 start and a run to the NBA Cup championship game, but league sources who spoke to Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal don’t expect San Antonio to make the sort of significant in-season trade that would compromise the club’s future flexibility.

“They’re not going to sit around being satisfied, but I don’t see them making a move like trading for Giannis (Antetokounmpo),” a source told Afseth. “There are more reasonable options out there. They can be patient and opportunistic.”

According to Afseth, the expectation is that the Spurs will focus on internal growth of their young core this season while preserving their most valuable long-term assets. Still, he says some rival teams have wondered whether San Antonio would be willing to sacrifice some of those assets for another high-level role player who would complement the current group.

“They have the assets to make a trade like Orlando did to add Desmond Bane,” a source said. “It’d have to be someone that fits their timeline. Someone like a Trey Murphy III, for example, could be a strong fit.”

Here are a few more items of interest from Afseth’s latest round-up:

If Antetokounmpo is made available this season, many of the top suitors for the Bucks star are expected to be Eastern Conference clubs, says Afseth. That group includes the Heat, Knicks, Hawks, and Raptors, though rival executives are skeptical that New York would want to break up its roster during the season and Atlanta isn’t expected to make forward Jalen Johnson available, Afseth notes.
While both Afseth and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link) say that hanging onto their top-eight protected 2026 first-round pick is a priority for the Jazz, Fischer writes that Utah also wants to “establish a winning environment” sooner rather than later. Lauri Markkanen and Keyonte George – along with 2026 restricted free agent Walker Kessler – are viewed as cornerstones for the Jazz, with Kyle Anderson, Jusuf Nurkic, Kevin Love, and Georges Niang considered potential in-season trade candidates, per Afseth. Afseth adds that both management and ownership have confidence that Will Hardy is the right head coach to guide the team out of its rebuilding stage.
Pelicans forward Saddiq Bey is increasingly piquing the interest of teams in need of help on the wing, according to Afseth, who published a full story on Sunday examining Bey’s return to action this season following a torn ACL. The 26-year-old is averaging 15.0 points and 6.1 rebounds in 29.5 minutes per game through 29 outings (21 starts) for New Orleans.

Hawks’ N’Faly Dante Out For Season With Torn ACL

December 23rd, 2025 at 10:06am CST by Luke Adams

Hawks center N’Faly Dante has been diagnosed with a torn ACL in his right knee, the team announced today in a press release. According to the Hawks, Dante will undergo surgery in January and will miss the rest of the 2025/26 season.

Dante suffered the injury while playing for the College Park Skyhawks at the G League’s Winter Showcase last Friday. The 24-year-old fell to the floor after awkwardly twisting his right knee following a rebound and was clearly in significant pain. He reportedly had to be carried off the court.

Dante, who finished the 2024/25 season on a two-way contract with the Rockets, was the NBA’s only restricted free agent to sign an offer sheet during the 2025 offseason. He received a two-way qualifying offer from Houston, then signed a two-year, minimum-salary deal with Atlanta that the Rockets elected not to match.

While Dante’s contract with the Hawks was only partially guaranteed for $85,300, he’ll now be assured of receiving his full salary for the 2025/26 season as a result of this injury. Even if Atlanta waives him prior to the January 7 league-wide salary guarantee deadline, the team will be obligated to pay his salary until he gets healthy or until the end of the season, whichever comes first — based on the Dante’s recovery timeline, the season will wrap up before he’s ready to suit up again.

Dante appeared in just four games for Atlanta and four for College Park this season. Prior to tearing his ACL, he was sidelined for over two weeks while going through the concussion protocol due to a head injury that he sustained while playing for the Skyhawks. Friday’s game was his first one back from that injury.

While the Hawks will have the ability to apply for a disabled player exception for Dante, that exception would be worth just $1,024,247, half of his minimum salary ($2,048,494), so it would be of limited use.

Dante is the third player at the back of Atlanta’s roster to sustain a season-ending injury this month. Two-way forward Jacob Toppin underwent season-ending right shoulder surgery earlier in December and was subsequently waived. Another two-way player, Eli Ndiaye, will also require shoulder surgery in early January. Ndiaye remains under contract with the Hawks for now.

Injury Notes: Lakers, Knicks, Daniels, Watson, McConnell

December 22nd, 2025 at 5:33pm CST by Rory Maher

Lakers head coach JJ Redick provided encouraging updates on injured guards Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves on Monday, tweets Khobi Price of The Southern California News Group.

Doncic, who didn’t play in the second half of Saturday’s loss to the Clippers, has a lower left leg contusion and is considered day-to-day. The 26-year-old had the bruised area taped during the portion of Monday’s practice that was open to the media, Price notes.

Reaves was able to go through portions of Monday’s practice and is also considered day-to-day, Redick said. The fifth-year guard has missed the past three games with a left calf strain the team described as mild.

[UPDATE: Doncic is out Tuesday at Phoenix, but Reaves has been upgraded to questionable, the Lakers announced (Twitter link via ESPN’s Dave McMenamin).]

Starting center Deandre Ayton should return to action on Tuesday, according to Price. Ayton won’t be listed on the team’s injury report after sitting out the past two contests due to a sore left elbow.

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

The Knicks will be shorthanded on Tuesday, as Eastern Conference Player of the Week Jalen Brunson (right ankle injury management), defensive ace OG Anunoby (left ankle soreness) and backup big man Guerschon Yabusele (illness) have all been ruled out ahead of the contest at Minnesota, per Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter link). Brunson missed a couple of games in mid-November due to a right ankle sprain.
Reigning Most Improved Player Dyson Daniels has been ruled out of the Hawks‘ rematch with Chicago on Tuesday due to right hip inflammation, according to Brad Rowland of Locked on Hawks (Twitter link). It will be Daniels’ first absence of the 2025/26 campaign. Reserve forward/center Mouhamed Gueye is also on the injury report, having been listed as questionable with a right shoulder sprain.
Nuggets forward Peyton Watson, who was kneed in between the hip and rib areas last Monday, had a minor setback in terms of the pain he’s experiencing from the injury, head coach David Adelman said ahead of Saturday’s loss to Houston (Twitter link via Vinny Benedetto of The Denver Gazette). While Watson has been out most of the past three games with the right trunk contusion, it doesn’t sound like a long-term issue — Adelman said the former first-round pick had a 50% chance to play Saturday before he was ruled out.
Veteran Pacers guard T.J. McConnell will be sidelined for Monday’s game vs. Boston due to left knee soreness, as Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files relays (via Twitter). McConnell missed the first 10 games of the season with a strained hamstring, but had been active for the past 18 contests heading into Monday.

Hawks’ Eli Ndiaye To Have Season-Ending Shoulder Surgery

December 21st, 2025 at 10:37am CST by Arthur Hill

Hawks two-way player Eli Ndiaye has suffered a torn labrum in his left shoulder and will undergo season-ending surgery in early January, the team announced (via Twitter). The injury occurred during a December 9 G League game while Ndiaye was playing for Atlanta’s College Park affiliate.

The 21-year-old power forward signed a two-way deal in July after spending the past four seasons with Real Madrid in Spain. He entered his name into the 2025 draft, but wasn’t selected.

Ndiaye hasn’t made an NBA appearance yet, but he played nine games with the G League Skyhawks, making seven starts and averaging 8.1 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 26.2 minutes per night. He was shooting 43.1% from the field and 23.5% from three-point range.

The Hawks have the option to sign another two-way player to replace Ndiaye, although they’ll lose his rights if they release him. Atlanta already has an open two-way slot, with Caleb Houstan as the team’s only other two-way player.

Ndiaye is Atlanta’s second two-way player to sustain a season-ending injury in the first two months of the 2025/26 campaign. Forward Jacob Toppin underwent right shoulder surgery earlier this month and was waived on Monday.

Injury Notes: Poeltl, Barrett, Dante, Sixers, Bradley, Brown

December 20th, 2025 at 5:16pm CST by Luke Adams

Raptors center Jakob Poeltl, who has been dealing with a back issue this season, will miss a second straight game on Saturday as Toronto hosts the Celtics, tweets Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca.

“We have a long-term plan for him,” head coach Darko Rajakovic said, “which consists of managing this injury and which consists of building his strength, which consists of him playing through a certain level of discomfort.

“But we’re not concerned at all. It’s just something that we are dealing (with) in the middle of the season. If we were in the offseason and you shut him down for two weeks, he would be completely fine, but it’s something we’re really trying to manage day to day. At this point, it’s not to that point that we just need to shut him down. It’s not that serious.”

Meanwhile, Raptors forward RJ Barrett will miss a 12th consecutive game on Saturday due to his right knee sprain, but he’s making progress toward a return. According to Grange (Twitter link), Barrett has resumed on-court activities. The plan is for him to do live work against coaches in the coming days, then participate in practice and scrimmage with teammates.

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

Hawks center N’Faly Dante may have sustained a serious knee injury while playing in the G League for the College Park Skyhawks on Friday. According to John Hollinger (Bluesky links), Dante was in significant pain after awkwardly twisting his right knee following a rebound and had to be carried off the court. It was the big man’s first game since he entered the concussion protocol on December 2, tweets Kevin Chouinard of Hawks.com.
Sixers center Joel Embiid (illness and right knee injury management) will miss a second consecutive game on Saturday vs. Dallas, while forward Paul George (left knee injury management) has also been ruled out, tweets Marc Stein. George hasn’t played both ends of a back-to-back set yet this season, so his absence comes as no surprise after he suited up for Friday’s win over New York.
Pacers center Tony Bradley suffered a fracture on the tip of his thumb, according to head coach Rick Carlisle, who referred to the thumb as “partially functional” with a splint on it, per Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star (Twitter links). While it sounds like Bradley will remain active, the decision to sign James Wiseman to a 10-day contract was directly related to that injury, Carlisle said (Twitter link via Dopirak). While Wiseman will give the team some additional depth, he’s probably not in NBA game shape quite yet, Carlisle admitted.
The Celtics will be without top scorer Jaylen Brown when they take on the Raptors on Saturday night. Brown, who played in 26 of Boston’s first 27 games, has been ruled out due to an illness, per the team (Twitter link).

Siegel’s Latest: Turner, Bucks, Pacers, Nets, Cavs, Alvarado

December 19th, 2025 at 6:19pm CST by Rory Maher

Multiple reporters have indicated that the Bucks are looking to add win-now help in the coming weeks despite an 11-17 start to the season. Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints has heard similarly, writing that people around the NBA are wondering if Myles Turner could be a trade candidate after signing a four-year, $108.8MM contract with Milwaukee over the summer.

As Siegel explains, the Bucks have a limited number of assets to work with, and Turner would likely draw “significant interest” if he’s made available due to his ability to stretch the floor on offense and protect the rim on defense. The same was true of last season, when Turner was on an expiring contract as a member of the Pacers, per Siegel.

It’s worth pointing out that Turner ($25.3MM) is one of only two Bucks making between $14MM and 54MM in 2025/26, with the other being Kyle Kuzma ($22.4MM). According to Siegel, a trade involving combo forward Kuzma, who is having a modest bounce-back season after a disappointing ’24/25, remains more likely than a potential move including Turner.

While it’s unclear how much interest Kuzma would generate on his own, league sources tell Siegel the Bucks are hopeful they’d be able to deal the 30-year-old because there is currently a dearth of wings available on the market and Kuzma has one additional year left on his contract, which will pay him $20.4MM in ’26/27.

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

The Pacers have shown a willingness to discuss Bennedict Mathurin in trades ahead of his 2026 restricted free agency, according to Siegel, who reports that Indiana appears reluctant to make a lucrative long-term investment in the fourth-year wing. While Siegel calls Mathurin the Pacers’ top asset ahead of the February 5 deadline, he also hears that forwards Jarace Walker and Obi Toppin have popped up in early trade talks as Indiana looks for frontcourt upgrades.
Forward Michael Porter Jr. and guard Cam Thomas are a couple of names worth monitoring for the Nets, Seigel writes. Porter, who is thriving as Brooklyn’s top offensive option, is expected to draw interest from contenders. Thomas, meanwhile has the ability to veto trades and there doesn’t seem to be much interest in the 24-year-old, who continues to be sidelined with a left hamstring strain that cost him most of last season. Still, Siegel speculates that Brooklyn might be able to receive a second-round pick or two for the high-scoring guard, even if he’s only a rental — Thomas will be an unrestricted free agent next summer.
Although the 15-13 Cavaliers have been one of the most disappointing teams to open the season, Cleveland has been plagued by injuries in ’25/26 and has thus far shown no willingness to engage in discussions involving Darius Garland or Jarrett Allen, both of whom have drawn interest from multiple teams, sources tell Siegel. The Cavs have been frustrated by their play and there’s a rising sense of urgency around the team after falling into the play-in picture, but they’re optimistic they’ll be able to turn their season through a combination internal improvements and getting players back from injuries, Siegel adds.
The Hawks are among the teams who have registered interest in fifth-year guard Jose Alvarado, who appears to be the Pelicans player most likely to be moved ahead of the deadline, says Siegel. Indiana and New York have also checked in with New Orleans about Alvarado, Siegel notes.

Trae Young To Return On Thursday

December 18th, 2025 at 2:58pm CST by Luke Adams

December 18: Young will make his return on Thursday vs. the Hornets, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).

December 17: Hawks guard Trae Young has been listed as questionable for Thursday’s game in Charlotte, according to the team (Twitter link), and has a chance to play for the first time since October 29.

Young went down with a right knee injury in Atlanta’s fifth game of the regular season and was later diagnosed with a sprained MCL. He has been sidelined for 22 contests since then and will no longer be eligible for end-of-season awards, including All-NBA, since he won’t be able to meet the 65-game threshold.

In his four full games prior to the injury, Young averaged 20.8 points and 9.5 assists per contest, but was struggling with his shot, knocking down just 36.4% of his field goal attempts, including 5-of-26 three-pointers (19.2%).

The Hawks have been playing pretty well despite missing their top offensive play-maker. Following a 1-3 start, Atlanta has won 14 of 23 games and now holds a 15-12 record. Jalen Johnson, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and Vit Krejci are among the players who have taken on additional ball-handling responsibilities with Young unavailable.

Young practiced with the College Park Skyhawks (Atlanta’s G League affiliate) on Tuesday and with the Hawks on Wednesday, an indication that his return was close. If he’s not cleared to play on Thursday vs. the Hornets, his next opportunity will be on Friday when the Hawks return home to host San Antonio.

There has been some recent trade speculation about Young, who could become a free agent next summer if he declines his 2026/27 option worth nearly $49MM, but ESPN’s Shams Charania recently reported that the Hawks are hopeful the guard’s return will “elevate” a team that has held its own without him.

Hawks Notes: Young, Porzingis, Draft, Jones

December 18th, 2025 at 10:14am CST by Luke Adams

Rival executives who have spoken to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype believe that Hawks guard Trae Young may end up having to exercise his $49MM player option for the 2026/27 season.

Young has the ability to reach unrestricted free agency by declining that option next summer. He could also sign an extension with the Hawks at any time that eliminates the option and replaces it with a new contract. However, Atlanta hasn’t pursued a deal with Young to this point and the veteran point guard has been limited to five appearances so far this season due to a knee injury.

Young appears to be on the verge of returning to action, and the Hawks are looking forward to seeing him play with the current group to assess what they have, Scotto writes. A strong finish to the season would put the 27-year-old in a better position to opt out next summer in search of a long-term deal.

Here’s more on the Hawks:

Although his availability has been inconsistent due to ongoing health issues, Kristaps Porzingis is still considered a valuable trade chip due to his $30.7MM expiring contract, according to Scotto, who confirms that Atlanta is expected to gauge the market for Porzingis in search of a possible upgrade. The Hawks reportedly have an eye on Anthony Davis, but their interest is described as “exploratory,” as we relayed earlier today.
If no appealing options materialize on the trade market, the Hawks would be content to continue developing their young core this season and adding to that core in June with what figures to be a high draft pick, Scotto writes. Confirming previous reporting from Jake Fischer, Scotto adds that Atlanta isn’t expected to seriously consider moving that 2026 first-rounder, which will be the most favorable of the Pelicans’ and Bucks’ picks.
Lester Jones, who formerly served as the Hawks’ senior vice president of financial planning and analysis, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to one federal count of wire fraud, writes Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic. Prosecutors said that Jones embezzled $3.8MM from the team and attempted to cover it up by falsifying financial reports and faking emails. He’s scheduled to be sentenced in March.

Raptors Rumors: Davis, Sabonis, Barrett, Ball, Richards, More

December 18th, 2025 at 9:44am CST by Luke Adams

Discussing the potential Anthony Davis trade market during an appearance on the DLLS Mavs podcast (Twitter video link via Omer Osman), NBA insider Marc Stein suggested that of the three Eastern Conference teams linked to the Mavericks big man, the Raptors seem to have expressed the most real interest.

“Toronto has definitely registered interest,” Stein said. “That is for certain. The Hawks, I think, it is more exploratory. … And I think (the Pistons‘) interest has been vastly overstated.”

Michael Scotto of HoopsHype also used the word “exploratory” to describe Atlanta’s potential interest in Davis and suggested that Detroit doesn’t seem especially inclined to make a big in-season splash on the trade market.

However, that doesn’t mean the Raptors are on track to make a deal for the 10-time All-Star. Toronto has other possible targets on its radar, and the Mavericks aren’t committed to making a move involving Davis. As Scotto writes, Dallas is in the process of evaluating AD’s fit with Cooper Flagg, his health, and his impact on winning with the current Mavs roster.

Confirming a Jake Fischer report, Scotto says Domantas Sabonis is another player whom the Raptors have been intrigued by, adding that Toronto expressed exploratory interest in the Kings center over the summer.

While it doesn’t seem like the two teams are engaged in discussions regarding Sabonis at this time, Scotto points out that Sacramento general manager Scott Perry drafted RJ Barrett during his time in the Knicks’ front office and is still “fond” of him. In other words, if the Raptors do circle back to Sabonis at some point, Barrett would be a player to watch in those talks. Toronto has gauged the market on Barrett’s value, sources tell HoopsHype.

Here’s more on the Raptors:

Toronto checked in on the availability of Hornets point guard LaMelo Ball during the offseason, according to Scotto. There’s no indication those conversations went anywhere or that Charlotte is currently looking to move Ball, but Immanuel Quickley would be a logical outgoing piece in any Raptors deal for a higher-paid point guard.
The Raptors and Suns have engaged in exploratory discussions about the possibility of a deal that would send wing Ochai Agbaji and second-round draft compensation to Phoenix in exchange for center Nick Richards, Scotto reports. That sort of deal would allow Toronto to fortify its frontcourt while sneaking below the tax line and would allow the Suns to replenish their depleted draft assets a little. However, it would also push Phoenix further into tax territory and it’s unclear if Agbaji would appeal much to the Suns, who are more focused on a power forward upgrade, per Scotto.
Scotto spoke to Raptors forward Brandon Ingram about his transition to Toronto, playing with star forward Scottie Barnes, and a handful of other topics, including why he felt comfortable signing a three-year, $120MM extension with his new team before he had played a single game as a Raptor. “I told myself whoever wanted me, that I was going to be content in being there,” Ingram said. “Around the (2025) trade deadline, I heard two or three teams (had interest), and I picked the best choice where I knew I was going to get a fresh start.”

Injury Notes: Herro, Jovic, Trae, Magic, Wolves, Dosunmu

December 17th, 2025 at 12:21pm CST by Luke Adams

Tyler Herro (right big toe contusion) is traveling with the Heat on their three-game road trip that begins in Brooklyn on Thursday and hopes to return to action at some point on that trip, but admitted there’s “a lot of swelling” in his toe, per Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald.

Herro, who has missed three of the past four games due to the toe injury, played last Tuesday after taking a Toradol shot, then practiced during the team’s five-day break before being ruled out of Monday’s contest.

“I probably shouldn’t have practiced,” Herro said today. “That kind of like sparked things back up. So I’m just trying to control the swelling and the inflammation, and then from there I can kind of decide what I want to do from there.”

Forward Nikola Jovic, who was diagnosed with a right elbow contusion/laceration after taking a hard fall on Monday, told reporters on Wednesday that he considers himself week-to-week. However, he’s optimistic his absence won’t be a lengthy one and said he was relieved that his injury wasn’t worse.

“I was scared I broke my arm, because I didn’t feel anything and I just saw a lot of blood,” Jovic said. “And they were really scared, too, because I had a pretty deep and a big cut, too. I have stitches now. But it didn’t look good as soon as I went back, because I started feeling my arm. It feels good now. I can’t do a lot of stuff. I can’t really hold stuff right now. But it’s not broken, so I guess that’s the most important thing and I think I’ll be back really soon.”

We have more injury updates from around the NBA:

Hawks guard Trae Young, who has been out since October 29 due to a sprained MCL, appears to be nearing his return. Young was assigned to the G League on Tuesday to practice with the College Park Skyhawks, then recalled on Wednesday for a practice with the NBA squad, according to the team (Twitter links).
Franz Wagner (left high ankle sprain) and Moritz Wagner (ACL recovery) aren’t traveling with the Magic on their four-game Western Conference trip that begins Thursday in Denver, reports Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (Twitter links). While the Wagner brothers remain in Orlando to focus on their rehab work, Jalen Suggs (left hip contusion) will join the team on its trip, though head coach Jamahl Mosley said the guard “wasn’t able to go and do much in practice” on Wednesday.
After missing the Timberwolves‘ past two games, star guard Anthony Edwards (right foot injury maintenance) is listed as questionable for Wednesday’s matchup with Memphis (Twitter link). Veteran point guard Mike Conley, meanwhile, has been ruled out for a third straight game due to right Achilles tendinopathy.
Bulls guard Ayo Dosunmu is listed as questionable for Wednesday’s game vs. Cleveland and hopes to be active following a two-game layoff, but both of his thumbs are sprained and taped up, and he has a bone bruise in his right thumb. Those injuries would eventually heal with rest, but Dosunmu intends to play through them, referring to it as a “pain tolerance thing” (Twitter links via K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network and Joel Lorenzi of The Athletic).