Injury Notes: Morant, Holiday, Nance, H. Jones, Leonard
Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant will miss his fourth straight game on Friday vs. Oklahoma City due to a right calf contusion, the team announced (via Twitter). As Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal tweets, Morant had been listed as questionable before being downgraded to out over the three previous games.
Rookie wing Cedric Coward, who sprained his right ankle on Sunday vs. Los Angeles and has missed the past two-and-a-half games, is questionable to suit up against the Thunder. Fourth-year guard Vince Williams Jr., who has been sidelined for nine of Memphis’ last 10 games due to patellar tendinitis in his left knee, is also questionable.
Here are some more injury notes from around the NBA:
- Trail Blazers guard Jrue Holiday is unlikely to play against Houston on Friday after being listed as doubtful (Twitter link via Portland). However, that injury designation suggests the six-time All-Defensive member’s return may not be far off — it’s the first time Holiday has been listed as anything other than “out” for seven weeks, tweets Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report. The two-time champion has been on the shelf since November 14 due to a right calf strain.
- After missing nearly six weeks with a Grade 1 right soleus (calf) strain, Cavaliers big man Larry Nance Jr. was upgraded to available for Thursday’s contest vs. Minnesota, per Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. As Fedor writes, Nance has been ramping up his activity in recent weeks and received medical clearance to return on Thursday, but it’s unclear if he’ll immediately rejoin the team’s rotation.
- Pelicans forward Herbert Jones recently missed seven consecutive games with a right ankle sprain, returned to play 35 minutes on Tuesday vs. the Lakers, then sat out Wednesday’s back-to-back at Atlanta. Evidently Wednesday’s absence wasn’t just for precautionary reasons — New Orleans’ top defender is doubtful to suit up on Friday at Washington due to the same ankle injury, the Pelicans announced in a press release. Trey Murphy III, who has been battling lower back spasms, is questionable to suit up against the Wizards.
- Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard suffered a right ankle sprain in the third quarter of Wednesday’s loss at New York and has been listed as questionable for Friday’s contest in Brooklyn, according to Law Murray of The Athletic (Twitter links). The six-time All-Star missed 10 straight games in November due to right foot/ankle injuries, Murray notes. Leonard has made 26 appearances thus far in 2025/26.
NBA’s Future With Main Street Sports Group In Doubt After Missed Payments
The future of the NBA’s relationship with Main Street Sports Group is uncertain after the company failed to make its January payments to several teams, sources tell Tom Friend of Sports Business Journal.
Main Street, which is in the process of being sold to DAZN, also missed a payment to Major League Baseball’s St. Louis Cardinals last month. According to Friend, that prompted the NBA league office to contact all 13 teams doing business with the company to warn them that their January payments may not arrive as expected. Friend reports that at least several of those teams didn’t receive scheduled rights fee payments this week.
The missed deadline won’t have an immediate effect, as telecasts will continue on Main Street’s FanDuel Sports Networks. Sources tell Friend that default notices have already been sent to Main Street, which will have a 15-day cure period once they are received.
“Main Street Sports Group is in dialogue with its team and league partners around the timing of rights payments as we progress discussions with strategic partners to further enhance our long-term capital position,” a company spokesperson said in a statement to Sports Business Journal.
According to Friend’s sources, the 13 teams have safeguards in their contracts with Main Street that will make them the primary payees from the company’s creditors if it were to go out of business.
Friend hears that Main Street lost about $200MM in 2025 and owes the teams a combined $180MM for this season. The potential sale depends on several conditions, he adds, such as DAZN wanting the teams’ digital rights, hoping to negotiate extensions through at least the 2028/29 season and trying to get teams to accept lower fees for their broadcast rights.
If the sale can’t be completed in January, sources tell Friend that Main Street officials plan to shut down the business after the NBA and NHL seasons conclude, but they hope to continue game broadcasts until then. However, team sources aren’t convinced that Main Street has the financial means to keep producing the games, so the 13 NBA teams will need to develop emergency backup plans.
“The league has the capacity to put them on, to stream them, and all the teams are certainly equipped to go over-the-air to do it,” one team source tells Friend. “But now the revenue gets crushed. Hopefully a lot of people have already gotten paid at least 30 to 50% of this year’s revenue. But you’ll never get the rest of that money back, you’ll never recoup the money.’’
Friend notes that if Main Street dissolves, digital rights would revert back to the teams, which would make a national streaming Regional Sports Network much easier to accomplish. If DAZN completes the deal, not much will change except for the brand name. However, the company will have to address the issue of extensions, as contracts with the Grizzlies, Hornets and Magic expire after the current season, and deals with the Thunder, Clippers, Timberwolves, Pacers, Hawks, Heat, Cavaliers and Bucks only run through 2026/27.
According to Friend, here are the 13 teams under contract with Main Street and their rights fees payments for 2025/26:
- Atlanta Hawks: $32M
- Charlotte Hornets: $16.57M
- Cleveland Cavaliers: $34M
- Detroit Pistons: $25.78M
- Indiana Pacers: $17.47M
- Los Angeles Clippers: $34.59M
- Memphis Grizzlies: $11.41M
- Miami Heat: $55M
- Milwaukee Bucks: $24M
- Minnesota Timberwolves: $24.88M
- Oklahoma City Thunder: $16.67M
- Orlando Magic: $26.19M
- San Antonio Spurs: $19.92M
Siegel’s Latest: Sabonis, Raptors, Bucks, Warriors, Nets, White, Lakers
After buying low on Brandon Ingram at last season’s trade deadline, could the Raptors seek out a similar move this February? According to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints, Kings center Domantas Sabonis is one name that has been continually linked to Toronto. The Raptors’ interest in Sabonis was first reported in December by Jake Fischer and has since been corroborated by several other outlets.
Malik Monk is another player who has intrigued Toronto in the past, Siegel writes, noting that Kings general manager Scott Perry drafted current Raptors veterans RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley when he was in New York’s front office. While there’s no indication that the two teams have seriously discussed such a deal involving those four players, Siegel suggests that sort of framework could be worth keeping an eye on.
If Toronto does end up moving Barrett in that sort of bigger move, he’d likely draw interest from several teams besides Sacramento, Siegel writes, given the lack of high-level wing talent on the trade market. The Bucks, for example, expressed interest in Barrett last season, per Siegel.
Here’s more from Siegel’s latest NBA rumor round-up:
- The Warriors have internally discussed many possible center trade targets, including Myles Turner and Bobby Portis of the Bucks, per Siegel. A number of teams around the NBA are curious about Milwaukee’s plans for Portis, Siegel continues, with the Hornets and Suns also considered possible suitors, perhaps in multi-team scenarios.
- Suns guard Jalen Green is among the players the Bucks have inquired on, but Phoenix isn’t interested in moving him at this point, says Siegel. Given that Green has only played two games this season due to hamstring issues, the Suns view him as a sort of trade-deadline addition themselves, Siegel explains.
- Although the Nets are fielding inquiries on players like Michael Porter Jr. and Nic Claxton, they aren’t actively looking to move them. In order for Brooklyn to consider a deal involving either player, the starting point for a package would have to be a “true” unprotected first-round pick, Siegel writes.
- The Mavericks and the Clippers are among the teams with interest in Bulls guard Coby White, sources tell Siegel, who reiterates that the Timberwolves also remain interested and notes that some league insiders have speculated that the Hawks could be a destination for White in the event of a Trae Young trade.
- With higher-level options like Herbert Jones potentially out of reach, players like Bulls forward Isaac Okoro, Kings guard Keon Ellis, and Nets wing Haywood Highsmith are considered more realistic possibilities for a Lakers team seeking defensive help, according to Siegel. Mavericks forward Naji Marshall is another possible trade candidate to add to that group if Dallas commits to becoming a seller.
Injury Notes: Oubre, Watford, Vincent, LeBron, Wemby, Harden, More
The Sixers are expected to get a pair of forwards back from injuries on Wednesday vs. Washington, having upgraded Kelly Oubre Jr. and Trendon Watford to probable after they participated in today’s shootaround, tweets Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Oubre has been out since November 14 due to a left knee sprain, while Watford – who has been recovering from a left adductor strain – last played on November 25.
Both Sixers vets had been playing some of the best basketball of their careers before going down with injuries. Oubre started all 12 games he played in the fall and scored 16.8 points per game with a career-high 49.7% field goal percentage. Watford averaged 8.9 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 3.6 assists in 20.4 minutes per game with a .534/.389/.800 shooting line in 14 appearances (four starts).
Here are more injury updates from across the NBA:
- Lakers guard Gabe Vincent (lumbar back strain) is no longer on the injury report and appears on track to play on Wednesday vs. San Antonio after missing the past nine games, per Dan Woike of The Athletic (Twitter link). Vincent last suited up on December 14.
- Lakers forward LeBron James (left foot joint arthritis and right sciatica) and Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama (left knee bone bruise) are both listed as questionable to play on Wednesday. Wembanyama returned from a two-game absence on Tuesday vs. Memphis and seemed fine after the game, according to Michael C. Wright of ESPN, who says (via Twitter) that the plan is to have Wembanyama play vs. Los Angeles if he feels up to it.
- Clippers guard James Harden, who sat out on Monday due to shoulder stiffness, is probable to return on Wednesday vs. the Knicks, who will still be without Josh Hart (right ankle sprain), tweets James L. Edwards III of The Athletic. Hart has missed New York’s past six games, four of which were losses.
- Magic guard Jalen Suggs, who has been out for two games with a right knee MCL contusion, hasn’t progressed to contact or on-court work yet, head coach Jamahl Mosley said on Tuesday (Twitter link via Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel). “Just slowly seeing how he responds to the treatment that he does day-to-day,” Mosley said.
- While there’s still no word on a potential timeline or target date for his return, Kyrie Irving traveled with the Mavericks to Sacramento this week and completed a workout with assistant coach Phil Handy following the team’s shootaround on Tuesday, writes Grant Afseth of The Dallas Hoops Journal. Irving’s presence on the three-game road trip is a sign of progress, according to Afseth, who adds that forward P.J. Washington is considered day-to-day after sitting out Saturday’s game with a right ankle sprain.
Pacific Notes: Durant, Suns, Sanders, Kerr, Kuminga
Playing against his former team on Monday, Rockets forward Kevin Durant secured a victory for his current team by making a game-winning three-pointer with one second left in the fourth quarter. He admitted to reporters after the victory that being able to deliver that dagger against the Suns made the moment more meaningful, per Kristie Rieken of The Associated Press.
“Most definitely,” Durant said. “A place that I didn’t want to leave. My first time — I don’t want to sound too dramatic, but I will — to be kicked out of a place.
“It feels good to play against a team that booted you out of the building and scapegoated you for all the problems they had. And it hurt because I put all my effort and love and care towards the Suns and the Phoenix area and Arizona in general. But that’s just the business, that’s the name of the game. So, when you play against a (former) team, yeah you got a chip on your shoulder.”
The Suns, whose “big three” of Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal never meshed like they hoped, began discussing possible KD trades ahead of last season’s trade deadline, which was news to Durant. He helped nix those talks by making it clear he had no interest in returning to Golden State, then put Houston on his list of preferred destinations when the Suns renewed those trade efforts in the summer.
“It’s nothing but love for the players, but I want to beat that team,” he said on Monday. “I want to show them that I still got some juice in the tank. Even though I’m old, I still can play. I feel like every player has that mentality playing against their former team. I don’t think it’s malicious in any way towards them. But just as a competitor, you want to go out there and beat them.”
We have more from around the Pacific:
- Clippers rookie Kobe Sanders made his fourth career start on Monday with James Harden out due to shoulder stiffness and set or matched career highs in points (20), rebounds (seven), and minutes (36). Sanders, who has now been active for 29 games, has made a strong case for a promotion from his two-way contract to the standard roster and is earning praise from head coach Tyronn Lue in the process, writes Beth Harris of The Associated Press. “His poise, his ability to understand what we’re doing defensively and offensively, and just getting more and more confident,” Lue said of what has impressed him about the 2025 second-rounder.
- Monday’s one-point loss to the Clippers was a frustrating one for Warriors head coach Steve Kerr, who received two technical fouls and was ejected after disputing multiple referee decisions, including a no-call that crew chief Brian Forte acknowledged after the game should have been a goaltending violation, per Anthony Slater of ESPN. Veteran assistant Terry Stotts coached the team following Kerr’s ejection, then took Kerr’s place during the post-game media session. “I’m up here because I’m saving Steve some money,” Stotts explained.
- Monday’s game was the ninth in a row that Jonathan Kuminga didn’t play, including his seventh DNP-CD during that stretch. Asked after the game about whether he thinks Kuminga’s nonexistent role and uncertain future are weighing on his Warriors teammate, Jimmy Butler quickly replied, “Nope, not at all,” and referred to Kuminga as his “friend” and brother” (Twitter video link via Slater). “I tell JK, you be a pro of all pros,” Butler said. “Come here and get your work done. Smile and have a good time. Because you’re still an NBA player (and) one of the best people in the world. I’m not even talking about basketball. So you keep smiling and you keep being the great human being that you are.”
Scotto’s Latest: Trae, Risacher, AD, Zubac, Pacers, Celtics, Cavs
The Bucks, Timberwolves, and Clippers are among the teams that are monitoring Trae Young‘s situation along with Washington, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.
While Dallas doesn’t appear to have any interest in the Hawks‘ point guard, the Mavericks are among the clubs that have called to inquire about former No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher, league sources tell Scotto. However, the Hawks have been opposed to including either Risacher or their top 2026 first-rounder (the most favorable of the Bucks/Pelicans picks) in any trade discussions involving big man Anthony Davis.
If Atlanta and Dallas do pursue a deal involving Davis, the Mavericks would likely be seeking expiring contracts like those belonging to Kristaps Porzingis ($30.7MM) and Luke Kennard ($11MM), according to Scotto, who notes that Hawks senior VP of basketball operations Bryson Graham is close with Davis dating back to their time together in New Orleans.
Here’s more from Scotto’s latest rumor round-up:
- Although Ivica Zubac has drawn significant interest from potential suitors, the Clippers don’t appear inclined to become deadline sellers, especially after their recent run of seven wins in eight games. Earlier in the season, there was a sense that it would take at least two first-round picks for L.A. to consider parting with Zubac, Scotto writes, adding that the Pacers and Celtics both expressed interest in the big man. Those two clubs were previously linked to the Clippers center.
- In addition to Zubac, the Pacers have checked in on Nic Claxton of the Nets, Yves Missi of the Pelicans, Daniel Gafford of the Mavericks, and Walker Kessler of the Jazz as they seek out a long-term answer at center, league sources tell Scotto.
- The Celtics, meanwhile, have been unwilling to attach a first-round pick to Anfernee Simons to move off his contract, Scotto writes. Presumably, the Celtics would be more open to that idea in a deal that nets them a quality player, but not in a pure salary-dump trade for luxury tax purposes. Scotto goes on to say that Boston isn’t looking to take back multiyear salary in any Simons trade, so if the team were exploring a deal with a trade partner like the Nets, Day’Ron Sharpe ($6.25MM team option for 2026/27) and Ziaire Williams (ditto) would hold far more appeal than Terance Mann, who is owed $31.5MM over the two seasons after this one.
- The Cavaliers have rebuffed inquiries on their core players, but teams around the NBA – cognizant of Cleveland’s unfavorable cap/tax situation – are continuing to monitor the situation to see if that stance changes. According to Scotto, the belief among executives is that if the Cavs do decide to move someone like Darius Garland or Jarrett Allen, it’s more likely to happen during the offseason than in the next month.
Injury Notes: Strus, Bogdanovic, Wagners, Bouyea
The Cavaliers still aren’t close to having swingman Max Strus back in their lineup. Strus, who is coming off left foot surgery to repair a Jones fracture, recently underwent evaluation and imaging on that foot, and while that exam showed “positive progress,” more time is required for the fracture to fully heal, the team announced today (Twitter link).
According to the Cavs’ statement, Strus will continue doing rehab and conditioning work and is scheduled for a follow-up evaluation with the club’s medical staff and Dr. David Porter (who performed the surgery) within the next four weeks. A clearer timeline for Strus’ return could be established in the wake of that follow-up evaluation.
Strus was a key contributor last season for a 64-win Cavs team that has missed him in 2025/26. A healthy version of Strus would have slotted into the starting lineup in between the backcourt duo of Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland and the frontcourt pair of Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley. However, Cleveland has been forced to rotate players in and out of that lineup spot over the course of the season – while also dealing with injuries affecting other starters – in an effort to find the right fit.
Here are more injury updates from around the NBA:
- It doesn’t sound like veteran guard Bogdan Bogdanovic will return from his left hamstring injury during the Clippers‘ upcoming three-game road trip. According to Law Murray of The Athletic (Twitter link), Bogdanovic – who last played on December 26 – has been ruled out for the week. The Clippers are playing in New York on Wednesday, Brooklyn on Friday, and Detroit on Saturday before returning home.
- Magic color commentator Jeff Turner said last Friday that Franz Wagner (high ankle sprain) and Moritz Wagner (ACL recovery) should both be back within a week, but the team hasn’t corroborated that report and the duo has yet to be upgraded on the injury report at all. Asked on Sunday about the status of the Wagner brothers, head coach Jamahl Mosley said there’s still no timeline for their respective returns, though he did add that they’re “responding to the treatments pretty well” (Twitter link via Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel).
- Suns guard Jamaree Bouyea, who has been playing a rotation role since late November, traveled with the club on its two-game road trip, but sat out on Monday in Houston while going through the concussion protocol and may not return on Wednesday in Memphis, tweets Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Bouyea is already halfway to his limit of 42 active games and looks like a strong candidate to be promoted from his two-way contract to a standard deal before season’s end.
Deni Avdija, Tyrese Maxey Named Players Of Week
Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija and Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey have been named the Western and Eastern Conference Players of the Week, respectively, according to the NBA (Twitter links).
Avdija averaged 26.8 points, 9.8 assists and 8.3 rebounds per game while leading to Portland to a 3-1 record during the week of December 29 to January 4. This is the first time Avdija has earned Player of the Week honors. He’s the first Portland player to get the nod since Damian Lillard on Feb. 6, 2023.
Maxey averaged 34.7 points and 8.7 assists per game while shooting 61.2% from the field as the Sixers went 3-0. It’s the third time Maxey has earned Player of the Week honors, including the second time this season — he joins Knicks guard Jalen Brunson and Celtics wing Jaylen Brown as the Eastern Conference’s two-time winners so far in 2025/26.
Devin Booker (Suns), Stephen Curry (Warriors), Kevin Durant (Rockets), Anthony Edwards (Timberwolves), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder) and Kawhi Leonard (Clippers) were the other nominees in the West.
Giannis Antetokounmpo (Bucks), Paolo Banchero and Anthony Black (Magic), Brown (Celtics) and Cade Cunningham (Pistons) were also nominated in the East.
Derrick Jones Jr. To Be Reevaluated In Six Weeks Due To MCL Sprain
Derrick Jones Jr. has been diagnosed with a Grade II MCL sprain in his right knee, Shams Charania reports for ESPN (Twitter link). According to Charania, Jones will be reevaluated in six weeks.
Jones had played just four games for the Clippers since returning from a similar injury that he suffered in November. At the time of his previous injury, he was given the same estimated recovery timeline and ended up being sidelined from Nov. 16 to Dec. 28, missing 17 games during that span.
In his 17 games this season, Jones has posted career-high scoring numbers, averaging 10.4 points while shooting 40.0% from three, a personal best. He’s also averaging a career-high 1.1 blocks per game.
Law Murphy of The Athletic notes (via Twitter) that the Clippers have 20 games left before the All-Star Break, and this timeline could mean that Jones misses all of them. The Clippers went 5-12 during his previous absence.
Injury Notes: LaVine, D. Jones, T. Young, J. Smith, C. White
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.