New York Knicks Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Knicks Notes: Giannis, Anunoby, Hart, Kolek

December 6th, 2025 at 9:55am CST by Dana Gauruder

The Knicks are a long shot to acquire Giannis Antetokounmpo if the Bucks superstar requests a trade, according to Stefan Bondy of the New York Post.

The Knicks’ acquisition of Mikal Bridges prior to last season, in which they gave up five first-round picks to the Nets, left them without the necessary draft capital that other suitors could offer. The only way Giannis would wind up with the Knicks, Bondy writes, is if he specifically demanded a trade to New York and warned that he wouldn’t re-sign with any other team that wanted to acquire him.

Here’s more on the Knicks:

They rolled to a 34-point win over the Jazz on Friday. OG Anunoby returned to the lineup and scored 11 points in 23 minutes. He was on a minutes restriction after missing nine games due to a left hamstring strain. “You always worry when you get a big lead, you don’t want anybody to get hurt, but we needed to get OG Anunoby some game minutes just to work on his conditioning,” Knicks coach Mike Brown said, per Vince Goodwill of ESPN. “And I thought he looked good for the timings out there. I would have loved to get him to 25, 26 minutes. But, you know, 22, 23 worked good enough, especially with the way we had the lead.”
Josh Hart made his seventh start of the season on Friday and Brown claims it was a staff-driven decision to put him back in the lineup, according to Kristian Winfield of the New York Daily News. “You wanna know the truth? I rely on my staff, and I had reasons why I was starting it that way, but my staff, all of them were like, ‘Hey, these are the reasons why it would be better,’” Brown said. “And the reality of it is I just listened to my staff. I said, ‘OK, If I’m the only one thinking that the other way may be better at that time, then maybe I’m wrong.’ And I have been wrong before, and I will be wrong again in the future.”
Teammates call Tyler Kolek goofy but the second-round pick from 2024 is in a serious fight for minutes and a rotation spot. He has received steady playing time the last eight games due to injuries. “Especially a guy like me, I’m fighting for my life,” Kolek told Jared Schwartz of the New York Post. “I’m trying to get as many minutes as I can, get the coach’s trust, get these guys’ trust as much as I can, so I gotta bring not just the basketball stuff every day, but my personality, my energy, give those guys whatever I can to help the team.”

Fischer’s Latest: Giannis, Knicks, Nets, Hawks, Spurs, Warriors

December 5th, 2025 at 8:04am CST by Luke Adams

When the Bucks briefly explored the possibility of a Giannis Antetokounmpo trade over the summer, the Knicks were the only team they spoke to, with the star forward having reportedly expressed some interest in the idea of playing in New York.

Given Antetokounmpo’s apparent affinity for the Big Apple, the Nets have long believed they could have a real shot at winning the Giannis sweepstakes if he ever ends up on the trade block, writes Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link). However, according to Fischer, while the Knicks continue to be viewed as a credible threat to land the two-time MVP, Brooklyn is no longer being described in the same terms.

As Fischer explains, the Nets are prioritizing a high pick in the 2026 draft in the hopes of landing a young franchise player to build around, and don’t have the sort of championship-caliber roster that Antetokounmpo would be seeking in the event that he requests a trade.

The Knicks, conversely, have a roster better equipped to contend with Giannis, but may lack the assets to sell Milwaukee on a deal. For what it’s worth, Fischer hears from multiple sources that Antetokounmpo told at least one Bucks teammate during the offseason that he thought a deal with the Knicks was close to happening, though multiple reports have indicated that the two teams didn’t gain real traction in their discussions.

Here’s more from Fischer:

The Hawks could make a compelling offer for Antetokounmpo by offering the 2026 first-round pick they acquired from New Orleans back in June. If the Bucks were to acquire that pick, they’d control both their own and the Pelicans’ first-rounders in the upcoming draft. Fischer says he has been repeatedly – and “quite strongly” – told since the start of the season that Atlanta won’t trade that “most favorable” first-rounder, which could end up with the best odds to be No. 1 overall, but he believes the Hawks’ front office would have to at least consider the idea if it meant adding a superstar like Giannis.
The Spurs have talked to Antetokounmpo’s U.S.-based agent Alex Saratsis multiple times over the years about the possibility of joining their front office, sources tell Fischer. Despite that link between the two parties, Fischer says there’s no guarantee San Antonio would be a major player in the Giannis sweepstakes if he seeks a deal, noting that the Spurs have thus far been unwilling to consider moving either Dylan Harper or Stephon Castle, even for Antetokounmpo.
During past trade discussions for other players, the Warriors have “never been close” to putting both Jonathan Kuminga and Brandin Podziemski in the same package, Fischer writes. They also have never seriously entertained any scenario in which they trade Draymond Green. However, Fischer thinks the club would be open to reconsidering both of those possibilities if Antetokounmpo is on the table.

Knicks Notes: Giannis, Paul, Backup PG, Hart, More

December 4th, 2025 at 9:20pm CST by Rory Maher

Although the Knicks made a “real offer” for Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo in the offseason, an in-season trade looks unlikely at this juncture, reports Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter video link).

As Begley explains, Antetokounmpo would likely have to try and force his way to New York for a deal to happen, and even if that were to occur, Milwaukee would be under no obligation to fulfill his request. A league source also tells Begley the Knicks like their roster and believe they’re well-positioned in the wide-open Eastern Conference.

The Clippers announced on Wednesday morning that they’re “parting ways” with Chris Paul — what that means exactly is still to be determined, since he’s unlikely to be waived anytime soon and isn’t trade-eligible until December 15. A previous report indicated that the Knicks have discussed the possibility of making a deal for the 40-year-old point guard, but Begley hears a trade, at least as of now, is “highly unlikely” to occur.

Here’s more on the Knicks:

Kristian Winfield of The New York Daily News and Mike Vaccaro of The New York Post (subscriber link) weigh the pros and cons of the Knicks making a run at Paul. Vaccaro believes the future Hall-of-Famer would be an upgrade over second-year guard Tyler Kolek and would probably be relatively easy to acquire. Winfield, meanwhile, says Paul would be an imperfect fit on the Knicks due to his declining production and worsening defense, but the team does need another play-maker off the bench, and the 12-time All-Star is one of the best in league history.
As Stefan Bondy of The New York Post writes (subscription required), Kolek has been getting backup point guard minutes of late, but the team has struggled mightily in his time on the court, which is one reason why the need for a reserve play-maker behind Jalen Brunson persists. Bondy lists nine guards whom a pair of NBA executives think could be available before the February deadline, including Paul, Jose Alvarado (Pelicans), Tre Jones (Bulls), and his older brother Tyus Jones (Magic).
Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter video link) expects Josh Hart to remain in the starting lineup going forward, which is noteworthy because OG Anunoby could return to action on Friday — he’s questionable against Utah after missing the past nine games with a strained left hamstring. Hart has been playing his best basketball of the season recently.
While the Knicks have won five of their past six games, they’ve also blown double-digit leads in five of those six contests, according to Winfield. The latest incident occurred in Wednesday’s win over Charlotte. “Teams aren’t just going to lay down. We build a lead, you’ve got to anticipate they’re going to fight back, they’re not just going to give up,” Brunson said after the victory. “We’ve got to do a better job of slowing down their runs and limiting them. But we can’t let them get all the way back like we’ve been doing.”

Magic’s Banchero, Knicks’ Anunoby Questionable Friday

December 4th, 2025 at 5:31pm CST by Rory Maher

A pair of key NBA players could return from their respective injuries on Friday.

Magic forward Paolo Banchero has been upgraded to questionable for Friday’s game vs. Miami, as first reported by Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel and subsequently confirmed by the team (Twitter links).

Banchero, the first overall pick in the 2022 draft, has missed the past 10 games with a left groin strain.

The injury designation for Banchero is somewhat surprising. As Beede writes, head coach Jamahl Mosley indicated after shootaround on Wednesday morning that the former Duke star was still limited to non-contact drills in practice. Perhaps that changed over the past 36 hours.

“At the end of the day, we always try to see how he’s responding to each day and how he recovers that next day after he’s gone through treatments and workouts,” Mosley said.

For what it’s worth, Banchero said on November 23 that he was “definitely feeling close” to returning from the injury. Orlando has compiled a 7-3 record without the 23-year-old and is currently 13-9.

Banchero was limited to 46 games last season after making 80 regular season appearances in year two. The 2024 All-Star signed a maximum-salary rookie scale extension this summer that includes Rose Rule language — he could earn a significant raise if he makes an All-NBA team this season, but he’d only be eligible if he appears in at least 65 games.

Veteran forward OG Anunoby also has a chance to return to action on Friday, having been listed as questionable for the Knicks‘ matchup with Utah, according to Steve Popper of Newsday (Twitter link). The former All-Defensive member has missed the past nine games with a strained left hamstring.

Anunoby was cleared for controlled contact work and 3-on-3 scrimmaging over the weekend, then head coach Mike Brown said on Wednesday that the 28-year-old had taken full contact, as James L. Edwards III of The Athletic relays (via Twitter).

“He’s progressing in the right direction,” Brown said.

Anunoby was off to an impressive start to the 2025/26 season before the hamstring strain, averaging 17.1 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 2.1 steals through 11 games (33.5 minutes per contest). His shooting line over that span was .483/.397/.760.

New York is currently 14-7. The team has gone 6-3 in Anunoby’s absence.

Latest On Giannis Antetokounmpo

December 4th, 2025 at 11:05am CST by Luke Adams

In the wake of a Shams Charania report stating that star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo has reopened conversations with the Bucks about his future, head coach Doc Rivers – who dismissed Antetokounmpo-related trade speculation in October – reacted with exasperation when asked about the latest rumors.

“So, here we go again. There’s been no conversations,” Rivers told reporters, including Eric Nehm of The Athletic (Twitter links). “I want to make it clear for the – I want to say one more time – for the 50th time, and clearly it’s not getting to one network, for sure, Giannis has never asked to be traded. Ever. I can’t make that more clear. … I talk to the source every single day, every single day. And he loves Milwaukee and he loves the Bucks.”

Rivers’ veiled shot at ESPN was likely a reference not only to Charania’s reporting but also to a comment made by another one of the network’s NBA reporters, Brian Windhorst, during an ESPN Cleveland radio appearance (Twitter video link).

Windhorst went viral on Wednesday after saying that Antetokounmpo “asked to be traded already” prior to the season, a reference to the Bucks’ trade talks with the Knicks reportedly instigated by Giannis. During an appearance on ESPN’s Get Up on Thursday morning, Windhorst walked back that remark to some extent.

“Doc can say with a straight face that there was no trade demand, and I think that’s true. He didn’t demand it,” Windhorst said of Antetokounmpo (YouTube link). “However, those (offseason) discussions (with the Knicks) were not the Bucks’ idea, I assure you.”

Team sources who spoke to Nehm and Sam Amick of The Athletic downplayed the “severity” of the situation with Giannis and confirmed that he hasn’t formally requested a trade at this point.

However, with Milwaukee off to a slow start this season and Antetokounmpo raising eyebrows by scrubbing his social media accounts of virtually all their content, leaving little reference to the Bucks, speculation will continue to run rampant as potential suitors keep a close eye on the situation.

“I talked to teams yesterday that immediately scheduled meetings to talk about whether they would make an offer (if Antetokounmpo requests a trade),” Windhorst said on Get Up. “The Knicks would potentially be on Giannis’ list, but the feel would be that Giannis might expand (that list). … Because he’s only got one guaranteed year left (after this season), he would probably have a role in directing where the Bucks might send him.”

Windhorst added that all involved parties – including Giannis and the Bucks – would probably like to have clarity on which way the situation is headed within the next couple weeks or so, and pointed to December 15 as a date to watch, since many offseason signees become trade-eligible at that point.

Here’s more on Giannis and the Bucks:

Brian Lewis of The New York Post has long reported that the Nets have interest in Antetokounmpo, but he suggests the timing might not be right for Brooklyn if the two-time MVP requests a trade in the coming weeks or months. As Lewis explains, the Nets are now in full-on tank mode and don’t yet have an obvious young franchise player to pair with Giannis.
The Heat would and should be interested in Antetokounmpo if he were to ask for a change of scenery, according to Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. However, Winderman suggests that including Bam Adebayo in an offer would be a “non-starter” for Miami and it’s unclear if the rest of the team’s assets would be enough to entice Milwaukee — especially if the Heat aren’t offered any compensation from the NBA for the first-round pick they traded for Terry Rozier without knowing he was being looked at for unusual betting activity.
ESPN’s NBA experts take a look at five hypothetical trades that might work for the Bucks and Antetokounmpo, exploring scenarios that send the star forward to the Hawks, Rockets, Knicks, Spurs, and Warriors.
Despite the uncertainty surrounding Antetokounmpo’s future and the fact that he left Wednesday’s game after just three minutes due to a calf injury, the Bucks picked up their best win of the season, beating Detroit by a score of 113-109. Big man Bobby Portis said the Bucks had a team meeting before the game that helped everyone “get settled in,” as Jack Maloney of CBS Sports relays (via Twitter).
In case you missed it, Antetokounmpo’s calf strain is expected to keep him on the shelf for about two-to-four weeks.

Giannis Antetokounmpo Talking To Bucks About His Future

December 3rd, 2025 at 1:59pm CST by Luke Adams

Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo and agent Alex Saratsis have initiated conversations with the team about the two-time MVP’s future, reports Shams Charania of ESPN.

According to Charania, Antetokounmpo and Saratsis are talking to the Bucks in the hopes of determining whether the forward’s best fit is in Milwaukee or elsewhere, with a resolution expected in the coming weeks.

Antetokounmpo’s future in Milwaukee became the subject of intense scrutiny over the offseason after the Bucks were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs for a third consecutive year and lost Damian Lillard to an Achilles tear in the process.

Although the 30-year-old has repeatedly expressed his love for the city and the franchise, he has also made it clear that being in position to contend for titles remains his number one goal. Antetokounmpo was said to have “serious questions” about the Bucks’ championship potential and spoke to the team over the summer about the idea of exploring a possible “alternative path forward.” At that time, he reportedly conveyed that he’d be interested in the Knicks if he were to leave Milwaukee.

The Bucks briefly engaged in trade talks with the Knicks, according to reports, but weren’t compelled by what New York had to offer and gained no traction toward a deal. Instead of moving Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee’s front office did its best to try to upgrade the roster around him, waiving and stretching Lillard’s maximum-salary contract in order to create cap room to sign center Myles Turner, one of the top free agents on the market.

According to Charania, Antetokounmpo reaffirmed his commitment to the Bucks ahead of the season and came into camp expecting to evaluate how the first 25 or so games of the season went before making any decisions about his future. Asked during the preseason about the report linking him to the Knicks, Giannis expressed confidence in Milwaukee’s revamped roster, but didn’t deny the rumor and didn’t rule out the possibility that he could change his mind “in six, seven months.”

After a 4-1 start this fall, the Bucks have slumped, losing eight of their past nine games and dropping to 9-13 on the season, which puts the team outside the top 10 in the Eastern Conference. Milwaukee has outscored opponents by 8.8 points per 100 possessions when Antetokounmpo is on the court, but has a dismal -11.0 net rating when he’s not on the floor.

Sources who spoke to Charania described the Bucks’ recent skid as frustrating for Antetokounmpo and the rest of the organization, with one source suggesting the “writing is on the wall” for a potential change of scenery for the superstar forward unless Milwaukee can begin turning things around in the very near future.

[UPDATE: Giannis Antetokounmpo Leaves Wednesday’s Game With Apparent Calf Strain]

While the Knicks had something of an exclusive negotiating window in the offseason, that wouldn’t be the case if Antetokounmpo decides to ask for a trade this winter, Charania writes. A number of teams around the NBA would be expected to get involved in that scenario — the Heat and Nets are among the clubs who have repeatedly been described in the past as potential suitors for Giannis, though there may be others who could offer more compelling packages.

Antetokounmpo, who will celebrate his 31st birthday on Saturday, continues to produce at an MVP level so far this season, averaging 30.6 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 6.4 assists in just 30.8 minutes per game, with a shooting line of .639/.435/.630. His maximum-salary contract includes a cap hit of $54.1MM this season, with a guaranteed $58.5MM salary for 2026/27. He holds a $62.8MM player option for ’27/28 and will become extension-eligible next October.

Clippers Announce They’re ‘Parting Ways’ With Chris Paul

December 3rd, 2025 at 11:13am CST by Luke Adams

11:13 am: Paul clashed with members of the Clippers’ organization as a result of his leadership style, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania (Twitter link), who hears from sources that the team felt the veteran point guard had become “disruptive” in his efforts to vocally hold players, coaches, and front office members accountable.

Former Clippers guard Lou Williams made similar comments earlier in the day during an appearance on FanDuel’s Run It Back show, noting that Paul was attempting to hold players and coaches accountable and “had some criticisms” of the Clippers’ front office (Twitter video link).

According to Charania, head coach Tyronn Lue and Paul hadn’t been on speaking terms for several weeks. Haynes, meanwhile, reports (via Twitter) that Paul asked to meet with Lue a few weeks ago to discuss allegations that he had been a negative presence for the team and the Clippers’ coach refused to meet with him.

6:51 am: The Clippers have put out a statement announcing that they’re “parting ways” with future Hall-of-Famer Chris Paul, who signed a one-year, minimum-salary contract with the team over the summer for what will be his final year in the NBA.

NBA insider Chris Haynes (Twitter link) first reported the news at around the same time Paul posted an Instagram story that reads, “Just found out I’m being sent home,” accompanied by a peace-sign emoji.

“We are parting ways with Chris and he will no longer be with the team,” Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank said in a statement to Law Murray of the Athletic. “We will work with him on the next step of his career.

“Chris is a legendary Clipper who has had a historic career. I want to make one thing very clear. No one is blaming Chris for our underperformance. I accept responsibility for the record we have right now. There are a lot of reasons why we’ve struggled. We’re grateful for the impact Chris has made on the franchise.”

Sources confirm to Murray that the decision to part ways with the Clippers wasn’t Paul’s and wasn’t initiated by him.

A 12-time All-Star who made five of those All-Star appearances during his first stint with the Clippers from 2011-17, Paul returned to Los Angeles for his age-40 season in the hopes of providing his former team with some reliable depth behind star point guard James Harden.

However, the season hasn’t gone as planned for Paul or the Clippers, who are off to a miserable 5-16 start. The 21-year veteran averaged just 2.9 points and 3.3 assists in 14.3 minutes per game across 16 outings as a Clipper, shooting 32.1% from the floor. He fell out of the rotation for several games in November and has only returned in recent weeks as L.A. deals with a handful of injuries to key players.

Despite the apparent split between the two sides, the Clippers are unlikely to waive Paul anytime soon unless he agrees to a buyout. The team is currently operating just $1.28MM below its first-apron hard cap and doesn’t have the ability to sign a free agent to a prorated minimum-salary contract until January 7.

Since L.A. is carrying just 14 players on its standard roster, waiving Paul would drop that number to 13 and would require the club to get back to the 14-man minimum within two weeks. Given those roster and cap limitations, the Clippers will likely wait until Paul becomes trade-eligible on December 15 and explore the market for him at that time, assuming he’s not open to negotiating a buyout.

According to Stefan Bondy of The New York Post (Twitter link), the Knicks have discussed the idea of targeting Paul in a trade to add point guard depth. New York is dealing with a hard cap of its own and would need to send out at least a minimum-salary player in order to accommodate Paul, who used to be represented by Knicks president of basketball operations Leon Rose when Rose was still a player agent.

As Murray writes, this development with Paul represents the latest instance of the Clippers unceremoniously divorcing from a key figure of their “Lob City” era. Back in January 2018, the team traded Blake Griffin to Detroit just a few months into his new five-year, maximum-salary contract with L.A.

Atlantic Notes: Towns, MPJ, Thomas, Quickley, Barrett

December 2nd, 2025 at 9:09pm CST by Rory Maher

Big man Karl-Anthony Towns recently made it very clear he hopes to keep playing for the Knicks for the foreseeable future, according to Stefan Bondy of The New York Post.

“Hell yeah, hell yeah. I want to stay here,” Towns said. “Obviously get a chance to be home, see my family. It means more than the money, you know. So just to be able to be here with the fans, be with the family. It means a lot. I would like it to continue.”

As Bondy writes, Towns was eligible for a two-year extension before the season began, but there was “no traction” on a new deal. The five-time All-Star is under contract through at least 2026/27, with a $61MM player option for ’27/28, so there wasn’t much urgency to extend Towns from New York’s perspective.

That may change next summer, however, since Towns will again be extension-eligible and could be a free agent in 2027 if he declines that option. The 30-year-old forward/center says he has a strong relationship with the team’s front office, Bondy adds.

“Me, (team president Leon Rose) and (Senior VP of basketball operations Gersson Rosas) and everyone, we’re great,” Towns said. “I’ll go have lunch with them right now. We’re good.”

Here’s more from around the Atlantic Division:

After missing two games with lower back tightness, Nets forward Michael Porter Jr. returned to action on Monday and produced one of his best games of the season, finishing with 35 points, seven rebounds, four assists and two steals in 36 minutes during the victory over Charlotte, notes C.J. Holmes of The New York Daily News. As Lucas Kaplan of NetDaily.com writes, Porter has thrived in head coach Jordi Fernandez‘s offensive system, putting up career-best statistics as Brooklyn’s top scoring option. “Well, I think Jordi — he’s a genius of a coach,” Porter said. “You know, we’re a young team, we’re going to keep growing, but he’s a genius in terms of the schemes that he puts out, especially offensively for me. The way teams are guarding me, really just face-guarding me and trying not to let me catch the ball, the different creative ways that Jordi has our team running plays to help me get touches and get looks off is really next level. He’s making it so easy for me to play my game. So I really have to thank just Jordi and the offensive coaching staff for how I’ve been able to produce.”
Nets guard Cam Thomas, who is three-plus weeks removed from straining his left hamstring, will undergo an MRI in the next few days to determine how the injury is healing, as Brian Lewis of The New York Post relays. “He’s getting an MRI at the end of the week, and then when we get the reads [on it], then we’ll give you guys an update. We’ll let you know when that happens,” Fernandez said. Thomas was limited to just 25 games last season after straining the same hamstring multiple times.
Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett have improved multiple aspects of their games since they were traded from the Knicks to the Raptors nearly two years ago, writes Kristian Winfield of The New York Daily News. Both players have gotten stronger and are in better shape, and Toronto head coach Darko Rajakovic also pointed to specific basketball improvements. “Immanuel improved his defense on the ball dramatically. He’s one of the best defensive players that we have now on the ball. Also very disruptive with his hands,” Rajakovic said. “RJ’s shot selection is a little bit different. He’s getting much more to the rim, he’s doing catch-and-shoot 3s, he’s scoring more off cuts. Those two guys — they’re investing a lot in their individual and personal development and that’s affecting our whole team.”
Barrett, who is currently out with a knee sprain, still isn’t doing on-court work yet but his knee is getting better and the Raptors forward is considered day-to-day, tweets Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca.

Nikola Jokic, Cade Cunningham Earn Player Of The Month Honors

December 2nd, 2025 at 2:46pm CST by Luke Adams

Nuggets center Nikola Jokic and Pistons guard Cade Cunningham are the NBA’s Players of the Month for October/November, earning the honor for the Western and Eastern Conference, respectively, per an announcement from the league (Twitter link).

It’s the ninth time that Jokic has won a Player of the Month award over the course of his 11-year career. He earned it in this case with a superlative start to the season that saw him comfortably average a triple-double – 28.9 points, 12.4 rebounds, and 10.9 assists per game – while leading Denver to a 14-5 record.

Jokic’s shooting percentages were arguably even more remarkable than his per-game averages, as he shot 63.7% from the field and converted 45.3% of his three-point attempts.

The Nuggets star came out on top of a competitive field that included nominees like fellow MVP candidates Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Thunder and Luka Doncic of the Lakers. Clippers guard James Harden, Rockets center Alperen Sengun, Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija, Lakers guard Austin Reaves, and Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards were also nominated for Player of the Month in the West, according to the NBA (Twitter link).

In the East, meanwhile, Cunningham’s Pistons have been one of the most pleasant surprises of the season’s first six weeks. While Detroit was viewed as a strong playoff contender, few NBA observers expected the team to win 16 of its first 20 games and sit atop the Eastern Conference at the end of November.

Cunningham was the driving force behind the Pistons’ hot start, averaging 28.8 points, 9.4 assists, and 6.4 rebounds in 36.8 minutes per game across 17 outings, while shooting 45.6% from the floor and 81.5% from the free throw line.

Raptors forward Scottie Barnes, Celtics wing Jaylen Brown, Bulls guard Josh Giddey, Hawks forward Jalen Johnson, Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey, Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell, Heat guard Norman Powell, Magic forward Franz Wagner, and Knicks teammates Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns were also nominated for Eastern Conference Player of the Month, which Cunningham won for the first time in his career.

Luka Doncic, Jalen Brunson Named Players Of Week

December 1st, 2025 at 2:50pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Lakers guard Luka Doncic and Knicks guard Jalen Brunson have been named the Western and Eastern Conference Players of the Week, respectively, according to the NBA (Twitter links).

Doncic led the Lakers to three wins during the week of November 24-30 while averaging 37.3 points, 10.3 assists and 8.7 rebounds per contest. Those performances, which included a 43-point outburst against the Clippers, increased his league-leading scoring average to 35.1 points per game.

Brunson lifted the Knicks to four wins by averaging 28.8 points and 4.5 assists per game while knocking down 40.7 percent of his three-point attempts. He matched his season high on Friday by racking up 37 points against Milwaukee.

Doncic and Brunson, of course, were backcourt partners in Dallas. Brunson has earned Eastern Conference Player of the Week honors seven times since joining the Knicks, while this is the first time Doncic has achieved the feat since becoming a Laker.

The other nominees in the West were Zach Edey (Grizzlies), Anthony Edwards (Timberwolves), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder), Jamal Murray (Nuggets) and Austin Reaves (Lakers).

Desmond Bane (Magic), Jaylen Brown (Celtics), Tyler Herro (Heat), Jalen Johnson (Hawks) and Pascal Siakam (Pacers) were also nominated in the East.