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.
Hawks Reportedly Interested In Extending CJ McCollum
The Hawks value veteran combo guard CJ McCollum as more than just an expiring contract, according to Grant Afseth of DallasHoopsJournal.com, who hears from sources that Atlanta has discussed the idea of offering the 34-year-old a one-year extension worth around $20MM.
McCollum, who is being traded to Atlanta along with Corey Kispert in the move that will send Trae Young to the Wizards, is earning $30.67MM in 2025/26, which is the final season of his current deal.
Although McCollum has been in the NBA since 2013, he has technically never been a free agent, agreeing to three different contract extensions over the span of his career. It’s unclear if he’d prefer to test free agency in 2026 or potentially sign a short-term deal at some point after he’s officially traded to the Hawks.
According to Afseth, Atlanta views McCollum as a complementary ball-handler and scorer alongside the team’s young core. The team also likes his ability to play both on and off the ball, Afseth writes.
McCollum started each of the Wizards’ first 35 contests, averaging 18.8 points, 3.6 assists and 3.5 rebounds on .454/.393/.804 shooting in 30.9 minutes per game. He was in his first season with Washington after being acquired in an offseason trade with New Orleans.
A potential one-year extension with McCollum would allow the Hawks to maintain long-term financial flexibility while theoretically improving their chances at staying competitive in the short term, Afseth notes.
Raptors’ Hepburn Undergoes Knee Surgery, Out At Least Six Weeks
Raptors guard Chucky Hepburn has undergone surgery to address a torn meniscus in his right knee and will be reevaluated in six weeks, per Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca (Twitter link).
Hepburn spent three years at Wisconsin prior to transferring to Louisville for his senior season in 2024/25. He went undrafted in June and quickly agreed to a two-way contract with the Raptors.
The 6’0″ point guard has only made two NBA appearances with Toronto for a total of 13 garbage-time minutes. Hepburn has been a productive player at the G League level with the Raptors 905 though, averaging 12.4 points, 8.6 assists, 2.3 steals and 2.1 rebounds on .415/.368/.871 shooting in 18 Tip-Off Tournament and regular season games (29.3 minutes per contest).
The 22-year-old’s absence won’t have much of an impact on the Raptors’ NBA rotation, given his modest role as a rookie. But obviously the Raptors 905 will miss having their top passer and play-maker for the next several weeks.
In other Raptors injury news, Jakob Poeltl (back) went through a light practice on Thursday in Boston, tweets Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca, but will miss his ninth consecutive game on Friday against the Celtics (Twitter link via Blake Murphy of Sports.net). Scottie Barnes (right knee sprain) and Brandon Ingram (right thumb sprain) are questionable to suit up tomorrow, Murphy adds.
Hornets Notes: Knueppel, LaMelo, Miller, Kalkbrenner, Williams
Hornets wing Kon Knueppel has been one of the top rookies in 2025/26, but he’s far from content. The 20-year-old tells Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer he’s always looking for ways to level up his game on both ends of the court.
“I think an area to grow is definitely being more disruptive defensively,” Knueppel said. “I tend to be where I’m supposed to be, tend to keep my guy in front of me. But can I maybe get a few more deflections? And I think that comes with a little bit more anticipation, being more aware of that. What play is going to happen before it happens and then those will come.
Knueppel, the fourth overall pick of last year’s draft, played 1189 minutes over 39 games in his lone season at Duke. He’s currently at 1186 minutes through 36 NBA games, and says his body is holding up well so far.
“I feel good,” Knueppel told Boone. “There’s a lot of nicks and bruises and things, but I luckily haven’t had anything major. Had the little chip fracture in the pinky early in the season, stuff like that. But yeah, the body’s holding up. Been really proactive with the recovery stuff and the training staff are doing a great job.”
Here’s more from Charlotte:
- The Hornets had a good chance to win their third straight game on Wednesday vs. Toronto, leading by as many as 13 points, but wound up losing by one after an Immanuel Quickley game-winning three. LaMelo Ball was limited to just five minutes in the fourth quarter, and head coach Charles Lee explained why that was the case after the game, according to Boone. “I liked how that group (with Collin Sexton and Sion James in the backcourt) was playing also,” Lee said. “Just trying to be a little bit mindful of where we are in a back-to-back and our allocation of minutes to put us all in the best position to be healthy. So, I thought that group did enough to kind of keep us in it, keep it close. And it’s helped us kind of extend some leads at times too, with their defensive aggressiveness and Collin’s ability to knock down the three. I thought he scored it at a pretty good clip tonight, too, and was able to get to the paint, which was something that we were lacking at times. So, just a tough decision that I have to make.”
- As Boone writes in the same story, Lee also provided injury updates on Brandon Miller (left knee contusion), Ryan Kalkbrenner (left elbow sprain) and Grant Williams following Wednesday’s game. Lee suggested the team was just being cautious with Miller’s knee on the front end of a back-to-back — the third-year wing is probable to suit up on Thursday vs. Indiana. Kalkbrenner, meanwhile, will miss his ninth straight game against the Pacers. “Yeah, Ryan is going to be OK,” Lee said. “He’s been making really good progress. … We’ll continue to evaluate him after every team activity he does and in on-court sessions, but I do think he’s trending in a good direction.”
- As for Williams, the veteran forward is 13-plus months removed from a torn ACL in his right knee and appears to be in the final stages of his rehab. “Grant’s obviously been out for an extended period of time with his injury now, has been able to be more involved in team activities and five-on-five play, and so far he’s responded really well,” Lee said, per Boone. “But when you’ve missed that much time from basketball, we want to make sure that we’re reintegrating him into game play at the appropriate time.”
Wizards Rumors: Young, Sarr, Carrington, Kispert
Although rival executives have been expecting new Wizards point guard Trae Young to exercise his $49MM player option for 2026/27, he has yet to make a decision on that option, according to David Aldridge, Sam Amick, and Josh Robbins of The Athletic, who say the four-time All-Star is also open to discussing a contract extension with his new team or even opting out in favor of free agency this summer.
If Young did become a free agent, the Wizards would make a “full push” to sign him to a new contract, since they don’t want to lose him for nothing, per The Athletic’s trio. If he picks up his option, the team’s plan would be to talk to Young and his reps to see if he’s happy in Washington, then decide on the next steps from there. An extension, another trade, or Young playing out the final year of his contract would all be options in that scenario.
The Wizards want to assess how several members of their young core – including Kyshawn George, Bub Carrington, and Tre Johnson – respond to playing alongside Young, since that will be a key factor in determining whether the 27-year-old fits on their roster long-term, according to The Athletic’s report. However, it’s unclear how often that will happen in the next few months.
As Aldridge, Amick, and Robbins note, Young has appeared in just 10 games this season due to various injuries – most recently a quad issue – and the team isn’t in a hurry to rush him back. Pointing out that the Wizards have little incentive to win this season because their 2026 first-round pick is top-eight protected, The Athletic’s reporters suggest it’s possible Young will play a “limited number” of games the rest of the way, with the team more focused on his impact in 2026/27 (and potentially beyond).
If the Wizards go that route, it would be similar to what the Raptors did with Brandon Ingram last season. Toronto traded for the forward at the trade deadline and signed him to a contract extension, but with the club in tank mode down the stretch and Ingram still recovering from an ankle injury, he didn’t play until this fall.
Here’s more out of D.C.:
- The Wizards believe they have the sort of defensive personnel that can help make up for Young’s shortcomings on that end of the floor, per Aldridge, Amick, and Robbins, including rim protector Alex Sarr and wing stopper Bilal Coulibaly. The team is also optimistic about the way in which Young may be able to unlock the offensive potential of many of its young players, giving Sarr a pick-and-roll partner and Johnson someone who will get him more open looks.
- While George, Coulibaly, and Carrington have all taken on ball-handling responsibilities this season, George and Coulibaly are forwards rather than point guards, and some members of the organization believe Carrington is better suited to playing off the ball, per The Athletic. That’s one reason why the front office was motivated to make a deal for a true point guard like Young.
- Corey Kispert was “highly regarded” within the Wizards’ organization for his professionalism, according to Aldridge, Amick, and Robbins, but he was viewed as expendable due to the club’s depth on the wing.
Southeast Notes: McCollum, Wizards, Magic, Powell, Herro
There has been a greater focus in the past 24 hours on what Trae Young will bring to his new team in Washington, but Rod Beard of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution notes that CJ McCollum could be a valuable rest-of-season addition for the Hawks.
While Young has battled injuries and has been available for just 10 games so far this season, McCollum appeared in each of the Wizards’ first 35 contests and was off to a strong start for his new team, averaging 18.8 points, 3.6 assists, and 3.5 rebounds in 30.9 minutes per night, with a .454/.393/.804 shooting line.
Beard acknowledges that McCollum isn’t the play-maker that Young is, but observes that the 34-year-old should provide a little more resistance defensively than the longtime Hawk. McCollum has also historically been a more efficient scorer with a lower usage rate, which could make him a good fit alongside Atlanta’s current top scorers, Jalen Johnson and Nickeil Alexander-Walker.
We have more from the Southeast:
- After a 1-15 start to the season, Washington has posted a more respectable 9-11 mark, including a recent stretch of five wins in seven games. According to Josh Robbins of The Athletic, several Wizards believe a November 16 players-only meeting was a turning point in the team’s season. “We weren’t meeting that standard at the time,” big man Marvin Bagley III said. “I think that meeting was well-needed. I spoke up and said my piece, and guys in the locker room spoke up as well, and we had a good talk. I think we came out closer as a unit, and it makes us understand each other more and want to go out and compete for each other. You can see it.”
- Orlando will be making a bid to host the 2030 NBA All-Star Game, as Jason Siegel, the president and CEO of the Greater Orlando Sports Commission announced on Thursday. Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (subscription required) has the story on the bid, which he says the Magic support.
- Speaking of the All-Star Game, Heat guard Norman Powell believes he “definitely” has a strong case to play in this year’s event, but he says he learned after last year’s snub not to get his hopes up, per Ira Winderman of The South Sun Sentinel (subscription required). “I want to make it. I think I deserve to make it,” said Powell, who is averaging a career-high 24.3 points per game on .490/.423/.861 shooting. “You know, my peers around the league after games and things like that are telling me that I’m an All-Star and that I should be there.”
- In his return from a toe injury on Tuesday, Heat guard Tyler Herro came off the bench for the first time since the 2023/24 season. Speaking after the game to reporters, including Winderman, Herro downplayed the subject, suggesting that it was “not really an adjustment” to be a reserve and that he was just grateful to be playing at all. “Just being out there was my biggest thing that I wanted to feel, and that’s how I felt,” he said. “I felt good. I’m healthy. So I just want to be available and be healthy.”
Central Notes: Kawamura, J. Smith, Pistons, Turner
The medical condition that prompted the Bulls to waive two-way guard Yuki Kawamura in October was a blood clot in his lower right leg, per K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network (Twitter links). The team re-signed Kawamura earlier this week.
As Julia Poe of the Chicago Tribune (subscription required) writes, head coach Billy Donovan explained on Wednesday that the Bulls always intended to re-sign Kawamura once he had recovered, and that the 5’8″ guard remained in Chicago to work with the team’s medical staff despite not being on the roster. According to Donovan, Kawamura was able to participate in on-court basketball activities during his recovery process, but didn’t take any contact until he received medical clearance.
“You always take those things seriously,” Donovan said. “He’s worked really, really hard. I’m happy for him because at that point, when you have something like that, you just don’t know what that’s going to look like in the future. I’m just happy it all worked out well for him.”
Victor Wembanyama, Ausar Thompson, and Brandon Ingram are among the current NBA players who have recovered from blood clots in recent years. Wizards forward Cam Whitmore is currently sidelined due to a blood clot in his shoulder.
Here’s more from around the Central:
- Exploring Jalen Smith‘s impact on the Bulls, Spencer Davies of RG.org notes that the team has lost all seven games that the big man has missed this season and has a 17-13 record when he plays. Smith’s +3.5 net rating is the best mark of any player on the roster. “I think he’s been really, really good for us,” Donovan told Davies last month. “… The thing that I appreciate about him, he doesn’t mind playing the center spot and power forward spot. He just wants to go out there and play, and I respect that about him.”
- With a 28-9 record and a four-game cushion in the race for the Eastern Conference’s top seed, the Pistons are better off betting on continuity than making a major move at the trade deadline, writes Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press (subscription required). Still, as Sankofa details in a separate subscriber-only story, Detroit holds a $14MM traded player exception that could be used to add another rotation piece. Sankofa considers a few players the team could target using that TPE, including Sam Hauser, Bobby Portis, Georges Niang, and even Zaccharie Risacher.
- After he spent his first 10 NBA seasons in Indiana, Myles Turner‘s numbers in his first year with the Bucks are down across the board, but he’s doing his best not to let that bother him, telling Jim Owczarski of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (subscription required) that he views any feelings of discomfort as a challenge to be overcome. “I’ve been comfortable the past three, four years. It’s something I’ve known,” Turner said. “I think true growth happens in uncomfortable moments. I’m rolling with the punches. I knew it wasn’t going to be easy making a change like that, so just embracing the uncomfortable part of the role right now.”
Atlantic Notes: Raptors, Bamba, Knicks, Simons, Walker
The Pacers signed Tony Bradley to a 10-day deal on Thursday just three days after releasing him from his non-guaranteed contract, but it doesn’t sound as if the Raptors will go the same route with Mo Bamba.
Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca, who speculated after Toronto waived Bamba on Tuesday that he could return on a 10-day deal, says the Raptors considered that possibility but have decided against it for now. According to Grange, starting center Jakob Poeltl is close to returning after missing the team’s past eight games due to back issues, so re-signing Bamba – which would push the team further over the luxury tax line – isn’t considered necessary at this time.
With Poeltl nearly back and rookie Collin Murray-Boyles playing well, the Raptors will be selective about how and when they complete 10-day deals between now and the trade deadline, Grange explains, adding that Bradley is actually another potential frontcourt target to watch if Indiana doesn’t make a rest-of-season commitment to him.
We have more from around the Atlantic:
- James L. Edwards III of The Athletic considers whether or not the Knicks should make a trade to try to improve their defense, identifying Jose Alvarado, Keon Ellis, and Ochai Agbaji as a few targets who might make sense. While Agbaji probably has the least trade value of those three players, his $6.4MM salary would be the most challenging for New York to accommodate, Edwards notes. Alvarado is earning $4.5MM, while Ellis’ cap hit is just $2.3MM.
- Anfernee Simons was considered a candidate to be traded again from the moment the Celtics acquired him over the summer, but he keeps showing he deserves to stick with the team, opines Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe (subscription required). Simons has averaged 17.3 points in 24.8 minutes per game on .486/.531/.889 shooting in his past six outings and earned praise from head coach Joe Mazzulla for his “great attitude.” Moving his $27.7MM in a cost-cutting move may no longer be a priority for a Boston team that has been more competitive than projected.
- Sixers two-way player Jabari Walker has been active for every one of the team’s games so far this season, but his eligibility is rapidly running out — as long as Philadelphia continues to carry an open spot on its 15-man roster, the team can only use up to 90 total games for two-way players — or up to 50 for Walker, specifically. Those counts are currently at 72 and 35, respectively. “Every now and then, it will pop up in my mind, but just putting my energy toward what I can control right now,” Walker said when asked about his dwindling eligibility, per Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer (subscription required). “And just whatever happens, just knowing that I left an impact on my teammates and left an impact in the game, I think that’s the biggest truth.”
Hoops Rumors Front Office Subscriber Chat: 1/8/2026
Hoops Rumors’ Arthur Hill held a live chat today exclusively for Trade Rumors Front Office subscribers. Topics included how the Trae Young trade will affect the Wizards, potential targets for the Pistons and Bulls, DeMar DeRozan's market value, the chances of Anthony Davis winding up with the Hawks and more!
Pacers Re-Sign Tony Bradley To 10-Day Contract
January 8: Bradley’s new 10-day deal with the Pacers is official, the team confirmed in a press release.
January 7: After waiving Tony Bradley on Monday before his contract became guaranteed for the rest of the season, the Pacers plan to bring him back on a 10-day deal, a league source tells Tony East of Forbes. Bradley cleared waivers earlier today and is now a free agent.
Indiana’s next game isn’t until Thursday, so East speculates that the signing may not take place until then. The Pacers play on back-to-back nights January 16 and 17, so they could make Bradley’s contract cover six games by having it stretch from the 8th to the 17th.
East notes that the team needs depth at center because backup big man Isaiah Jackson is still sidelined with a concussion that has kept him out of action since December 22. Micah Potter, who joined the team on December 26, has started two of the last three games and appears to have a secure spot on the roster after being retained past today’s contract guarantee date.
Bradley was seeing consistent playing time earlier in the season as part of a three-man center rotation along with Jackson and Jay Huff. However, he suffered a fracture on the tip of his right thumb more than two weeks ago and has been playing while wearing a splint ever since.
The Pacers created $1.55MM in cap savings and opened up a roster spot by releasing Bradley on Monday. His cap hit on a 10-day contract will be nearly $132K, which will bring the team to within roughly $5.7MM of the luxury tax line, according to East, who states that Indiana is almost certain to stay out of the tax considering its 6-31 record.
Bradley was in his second season with the Pacers after joining the team on a pair of 10-day deals last March and being signed for the remainder of the season. He has appeared in 29 games this season, averaging 3.9 points and 2.6 rebounds in 10.7 minutes per night.
He will be eligible to sign another 10-day contract with Indiana after the first one expires. After that, the Pacers would have to give him a standard deal to keep him on the roster for the rest of the season.