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Injury Notes: SGA, Thunder, Booker, Essengue, Schröder

December 7th, 2025 at 9:54am CST by Rory Maher

Reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will miss his first game of the season on Sunday when the Thunder face the Jazz in Utah, tweets Clemente Almanza of Thunder Wire.

Gilgeous-Alexander is dealing with bursitis in his left elbow, per the team.

The superstar guard is one of seven Oklahoma City players who will be out Sunday. Others include rotation members Luguentz Dort (right adductor strain), Alex Caruso (right quad contusion), Isaiah Joe (left knee soreness) and Isaiah Hartenstein (right soleus strain).

Here are more injury notes from around the NBA:

Suns head coach Jordan Ott provided an update on star guard Devin Booker on Friday, according to Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic (Twitter video link). Booker is recovering from a right groin strain and could return for Wednesday’s NBA Cup quarterfinal at Oklahoma City. “We’ll continue to assess him day-by-day, but he’s been through this before,” Ott said. “So he knows exactly where he’s at and his body and he’s made good progress in a short amount of time. … If his body is feeling good and he’s in a good place, he’ll absolutely be available (Wednesday).”
Speaking to the media on Saturday, Bulls lottery pick Noa Essengue said his season-ending shoulder left injury was a dislocation, as K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network relays (via Twitter). The French forward added that he dislocated the same shoulder a couple of years ago and his surgery is scheduled for Wednesday.
Kings point guard Dennis Schröder was out again last night in Miami due to a right hip flexor strain, notes Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee (Twitter link). While Schröder’s strain is “mild” and he’s considered day-to-day, he has now missed five straight games, last suiting up on Nov. 24 vs. Minnesota.

Pat Spencer Making Case For Promotion From Two-Way Deal

December 7th, 2025 at 8:32am CST by Rory Maher

In the two games leading up to Saturday’s contest in Cleveland, third-year point guard Pat Spencer averaged 16.5 points, 5.0 assists (against only 1.0 turnover), 3.5 rebounds and 1.0 steal on .591/.750/1.000 shooting in just 22.5 minutes per night. With the Warriors shorthanded on Saturday, Spencer made his first NBA start and delivered the best performance of his career, writes Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area.

Spencer, who is on a two-way contract, was plus-nine in 29 minutes during Golden State’s 99-94 victory, recording a team- and career-high 19 points, a game-high seven assists (vs. one turnover), four rebounds and a steal. He shot 7-of-12 from the field, including 3-of-4 from three-point range, with 12 of his points coming in the fourth quarter as the Cavaliers mounted a comeback bid that fell short.

“We’ve seen the competitiveness,” head coach Steve Kerr said of Spencer. “We’ve seen what a good player he is over the past couple years. But he’s really improved his jump shot. That’s the big thing. Last year, he would turn down a lot of threes, drive in, shoot a lot of floaters. He’s never going to be Steph (Curry), but he’s a threat out there. That’s what it takes. You have to be a threat from the line to pull the defense out. I just think now the shot quality we’re getting with him on the floor is way better than it was the last couple years.

“And the other thing is that his coach realizes that Pat is that motherf—er. That became clear.”

As Anthony Slater of ESPN details, Kerr was referencing a viral moment during Thursday’s game in Philadelphia, when Spencer made a three-pointer to put the Warriors up five with 1:12 remaining and twice yelled “I’m that motherf—er” to the crowd. Golden State trailed by as many as 26 points in that game and ultimately lost in a chaotic and entertaining finish, but Spencer made his mark.

After a Cleveland run trimmed Golden State’s lead to five on Saturday with seven minutes remaining, Spencer hit back-to-back threes and again talked trash to the road crowd. Up three with 4.3 seconds left, Spencer sealed the victory with two free throws, waiving goodbye to Cleveland fans after the first make.

“We’ll take any win we can get right now,” Spencer said, per Poole. “Great energy in the locker room, just competing our butts off tonight. We’re trying to weather the storm until we get healthy. But yeah, we’re fired up.”

Spencer has had an unusual journey to the NBA. The 29-year-old was one of the top college lacrosse players in NCAA history, holding the Division I men’s career mark for most assists during his four-year stay at Loyola University Maryland. He gave up lacrosse to pursue his NBA dream, playing one year of college ball as a graduate student for Northwestern before catching on with the Warriors’ G League affiliate in Santa Cruz.

Spencer had his two-way contract converted to a standard deal toward the end of last season so he would be playoff-eligible, Slater notes, then the Warriors brought him back on another two-way contract this fall. The team currently has a full 15-man standard roster and wouldn’t be able to promote Spencer without making other moves.

Still, a promotion later in the season seems likely, particularly if he continues playing the way he has been recently. Two-way players can be active for up to 50 games, and Spencer has been available for all 24 of the Warriors’ contests in 2025/26.

“It’s fun to watch a guy who has had to fight for everything finally get his moment and not only seize it but grab it by the neck,” Kerr said, according to Slater. “This guy is a competitor.”

Lakers Notes: LeBron, Redick, Smart, Doncic

December 6th, 2025 at 11:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

LeBron James has almost reached the limit of games he can miss and still qualify for postseason awards, but Lakers coach JJ Redick indicated that won’t be a factor in deciding when he’ll play, writes Khobi Price of The Orange County Register (subscription required). James was held out of Friday’s loss in Boston and is listed as questionable for Sunday’s contest in Philadelphia due to right sciatica and left foot joint arthritis. He has already missed 16 games, so he can only skip one more under the 65-game rule.

“LeBron and I talk very regularly. Mike (Mancias, James’ longtime athletic trainer and the Lakers’ athletic performance liaison) and I talk regularly. It’s never come up as something that’s important,” Redick said. “The biggest thing as we got closer to training camp was getting him healthy, and then as we started the season, getting healthy enough to play, and then re-acclimating him. I want all my guys to get whatever award they deserve. Austin (Reaves), Luka (Doncic), LeBron, like whoever, I want them to get awards. That’s great for them, but it’s not – the list of things that you have to worry about and think about as a player and coach, it’s so far down the list.”

James was sidelined for the first 14 games of the season with sciatica and didn’t make his debut until November 18. He has appeared in six games and is averaging 14 points, 7.8 rebounds and 4.3 assists in 32.8 minutes per night with .413/.259/.550 shooting numbers. He’ll turn 41 later this month, so limiting the wear and tear on his body is Redick’s primary concern.

There’s more on the Lakers:

Marcus Smart will miss his sixth straight game on Sunday and his injury designation has changed, Price adds. He’s now dealing with a left lumbar muscle strain rather than lower back injury management. Smart has appeared in 14 games and made nine starts in his first season with L.A.
James’ historic streak of double-digit scoring games was snapped at 1,297 Thursday at Toronto, Price states in a separate story. James had eight points going into the final possession when he opted to pass to Rui Hachimura, who sank a game-winning three-pointer. “Just playing the game the right way,” James said. “You always make the right play. That’s just been my M.O. That’s how I was taught the game. I’ve done that my whole career. There was not even one second-guessing that.”
Doncic and his fiancée announced the birth of their second child Saturday in an Instagram post, per Thuc Nhi Nguyen of The Los Angeles Times (subscription required). Doncic didn’t play in Friday’s game, but he has been removed from the team’s injury report for Sunday.

Southeast Notes: Banchero, Herro, Whitmore, Ball

December 6th, 2025 at 9:48pm CST by Arthur Hill

Paolo Banchero was limited to 20 minutes as he returned to the court Friday after missing 10 games with a left groin strain, but he was able to do just enough to help the Magic claim a one-point win over Miami, writes Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (subscription required). Banchero, who finished with nine points, six rebounds and two assists, said he’ll need time to work his way back into playing shape.

“It’s going to take a couple of games,” he said. “My first two shots went in, so that was a good feeling. My shot feels decent. I think it’s going to take a few games, but I was just excited to be out there with the guys and get a win.”

Banchero returns at a good time for the surging Magic, who have won seven of their last 10 games and moved into a tie for fourth place in the East. He’s looking forward to a higher-stakes rematch with the Heat when the teams meet in the quarterfinals of the NBA Cup tournament.

“(Friday) was a pretty ugly game for the most part,” Banchero said, “but just being able to find a way to win against a good team, we’re going to see them again Tuesday so we’re going to have to make the adjustments, see what we could have done better and come out and try to get another one against them.”

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

An MRI conducted Saturday showed that the toe irritation that prevented Tyler Herro from playing on Friday is being caused by a contusion, according to Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald (subscription required). He was held out of the Heat’s game tonight against Sacramento, but it’s not expected to be a long-term injury. “I know about as much as y’all,” Herro told reporters on Friday. “I’m just day by day right now. Not really too sure what happened. I got a little soreness in my big toe. Obviously, I got kicked in like the first quarter the other night in the back of my calf. And then I woke up and my big toe was hurting.”
Wizards forward Cam Whitmore didn’t play on Saturday, and coach Brian Keefe indicated the decision was disciplinary rather than being related an illness that had Whitmore listed as questionable, per Varun Shankar of The Washington Post (Twitter link).“We have certain standards that we have for our team,” Keefe said. “He has to live up to those on the better. And he’ll have a chance here, but that’s gonna be up to him when that time comes.”
Hornets point guard LaMelo Ball has been diagnosed with a bone bruise on his left ankle that will force him to miss Sunday’s matchup against Denver, relays Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer (Twitter link). Ball was unable to finish Friday’s game due to soreness in the ankle.

Trail Blazers Notes: Billups, Dundon, Clingan, Avdija

December 6th, 2025 at 8:38pm CST by Arthur Hill

Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups, who was placed on unpaid leave by the NBA following his October 23 arrest on federal charges related to gambling, has reached an agreement to sell his home in Oregon, according to Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report (subscription required). A listing on Redfin states that the seller has accepted an offer on the Lake Oswego property, which had a $4.275MM list price.

Highkin suggests that the pending sale could be a sign that Billups has accepted that he no longer has a coaching future with the team, even if he’s acquitted on the charges he’s facing. Billups’ next court appearance isn’t until March 4, and the judge in the case has indicated that the trial won’t start until September. Tiago Splitter has been serving as interim coach since Billups was arrested.

Highkin states that Blazers officials may wait until the sale of the team to Tom Dundon‘s group becomes official before they announce a final decision on Billups. He adds that the team’s performance under Splitter for the rest of the season will help determine if the new ownership group decides to remove the interim tag and keep him in place or start fresh with a new coaching staff.

Billups is among 31 defendants in a case involving illegal poker games connected to the mafia that were allegedly rigged through the use of doctored shuffling machines, marked cards and tables with built-in X-ray machines. He’s accused of being a “face card” whose reputation helped to attract big-money players to the games, and he could face up to 20 years in prison for each of two charges if convicted.

There’s more from Portland:

Dundon is nearing an agreement to sell a limited partner stake in the Carolina Hurricanes as he gets set to take over the Trail Blazers, multiple sources tell Mike Ozanian of CNBC (Twitter link). The NHL team is being valued at $2 billion in the deal, according to Ozanian, while Dundon is buying the Blazers for more than $4 billion.
Donovan Clingan missed Friday’s game at Detroit with a contusion on his lower left leg and is listed as questionable for Sunday’s contest in Memphis, Highkin tweets. First-round pick Yang Hansen was recalled from the G League in case Clingan is unavailable.
Deni Avdija‘s 35-point performance on Friday made him the highest-scoring Israeli player in NBA history, per Ethan Rubinson and Toi Staff of The Times of Israel. Avdija has 4,648 career points, six more than Omri Casspi.

Mavericks Notes: Davis, Nembhard, Thompson, Gafford, Lively

December 6th, 2025 at 7:28pm CST by Arthur Hill

Anthony Davis and his Mavericks teammates were eager to move on to the next game following Friday’s 21-point loss at Oklahoma City, writes Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal. Davis missed his first eight shots from the field and was held to two points by one of the NBA’s elite defenses. His only points came with 8:08 left in the fourth quarter, shortly before he checked out of the game for good.

“I hold myself accountable for the play,” Davis said. “When I catch the ball, (they) have guys loaded up … there’s not much room to operate. But we don’t have time to dwell on it.”

As Christian Clark of the Athletic describes, the Thunder used Jaylin Williams as the primary defender on Davis, with Chet Holmgren lurking to provide help. That combination prevented Davis from getting many good looks at the basket.

“That was their game plan,” Davis said. “That’s most teams’ game plan. When I catch the ball, have guys loaded up. Specifically, when I have it in the post. … And they didn’t have Chet on me. Chet was kind of the help on the baseline.”

There’s more on the Mavericks:

Ryan Nembhard continued to be impressive despite the lopsided loss, Afseth states in a separate story. Coach Jason Kidd said the rookie point guard, who made 4-of-8 shots from the floor and committed just one turnover, held up well under heavy pressure from OKC’s defense. “I thought he did great,” Kidd said. “Being able to find his teammates. … I thought he did a good job of getting guys shots. I thought he attacked.”
Klay Thompson will miss Saturday’s game against Houston with left knee soreness, while Daniel Gafford is out due to right ankle injury management, Afseth relays in another piece. P.J. Washington, who was a game-time decision because of a sprained right ankle, has been cleared to play (Twitter link).
As the team previously announced, center Dereck Lively II will seek additional medical opinions on the cause of the swelling and soreness in his right foot. Lively has only been available for seven games this season and hasn’t played since November 21. “For a 21-year-old, it’s tough,” Kidd told reporters, per Afseth. “He wants to play. Unfortunately, he can’t play right now. So hopefully as he goes through this process of finding other opinions on what he should do, it brings resolve and he can get back to playing because we miss him. He misses playing.”

Celtics Notes: Hot Streak, Pritchard, Walsh, Tillman

December 6th, 2025 at 6:22pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Celtics‘ recent hot streak has changed expectations for the team, which now looks capable of competing for a top-four finish in the East rather than merely a spot in the play-in tournament, writes Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe (subscription required). They’ve won nine of their last 11 games after blitzing the rival Lakers Friday night, and Washburn sees them as legitimate challengers amid an ordinary-looking group of Eastern contenders.

This was expected to be a “gap year” in Boston after two starters were traded over the summer and two other rotation players left in free agency as the team focused on moving below the second apron. However, the roster newcomers have meshed quickly with the remaining talent, and the Celtics have notched several impressive wins over the past two weeks.

“We have a bunch of guys figuring it out for the first time,” Jaylen Brown said. “Of course you all expected it to sink right away, but we had five or six new players and we were all figuring it out. I know you guys don’t care about that. We’ve been getting better every single day and it’s coming together a little bit now, but we’ve still got a lot of work to do.”

There was speculation coming into the season that the front office would try to move below the tax threshold, likely by trading Anfernee Simons or Sam Hauser. However, Washburn claims it would now be “negligent” if president of basketball operations Brad Stevens doesn’t try to upgrade the roster by the trade deadline.

There’s more from Boston:

The Celtics’ offense has been surprisingly successful, posting the second-best rating in the league, notes Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. Payton Pritchard believes there’s still room for improvement and said it’s “exciting” to be a part of. “If everybody’s just focused on, ‘How can I just get a little bit better each day, each game, no matter win or loss?’” Pritchard said, “then eventually we’ll become the team we want to become.”
Jordan Walsh has provided a strong defensive presence since moving into the starting lineup, and he made an impression on Lakers star Austin Reaves Friday night, per Souichi Terada of MassLive. Walsh has also been scoring lately, posting 17 points in 26 minutes against L.A. after a career-high 22-point night Thursday at Washington. “He just plays hard as crap every single possession,” Reaves said. “You don’t take a possession off. His ability, his length, his athleticism. He’s physically gifted. Moves really well. I could see him being one of the best defenders in the league for many years to come. He made shots tonight. Good player.”
Xavier Tillman has barely played over the past month because coach Joe Mazzulla has been using Josh Minott as his backup center instead of a traditional big man, Brian Robb of MassLive states in a mailbag column. Robb endorses the move because it creates more playing time for young wings Hugo Gonzalez and Baylor Scheierman.

Warriors Notes: Horford, Green, Curry, Richard, A. Davis

December 6th, 2025 at 5:18pm CST by Arthur Hill

Al Horford was excited about the opportunity to join the Warriors, but his first few weeks with the team haven’t worked out as planned. The veteran center has only been available for 13 of Golden State’s first 23 games and is averaging 5.6 points and 4.4 rebounds in 21.5 minutes per night. He admits to Nick Friedell of The Athletic that he’s disappointed with his performance so far.

“I’m not where I want to be,” Horford said. “I would say I haven’t been very good. I understand that there’s a lot of work ahead of me, there’s more that I need to do, and I need to be better, and I feel like I will. But right now, I’m not where I want to be.”

Injuries have played a part in Horford’s early-season frustrations, as he just returned Thursday after missing about two weeks with sciatica. Golden State isn’t using him in both ends of back-to-backs, just like Boston’s policy over the past two years, to avoid putting too much strain on his body during the long season. After playing 18 minutes on Thursday at Philadelphia, Horford said he believes he’s making progress physically.

“I felt pretty good tonight,” he said. “Obviously, not playing or anything, that’s always challenging, so trying to get my legs back under me, but it’s just nice to get back on the floor. Things didn’t go our way tonight, the game didn’t go our way, I’m still trying to find myself as well, but I was encouraged with some of the things tonight.”

There’s more on the Warriors:

Horford will miss Saturday’s game at Cleveland as part of a lengthy injured list that also includes Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler, Draymond Green, Seth Curry and De’Anthony Melton, according to Anthony Slater of ESPN (Twitter link). He adds that there’s optimism about Green, who injured his right foot during Thursday’s game and left the arena in a walking boot. Slater states that Green was able to do some shooting on his own after this morning’s shootaround (Twitter link).
Coach Steve Kerr said Stephen Curry is making progress in his recovery from a thigh contusion and “it’s realistic” that he could return Friday against Minnesota (Twitter link).
At 22, Will Richard was viewed as old for a prospect heading into this year’s draft, but he believes he benefited from playing four seasons in college, writes Kenzo Fukuda of ClutchPoints. Richard has been a surprise contributor for Golden State after being selected with the 56th pick. “I feel like those four years at Florida helped me out with my experience,” he said. “I feel like it helped me adjust much quicker than if I were an 18-year-old freshman or something like that. So no knock to the guys that get drafted who are younger than me. … I know my journey is different from everyone else, so I’m happy how it went.”
Rumors that the Warriors are among the teams pursuing Mavericks big man Anthony Davis are untrue, according to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints, who tweets that Golden State hasn’t contacted Dallas about a potential deal and doesn’t plan to during the season.

Clippers Notes: Paul, Bogdanovic, Leonard, More

December 6th, 2025 at 4:09pm CST by Rory Maher

Future Hall-of-Famer Chris Paul is away from the Clippers after the team announced on Wednesday that it would be “parting ways” with the 40-year-old point guard. The surprising news came less than two weeks after the 11-time All-NBA selection confirmed that 2025/26 would be his final season as an NBA player.

Appearing on Amazon Prime Video on Friday (Twitter video link), NBA insider Chris Haynes discussed Paul’s acrimonious exit from Los Angeles.

“The Clippers maintain that there were a series of events and conversations between the front office and Chris Paul over the last few months that ultimately led to his departure,” Haynes said. “The front office believed they had intel that Chris Paul was criticizing the coaching staff, front office and players. And this was something that they felt they’d been hearing for the past couple of months.

“And there was a meeting about a month ago between (president of basketball operations) Lawrence Frank and Chris Paul where Frank addressed this issue again. Chris Paul vehemently denied those accusations. But ultimately Chris Paul elected to apologize to his teammates a few days later if his words or actions were misconstrued.

“(Paul) asked Frank, I was told, to set up a meeting between (Paul) and (head coach) Tyronn Lue — those two haven’t spoken in weeks,” Haynes continued. “Frank said he would get to that — it never happened. Sources said Lue refused to meet with Chris Paul.”

Marc J. Spears of Andscape reported on Thursday that Paul wanted to keep playing this season, and Paul essentially confirmed as much in a text to Haynes (Twitter link).

“I’m just staying ready,” Paul wrote. “I’m hooping right now. I don’t (know) what’s next. I’m still scarred by it all. Still processing everything. But I’m staying ready.”

Here’s more on the Clippers:

Veteran wing Bogdan Bogdanovic could return to action on Saturday in Minnesota after missing the past eight games with a left hip contusion. He’s probable to suit up against the Wolves, the team announced today. The slumping Clips badly need Bogdanovic’s shot-creation skills, particularly with Bradley Beal out for the year with a fractured hip.
Kawhi Leonard is not on L.A.’s injury report today and Law Murray of The Athletic (Twitter link) hears the star forward is expected to play both ends of back-to-backs going forward, assuming he’s healthy. In 13 appearances this season, Leonard has averaged 25.8 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 2.0 steals per game, with a shooting line of .494/.385/.971.
The Clippers are now 2-9 over their past 11 games after dropping Friday’s contest in Memphis. As The Orange County Register relays, the team only managed to score two points over the final six-plus of the fourth quarter and gave up a 9-0 run to conclude the game, which the Clips lost by nine points.

Pelicans Rumors: Zion, Jones, Murphy, Fears, Queen

December 6th, 2025 at 3:14pm CST by Rory Maher

Chris Dodson of ClutchPoints reported on Thursday that Zion Williamson is increasingly unlikely to be in the Pelicans‘ long-term plans, but the team has yet to have any meaningful trade talks regarding the oft-injured star forward, who is currently out with an adductor strain.

Williamson, who is on an unusual maximum-salary contract that features weigh-in checkpoints and guarantees based on games played, likely has minimal trade value due to his extensive injury history.

During Thursday’s live stream for Bleacher Report (YouTube link), NBA insider Jake Fischer said there’s an expectation that New Orleans will entertain offers for the former No. 1 overall pick — and he’s not the only Pelicans player that will apply to.

“You can rest assured that the Pelicans are going to be listening to trade offers for (Williamson),” Fischer said (hat tip to RealGM). “And there are definitely teams that believe, that have told me as recently as today, that New Orleans is now starting to listen and at least show some type of willingness to listen on guys like Herbert Jones and Trey Murphy III as well.

“(Jones and Murphy) are going to have a lot of interest around the league. They’re both on very strong, long-term contracts that are considered relatively team-friendly. Under $30 million in average annual value, which is a big threshold in this current market.

“… But the Pelicans are going to hold a high asking price. And they are going to need multiple first-round picks to move on from either of those guys. That’s my understanding as of now. But right now, it is pretty clear that the Pelicans, with interim head coach James Borrego, are moving in a direction of a team built around Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen, their two lottery picks from this draft.”

Dodson’s ClutchPoints colleague Brett Siegel wrote on Friday that the odds of a deal involving Jones have grown “exponentially” in recent months amid the Pelicans’ disastrous 3-20 start to the season. After signing a contract extension in July, Jones isn’t currently eligible to be traded, but that will restriction will lift on January 14, a few weeks before this season’s deadline.

Fischer is the first reporter we’ve seen state that New Orleans may be open to the possibility of moving Murphy — Dodson suggested the team views the 25-year-old wing as part of the team’s core rather than a trade chip. Murphy is in the first season of a four-year, $112MM rookie scale extension.

In the wake of multiple rumors surrounding the struggling Pelicans, Will Guillory of The Athletic hears from several sources that the team has not had any trade talks involving Murphy, Jones or Williamson (Twitter link). Obviously that stance could change down the line, but it’s worth noting nonetheless.

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