Embiid Has Swollen Knee, Out At Least 7-10 Days
Joel Embiid‘s injury issues continue to pile up.
The Sixers star center experienced increased swelling in his left knee during an on-court workout on Thursday, according to a team press release. The 2023 league’s Most Valuable Player will miss the team’s upcoming road trip and be reevaluated in approximately 7-10 days.
Embiid has missed the last six games due to a left foot sprain. The foot sprain has healed, according to the release. After consulting with team medical staff and external doctors, Embiid will receive treatment in the coming days to address the knee swelling.
After seeing action in only 39 regular season games last season due to a variety of ailments, Embiid has appeared in just 13 games this season. He’s averaging 24.4 points, 7.9 rebounds and 3.8 assists per contest, a sharp drop from last season when he posted averages of 34.7 PPG, 11.0 RPG, and 5.6 APG.
Following what was considered a highly successful offseason that reshaped the roster, the Sixers are enduring what increasingly appears like a lost season. They’re 15-24 after losing their last four games and now face a tough stretch with road matchups against Indiana, Milwaukee and Denver before returning home to face the Eastern Conference-leading Cavaliers.
Embiid signed a three-year, fully guaranteed maximum-salary extension in September that runs through the 2028/29 season.
Cavaliers Interested In Nets’ Cameron Johnson
The Cavaliers have expressed interest in acquiring forward Cameron Johnson from the Nets, Joe Vardon of The Athletic reports.
Cleveland’s front office has at least discussed Johnson as a potential target and inquired about his availability. Some rival team officials believe Cleveland will make a serious run at acquiring Johnson, Vardon adds.
The Nets have already dealt away Dennis Schröder and Dorian Finney-Smith in their zeal to open up cap space and pile up draft assets. Johnson, who has been battling an ankle injury in recent weeks, might be their most valuable remaining asset. He’s averaging a career-best 19.6 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.0 assists in 33 starts. Johnson is also shooting a career-high 49.9 percent from the field, including 42.8 percent beyond the arc.
Johnson is in the second year of a four-year contract that includes $90MM in guaranteed salary and $18MM in incentives. The Cavaliers’ desire to acquire Johnson is tempered by the fact that the Eastern Conference leaders lack draft capital and do not want to move any of their top eight players. While they do have plenty of second-round picks to dangle, the Cavs can’t deal any of their first-rounders earlier than the 2031 draft.
Caris LeVert‘s expiring $16.6MM contract would be a logical piece to include in a proposed deal with a rebuilding team, though he’s averaging 11.1 points and 3.8 assists per game in a reserve role.
Cleveland has been searching for a starting small forward for several seasons. Dean Wade and Isaac Okoro have received the bulk of the starts at that position. Wade might be more suited to a backup power forward role, Vardon notes, and Okoro has been unable to establish himself as a consistent starter since he was drafted in the 2020 lottery.
The Cavs have the top-rated offense in the league but they have one of the NBA’s smallest backcourts. Their 134-114 loss to the Thunder on Thursday was an example of how opponents with length on the perimeter can hold them down. The playoffs tend to be slower, more halfcourt-oriented slugfests and Johnson could help them in that area.
Members Of Heat Organization Fear Jimmy Butler Situation Could Get Uglier
Members of the Heat organization, including players, coaches and staffers, have grown weary of Jimmy Butler‘s feud with the front office and it’s feared that the situation could get even worse, Ramona Shelburne of ESPN reports.
With his team-imposed seven-game suspension over, Butler could return to action against the Nuggets on Friday. However, there’s a sense of dread in the organization that Butler could become even more of a distraction.
One unnamed source within the organization told Shelburne, “I don’t know how he can come back to this locker room,” while another informed her, “We don’t want him back.”
Butler reiterated his demand to be traded to president of basketball operations Pat Riley during the suspension while the team was away on a six-game road trip. Butler was furious at the length of the suspension and the potential $2.35MM in lost salary, according to Shelburne, who says the possibility of a reduction waned because Butler failed to show enough contrition.
Here’s more from Shelburne’s story:
- Butler was stunned when Riley publicly criticized him after last season for missing playoff games. Butler also felt the organization had prioritized Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro over him, especially when Riley and coach Erik Spoelstra essentially anointed Adebayo as the team leader when Udonis Haslem retired.
- Butler’s preferential treatment during his years with the Heat is detailed, including staying in his mansion in Boulder, Colorado during the 2023 Finals. He’s also been allowed to fly privately or stay at a different location than the team on road trips.
- During the first half of a game against Oklahoma City on Dec. 20, Butler went to the locker room because of a sprained ankle, then left the arena because he told the team’s medical staff that he was feeling sick. He didn’t play the next three games and some team officials began to regard Butler as somewhat AWOL. During the last of those absences, Butler posted a video of himself playing soccer.
Northwest Notes: Wolves, DiVincenzo, Henderson, Camara, Murray
The Timberwolves are out of excuses after losing to the shorthanded Warriors on Wednesday, Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic writes. Nearly everything went wrong for Minnesota, including a slow start to open the game that saw the Wolves fall behind 13-0.
“They came out how we should’ve come out,” said Donte DiVincenzo, who scored 28 points to go along with nine assists and six rebounds. “There’s no excuses. I think we just have to be better to start the game. We got it together. We fought and clawed our way back, but we start the game differently, this is a different story.”
Gui Santos made his first career start for Golden State and was effective, while Rudy Gobert was out-rebounded by Trayce Jackson-Davis. The Wolves rank 22nd in defensive rebounding after finishing ninth last year, which Krawczynski writes is a direct result of Gobert’s regression.
Anthony Edwards was critical of the lineup – himself included – that surrendered that early 13-0 deficit, Krawczynski writes in the same story.
“The starting five, we are terrible,” Edwards said. “Every game we come out low energy and the second group comes in and gives us energy. I would say the starting group has gotta come out with more energy like we want to play the game of basketball, like we love the game.”
We have more from the Northwest Division:
- Things won’t get any easier for the Timberwolves as they embark on a difficult stretch that includes tilts against the Knicks, Cavaliers and Grizzlies. DiVincenzo is out with a toe sprain, according to team PR (Twitter link). It’s not clear exactly how much DiVincenzo will miss, but toe sprain absences are often measured in weeks and not days.
- The Trail Blazers saw a glimpse of a brighter future in a Tuesday loss to the Nets, Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report writes. Second-year players Scoot Henderson and Toumani Camara both recorded career games, with Henderson scoring a career-high 39 points while making eight three-pointers and Camara finishing the night with 24 points.
- Nuggets coach Michael Malone expressed confidence last month that Jamal Murray would begin to silence his critics with his play and, after a season-high 45 points from the Kentucky product on Tuesday, Malone defended his guard again. “I think the microscope on Jamal is a little intense,” Malone said, per ESPN’s Tim MacMahon. “Everybody’s just got to kind let the kid breathe a little bit. He’s not perfect. And if you look, I think his overall stats as of recently, he’s been very good for us.“
Thunder Notes: Culture, Wallace, Williams, Carlson
The Thunder were able to fast-track their timeline for contention by establishing a firm culture under head coach Mark Daigneault that focused on skill development and small details, ESPN’s Tim MacMahon writes.
“I think that’s why we’ve been able to accelerate our development,” Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said. “All those little things that go into winning, they mean a lot to us because of our competitiveness and what our common goal is as a group.”
Oklahoma City saw success last season but was eliminated in the second round of the playoffs, falling short of the Western Conference Finals. Instead of sending out their assets for another star or big name, the Thunder targeted role players in Isaiah Hartenstein and Alex Caruso who could help push their core to the top of the league.
“They want to be a part of something bigger than themselves,” Daigneault said. “I think that’s one of the things that [Thunder general manager Sam Presti]’s nailed in this process. The types of people that we’ve brought in the door, regardless of whether they’re still here or they’re not, by and large, have been committed professionals that are ambitious, but they’re also willing to complete the team.”
We have more from the Thunder:
- After emerging as a rookie contributor on a contending team last season, Cason Wallace began this season in a slump, averaging 6.5 points on 41.8% shooting through his first 33 games. But as Joel Lorenzi of The Oklahoman writes, it looks like Wallace is out of his funk after averaging 13.2 points on 58.7% shooting in his last five outings. It’s obviously a small sample, but Wallace’s mentality helped break him out of the dry spell. “Just being a hooper,” Wallace said. “Knowing that you’re gonna have shooting slumps. And I had mine early. I had one last year, just wasn’t as loud as this. Just sticking with it, knowing it would come back.“
- Jalen Williams has a solid case to make the All-Star Game according to The Athletic’s Anthony Slater, which would make him one of two players from the 2022 class to do so so far (joining Paolo Banchero). Entering Thursday, Williams held averages 20.6 points, 5.7 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game for the contending Thunder. Gilgeous-Alexander believes Williams is worthy of the honor. “For our team to be as good as we’ve been, obviously coming up on the All-Star Game, I think it’d only be right for him to be an All-Star,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “You don’t have this record because of one All-Star. You don’t have this record because of one good player.”
- Branden Carlson got his first shot at extended minutes in a big matchup against the Cavaliers on Thursday, Lorenzi writes. He scored 11 points in 17 minutes off the bench, playing in the first quarter. After going undrafted in 2024, Carlson signed a two-way contract with the Raptors, but was waived before the season began. The big man joined the Thunder on a non-guaranteed contract, was cut again, and was brought back last week on a 10-day deal. Although he’s only under contract for 10 days, Oklahoma City relied on Carlson with their frontcourt depth depleted as a result of injuries to Hartenstein and Chet Holmgren.
Heat Notes: Butler, Young Core, Adebayo, Rozier, Richardson
Despite the fact that Heat star Jimmy Butler reportedly made it clear he no longer wants to play for the franchise, he may suit up for Miami on Friday, writes Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald. Butler is eligible to return against Denver from his team-issued suspension and was not listed on Thursday’s injury report.
The six-time All-Star was expected to meet with Arison and CEO Nick Arison on Thursday afternoon to discuss a path forward.
As has been reported, there has been little progress on a potential trade. The Heat would prefer to get a trade done sooner rather than later but will only accept a deal that will help the team both now and moving forward.
We have more from the Heat:
- Miami went 3-4 during Butler’s suspension, including three consecutive wins against the Warriors, Jazz and Trail Blazers. The most promising aspect of the trip, The Athletic’s James Jackson writes, is the fact that Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kel’el Ware and Nikola Jovic all showed promise. Ware continues to play a larger role as the season goes on. Teammate Tyler Herro expressed optimism about what he saw from those players during the stretch. “Ups and downs with a young player are normal,” Herro said. “I went through it myself. I think that’s the hardest thing: just finding consistency night in and night out. That’s a challenge for any young player. I think getting the reps every night is ultimately what young guys need, to be able to continue to get better and go through ups and downs, play through mistakes. But they’re all playing very well. You can see how good they can be, and I’m really excited for them.“
- Ware and Jovic have looked particularly good coming off the bench for Miami, often assisting on each other’s makes, Chiang observes in a separate story. On the other hand, Bam Adebayo and Terry Rozier remain off the mark offensively, with Adebayo shooting a career-low from the field and Rozier shooting his lowest since the 2018/19 season.
- Despite being active earlier this month and looking like he was on track to return soon, Josh Richardson went home from the team’s West Coast road trip early for an MRI on his heel. Richardson was ruled out due to that heel issue, according to the team (Twitter link). It’s unknown at this time when Richardson will be able to return or what the results of the MRI were.
Lakers Notes: Redick, Reaves, Bronny, Jemison
Lakers coach JJ Redick challenged the Lakers to prioritize connectivity and communication on Wednesday before playing the Heat, but they faced a big deficit at halftime. According to Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times, Redick got it through to his team that they needed to talk more and play harder.
The Lakers fared better against Miami’s zone defense in the second half and came back to register their first win since Jan. 3.
“I challenged the team across the board today in our meeting about leadership,” Redick said. “And leadership — people think about talking, obviously being vocal, talking in the huddles, whatever it may be. That certainly is a form of leadership. But leadership takes many forms. And I think talk is a requirement of the job as a basketball player. Talk is a requirement of the job.”
According to Woike, Los Angeles’ Wednesday win was a sign of growth, with players taking accountability for things they hadn’t been doing.
We have more from the Lakers:
- Guard Austin Reaves played a huge role in the win against Miami and he’s continuing to grow as a play-maker. Reaves is averaging 9.6 assists per game since Christmas, including a career-high 16 on Dec. 29 and 14 against the Heat. According to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin (Twitter link), Redick said Thursday that Reaves is playing at an “All-Star level.” His season-long averages of 17.9 points and 6.2 assists per game would be career highs if they hold.
- LeBron James continues to be thrilled about having Bronny James on the roster, even if the younger James isn’t playing much, Chuck Schilken of the Los Angeles Times writes. “Bronny doesn’t have to play basketball at all,” LeBron James said on the New Heights podcast (YouTube link). “It’s not like he needs the money. He can do whatever he wants to do. Like, if he wants to be the CEO of my company, he could be that. I’ll start teaching him right now to be that if he wants to. But he’s like, ‘This is my career … my goals and … aspirations and I want to play ball. This is something I love.’ I love that kid. He’s awesome.” Bronny has played sparingly at the NBA level, but he’s averaging 14.7 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game in the G League.
- The Lakers signed Trey Jemison to a two-way contract on Wednesday, replacing Quincy Olivari. That deal is for two years, tweets Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.
- According to McMenamin (Twitter link), the addition of Jemison coincides with the coaching staff’s desire to play Anthony Davis with another center on the floor. Outside of Jemison, the Lakers’ centers on the roster consist of Christian Wood, Jaxson Hayes and Christian Koloko. Wood hasn’t played all season due to a knee injury, while Hayes has also battled health issues and Koloko (on a two-way) has had a limited role.
Atlantic Notes: Edwards, George, Celtics, Hart, Nets
Sixers two-way rookie wing Justin Edwards is emerging for a team in need of silver linings, Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer writes. The Philadelphia native scored 25 points on four three-pointers made, along with six rebounds and four assists on Tuesday against the Thunder.
Edwards’ role increased with eight players out for Philadelphia, leading to a career high in minutes played.
“I think he’s really, really improving,” head coach Nick Nurse said. “Again, he gives a really good effort on the defensive end. He’s capable of guarding lots of positions defensively, and he’s got a good feel offensively. Again, the ball finds him because he’s moving to the right place at the right time. I thought he took a good number of threes that were there.”
According to Pompey, Edwards credited the G League with his development this season. Edwards has appeared in 17 games for the Delaware Blue Coats this season, averaging 18.5 points per game on .474/.381/.880 shooting in the NBAGL. He didn’t play much at the NBA level to open the season, but has logged at least 12 minutes in six of the Sixers’ past seven games, averaging 9.7 PPG on 55.0% shooting during that stretch.
The Sixers signed Edwards to a two-way deal after he went undrafted in 2024. Like fellow two-way players Pete Nance and Jeff Dowtin, he’s on a one-year contract and will be eligible for restricted free agency at season’s end.
We have more from the Atlantic Division:
- After losing four straight games and seven of their last nine, the Sixers and Paul George aren’t giving up on what has been a disappointing season, Pompey writes in another story. George says he sees a light at the end of the tunnel with 43 games left in the season. Nurse expressed a similar sentiment, issuing a reminder that the Sixers’ big three of George, Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey have only played 10 games together — the club is 7-3 in those games.
- The Celtics are facing a tough stretch this month despite owning the NBA’s third-best record at 28-12. The defending champions have mostly downplayed their recent struggles, according to Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe, but Himmelsbach says there was “a new, ominous air of frustration and urgency” following double-digit Wednesday loss to the 10-win Raptors on Wednesday. The Celtics have three losses – all by at least 13 points – in their last five games, eking out a one-point victory over the 10-win Pelicans during that stretch.
- Josh Hart continues to prove he’s one of the league’s elite role players, averaging 14.2 points, 9.6 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 1.5 steals per game while shooting 56.6% from the field and 36.9% from three. As James L. Edwards III of The Athletic observes, that stat line has never been accomplished by a player 6’8″ or shorter, which would make Hart the first if his statistics hold. In fact, the only players in league history to reach those minimum averages in a season are Embiid, Nikola Jokic and Larry Bird.
- The Nets are exactly where they need to be in their rebuild, opines Anthony Puccio of NetsDaily. While their Wednesday 59-point loss to the Clippers was the worst in franchise history, they have a coach in Jordi Fernandez who looks like a long-term solution, along with plenty of cap flexibility, draft capital and young players worth taking further looks at.
Mavericks Notes: Lively, Irving, Dudley, Losing Streak
Mavericks center Dereck Lively suffered a right ankle sprain in the first quarter of Tuesday’s loss to Denver, causing him to exit the game after just four minutes. X-rays on Lively’s ankle were negative, according to NBA insider Chris Haynes (Twitter link), but a return timeline has yet to be established for the second-year big man.
Lively and Kyrie Irving, who is dealing with a bulging disc in his back, were both sidelined for Wednesday’s loss in New Orleans, notes Tim MacMahon of ESPN.
Here’s more on the Mavericks:
- Speaking of Irving, one of the people he’s been leaning on for advice for the back issue is assistant coach Jared Dudley, a longtime former player who dealt with a back problem during his career. “I had a back injury, and mine was more severe; I had back surgery,” Dudley told Grant Afseth and Rashad Miller of DallasHoopsJournal.com (Substack link). “Kyrie’s injury is less serious than mine, but with any back injury, it’s usually the nerve that’s affected. There’s a technique called nerve gliding that helps the nerve get back on track. Kyrie will need to do that and also follow a core regimen to keep everything stable. He’s already someone who follows a routine, so it’s just about continuing that.”
- The Mavs dropped their third straight game on Wednesday, losing to the lowly Pelicans in controversial fashion, writes Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News. Trailing by one point with 15 seconds remaining, Dallas forced Jordan Hawkins into a turnover and had a fast break opportunity. With about five seconds left, Spencer Dinwiddie‘s layup attempt hit the backboard and then was goaltended by Trey Murphy, but the officials didn’t call it (YouTube link). The NBA’s last two-minute report acknowledged that the referees missed the call, tweets MacMahon.
- In a radio appearance on 96.7 The Ticket, Mavs general manager Nico Harrison said the team was unlikely to file a protest for the loss, relays Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News (Twitter link). “You can do an appeal but if you do it, you have to spend some money,” Harrison said. “It might make you feel good, but it’s not going to change the outcome. Refs make mistakes. It’s frustrating. … It is what it is. You have to move on to the next game.” Marc Stein confirms (via Twitter) that the Mavs will not file an official protest with the league.
Trade Rumors: Bigs, Hornets, Raptors, Cavaliers
Of the four in-season trades already completed in 2024/25, two largely revolved around centers. More big men could be on the move prior to the February 6 trade deadline.
According to NBA insiders Marc Stein and Jake Fischer (Substack link), the Jazz are “actively exploring the market” for forward/center John Collins. The same is true of the Wizards and Jonas Valanciunas, though a recent report stated that Washington wouldn’t simply ship him off to the highest bidder.
League sources also tell the authors that the Bulls have welcomed trade calls on Nikola Vucevic for “weeks.”
Michael Scotto of HoopsHype recently reported that the Warriors have checked in on all three of the aforementioned players.
Here are some more trade rumors from Stein and Fischer:
- After trading Nick Richards to the Suns, head of basketball operations Jeff Peterson said the Hornets will continue to “listen to everything” in order to build a sustainable contender. Josh Green, Cody Martin and Vasilije Micic are among the other Hornets who could be on the trade block, according to Stein and Fischer, who report that Charlotte is open to discussing second-year guard Nick Smith Jr. as well.
- Veteran swingman Bruce Brown has been viewed as a trade candidate since he was acquired by the Raptors last year, but he remains on Toronto’s roster for now. It’s possible his $23MM expiring contract — and the fact that he has missed most of the season while recovering from offseason knee surgery — has been a roadblock in trade talks, but that may not be true for Chris Boucher, whose $10.8MM expiring deal is described by Stein and Fischer as “very movable.”
- The Cavaliers signed Jarrett Allen to a three-year, $91MM extension on August 2. The timing of that deal wasn’t a coincidence — Cleveland insisted on the agreement being finalized before Aug. 6, so Allen would be trade-eligible before the deadline (Feb. 2). However, the former All-Star center is (unsurprisingly) not available in trade talks, in part due to the team’s league-best record. Aside from Allen, Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland and Evan Mobley, who are all off limits, the Cavs have been “listening to pitches” on other players but are “generally reluctant” to mess with the team’s chemistry, per Stein and Fischer.
- “Good” second-round picks — selections that land in the early 30s — are believed to be at a premium in trade talks, in part due to the restrictions of the new tax aprons, Stein and Fischer add.