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Sixers Notes: Maxey, Embiid, George, McCain, Oubre

December 5th, 2025 at 9:18am CST by Luke Adams

Entering Thursday’s game vs. Golden State, Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey was off to the third-best scoring start in franchise history through 20 games, writes Tony Jones of The Athletic. Maxey’s 649 points this fall trailed only Allen Iverson‘s 681 in 2005/06 and Wilt Chamberlain‘s 661 in 1965/66 in terms of the best all-time 20-game starts among 76ers players.

Over the course of those 20 contests, Maxey also led the NBA in minutes per game (40.2) and field goal attempts per game (23.1). Head coach Nick Nurse, who has been leaning heavily on the star guard this fall, suggested he wouldn’t have a problem with Maxey playing an even larger role on offense.

“What did he take, 26 shots tonight?” Nurse said after Tuesday’s win over Washington. “He should shoot even more. That’s the big thing. Nobody is stopping him from doing what he wants to do.”

On Thursday, Maxey took Nurse’s advice, taking 27 shots from the floor and making 13 of them. He also went 5-of-5 from the free throw line and finished with 35 points to increase his scoring average to 32.6 PPG. However, his biggest moment of the night came on the defensive end, as he made an incredible chase-down block on a De’Anthony Melton layup attempt at the final buzzer to preserve a 99-98 victory for Philadelphia following a VJ Edgecombe basket with 0.9 seconds left (video link via NBA.com).

“The block was amazing,” teammate Joel Embiid said, per Tim Bontemps of ESPN. “I almost forgot where we actually made the game-winning layup. I had to ask after. I was like, ‘Wait, who made a game-winning layup?’ That’s how good the block was.”

Here’s more on the Sixers:

Embiid wasn’t on the court during the game’s final moments after reaching his 25-minute limit in the third quarter, and he won’t play on Friday vs. Milwaukee in the second end of a back-to-back set, notes Bontemps. The star center, who has appeared in just eight games this season due to knee issues, said it’s actually easier on his body to hit his minutes limit earlier in the night rather than being saved for crunch time. “I just think after last game I sat too long, and I think that’s happened in the past, earlier in the season, sitting too long and coming back in the fourth,” Embiid said. “Until I’m able to bump that up or they’ll allow me to play more, I think I just got to not sit too long, just play basketball and that’s also the best way to get in a rhythm because obviously, being in and out and obviously not playing back-to-backs and playing, basically playing every two days, that’s how you get in rhythm.”
Embiid didn’t make a major impact when he was on the court on Thursday, contributing 12 points and six rebounds while shooting just 5-of-13 from the floor. As Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer notes, the 76ers will need more from the former MVP if they hope to have a legitimate chance to make a postseason run in the spring.
After playing three games in a row, forward Paul George sat out on Thursday due to what the Sixers called left knee injury recovery, but he’s trending toward being active for Friday’s game, says Bontemps. In other words, it appears the team is just being careful with George in back-to-backs following his offseason knee surgery, and he didn’t experience a setback.
Second-year guard Jared McCain got off to a very slow start last month after returning from a lengthy injury layoff, but he’s rounding into form as of late, with 12.7 points in 25.8 minutes per game on .453/.419/.833 shooting in his past six outings. “I feel like I’m back to myself,” McCain said, according to Pompey. “… I remember in the beginning when I first came back, I was like, ‘Dang, am I ever going to get this burst back at all?’ But just trusting the process, and now I’m here.”
After being ruled out for at least one more week due to a sprained LCL in his left knee, Sixers wing Kelly Oubre Jr. admitted that it has been frustrating to remain sidelined, as Pompey relays. “It sucks,” said Oubre, who last played on November 14. “Listen, man, I’m trying to stay above water, keep my head about it. Trying to fight the depression and all that stuff that comes with not being able to do your job and fulfill your purpose. So it’s a different challenge, and I’m up for the challenge, and I think the reward at the other side will be great just because I’m trying to take it day by day.”

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.

Warriors Notes: Butler, Melton, Horford, Draymond, Spencer

December 4th, 2025 at 11:19pm CST by Rory Maher

Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said prior to Thursday’s game in Philadelphia that Jimmy Butler underwent an MRI on his sore left knee, according Nick Friedell of The Athletic.

As Friedell writes, while the team doesn’t seem overly concerned about Butler’s knee, it remains to be seen when the 36-year-old forward will return to action — he missed the second half of Tuesday’s loss to Okalahoma City after experiencing the injury and was out Thursday as well.

Golden State has a road back-to-back this weekend, but then has four days off before its next game on December 12, which will likely be Stephen Curry‘s target return date.

Here’s more on the Warriors:

De’Anthony Melton gave the Warriors a spark off the bench on Thurday in his season debut, recording 14 points, three assists, two steals and a block in 21 minutes of action. Kerr said before the game that Melton, who had been recovering from an ACL tear, would be on a restriction of approximately 20 minutes, per Friedell. “It’s been a long time since he’s played in an NBA game, so this is about getting his feet wet, finding a comfort zone out on the floor,” Kerr said. “You can scrimmage all you want, but it’s not like being in an NBA game. So I’m excited to get him back. He’s a hell of a player and he’s worked really hard in his rehab to get himself back to this point.”
After missing the past four games with sciatica, Al Horford was active against his former team on Thursday and wound up making his first start of the season, tweets Anthony Slater of ESPN. While the 39-year-old big man struggled with his shot again, going 1-for-8 from the field (1-of-7 from long distance), he did chip in six rebounds, four assists, one steal and one block, and the team was plus-three in his 18 minutes.
Forward/center Draymond Green injured his right foot late in the second quarter during Thursday’s one-point loss after Dominick Barlow fell on it (Twitter video link via NBC Sports Bay Area). The Warriors quickly ruled Green out at halftime, and while the former Defensive Player of the Year was in a walking boot in the locker room, he told Slater that he wants and expects to keep playing through the pain. Green sprained the same foot a couple weeks ago when Donovan Clingan landed on it, Slater notes.
Golden State is now below .500 for the first time this season after dropping Thursday’s game, Slater adds. The Warriors, who are 11-12, mounted a furious comeback in the fourth quarter after trailing by as many as 26, only to see the bid fall short in the closing seconds of a chaotic and entertaining ending.
One bright spot on Thursday was third-year guard Pat Spencer, who is on a two-way contract. He was instrumental in the comeback, recording 16 points (on 5-of-8 shooting), four rebounds and four assists, with the Warriors outscoring the 76ers by 16 points in his 24 minutes. After the game, Kerr said he’s hoping to see Spencer get promoted to a standard contract at some point — the 29-year-old has been active for all 23 games this season and can be available for up to 50 contests, as Slater relays (Twitter video link). “It would be great to find a way to get him on the (standard) roster,” Kerr said. Still, Kerr acknowledged it would be “tricky” to convert Spencer — the standard roster is now full after Golden State signed Seth Curry, and the team is operating only about $264K below its hard cap.

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.”

Injury Notes: Sheppard, Dort, Caruso, Oubre, Hornets

December 4th, 2025 at 7:20pm CST by Rory Maher

Pacers guard Ben Sheppard has been diagnosed with a left calf strain and will be out for at least Friday’s game against Chicago, the team announced in a press release (Twitter link).

As Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star writes (subscriber link), the Pacers have been absolutely ravaged by injuries this season, particularly in the backcourt. Sheppard, a third-year guard out of Belmont, had been one the few exceptions to that — he was one of only four players on the roster — and the only guard — to play every game in 2025/26.

Sheppard had been playing some of his best basketball of the season recently, Dopirak notes. The 24-year-old primarily plays as a wing but had to man the point at times amid several injuries to teammates. In more of an off-ball role, he had 14 points (on 5-of-5 shooting), five rebounds, two assists and two steals in 18 minutes during Wednesday’s loss to Denver.

“He’s playing hard, he’s playing fast, he’s playing unselfish,” head coach Rick Carlisle said after Wednesday’s game. “He’s applying pressure full court. These are elements that we need. Him shooting the ball, 5-of-5 tonight is no surprise. He can shoot the ball. The key thing is that through all the challenges, he’s just remained true to who he is and stepped into the shots that are his shots. That’s his job to do and that’s everybody’s job to do.”

Here are a few more injury updates from around the NBA:

Thunder wing Luguentz Dort will miss his second straight game on Friday due to a strained adductor, tweets Clemente Almanza of Thunder Wire. Oklahoma City faces Dallas tomorrow evening. Dort, a member of the All-Defensive First Team in 2024/25, missed five games earlier this season with an upper right trap strain. Thunder guard Alex Caruso will be out Friday as well — he’s dealing with a quad contusion which will cause him to miss his third straight contest.
Veteran wing Kelly Oubre Jr., who is out with a sprained LCL in his left knee, will miss at least one more week, the Sixers announced today (Twitter link via Adam Aaronson of PhillyVoice.com). According to Philadelphia, Oubre is progressing well in his rebab. Oubre, who turns 30 next week, has missed the past eight games and will be out for at least three more.
Collin Sexton was forced out of Wednesday’s game due to an injury, which has been diagnosed as a left quadriceps strain, per the Hornets (Twitter link). The 26-year-old guard has been ruled out of Friday’s game at Toronto. Three other Hornets — Tre Mann (right knee soreness), Brandon Miller (left shoulder) and Ryan Kalkbrenner (left ankle contusion) are questionable to play against the Raptors.

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.

Mavs’ Dereck Lively Seeking Multiple Opinions For Foot Injury

December 4th, 2025 at 3:51pm CST by Rory Maher

Mavericks center Dereck Lively II is seeking multiple opinions on the next steps to take to treat his injured right foot, according to the team (Twitter link).

Lively was spotted in a walking boot during Wednesday’s shootaround, tweets Christian Clark of The Athletic.

The 12th overall pick in the 2023 draft, Lively last played on November 21 against New Orleans. He has been sidelined with swelling and discomfort in his right foot — the same foot which was surgically repaired over the summer.

Marc Stein reported last week that Dallas was concerned Lively could miss an extended period of time, with the team subsequently stating he would be out at least seven-to-10 days — this is the first update on his status since then.

Lively appeared in the first three games of the season before missing the next nine due to a right knee sprain. The third-year center suited up for four of Dallas’ next six contests, sitting twice during back-to-back sets, before the foot became an issue again.

Even when Lively has been available this season, he has been on a minutes limit. In seven outings (four starts), the 21-year-old has averaged 4.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1.6 blocks in 16.4 minutes per night.

The right foot is the same one that Lively injured at the beginning of the year. He was diagnosed in January with a small fracture in his foot/ankle area, which sidelined him until April and limited him to 36 total games in 2024/25. He averaged 8.7 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 2.4 APG, and 1.6 BPG in 23.1 MPG in those 36 appearances.

Cavaliers Fined $250K For Player Participation Violation

December 4th, 2025 at 3:09pm CST by Rory Maher

The Cavaliers have been fined $250K for violating the NBA’s player participation policy, the league announced today in a press release (Twitter link).

As we outline in a Hoops Rumors glossary entry, the NBA’s player participation policy – instituted in 2023 – is designed to reduce instances of teams resting healthy players during the regular season.

The player participation policy is focused almost exclusively on players considered “stars” and includes rules prohibiting those stars from sitting out NBA Cup games or nationally televised games without an approved reason (including a legitimate injury).

According to the NBA, the violation occurred when All-Star point guard Darius Garland could have suited up in a nationally televised game on Nov. 24 vs. Toronto, but the Cavaliers instead played him against the Clippers the day prior in a game that was not on national TV.

This is Cleveland’s second player participation violation of the season — the first occurred last month. A team found to have violated the player participation policy is subject to a fine. The amounts of those fines are as follows:

First violation: $100K
Second violation: $250K
Subsequent violations: $1MM more than the previous penalty (ie. $1.25MM for the third violation, $2.25MM for the fourth violation, and so on)

The Cavaliers finished ’24/25 with the best record in the Eastern Conference at 64-18, but have gotten off to a somewhat sluggish start this season in part due to injuries. The team is currently 13-10, the No. 7 seed in the East.

Lakers Notes: Vanderbilt, Smart, Doncic, More

December 4th, 2025 at 3:01pm CST by Luke Adams

After playing in each of the Lakers‘ first 14 games of the season, veteran forward Jarred Vanderbilt has been a DNP-CD for the team’s past six contests. Vanderbilt has dealt with numerous injuries that have limited his availability in recent years, but he’s healthy now, prompting head coach JJ Redick to explain earlier this week why the 26-year-old isn’t in the rotation.

“He’s been a pro. He’s been great,” Redick said (Twitter link via Dave McMenamin of ESPN). “In the most recent stay-ready (game) that we had this week, he was great. He’s been a great teammate, so no surprise there.

“I had communicated to him, even before LeBron (James) came back, that there were certain things that he needed to be able to do consistently to play before LeBron came back, after LeBron came back. And that there potentially was going to be a numbers crunch because we were probably going to play a nine-man rotation. And that was just the reality.

Redick went on to say that he didn’t want to tweak the rotation too much during a hot streak – the Lakers had won seven games in a row prior to Monday’s loss to Phoenix – but that Vanderbilt could eventually find himself regaining a more regular role, especially if the team loses anyone due to an injury.

We have more on the Lakers:

Lakers guard Marcus Smart (lower back injury management) will miss a fourth straight game on Thursday in Toronto, while star guard Luka Doncic sits out for personal reasons. According to Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops, Doncic has returned to his home country of Slovenia for the birth of his second child. His status for games in Boston on Friday and Philadelphia on Sunday is unclear.
Law Murray of The Athletic and Thuc Nhi Nguyen of The Los Angeles Times take stock of where the Lakers stand at the one-quarter mark of the 2025/26 season. At 15-5, the team is on pace for a 60-win season, but has a relatively modest net rating of +3.1, the 12th-best mark in the NBA. The Lakers’ record is buoyed by the fact that they’re the only team without a loss in a “clutch” game, defined as a game within five points with fewer than five minutes remaining — Los Angeles is 6-0 in that situation.
Within a look at a few potential contenders trying to challenge Oklahoma City in the Western Conference, Kelly Iko of Yahoo Sports notes that three-point shooting is an area the Lakers may look to address on the trade market. Los Angeles currently ranks 25th in the NBA in made three-pointers per game.
If Giannis Antetokounmpo were to request a trade out of Milwaukee, could the Lakers make a legitimate play for him? Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report considers that question and outlines what a trade package centered around breakout guard Austin Reaves might look like.

Western Notes: Morant, Frank, K. George, Markkanen, Gillespie

December 4th, 2025 at 2:21pm CST by Luke Adams

Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant, who has been out since November 15 due to a right calf strain, has been participating in drills, though he isn’t going full speed or taking contact yet, head coach Tuomas Iisalo said on Thursday, per Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal.

While there are still some hurdles Morant needs to clear before he’s ready to return to the court for the Grizzlies, Iisalo feels good about the progress the 26-year-old has made, noting that Morant is considered day-to-day.

“He’s already moving and able to do some things with the team, so looking positive,” Iisalo said.

As Cole writes, even once Morant is available, the Grizzlies will still be short on point guard depth, with Scotty Pippen Jr. (toe), Ty Jerome (calf), and Javon Small (toe) all still inactive.

Here’s more from around the Western Conference:

While some sources who spoke to Joe Vardon of The Athletic said that Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank and other members of his front office are on track to sign contract extensions, other team sources said that talk of extensions is “premature,” according to Vardon. For what it’s worth, all of those sources stressed that Clippers owner Steve Ballmer values continuity, so there’s no indication that a front office or head coaching change is on the horizon despite the team’s poor start this season, Vardon notes.
Tony Jones of The Athletic provides an interesting, in-depth look at how Keyonte George‘s offseason trip to Lauri Markkanen‘s home country of Finland strengthened the chemistry between the two Jazz teammates and helped set up what has been a breakout season for George so far. Within the story, Markkanen also speaks about his desire to see Utah’s rebuild through. “For me, the journey of getting better and better as a team and then finally breaking through means a lot to me,” the star forward said. “I would love to be a part of the next great Jazz team.”
Suns point guard Collin Gillespie spoke to Mark Medina of RG.org about his increased role, learning from Devin Booker, and his goals for the rest of the season, among other topics. “I just want to continue to play good basketball and shoot the ball well and be efficient,” Gillespie said when asked about his individual goals. “I want to prove that I can be a consistent role player in the NBA. That’s really it. Everything that comes with winning and team success, everything else will come individually.”