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Southeast Notes: Heat, Herro, Whitmore, Diabate

December 7th, 2025 at 9:55pm CST by Eli Cohen

The Heat have lost three straight games after dropping a 127-111 contest to the Kings on Saturday. Their short-handedness seemed to fully catch up to them against Sacramento, writes Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald.

Tyler Herro, Davion Mitchell, and Pelle Larsson all missed the game, a tough blow to overcome.

“We didn’t have a lot of juice on either end of the floor,” said head coach Erik Spoelstra.

Chiang adds that the injuries forced the Heat to play their 10th different starting lineup through 24 games.

Also of note was that Spoelstra went away from Kel’el Ware in the second half, choosing instead to start the third quarter with Jaime Jaquez Jr.

“Just looking for some juice, looking for something to kick-start just some energy,” Spoelstra explained. “It didn’t really work out that way. But I don’t know necessarily what would have. It wasn’t an indictment on Kel’el.”

We have more from around the Southeast Division:

There was good news that came from the Heat on Saturday night, Chiang wrote in the same article: the MRI on Herro’s injured toe showed a simple contusion, which is not expected to be a long-lasting issue. “I just was going to wait until we found out what the deal was,” Spoelstra said when asked if he had been worried about the test. “I try not to stress out about the things that you don’t know about or can’t control.”
Cam Whitmore didn’t play in the Wizards‘ game on Saturday, which coach Brian Keefe indicated was due to disciplinary issues. Varun Shankar of Post Sports broke down Whitmore’s play late in the previous game against the Celtics (Twitter video link), citing Whitmore not putting in defensive effort or intensity on multiple plays. Shankar notes (via Twitter) that while the Wizards are tanking this season, they have emphasized playing with the proper process.
The Hornets announced, via Twitter, that Moussa Diabate was downgraded to out with right knee soreness for the Hornets‘ game against the Nuggets on Sunday. He joined a long list of Charlotte players on the injury report, including LaMelo Ball, Pat Connaughton, Josh Green, Tre Mann, Collin Sexton, and Grant Williams. Rod Boone, of the Charlotte Observer, writes that given the physical and mental toll of playing seven games in 12 days while shorthanded, maybe no team in the league is as ready for the upcoming five-day break as the Hornets. “Just use the five days and just focus on the right things,” said Brandon Miller. “Just come back with the mindset of just dominating and then we’ll be fine with that.”

Fischer’s Latest: Antetokounmpo, Knicks, Heat, Morant

December 7th, 2025 at 8:05pm CST by Eli Cohen

While Giannis Antetokounmpo recently addressed his desire to make things work with the Bucks, the rest of the league is preparing for the moment when Milwaukee signals it’s ready to start hearing offers, Jake Fischer writes for The Stein Line (subscriber link).

Fischer reports that due to the widespread belief that any team that acquires Antetokounmpo will need to enter next season with championship expectations, executives around the league expect the two-time MVP to have a good amount of say in where he ends up, though there’s never a guarantee a surprise team doesn’t swoop in and land him.

Antetokounmpo recently turned 31 and is averaging 28.9 points, 10.1 rebounds, and 6.1 assists while hitting a career-high 43.5% of his threes this season. He will become extension-eligible on October 1, 2026, a significant factor that will likely play a part in how teams approach making offers for his services.

Of those teams, Fischer cites the Knicks and Heat as organisations to keep an eye on when it comes to a real pursuit of Antetokounmpo’s services.

Fischer writes that there’s a belief that the Knicks stand apart as the team the 6’11” forward would most want to end up on, and confirms that the New York squad was the “temptation” that Antetokounmpo discussed during the offseason. He adds that the fanbase’s post-playoff victory gatherings have been endearing to Antetokounmpo, as they appeal to his love of European basketball and soccer supporter activity.
As far as the Heat go, Fischer notes that Antetokounmpo’s management group got as far as doing due diligence on how playing in states without income tax, including Florida and Dallas, when Luka Doncic was still on the Mavericks, would impact his contract earnings. Once the Heat declined to include Kel’el Ware in Kevin Durant trade discussions this summer, and likewise refused to package Ware with Jaime Jaquez Jr., Nikola Jovic, and the 20th pick in the 2025 draft, it was assumed that they were doing so in order to be in a position to make an offer should a younger top-end talent come available.
Fischer also reports that the Heat have had internal discussions regarding Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant, who has missed 11 of the team’s last 12 games with a calf injury. He notes that Miami has signalled that it’s willing to include Andrew Wiggins in the right deal, and the lack of an extension for Tyler Herro could signal his availability as well.

Central Notes: Stewart, Antetokounmpo, Pacers, Cavaliers

December 7th, 2025 at 6:05pm CST by Eli Cohen

Isaiah Stewart has become an elite defender off the bench for the Pistons over the last few years, and his teammates and coaching staff are making sure people know it.

“He’s the best defensive center in the league and it’s not close,” coach JB Bickerstaff said, as relayed by Detroit Free Press’ Omari Sankofa II (via Twitter). “And I think it’s time that everybody who watches basketball recognizes it.”

Pistons star Cade Cunningham disagreed slightly with his coach’s assessment, saying he didn’t go far enough.

“I think he’s the best defensive player in the league,” Cunningham said, per Sankofa (Twitter video link). “I would love to see him get a Defensive Player of the Year award, ’cause I think he deserves it. I see the best defenders in the league all the time, and I’m thankful I don’t have to see Stew.”

Stewart is currently averaging 2.0 blocks in just 22.5 minutes per night, and has five games with at least four blocks this season.

“There will never be a shot that goes up that Stew doesn’t contest,” Ausar Thompson said, per Sankofa (Twitter link). “He puts his body on the line every night. It’s beautiful to watch.”

One thing holding Stewart back in award discussions is the league-imposed minutes restriction. A player must play 20 or more minutes in at least 65 games to be in consideration for awards like MVP or Defensive Player of the Year, and Stewart already has six games with fewer than 20 minutes. That leaves him with just 11 more over the rest of the season before he would be deemed ineligible.

We have more from around the Central Division:

Giannis Antetokounmpo is the hottest name in the rumor mill these days, but he recently took to the media to state his desire to stay with the Bucks. “There are people who see a door, who want to hurry up and escape through that door,” Antetokounmpo told NBA on Prime’s Chris Haynes (Twitter video link). “I see a wall and I want to run through the wall and make things work.” Haynes adds that according to Antetokounmpo, the two-time MVP’s only focus is getting healthy and being there for his team. Kurt Helin of NBC Sports writes that there’s no doubt that Antetokounmpo wants to make things work with the Bucks, and says that any trade involving him feels like it would have to wait until the offseason.
The Pacers got a sorely-needed road win on Friday against the Bulls, Dustin Dopirak writes for the Indy Star. Head coach Rick Carlisle is aware of the talent deficiency the team is facing on most nights and how it limits them. “A lot of elements right now have to be in place for us to be an effective road team against a team like Chicago,” Carlisle said. The effort was led by Pascal Siakam, who had 36 points and 10 rebounds while hitting five three-pointers. After starting 2-16, this effort gave Indiana its third win in five games.
The Cavaliers were booed at home during Saturday night’s loss to the undermanned Warriors, Chris Fedor writes for Cleveland.com. It was the team’s fifth loss in seven games. “Can’t keep getting in this position,” Donovan Mitchell said.
“Shouldn’t come down to it. All due respect and credit to them, but the consistent thing is we get down and then we start playing. There’s no switch to flip. Until there’s a change in that, we’re going to keep being in these positions where sometimes we do, sometimes we don’t, and we have to fix it.” Head coach Kenny Atkinson agreed with his star’s assessment, adding, “We need a reset right now to rest our bodies and get our principles. You always take lessons from struggles.”

Southwest Notes: Fox, Spurs Injuries, Pelicans Core, Coward

December 7th, 2025 at 5:03pm CST by Eli Cohen

With Victor Wembanyama out, De’Aaron Fox has stepped into a leadership role and brought the Spurs‘ offense together, Jared Weiss writes for The Athletic. Fox has become increasingly comfortable getting into the teeth of the defense and then kicking out to shooters, Weiss writes. He has also helped the team get its turnover issues under control.

Weiss notes that the Spurs’ game plan around Wembanyama can, at times, make their offense more predictable, but Fox’s speed and creativity add wrinkles that will help open things up as he continues to build chemistry with San Antonio’s young star.

Fox has also helped the offense with his improved shooting from deep, writes Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News. Despite averaging 33.2% from three for his career, he is currently shooting 37.8% on 6.4 attempts per game, a weapon which was deployed on two clutch possessions to seal a victory over the Magic on Wednesday.

“If we’re going to play one-on-one, a lot of defenders in this league give me a step, knowing that I’m trying to get downhill,” Fox said. “If they give me the step, I have the confidence to step back, knowing that I have time and space to knock shots down.”

We have more from around the Southwest Division:

Stephon Castle and Luke Kornet are both questionable for the Spurs’ game against the Pelicans on Monday, McDonald notes (via Twitter), adding that there’s some level of optimism about both being able to make a go of it. Castle missed the last nine games for San Antonio with a hip injury, while Kornet missed the Spurs’ loss against the Cavaliers with an ankle injury. Castle is averaging 17.3 points, 7.5 assists, and 1.7 steals in his second season.
While rumors have begun to circulate about the future of the Pelicans‘ core veteran trio of Zion Williamson, Trey Murphy III, and Herbert Jones, some sources around the team say that New Orleans has not held trade talks with other teams about any of the three, reports Rod Walker for NOLA.com. The Pelicans are currently a league-worst 3-21 on the season.
The Grizzlies‘ prized rookie Cedric Coward is looking to accelerate his development by seeking guidance from one of the league’s great wings, Kawhi Leonard, according to Matt Infield of WMC Action News 5 (Twitter video link). “I asked him, like, in the summer, could we get some work in together?” Coward said after the Grizzlies’ win over the Clippers on Friday. “He’s not on social media, so I gotta figure out a way to talk to him.”

Wembanyama, Castle Return To Spurs Practice

December 7th, 2025 at 4:01pm CST by Rory Maher

Star center Victor Wembanyama and 2025 Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle were full participants in the Spurs‘ practice on Sunday, according to Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News, who reports that backup guard Jordan McLaughlin participated as well.

“It’s definitely amazing to see everyone back working,” guard Dylan Harper said. “We did well without those guys. Now when they come back, you’ll see a whole other team.”

Wembanyama has missed the past 10 games with a left calf strain he sustained on November 15. He is not expected to play in Monday’s game vs. New Orleans and is considered “iffy” for Wednesday’s NBA Cup quarterfinal at the Lakers, McDonald writes.

Castle, who has been out for the last nine games due to a left hip flexor strain, is likely to return to action tomorrow against the Pelicans, per Michael C. Wright of ESPN (Twitter link).

Veteran point guard McLaughlin will at least be out again Monday, says McDonald. He has been dealing with a right hamstring strain.

Obviously, the injury updates are welcome news for the Spurs, who will soon be getting two of their top players back. San Antonio is currently 15-7, the No. 5 seed in the Western Conference.

Knicks’ Miles McBride Being Evaluated For Left Ankle Injury

December 7th, 2025 at 3:22pm CST by Rory Maher

Knicks guard Miles McBride was injured in the third quarter of Sunday’s win over Orlando, per James L. Edwards III of The Athletic (Twitter links).

New York Basketball has a video of the play (Twitter link). McBride drove into the lane and was fouled by Desmond Bane on a left-handed layup attempt. Bane’s left foot appeared to land on McBride’s left ankle.

McBride was able to get up on his own and stayed in to shoot two free throws, according to Edwards, but quickly asked to be subbed out and had a noticeable limp.

The Knicks announced after the game that McBride was being evaluated for a left ankle injury, with another update to come on Monday, tweets Ian Begley of SNY.tv.

As Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reports (via Twitter), McBride had an X-ray on his left ankle, which was negative. The 25-year-old will undergo an MRI tomorrow, Scotto adds.

The former second-round pick is off to a strong start to the season, averaging 12.0 points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.5 assists while shooting 46.2% from long distance through 19 appearances (27.3 minutes per game).

In other Knicks injury news, Karl-Anthony Towns was ruled out of Sunday’s game with left calf tightness after initially being considered questionable (Twitter link via Barbara Barker of Newsday). Towns’ ailment — which appeared to be bothering him during Friday’s win over Utah, according to Jared Schwartz of The New York Post — doesn’t seem “too serious,” says Edwards (via Twitter).

Cap Observations: 65-Game Rule, CP3, Warriors, Two-Ways

December 7th, 2025 at 2:16pm CST by Luke Adams

We're not even seven weeks into the 2025/26 NBA regular season, but there are already a number of star players who have become ineligible for end-of-season awards due to the 65-game rule, as well as several others who can't afford another extended absence after missing games this fall.

In some cases, a player becoming ineligible for All-NBA consideration is only meaningful because it might end an impressive streak -- Jayson Tatum, for example, won't make an All-NBA first team this season after achieving the feat for four consecutive years. LeBron James is in danger of missing out on All-NBA recognition for the first time since he was a rookie in 2004.

In other cases though, a player who becomes ineligible for All-NBA honors also locks in a lesser salary on his next contract. When Jalen Williams missed his 18th game, for instance, it ensured that his maximum-salary rookie scale extension will begin at 25% of next season's cap, instead of up to 30%, saving the Thunder a projected $48MM over the next five years.

Today, we're taking a closer look at the notable stars in danger of not meeting the 65-game criteria and the ripple effect that will have, as well as exploring the Clippers' options with Chris Paul, examining the Warriors' decision to sign Seth Curry when they did, and detailing the obstacles facing hard-capped teams carrying two-way players who are vying for promotions.

Let's dive in...

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Nets Notes: Porter, Claxton, Thomas, Saraf

December 7th, 2025 at 1:43pm CST by Rory Maher

Michael Porter Jr.‘s strong play with the Nets may be disrupting the team’s plan to land a top pick in the 2026 draft and could lead to him being on the trade block again before the February 5 deadline, suggests Brian Lewis of The New York Post.

As Lewis writes, Brooklyn is now 3-0 in Porter’s last three appearances and 6-7 overall in the games he’s played since Cam Thomas went down with a strained left hamstring. After a one-game absence, Porter returned to action on Saturday and was the best player on the court in the lopsided win over New Orleans, recording 35 points (on 14-of-23 shooting), nine rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block. He was plus-31 in 33 minutes.

“He makes his teammates’ lives better. He doesn’t play in a selfish way,” said head coach Jordi Fernandez. “The shots he creates — he’s able to make every shot possible — but when he spaces the floor properly, and when he cuts with pace, and he’s constantly moving, and then he rebounds the ball … that’s just very good for everybody else.

“So, all those things are important, and they don’t go unnoticed. Him talking to all his teammates and the young guys, that shows maturity and adjusting to a new role. Having a smile on his face, all that positive energy is contagious. He’s been a big part of this team coming together.”

Porter, a 6’10” forward who was acquired in an offseason trade with Denver, is averaging 25.8 points, 7.6 rebounds and 3.2 assists — all career highs — on .496/.392/.818 shooting through 19 games (32.8 minutes per contest).

We have more from Brooklyn:

Center Nic Claxton, who has developed impressive chemistry with Porter, notched his second triple-double (14 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists) of the season on Saturday, Lewis writes for The New York Post. The 26-year-old big man is dishing out a career-high 4.5 assists per night in 2025/26. “The ball was really moving. Guys were making shots. It was one of those feel-good games for everybody. And definitely these past three games, we’ve been pretty solid,” Claxton said. “We have a few lapses here and there, but we definitely have a lot that we can build off of.”
Within the same story, Lewis notes that Fernandez was asked about reintegrating Thomas back into the lineup. The fifth-year shooting guard will be out at least two more weeks, but has begun on-court work. The Nets have been spreading the ball around, clashing with Thomas’ iso-heavy style of scoring, Lewis observes. “That’s a good question,” Fernandez said. “… For the most part, I’m very happy with the whole group. And now when he comes back, it’s going to be on me to figure it out how we introduce him into the group, and thinking that the most important thing, it’s always the group. And then from there [ensure] you’re willing to do whatever it takes to help the group and obviously improve yourself. That’s how this works: Team success will bring your own success as well.”
A stint in the G League helped rookie guard Ben Saraf, per C.J. Holmes of The New York Daily News. The 19-year-old struggled to open the season, but has played better in the five games since he was recalled from the team’s NBAGL affiliate in Long Island. “He went and played with Long Island and played like an NBA player,” Fernandez said. “And once we had an opportunity to play him, he played again and played great.” Turnovers have been an issue for Saraf, but Fernandez has been pleased with the Israeli guard’s desire to learn and improve, Holmes adds.

Franz Wagner Suffers Lower Left Leg Injury Sunday

December 7th, 2025 at 12:19pm CST by Rory Maher

Star forward Franz Wagner appeared to suffer a significant injury in the first quarter of Sunday’s matinee game in New York, tweets James L. Edwards III of The Athletic.

According to the Magic (Twitter link), Wagner has a lower left leg injury and will miss the remainder of Sunday’s contest. He will be reevaluated when the team returns to Orlando.

The injury occurred on a fast break (YouTube link). After poking the ball away from Jalen Brunson, Wagner was the first player down the court and positioned himself near the basket. Teammate Anthony Black threw up an alley-oop attempt for Wagner, but Knicks big man Ariel Hukporti swatted the pass away, fouling Wagner in the process. Wagner fell awkwardly and immediately grabbed his left knee in pain.

Hukporti, a fellow German, clearly felt badly about Wagner’s injury and checked in with him. After staying down on the floor for an extended period, Wagner was helped off the court by older brother Moritz Wagner and rookie Noah Penda. He was unable to put weight on his left leg.

It’s a potentially devastating development for the Magic, who just got Paolo Banchero back from a groin strain on Friday. Wagner was off to a terrific start to the season, averaging 23.4 points, 6.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.2 steals on .487/.354/.823 shooting through 23 games (34.5 minutes per contest).

Wagner, who has been wearing a face mask after breaking his nose in November, was nominated for the Eastern Conference’s Player of the Month award for October/November.

Malik Beasley Reportedly In Advanced Talks With Partizan Belgrade

December 7th, 2025 at 11:10am CST by Rory Maher

Free agent swingman Malik Beasley is in advanced talks on a rest-of-season contract with Partizan Belgrade, reports Dusan Markovic of Nova.rs (hat tip to Sportando).

According to Markovic, the deal for Beasley would be worth around $2MM and would not contain an NBA opt-out clause.

Beasley appeared in all 82 regular season games for the Pistons in 2024/25 and was expected to cash in over the summer after averaging 16.3 points while shooting a career-best 41.3% from three-point range and finishing runner-up for the Sixth Man of the Year award.

However, word broke in June, just ahead of Beasley’s NBA free agency, that he was being investigated by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York for possible illegal betting activity. The 29-year-old was reportedly in discussions with the Pistons at the time about a potential three-year, $42MM deal, but that fell apart as a result of the federal investigation.

Beasley wasn’t named in October’s indictments that resulted in the arrests of Heat guard Terry Rozier and Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups due to separate but related gambling cases. But Beasley reportedly hasn’t been cleared by federal investigators or by the NBA, which is conducting its own probe into the matter, so he remains in limbo for now.

Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews reported last month that teams in Europe and China were exhibiting “strong” interest in Beasley, but he remains unsigned for now. Detroit and Cleveland are among the NBA teams monitoring Beasley’s situation.

Partizan Belgrade, also known as KK Partizan, competes in both the ABA League and the EuroLeague. The Serbian team features several former NBA players, including Shake Milton and Jabari Parker, but has gotten off to a slow start in the EuroLeague, currently holding a 5-9 record.