Bulls’ Josh Giddey Expected To Return Thursday
Bulls point guard Josh Giddey was a full participant in today’s shootaround and has been upgraded from questionable to probable for the team’s game in Minnesota on Thursday night, tweets K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network.
Giddey has been out since December 29, having missed Chicago’s past 11 games due to a left hamstring strain.
Prior to the injury, Giddey was making a case for a spot on this year’s All-Star team, posting new career highs in points (19.2), assists (9.0), and rebounds (8.9) per game, as well as three-point percentage (38.6%).
The Bulls have held their own in Giddey’s absence, going 6-5 since he went down. The team is deep enough in the backcourt to withstand the absence of its leading scorer and play-maker, with Ayo Dosunmu, Tre Jones, and Coby White all playing key roles in recent weeks.
While Giddey’s spot on the Bulls’ roster is safe, some of his teammates could be entering their last week or two with the team. Chicago has signaled its willingness to make significant changes ahead of the February 5 trade deadline, according to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints, who says White, Nikola Vucevic, Kevin Huerter, and Zach Collins are among the players who have come up in trade talks.
Southwest Notes: Morant, Jerome, Finley, Flagg, Sheppard
After telling reporters over the weekend in London that he’s loyal to the Grizzlies, Ja Morant shut down questions about the trade rumors involving him when he returned to Memphis this week.
“I’m sorry y’all wasn’t able to come to London, but I’m done with those questions,” Morant responded when asked what the team told him about the possibility of a trade (Twitter link via Matt Infield of Action News 5).
Of course, just because Morant is done talking about them, that doesn’t mean those rumors will die down. Sources tell Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints that Memphis’ front office continues to engage with potential trade partners about a potential deal involving the star point guard.
Still, given the fact that Morant’s value is relatively low right now, the Grizzlies have pushed back against the idea that they need to move him, Siegel notes. Teams like the Heat and Kings hold some level of interest in the two-time All-Star, Siegel confirms, but only if he’s available at a bargain rate and they don’t have to give up assets of any real value in a deal.
Here’s more from around the Southwest:
- Grizzlies guard Ty Jerome, who has yet to play this season due to a right calf injury, “should be close” to making his debut, tweets Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. The team announced exactly two months ago that Jerome was six-to-nine weeks away from returning to action. This Saturday will mark the nine-week mark since that announcement.
- Mavericks co-interim general manager Michael Finley recognizes that the trade deadline can make players “uneasy,” but believes he’s in a good position to connect with his players and make them more comfortable because he knows what it’s like to be in their shoes. “Like I tell players, I’ve been overlooked in the draft. I’ve been traded. I’ve been amnestied. I’ve been waived. I’ve been the first man on the bench. I’ve been the 15th man on the bench,” Finley told Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News (subscription required). “Everything that you’ve experienced, I’ve experienced, so I pretty much know what you’re going through.”
- Even though it has been a disappointing season overall for the Mavericks, No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg has been a bright spot, according to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, who solicited feedback on the rookie forward from rival scouts, coaches, and executives. “He’s better than advertised, if that’s possible,” one Western Conference scouting director said of Flagg.
- After barely playing for the Rockets as a rookie, Reed Sheppard has emerged as an invaluable part of the team’s rotation in his second NBA season, writes Varun Shankar of The Houston Chronicle (subscription required). Sheppard leads Houston with 2.5 made three-pointers per game and is knocking them down at a 40.9% clip, providing crucial floor spacing for a team that ranks 29th in the NBA in total threes.
Rockets Gauging Dorian Finney-Smith’s Trade Value?
Houston is exploring the trade market in search of a potential backcourt upgrade, according to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints, who hears from sources that the Rockets have looked into what sort of return they could get for forward Dorian Finney-Smith and second-round draft capital.
A veteran three-and-D wing who signed with Houston last summer, Finney-Smith missed the first two months of the season while recovering from left ankle surgery. Since making his debut on Christmas Day, the 32-year-old has played a very limited role, logging between 13 and 18 minutes in each of his first 12 outings.
Finney-Smith has averaged just 2.9 points and 2.8 rebounds in 15.5 minutes per night so far as a Rocket, and he’s earning $12.7MM this season, with a guaranteed $13.3MM salary for 2026/27 — he’s under contract through 2028/29, but the final two years of his deal are non-guaranteed.
As a result, Finney-Smith’s value on the trade market will likely be pretty limited, though it’s worth noting that his overall impact isn’t always reflected by his counting stats. While it’s a small sample, Houston has a +9.5 net rating and a 102.1 defensive rating during his 186 minutes on the court.
Jose Alvarado of the Pelicans and Scotty Pippen Jr. of the Grizzlies are among the guards whom league personnel have identified as possible trade targets for Houston, per ClutchPoints. Siegel also mentions Bulls guards Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu as potential players of interest for the Rockets, though it would take more than Finney-Smith and second-round picks to acquire either one.
The Grizzlies haven’t given any indication they want to move Pippen, Siegel acknowledges. Additionally, any deal involving Pippen and Finney-Smith would require more outgoing salary from Memphis’ side, since the Grizzlies guard is earning just $2.3MM.
Alvarado, meanwhile, is considered the Pelican who is most likely to be dealt and has generated interest from multiple teams, including the Knicks and Pistons, Siegel writes. Atlanta and Indiana were also linked to Alvarado earlier this season.
Like Pippen, Alvarado has a relatively small cap hit ($4.5MM), so unless more pieces are added, a deal sending Finney-Smith to New Orleans wouldn’t be practical for the Pelicans, who are operating just $2MM below the luxury tax line. They don’t want to surpass that threshold or take back long-term money in a trade, per Siegel.
As the Rockets consider their options on the trade market, they’re not looking to trade veteran point guard Fred VanVleet, who is recovering from a torn ACL, and they’re also unlikely to make a move that would reduce Reed Sheppard‘s role, Siegel adds.
Hoops Rumors Front Office Subscriber Chat Transcript: 1/22/2026
Hoops Rumors’ Arthur Hill held a live chat today exclusively for Trade Rumors Front Office subscribers. Topics included whether the Pistons should keep Tobias Harris, a potential deal for the Warriors in the wake of Jimmy Butler's injury, the Celtics' difficult financial decision, Giannis Antetokounmpo's future in Milwaukee and more!
Giannis Antetokounmpo Bemoans Bucks’ ‘Selfish’ Play
The Bucks suffered their fourth loss in the past five games on Wednesday, falling to seven games below .500 (18-25) on the season.
While being defeated by the defending champion Thunder is hardly a cause for concern on its own, Oklahoma City was missing several key players, and the Bucks’ average margin of defeat in their past three losses has been nearly 24 points. On top of that, star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo expressed concern after the game about chemistry issues, per Steve Megargee of The Associated Press.
“We’re not playing hard,” Antetokounmpo said. “We aren’t doing the right thing. We’re not playing to win. We’re not playing together. Our chemistry’s not there. Guys are being selfish, trying to look for their own shots instead of looking for the right shot for the team. Guys trying to do it on their own. At times, I feel like when we’re down 10, down 15, down 20, we try to make it up in one play, and it’s not going to work.”
With second-leading scorer Kevin Porter Jr. sidelined due to an oblique strain that could keep him on the shelf for a while, the expectation was that Antetokounmpo would carry a greater offensive load beginning on Wednesday. The two-time MVP did score a team-high 19 points, but he took just 11 of the Bucks’ 81 total field goal attempts, well below his season and career averages.
“I’m not the guy that will yell and cuss his teammate out and demand the ball,” Antetokounmpo said after the loss. “I’ve never done that in my career. But I feel like I’ve played with teammates that kind of understand the gravity that I can cause for our team, in how I can create for teammates and for myself, and how I can help the team be more successful.
“But maybe for some reason, I don’t understand — maybe because we’re young, maybe because we’re not playing well, maybe because guys think it’s their turn, they want to carry the team on their back and try to turn this around – but I really don’t get it. I really don’t.”
The Bucks are now a game-and-a-half out of the No. 10 spot in the Eastern Conference and are in danger of missing the postseason for the first time since the 2015/16 season. Given Antetokounmpo’s past comments about wanting to compete for a title, trade speculation figures to continue swirling around the 31-year-old with the February 5 deadline right around the corner.
Several teams have reportedly been hanging onto their top trade assets in the hopes that Antetokounmpo will end up on the trade block, but the Bucks star has said on the record that he never intends to request a trade out of Milwaukee and there has been no indication the front office would proactively look to move him.
Reports throughout the season have indicated that the Bucks are looking to buy, not sell, to upgrade the roster around Giannis. With Milwaukee struggling to keep pace in the playoff race, it will be interesting whether the front office doubles down on that approach or reconsiders it during the next two weeks.
And-Ones: Bediako, All-Stars, Rookies, Team-Friendly Deals
Charles Bediako‘s bid to rejoin Alabama’s men’s basketball team more than two years after he was on a two-way contract with an NBA team could have major ramifications, according to Sam Vecenie of The Athletic, who notes that NBA clubs will likely be keeping a close eye on the case.
As we outlined on Wednesday, Bediako is suing the NCAA in an attempt to rejoin the Crimson Tide for the rest of the 2025/26 season after spending two years with Alabama from 2021-23. Since going undrafted in 2023, the big man has signed three Exhibit 10 contracts with NBA teams, including one that the Spurs converted into a two-way deal in the fall of ’23.
Bediako has been granted a temporary restraining order, allowing him to participate in activities and games for Alabama while he awaits a hearing on a preliminary injunction.
If Bediako ultimately prevails in his bid for NCAA eligibility, it may necessitate adjustments to the NBA’s draft eligibility rules, Vecenie notes, since there would be nothing stopping players from declaring for the draft after their freshman seasons, then returning to college as NBA free agents if they go undrafted. In that scenario, a player who has a breakout sophomore year could theoretically leave his college program to sign with an NBA team halfway through a season.
Vecenie suggests that the NBA might have to create a new rule stating that an undrafted player who returns to college would reenter the draft pool for the following year. He also wonders if the changing nature of NCAA eligibility rules could result in NBA teams essentially treating college programs like a form of minor leagues — for instance, could the Lakers draft a player and then have him play at a nearby school like UCLA or USC for developmental purposes before he signs an NBA contract?
We have more from around the basketball world:
- A panel of NBA reporters and analysts from ESPN considered whether there are any obvious snubs among this season’s All-Star starters and explored which players deserve to be selected as reserves, while a group of reporters at The Athletic conducted a similar exercise. The general consensus was that there were no egregious mistakes among the first 10 All-Star choices, though Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards and Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell would have been worthy starters.
- Arguing that Kon Knueppel has been underappreciated so far this season, ESPN’s Zach Kram places the Hornets wing atop his latest rookie rankings, ahead of Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg at No. 2. Wizards guard Tre Johnson (eighth) and Nets guard Egor Demin (10th) are new additions to Kram’s top 10 since his previous update.
- Which contracts are the NBA’s most team-friendly? Ruling out maximum-salary deals and rookie deals for recently drafted players, Keith Smith of Spotrac shares his top-25 list, headlined by Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija and Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson.
- Kevin Pelton of ESPN has handed out midseason grades for all 30 NBA teams, with four clubs earning an A: the Celtics, Pistons, Suns, and Spurs.
Northwest Notes: Valanciunas, Wolves, Markkanen, Thunder
The Nuggets have been without their top two centers since the calendar turned to 2026, but they appear on the verge of getting one of them back on the floor. According to Bennett Durando of The Denver Post (Twitter link), Jonas Valanciunas has been upgraded to questionable for Thursday’s matchup with Washington.
After star center Nikola Jokic suffered a knee injury on December 29, Valanciunas stepped into Denver’s starting lineup for a Dec. 31 contest in Toronto but was unable to finish that game due to a right calf strain. Although the Nuggets officially announced a day later that Valanciunas would be reevaluated in four weeks, it seems he has a good chance to beat that projected timeline. If he doesn’t play on Thursday in Washington, the Lithuanian’s next chance to suit up would be the following night in Milwaukee.
Jokic was said last week to be making good progress in his recovery from a bone bruise in his left knee, but remains out for now. Nuggets head coach David Adelman indicated on Tuesday that Valanciunas was on track to return before Jokic.
- While he acknowledges that the Timberwolves could also use another point guard and some additional rim protection, Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic believes the team’s most glaring need is a bench scorer. As Krawczynski explains, big man Naz Reid has had to carry the scoring load for the second unit for much of the season due to the inconsistent play of the team’s reserve guards and wings.
- Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen will be inactive for a sixth game in a row on Thursday vs. San Antonio, but his injury designation has been changed from an illness to “return to competition reconditioning,” notes Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune (Twitter link). That update suggests Markkanen is close to returning.
- After a 6-6 stretch in December and early January, the Thunder are on a roll again, with seven wins in their past eight games. Still, the 37-8 club is dealing with no shortage of health issues. After losing Jalen Williams to a hamstring strain over the weekend, Oklahoma City had guard Alex Caruso (right adductor strain), big man Jaylin Williams (left glute contusion), and Aaron Wiggins (right groin soreness) inactive on Wednesday, and guard Ajay Mitchell exited early due to a right hip contusion. There has been no indication that any of the injuries are significant — notably, Jaylin Williams was initially listed as questionable for Wednesday’s game, while Wiggins was a late addition to the injury report.
Pacific Notes: Kuminga, Clippers, Lakers, Leonard, Ayton
Jonathan Kuminga‘s best chance to move on from the Warriors by the trade deadline is to keep taking advantage of his newfound opportunity, Sam Gordon of The San Francisco Chronicle writes in a subscriber-only story. A season-ending ACL injury to Jimmy Butler has enabled Kuminga to rejoin the rotation, and he responded Tuesday with 20 points and five rebounds in 21 minutes.
League sources tell Gordon that Kuminga, who issued a trade demand last week, hasn’t changed his mind about wanting out. He hasn’t received consistent playing time during his five years with the organization, and he continues to believe he could be more productive with another team where he could be a regular starter at power forward.
Gordon confirms that the Kings, who pursued a sign-and-trade last summer when Kuminga was a restricted free agent, remain the “most interested suitor.” Gordon also lists the Lakers, Mavericks and Bulls as teams that could make serious bids over the next two weeks.
General manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. confirmed to Gordon that the Warriors would consider giving up future first-round picks in a potential deal if they believe the return justifies it. He also said they’re willing to accept contracts that run past next season, as Moses Moody is currently their only player with guaranteed money for 2027/28. Gordon adds that the front office is approaching the trade market with the hope of landing an established star like Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo or a rising talent such as Pelicans wing Trey Murphy III.
“There’s still time left here,” Dunleavy responded when asked about Kuminga. “He’s on our roster. I know the trade has been requested, but nothing is imminent and things in this league can change in a heartbeat.”
There’s more from the Pacific Division:
- The Clippers and Lakers, who will square off Thursday night at Inuit Dome, have moved in different directions since their last meeting on December 20, notes Janis Carr of The Orange County Register (subscription required). After a disastrous start, the Clippers put together a 13-2 stretch and have a slight lead in the race for the West’s final play-in spot. The Lakers have dropped five of their last eight and are heading into the second leg of an eight-game road trip that’s necessitated by the Grammy Awards. “I never been a part of a road trip that’s eight games, but it’s definitely very important to get the first one,” Luka Doncic said after Tuesday’s victory at Denver. “It’s never easy to play here. And the way we stayed together the whole game was impressive. And I think that builds us up.”
- Kawhi Leonard is listed as questionable on the Clippers‘ injury report, three days after being sent home from the team’s road trip for treatment on his left knee. Leonard is dealing with a contusion that he suffered in a January 10 game at Detroit.
- Deandre Ayton didn’t return to Tuesday’s contest after being poked in the eye before halftime (Twitter link from ESPN’s Dave McMenamin), but he’s not on the Lakers‘ injury report for Thursday.
Raptors Notes: Quickley, Barrett, Murray-Boyles, Poeltl
The Raptors are reportedly gauging the trade value of Immanuel Quickley, and he likely increased it with a spectacular performance in Tuesday’s win at Golden State, writes Michael Grange of Sportsnet. Quickley tied his career high with 40 points — shooting 11-of-13 from the field and 7-of-8 from three-point range — and added 10 assists while sparking an offense that had looked lethargic lately to 145 points.
“Yeah, I felt a little bit better,” said Quickley, who missed two games last week due to back spasms. “But it was just the mindset. I told a couple of the guys, just have the mindset to come out and be aggressive. The game is more like 70 or 80 percent mental than it is (physical). Just have the mindset to go out and aggressively dominate.”
Quickley has been mostly healthy this year after being limited to 33 games last season. He could be a reliable source of offense for teams needing help at point guard, but a contract that pays him $97.5MM over the three years after this season will limit his perceived value on the trade market.
There’s more on the Raptors:
- RJ Barrett‘s sprained ankle is forcing him to miss his seventh straight game tonight in Sacramento, but there’s hope he can be available Friday at Portland or Sunday at Oklahoma City, Grange states in the same piece. Barrett is eager to return to the court after playing just six times over the past two months due to the ankle and a knee injury. “Yeah, it’s annoying, us losing some games and seeing, ‘man, I could have helped us here’, you know,” Barrett said before Tuesday’s game. “So, I’m just trying to be patient, to make sure that I can come back and be myself and really help us.”
- The Raptors haven’t issued an official prognosis for rookie big man Collin Murray-Boyles, who left Sunday’s game after getting chopped on his already-hurting left thumb, Grange adds. X-rays were negative, and the team said Tuesday that he’s “undergoing further evaluation.” Injuries to teammates have forced Murray-Boyles to start nine games at center, and Grange points out that he’s been successful in that role, averaging 10.6 points and 7.8 rebounds while playing high-level interior defense.
- Center Jakob Poeltl continues to suffer from a lower back strain and has returned to Toronto to visit a back specialist on Thursday, Grange tweets. Poeltl has only been available for 21 games this season and has made just one brief appearance since December 15.
Central Notes: Harris, Turner, Porter, Bulls, Pacers
Tobias Harris has been the subject of some trade speculation, so Cade Cunningham made sure to point out his value to the Pistons after Monday’s win over Boston, writes Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated. Harris’ $26.6MM expiring contract gives him significant value as a trade asset, but Cunningham stated that his contributions to the team wouldn’t be easy to replace.
“The way that he carries himself, his professionalism, how he takes care of his body, goes about his work, is an inspiration to all the young guys,” Cunningham said. “We all see that. And to see the success that he’s had and how he continues to go at it like that is impressive. We’re all thankful for it.”
Detroit solidified its hold on the top spot in the East with a one-point victory over the second-place Celtics and wrapped up the tiebreaker with a 3-1 lead in the season series. It was the league-leading 18th “clutch” win of the season for the Pistons, who outscored Boston in the paint by a 48-32 margin and held a 20-3 advantage in fast break points. The game had a playoff atmosphere, and coach J.B. Bickerstaff was happy with how his young team responded.
“You can tell both teams really wanted it,” he said. “They raised the level of intensity and they were battling. I think it’s a great experience for our guys, and even better to come out with a win.”
There’s more from the Central Division:
- The Bucks won’t have center Myles Turner or guard Kevin Porter Jr. for Wednesday’s game against Oklahoma City, per Eric Nehm of The Athletic (Twitter link). Turner is day-to-day with a sprained left ankle, but Porter could be sidelined for a while with an oblique muscle strain. “He’s not gonna play anytime soon, I can tell you that,” coach Doc Rivers said in his pregame session with reporters (Twitter link). “But we don’t know how long he will be out.” Rivers added that Porter underwent an MRI on Tuesday.
- The Bulls are again stuck in mediocrity and are in danger of being passed by several Eastern Conference rivals next season, contends Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times (subscription required). Cowley blames a lack of creativity on the part of executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas for allowing Toronto, Detroit and Philadelphia to overtake his team over the last two years. He cites Atlanta, Charlotte and Indiana as sub-.500 teams that could all be better than the Bulls in 2026/27.
- It’s been a rough first half of the season for the Pacers, who arrived at the midway point at 9-32, observes Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star. Dopirak examines the performance of every player on the roster through the first 41 games, along with their likelihood to return next season.