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Cavs’ Evan Mobley Out 2-4 Weeks With Left Calf Strain

December 13th, 2025 at 4:02pm CST by Arthur Hill

Cavaliers big man Evan Mobley has been diagnosed with a Grade 1 left calf strain and is expected to miss about two-to-four weeks, the team announced Saturday (via Twitter).

Mobley suffered the injury Friday night at Washington, and it was discovered during a post-game examination of tightness in that area. The calf strain was confirmed by an MRI conducted Saturday morning.

Cleveland has been hit hard by injuries, but Mobley has been a reliable presence, appearing in 25 of the team’s first 26 games. He’s averaging 19.1 points, 9.3 rebounds and 4.1 assists with .496/.352/.640 shooting numbers and appeared to be headed for his second straight All-Star appearance.

Even if the Cavaliers can get by without his scoring contributions, it will be hard to replace him on defense. The reigning Defensive Player of the Year is blocking 1.6 shots per game and is a major deterrent for opponents at the rim.

The Cavs are already dealing with a depleted front court, which has played a role in their somewhat disappointing 15-11 record. Starting center Jarrett Allen remains sidelined with a right finger strain that has forced him to miss all but one game since November 19, while backup big man Larry Nance Jr. also has a calf strain and hasn’t played since November 28.

Veteran center Thomas Bryant may be asked to take on an increased role until the roster gets healthier. He has appeared in 19 games since signing with Cleveland during the summer and is averaging 3.3 points and 2.2 rebounds in 7.8 minutes per night.

Spurs Notes: Wembanyama, Guard Trio, Castle

December 13th, 2025 at 3:59pm CST by Rory Maher

While Victor Wembanyama is technically listed as probable for Saturday’s NBA Cup semifinal against Oklahoma City, Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson was certainly talking on Friday as though the star big man would be playing, tweets Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News.

“He’s going to be tired, the excitement, the mental fatigue. He was tired the first time I saw him play live against video guys. … I would expect an early sub and not his normal minutes,” Johnson said of Wembanyama, who has been out since November 14 due to a left calf strain.

Johnson added that Wembanyama was pushing hard behind the scenes to return to action, per Michael C. Wright of ESPN (Twitter link).

Here’s more on the Spurs:

Wembanyama admitted he was hoping to return sooner than Saturday, according to Orsborn (Twitter link). “I would have come back earlier, but it is more reasonable to listen to (the team’s medical staff),” Wembanyama said. The French center also discussed San Antonio’s surprising 9-3 record without him, Orsborn adds (via Twitter). “The brand of basketball we were playing … it’s getting closer to the ideal basketball. … And everybody has something to eat,” Wembanyama said. “Everybody can step up at any time. … Everybody trusts the next teammate, so it’s just beautiful to see.”
They’ve only shared the court together for two games, but the backcourt trio of De’Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper have already developed chemistry both on and off the floor, Orsborn writes for The Express-News. In 78 total minutes during Wednesday’s quarterfinal win over the Lakers, Fox, Castle and Harper combined for 63 points, 17 rebounds, 12 assists and three steals, Orsborn notes. “It’s been great,” forward Harrison Barnes said. “Each of them are different and their games complement each other. They’re all trying to make the right play, investing in the time off the court for that chemistry. So for us as a group, it’s great as we continue to evolve this thing and continue to get healthy, that those three continue to figure out ways to be effective.”
Former UConn star Castle has purchased a stake in two professional expansion soccer teams in Connecticut, according to Marc J. Spears of Andscape. “It was the right choice just to start at my age and to also give back to the state of Connecticut for what they’ve done for me,” Castle told Andscape in a phone interview Thursday. “I just wanted to put my name out there as well and just have it build up as my career goes on. Just to have this on the back end is another great idea.”

Injury Notes: Young, Eason, Clarke, Edey, Booker

December 13th, 2025 at 3:10pm CST by Rory Maher

All-Star point guard Trae Young continues to ramp up his reconditioning activities and is expected to return to practice next week, the Hawks announced today in a press release (Twitter link).

Young injured his right knee in a collision with teammate Mouhamed Gueye in the first quarter of an October 29 game at Brooklyn. He was ruled out for the rest of that game and was diagnosed with a sprained MCL a few days later after undergoing an MRI, which revealed no additional damage.

Young has missed the past 21 games with the injury. ESPN’s Shams Charania reported last week that Young was optimistic about returning to action this month.

Atlanta is currently 14-12, the No. 9 seed in the Eastern Conference.

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

Rockets forward Tari Eason, who has been out since November 14 due to a strained oblique, could return to action in a couple days. Head coach Ime Udoka said Eason practiced on Saturday and the team is “hoping” the 24-year-old will be available for Monday’s game at Denver, tweets Rockets sideline reporter Vanessa Richardson. Udoka clarified that Eason’s return will depend on if he experiences soreness after practice.
Grizzlies big man Brandon Clarke was assigned to the G League’s Memphis Hustle to practice on Friday prior to being recalled, the team announced (via Twitter). Clarke underwent an arthroscopic procedure in September to address synovitis in his right knee after having his 2024/25 season cut short due to a PCL sprain in that same knee. He’s expected to be out at least a couple more weeks, but obviously practicing is a positive development — the 29-year-old Canadian hasn’t suited up for a game since March 19.
Second-year Grizzlies center Zach Edey missed the first 13 games of the season as he recovered from offseason surgery on his left ankle. He will be out at least four weeks after being diagnosed with a stress reaction in the same ankle. Head coach Tuomas Iisalo discussed Edey’s situation prior to Friday’s loss to Utah, per Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal (video link). “He’s been a huge part of what we’ve been doing … it’s a big loss, ” Iisalo said. “But at the same time, it’s for the long-term benefit of everybody involved.”
Suns star Devin Booker did “everything” during Friday’s practice and was also a full participant in Saturday’s practice, according to Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic (Twitter video links). “Responding well,” head coach Jordan Ott said of Booker. “That’s encouraging. No issues. Practiced today. Just see exactly how it responds.” The four-time All-Star guard, who has missed the past three games with a right groin strain, could return Sunday vs. the Lakers.

Knicks Notes: Yabusele, Alvarado, Anunoby, Brunson, Magic

December 13th, 2025 at 1:59pm CST by Rory Maher

Unless Guerschon Yabusele‘s play and role with the Knicks change substantially over the next several weeks, both sides would probably be better off parting ways prior to the February 5 trade deadline, writes Stefan Bondy of The New York Post (subscriber link).

As Bondy explains, Yabusele was New York’s primary free agent addition over the summer — the team signed the French forward to a two-year, $11.25MM contract using the taxpayer mid-level exception. However, the signing took place prior to the hiring of new head coach Mike Brown, and Yabusele hasn’t fit well in Brown’s fast-paced offensive system.

Yabusele becomes trade-eligible on Monday, and while he wouldn’t be viewed as a positive asset on his own, his salary could be useful for matching purposes, Bondy notes. The Knicks could use a backup point guard, and Bondy cites Jose Alvarado as a player who might fit the team’s needs.

Alvarado, who earns $4.5MM this season with an identical player option for 2026/27, would be a popular name on the market if the Pelicans make him available to trade, according to Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter video link), who agrees that the Knicks would be among the teams with interest in the New York native.

Here’s more on the Knicks:

Forward OG Anunoby has quickly shown his importance to the Knicks after returning from a hamstring strain earlier this month, per Jared Schwartz of The New York Post. The team has gone 3-0 with Anunoby back in action and is now 76-36 (.679 winning percentage) when the 28-year-old plays during the regular season since his arrival in 2023/24, Schwartz writes, compared to 25-20 (.556) when he has been unavailable. “OG, he was all over the place,” Josh Hart said after Tuesday’s win in Toronto, when Anunoby keyed a second-quarter run. “He really helped start that run and then we were able to get stops, play fast, get out in transition and play to our strength. Huge shoutout to him, really changed the tide of the game.”
Brown continues to push star guard Jalen Brunson‘s MVP candidacy, as Andrew Crane of The New York Post relays. When asked if Brunson is already among the greatest players in Knicks history, Brown didn’t hesitate to give an affirmative reply. “He’s been here long enough,” Brown said Thursday. “He’s helped them win a lot of games. Obviously, he did start in Dallas, but he was a little younger. It wasn’t his team. He wasn’t really the guy. He came here, it’s his team, he’s the guy here, he’s an MVP candidate, like I said, and so what he’s doing is definitely franchise-altering, and again, that has to be taken note [of]. Not just in the MVP race but also within the community of New York.”
Saturday’s NBA Cup semifinal will mark New York’s fourth matchup with Orlando this season, with the Magic winning the first two contests before the Knicks claimed the third last Sunday, observes Kristian Winfield of The New York Daily News. Saturday could be a potential playoff preview for two teams hoping to come out of the Eastern Conference. “I don’t feel it’s on the rivalry level yet,” Brown said after Thursday’s practice. “It can be in due time, but I don’t think it’s there yet.”

Zion Williamson Practices, Could Return Sunday

December 13th, 2025 at 12:51pm CST by Rory Maher

Pelicans head coach James Borrego said injured forward Zion Williamson practiced on Saturday and will be listed as questionable to suit up for Sunday’s game at Chicago, per Jim Eichenhofer of Pelicans.com (Twitter link).

It’s a surprising update, as Shams Charania of ESPN reported on December 2 that Williamson was expected to be out at least three weeks due to a right adductor (hip) injury, which the team said was a Grade 2 strain. The Pelicans notably did not provide a return timeline for Williamson when they initially announced the injury.

Within a story last week about how the team might approach the trade deadline, William Guillory of The Athletic confirmed Charania’s reporting and added that some members of the organization thought Williamson wouldn’t be back before January. The former No. 1 overall pick appears to be well ahead of schedule, since it hasn’t even been two weeks since he was diagnosed with the injury.

Williamson, who has been plagued by injuries throughout his career, has missed the past six games with his latest ailment. He also missed eight games in November due to a Grade 1 left hamstring strain.

Through 10 games in 2025/26, the 25-year-old has averaged 22.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.6 steals in 30.9 minutes per contest.

Former Rockets Two-Way Player Kevon Harris Headed To China

December 13th, 2025 at 11:47am CST by Dana Gauruder

The Xinjiang Flying Tigers of the Chinese Basketball Association and guard Kevon Harris, who was on a two-way deal with the Rockets earlier this month, have agreed to a contract, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype tweets.

Harris was waived by Houston on Dec. 2 to make room for Tyler Smith. He didn’t play at all for Houston this season but was averaging 19.4 points and 6.1 rebounds per game in eight appearances for the G League’s Rio Grande Valley Vipers.

Harris, 28, appeared in a total of 36 games with the Magic from 2022-24. He averaged 4.0 and 2.0 rebounds in 12.9 minutes per contest.

Harris has excelled at the G League level in recent years, earning MVP honors at the NBAGL’s Next Up Game at All-Star weekend in February. Last season, he averaged 19.8 points, 6.7 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 1.4 steals in 31.1 minutes per game across 44 Tip-Off Tournament and regular season outings for the College Park Skyhawks, Atlanta’s affiliate. He signed a two-way deal with Houston in July.

Atlantic Notes: Embiid, George, Martin, Wolf, Demin

December 13th, 2025 at 11:09am CST by Dana Gauruder

Joel Embiid has produced well below his career rates for most of the season, but he flashed his former Most Valuable Player form on Friday, pouring in 39 points in the Sixers‘ 10-point win over Indiana.

“He’s worked at it,” Philadelphia coach Nick Nurse said, per Tony Jones of The Athletic. “The practices this week have helped. His own individual work away from practice has helped. I think him being able to do all of that is a great sign that he’s starting to feel good. I have always said that he’s best when he’s driving. I think he drove a lot to draw fouls early. The best thing was his variety. The 39 points were great, but they came with him scoring through a lot of different schemes. He read the different stuff most of the night, pretty good.”

Friday’s game was the Sixers first in five days, and Embiid believes his knees have held up better when he has more time in between appearances.

“I feel good,” Embiid said. “I’ve been able to be consistent, and that’s the big thing. I’ve been able to do the same thing over and over again this week and not have to take a break. I’ve talked about this before, but the plan of having me play a game and then having two days off seems to be working. So, I’ve been able to get on the court and do a lot of work.”

Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:

Nurse has increasingly used Paul George as a point forward, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets. George has racked up 13 assists over the last three games. “I’m comfortable with the ball,” George said. “I think more than anything, it’s just continue to prove to myself and remain confident as I continue to trust my body and gain confidence on the floor that my body can still produce. So it’s just adding to the confidence, and just chipping away at the work put into this season so far to get ready for this season.”
Earlier this week, Raptors two-way player Alijah Martin is the G League’s most recent Player of the Week, per the NBA (Twitter link). Martin averaged 26.0 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game in three Raptors 905 wins. This year’s No. 39 overall pick has appeared in just two games with the NBA team.
Nets rookie big man Danny Wolf had 17 points and seven rebounds in a loss to Dallas on Friday. He’s averaging 13.5 PPG in his last six outings. Wolf benefited from a stint in the G League, according to Brian Lewis of the New York Post. “When he had the opportunity to play with Long Island, he took advantage of his minutes,” coach Jordi Fernandez said. “And now that he’s in the rotation, he’s taking advantage of his minutes. So I’m very happy with him. He’s a special player because at his size he can do so many different things. And still trying to figure it out because he’s showing me what he’s capable of doing. He’s capable of doing a lot of things — good things.”
Another Nets rookie, Egor Demin, only played two-plus minutes in the fourth quarter on Friday as the team fell apart in crunch time, Lewis notes. “He was trying to fix mistakes by trying to make things happen. And this is not how you want to do things,” Fernandez said. “I need him to play with better readiness and better physicality. And this is not the way that the team needs him to play. So, he’s got to be better. Otherwise, the minutes are going to go down, and somebody else will take advantage. I know he cares; he’s always responded and punched back. So, he’s way better than what he performed.”

Central Notes: Duren, Pistons, Mathews, Mitchell

December 13th, 2025 at 9:59am CST by Dana Gauruder

Following nearly a week-long break, the Eastern Conference-leading Pistons roared back into action on Friday by blowing out the Hawks and scoring 142 points in the process. They are now 20-5 and despite Oklahoma City’s 24-1 record, center Jalen Duren says the Pistons are the top team in the league, Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press tweets.

“It shows the world that we’re serious about winning, that we are serious about contending for a championship,” Duren said after the win. “Because that’s what we do it for … I think we’re the best team in the league and we’re going to continue to show it.”

Here’s more from the Central Division:

Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff used his full complement of 13 players on Friday. He’s going with an 11-man rotation now that there’s no one on the injury report. “It’s great for us. That’s what we’ve been working towards,” he said. “Being able to have everyone available, and then you have to make decisions. You make decisions on rotations, patterns, match ups, all of those things. It’s hard to do that if you don’t have everybody available. We’ve been pretty fortunate to be where we are right now. Now I’m interested to see, with a full boat; the lineups, that matchups, the groupings, the parings that we can put together, the different kinds of lineups we can have, switching lineups, trapping lineups… All of those types of things.”
The Pacers made a roster move this week, retaining Garrison Mathews and waiving Jeremiah Robinson-Earl. Coach Rick Carlisle explained why, saying Mathews presented more of a threat to opponents due to his outside shooting ability. “We know he has gravity,” Carlisle told Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star. “He’s a guy who has to be accounted for on a scouting report. He’s a competitor and he fills a need for us right now. … If you don’t guard him, he’s gonna score. It’s pretty simple. Guys like that change the game. I coached Reggie Miller for many years. I coached Dirk Nowitzki for 11 out of my 13 years in Dallas. Those guys are in the Hall of Fame for a reason. They change the game because it changes the geometry of the court. The more guys you have on the floor that have to be guarded far out, it opens up the game.”
Donovan Mitchell rescued the Cavaliers on Friday, scoring half of his 48 points in the fourth quarter of a 130-126 win over the 3-20 Wizards. “You’re playing a team that’s three and whatever, and you’re down 15, you can kind of tuck your tails and … kind of give in, right?” Mitchell said, per ESPN. “But we found a way.” He ended up with the highest-scoring fourth quarter in the NBA this season, surpassing the 22 points put up by the Magic’s Jett Howard on Nov. 23 against the Celtics.

Bulls Notes: Vucevic, Collins, Smith, White, Draft Night, Okoro, Jones

December 13th, 2025 at 8:12am CST by Dana Gauruder

Nikola Vucevic sat for the last 19 minutes of the Bulls’ 129-126 win over Charlotte on Friday, which snapped Chicago’s seven-game losing streak. Head coach Billy Donovan said the decision did not reflect his long-term plans for the center position, according to Julia Poe of the Chicago Tribune.

Zach Collins wound up playing 20 minutes, contributing 16 points and eight rebounds, while Jalen Smith logged 17 minutes and grabbed 10 rebounds.

“Whatever the case may be — maybe next game it’s not my night,” Collins said. “Maybe it’s Stix (Smith’s) night closing the game, maybe it’s Vooch’s night. We’ve got really good bigs that can finish games. Now we’re at the point where we can play the 4 and the 5. I just think it’s the tribute to the level of bigs we have that we can mess with the lineups like that.”

Here’s more on the Bulls:

Amid a report that the Timberwolves have inquired on Coby White, the Bulls guard replied that he’d prefer to stay put, according to K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network (Twitter links). “I love being here. I love being on this team,” said White, who is in his walk year. “But I understand it’s a business and it’s different going into (unrestricted free agency). They have to do what they think is best for the organization. It’s out of my control.” Johnson notes that while White is definitely on some teams’ radars, there is currently little to no engagement from potential suitors.
The Bulls have taken some criticisms in the media for not making a trade with the Pelicans on draft night. New Orleans president of basketball operations Joe Dumars surprisingly traded the No. 23 overall pick and an unprotected 2026 first-round pick to the Hawks to move up to No. 13 to draft Maryland big man Derik Queen. However, a high-ranking Bulls official told Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times that the Pelicans never contacted the Bulls about the No. 12 pick, contradicting Dumars’ subsequent statements. In fact, if New Orleans had presented such a trade, Chicago would have done the deal, Cowley says.
Smith, Isaac Okoro and Tre Jones were under minutes restrictions on Friday after returning from injuries, according to Poe. Okoro had 15 points in 26 minutes while Jones added six points and five assists in 25 minutes.

Afseth’s Latest: Mavs, AD, Klay, Giannis, Morant, Kessler, More

December 12th, 2025 at 9:30pm CST by Rory Maher

Although Dallas’ front office is open to listening to offers on Anthony Davis, Klay Thompson, Daniel Gafford and D’Angelo Russell, the Mavericks aren’t “aggressively shopping” any of those four veterans, sources tell Grant Afseth of DallasHoopsJournal.com.

As Afseth details, rival teams have gotten the impression that the Mavericks are currently evaluating not only their play to this point in the season but also their options on the trade market. They’re viewed as being “opportunistic” instead of a seller, Afseth writes, and whatever moves Dallas makes will be geared toward improving the team’s “long-term outlook.”

According to Afseth, the Mavs want to see Kyrie Irving play alongside Cooper Flagg and believe the star guard can complement the rookie forward and assist in Flagg’s development. Irving’s name is notably not among the aforementioned group.

While the Pistons, Hawks and Raptors are reportedly expected to among the suitors for Davis, sources who spoke to Afseth expressed skepticism about Davis’ fit in Detroit and Atlanta, with Toronto viewed as the best on-court landing spot of the group. Still, as Marc Stein recently reported and Afseth confirms, a Davis trade shouldn’t be viewed as an inevitability.

“The Mavericks are going to want to see how this team looks with AD and Kyrie,” one source told Afseth. “There is no sense in trying to just get rid of AD. The market has to be where they want to make a deal. If there isn’t a good enough deal on the table, I don’t see a deal getting done. They’d get another look at the trade market or evaluate an extension in the summer.”

Here are a few more highlights from Afseth’s rumor round-up:

While Thompson’s on-court contributions have been up and down during his time in Dallas, he has remained a “positive” presence despite the organizational turmoil following the Luka Doncic trade, Afseth reports. If Dallas does end up having serious discussions about Thompson, the team is expected to be “considerate” of Thompson’s desire to play for a contender, Afseth adds.
The future of Giannis Antetokounmpo is the biggest storyline on the trade market, but Afseth hears there haven’t been any new developments on that front. Some rival executives still view the Knicks as the favorites to land Antetokounmpo if he’s made available, but the Heat and Spurs are among the other potential suitors for the two-time MVP.
Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant, who returned from a 10-game absence on Friday, is not currently available on the trade market, per Afseth. Should that change, the Heat are not viewed as being a strong fit for the two-time All-Star, Afseth continues.
The Rockets, Timberwolves and Kings are among the teams keeping an eye on point guards ahead of the February 5 deadline, according to Afseth.
The Pacers have done background work on Jazz center Walker Kessler, according to Afseth, who says Tyrese Haliburton is a fan of the fourth-year big man. Kessler, who is out for the year following shoulder surgery, was seeking $120MM+ on a long-term rookie scale extension before the season began, Afseth reports. Kessler will be a restricted free agent next offseason.