Kon Knueppel, Dylan Harper Named Rookies Of The Month
Hornets wing Kon Knueppel has won a fourth consecutive Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month award, the NBA announced today (via Twitter). No other Eastern rookie has earned the honor in 2025/26, as Knueppel has now claimed the award in October/November, December, January, and February.
Knueppel continued to solidify his case for Rookie of the Year recognition by leading Charlotte to an 8-3 record in 11 games in February. He averaged 21.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 2.7 assists in 31.5 minutes per game while knocking down more than half of his field goal attempts (50.3%).
Perhaps most impressively, Knueppel made 49-of-101 three-pointers, averaging 4.5 makes per game at a 48.5% clip.
Knueppel had shared Rookie of the Month honors with his former Duke teammate Cooper Flagg three times in a row, but with Flagg sidelined for much of February due to a foot injury, Spurs guard Dylan Harper became the first non-Blue Devil to break through this season, earning the Rookie of the Month award in the West.
Harper’s Spurs didn’t lose a single game in February, going 10-0 when he was active. The No. 2 overall pick registered 12.5 PPG, 4.9 APG, and 3.9 RPG in 25.1 MPG while shooting 55.4% from the floor. San Antonio had a +21.0 net rating during Harper’s 252 minutes on the court in February.
Sixers guard VJ Edgecombe, Wizards forward Will Riley, and Nets guard Nolan Traore were also nominated for Rookie of the Month in the Eastern Conference, while Jazz forward Ace Bailey, Grizzlies guard Javon Small, Kings big man Maxime Raynaud, and Mavericks forward Flagg were the other nominees in the West, per the league (Twitter link).
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Bucks Notes: Giannis, Kuzma, Dieng, Ryan
The Bucks fell behind early at home against Boston on Monday and never recovered, eventually getting blown out by a score of 108-81. Still, the team was encouraged to have star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo back on the court. The two-time MVP had 19 points and 11 rebounds in 25 minutes and said after the game that he felt good, albeit a “little bit rusty,” per Eric Nehm of The Athletic.
“It doesn’t matter if I play 18 minutes, 20 minutes, 22, whatever, I’m just happy that I’m out there,” said Antetokounmpo, who missed the previous 15 games due to a strained calf. “I’m just in a mindset where I try not to take nothing for granted. Obviously, did not play well tonight, but at the end of the day, I’m just happy that I’m out there being able to help my teammates in any way that I can and just do what I love, which is play basketball.”
That 15-game layoff represented the longest absence of Antetokounmpo’s 13-year career, and he’s on track to play his fewest games in a season since he entered the league. The 31-year-old observed on Monday that he has made a habit over the course of his career of beating his projected recovery timelines and returning from injuries early, but acknowledged that it’s a habit he might have to get away from in his 30s.
“Like, OK, yeah, hurt my groin, had to be out three weeks, four weeks, came back in like 10 days,” Antetokounmpo said, per Nehm. “But I’m 31 years old, just gotta be able to be more smarter moving forward because things that I was able to do in the past, maybe I’m not able to do now. And I’ve just gotta be more methodical with my rehab, the way I take care of my body, the way that I play, but yeah, that’s pretty much it. Moving forward, I just gotta be smarter.
“… I’m not 24 years old anymore. I’m 31. I’m still 31 years old. It’s not like I’m 36 or 37. But yeah, when you deal with a lot of soft tissue injuries, it’s hard. … If you’re not able to take care of your soft tissue injuries, they can linger. And I think that’s what has happened this year. I feel like I’ve been playing the whole year with like a deficit.”
We have more on the Bucks:
- Kyle Kuzma had the best game of his season in December at home vs. the Celtics when he scored 31 points on 13-of-17 shooting, but the veteran forward received a DNP-CD in Monday’s matchup with Boston. As Jim Owczarski of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writes, Kuzma’s DNP-CD was one of a few changes head coach Doc Rivers made to his rotation, as relative newcomer Ousmane Dieng entered the starting lineup and veteran wing Gary Harris saw his first extended stretch of playing time in several weeks.
- Dieng scored 13 points in a team-high 30 minutes on Monday, and Rivers sounded impressed by what he has seen through 10 games from the former lottery pick, Owczarski adds. “I loved what ‘Ous’ did,” Rivers said after the loss. “This young kid, we gotta give him as many minutes as we can while we’re trying to win games.”
- The two-way contract that guard/forward Cormac Ryan signed with the Bucks last week is a two-year deal, Hoops Rumors has learned. That means Milwaukee will have the option of hanging onto Ryan through the 2026/27 season before he becomes eligible for restricted free agency, though teams’ two-way slots typically undergo significant turnover each offseason.
Southwest Notes: Middleton, Nembhard, Murphy, Prosper, Barnes
Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd was pleased with Khris Middleton‘s decision to remain in Dallas for the rest of the season rather than seeking a buyout to get to a playoff team, tweets Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News.
“It’s great,” Kidd said. “Khris is a vet. He’s already had some impact with us, on and off the floor. For him to be able to stay, it’s great. We’ll try not to play him 40 minutes a night, but his ability as a vet to score and to lead is something that’s needed in that locker room, so we’re happy he stayed.”
Although Middleton stayed put, another veteran – Tyus Jones – negotiated his release from the Mavericks, which opened up a roster spot on Dallas’ 15-man roster. The team used that newly created opening to promote standout rookie guard Ryan Nembhard from his two-way contract.
According to Curtis (subscription required), Nembhard said after signing the deal that it “feels great” to get his first real NBA contract and that he’s “looking forward to building on this.” The former Gonzaga standout added that he has long felt valued by the Mavs, who tried to acquire a second-round pick to acquire him last June before ultimately signing him as an undrafted free agent.
“They showed a lot of love,” Nembhard told Curtis. “They got me in for a workout the day before the draft. I feel like there was an opportunity for me. That’s the biggest thing.”
We have more from around the Southwest:
- Pelicans wing Trey Murphy III played on Sunday for the first time since before the All-Star break, returning from a right shoulder contusion that kept him on the shelf for five games, writes Rod Walker of NOLA.com (subscription required). “A versatile player playing at a high level,” interim head coach James Borrego said of Murphy, who generated significant interest from rival teams ahead of February’s trade deadline. “He just raises our level, our standard, our ceiling. He’s having a tremendous year to this date. The energy, the vibe, the spirit, the competitiveness and the belief. I know he’s happy to be out there with his brothers.”
- Two-way forward Olivier-Maxence Prosper has taken on an increased role for the Grizzlies as of late, starting five straight games, playing small-ball center, and averaging 15.2 points per night on .628/.471/.867 shooting since February 6. Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal takes an in-depth look at Maxence-Prosper, who only has six games of eligibility left on his two-way deal and is making a strong case for a promotion to the standard roster. “All of O-Max’s energy is just contagious,” head coach Tuomas Iisalo told Afseth. “He’s one of the highest-motor players in the whole league. He’s had to basically shift up a position or two spots and is doing a great job. He’s improved his shooting from the outside and is shooting with a lot of confidence. … How he’s improving in the little facets of the game overall, it’s a testament to the hard work he’s putting in.”
- Removed last month from the Spurs‘ starting lineup after making 775 consecutive starts for four NBA teams, veteran forward Harrison Barnes continues to play regular minutes off the bench and has taken his new role in stride, notes Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News (subscription required). “Harrison Barnes is as professional and as good of a veteran as you could want in your locker room,” Spurs forward Keldon Johnson said of his teammate, who will be an unrestricted free agent this summer.
Hawks To Sign Keshon Gilbert To Two-Way Contract
The Hawks will sign rookie point guard Keshon Gilbert to a two-way contract, league sources tell Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Twitter link).
Gilbert, who went undrafted in 2025 out of Iowa State, signed a non-guaranteed Exhibit 10 contract with the Wizards last September and was waived at the start of training camp, lining him up to play for Washington’s G League affiliate, the Capital City Go-Go.
The 6’4″ guard has spent most of the season with the Go-Go, averaging 13.7 points, 5.5 assists, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.6 steals in 27.4 minutes per game at the G League level. He has posted a shooting line of .456/.210/.789 in 30 outings for Capital City and earning a brief call-up to the Wizards last month, signing a 10-day deal with the club and appearing in three NBA games.
The Hawks have had an empty two-way slot since they promoted Caleb Houstan to the standard roster last month, so no corresponding roster move will be necessary to add Gilbert. The 22-year-old will join Christian Koloko and RayJ Dennis as Atlanta’s two-way players.
Assuming Gilbert’s two-way contract is officially finalized on Tuesday, he’ll be eligible to be active for up to 12 regular season games for the Hawks for the rest of 2025/26. Atlanta will have a full 18-man roster once the deal is complete.
Injury Notes: Booker, Highsmith, Zion, Jovic, Warriors
The Suns, who went just 4-7 in February as they dealt with injuries affecting multiple starters and rotation players, will get some reinforcements on Tuesday in Sacramento.
As Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic relays (via Twitter), star guard Devin Booker is no longer listed on Phoenix’s injury report after missing the past four games due to a right hip strain. While the Suns split those four games without Booker available, they were clearly missing their leading scorer, having ranked 29th in the NBA in offensive rating during that stretch.
Recently signed swingman Haywood Highsmith also isn’t included on the Suns’ latest injury report, Rankin notes, which suggests he should be ready to make his season debut. Highsmith underwent surgery to address a torn meniscus in his right knee last August and experienced a setback in his rehab in October. He was traded from Miami to Brooklyn last offseason, was waived by the Nets last month, and signed with the Suns as he ramped up to return to action.
Two of Phoenix’s top wing defenders – Dillon Brooks (left hand fracture) and Jordan Goodwin (left calf strain) – remain out, so Highsmith should get a shot to earn rotation minutes now that he’s healthy.
We have more health-related updates from around the NBA:
- Pelicans forward Zion Williamson sat out on Sunday due to an ankle sprain, ending his career-high streak of 35 consecutive games played, but he’s listed as questionable to play on Tuesday vs. the Lakers and told Malika Andrews of ESPN (Twitter video link) he expects to suit up. Williamson will be motivated to appear in at least 16 of New Orleans’ final 20 games this season, since doing so would ensure he locks in at least 80% of his $42.2MM salary for 2026/27 (the remaining 20% could become guaranteed if he meets weight-related benchmarks).
- Heat forward/center Nikola Jovic will miss a fifth consecutive game on Tuesday due to a lower back injury, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Jovic says he doesn’t have any disk issues and doesn’t think the ailment is related to the stress reaction in his back that sidelined him for a significant portion of the 2022/23 season, but he admitted he’s struggling with the injury. “My back doesn’t feel good,” Jovic said. “The scan shows I got some inflammation, and one of my nerves doesn’t look great right now.”
- Warriors wing Moses Moody, who didn’t play in the fourth quarter of the team’s loss to the Clippers on Monday, jammed his wrist and injured his shoulder, according to head coach Steve Kerr, who said Moody will be evaluated further on Tuesday (Twitter link via Nick Friedell of ESPN).
- Kristaps Porzingis missed a fifth straight game with an illness on Monday and it’s unclear when the Warriors big man will return to action, Friedell writes for The Athletic. “It’s a little mysterious,” Kerr said of Porzingis’ illness. “We’re obviously working with him, and he can get some clarity, and he can kind of break through, and he can get to a point where he’s consistently healthy, but that’s something that the medical staff is working hard on with him. I’m not going to posit any medical theories anymore.”
Central Notes: Harden, Mitchell, Allen, Buzelis, Potter
Making a major in-season trade can sometimes disrupt a team’s chemistry. For the Cavaliers, adding James Harden has been a breath of fresh air, writes Jamal Collier of ESPN.
“They are two guys that are hungry to take that next step,” head coach Kenny Atkinson said of Harden and fellow star guard Donovan Mitchell. “They’ve kind of hit it off. Been seamless, really. Two guys that are so passionate about the game. They’re both hoop junkies.
“Usually when you have that kind of synergy it goes well. With them, I haven’t seen any misunderstandings or ‘You should have went there.’ They’ve been pretty locked in on the court and off the court. Couldn’t have gotten better so far.”
The only hiccup in the Harden-Mitchell pairing to this point has been injuries — Mitchell will miss his fourth straight game on Tuesday vs. Detroit because of a right groin strain, tweets Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press, while Harden will be active as he plays through a fractured right thumb.
Center Jarrett Allen, whose excellent play over the past month actually preceded Harden’s arrival, said the former MVP has helped him reach a new level.
“The confidence is renewed,” Allen said. “When big changes happen like that, your view shifts. You have more confidence in yourself. … I’m just finding my rhythm. People pass me the ball, Kenny is drawing plays for me, things are just clicking.”
While Cleveland feels good about how the team has been played over the past several weeks, there are still questions about how it will translate to the postseason, Collier notes. Mitchell has never advanced past the second round of the playoffs, while Harden made his lone NBA Finals appearance in 2012, when he won Sixth Man of the Year in his third season with Oklahoma City.
Here’s more from around the Central:
- After Sunday’s victory in Brooklyn, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype asked Cavaliers point guard Harden how much longer he wants to keep playing (Twitter video link). “I know it’s coming soon. Hopefully, later than soon, but it’s reality,” Harden said. “Everybody has to go through this at some point. … Just trying to continue to keep my body in shape and play well. … We’ll see what happens in the next few years. Take it one game at a time and cherish the moments.”
- Second-year forward Matas Buzelis has impressed for the Bulls over the last three games after he had a “heart-to-heart” talk with head coach Billy Donovan about his shot selection and continuing to find ways to impact winning, per Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. The 21-year-old has averaged 24.0 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 3.0 APG, 1.0 SPG and 1.0 BPG on .520/.429/.727 shooting over that three-game span.
- Indiana hold a team option on Micah Potter‘s contract for next season, and the fifth-year big man is making a strong case for the Pacers to exercise it with his recent play, according to Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star (subscriber link). Over his last eight games (25.6 MPG), Potter is averaging 15.4 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 2.0 RPG and 0.9 SPG on .538/.463/.870 shooting. The 27-year-old has some defensive limitation, but he has been a good fit in Indiana’s offensive system, Dopirak writes. “Solid is the word,” head coach Rick Carlisle said. “Micah, that’s what he is. He’s solid. He’s a no-frills player. He doesn’t try to be fancy out there. He plays the game, he works to play to his strengths. I like that he’s a stretch big that can legitimately play some four. That’s a very good thing.” Potter’s $2.8MM salary for 2026/27 would still be non-guaranteed even if the Pacers exercise that option.
And-Ones: Mock Draft, Big Board, Wembanyama, USA Basketball
BYU wing AJ Dybantsa goes No. 1 overall in the latest mock draft from Sam Vecenie of The Athletic. As Vecenie details, the 6’9″ freshman has put up incredible numbers, has elite athletic tools, and has made tremendous strides in terms of his offensive decision-making and passing. Dybantsa is still a work in progress on the other end though, per Vecenie.
Dybantsa, Kansas guard Darryn Peterson (No. 2 in Vecenie’s mock) and Duke power forward Cameron Boozer (No. 3) are all in contention to be selected with the first pick, Vecenie writes, but Dybantsa and Peterson are talked about more often for that spot.
According to Vecenie, North Carolina forward Caleb Wilson is the clear No. 4 player in a class that is “absurdly good” at the top. Then there’s another five players (Houston’s Kingston Flemings, Illinois’ Keaton Wagler, Arkansas’ Darius Acuff Jr., Louisville’s Mikel Brown Jr. and Tennessee’s Nate Ament) that teams would love to land.
The 10 through 30 spots in the first round are much trickier to pin down, Vecenie continues, in part because it’s unclear which players will return to school to potentially make more money because of name, image and likeness — some could get around $4MM, per Vecenie.
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Jon Chepkevich of RookieScale.com has created a consensus big board using input sources from 13 different outlets (including The Athletic) and “dozens of other independent boards/mocks.” The same nine players listed above are the top nine on Chepkevich’s board, with Michigan big man Yaxel Lendeborg at No. 10 (he’s No. 19 in Vecenie’s mock) and Kentucky big man Jayden Quaintance at No. 11 (No. 12 in Vecenie’s mock).
- Third-year center Victor Wembanyama has become a minority investor in Nanterre, the French team with whom the Spurs star played from the ages of 10-17, per Eurohoops. Wembanyama made the announcement alongside his former coach in an interview with Yann Ohnona of L’Équipe. “I don’t even remember who approached whom first, but it happened naturally. I was born and raised in France. I want to have an impact on French basketball, and at Nanterre because that’s where I feel at home,” Wembanyama said.
- The U.S. men’s national team was upset by the Dominican Republic in a 2027 World Cup qualifying game last Thursday, writes Joe Vardon of The Athletic. Team USA never led in the game and trailed by as many as 19 points. “Now I am very happy because every player that comes to the (Dominican Republic) national team, they feel love for this country, for this flag,” Dominican coach Nestor Garcia said. “In our country, the people support us. This is for the Dominican people.” As Vardon notes, the U.S. roster isn’t exactly star-studded considering it’s the middle of the NBA season, but several players with recent experience in the league are competing, including James Wiseman and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl. After rebounding by blowing out Mexico on Sunday, Team USA is still 3-1 with eight qualifying games remaining, so the Americans aren’t in any danger of not qualifying for the World Cup at this point.
NBA Teams Can’t Sign Players To Two-Way Deals After Wednesday
NBA teams have until the final day of the regular season (April 12) to finalize their 15-man rosters and sign players to standard NBA contracts. However, each team only has until March 4 — this Wednesday — to sign a player to a two-way contract.
If you’re a regular Hoops Rumors reader, you’ve likely noticed a significant uptick in two-way activity over the past few weeks, and particularly over the past few days. If you weren’t already aware, now you know why — teams are finalizing their two-way spots for the remainder of the 2025/26 season, with an eye on the future.
There’s overlap between a team’s 15-man roster and its three available two-way spots. For example, 21 players who were on two-way contracts have had their deals converted to standard contracts in ’25/26. The majority of those players received multiyear standard deals, though that’s not always the case.
In an ideal scenario, a team would complete all its conversions before Wednesday so it can back-fill any vacant two-way slots prior to the deadline. That said, two-way contracts can be converted to standard deals until April 12.
As we explain in our glossary entry, a player with fewer than four years of NBA experience can sign a two-way contract with a team. Because a player is credited with a year of service on the last day of a league year (ie. June 30), a player with three years of experience is eligible to sign a two-way contract at any time during his fourth NBA season. Certain players who have four years of experience and have missed an entire season due to injury can still be eligible for a one-year two-way contract as well.
A player who opens a season on a two-way contract can be active for a maximum of 50 games. However, that figure is prorated once the season begins — players who finalize their deals on Monday or Tuesday are eligible to be active for a maximum of 12 games, while players who complete two-way contracts on Wednesday can be active for up to 11.
Players who have spent all of 2025/26 on two-way contracts will earn $636,435 in 2025/26, half of the rookie minimum. But just like the active-game limit, that figure is prorated for those who sign in-season deals. For example, a player who finalizes his two-way contract on Wednesday will earn $146,307.
Suns Notes: Booker, Goodwin, Green, Williams, Brooks
Suns star Devin Booker was able to do 5-on-5 work in Sunday’s practice, writes Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. The 29-year-old shooting guard has missed Phoenix’s last four games due to a right hip strain.
“He knows his body better than anyone,” head coach Jordan Ott said. “He’s been through these processes. Incredible recovery. So, he knows how he’s supposed to feel. How he’s supposed to feel when he plays.”
Ott also provided an injury update on Jordan Goodwin, Rankin adds. The backup guard is dealing with a left calf strain and is expected to be reevaluated within the next week.
“He’s just now ramping up,” Ott said. “He is on the court. He was on the court today. Book is further along than Goodie, but he is starting to progress onto the court.”
Here’s more from Phoenix:
- Jalen Green has been in a major shooting slump over his last four games, Rankin writes, averaging 12.8 points while shooting just 21-of-75 (28.0%) from the field over that span. Ott cited Green’s conditioning as one factor in his struggles — he missed most of the season after repeatedly straining his right hamstring. “He knows he’s a little out of rhythm, but it’s good just to get him out there,” Ott said. “It’s like the consistent number of games I think is good. I think the four-day break for him too, just his body. Now he’s played in those games, five games after the All-Star break. He’s a little sore from it and that’s normal. Just going through all the normal basketball things that you take for granted when you start the season. Now he’s doing it 50 games in.”
- Starting center Mark Williams, who will be a restricted free agent this summer, has also been in a rut of late, Rankin notes. Williams is averaging 6.3 points and 6.7 rebounds while shooting 39.5% from the floor over his past six contests (18.8 minutes per game), well below his season-long rates (11.6 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 63.5% from the field). The Suns think Booker will help both Green and Williams when he returns. “Book helps make all of our lives better,” Ott said. “Not just those two.”
- Jason Quick of The Athletic takes an in-depth look at how Booker and Dillon Brooks became friends over the offseason after the latter was traded from Houston to Phoenix in the Kevin Durant deal. “It doesn’t catch me off-guard anymore, where you know, you see somebody on the court and they act as a totally different person … so him being a naggy person, the annoying person to play against, then you meet him, and he’s soft-spoken and humble,” Booker said. “And to me, those are the types of guys who want to go to war with, the guys who can turn it on.”