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The NBA Cup could be leaving Las Vegas.
The league is strongly considering a different site for next season’s championship game, ESPN’s Tim Bontemps reports. NBA officials have been underwhelmed by the neutral-site approach, which they feel has lacked the energy and enthusiasm they hoped it would generate.
The league announced in September that this would be the last season that both the semifinals and championship game would be played at a neutral site. The eight games in Vegas across the last three seasons have mostly been played in front of less than capacity crowds. The atmosphere also hasn’t been the same as the home games played in the quarterfinals, Bontemps adds.
Other than the neutral site approach to the semis and finals, the league has largely accomplished the objectives that led to its creation. It has led to increased attention to the league during the early portion of the regular-season schedule and the players have largely embraced it.
The Knicks and Spurs will square off for the in-season tournament championship on Tuesday.
The Bucks are floundering but they’re not ready to wave the white flag, The Athletic’s Eric Nehm reports. In fact, Nehm hears the Bucks have told teams they are looking to add to their roster in hopes of fortifying their struggling team.
Milwaukee is 11-16 and Giannis Antetokounmpo is currently sidelined by a calf strain. While speculation has been rampant that Antetokounmpo will eventually ask to be moved, the Bucks are considering making a significant addition that might convince him to stay. Antetokounmpo is signed through the 2027/28 season but the final year of the contract includes a player option.
Milwaukee, of course, made big news during the offseason by waiving and stretching Damian Lillard‘s contract over a five-year period in order to sign one of the top free agents on the market, center Myles Turner.
The Bucks are currently $11.5MM+ below the luxury tax line, according to Spotrac, and $19.5MM below the first tax apron, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks — that wiggle room could prove vital in order to make such a move. Milwaukee has a dearth of wings, especially with Taurean Prince currently out with a neck injury, and an overload of guards at 6’5” and under. The Bucks have already been named as one of the teams eying the Kings’ Zach LaVine.
Their most logical path for an upgrade, according to Nehm, would be to take on more money from a team looking to shed salary. That could entail swapping players with similar cap hits and taking on a longer-term contract or acquiring a player who carries a bigger cap hit this season from a team with luxury tax issues or tax apron concerns.
Complicating matters prior to this season’s trade deadline is that the Bucks have only one first-round pick to dangle (either 2031 or 2032).
An MRI conducted on Monday confirmed that Magic guard Jalen Suggs suffered a left hip contusion during Saturday’s NBA Cup game against the Knicks, the team’s PR department tweets. His return will depend on how he responds to treatment.
Suggs had 26 points and seven assists in 29 minutes on Saturday. The fifth-year guard, who suffered the injury while driving to the basket during the third quarter, is averaging 15.4 points and 4.8 assists per game this season. Tyus Jones, Anthony Black and Jett Howard could all see an uptick in minutes during his absence.
Here’s more from the Southeast Division:
- Nikola Jovic signed a four-year extension in October. The Heat forward has financial security but not a spot in the rotation — he has been a healthy scratch in five of the last nine games in which he was available. He’s also logging fewer minutes when he does play (19.3 MPG, compared with 25.1 last season), the Miami Herald’s duo of Anthony Chiang and Barry Jackson note. Jovic admits it’s a frustrating situation. “The way my minutes fall is really sad. I’m not trying to think about what they’re thinking because I know it’s hard for them, too. I’m just trying to stay positive and help these guys develop,” he said.
- The Hornets don’t feel pressed to make any major trades despite their 8-18 record, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. In an appearance on the YES Network (Twitter video link via Hornets Reddit), Scotto said that Kon Knueppel “has essentially become the face of the franchise” as a rookie. “They still want to see what it looks like with LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, Kon Knueppel and Miles Bridges,” Scotto said. “They think if they’re healthy, they could be a play-in team.”
- Miller briefly departed the Hornets’ game against Cleveland on Sunday due to an apparent shoulder injury, then returned and hit a key three-pointer late in regulation. Charlotte pulled out an overtime victory against one of the East’s premier clubs. “It was a huge growth moment for us,” Hornets coach Charles Lee said, per Rod Boone of the Charlotte Observer. “Responding, we felt like we gave up too many offensive rebounds, especially as they kind of got back into the game. And then I thought we had multiple people hitting and crashing, and trying to come up with every 50-50-ball and defensive rebound that we could. “And to see Brandon with 13 rebounds just shows he can give it to us on both ends. He’s an offensive great, but he can be an elite two-way player. And it becomes contagious when you see one of our best players doing that.”
Several dozen players around the NBA became eligible to be traded on Monday for the first time since signing as free agents this offseason. The majority of those players won't be dealt this season, and most of the ones who are traded won't be moved until close to the February 5 deadline.
Still, it's not uncommon for teams to complete deals on or shortly after December 15. That doesn't mean we'll see a flurry of action before Christmas, but it's entirely possible the first in-season trade of 2025/26 will be agreed upon this week.
Here are newly trade-eligible players who are worth keeping a close eye on in the coming days and weeks:
Zion Williamson came off the bench Sunday as he returned to action after missing the previous five games with a right hip adductor strain, writes Matt Carlson of The Associated Press. It was the first time Williamson hasn’t started in his NBA career, but he was on a minutes limit and Pelicans interim coach James Borrego wanted to make sure he was available for crunch time.
“It was a game plan that allowed me to close the game, with my body being used to playing certain minutes of a quarter,” Williamson said. “So you know he walked me through it. I didn’t have a problem with it because it allowed me to close the game. The rhythm did feel pretty good, but most of all I’m glad we got the win.”
Injuries have been a recurring problem for Williamson, who has missed 16 games already this season with four separate issues. He can still be a difference maker when he’s healthy — he’s averaging 21.7 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.8 assists per night — and New Orleans will need to keep him in the lineup to recover from a 5-22 start.
“Injuries suck, there’s no other way to put it,” he said. “Rehabbing’s not fun either. But over the summer, me putting that work in my body, it allows me — if something does happen — it’s nothing that keeps me out a super, long time. I’m able to rehab at a faster but more efficient rate.”
There’s more from the Southwest Division:
- Bryce McGowens has been a pleasant surprise after joining the Pelicans on a two-way contract during the summer, observes Rod Walker of NOLA.com (subscription required). The fourth-year shooting guard is trying to reestablish himself as an NBA regular after having some success in Charlotte early in his career, and he’s been seeing consistent minutes in New Orleans. “I’m super blessed to be in this position of being in an organization that believes and trusts and puts me in situations,” McGowens said. “It feels good. I work hard. The coaches know me. My job is to get after it and do whatever the team needs me to do so we can win.”
- Grizzlies guard Ja Morant had 21 points and 10 assists as he returned to the court Friday night, per Clay Bailey of The Associated Press. Morant felt a need to take charge of the offense after missing 10 games with a right calf strain, but he shot just 7-of-20 from the field and committed four turnovers in a little more than 25 minutes. “I was forced to get some shots up,” he said. “Some of them, I should have been to the free throw line. Some I missed. Some of them I made. I can’t change it. I just got to live with it.”
- After attending Saturday’s NBA Cup semifinal games, Spurs legend Tony Parker came away impressed with young guards Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper, according to Mike Finger of The San Antonio Express-News (subscription required). “They’re so fearless,” Parker said. “That’s how I was. That’s how Manu (Ginobili) was.”
Boos from the home crowd have become a familiar sound lately for the Cavaliers, whose frustrating season continued Sunday with an overtime loss to Charlotte, writes Tom Withers of The Associated Press. Facing a Hornets squad without LaMelo Ball, the Cavs were flat for most of the game, but rallied late to force the extra session. However, they missed all 10 of their shots after regulation and wound up falling to one of the NBA’s worst road teams.
Fans loudly expressed their displeasure with the loss, and Donovan Mitchell understands their response, saying, “We deserve it. I was a fan once. I would boo us, too.”
Cleveland is now 15-12 and in a tie for eighth place after being viewed as one of the Eastern Conference favorites coming into the season. Injuries have played a role in the slow start, but Darius Garland emphasized that can’t be used as an excuse. Withers notes that Garland displayed obvious discomfort late in the game stemming from a lingering toe injury that required offseason surgery. Jarrett Allen was able to return Sunday after missing nine games with an injured finger, but the team is facing a long stretch without Evan Mobley, who may be out for a month with a strained left calf.
“No one is feeling sorry for us,” Mitchell said. “I wouldn’t feel sorry for us. I know it’s cloudy. I know it’s dark. As long as we continue to stay together in this locker room, we’ll be all right.”
There’s more from the Central Division:
- Cavaliers shooting specialist Sam Merrill remains sidelined four weeks after jamming his right finger in an on-court collision, per Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (subscription required). He wore a wrap around the injury during an individual workout last week, Fedor adds, but he only had limited use of his right hand. “He’s frustrated. We’re frustrated. It’s just a slow healing process,” coach Kenny Atkinson said. “Hasn’t gotten worse. Swelling is decreasing. It’s just hard to move forward. He’s frustrated more than anybody that this thing is not healing quicker. There’s nothing structural.”
- The Bucks may be at a crisis point following Sunday’s 45-point loss at Brooklyn, suggests Eric Nehm of The Athletic. Players had talked about needing to build momentum following Thursday’s win over Boston, but they turned in one of their worst performances of the season and are barely holding on to the East’s final play-in spot. “That was disappointing, probably one of the more disappointing games I’ve ever been involved in with the way we performed and competed,” coach Doc Rivers said. “And we wanted to blame everybody but ourselves. We’re blaming the refs. We’re looking at each other. No one wanted to play hard. We got a lot of soul-searching to do.”
- Second-round pick Kam Jones hasn’t played yet this season, but he was on the Pacers‘ active roster Friday night. Coach Rick Carlisle believes there was value in having the rookie shooting guard participate in the game-day experience, even though he didn’t get on the court, relays beat writer Tony East (Twitter link).
The Nets didn’t look anything like a tanking team in Sunday’s 127-82 win over Milwaukee, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. The 45-point margin tied the record for the largest victory in franchise history, and it provided the first career win for assistant Steve Hetzel, who was filling in because head coach Jordi Fernandez was ill.
“Yeah, it was a lot of fun. Just watching how well we played as a team. Normally, (Michael Porter Jr.) has been carrying us offensively, and then you see how spread out the points are. … I don’t think anybody that stepped on the court played poorly,” Hetzel said. “It was a great feeling.”
It was the fourth win in six games for Brooklyn, which has recovered from an 0-7 start to move to within three games of a play-in spot. Four of the team’s five first-round picks played significant roles in the game, and Milwaukee was held scoreless for the final 7:04.
“You hold any team to no points for six minutes, that’s elite,” Noah Clowney said. “This is the NBA. You don’t do that often to anybody. … That’s probably the best form of hoops when everybody eats and everybody’s playing well, everybody’s making shots. It’s just a good camaraderie.”
- Rookies Egor Demin and Drake Powell both responded with quality performances after being criticized by Fernandez following Friday’s loss to Dallas, Lewis states in a separate story. Demin had 17 points in 25 minutes, while Powell came off the bench for 13 points in 23 minutes. “(Fernandez) challenged Egor, he challenged Drake, and they both responded beautifully, with an edge,” Hetzel said. “It’s another step in their progression. They took a big step in having a bad game and then responding. And that’s what the NBA’s all about. You play 82 of them. You got to be quick to forget about the last one, move on and play better, which they both did.”
- Porter has tended to carry the scoring load in his first season with Brooklyn, but Fernandez is concerned that isn’t the best approach for his young team, Lewis adds in another piece. While the veteran forward had 34 points on Friday, the Nets’ other players couldn’t respond when Dallas started sending multiple defenders at him in the fourth quarter. “We kept looking at Mike instead of using him and others taking or making the shot,” Fernandez said. “You can control if you take a good shot, you cannot control if it goes in.”
- Hetzel serves as the Brooklyn’s Summer League coach, so he has extensive experience dealing with the team’s rookies, per C.J. Holmes of The New York Daily News (subscription required). Before Sunday’s game, he offered his thoughts on each of them and the progress they’ve made since the draft.
Paul George turned in his best game of the season — and one of his best since signing with the Sixers in the summer of 2024 — in Sunday’s loss at Atlanta, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer (subscription required). George didn’t seem to be bothered by the left knee issue that forced him to miss the first 12 games of the season as he went 7-of-10 from three-point range on his way to a 35-point night.
“I’m getting more and more comfortable within the system, within the offense,” he said. “At that point, now, I can kind of just be myself. Just allow the game to come to me, find my moment. And be aggressive in those.”
Injuries limited George to 41 games last season, which played a major role in Philadelphia’s collapse. The decision to give him a four-year, $211.6MM contract at age 34 was widely questioned, but now he’s hoping to change the perception of that deal.
“Last year was a lot going on,” he said. “I was just trying to patch up stuff. This year, I’m a lot healthier. I’m able. I feel like I can play my game. I feel like I can be myself. There’s still some things that got to come back. I’m not all the way 100 (percent). But I’m more myself than I was last year. So that’s the positive that I can take. And everything else is, with time, I’m just going to continue to get better.”
There’s more on the Sixers:
- After playing both Friday and Sunday, Joel Embiid said he needs less time between games to prepare his knees, Pompey adds in the same piece. Earlier in the season, he required at least two full days off between games, but the knee pain has eased and he was able to perform effectively on Sunday, finishing with 22 points, a season-high 14 rebounds and two blocked shots. “I feel OK,” Embiid said. “I was a little tired out there. But I feel good. I’ll take it. I came out pretty good either way. So I’ll take it. Obviously, I would have felt better if we got the win. But that didn’t happen. … We’ll see how it feels tomorrow. But it was good things.”
- Philadelphia played its second straight game without Tyrese Maxey, who is sidelined due to an illness, Pompey states in a separate story. There’s hope that Maxey, who ranks third in the scoring race at 31.5 PPG, will return for Friday’s contest at New York. “We’re concerned because he’s sick, and he wasn’t well enough to get on the floor here for a couple of games,” coach Nick Nurse said. “After Friday’s game, we thought he’d be at the plane to come with us but didn’t make it. I talked to him last night, and he said he’d see me at practice Tuesday. I said, ‘I’m not sure we’re practicing Tuesday, but I’ll be there. Me and you, man. I’ll see you there.’”
- Kelly Oubre Jr. was reevaluated last week for the left knee ligament sprain that has sidelined him since November 14, but Nurse didn’t have an update on his condition, Pompey adds in a mailbag column. Oubre was able to do his first on-court individualized workout since the injury before Sunday’s game, but he hasn’t been cleared for practice yet. “Nothing new,” Nurse said. “He’s out there walking around a bit. He’s on the court a bit. I’m hoping there’s some. … It looks like there’s some progress there. And just like you, I want him out there ASAP and then back.”
Today is December 15, which means that – by our count – 79 NBA players who signed as free agents this offseason have officially become eligible to be traded.
The list of newly trade-eligible players, which can be found right here, features a number of guys who almost certainly aren’t going anywhere this season, like Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard.
However, it also includes some players whose names have already popped up in trade speculation in the months since they were signed. The most obvious name in that group is Clippers point guard Chris Paul, who has unofficially parted ways with the team but remains on the roster for the time being. Paul is now eligible to be dealt.
Kyrie Irving, James Harden, Myles Turner, Julius Randle, Fred VanVleet are among the other biggest names who are newly trade-eligible as of Monday.
Fourteen of the players on the list, including Lillard, Harden, and VanVleet, can’t be moved without their consent, since they have the ability to veto trades this season. The Rockets, Clippers, and Bucks are each carrying multiple players who fit that bill.
Six newly trade-eligible players are still on non-guaranteed contracts, including a pair of Spurs. If one of those players is included in a trade prior to the league-wide salary guarantee date of January 10, only the non-guaranteed portion of his salary would count for matching purposes for the team trading him away (the team acquiring him would still have to account for the player’s full cap hit).
[RELATED: Trade Rules For Non-Guaranteed Salaries]
Finally, it’s worth noting that there are still a number of recently signed players around the NBA who remain ineligible to be dealt. Many will become trade-eligible on January 15, while others will see their trade restrictions lift on unique dates.
Typically, teams wait until closer to the trade deadline (February 5) to make their moves rather than striking deals as soon as trade season unofficially opens on December 15, so we should count on most of the in-season trade activity occurring in January and February.
Still, it’s worth noting that a pair of trades were officially finalized on December 15 last season, so it wouldn’t come as a major surprise if two or more teams come together for a deal sooner rather than later.
A player who is traded on or before December 16 can be “re-aggregated” (ie. have his salary combined with another player’s salary for matching purposes) in a second deal prior to the trade deadline. The Warriors did this with Dennis Schröder last season, acquiring him from Brooklyn on December 15, then sending him to Detroit in the five-time Jimmy Butler blockbuster at the deadline.