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Thunder Notes: Bounce-Back, Holmgren, Smith, System, Hartenstein

December 29th, 2025 at 1:36pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Following three losses in four games — including a pair to their new conference rival, the Spurs — the Thunder responded with a 129-104 thumping of the Sixers on Sunday. Oklahoma City reestablished itself on the defensive side, holding Philadelphia to 42% shooting and forcing 23 turnovers, which it converted into 31 points.

“We really cranked up the pressure and the help and did so with discipline,” Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault told Justin Martinez of The Oklahoman. “It wasn’t reckless. I thought we really tuned up there and did a really good job of making everything hard on them.”

We have more on the Thunder:

Chet Holmgren, who scored a total of 31 points in the Thunder’s three previous games, erupted for 29 points, nine rebounds and four blocks on Sunday. “At the core, the guy is just a winning, tough player,” Daigneault said, per Martinez. “And it’s exhibited with the way he can hold his own at (center) when we shift him there. … He was a dominant defensive player tonight, first and foremost. He was great at the rim. Great in the help. Great in the coverages. He really played at a high level on that end of the floor. It just changes our team when he’s in that mode.”
The Oklahoma City Blue, the Thunder’s NBA G League affiliate, has acquired wing Zhaire Smith from the Texas Legends in exchange for a 2026 first-round pick and a 2027 second-round pick, Rylan Stiles of SI.com tweets. Smith was on the Mavericks‘ training camp roster but was waived in mid-October. Smith, a 2018 NBA first-rounder, racked up 24 points, six rebounds and five assists against the South Bay Lakers on Saturday. Smith’s career got derailed early on due to a broken foot, followed by a life-threatening allergic reaction to sesame that left him forced to use a feeding tube.
Buying into Daigneault’s system is a requirement for the Thunder players and they recognize the benefits, Martinez writes. “On the player’s side, it’s always a sacrifice, but it’s for the better,” Luguentz Dort said. “For a player, you become more efficient. And then you connect more with the team. You’re more into what the team wants to do, and that recipe has been working. Whenever it’s been like that, it’s always important to listen to what they want you to do. Then you just adapt and get better at that, and you’ll be in a good position.”
Isaiah Hartenstein will miss tonight’s game against Atlanta due to a right soleus strain, according to Martinez (Twitter link). It’s the second time Hartenstein has strained that calf this season. He previously missed six games after injuring it on Nov. 26.

Doncic, Antetokounmpo Lead Early Fan Voting For All-Star Game

December 29th, 2025 at 12:20pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Lakers guard Luka Doncic and Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo lead the Western and Eastern Conferences, respectively, in the first returns of fan voting for the All-Star Game, according to the NBA (Twitter link).

Doncic leads all players with 1,249,518 votes. The top five vote-getters from the Western Conference also include Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, Warriors guard Stephen Curry, Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama.

Joining Antetokounmpo among the top five in the Eastern Conference are Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey, Knicks guard Jalen Brunson, Pistons guard Cade Cunningham and Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell.

Fans voting represents 50% of the vote to determine the five players from each conference to be named as starters for the All-Star Game, with current NBA players and a media panel accounting for 25% each. This year, All-Stars are being selected without regard to position.

A newly-created, round-robin tournament featuring a USA vs. World format will be held Sunday, Feb. 15 at the Intuit Dome, the new home of the Clippers.

Celtics Notes: Simons, Holiday, Brown, Gonzalez

December 29th, 2025 at 10:59am CST by Arthur Hill

Anfernee Simons said it was odd to find himself in the visitors’ locker room as he made his return to Portland Sunday night, writes Joe Freeman of The Oregonian. Simons spent the first seven years of his career with the Trail Blazers before the Celtics acquired him over the summer in a cost-cutting deal that sent Jrue Holiday to Portland.

“It kind of felt a little weird,” Simons said. “Being a visitor and going to the opposing locker room, coming out of the other tunnel. But it was fun to see everybody that you built strong relationships with in the organization. It was fun embracing the moment and embracing the love … knowing that you made some type of impact here.”

Along with a new team, Simons has been adjusting to a different role. After being a full-time starter with the Blazers for the past three seasons, he’s now a sixth man for Boston, averaging 12.8 points per game off the bench and playing just 23.5 minutes per night. He expected a long future in Portland after signing a $100MM extension three years ago, but he discovered that things can change quickly in the NBA.

“Obviously, it’s a business at the end of the day,” Simons said. “And at any point you can be here and then somewhere else. So you just have to enjoy each and every moment that you spend. And I think I did that last year. I enjoyed all the moments I had with our whole team, organization, and I won’t regret anything for sure.”

There’s more on the Celtics:

Holiday wasn’t surprised that he was one of the players moved in Boston’s effort to escape the second apron, Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe states in a subscriber-only piece. Holiday recognized that his contract, which pays $32.4MM this season and $34.8MM next year, was too pricey for a team with major cap and tax concerns. “I think we know basketball a little bit in terms of how the money is,” he said. “And how not everybody can stay and we knew there was going to be a change. You just don’t know what the change might be. But I don’t think I speculated or saw what was going to happen or where everybody was going to go. I think when you look at the business side of it, you kind of know that some changes are going to happen.”
Jaylen Brown scored 37 points on Sunday, matching Larry Bird‘s franchise record of nine consecutive 30-point games, per Brian Robb of MassLive. Brown has taken over as the team’s primary scorer with Jayson Tatum sidelined by an Achilles injury and is averaging a career-high 29.7 PPG.
In a mailbag column, Robb examines the quick development of 19-year-old forward Hugo Gonzalez, who’s thriving in his rookie season with the Celtics after barely playing with Real Madrid last year. Robb also states that the team might be reluctant to commit big money to a center in the trade market with Neemias Queta playing so well. He cites Nets big man Day’Ron Sharpe as a potential low-cost option.

Mo Bamba Signs With Raptors

December 29th, 2025 at 10:38am CST by Eli Cohen

DECEMBER 29: The signing is official, the Raptors announced (via Twitter). .

DECEMBER 28: Free agent center Mo Bamba is signing a one-year deal with the Raptors, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania (Twitter link).

This move comes on the precipice of Toronto getting an update on the health status of starting center Jakob Poeltl, according to Blake Murphy of Sportsnet (Twitter links), who reports that Bamba’s deal will be non-guaranteed.

Keith Smith of Spotrac notes (via Twitter) that this move puts Toronto’s team salary $475K over the first apron and about $2.1M over the tax line, but adds that he doesn’t expect the Raptors to operate in the tax by the end of the season, making them a clear candidate for further moves.

With Poeltl in and out of the rotation due to injury, the Raptors have relied on Sandro Mamukelashvili for frontcourt depth, but Bamba gives them a different look due to his length and shot-blocking ability.

Bamba started his career with the Magic, playing four-and-a-half seasons in Orlando after being drafted sixth overall in 2018. He holds career averages of 6.8 points and 5.4 rebounds over his seven-year career. The 27-year-old big man played 14 games for the Salt Lake City Stars in the G League this season, averaging 16.5 points, 11.9 rebounds, and 2.7 blocks.

The NBA’s league-wide salary guarantee date is January 7 — players on non-guaranteed contracts must be waived on or before that date if their teams want to avoid locking in their full-season salaries. The Raptors could essentially treat Bamba’s non-guaranteed deal like a 10-day contract, waiving him by Jan. 7, then bringing him back on two actual 10-day contracts before making a decision on whether to retain him for the rest of the season.

Bucks Operating As Buyers Heading Into Trade Deadline

December 29th, 2025 at 10:01am CST by Arthur Hill

Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s windmill dunk that ended Saturday’s win at Chicago delivered the message he intended, writes Jamal Collier of ESPN. Antetokounmpo nearly sparked a massive fight as he broke an unwritten rule by scoring with the game already out of reach, but he saw a chance to make a statement — to his teammates and the rest of the league — that the Bucks aren’t going to go away quietly.

“I’ve been 13 years in the league,” Antetokounmpo told reporters after the game. “If we keep on losing, brother, probably half of the team is not going to be here. At the end of the day, I just want to be available, be healthy and help my team win. And if (a windmill dunk) is what has to happen for everybody to wake up and understand we’re fighting for our lives and we got to get our hands dirty, so be it.”

The dunk sparked a show of support, as Antetokounmpo’s teammates backed up his actions amid angry exchanges that continued while the teams made their way toward the locker room area. Whether it leads to a prolonged turnaround will depend on a number of factors, including Antetokounmpo’s health for the rest of the season and his continued desire to stay in Milwaukee.

At 13-19, the Bucks are 11th in the East, one-and-a-half games out of a play-in spot. Team sources tell Collier they continue to believe they can upgrade the roster before the February 5 trade deadline and be more competitive in the second half of the season. Collier hears that when the league’s unofficial trade season began two weeks ago, the Bucks’ front office approached it as buyers rather than exploring potential deals to part with Antetokounmpo.

The two-time MVP has been the subject of frequent trade speculation, even as he remains one of the NBA’s elite talents. He has often stated his desire to compete for another title, which may not happen with a Milwaukee team that hasn’t won a playoff series since 2022. Antetokounmpo has tried to quell trade talks, recently stating that he’s “locked in” with the team, and he reiterated that sentiment on Saturday.

“I’m here. I’m here. I’m here,” he said. “Don’t ask me that question. I’m here. It’s disrespectful towards myself and my teammates. I wear that jersey every single day. It’s disrespectful towards the organization, my coaching staff, myself and all the people that work hard for me to come out here and say, ‘I don’t want to be here.’ I’m here. I’m putting on the jersey. And as long as I’m here, I’m going to give everything I have, even in the last second of the game.”

Sources tell Collier that the Bucks have engaged in internal conversations about pursuing Kings guards Zach LaVine and Malik Monk as well as Trail Blazers forward Jerami Grant. However, Collier notes that general manager Jon Horst has limited assets to offer on the trade market.

[RELATED: Bucks Keeping Eye On Zach LaVine]

Milwaukee currently has only one tradable first-round pick, either in 2031 or 2032, but Collier states that Horst hasn’t been willing to part with that pick in any trade talks during the past year. League sources don’t expect him to consider moving it at this point unless it means getting a star-level player in return, Collier adds.

Collier notes that the rest of the roster outside of Antetokounmpo doesn’t offer much trade value. Other than Myles Turner, who signed as a free agent during the summer, the largest salaries belong to Kyle Kuzma ($22.4MM) and Bobby Portis ($13.5MM), making it challenging to match money in a significant trade. According to Collier, rival executives may be putting other moves on hold until they have some clarity about how long Antetokounmpo will be staying in Milwaukee.

Collier adds that the Bucks’ assets will improve during the offseason, when they project to have tradable picks available in 2026, 2031 and 2033. But waiting until summer to improve the roster could mean wasting another prime season for Antetokounmpo and testing his desire to remain with a franchise that could miss the postseason.

“Right now, our character (as a team) is being tested,” Antetokounmpo said. “Me personally, I don’t want to be the guy worrying about (reports). My legacy is on the line. This is how I feel every single day when I walk in here.”

Pacific Notes: LeBron, Doncic, N. Smith, Leonard, M. Williams

December 29th, 2025 at 9:00am CST by Arthur Hill

LeBron James and Luka Doncic took over as the Lakers ended a three-game slide by routing Sacramento on Sunday night, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN. Coach JJ Redick blasted his players twice over the past week, questioning their defensive effort and professionalism. Neither of those was a concern on Sunday as L.A. turned in a dominant performance led by James, who made 11 of his 13 shots from the field and finished with 24 points.

“I don’t want to create the narrative of (just) me and Luka,” James said. “It’s five guys on the floor and seven guys that come off the bench. It needs to be all of us. (But) it’s important that we set the tone.”

Doncic expressed a similar sentiment, saying it’s up to the leaders to carry the team through hard times, especially with Austin Reaves expected to miss the next month with a calf strain. Doncic had a team-high 34 points, including 15 in the second quarter as the Lakers built a comfortable lead.

“I think it definitely starts with us,” Doncic said. “And when AR is back, it’s going to be all three of us. But now, it starts with us. We need to show what we can do and if we are going to do it, we both are going to do it. The group is going to follow.”

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

The Lakers also got a scoring boost from two-way guard Nick Smith Jr., who made his first seven shots from the field and finished with 21 points in 24 minutes, McMenamin adds. L.A. is carrying a roster opening, so it’s possible that Smith could be converted to a standard deal later in the season. “In this league, you got to have confidence. If you don’t, they’ll go out there and see it right away,” he said. “I feel like I can hoop with the best of them.”
Kawhi Leonard scored a career-high 55 points as the Clippers topped Detroit for their fourth straight win. He wound up tied for the franchise record as he only played six minutes in the fourth quarter, notes Doug Padilla of The Associated Press. “Like I told (Lue), I would rather play another game than go out there and risk it,” Leonard said. “Hopefully we can get another win and be in the same situation. It is what it is.”
Suns coach Jordan Ott said after Saturday’s game that a more physical atmosphere led to the fight that resulted in suspensions for Mark Williams and Jose Alvarado, per Dana Scott of The Arizona Republic (subscription required). Williams and Alvarado exchanged punches in the third quarter on Saturday as the Suns and Pelicans faced one another for the second time in two nights. “Last night (Dec. 26), there was a lot of free throws,” Ott said. “Tonight, there wasn’t as much. They let us play tonight, which is something that we enjoyed to do, and they got tangled up.”

Mavericks Seeking Disabled Player Exceptions For Dereck Lively II, Dante Exum

December 29th, 2025 at 8:05am CST by Arthur Hill

The Mavericks have applied to the NBA for disabled player exceptions for both Dereck Lively II and Dante Exum, who have suffered season-ending injuries, according to Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Twitter link).

The DPEs would provide half of each player’s salary, so they would be modest in both cases, although they could offer some flexibility later in the season. The figures would amount to $2,626,680 for Lively (who’s making $5,253,360 on his rookie scale deal) and $1,148,137 for Exum (who has a veteran’s minimum contract worth $2,296,274).

Even if the exceptions are granted, Dallas wouldn’t be able to surpass its second-apron hard cap. The team is currently about $1.29MM below that cap.

Lively, 21, has been experiencing right foot issues since suffering a fracture in his foot/ankle area last January. It kept him out of action for two months and required him to undergo surgery in July in an effort to fix the issue. He continued to be bothered by health problems, missing a nine-game stretch in October and November due to a right knee sprain, then battling nagging discomfort in his right foot.

The decision was made to have him undergo season-ending foot surgery earlier this month.

Lively, who played a huge role in Dallas’ run to the NBA Finals as a rookie, wound up playing just seven games in his third NBA season, averaging 4.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.6 blocks in 16.4 minutes per night.

Exum, 30, who re-signed with the team in August after battling injuries last season, wasn’t able to play at all due to complications related to an offseason procedure on his right knee. He underwent follow-up surgery earlier this month.

Dallas would have until March 10 to use either DPE to acquire a player for the rest of the season. A roster spot would have to be created, and the team can’t fit a new signing under its hard cap until January 6.

Injury Notes: Knueppel, Adebayo, Bailey, Blazers

December 28th, 2025 at 10:05pm CST by Eli Cohen

Hornets standout rookie Kon Knueppel left Friday night’s game against the Magic early due to a right ankle sprain, but he appears to have avoided a serious injury, writes Rod Boone of the Charlotte Observer.

“Kon, he’s an insane competitor — he wants to come back for practice,” coach Charles Lee said on Sunday. “But I do think that he’s made good progress so far. He’s been able to do a little bit on the court, but we will continue to see how he responds every day. As of now, it’s a right ankle sprain, and we’ll kind of work day-to-day to see how he responds to treatment.”

Knueppel has been a key part of the Hornets’ rotation this season, averaging 19.3 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 3.5 assists on .478/.428/.897 shooting splits while starting 30 of the 31 games he’s played.

We have more injury notes from around the league:

Dealing with nagging injuries, including lower back soreness, Bam Adebayo needed to take some time to let his body rest before returning to action for the Heat, writes Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald. “He really needed this time,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “He was dealing with some deals because of overcompensation. I think he’s feeling a lot better each day.” Adebayo is considered probable for Monday’s game against the Nuggets after missing the club’s previous two contests.
Rookie forward Ace Bailey missed Saturday’s Jazz win against the Spurs after leaving Utah’s previous contest against the Pistons early due to a left hip strain, as reported by ESPN. Jazz forward Kevin Love also sat out against San Antonio due to rest, per Andy Larson of the Salt Lake Tribune (Twitter link).
The Trail Blazers have been particularly hit by injuries this season, and it’s hurting their play-in chances, Sean Highkin writes for the Rose Garden Report (subscriber link). Jrue Holiday has missed nearly six weeks with a right calf strain that was initially expected to sideline him for a week or two. Jerami Grant and Matisse Thybulle have both also missed time, and Scoot Henderson still has yet to play a game this season. “It’s the injuries, my friend,” head coach Tiago Splitter said on Friday when asked what’s holding his team back.

Knicks Notes: McCullar, Kolek, Towns, Schedule

December 28th, 2025 at 9:01pm CST by Eli Cohen

Kevin McCullar Jr. was the surprise of the night in the Knicks‘ victory over the Hawks on Saturday, writes Kristian Winfield of the New York Daily News.

After having played just six total minutes across three appearances coming into Saturday’s game, McCullar finished the matchup against the Hawks with 13 points, eight rebounds, two assists, and two steals on 3-of-6 shooting from three in over 23 minutes of action. Stefan Bondy of the New York Post notes that Trae Young went scoreless when defended by the second-year guard.

“[McCullar] was scheduled on my little minutes sheet to come in at the eight-minute mark of the first quarter. I was going to throw him on Trae just to see what happens,” coach Mike Brown said. “Kev’s a young, really good defender, has a great feel on both ends of the floor, but especially that end of the floor. I wanted to give him a chance. I threw him out there a few minutes and he was fantastic. So, he just earned more minutes. I didn’t have him down for that many minutes, but he definitely earned those minutes as the game went along.”

McCullar noted that the young players on the team were given a warning by Josh Hart that they needed to be ready in case of injury. On Saturday, he delivered.

“Just staying ready until my number’s called, and happy we got the W,” McCullar said.

We have more from around the Knicks:

Tyler Kolek has gotten an opportunity this month in part due to an injury to Miles McBride, and he has taken that chance and run with it, writes Stefan Bondy of the New York Post. “[Assistant coach Rick Brunson] came over to me and was like, ‘Get ready,'” Kolek said. “And I’m like, ‘Are you talking to me?’ Cause I didn’t play for two weeks.” Brown has tasked Kolek with studying Pacers guard T.J. McConnell as an example of how to succeed without a ton of athleticism or exceptional outside shooting ability. “I said to Tyler, ‘If there’s anybody in this league you need to take a look at, it’s him,” Brown said. “Because you have a superpower offensively — you can score. You have a second superpower — you can pass. You have some quickness, too. You have a good feel. But defensively, you got to develop a superpower for your size. And you got good feet. Now it’s about using those and being physically tough every single possession.'” There have been ups and downs to Kolek’s first real stint in the Knicks’ rotation, but he has shown during big moments why the coaches trust him to be out there.
Karl-Anthony Towns knows that he might have to change his game a bit to stop piling up offensive fouls, Bondy writes. Towns leads the league in charges by a large margin and has taken himself out of the Knicks’ game plan several times as a result of early fouls. “I’m going to keep doing my thing. Maybe I’ll have to change my game up a little bit, if that’s what they’re trying to tell me I need to do,” Towns said. “[The refs] didn’t tell anyone else that, but they’re telling me that. Maybe I have to do that.“
The Knicks’ schedule is about to get more difficult, Winfield writes. That includes a stretch of eight of 11 games on the road to kick off the new year. The team currently holds a 5-7 road record and will need to win while dealing with injuries to key rotation players like McBride, Hart, and Landry Shamet,

NBA Suspends Jose Alvarado, Mark Williams

December 28th, 2025 at 8:10pm CST by Eli Cohen

The NBA announced today that Jose Alvarado has been suspended for two games without pay for his role in Saturday night’s fight during the Pelicans‘ game against the Suns (Twitter link). Suns center Mark Williams has been suspended for one game.

Both players were ejected during the third quarter of the game after a hard foul from the Pelicans guard led to Williams shoving Alvarado, leading to an altercation between the two players.

ESPN Bobby Marks notes (via Twitter) that the suspensions will cost Alvarado approximately $62K and Williams approximately $36K. Alvarado will lose 2/145ths of his $4.5MM salary as a result of his multi-game suspension, while Williams forfeits just 1/174th of his $6.3MM salary for the one-game ban.

The Suns ultimately won Saturday’s game by a score of 123-114 behind 20 points from Devin Booker.

Alvarado will miss games on Monday against the Knicks and Wednesday against the Bulls, while Williams will miss the Suns’ Monday night contest against the Wizards.