Sixers Notes: Embiid, Oubre, Barlow, Walker, Grimes
Joel Embiid continues to round back into form for the Sixers, according to Tim Bontemps of ESPN, who notes that the 46 minutes the former MVP played in Thursday’s overtime win over Houston represented his highest single-game regular season total in over three years.
Embiid made the most of those 46 minutes, racking up 32 points, 15 rebounds, and 10 assists, en route to a 128-22 victory. Philadelphia outscored the Rockets by 21 points when he was on the court.
“It’s certainly a pretty big step forward, I think, for sure,” head coach Nick Nurse said after the game.
Knee problems have been a recurring issue for Embiid in recent years — he didn’t look fully comfortable on the court during the 19 games he played in 2024/25 or at the start of this season. However, in his past 15 outings, the veteran center is averaging 28.3 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game. Sixers forward Paul George, who has dealt with several injuries of his own, is happy to see his teammate looking more like his old self.
“He’s starting to feel it, he’s getting better and that competitive juice and everything is starting to flow,” George said. “You see it even with him at practice, and so you can see he was coming back, he was starting to form back into the Joel Embiid that we all have seen him dominate in this league. It’s definitely refreshing just from a personal level, dealing with injuries and how that takes a toll on you. It’s just always great to see someone start to get back to themselves.”
We have more on the 76ers:
- Sixers forward Kelly Oubre Jr. is on an expiring contract, which makes him a potential trade candidate at the deadline, but he’s making a strong case with his recent play for the team to hang onto him, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer (subscription required). Since rejoining the starting lineup on Monday, Oubre has averaged 21.7 PPG on .558/.611/.545 shooting in his past three games.
- Oubre was initially reinserted into the starting five in place of George, who missed a couple games due to left knee injury management. However, he remained in the lineup on Thursday with George active, as Nurse moved forward Dominick Barlow to the second unit. “I think Barlow has played outstanding and played outstanding again tonight,” Nurse said after the game. “But Kelly obviously has been a pretty big spark plug, getting to the rim and just guarding. Just guarding really good, tough matchup every night as well. So I went that way. He’s pretty experienced as well.”
- Speaking of Barlow, he and fellow two-way player Jabari Walker were active again on Thursday, increasing the Sixers’ total “under-15” two-way games to 88, two away from the 90-game limit. In order to continue using both Barlow and Walker beyond Saturday, Philadelphia will have to either promote one of them to its 15-man roster or sign someone else to fill that 15th roster spot. Although a player on a two-way contract can be active for up to 50 regular season games, teams can’t use their two-way players for more than 90 combined games if they’re carrying fewer than 15 players on standard contracts.
- After averaging 17.0 PPG and 4.4 APG on .456/.381/.854 shooting in his first 21 games this season, Quentin Grimes is down to 9.8 PPG and 3.0 APG on .396/.317/.875 shooting in his past 20. Nurse said he wants to see Grimes “attack the rim” more and stressed that the swingman has the green light to fire away from beyond the arc. The Sixers’ coach added that tweaking Grimes’ role has also been considered. “I think we really thought that he was a much better player off the bench, that he liked to see the game a little bit and come in and play,” Nurse said. “And I think we’re having some discussions lately, that maybe that’s not the case, and maybe we’ll start sticking him back into the starting lineup a little bit to see if that helps.”
LeBron James Dismisses Buss Report: ‘I Don’t Really Care’
Lakers forward LeBron James told reporters on Thursday that he’s unfazed by an ESPN report that claimed team owner Jeanie Buss privately griped about his ego and outsized influence within the organization and considered trading him earlier in his Los Angeles tenure.
“Quite frankly, I don’t really care about articles,” James said, per Dave McMenamin of ESPN. “I really don’t. I don’t care about stories. I don’t care about podcasts and all that type of s–t. Nah, they don’t bother me. I’m 41 years old, and I watch golf every day. I don’t care about an article. I don’t care how somebody feels about me. If you know me personally and you know what I’m about, (my teammates) know what I’m about, and that’s all that matters. … I can care less how somebody feels about me.”
Jeanie issued a response to Wednesday’s report, which focused primarily on Buss family drama and the decision to sell the team to Mark Walter. In a statement to The Athletic, she said the idea that she doesn’t appreciate what James has done for the franchise is “just not true and completely unfair to him.”
Asked specifically on Thursday about his working relationship with Jeanie, LeBron said he believes they’re on good terms.
“But, you know, somebody could see it another way,” James said. “It’s always two sides of the coin. … How I represented this franchise, and what I wanted to do to represent this franchise since when I got here until now, it’s been with the utmost respect and honor and dignity. And I would say loyalty. I mean, s–t, I played here longer than pretty much any other franchise I played for besides Cleveland.”
ESPN’s report, written by Baxter Holmes, cited several specific moments or incidents over the years that allegedly irked Buss. For instance, according to Holmes, she chafed at the fact that – after pushing the Lakers to trade for Russell Westbrook – James seemed to wash his hands of that move when it didn’t work out, leaving management to take the blame.
Holmes also wrote that Buss didn’t like LeBron being painted as the “savior” of a struggling franchise when he signed with the Lakers as a free agent in 2018.
“My whole mindset was about restoring excellence,” James said on Thursday of his decision to join the Lakers. “The things that I saw growing up with the Lakers — obviously, I didn’t get an opportunity to watch the Showtime (era), but I know the history. Then the early 2000s with Shaq and Kobe, and then what Kobe did and those couple runs with him and Pau. So, my whole mindset was like, how can I get that feeling back to the Lakers organization?
“… I was able to do that along with, you know, 14, 16 other guys winning the championship, bringing the championship here. That’s always been my mindset.”
Even if – as Holmes’ reporting suggested – Buss privately harbored some level of resentment toward LeBron, those feelings never actually impacted the moves the Lakers made with the four-time MVP. James has signed three maximum-salary or near-max multiyear contracts with the Lakers, most recently in 2024 when he agreed to a two-year, $101.4MM deal that made him one of just two NBA players with a formal no-trade clause.
Asked on Thursday, if he would consider waiving that NTC or if he wants to finish out the season with the Lakers, the 41-year-old laughed and replied, “I’m good. I’m good” (Twitter video link).
Amick’s Latest: Ellis, DeRozan, Sabonis, Towns
After being inactive for two games last weekend due to a minor knee issue, Kings guard Keon Ellis has missed two more contests this week as a DNP-CD. Still, that hasn’t diminished league-wide interest in Ellis on the trade market.
League and team sources tell Sam Amick of The Athletic that there are approximately 10 teams in the mix for Ellis, with a deal expected to happen on or before the February 5 trade deadline. Sacramento is seeking a late first-round pick for the fourth-year guard, per Amick’s sources.
While the Kings have no shortage of trade candidates on their roster, Ellis is the one who has generated the most interest to this point, Sam Vecenie of The Athletic said on Thursday. Vecenie observes that the 26-year-old has a limited offensive skill set and doesn’t have the size necessary to stop bigger wings and forwards, but his energetic backcourt defense and solid outside shot provide real value.
Here are a few more items of interest from Amick’s latest NBA rumor round-up:
- The Warriors haven’t shown any interest in veteran forward DeMar DeRozan to this point, a Kings source tells Amick. DeRozan has been cited as a possible target for Golden State in the wake of Jimmy Butler‘s season-ending ACL tear, but it sounds like that’s just speculation right now and isn’t consistent with the options the Warriors are actually pursuing.
- After reporting in December that the Wizards, Suns, and Bulls have had interest in Domantas Sabonis in the past, Amick reiterated that point today. However, he acknowledges that the Raptors appear to be the most legitimate suitor for the Kings center at this point. Toronto has been connected to Sabonis by multiple reporters throughout the season, with Jake Fischer stating on Thursday that the Raptors maintain their interest in the big man.
- Like Ian Begley of SNY.tv, Amick hears that the Knicks haven’t engaged in any trade talks about big man Karl-Anthony Towns, despite one report to the contrary. The expectation, Amick writes, is that New York will focus on getting the most out of Towns in Mike Brown‘s system rather than looking to move him when his value has dipped a little.
Hornets’ Bridges Drawing Trade Interest From Multiple Teams
Hornets forward Miles Bridges has generated “significant” trade interest as the February 5 deadline approaches, according to Sam Amick of The Athletic, who reports that the Bucks, Warriors, and Suns are among the teams eyeing the 27-year-old.
Bridges, who is earning $25MM this season, is under contract for $22.8MM in 2026/27, so the Hornets aren’t facing any urgency to make a decision on him right away. And they’re unlikely to move him unless a potential trade partner is willing to step up and meet their asking price, Amick writes.
“They want a first (round pick),” one league source told The Athletic. “Maybe two.”
The 12th overall pick in 2018, Bridges has spent his entire NBA career in Charlotte, starting 363 of his 468 regular season games for the team since entering the league. In 2025/26, he has averaged 18.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 3.5 assists in 32.8 minutes per contest.
Bridges isn’t an elite defender or shooter — he has made a modest 44.3% of his attempts from the floor this season, including 33.2% of his three-point tries. Still, the 6’7″ forward has averaged over 20 points per game across his past three-and-a-half seasons, has good size and versatility for a wing, and is very durable, having never played fewer than 64 games in a season (he has appeared in 44 of 45 this year).
Of course, teams with interest in Bridges will also need to consider his off-court history. The former Michigan State standout lost a full season in 2022/23 after he was arrested on felony domestic violence charges just ahead of his restricted free agency. He later accepted a plea deal in that case and had three criminal counts related to separate domestic allegations dismissed. Bridges, who was suspended at the start of the ’23/24 season, hasn’t been in any legal trouble during the past two seasons.
The Hornets aren’t particularly enthusiastic about acquiring forward Kyle Kuzma, per Amick, which is one obstacle complicating a potential deal with the Bucks. There are other trade candidates on Milwaukee’s roster, but Kuzma and his $22.4MM salary would be the most logical outgoing piece.
A trade with Golden State would likely involve forward Jonathan Kuminga, whose $22.5MM salary is a near match for Bridges’ cap hit. It’s unclear whether Charlotte has any interest in the former No. 7 overall pick.
Phoenix’s interest is notable given the fact that Bridges shares an alma mater with Suns owner Mat Ishbia, though Ishbia’s team is reportedly reluctant to risk upsetting its positive chemistry by making a significant in-season move.
Knicks Notes: Historic Win, Towns, Hart, Meeting, Clarkson
It’s been an uneasy stretch for the Knicks and they took out their frustrations on the Nets on Wednesday night. The Knicks snapped a four-game losing streak and made history with a 120-66 blowout.
The 54-point margin of victory is their largest ever — their previous high was 48 points, which they accomplished three times, in 1968, 1972, and 1994, Jared Schwartz of the New York Post notes. The Nets’ 66 points were the lowest any team has scored this season.
“Just seeing us play the way we’re capable of playing,” head coach Mike Brown said. “I don’t know what the score will be every night, but the things that we did out on the floor, we talked about, we drilled, we watched film on and our guys are more than capable. So to go see them put it together for 48 minutes was a lot of fun.”
Here’s more on the Knicks:
- Karl-Anthony Towns‘ name surfaced in trade rumors earlier this week, but Ian Begley of SNY (Twitter video link) hears there’s nothing doing there. “I checked around on this Monday, everything that I gathered is the Knicks are not having conversations on trading Karl-Anthony Towns,” Begley said. League sources previously told Newsday that the Knicks have discussed potential Towns deals with multiple teams, including the Grizzlies, Magic and Hornets.
- Josh Hart denied an ESPN report that Jalen Brunson called a players-only meeting on Monday following a loss to Dallas. “We didn’t have a players-only meeting. Y’all dragging it,” Hart said, per Kristian Winfield of the New York Daily News. “We didn’t have a players-only meeting. I don’t know who said it, who did all that, but we didn’t have a players-only meeting.” Hart said there was some discussion after the loss but wouldn’t characterize as a meeting. “We talked, but it wasn’t like some big thing. So that got dragged. We didn’t have a players-only meeting,” he said. “We know what we have to do. We cleared stuff up yesterday in film and practice and today in walkthroughs. We know we haven’t been playing up to our capabilities, but we’re gonna continue to play off this (Wednesday) win.”
- Jordan Clarkson, one of the Knicks’ main offseason acquisition, has disappeared from the rotation. He played two minutes against the Mavs and only saw garbage-time minutes against Brooklyn, Schwartz writes. “Yeah, it could be tough to get him in the rotation,” Brown said. “Obviously Deuce [McBride] played well during his time, Mitch [Robinson] played well, Landry [Shamet] played at a pretty high level before he got hurt. So trying to find minutes for those guys as well as for our starting group is tough. I can’t even hit the minute threshold for all those guys that I’m looking for. It can be tough from time to time.” Going along with that theme, Winfield notes that the team’s other main offseason addition, Guerschon Yabusele, also finds himself at the end of the bench.
Kuminga Suffers Minor Injuries, Remains Adamant About Trade
Jonathan Kuminga‘s night was cut short by injuries on Thursday and he’s not interested in playing with the Warriors much longer, according to an NBA insider.
Kuminga twisted his left ankle and hyperextended his left knee during a second-quarter drive against the Mavericks, Anthony Slater of ESPN reports. The fifth-year forward didn’t play the remainder of the contest but neither injury is believed to be serious, Slater added.
While Marc Stein of The Stein Line tweets that Kuminga is expected to undergo an MRI, the former No. 7 overall pick told Slater that he’ll see how he feels on Friday morning before determining whether that’s necessary.
Kuminga, who has demanded a trade, played 21 minutes on Tuesday in the aftermath of Jimmy Butler‘s season-ending knee injury. Kuminga had 20 points and five rebounds against Toronto and was off to a strong start in Thursday’s contest vs. Dallas, supplying 10 points, two assists and two steals in nine minutes prior to his departure.
Coach Steve Kerr said prior to the contest that Kuminga would remain in the rotation, according to Nick Friedell of The Athletic (Twitter link). However, the 23-year-old hasn’t softened on his trade demand, Chris Haynes reported during an NBA on Prime segment (Twitter video link).
“Kuminga has no desire to remain a member of the Golden State Warriors. He is very much hoping that he will be dealt by the deadline,” Haynes said, adding, “His relationship with head coach Steve Kerr is fractured beyond repair. He’s felt that he hasn’t had any organizational support throughout this process, so he’s felt devalued with the organization.”
According to Haynes, some teams believe the Warriors might wait until the summer to trade the 23-year-old forward. Rival teams have also told him that Golden State refuses to take on additional salary for 2026/27 in an in-season Kuminga trade.
General manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. stated this week that the market for Kuminga is cool. “In terms of demands, when there’s a demand, there needs to be a demand on the market. So we’ll see how that unfolds,” Dunleavy said.
Kidd: Mavs’ Record Won’t Impact Kyrie Irving’s Return
Kyrie Irving‘s ability to return to action this season doesn’t hinge on the success of the team, Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd declared on Thursday.
“That has nothing to do with it,” Kidd said, per Christian Clark of The Athletic. “It’s about, for him, mentally and physically being able to play at the highest level in his mind. No one else’s.”
There has been growing speculation regarding Dallas’ plans for Irving, who has spent most of the past year recovering from an ACL tear he sustained last March. The Mavericks entered Thursday’s action with an 18-26 record.
The Mavericks’ plans for Irving should become clearer following the All-Star break. For now, they just want him to continue to progress in his rehab.
“There isn’t anything new,” Kidd said. “I know there is lot of speculation going on. He is working extremely hard in rehab. I spent some time with him yesterday. He’s in good spirits. He feels great. At some point, there will be a timeline. Right now, there is no timeline. But spending time with him yesterday, he’s working extremely hard.”
Irving is in the first year of a three-year contract that totals $118.5MM and includes a player option. He averaged 24.7 points and 4.6 assists in 50 games last season.
According to Kidd, Irving is eager to get back on the court before next season. It would also be helpful for the veteran point guard to try to develop chemistry with new franchise player Cooper Flagg.
“He wants to play,” Kidd said. “But when you come back from an ACL, it’s a time thing. Mentally and physically, you want to be 100 percent. So for him, he’s doing both of those things at a high level. At some point, there will be a schedule.”
Magic’s Franz Wagner Experiencing Significant Ankle Soreness
Magic forward Franz Wagner missed a chunk of time due to a left ankle sprain he suffered in early December. He has played two games since returning to action but he may need another extended period of recovery.
Head coach Jamahl Mosley said Wagner was “really, really, really sore” after Thursday shootaround, Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel tweets. Mosley confirmed the soreness is lingering from the high left ankle sprain that kept Wagner out for 16 straight games. Wagner isn’t playing tonight against Charlotte.
“I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t hard as heck to deal with,” Mosley said. “But he came up really, really, really sore after shootaround. And we’ve got to obviously look at the long-term view for how we’re deal with our guys and he’s one of those guys that we have to continue to look at in that situation.”
Mosley later added: “I hope it’s not long term. … We want to monitor it to make sure it’s the right time for the long term for our entire group and this organization, as well as Franz.”
Wagner played 27 minutes in his return last Thursday and 26 more on Sunday, both against the Grizzlies in Europe. The 24-year-old averaged 16.0 points and 6.5 rebounds in those contests, the first of which was the NBA’s first-ever regular season game in his home country of Germany. Overall, he has appeared in 26 games, averaging 22.2 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.1 steals per night.
The Magic have 10 more games after tonight prior to the All-Star break. It certainly sounds as if Wagner could be sidelined a few weeks if the soreness persists. Rookie Noah Penda was playing heavy minutes this month prior to Orlando’s trip overseas and he could get the bulk of Wagner’s minutes once again.
Orlando’s approach to the trade deadline could be altered by Wagner’s lingering injury. The Magic entered Thursday’s action tied for the sixth spot in the East but just three-and-a-half games behind second-place Boston.
Another starter, Jalen Suggs, was ruled out of his eighth consecutive contest because of a right knee MCL bruise. However, Suggs appears close to returning, Beede reports.
“Jalen’s doing well,” Mosley said. “(He) came up OK after (Wednesday’s) work. He’s going to get some more work in (Thursday). We’ll see how he goes from there. Won’t be ready to go (Thursday) but try looking forward to the next couple games, maybe.”
Central Notes: Tomlin, Cunningham, Bucks Trades, Jackson
Cavaliers forward Nae’Qwan Tomlin is likely to be promoted from his two-way deal to a standard contract, but not right away, Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com writes in his latest mailbag (subsciber-only story).
Teammates and coaches are lobbying for Tomlin’s promotion, he has the support of the front office, and Cleveland has an open spot on its 15-man roster.
Still, the cap-strapped team is in no hurry to make the move and will likely keep its roster options open until the trade deadline passes, since Tomlin has only been active for 41 games — that means he’s still nine away from the 50-game threshold for two-way players. The Cavs only have seven games prior to the Feb. 5 trade deadline.
Here’s more from the Central Division:
- The Pistons defeated New Orleans without All-Star starter Cade Cunningham in the lineup on Wednesday. Cunningham sat out due to an illness and a left hip contusion. He’s questionable to play in Detroit’s home game against Houston on Friday, Hunter Patterson of The Athletic tweets.
- The Bucks have limited trade assets but they’re comfortably below the luxury tax line and about $18MM under the first apron. So what kind of moves might they make, short of trading their superstar? The Athletic’s Eric Nehm proposes a number of hypothetical deals, a few of which include Kyle Kuzma, Gary Harris and Amir Coffey as well as a blockbuster that would involve Bobby Portis and several other players to acquire the Kings’ Zach LaVine.
- Quenton Jackson‘s ankle was “jammed,” according to coach Rick Carlisle, during the Pacers’ loss to the Celtics on Wednesday. Jackson wasn’t on crutches in the locker room afterward, according to the Indianapolis Star’s Dustin Dopirak (Twitter link), and seemed to be moving around OK though he was in some pain. He’s questionable to play against Oklahoma City on Friday.
Examining The NBA Trade Market: Big Men
Many of the prominent players involved in trade rumors this season have been big men. That list includes stars like Giannis Antetokounmpo, Anthony Davis, Domantas Sabonis and Karl-Anthony Towns.
In addition to those four players, we'll take a look today at several other power forwards and centers who are candidates to be on the move ahead of the February 5 trade deadline. Let's dive in...
