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Pistons Notes: Duren, Jenkins, Cade, Thompson, Klintman

November 17th, 2025 at 11:21pm CST by Rory Maher

After missing the past two games with a right ankle sprain, Pistons center Jalen Duren returned to action on Monday and completely overpowered the Pacers, recording 31 points (on 12-of-13 shooting), 15 rebounds and three assists in 29 minutes.

“He’s just continued to dominate and that’s the only way you can say it,” head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said (Twitter link via Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press). “The way he’s rebounding the ball through contact and in traffic, getting to the free throw line … he’s just playing a well-rounded game.”

Detroit won its 10th straight game, the first time the team has reeled off that many victories in a row since 2008, per the NBA (via Twitter). Duren discussed the achievement after the game, according to Sankofa (Twitter video link).

“It’s the work we put in, I think it’s the summer work that we’ve put in. Obviously camaraderie and I think culture, honesty everything plays a part in it. It’s still early in the season, we have a long, long way to go,” Duren said.

Here’s more on the Pistons:

Duren also discussed his growth as a leader, per Hunter Patterson of The Athletic (Twitter video link). “I’ve grown a lot,” Duren said. “ … Everybody holds everybody accountable. We’re not the type of team where it’s one guy dictating everything.”
Daniss Jenkins, who was nominated for the Player of the Week award in the Eastern Conference, had another huge game on Monday, recording a career-high 26 points to go along with eight assists. The second-year guard, on a two-way contract, has thrived over the past handful of games amid backcourt injuries.
Speaking of injuries, star guard Cade Cunningham missed his third straight game with a left hip contusion, while starting forward Ausar Thompson missed his fourth straight due to a right ankle sprain. Both players were listed as questionable before being ruled out, and Bickerstaff says they’re “trending in the right direction,” Patterson tweets.
Second-year forward Bobi Klintman is expected to miss a “little bit of time” with a left ankle sprain, Bickerstaff told reporters, including Sankofa (Twitter link). The 22-year-old was a second-round pick in last year’s draft (37th overall).

Heat Notes: Herro, Jakucionis, Rebounding, Butler Deal

November 17th, 2025 at 10:24pm CST by Rory Maher

Heat guard Tyler Herro returned to practice on Sunday but said he’ll miss at least one more week as he works his way back from September ankle surgery.

As Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald observes, Herro could have qualified for a Designated Veteran contract extension — also known as a “super-max” deal — in the offseason if he had made an All-NBA team in 2025/26. However, that will no longer be possible, since the 25-year-old will soon be ineligible for major postseason awards due to the 65-game rule. Herro thinks the rule is “fair,” according to Chiang.

“I mean every year I try to come in with a mindset of playing the most games possible, not necessarily for accolades or anything like that. I just want to be on the floor as much as possible,” Herro said. “That’s what they pay me to do. And last season I had a very healthy season. This season started weird for me, something I couldn’t really control. So once I’m back on the floor again, I’m going to do as much as I can to be out there for every game possible. That’s what I want to do. That’s my goal.”

Herro, who has never made an All-NBA team and would have been a long shot for a Designated Veteran deal anyway, is under contract for a combined $64MM over the next two seasons.

We have more from Miami:

Both Herro and head coach Erik Spoelstra are confident the seventh-year guard will be a seamless fit in the team’s new uptempo offense, writes Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel (subscription required). “That’s easy to figure out,” Spoelstra said of when Herro returns. “His skill level, he’s one of the most skilled guys in the league. It’s going to fit, it’s going to add. We miss him dearly. That offensive talent, play-making, scoring, he can play fast, all of that really fits well.”
Rookie first-rounder Kasparas Jakucionis missed the first eight games of the season with a right groin strain. While he was available for the November 7 game against Charlotte, he didn’t end up playing and has yet to make his NBA debut. The 19-year-old guard was assigned to Heat’s G League affiliate (the Sioux Falls Skyforce) on Saturday to play a few games before being recalled, tweets Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. Jakucionis’ first game with the Skyforce didn’t go particularly well, Winderman notes, as he finished with 12 points (on 4-of-15 shooting), seven rebounds, two assists and six turnovers in 22 minutes.
Defensive rebounding has been issue for the Heat this season, particularly with Bam Adebayo continuing to miss time with his toe injury, Chiang writes for The Herald. “It’s costing us games now,” Spoelstra said following Friday’s loss in New York. “That’s where we are and we’ve said it enough that we have to fix it. We’re being stubborn about it, the things that we need to do better. I feel like we’re fully capable of doing it. Is it easy? Winning is not easy in this league.” While the Heat lost the battle of the boards against the Knicks again on Monday, they did a better job of limiting New York’s second-chance opportunities and pulled out a two-point win.
In another story for The Sun Sentinel, Winderman evaluates the February trade of Jimmy Butler.

Mavs Notes: AD, Kyrie, Flagg, Cisse, Williams, Thompson

November 17th, 2025 at 7:09pm CST by Rory Maher

ESPN insiders Bobby Marks, Kevin Pelton, Zach Kram and Jeremy Woo take a look at some important decisions the Mavericks will face in the coming months, including whether they should trade Anthony Davis — and what they might be able to get for him.

“While you can point to Davis as a top-20 player in Los Angeles, it is a $175 million gamble and perhaps more, if you trade for him,” a Western Conference executive told Marks. “I would want to see a long stretch of games of Davis healthy before there could ever be a discussion.

“The extension and paying a player in their mid-30s an average of $69 million and the last nine months in Dallas is what scares me. In this current CBA, you cannot afford to have a player earning 35% of the salary cap on the sidelines more than on the court.”

As Marks writes, while rival teams would undoubtedly take on risk if they pursued Davis, given his contract situation (he’s in the first season of a three-year, $175MM deal and will be eligible for a massive new extension in the offseason) and lengthy injury history (he’s currently sidelined with a calf strain), the star big man would still receive interest if he’s put on the market.

Here’s more on the Mavs:

Appearing on NBA Today on Monday (Twitter video link), Marc J. Spears of Andscape and ESPN provided an injury update on star guard Kyrie Irving. “Kyrie’s looking good, he’s ahead of schedule. He’s working out with the purpose of playing this season,” Spears said. “… I think, optimistic-wise, probably around late January, All-Star break (for a potential return). Someone close to (Irving) told me if it was the playoffs he could play right now. … But the problem is, who’s running the show? What’s their record going to be? Will Anthony Davis be back? I think by the time he’s able to potentially come back in late January, there’s going to be a collective decision — from him, from the team, from everybody that’s close to him — on whether it’s worth it for (Irving) to come back. But I hear he wants to be back.”
Top pick Cooper Flagg was held to just two points in the first half on Sunday against Portland and was “visibly irritated” by the way the game was going for him, according to Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal. The 18-year-old rookie credited Daniel Gafford for changing his mindset — Flagg scored 19 points in the second half and helped lead the Mavs to their fourth victory. “He was frustrated at halftime,” Gafford said. “I told him to slow down — it’ll come to him. The game finds you.”
With six players (Twitter link via Afseth) — including big men Davis, Gafford (right ankle injury management) and Dereck Lively II (right knee injury management) out on Monday for the second game of a back-to-back, center Moussa Cisse received his first career start, tweets Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News. The 6’10” rookie, who is on a two-way contract, has been a bright spot for Dallas amid a disappointing start to the season, averaging 4.4 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.4 blocks in 10.8 minutes per game through 10 appearances.
In a pair of stories for DallasHoopsJournal.com, Afseth takes a look at how Brandon Williams‘ speed has created advantages for the Mavericks’ offense and how the attention Klay Thompson attracted on Sunday (he tied a season-high with 19 points) led to easy scoring opportunities for teammates. “Brandon Williams has been incredible,” Flagg said. “High energy, so quick, uses his speed to get downhill and find guys. Our chemistry in the two-man game late in games has been really good.”

Nikola Jokic, Jalen Johnson Named Players Of The Week

November 17th, 2025 at 5:18pm CST by Rory Maher

Nuggets center Nikola Jokic has been named the Western Conference Player of the Week, while Hawks forward Jalen Johnson has won the award in the East, the NBA announced on Monday (via Twitter).

Jokic, who won the weekly honor in the West for the second straight time (19th overall), had another phenomenal week, even by his lofty standards. He led Denver to three road victories, averaging 39.0 points, 13.0 rebounds, 8.0 assists and 1.7 steals on .737/.643/.889 shooting splits.

Jokic’s week was highlighted by a 55-point outburst against the Clippers in which he recorded 52 points, 11 rebounds and six assists through only three quarters, the first player to have such a stat line through three periods since the NBA began play-by-play tracking in 1997/98, per the Nuggets. He notched another three points and one rebound in two-plus minutes in the fourth, shooting 18-of-23 from the field, 5-of-6 from three, and 14-of-16 from the line in 34 minutes.

The Nuggets have won seven straight games and are currently 10-2, only trailing the 13-1 Thunder in the West. Jokic, a three-time MVP who finished as the runner-up in the two seasons he didn’t win the award over the past five years, is averaging career highs in several statistical categories in 2025/26.

Johnson had a spectacular stretch of games himself in winning his first Player of the Week award. The 23-year-old guided Atlanta to a perfect 4-0 record on the team’s Western Conference road trip, the first time the Hawks have gone undefeated on a West trip spanning at least four games since 1970/71. He averaged 24.0 points, 12.0 rebounds, 9.3 assists and 2.5 steals on .603/.571/.783 shooting.

Johnson had a historic stat line on Thursday in Utah, recording career highs in points (31), rebounds (18), assists (14) and steals (seven), the first player to meet all of those statistical benchmarks in a game since steals became an official stat in ’73/74. The Hawks are now 9-5, tied for the No. 3 seed in the East.

According to the NBA (Twitter link), the other nominees in the West were Stephen Curry, Luka Doncic, Anthony Edwards, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, James Harden, Lauri Markkanen and Alperen Sengun. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Scottie Barnes, Jaylen Brown, Pistons two-way guard Daniss Jenkins, Karl-Anthony Towns and Franz Wagner were nominated in the East.

Derrick Jones Jr. Out At Least Six Weeks With MCL Sprain

November 17th, 2025 at 4:45pm CST by Rory Maher

Clippers forward Derrick Jones Jr. suffered a sprained medial collateral ligament (MCL) in his right knee during Sunday’s loss in Boston and will miss at least six weeks, which is when he’ll be reevaluated, reports ESPN’s Shams Charania (via Twitter).

According to Law Murray of The Athletic (Twitter link), the Clippers were “relieved” that Jones’ injury wasn’t more serious.

The injury occurred late in the second quarter when Jaylen Brown lost his dribble and dove to retrieve the ball just as Jones was reaching for it (YouTube link). The incidental contact resulted in Jones’ knee bending inward at an odd angle, with Jones immediately grabbing at his knee in pain. The high-flying swingman had to be helped off the court and was unable to put any weight on his right leg.

Whiles Jones’ stats are fairly modest — he was averaging 10.9 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.1 blocks on .540/.341/.786 shooting in the 12 games (26.0 minutes per contest) leading up to the injury — his absence will certainly be felt by the Clippers. The former dunk contest winner is an offensive lob and transition threat and one of the team’s best defenders.

Third-year wing Jordan Miller also exited Sunday’s game with an injury — he aggravated the left hamstring strain that caused him to miss the first three weeks of the season, Murray notes (Twitter links). It’s an unfortunate setback for the 25-year-old, who scored a career-high 22 points in his season debut on Wednesday.

Miller, who is on a two-way deal with Los Angeles, has been ruled out of Monday’s back-to-back in Philadelphia with left hamstring soreness, but isn’t expected to miss extended time, according to the team (Twitter link via Murray).

Rookie guard/forward Kobe Sanders, another two-way player, will get his first career start on Monday, tweets Murray.

Star forward Kawhi Leonard, who is dealing with right ankle and foot sprains, has resumed on-court work and is nearing his return, though it’s unclear if he’ll resume playing during L.A.’s ongoing road trip, which wraps up next Tuesday at the Lakers, Murray adds.

Wembanyama Sustains Left Calf Strain, Out Multiple Weeks

November 17th, 2025 at 3:53pm CST by Rory Maher

Spurs star Victor Wembanyama has been diagnosed with a left calf strain after undergoing an MRI, the team announced in a press release. The French center suffered the injury in Friday’s loss to Golden State.

While the Spurs didn’t give a return timeline for the former No. 1 overall pick, ESPN’s Shams Charania hears Wembanyama will miss a few weeks (Twitter link).

Through 12 appearances this season, Wembanyama has averaged 26.0 points, 12.9 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.1 steals and a league-high 3.6 blocks in 34.7 minutes per game. He’s second in the league in rebounds per contest (Nikola Jokic is at 13.0) and holds a shooting slash line of .500/.345/.857.

The 21-year-old big man missed his first game of the season on Sunday due to the injury — head coach Mitch Johnson indicated Wembanyama experienced soreness in his calf on Friday and would undergo testing.

According to Michael C. Wright of ESPN (Twitter link), Wembanyama was wearing a “small sleeve” on his calf in the locker room following Sunday’s win, but was otherwise in good spirits and didn’t seem to be in any pain. Still, San Antonio is known for being cautious with injuries, and calf strains are notoriously tricky to manage — they can also lead to more severe injuries.

Both Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press and Wright (Twitter links) hear Wembanyama will be reevaluated in two-to-three weeks, confirming Charania’s reporting.

Backup center Luke Kornet and veteran big man Kelly Olynyk are among the Spurs who could receive more playing time with Wembanyama out.

Second-year guard Stephon Castle was also hurt recently, having suffered a hip injury on Sunday which prevented him from returning from the victory over Sacramento (Twitter link via Matthew Tynan). It’s unclear if the reigning Rookie of the Year will miss additional time as a result of the injury.

Several noteworthy players — including Anthony Davis, Ja Morant, Wembanyama and Spurs rookie Dylan Harper — have been diagnosed with calf strains in recent weeks.

Central Notes: White, Davis, Siakam, Martin, Cunningham, Duren

November 17th, 2025 at 1:38pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Bulls guard Coby White made his long-awaited season debut and he didn’t disappoint. White, who was sidelined by a calf strain, scored 27 points and delivered eight assists in a double overtime loss to Utah on Sunday.

“The coaching staff talked to me about coming back and being aggressive, being who I was,” White said, per Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun Times. “Not kind of tiptoeing. I focused on that.”

White will be an unrestricted free agent next summer.

We have more from the Central Division:

Mavericks big man Anthony Davis was born in Chicago. Would the Bulls consider trading for the highly productive but oft-injured Davis? Cowley doubts that, noting that executive VP of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas said at the start of training camp, “We have to be patient, we have to do it the right way and we can’t skip steps.” Davis has two guaranteed seasons remaining on his three-year, $175.3MM deal, which includes a player option for 2027/28.
The Pacers have been decimated by injuries, but forward Pascal Siakam says that’s not a strong enough excuse for a 1-12 start. “We are playing in the NBA, the best league in the world,” he told The Indianapolis Star’s Dustin Dopirak. “There shouldn’t be a reason why you’re out there every single night and not giving your best or trying to be the best that you can be and giving it your all. There’s thousands and millions of people who would give everything they have to be in the situation that we’re in. There’s no excuse. Obviously, it’s been tough on us. We have injuries every single day. Guys are in situations that they’re not supposed to be in. But we can’t find it as an excuse and just go out there every single night and be like, ‘Whatever happens happens.’ It has to matter. We have to fight.”
Cody Martin‘s 10-day contract under the hardship exception expired on Saturday and the Pacers couldn’t sign him to another, according to Dopirak, since they currently don’t qualify under the hardship rules. Martin appeared in four games during his brief stay with Indiana.
The Pistons could have three starters back on Monday against Indiana, including star guard Cade Cunningham. Cunningham has missed the last two games due to a left hip contusion, while Ausar Thompson (right ankle sprain) has missed the last three — both players are listed as questionable. Jalen Duren, who has also missed the last two games due to a right ankle sprain, is listed as probable, according to The Detroit Free Press’ Omari Sankofa II.

Ja Morant Out At Least Two Weeks Due To Calf Strain

November 17th, 2025 at 12:39pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant has a Grade 1 right calf strain and will be reevaluated in two weeks, the team’s PR department tweets.

Morant injured his calf on Saturday during the team’s road game at Cleveland. He played just six minutes in that contest, then underwent an MRI to determine the extent of the injury.

It’s just the latest development in what has already been a tumultuous season for Morant. He had been dealing with right ankle soreness prior to the calf strain.

Trade speculation surrounding Morant began a couple of weeks ago after he had a disagreement with the coaching staff during a loss to the Lakers. Head coach Tuomas Iisalo reportedly confronted Morant about his effort level and focus during halftime and following the game, and Morant expressed frustration over Iisalo’s unorthodox substitution pattern.

The situation has been calmer since Morant returned from a one-game team suspension. The Timberwolves are one of the teams reportedly keeping an eye on Morant, who is in the third season of a five-year extension worth $197.2MM. He’s averaging 17.9 points, his lowest output since his rookie year, and 7.6 assists.

Morant has gained a reputation of being susceptible to injuries. He hasn’t appeared in more than 61 games in any of the past four seasons. He served an NBA suspension to open the 2023/24 campaign, then appeared in only nine games before undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery. He was limited to 50 games last season.

Given the timeline of his last injury, Morant will miss a minimum of eight games, beginning with a nationally televised game against San Antonio on Tuesday.

Paul George Expected To Make Season Debut Monday

November 17th, 2025 at 12:13pm CST by Eli Cohen

Nov. 17: George is expected to make his season debut tonight, ESPN’s Shams Charania tweets.

Nov. 16: Paul George has been upgraded to questionable for the Sixers‘ game against the Clippers on Monday, relays Derek Bodner of PHLY Sports (via Twitter).

George has missed the team’s first 12 games as he looks to return from offseason knee surgery, and this marks the first time he has been listed as questionable.

Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports reported earlier in the day that George was a full participant in the Sixers’ Sunday practice, as was Joel Embiid.

George, in his 16th year, is looking to bounce back from his least productive season since 2011/12, his first with the Sixers. He averaged 16.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 4.3 assists on .430/.358/.814 shooting splits in ’24/25.

The Sixers have gone 7-5 in George’s absence, despite Embiid appearing in just six games. Trendon Watford, who was a limited participant in today’s practice, is among the players who has filled in for George — Watford has started the past four games and is averaging 9.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per contest.

Nets Notes: Porter, Saraf, Lottery, Demin

November 17th, 2025 at 10:59am CST by Arthur Hill

Nets coach Jordi Fernandez has been urging Michael Porter Jr. to take more responsibility for facilitating the offense and to get back to the cutting style that made him successful in Denver, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Porter handed out seven assists for the second straight game and contributed 34 points and nine rebounds as Brooklyn topped Washington on Sunday for its second win of the season.

“He has a plan for him to get better and to show things that he hasn’t done before,” Fernandez said. “And right now for him to buy into finishing his cuts, not dancing, not over-dribbling, putting pressure on the rim, everybody benefits from it. And guess what? Usually when he does it, he’s the one benefiting from it. So we want him and need him to play like this, because that’s just contagious and good for the group. So, very proud of him.”

Porter accepted the blame for Friday’s loss at Orlando as he shot 1-of-6 down the stretch in a close game. He told Lewis that he’s still adapting to the Nets’ style of play, but the team has passing big men who can reward cutters.

“When I was in Denver, everyone assumed that I was just getting some of those cuts because of Nikola (Jokic) and his vision. But I’ve always been a cutter, a guy that likes to find easy buckets, use my size around the basket,” Porter said. “So coming over here, it’s something that I have been intentional about. (Nic) Claxton and Day’Ron (Sharpe) can really pass the ball and they found me for a lot of easy points around the rim. So I got to keep doing that.”

There’s more on the Nets:

First-round pick Ben Saraf injured his ankle in a G League game, Lewis adds in the same piece. A source told Lewis that Saraf is being evaluated and an update will likely be issued later today.
Sunday’s game with the Wizards matched two teams at the bottom of the NBA standings, and the Nets might have slightly damaged their lottery odds by winning. Fernandez said that wasn’t a concern going into the contest, as his focus is on day-to-day improvement, Lewis states in a separate story. “It’s a learning process. And it’s not just about the young guys. And I want to repeat this over and over: It’s about us. It’s about the group. It’s about growing together,” Fernandez said. “There’s a plan for everybody to get better. And if you don’t get better, you get worse.”
Egor Demin has played well since moving into the starting lineup, but he only saw seven minutes of action in the second half on Friday, Lewis adds in another piece. Fernandez explained that his decision was about using the combination that was working best that night. “At some point, what you’re trying to find is a group that gives you a run,” Fernandez said. “It’s not just about one player. It’s about finding a group. Egor played against a very physical team; those minutes are extremely valuable. But it’s not just about the rookies. I know (reporters) ask me about the rookies all the time, but it’s everybody.”

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