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Luka Doncic, Jalen Brunson Named Players Of Week

December 1st, 2025 at 2:50pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Lakers guard Luka Doncic and Knicks guard Jalen Brunson have been named the Western and Eastern Conference Players of the Week, respectively, according to the NBA (Twitter links).

Doncic led the Lakers to three wins during the week of November 24-30 while averaging 37.3 points, 10.3 assists and 8.7 rebounds per contest. Those performances, which included a 43-point outburst against the Clippers, increased his league-leading scoring average to 35.1 points per game.

Brunson lifted the Knicks to four wins by averaging 28.8 points and 4.5 assists per game while knocking down 40.7 percent of his three-point attempts. He matched his season high on Friday by racking up 37 points against Milwaukee.

Doncic and Brunson, of course, were backcourt partners in Dallas. Brunson has earned Eastern Conference Player of the Week honors seven times since joining the Knicks, while this is the first time Doncic has achieved the feat since becoming a Laker.

The other nominees in the West were Zach Edey (Grizzlies), Anthony Edwards (Timberwolves), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder), Jamal Murray (Nuggets) and Austin Reaves (Lakers).

Desmond Bane (Magic), Jaylen Brown (Celtics), Tyler Herro (Heat), Jalen Johnson (Hawks) and Pascal Siakam (Pacers) were also nominated in the East.

Central Notes: Garland, Ball, White, Furphy, Siakam

December 1st, 2025 at 1:57pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Cavaliers will be without a handful of players for Monday’s matchup against the Pacers. Darius Garland (toe injury management) and Lonzo Ball (illness) have been added to the list of players who won’t be available. Larry Nance Jr., Max Strus, Jarrett Allen and Sam Merrill had already been listed as out of action due to various ailments.

Here’s more from the Central Division:

Coby White, who has already missed a chunk of the Bulls season due to a right calf strain, is listed as doubtful with left calf tightness and congestion for tonight’s game against the Magic, K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network tweets. White has played five games, averaging 24.2 points and 6.2 assists per contest. Noa Essengue, Jalen Smith and Isaac Okoro are listed as out, with Zach Collins – who has yet to make his season debut – considered doubtful.
Pacers forward Johnny Furphy, who suffered a left ankle sprain in early November, was assigned to the G League’s Noblesville Boom over the weekend and then recalled, the team’s PR department tweets. The 2024 second round selection has appeared in three games this season after coming off the bench in 50 regular season games during his rookie campaign. He appears to be nearing a return after practicing with the Boom.
With Tyrese Haliburton out for the season, Pascal Siakam is now the No. 1 option for the Pacers. He’s put together back-to-back 24-point outings as the team doubled its win total with victories over the Wizards and Bulls this weekend. Indiana got off to a woeful 2-16 start after making the NBA Finals last season. “You can’t take it for granted,” Siakam told Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star. “Every single night you go out there, and when you’re used to winning you take it for granted. I think every day we go out there, every single possession that we win, every single run that we have, every single win, we gotta take it and enjoy it and know — which is the most important — know what it took for us to get to that. We’re tired of losing. We can’t keep losing. That has to be our mindset. We have to give everything for that.”

Southeast Notes: Johnson, Ball, Banchero, Magic, Sarr

December 1st, 2025 at 12:41pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Jalen Johnson‘s All-Star level season reached new heights on Sunday as the Hawks forward poured in a career-best 41 points against Philadelphia in a double-overtime win. He scored 12 of those points during the extra sessions.

“I think that’s been the really exciting thing about the things he’s doing is, when he’s made mistakes, he hasn’t let it get to him,” Hawks head coach Quin Snyder told Lauren Williams of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “He’s responded and adjusted that. That’s the sign of a more mature player, when you’re able to make adjustments during the game. So I know he’s as happy as anyone about the win because he’s the guy that we’re playing through most of the time late in the game. But when we do that, as I’ve said, it doesn’t necessarily have to. We’re trusting him to make a play. And I think that’s the thing that he’s embracing.”

Over the past 10 games, Johnson has averaged 25.4 points, 11.0 rebounds and 9.1 assists per night.

“I’m just trusting my work, and I have the confidence and trust from my teammates and coaches as well. So when you got that recipe, only good things happen,” said Johnson, who is in the first year of a five-year, $150MM contract.

We have more from the Southeast Division:

Hornets coach Charles Lee would like to see LaMelo Ball impact the game even when he’s struggling on the offensive end. Lee wants Ball, whose name has come up in the rumor mill this season, to make more of a difference on the defensive side. “We talk about that a good amount,” Lee told Roderick Boone of the Charlotte Observer. “… So, we’ll continue to watch the film, and now we have to back it up with our actions game after game, day after day. Because this is the standard, this is the expectation. And I know when he plays at that high of a level, he makes our team different and really special and unique.”
Magic star forward Paolo Banchero hasn’t played since Nov. 12 due to a left groin strain and he’ll miss Monday’s game against the Bulls. Coach Jamahl Mosley said Banchero is still in the non-contact phase of his rehab, Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel tweets. “We just continue to see and monitor how he responds to each treatment each day,” Mosley said.
Despite the extended absence of Banchero, the Magic still rank in the top 10 in both offensive and defensive rating, Beede notes. Orlando’s offensive rating is eighth, 19 spots higher than it finished last season, aided by the addition of Desmond Bane and some coaching staff changes.
Wizards center Alex Sarr won’t play against Milwaukee tonight due to right adductor soreness, Josh Robbins of The Athletic tweets. Sarr is averaging 19.1 points and 8.6 rebounds this season.

Seth Curry Rejoins Warriors On One-Year Deal

December 1st, 2025 at 12:35pm CST by Eli Cohen

December 1: Seth Curry has officially signed with the Warriors, according to a team press release.

November 30: Free agent guard Seth Curry plans to re-sign with the Warriors on Monday on a deal that will cover the rest of the 2025/26 season, reports ESPN’s Shams Charania (via Twitter).

After spending training camp with Golden State, Curry was waived in mid-October as the team made its final cuts for the regular season roster, mostly because his veteran’s minimum salary couldn’t fit under a second-apron hard cap.

Reporting at that time suggested Curry was expected to rejoin the Warriors eventually, but the club had to wait until at least November 11 in order to squeeze his prorated minimum-salary contract below the hard cap.

Waiting an extra few weeks to bring him back will create some extra breathing room for Golden State. Assuming he signs on Monday, as planned, Curry’s rest-of-season cap hit will be $1,755,198, leaving the Warriors roughly $264K below their hard cap. He’ll earn a salary of $2,777,830 if he finishes out the season with the club.

Curry, an 11-year veteran, played last season for the Hornets, leading the league in three-point percentage at 45.6% on 182 total attempts. A 6’1″ three-point specialist, he holds lifetime averages of 10.0 points per game on 43.3% shooting from deep.

This will be the first time that Seth and his brother, Stephen Curry, play on the same NBA team during the regular season.

Hoops Rumors Chat Transcript: 12/1/2025

December 1st, 2025 at 11:00am CST by Luke Adams

Hoops Rumors hosted a live chat today at 11:00 am Central time (12:00 pm Eastern).

Click here to read the transcript.

Categories:
Hoops Rumors Chats

Celtics Notes: Pritchard, Queta, White, Brown, Tillman

December 1st, 2025 at 10:59am CST by Arthur Hill

After a subpar performance in Saturday’s loss at Minnesota, Celtics guard Payton Pritchard was thankful to have a chance to redeem himself the next day, writes Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. Pritchard responded with one of his best shooting nights of the season, finishing with 42 points while connecting at 15-of-22 from the field and sinking six three-pointers in a victory at Cleveland.

“I just wanted to come out tonight after a disappointing night before and kind of redeem myself and help the team win,” he said. “Hopefully I can continue this and catch a rhythm. I’m not saying every night’s going to be scoring, but be efficient and help the team win.”

Pritchard carried the offense despite being in foul trouble for much of the game. He made an early statement by drilling his first three-pointer nine seconds into the contest, then contributed 15 points in the fourth quarter as Boston held off a late Cavaliers rally. He helped to secure the 117-115 victory with a pair of late free throws.

“I’m a competitor and sitting in my room last night and this morning, you can either fold and give into it,” Pritchard told reporters before the game. “But for me, today I’m going to come out and give everything I’ve got and not second guess anything. I’m going to treat it like it’s a summer day in the gym, just me.”

There’s more on the Celtics:

Neemias Queta and Derrick White were both given the night off to recover from injuries with Boston playing the second game of a back-to-back and entering a busy part of its schedule, Washburn states in a separate story. Queta has a sprained left ankle, and White is dealing with a right calf contusion. The Celtics have games Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday, and coach Joe Mazzulla indicated that more rotation players could be rested during that stretch. “I think that’s where we talk about playing everybody comes into play and, you know, just relying on the depth of those, especially the young guys,” he said. “So that’s why I think it’s important everyone comes into the game ready to impact. And so that’s the case (Sunday). I think it will be over the next week or so, and points in time throughout the season. So trying to make that a strength of ours, just, you know, by the guys that we have available.”
Jaylen Brown has been frustrated by a lack of free throw attempts, Washburn adds. Brown entered Sunday’s game eighth in the league in scoring at 28.8 PPG, but he was 27th in free throw rate at 6.3 per night. Mazzulla said he supports Brown’s position, but won’t be submitting tape to the league to show examples of non-calls.
With Queta unavailable, Xavier Tillman delivered nine points, six rebounds, three steals and a block in his first start of the season, per Souichi Terada of MassLive. It was a rare appearance for Tillman, who had only played one five-minute stint during the previous 11 games. “X is the ultimate professional,” Mazzulla said. “Whether he plays every game or he misses 10 games, I have a level of trust that he’s going to go out there and he’s going to execute and he’s going to do exactly what we want. That’s really hard to do in this league. You can’t take a guy like that for granted. He works. He’s always ready.”

Bulls Considered Unlikely To Trade For Anthony Davis

December 1st, 2025 at 10:01am CST by Arthur Hill

The Bulls’ front office has engaged in internal discussions about trading for Mavericks big man Anthony Davis, according to Jamal Collier of ESPN. Davis is viewed as a potential solution for the team’s poor interior defense, but sources tell Collier that Chicago is reluctant to make any move that involves giving up a portion of its young core until it becomes more competitive.

“I don’t think going out and chasing X megastar is the way to proceed — at least today,” one source said.

Collier points out that the Bulls have plenty of ammunition for such a deal. They own their first-round picks for the next seven years, along with a 2026 first-rounder from Portland that’s top-14 protected. The team could also have nearly $70MM in cap room for next summer’s free agent market.

Trade speculation surrounding Davis has increased amid Dallas’ 6-15 start to the season and the emerging stardom of rookie forward Cooper Flagg. The Mavs may decide to embrace a youth movement, but Davis’ injury history and his pricey contract make him a significant trade risk. He has only played six games this season and recently returned after an extended absence caused by a left calf strain.

Collier’s information on the Bulls’ interest in Davis is part of a larger story about what has caused the team to fall to 9-10 after a 6-1 start. There was an early-season belief that coach Billy Donovan’s up-tempo style had the team headed in the right direction, but opponents seemed to have adjusted to it over the past few weeks.

Donovan admits that he has patterned the approach after the Pacers after watching them reach the NBA Finals last season.

“That’s who we have to be,” he said. “We have to be better than the sum of our parts. … Everybody sees Indiana play, and the thing that everybody goes to right away is oh, their pace, their pace, their pace. The one thing that Indiana probably doesn’t get enough credit for is yes, they play really, really fast and (Tyrese) Haliburton‘s a unique play-maker back there, but the physicality of those guys defensively is where our evolution has to continue.”

The Bulls have entrusted Josh Giddey, who was acquired from Oklahoma City before the start of last season, to lead the team in the Haliburton role. However, there are questions about whether the rest of the roster is good enough to ever reach that level. Collier notes that Indiana has been much better defensively than Chicago, and it has a second star in Pascal Siakam to pair with Haliburton.

“They have Haliburton, who is an All-Star, and they have Siakam,” a Bulls source told Collier. “If Giddey can develop into an All-Star and be what Hali was, when do we pull the trigger to get our Siakam?”

Management still views Giddey, Coby White, Matas Buzelis and 2025 first-round pick Noa Essengue as its future core, team sources told Collier. Essengue, who won’t turn 19 until later this month, has been brought along slowly and didn’t make his season debut until November 22. Those same sources state that the Bulls understand they need to keep adding to that core to be successful and they plan to make moves in that direction.

Cavaliers Players Unhappy With Effort After Latest Loss

December 1st, 2025 at 9:00am CST by Arthur Hill

Frustration is growing in Cleveland after the Cavaliers fell to 12-9 with Sunday night’s home loss to Boston, writes Ethan Sands of Cleveland.com. The Cavs have championship aspirations and were projected to be one of the two best teams in the East coming into the season. However, they’re currently in play-in territory with roughly a quarter of the season gone.

Second-year wing Jaylon Tyson said it’s a matter of delivering consistent effort as he questioned the team’s competitiveness after Sunday’s game.

“I just think we’re in cruise control,” he said. “As a team, I think that we’re not hungry enough. What happened to us last year, it’s a similar thing that’s happening this year. Getting ran out the gym. Getting beat on the glass. Toughness, right? So, I mean, it’s just a common theme, and ultimately it’s on us to fix it. We have three of some of the best players in the NBA. Our starting five, I’ll put them up with anybody in the NBA. One of the most talented teams in the NBA. But talent don’t win championships. It’s all the little stuff, the grittiness, the hunger. I feel like that’s what wins championships.”

Injuries have played a role in the slow start, as the Cavaliers have rarely been able to put their best lineup on the court. The injured list continues to grow as the team announced Sunday that backup big man Larry Nance Jr. will miss three-to-four weeks with a right calf strain and starting center Jarrett Allen will be sidelined for at least a week with a strained right finger. Three-point specialist Sam Merrill has missed the past five games with a sprained right hand and is considered day-to-day.

However, Sands points out that Boston was short-handed on Sunday as well — starters Derrick White and Neemias Queta both missed the game with injuries. The Celtics were playing on the second night of a back-to-back, but still seemed more energetic, building a 21-point lead before the Cavs started their comeback.

“Everyone wants to be better, everyone wants to win, everyone wants to be the best we can be but right now we’re not,” said Evan Mobley, who had 27 points and 14 rebounds in the loss. “We got to find a way on how we’re going to fix that. Frustration might help, honestly, a little bit.”

The Cavaliers posted the best record in the East with 64 wins last season, but questions about their toughness reemerged after they were eliminated by Indiana in the second round of the playoffs. Sands notes that those concerns haven’t gone away, as players frequently talk about not letting opposing teams “punk” them, which carries both mental and physical components.

Coach Kenny Atkinson exuded calmness after Sunday’s loss, saying “the sky is not falling,” but Sands points out that certain mistakes are visible in every game. Transition defense and rebounding have been glaring concerns, and he states that too many players seem to be waiting for someone else to take control in crucial situations.

Sunday’s game was typical for the Cavs, Sands adds, as the bench unit sparked a rally after the Celtics built their big lead. That’s been a familiar pattern, and Tyson, who has started 11 of the 16 games he’s played, alluded to it in his post-game comments.

“It’s up to all of us to feed off their energy,” Tyson said of the bench group. “It should never be, like (Donovan Mitchell) said it, the young guys and the role players, like, it shouldn’t be us having to bring energy every time, right? Everybody has to bring energy. Everybody has to pour into this thing.”

Sixers Notes: Embiid, Edgecombe, George, Barlow

December 1st, 2025 at 8:00am CST by Arthur Hill

Sixers center Joel Embiid played a season-high 30 minutes as he returned to the court Sunday night for the first time in three weeks, writes Tim Bontemps of ESPN. Embiid finished with 18 points and four rebounds while shooting 6-of-14 from the field, but he was held out of the second overtime as Philadelphia lost to the Hawks.

“I thought the first half was pretty good,” he said. “When it’s been almost a month and you’ve only had about two court sessions, going up and down, it’s going to be tough. I’m just happy that I got a chance to play the game of basketball, build on it and go from there. … I don’t really judge myself based on shots falling. Tonight is all about how I moved laterally, jumping and all that stuff. Tonight was a good step towards that.”

It was only the seventh game of the season for Embiid as the Sixers have been cautious about putting too much strain on the injured left knee that forced him to miss most of last season, while he has also dealt with right knee soreness. He was originally listed as unavailable for Sunday’s contest, but his condition was upgraded throughout the day. Embiid has been effective in his limited appearances, averaging 19.4 points and 5.3 rebounds in 24.3 minutes per night.

Rookie guard VJ Edgecombe also returned Sunday after missing the past three games with a calf issue, Bontemps adds. He scored seven points in 21 minutes, but wasn’t used after regulation, while Paul George, who was playing for just the fifth time this season, was held out of the second overtime.

“That was just kind of about as much as they had, to be honest,” coach Nick Nurse told reporters.

There’s more from Philadelphia:

George said he felt some back tightness during the game, but he didn’t appear worried (Twitter video link from PHLY Sixers). He finished with 16 points, seven rebounds, four assists and five steals in 28 minutes. “But that’s gonna happen,” he said of the back issue. “That was the most minutes I’ve played consecutively. It’s good. It’s nothing to be concerned with. I felt good. I asked for more minutes out there, just how the game was going, how my body was feeling. I think I’m the bird, leaving the nest, getting to fly and flap my wings a little bit more. It feels good to kinda be on the healthy side.”
Former Hawks forward Dominick Barlow is getting consistent rotation minutes for the first time in his career after signing a two-way contract with the Sixers over the summer. He was on a two-way deal with Atlanta last season, and his ex-coach, Quin Snyder, isn’t surprised by his level of success, per Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer (subscription required). “He really knows how to play,” Snyder said. “And he gave us, in a stretch where we really needed someone to come in and not only give us good minutes, but kind of connect as a team. And I think it’s unusual for a player in (a two-way) position to have that kind of impact on the group. … He’s got a great feel for the game, can pass, handle, just a smart player. Very committed to helping the team in any way he can.”
In a mailbag column, Pompey examines the possibility of trading George or Embiid, who’ve both dealt with significant injuries since signing hefty contracts last year.

NBA Waiver Order Now Based On 2025/26 Records

December 1st, 2025 at 7:08am CST by Luke Adams

As of December 1, the NBA’s waiver priority order is determined by teams’ current-year records, rather than the previous season’s results.

That means, starting today, the waiver order for this season is based on teams’ 2025/26 records, with the worst teams getting the highest priority. In other words, if two teams place a claim on the same player, the team lower in this season’s NBA standings will be awarded that player.

Up until today, the waiver claim order was based on which teams had the worst records in 2024/25.

Waiver claims are relatively rare in the NBA, but it’s still worth noting which teams will have the first crack at intriguing players who may be cut over the next few weeks or months.

[RELATED: 2025/26 NBA Waiver Claims]

Here’s what the teams at the top of the NBA’s waiver order look like as of Monday, Dec. 1:

Washington Wizards (2-16)
New Orleans Pelicans (3-18)
Brooklyn Nets (3-16)
Indiana Pacers (4-16)
Sacramento Kings (5-16)
Los Angeles Clippers (5-15)
Dallas Mavericks (6-15)
Charlotte Hornets (6-14)
Utah Jazz (6-13)
Portland Trail Blazers (8-12)

In instances where multiple teams have identical records, head-to-head record for the current season is used to break ties — the team with the worst winning percentage in head-to-head games gets the higher priority. If the tied teams have yet to face one another or if they’ve split their head-to-head matchups, a coin flip determines priority for those clubs.

If a waived player can’t be claimed using the minimum salary exception, a team must use a mid-level exception (non-taxpayer or room), bi-annual exception, trade exception, disabled player exception, or cap room to absorb his salary.

Most teams, especially those operating below the tax aprons, have at least one of those exceptions available to place a waiver claim, but it’s worth noting that a club with a top priority won’t be in position to nab just anyone who reaches waivers.

Teams right up against hard caps also may not have the ability to claim even a minimum-salary player on waivers. For example, the Lakers are currently operating just $1.12MM below their first-apron hard cap, so they wouldn’t be able to fit a player with, say, a $2MM cap hit.