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Chauncey Billups Pleads Not Guilty, Released On $5MM Bond

November 24th, 2025 at 1:03pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Trail Blazers coach and Hall of Famer Chauncey Billups pleaded not guilty Monday to federal charges that he participated in and profited from rigged poker games, Philip Marcelo of The Associated Press reports. Billups was released on a $5MM bond secured by his family’s Colorado home.

Per his bond agreement, Billups must refrain from gambling and can have no contact with other defendants or alleged victims. He has surrendered his passport and can only travel to seven states, including Oregon and New York. Billups and his co-defendants, including ex-NBA player and assistant coach Damon Jones, appeared for a status conference on Monday and are due back in court on March 4.

The judge told all the attorneys at today’s proceedings that his intention is to expedite the process and start the trial by September of 2026, Ramona Shelburne of ESPN tweets.

Billups was placed on unpaid leave by the NBA after his arrest in late October, shortly after the team’s opening game. His arrest and the timeline of the case essentially assures that he won’t return to coaching for at least the remainder of this season. Tiago Splitter has been serving as the team’s interim coach in Billups’ absence.

Prosecutors said Monday that plea negotiations have begun with some defendants, according to Marcelo. Billups’ lawyer, Marc Mukasey, entered his client’s not guilty plea. They declined to comment to the media afterward.

According to prosecutors, the poker games in which Billups was allegedly involved with defrauded victims of an estimated $7MM.

The arrests of Billups, Jones and Heat guard Terry Rozier, who was charged by the federal goverment with illegal activities regarding prop bets, shook up the league and the sports world just after the season began. The NBA, in response, is seeking to tighten controls regarding wagering on its games.

Atlantic Notes: Simons, Clowney, McCain, Raptors’ Start

November 24th, 2025 at 12:11pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Anfernee Simons is pumping up his trade value. The Celtics guard has posted back-to-back 23-point games. Playing time has been key — his minutes have fluctuated from 12 to 33 over the course of the season, and he’s averaging 24.9 MPG overall, Brian Robb of MassLive.com notes.

“I think honestly just keeping it simple,” Simons said. “In previous years, that was kind of my thing — just ease into the game and see how they guarded me, and then I started being more aggressive in the second half. And so here, obviously I don’t have that much time to be able to ease into the games, so taking the opportunities as they are — just being myself, aggressive, and also making the right plays, as well. So I think simplifying that way has been easy for me for the past couple games.”

Simons has a $27.7MM expiring contract, which could make him a major name on the in-season trade market.

Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:

Nets forward Noah Clowney has perked up after a slow start but he took an ill-advised late three-pointer in a loss to the Raptors on Sunday, Brian Lewis of the New York Post points out. Clowney has thrived since moving into the lineup and contributed a season-high 22 points against Toronto. The third-year pro, who is averaging 15.1 PPG in a starting role, is eligible for a rookie scale extension next offseason.
Jared McCain delivered a season-high 15 points in 26 minutes in the Sixers’ loss to Miami on Sunday. McCain, who is working his way back into a groove after missing time with a thumb injury suffered in camp, had his rookie campaign short-circuited by a knee injury. “It definitely felt the best,” McCain told Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer of Sunday’s game. “I think each game is just getting more reps on the knee and more reps of movement. But I felt really good (Sunday). Felt like I got a little burst for my first step, and yeah, just continue to build off each game. And the more minutes I play and the more time I’m in, I feel like I can get more reps up. And yeah, it felt really good.”
The Raptors have the second-best record in the Eastern Conference. Is the hot start for real or a mirage? The Athletic’s Eric Koreen explores that topic, noting that Toronto has played just two games against the teams with the six best records — Detroit, Oklahoma City, Denver, the Lakers, San Antonio and Houston — and lost them both decisively.

Pacific Notes: Perry, DeRozan, Booker, Durant, Goodwin, Paul

November 24th, 2025 at 10:31am CST by Dana Gauruder

The Kings are in a familiar place, sitting near the bottom of the Western Conference standings after a 4-13 start. New general manager Scott Perry is preaching something that fans in Sacramento have heard for many years — be patient.

“I totally understand their frustrations to this point,” Perry told Sam Amick of The Athletic. “It hasn’t been what they wanted. But again, it’s the old saying that Rome wasn’t built in a day — and that’s a fact. If you look at a number of the top teams in the league, they all went through a very tough stretch when they were trying to lay a foundation and create an environment that led to sustainable winning. … All I’ve ever asked from the very beginning is just: buckle up, be patient for the ride. We definitely have a plan in place, and we’ll do this thing together.”

Complicating Perry’s mission is the fact that six high-salary players are signed through next season. The highest of the 2026/27 salaries, Zach LaVine‘s $49MM, is a player option and there’s no clarity as to whether he’ll pick it up, according to Amick. The Clippers have shown some interest in the oldest player on the Kings’ roster, DeMar DeRozan, per Amick. He has a partial guarantee ($10MM) on his $25.7MM contract for next season.

We have more from the Pacific Division:

Kevin Durant will miss the Rockets’ game at Phoenix tonight due to a family matter. Suns guard Devin Booker is disappointed he won’t get to face his former teammate, Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic tweets. “I hope everything is OK with his family first, but yeah, I would love a matchup with him,” Booker said.
Jordan Goodwin won a training camp battle to earn a roster spot after being claimed off waivers by the Suns. Goodwin has been a steady contributor off the bench, averaging 7.9 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game. “He just has a knack not only on offensive rebounds, but deflections. Any type of loose balls. Just has a hunger to get the basketball. That’s part of who he is, that’s part of what made him and that’s part of why we love him,” coach Jordan Ott said, per Rankin (Twitter link).
Chris Paul evokes a wide range of reaction but The Athletic’s Zach Harper lays out his case of why the Clippers guard should be appreciated by NBA fans. The 12-time All-Star is retiring after the season.

Grizzlies Sign Kobe Bufkin To 10-Day Contract

November 24th, 2025 at 9:11am CST by Rory Maher

Nov. 24: The signing is official, the Grizzlies’ PR department tweets.

Nov. 23: The Grizzlies have been granted a hardship exception and will use it to sign free agent guard Kobe Bufkin to a 10-day contract, according to Shams Charania of ESPN.

Hardship exceptions allow a team to temporarily exceed the usual 15-man limit. The NBA awards a hardship exception to a club if it has at least four injured players who have missed three consecutive games and are projected to miss at least two more weeks.

Bufkin will provide backcourt depth for Memphis, which has been hit hard by injuries once again in 2025/26. Four point guards — Scotty Pippen Jr. (toe surgery), Ty Jerome (calf strain), Ja Morant (calf strain) and Javon Small (turf toe) — are currently sidelined, and veteran forward/center Brandon Clarke is still recovering from offseason knee surgery.

The 15th overall pick in the 2023 draft, Bufkin battled injuries during his first two NBA seasons in Atlanta. He missed a significant chunk of his rookie year due to a fractured left thumb and a sprained toe, then underwent season-ending shoulder surgery in December 2024, less than two months into his second year.

In total, the 6’4″ guard made just 27 appearances for the Hawks, averaging 5.0 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 1.6 assists in 11.9 minutes per night, with a .374/.220/.654 shooting line. The 22-year-old was traded from Atlanta to Brooklyn during the offseason and it seemed like he might get a chance at a fresh start with the Nets. Instead, he was the victim of a roster crunch last month and was waived to help Brooklyn get down to 15 players for the start of the regular season.

After being cut by the Nets, Bufkin entered the NBA G League player pool and his rights were acquired by the South Bay Lakers following a trade. In two Tip-Off Tournament games (28.7 MPG) with L.A.’s affiliate team this fall, Bufkin has averaged 22.0 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 4.0 RPG and 1.0 SPG on .444/.500/.800 shooting.

According to Grant Afseth (Twitter link), Bufkin was among the guards on Memphis’ radar just before the season began amid the wave of injuries.

Lakers Notes: Ayton, LeBron, Paul, Three-Point Shooting

November 24th, 2025 at 8:59am CST by Arthur Hill

Lakers center Deandre Ayton had to leave Sunday’s game in Utah midway through the second quarter due to a right knee contusion, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN. Ayton continued playing after an early collision with Ace Bailey, but the pain eventually became too intense.

“He had gotten hit on his leg in the first half and was kind of limping through it,” coach JJ Redick said. “And then couldn’t go in the second half.”

Ayton has been a bargain so far on the two-year, $16.6MM contract he signed during the summer after reaching a buyout agreement with Portland. He was averaging 16.5 points and 8.8 rebounds per game coming into Sunday’s contest while shooting 69.6% from the field.

With Ayton sidelined, Jaxson Hayes started the second half and Maxi Kleber logged 14 minutes. Kleber was part of the closing lineup and had a dunk with 1:21 remaining to help L.A. hold on for a two-point victory.

“Obviously, Jaxson has been in a starting role for us before, so very easy for him to step in and into that role,” LeBron James said. “But Maxi gave us big-time minutes. Brought physicality, had a big-time move towards the end to get that dunk.”

There’s more on the Lakers:

James, who finished with 17 points, six rebounds and eight assists in 34 minutes in his second game since returning from sciatica, talked about the process of getting back into playing shape (Twitter video link from Khobi Price of The Orange County Register). “The only way to get back in basketball shape is to be playing the basketball game,” James said. “My wind will get better and better. But this week was kind of like my training camp for me, to be honest. So I’m still working my way back.”
James also offered a message to his longtime friend, Clippers guard Chris Paul, who will retire at the end of the season (video link from McMenamin). “Hope he can just get joy out of this final year,” James said. “… I hope he takes it all in. This is his last hoorah, so we’ll never get this moment again once you’re done to be able to go out and be in the arena.”
The Lakers are off to a 12-4 start despite ranking 26th in the league in three-point shooting percentage, notes Dan Woike of The Athletic. The month-long slump continued Sunday as they were 10-of-38 (26.3%) from long distance. Austin Reaves, who missed seven of his eight three-point attempts at Utah, said the team is finding other ways to win. “I think it’s just chemistry. Care factor’s high,” he said. “You wanna go out there and do whatever you can do to help one another succeed. And I think that that goes a long way. There’s no selfishness; everybody wants to see everybody succeed.”

Jalen Williams Now Ineligible For Postseason Awards

November 24th, 2025 at 8:02am CST by Arthur Hill

Jalen Williams‘ absence from the lineup has barely slowed down the Thunder, who routed Portland on Sunday to improve to 17-1. However, it has financial implications for the fourth-year wing, who has missed all 18 games so far, according to Alex Schiffer of Front Office Sports.

With only 64 games remaining in the season, Williams is no longer able to reach the 65-game threshold to make his eligible for postseason awards. The five-year rookie scale extension he signed in July includes contract escalators for achieving All-NBA honors and being named MVP or Defensive Player of the Year.

Williams is making $6.6MM this season on the final year of his rookie contract. That will jump to a projected $41.5MM in 2026/27, and reaching all the escalators could have pushed his salary close to $50MM.

While Williams was unlikely to be named MVP even without the injury, the other two benchmarks were more realistic. He was a third team All-NBA selection and a second team All-Defensive choice last season, as well as an All-Star for the first time in his career. Being named first team All-NBA also would have been difficult, but Schiffer notes that second- or third-team honors would have raised his future salary by one or two percent — between $1.5MM and $3MM in year one.

Selected with the 12th pick in the 2022 draft, Williams’ emergence into stardom is among the reasons Oklahoma City has been able to assemble a dominant roster that’s still cost effective. He averaged 21.6 points, 5.3 rebounds and 5.1 assists in 69 games last season and was one of the Thunder’s most consistent playoff performers during their run to the title, including a 40-point outburst in Game 5 of the NBA Finals.

Williams underwent surgery at the start of July to repair a torn scapholunate ligament in his right wrist that bothered him throughout the postseason. He required a second procedure in late October to remove a screw that was causing irritation. There’s still no timeline for him to return to action.

Schiffer notes that while OKC will benefit from not having to pay more for Williams next season, the savings are more of a luxury than a necessity. The Thunder currently aren’t a taxpaying team, and although their projected $246MM salary for 2026/27 puts them in the second apron, they have roughly $54MM in non-guaranteed salaries or team options that provide financial flexibility. That figure includes $28.5MM for Isaiah Hartenstein, $18.2MM for Luguentz Dort and $7.2MM for Kenrich Williams.

Injury Notes: Shannon, Shamet, Barrett, Bulls

November 23rd, 2025 at 10:00pm CST by Eli Cohen

Terrence Shannon Jr. has been cleared for full-contact, five-on-five practice, the Timberwolves announced in a press release. He is being listed as questionable for Monday’s game against the Kings.

Shannon has missed the last nine games for the Wolves with a left foot fifth metatarsal bone bruise. After playing 339 regular season minutes in his rookie season, he saw his playing time increase following the departure of Nickeil Alexander-Walker, but has struggled to increase his production in the early going, averaging 3.9 points and 2.4 rebounds in 16.4 minutes per game through the team’s first seven contests.

In Shannon’s absence, Minnesota has turned to Jaylen Clark, Bones Hyland, and Leonard Miller, among others. The Wolves are 10-6 on the season and have gone 8-3 in their last 11 games.

We have more injury notes from around the league:

Landry Shamet exited the Knicks‘ loss to the Magic in the first quarter and is now listed as out for Monday’s game against the Nets with a sprained right shoulder, tweets Stefan Bondy of the New York Post. Bondy notes that head coach Mike Brown stated Landry would have a full evaluation in “the coming days,” and that this designation is only tied to the next game’s status. Shamet has been a productive role player for the Knicks this season, starting six games and averaging 9.3 PPG on 42.4% shooting from deep.
RJ Barrett exited the Raptors‘ win against the Nets on Sunday early with a right knee sprain after landing awkwardly on a dunk, reports Danielle Michaud, as relayed by Blake Murphy of Sportsnet (Twitter link). According to Michael Grange of Sportsnet (via Twitter), Barrett will get imaging done on his knee on Monday.
Isaac Okoro and Dalen Terry are listed as out for the Bulls‘ game against the Pelicans on Monday, writes K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network (Twitter link). Kevin Huerter and Patrick Williams are listed as questionable with an illness and wrist injury, respectively.

Bulls Notes: Buzelis, Essengue, Smith, Vucevic

November 23rd, 2025 at 9:03pm CST by Eli Cohen

Matas Buzelis has embraced the physicality and gritty style of play demanded by the Bulls and head coach Billy Donovan, writes Joe Cowley for the Chicago Sun-Times. The transformation began in the offseason, when Buzelis added 10 pounds of muscle in preparation for stepping into a starring role for Chicago.

“I said before the season started that this would be a great year of growth for him because he’s going to see things he hasn’t seen his rookie season,” Donovan said. “The thing I love about Matas is he leans into it and he’s eager to improve.”

The second-year forward has raised his averages is nearly every meaningful category so far in his second NBA season. He’s currently contributing 14.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks in 27.8 minutes per game, and he’s embracing the increased focus that comes from his newfound status on the team.

“Most of the time the best defender is guarding me and that puts a target on my back,” Buzelis said. “I like that, that’s how I’m going to get better and stride forward.”

We have more from the Bulls:

After being selected 12th overall in the 2025 draft, Noa Essengue finally made his NBA debut in the Bulls’ 16th game of the season. The patience he displayed in waiting for his chance to take the floor extended to his first stint on the floor, according to Julia Poe of the Chicago Tribune, who notes that a single missed field goal represented Essengue’s only contribution to the box score in four minutes of action. Still, he wasn’t discouraged by the outing or by the time it took to get there. “It was nice to get on the court with my teammates since I’ve worked two or three months now,” Essengue said. “I just enjoyed it. I know I don’t got a lot of time so I just tried to enjoy every moment.” Even that brief appearance provided Donovan with some insights to take away. “I’d like to see him get his motor going a little bit more,” the Bulls’ coach said, “but I was happy I could throw him in there for a few minutes.”
Donovan hinted that Jalen Smith will likely be in the rotation even when Zach Collins returns from wrist surgery, reports Joel Lorenzi of The Athletic, who says (via Twitter) that Donovan compared it to how the Spurs and Cavaliers use their big men. “We may have to look at two bigs together some, or playing three bigs rotationally,” Donovan said. “I think we gotta find what’s best to play all three.” Smith has performed well for the 9-7 Bulls, averaging 10.1 points and 5.9 rebounds in just 16.4 minutes per night while shooting 37.1% from three.
The Bulls came out of Saturday’s game against the Wizards with a one-point win, but Nikola Vucevic was unimpressed by the team’s mentality, writes Lorenzi for The Athletic. “For three quarters, we were very soft,” Vucevic said. “We gave no resistance. We didn’t do anything that we talked about. Just played really soft. It was really bad… I don’t think we understand that it’s just not sustainable to play this way.” Buzelis, whose celebration of the victory irked Vucevic during a post-game interview (Twitter video link), conceded his teammate’s point when he spoke to reporters a little later. “He believes that we should beat that team by a lot more, and I totally agree with him,” Buzelis said. “He has every right to be upset. We have to be better, for sure.”

Tyler Herro Set To Make Season Debut Monday

November 23rd, 2025 at 7:22pm CST by Eli Cohen

Tyler Herro will make his season debut for the Heat on Monday as long he doesn’t experience a setback before then, ESPN’s Shams Charania reports (via Twitter).

Herro has been sidelined since September, when he underwent surgery to alleviate posterior impingement syndrome in his left ankle. Monday’s game against the Mavericks has been viewed as his targeted return date for the last week or so, as he returned to practice with the Heat.

Herro is coming off the first All-Star season of his career and will look to resume his place at the head of Miami’s offense, which looks dramatically different – and is much faster-paced – than a year ago.

The Heat are currently 11-6 following their victory over the Sixers on Sunday and have won 9 of their last 11 games.

Al Horford Out At Least A Week With Sciatic Injury

November 23rd, 2025 at 7:00pm CST by Eli Cohen

Al Horford will miss at least a week for the Warriors with sciatica, per Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area (via Twitter).

The injury is being classified as right sciatic nerve irritation, according to Anthony Slater of ESPN (Twitter link), who notes that Horford will be out for at least three games: Monday vs. Utah, Wednesday vs. Houston, and Saturday vs. New Orleans.

Horford is currently averaging the fewest minutes, points, rebounds, and assists per game of his career, as well as his lowest three-point percentage in 11 seasons, as he adjusts to coming off the bench for Golden State.

Sciatica is the same type of medical issue that kept LeBron James sidelined for the Lakers’ first 14 games, though the wording on Horford seems to suggest that his ailment is less severe than James’ was.

The Warriors have cooled off since their 4-1 start to the season and are now 9-9 after losing their last three games. Horford’s injury will provide yet another test for Golden State’s frontcourt depth, as Jonathan Kuminga remains out with knee tendonitis and Draymond Green is listed as questionable for Monday’s game with a foot sprain.