Mavericks, Rockets To Play Preseason Games In Macao
The NBA China Games will continue this fall with two preseason meetings between the Mavericks and Rockets, the NBA and Sands China Ltd. announced Monday morning in a press release. The games will take place October 9 and 11 at The Venetian Arena in Macao.
The city hosted the Nets and Suns for a pair of preseason contests three months ago.
“The games in Macao earlier this season showed how much passion and enthusiasm there is for the NBA among fans in China and across Asia,” NBA deputy commissioner Mark Tatum said. “We look forward to welcoming the Mavericks and Rockets to Macao and to once again engaging fans, aspiring players and the local community through the games and surrounding events.”
Along with the games, the NBA and Sands are planning a series of basketball-related events. They will include NBA House and NBA Fan Day, youth basketball clinics and a Community Impact Week hosted by NBA Cares and Sands Cares featuring social impact programming focused on health, wellness and sustainability.
The games between the Southwest Division rivals will reach fans in more than 200 countries and territories through television, digital media and social media, according to the release. Marketing partners for the event will include Amazon Web Services, Gatorade, Nike and Tissot.
Dallas and Houston have been rumored as participants since Mavericks governor Patrick Dumont attended the games in October. He sat next to former Rocket and Chinese basketball legend Yao Ming, prompting speculation that the two franchises were next in line to be selected, according to Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News (subscription required). Mavericks employees have made several trips to Macao in recent weeks to finalize the details, Townsend adds.
Townsend also states that Dumont, whose Sands Corp. runs five casino resorts on Macao’s Cotai Strip and on the Macao peninsula, played a vital role in resuming the relationship between the NBA and China following a 2019 dispute sparked by Daryl Morey’s online support of pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong.
“For the Mavericks, this is a meaningful opportunity to represent our organization and our fans on an international stage,” Dumont said in the release. “Following our recent game in Mexico City, playing in Macao reflects our club’s continued growth and the strong connection we’ve built with fans.”
Both organizations have been frequent participants in the NBA’s overseas ventures, dating back to 1992 when they met in the league’s first preseason game in Mexico City. They enjoy strong worldwide followings based on their history of having international stars on their rosters.
“The Houston Rockets are an iconic brand with support around the globe, and we are honored to be selected alongside the Dallas Mavericks to bring a Texas-sized matchup to Macao as part of The NBA China Games 2026,” said Rockets alternate governor Patrick Fertitta. “Since drafting Hall of Famer Yao Ming first overall in 2002, we have received overwhelming love from the passionate basketball fans of China and built several cherished memories playing overseas. We are excited to have another opportunity to represent the NBA abroad and showcase our team in front of the fans in Macao next preseason.”
Kings Notes: Murray, Ellis, LaVine, Raynaud, Westbrook
The Kings‘ season has been defined by injuries and losses, and both continued Sunday night against Milwaukee, Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee writes in a subscriber-only story. Keegan Murray and Keon Ellis were both forced out of the contest as Sacramento ran its losing streak to five games while dropping 15 of its last 18.
Murray, who recently returned from a calf strain, hurt his left ankle in the third quarter. His season debut was delayed until November 20 while recovering from surgery to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his left thumb, and he has only been available for 19 of the team’s 36 games. The 25-year-old forward is considered one of the Kings’ few untouchable players heading into the trade deadline after receiving a five-year, $140MM rookie-scale extension in October.
Coach Doug Christie wasn’t able to provide much information on the injury after the game. “I don’t know yet, so it’s not even for me to speculate,” he told reporters. “Obviously, we’ll get everything and you guys will know as soon as we do.”
Sacramento also lost Ellis, who suffered a left thumb injury and only played five minutes. The 26-year-old guard has been the subject of trade speculation, with the team reportedly seeking a protected first-round pick in return.
“It’s hard, man,” Christie said of the constant injuries. “You feel for your kids, first and foremost. It’s just difficult.”
There’s more from Sacramento:
- There was some positive injury news on Sunday as Zach LaVine returned to the court after missing nine games with a sprained left ankle, Anderson adds. He came off the bench for the first time since being traded to the Kings last season and finished with 20 points, three rebounds and four assists in 36 minutes. LaVine said he didn’t have a target date to return, but was waiting for “whatever day my ankle felt best.” (Twitter video link from James Ham of The Kings Beat)
- Maxime Raynaud was in the starting lineup after getting a clean bill of health following an injury scare. The rookie center had to be helped off the court after hurting his left leg on Friday, but an MRI revealed no structural damage. “I just got really scared that one moment, felt like your knee twist a little bit like that,” Raynaud said. “Just glad the MRI came out clean.” (Twitter video link from Sean Cunningham of KCRA News)
- Russell Westbrook had a 21-point night and reached another milestone by passing Oscar Robertson to move into 15th place on the career scoring list. He’s now the leading scorer among all point guards in NBA history.
Central Notes: Mathurin, Cunningham, Bickerstaff, Potter
Bennedict Mathurin is expected to miss some time for the Pacers as he works to come back from a right thumb sprain and turf toe, writes Scott Agness of the Fieldhouse Files (Twitter link).
“When we’re down numbers, it becomes more challenging, but we’ve gotten some guys back,” said coach Rick Carlisle before Sunday’s game. “But now Mathurin’s out for a while.”
Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reports (via Twitter) that Mathurin has been trying to play through the thumb sprain for multiple weeks, but that he needs some time to heal. The fourth-year guard also admitted last month that the toe injury which cost him 11 games earlier in the season was still bothering him.
Mathurin is averaging a career-high 17.8 points per game for the depleted Pacers, but his numbers have dipped since mid-December, likely due in large part to his health issues. Over his last 11 games, he’s averaging 13.5 PPG on .369/.271/.973 shooting splits.
There was no immediate timeline given for his return.
We have more from the Central Division:
- Cade Cunningham, who is playing the best basketball of his career for the East-leading Pistons, credits former NBA guard and current assistant coach Jarrett Jack for helping him take a leap as a player and leader, writes Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press. Sankofa writes that Jack was “attached” to Cunningham upon joining the staff of former head coach Monty Williams. The two do one-on-one work, pregame warmups, and talk on the bench during games together. “He’s always making jokes, always being funny, talking about he could’ve did this or I ain’t that, whatever,” Cunningham said. “It’s cool, man. He just knows how to read the room. That’s the type of stuff that allows the culture to be what it is, people like that. He’s one of the main ones that’s helped build this culture that we got.”
- There were added stakes for the Pistons as they got their first road win against the Cavaliers since coach J.B. Bickerstaff came to Detroit from Cleveland, writes Hunter Patterson of The Athletic (Twitter link). “I feel like we’ve got to have his back coming into here, because I know they get up to play against J.B. every single time,” said Isaiah Stewart, who started in the place of the injured Jalen Duren and contributed three blocks and two steals in the four-point victory. “So it was important for us to get this win tonight.” Coming into today’s game, the Cavaliers were 4-1 against their old coach.
- Micah Potter went from the G League to starting Pacers center in about a week. It’s been a whirlwind, but his previous experience with Team USA has helped him find ways to fit in and be productive, writes Dustin Dopirak of the Indy Star. “The confidence it gave me was like, I belong, right?” Potter said. “I’m not saying I’m going to be a Kevin Durant, a LeBron James, a Tyrese Haliburton, a Steph Curry. I’m not going to be those guys, but I can help those guys. I can find a role to create for those guys whether I’m scoring or not. And that was the thing that gave me the most confidence, and I also hit a couple of shots which was really cool too.” Potter’s first start came on Friday in a loss to the Spurs. He scored 16 points on 4-of-8 from three with six rebounds. In Sunday’s matchup against the Magic, he had 11 points and 10 rebounds in just over 29 minutes. “Just try to do my job as best I can,” he said. “Create for my teammates, whether that’s passing, shooting open shots, setting good screens, anything like that. Just trying to create space for my teammates and play off that.”
Celtics Notes: Brown, Walsh, Mazzulla, Stevens
Jaylen Brown‘s already impressive season reached a new level during Saturday night’s victory over the Clippers, writes Jay King for The Athletic.
The Celtics wing scored 50 points and dished out six assists while requesting to take the Kawhi Leonard matchup defensively. King writes that the term “two-way player” means a lot to Brown, as it highlights what he believes the game to really be about.
“Y’all focus on the wrong stuff in the media,” Brown said. “Y’all focus on offense and tough shot-making. I just think that’s not basketball. I think basketball is rebounding. Basketball is defense, defensive versatility, making plays. I know it’s entertainment and that’s what we want to push, but if it comes down to this basketball s–t, I just feel like I’m one of the best.”
Brown is currently second league-wide in opponent field goal percentage, holding players to 39.4% from the field, ESPN’s Bobby Marks notes (via Twitter). That puts him just behind Cason Wallace and just ahead of Victor Wembanyama.
Brown’s coaches and teammates were impressed by the performance, but they weren’t surprised.
“When I saw that Player of the Month (decision), with the stats (Brown posted in December), I knew what was coming,” Luka Garza said. “I’m not like LeBron, I’m not saying I knew he would have 50. I’m just saying I knew he would come out and try to prove a point.”
We have more from the Celtics:
- After having some big games earlier in the season as a starter, Jordan Walsh came off the bench for the first time since November 11 on Saturday after being benched in the second half of Thursday’s win over the Kings, writes King. “I feel like the other team has to feel me. The other staff has to feel me,” Walsh said in response to the move. “The other organization has to feel me. Every time I’m on the court, I’ve got to constantly make it hard for everybody else to kind of survive on the other team. I feel like I hadn’t been doing that. So, I’ve gotta make sure that I am doing that.” The third-year wing responded by scoring 13 points with 13 rebounds in just under 30 minutes off the bench in the win over the Clippers. “I’m no stranger to this, you know what I’m saying?” said Walsh. “I started where I had to always stay ready for my next opportunity. And if that’s the situation I’m in again now, that’s what I got to be ready for.”
- Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla believes that the recent stretch of play has allowed his team to find itself and understand what makes it special, Chris Mannix writes for Sports Illustrated. “We’ve developed our identity over the last month, month and a half,” Mazzulla said. “We know what it looks like and we have to be able to do it every night.” Mannix writes that what was meant to be a gap year is turning into the league’s feel-good story. “I think we’re just hungry,” said Derrick White, who scored 29 points against the Clippers. “Everybody kind of doubted [us]. We got a lot of guys that have that chip on their shoulder. Guys that have been waived haven’t really had the opportunity in the NBA and now they’re getting that chance … it’s been a lot of fun.”
- It was unclear coming into the season – and even throughout most of the fall – whether team president Brad Stevens would consider the Celtics a buyer or a seller, but this recent road trip has answered some of those questions, writes Brian Robb of MassLive. Robb suggests that the Celtics have proven Stevens should be in acquisition mode rather than seeking a cost-cutting move, given the openness of the Eastern Conference. Boston is currently just a half-game out of second place.
Knicks Notes: Hart, Shamet, Defense, Boos
The Knicks are now 2-3 in the five games since Josh Hart suffered a sprained ankle, and the impact of his absence can be felt all over the court, writes Jared Schwartz of the New York Post.
From the Knicks’ perimeter defensive toughness to their usual offensive rebounding prowess to their lack of transition attack, Hart’s fingerprints are typically found all over the game, especially in areas that require toughness or hustle.
“At the end of the day, having Josh out there helps a ton,” coach Mike Brown said. “Right now, our pace is not good. We’re walking the ball up almost every time and then everything is just going to the front side. It’s been a while, at least these last two games, our staples — our pace in the full court and the front court, we wanna space the floor correctly, we wanna make quick decisions, we wanna touch the paint and we want the ball getting reversed — and we haven’t seen a lot of any of that.”
Without Hart, Brown opted to start Mitchell Robinson and Karl-Anthony Towns together on Friday against the Hawks, a strategy the team has tried out at various times and which has yielded mixed results. Against the 76ers, Schwartz writes that both big men struggled as the team suffered its third straight loss.
“Obviously, we miss him,” Jalen Brunson said of Hart. “But there is no excuse to what we should be doing out there. Obviously, he’s a big part of what we do, but we gotta step up.”
We have more from the Knicks:
- While the last week has been something of a low point for the Knicks’ season, there’s reason to believe that hope is on the horizon, writes Ian Begley for SNY. Hart, though still limited to light on-court work, is expected to be reevaluated on Friday, and Begley writes that he’s expected to return soon after that. Meanwhile, Landry Shamet, who has been sidelined since November 22 with a shoulder sprain after a hot start to the year, is expected back on the court next week, according to Begley.
- The Knicks’ New Year’s resolution should be to fix their floundering defense, writes Kristian Winfield of the New York Daily News (subscriber link). The team has ranked in the bottom 10 in the NBA since the start of December. “It starts with guarding the ball and guarding the ball without fouling,” Brown said. “And on top of that, obviously our transition defense — both of those areas haven’t been good. Those have been themes as of late for us and we’ve got to somehow, someway fix it.” After Saturday’s loss, the Knicks have now given up at least 124 points in six of their last seven games. They also have a negative net rating over their last eight games. Their offense has struggled as well of late, which makes the defense all the more important. “When the shot’s not falling, where else are we going to hang our hat?” Brown asked. “It has to be on the defensive end. And we didn’t do that tonight.”
- It’s been a while since Knicks fans had something to boo about, but Friday’s loss to the Hawks saw fans boo their home team multiple times throughout the game, Winfield writes. It happened midway through the third quarter, as Atlanta’s lead climbed to 29 points. Then, at the beginning of the fourth, the boos came again. “It’s human nature when you have success you tend to let down a little bit, especially when you’re playing or competing against the best in the world,” Brown said. “It’s human nature to let go of the rope from time to time, especially if you’re still finding ways to have success. And then when you do have success, I’ve experienced this on a lot of other teams I’ve been with, people come for your neck and they’re coming for your neck for 48 minutes.”
Derrick Jones Jr. To Be Reevaluated In Six Weeks Due To MCL Sprain
Derrick Jones Jr. has been diagnosed with a Grade II MCL sprain in his right knee, Shams Charania reports for ESPN (Twitter link). According to Charania, Jones will be reevaluated in six weeks.
Jones had played just four games for the Clippers since returning from a similar injury that he suffered in November. At the time of his previous injury, he was given the same estimated recovery timeline and ended up being sidelined from Nov. 16 to Dec. 28, missing 17 games during that span.
In his 17 games this season, Jones has posted career-high scoring numbers, averaging 10.4 points while shooting 40.0% from three, a personal best. He’s also averaging a career-high 1.1 blocks per game.
Law Murphy of The Athletic notes (via Twitter) that the Clippers have 20 games left before the All-Star Break, and this timeline could mean that Jones misses all of them. The Clippers went 5-12 during his previous absence.
Stein’s Latest: Davis, Mavs, VanVleet, Lakers
The Hawks and Mavericks are in something of a holding pattern when it comes to a potential Anthony Davis trade, Marc Stein reports for The Stein Line (Substack link).
Given Atlanta’s tendency to avoid the luxury tax, Stein suggests it’s unlikely that the team will add Davis’ contract, which will pay him $58.5MM next season and $62.8MM in the 2027/28 season, without moving Trae Young, who has a $48.9MM player option for next season.
Stein adds that, despite previous reports that the Hawks would be willing to move former No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher in the right deal, his sources indicate that an in-season trade for Davis likely wouldn’t fit that bill.
Rich Paul, who represents Davis, is also a player in these conversations. Stein notes that Paul has a strong, plugged-in relationship with many of the top decision-makers in the Mavericks’ organization and that there are indications he views Atlanta as a good landing spot for his client, though such a deal may have to wait until the offseason.
We have more from Stein’s most recent newsletter:
- Regardless of what happens with Davis, it’s clear that the Mavericks are taking a hard look at their roster. Stein writes that there’s a belief that everyone on the team outside of Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving is considered potentially on the table. The Mavs have a 13-23 record on the season and have lost six of their last eight games.
- When Fred VanVleet tore his ACL during an unofficial Rockets preseason mini-camp, the expectation was that he would miss the rest of the 2025/26 season. However, Stein reports that Houston isn’t ruling out a return for the 31-year-old point guard. VanVleet is apparently attacking his rehab process hard with the intention of giving himself the chance of returning to play before the season is over.
- The Lakers‘ desire to add a two-way wing such as Herbert Jones or Trey Murphy III is well-documented, but their pathway to adding that player is complicated for multiple reasons. The first is that the two Pelicans‘ wings are considered unlikely to be moved before the trade deadline, and the second is that the Lakers are not expected to sacrifice their 2026 financial flexibility in any deal that doesn’t net them a player they consider a real needle-mover, Stein writes. Given that two-way wings are some of the most coveted players around the league, there’s no guarantee anyone who meets that criteria will be attainable for L.A. at the deadline.
International Notes: Dinwiddie, Silva, De Colo, NBA Europe
Veteran NBA guard Spencer Dinwiddie has officially parted ways with Bayern Munich, the German team announced in a press release.
According to Bayern, which competes in both the Basketball Bundesliga (BBL) and the EuroLeague, Dinwiddie’s contract was terminated in a mutual agreement. The 32-year-old was granted permission to travel to the United States prior to Christmas because a family member is dealing with a serious illness.
“I would like to thank the organization, the team, and the fans. Despite the recent challenging phase of the season, I felt very comfortable in Munich. Unfortunately, I am currently not in a position to play,” Dinwiddie said in a statement.
An 11-year NBA veteran, Dinwiddie signed a one-year, minimum-salary contract with Charlotte in July. Although the deal was fully guaranteed, he became the victim of a preseason roster crunch for the Hornets, who waived him on October 16. He signed with Bayern, his first international team, a week later.
Here are a few more international items of interest:
- Former NBA big man Chris Silva is moving from AEK Athens to Fenerbahce, as first reported by Turkish journalist Yağız Sabuncuoğlu (via Twitter) and confirmed by Semih Tuna of Eurohoops.net and Domantas Urbonas of BasketNews.com. The 29-year-old forward/center was thriving with the Greek team and reportedly received interest from multiple EuroLeague clubs before deciding to sign with Turkey’s Fenerbahce, which won the EuroLeague championship last season.
- Fenerbahce will also be adding ex-NBA guard Nando De Colo, who has parted ways with LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne, according to an announcement from the French team (hat tip to Tuna of Eurohoops). “Approached by the Turkish club, Nando was keen to seize this opportunity, to which LDLC ASVEL did not object, wishing to respect the player’s wishes,” ASVEL said in a statement. “The entire club thanks Nando for his integrity and professionalism throughout these years spent at LDLC ASVEL and wishes him the maximum joy and trophies for the rest of his career.”
- Some European politicians have raised objections about the NBA’s proposed European league, according to Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops. January will be an important month for the new venture and for the EuroLeague, which is waiting to hear back from four teams — including Fenerbahce and ASVEL — about whether or not they will stay in the league in 2026/27, per Aris Barkas of Eurohoops.
10-Day Contract Window Opens Monday; Salary Guarantee Deadline Looms
As our tracker shows, the injury-plagued Pacers and Grizzlies have both been granted several hardship exceptions this season, allowing each team to sign multiple players to 10-day contracts. But tomorrow — Monday, January 5 — will be the first day that NBA teams can sign players to standard 10-day contracts.
A 10-day contract, as we outline in our glossary entry, allows a team to add a player to its roster for either 10 days or three games (whichever occurs later) without any commitment beyond that. A player can sign up to two 10-day deals with the same team in a single season — after those two contracts, the team must decide whether to sign him to a rest-of-season contract or part ways with him.
For some teams, the 10-day contract provides an opportunity to take a flier on a young player to see if he deserves a longer-term look. Other clubs may utilize 10-day deals for short-term injury fill-ins or simply to meet minimum roster requirements.
The NBA’s 10-day signing window always opens just ahead of the league-wide salary guarantee deadline. If a team wants to let go of a player on a non-guaranteed contract to avoid being on the hook for his full-season salary, it must release that player on or before Wednesday, Jan. 7 to ensure he clears waivers prior to the guarantee date of Jan. 10.
The start of the 10-day contract period and the salary guarantee deadline go hand in hand, since teams cutting players before their salaries become fully guaranteed often sign players to 10-day contracts to fill those newly opened roster spots. In some cases, the same player who was waived at the salary guarantee deadline returns to his team on a 10-day contract, as clubs looks to maximize their roster flexibility.
Thirteen teams currently have a 15-man roster opening, though most of those clubs won’t rush to fill their open roster spots with 10-day signees due to their financial situations. Teams may also want to maximize their roster flexibility in advance of the trade deadline — the majority of 10-day signings during a typical season occur after the deadline has passed.
Injury Notes: LaVine, D. Jones, T. Young, J. Smith, C. White
After missing nine games with a left ankle sprain, Kings wing Zach LaVine will return to action on Sunday against Milwaukee, tweets James Ham of TheKingsBeat.com. Rookie center Maxime Raynaud will also be active after having an injury scare in Friday’s loss to Phoenix.
LaVine is reportedly one of several players the Bucks are monitoring ahead of the trade deadline, so it’s an interesting coincidence that he’s returning today.
Here are a few more injury-relates updates from around the NBA:
- Clippers forward Derrick Jones Jr. suffered a right knee injury in Saturday’s loss to Boston and will undergo an MRI on Sunday, reports Law Murray of The Athletic (All Twitter links here). According to Murray, Jones limped to the locker room after being fouled by Payton Pritchard in the fourth quarter. It’s a disappointing development for the high-flying Jones, who just returned to action on December 28 after missing several weeks with a sprained MCL in the same knee.
- Hawks point guard Trae Young missed his fourth straight game on Saturday at Toronto, per Brad Rowland of Locked On Hawks (Twitter link). The four-time All-Star has been battling a right quad contusion. Kristaps Porzingis (return to competition reconditioning) was also out for the second night of a back-to-back, which was expected, Rowland notes (via Twitter).
- Bulls big man Jalen Smith has entered the NBA’s concussion protocol after taking a hard hit to the head in the third quarter of Saturday’s loss to Charlotte, head coach Billy Donovan said after the game (Twitter link via K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network). Smith has been ruled out of Monday’s contest at Boston after being diagnosed with a concussion (link to injury report). On a brighter note, guard Coby White has a chance to return Monday — he’s questionable with what the team is calling right calf injury management.