And-Ones: Fears, 2025 Draft, 2026 Draft, Graham, Young, Wells
Oklahoma guard Jeremiah Fears has improved his draft stock with his early season performances, according to Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report. In Wasserman’s view, Fears now projects to go anywhere from No. 3 to No. 10 next June after leading the Sooners to a 12-0 start, including a 30-point outing against Michigan.
Saint Joseph’s forward Rasheer Fleming and Illinois guard Kasparas Jakucionis have also been impressive during the first two months of the college season. Fleming is now receiving first-round consideration, while Jakucionis is solidifying his projected lottery status.
We have more from around the basketball world:
- While the 2025 draft class has received plenty of hype, the top of the 2026 draft could be even more impressive, according to Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic. Wing AJ Dybantsa is the top player in his class, while Cameron Boozer and Darryn Peterson have also generated some buzz regarding their futures. One NBA executive suggested to Vorkunov that teams might start positioning themselves for the 2026 draft ahead of this year’s trade deadline.
- Unsigned NBA veteran guard Devonte’ Graham may have earned at least a 10-day deal with his outing in the G League Showcase, according to John Hollinger of The Athletic. Graham had a 24-point game for the South Bay Lakers. Graham spent training camp and the preseason on a non-guaranteed contract with the Trail Blazers before being waived. A few other unaffiliated players stood out, Hollinger adds, with Grand Rapids Gold guard Jahmir Young heading that group. He had 50 points in two games. He was waived by the Nuggets during training camp.
- The race for the Rookie of the Year award is wide open, The Athletic’s Fred Katz notes. With the Sixers‘ Jared McCain sidelined, Grizzlies‘ second-rounder Jaylen Wells currently tops Katz’s ballot. He lists Pelicans big man Yves Missi second and Spurs wing Stephon Castle third but any number of players could emerge from the pack in the coming months and challenge for top honors.
Southwest Notes: Wembanyama, Paul, Thompson, Missi
Those who tuned in for the early Christmas game between the Spurs and Knicks saw an overwhelming performance by Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama, even though the Knicks pulled out a three-point win.
Wembanyama finished with 42 points, 18 rebounds, four assists and four blocks in 40 minutes. No previous player had ever turned in a combination of that many points, rebounds, assists and blocks on Christmas Day. Wembanyama also came close to Wilt Chamberlain‘s record of 45 points in a Christmas debut.
However, Wembanyama was more focused on the loss than his big numbers, Joe Vardon of The Athletic writes.
“It’s not my first thought at all, I don’t even know the real history by heart of the best Christmas games in history,” Wembanyama said. “I’m thinking about the game right now and just thinking we’re close, but we lack some attributes at times. You know, we’re right there. It was a really disputed game.”
We have more from the Southwest Division:
- The Spurs are sitting at .500 after losing their last two games. Chris Paul believes the team’s next step is to learn to execute during crunch time, he told Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News. “For us, the next step is winning those games,” Paul said. “We got to get to that point where all that ‘young guy stuff’ got to go out the window. We pros just like everybody else and there’s a grit and a will that you got to have in this league in order to figure out ways to win those games, especially on the road when we are the only ones that’s cheering for us.”
- Klay Thompson has passed Reggie Miller for fifth place on the league’s all-time 3-point makes list. That’s a special accomplishment for the Mavericks guard, “I loved Reggie Miller growing up,” Thompson told Christian Clark of The Athletic. “I watched his film and game-winners my whole life. He’s always inspired me to shoot the ball and be a killer. It’s just surreal. Talk about times I prayed for. I prayed for times like that.” Thompson is wearing No. 31 as a tribute to Miller, who wore the same number in his 18 seasons with the Pacers.
- Due to injuries, Pelicans rookie center Yves Missi has been thrown into the fire this season and he seems to be improving with each game. Messi had 21 points, nine rebounds, three blocks and two steals against Denver on Sunday. “He’s well ahead of the curve,” teammate CJ McCollum told Rod Walker of the New Orleans Times Picayune. “He’s probably surprised himself. The development has been great for him. From the first day he got here to now has been night and day.”
Southeast Notes: Butler, Banchero, Coulibaly, Sarr, Wong, Miller
Jimmy Butler was in the spotlight quite a bit on Thursday, but he won’t be on the court tonight when the Heat play in Orlando. He’s listed as out due to return to competition reconditioning, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald tweets. Butler is expected to rejoin the team on Friday when it prepares for Saturday’s road game against the Hawks.
Heat president of basketball operations Pat Riley issued a statement on Thursday declaring that he won’t trade Butler. There has been heavy speculation regarding the future of Butler, who holds a $52.4MM option on his contract for the 2025/26 season.
We have more from the Southeast Division:
- Magic star Paolo Banchero continues to ramp up his on-court work, Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel reports. Banchero has been sidelined eight weeks since he was diagnosed with a torn right abdominal muscle. However, he still hasn’t gone through a contact practice, so his timeline to return remains unclear.
- Bilal Coulibaly and Alex Sarr are available to play for the Wizards tonight against Charlotte, Varun Shankar of the Washington Post tweets. Both players sat out Monday’s loss to the Thunder.
- 2023 second-rounder Isaiah Wong is averaging 7.0 points, 2.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists in seven December games. Roderick Boone of the Charlotte Observer explores whether the Hornets may have found a diamond in the rough in Wong, who was signed to a two-way deal earlier this month.
- Hornets forward Brandon Miller is back in action tonight after missing the last three games due to an ankle injury, Boone tweets.
Central Notes: Giddey, Mitchell, Cunningham, Beasley
Should the Bulls give Josh Giddey a long-term contract? Giddey, currently sidelined by an ankle sprain, will be a restricted free agent after the season. Head coach Billy Donovan believes the fourth-year guard can be a foundation piece for the franchise.
“I think like any player, coach, we all need to get better, so I’ll just start there,” Donovan told Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times. “But I really felt like there was a learning curve with him with our team because one of his greatest strengths is his passing. The defensive part for him, I think he’s gotten better as time has gone on. I think the thing for him the last five or six games before he got hurt, I thought he was really impacting our team in a positive way as he started to figure things out, so I definitely think without question that he can be an important piece to us.”
The front office reportedly didn’t hold serious discussions on a rookie scale extension with Giddey prior to the October deadline.
We have more from the Central Division:
- Donovan Mitchell has settled in with the Cavaliers after previously dealing with trade rumors and concerns about his long-term future, Tony Jones of The Athletic reports. “For years, everyone has talked about if I like Rudy (Gobert), or talked about me going to the New York Knicks or the Miami Heat,” he said. “So, it’s great to finally have that sense of peace.” Mitchell signed a three-year extension with Cleveland over the summer. “It’s hard to win championships. It’s hard to win in this league. Despite public opinion, I love being in Cleveland and I want to win a title with this group,” he added.
- Accolades from the league’s superstars keep piling up for Pistons guard Cade Cunningham. After Kevin Durant offered high praise for Cunningham over the weekend, LeBron James also complimented him following Detroit’s win over the Lakers on Monday. “He’s just too big,” James said, per Hunter Patterson of The Athletic. “He’s got wide shoulders, big legs and he knows exactly what he’s doing. And he gets to it. Solid player. Very, very solid. He’s gotten better and better, and the best thing I think this year is that he’s been healthy. He was the No. 1 pick, right? That’s for a reason. They got a great one.”
- After signing a one-year deal with the Pistons, Malik Beasley is proving to be one of the league’s best free agent pickups during the offseason. He’s averaging 16.6 points per game for the much-improved club and told Mark Medina of Sportskeeda that he’s made himself an elite shooter. “A lot of people don’t work. A lot of people don’t come in and do extra work,” he said. “As much as I do it, you’d be surprised on how many guys don’t do it. How many guys don’t come in to work before shootaround? It’s not mandatory. But that’s what separates those guys. What separates me as an elite shooter? I’m not a Hall-of-Fame player. But I’m a Hall-of-Fame shooter. So you just keep pushing.”
Western Notes: Colllins, Wembanyama, Finch, Murray
Zach Collins has lost his rotation spot with the Spurs, but he’s not going to cause a distraction. Collins, who hasn’t played in the last five games (including three DNP-CDs) after seeing the court in each of the first 24 this season, says he’ll be ready to play whenever called upon, he told Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News.
“I’ve said this since I’ve been here, I want to play 48 minutes a game,” said Collins, who is signed through next season. “But right now it’s not my role, so my job is just to stay ready. I got to stay ready as a professional when my number is called. God forbid, somebody gets hurt, but the lineups change, somebody gets sick, whatever. Guys have to be ready. Not just me, but all the guys that haven’t been playing, we all got to be ready, so that’s where my mind’s at.”
We have more from the Western Conference:
- Victor Wembanyama is a unique talent and he knows it. He told the Spurs not to underestimate his versatility prior to his rookie season, Michael C. Wright of ESPN reports. “The best way for me to help is to not put me in a box,” he said then. Wembanyama wasn’t popular in Philadelphia on Monday, as he was showered with boos after Joel Embiid was ejected and Andre Drummond was nearly ejected. Wembanyama was accused of flopping before the officials realized he had tripped. “I’ve seen much, much worse, so this is nothing,” Wembanyama told Orsborn when asked about the hostile fans.
- Chris Finch is grasping for solutions to fix the Timberwolves’ slumbering offense. The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski writes. Minnesota has lost three straight and the team’s offense has dropped to 23rd at 110.3 points per 100 possessions. Finch has continued to stick with his usual eight-man rotation, though it may be time to do something bold, such as swapping Naz Reid for Julius Randle in the starting lineup, Krawczynski writes. Finch is open-minded about making changes. “Everything’s always on the table, for sure,” the head coach said. “But also we need to keep looking at lineup combinations as the game goes on, too.”
- Nuggets guard Jamal Murray missed Monday’s game against Phoenix after spraining his right ankle the previous night. The Nuggets will face the Suns again on Christmas Day and Murray is listed as questionable, the team tweets. Murray, who is averaging 19.1 points and 6.1 assists, has missed six games this season.
Community Shootaround: Pistons’ Postseason Chances
The Pistons won only 14 games last season, their worst mark in franchise history. With a new head coach and revamped front office, they’re no longer a laughingstock.
In many games last season, the Pistons looked overmatched from the opening tip. Thanks to some veteran upgrades, they’ve put up a fight in most games this season.
Following road wins against the Suns and Lakers, Detroit is now just one shy of last season’s win total at 13-17. Cade Cunningham (23.9 points, 9.7 assists, and 7.0 rebounds per game) is playing at an All-Star level.
Backcourt partner Jaden Ivey (17.4 PPG, 4.2 APG, 4.2 RPG) has played with more confidence under new coach J.B. Bickerstaff. President of basketball operations Trajan Langdon signed or traded for Tobias Harris, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Malik Beasley to complement the team’s young core. Those additions have made a major difference.
Beasley, in particular, has proved to be a bargain signing on a one-year deal. He’s averaging 16.6 points per game, mostly off the bench, while making 41.6 percent of his three-pointers.
Naturally, those vets could be dealt for assets, but that’s not a given. There’s value in learning how to win and perhaps getting a taste of the postseason.
The latter is not far-fetched. The Pistons are currently tied for ninth in the Eastern Conference, which would get them one of the last two play-in spots.
Detroit has posted some other solid wins this season. The Pistons have notched two overtime victories over the Heat, a home win over the Lakers and road victories against the Pacers and Knicks.
Most of the teams behind them are either in tank mode or simply awful. Among that group, only the Sixers figure to move up the standings. On the flip side, the Bulls and Hawks could slide down the standings, depending on what they decide to do in the trade market.
That brings us to today’s topic: Will the Pistons, last season’s worst team, qualify for the play-in tournament? Should they hold onto to the veterans who have improved the team or should they look to deal them for assets?
Please take to the comments section to weigh in on this topic. We look forward to your input.
Suns Looking To Move Jusuf Nurkic
The Suns are shopping starting center Jusuf Nurkic, Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic reports.
Phoenix’s front office is seeking another big man in return, with the Wizards‘ Jonas Valanciunas and Bulls‘ Nikola Vucevic among the players mentioned in trade talks.
There still are conversations about a deal with the Heat involving Jimmy Butler, Rankin adds, confirming a Marc Stein report. Bradley Beal would be a natural fit salary-wise in a Butler deal but he’d have to waive a no-trade clause — and the Heat would have to be willing to take on his multiyear, maximum-salary contract.
The Suns, with three star players in their lineup, are floundering at the .500 mark. Their desire to move Nurkic indicates they’re looking for ways to shake things up, though second apron restrictions limit what they can do.
Nurkic is averaging 9.1 points, 9.6 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 24.5 minutes per game during his second season with the Suns. Nurkic played just 15 minutes against Denver on Monday. He averaged 10.9 PPG, 11.0 RPG and 4.0 APG last season.
Phoenix acquired him in the three-team blockbuster in which Damian Lillard was dealt to Milwaukee and former Suns center Deandre Ayton was sent to the Trail Blazers.
Nurkic is signed through next season. He’s making $18.125MM this season and will bring in $19.375MM next season.
Valanciunas is making $9.9MM this season, so there would need to be additional players in a transaction involving the Wizards. Vucevic, also signed through next season, is pulling in $20MM this season.
Knicks Add Landry Shamet, Waive Matt Ryan
DECEMBER 23: The Knicks have announced the signing of Shamet (Twitter link). Both roster moves are now official.
DECEMBER 22: The Knicks have agreed to a standard contract with guard Landry Shamet, ESPN’s Shams Charania reports. It’s a one-year deal, James Edwards III of The Athletic tweets.
To make room for Shamet and remain under the second-apron hard cap, the Knicks have waived forward Matt Ryan, the team’s PR department tweets.
It’s not surprising New York brought back Shamet. who dislocated his shoulder during the preseason while participating in Knicks training camp. He remained with the Westchester Knicks in the G League while rehabbing his injury and the NBA club was simply waiting for him to get back to full strength. Coach Tom Thibodeau commented on Shamet’s status a week ago.
“It’s good to see him out there healthy again,” Thibodeau said then. “(But) there’s a number of things that have to happen before he can play with us.”
Shamet was likely to make the opening night roster prior to the injury. He had signed a non-guaranteed, minimum-salary contract during the offseason.
He was waived before opening night. Shamet appeared in 46 games with Washington last season and averaged 7.1 points in 15.8 minutes per contest. He has also played for Philadelphia, the Los Angeles Clippers, Brooklyn and Phoenix in 348 total regular season outings.
Ryan was inked to a non-guaranteed contract in early November and appeared in nine Knicks games, but logged very few minutes in those outings.
Assuming he goes unclaimed on waivers, Ryan will count for $621,439 in dead money on New York’s books. The cap hit for Shamet’s contract will depend on when he officially signs — if it’s officially finalized on Monday, the deal will carry a cap charge of $1,343,690 for the Knicks.
Central Notes: Cunningham, Lillard, Toppin, Buzelis
The Pistons collected a road win over the Suns on Saturday and Kevin Durant gave high praise to Detroit guard Cade Cunningham, Hunter Patterson of The Athletic writes.
“I think it’s his year to be an All-Star, take off and go to that next level. It’s always a joy to play against him because we compete,” Durant said. “He doesn’t treat me like the old head and take it easy on me and vice versa. I don’t try to take it easy on him.”
Cunningham, who grew up watching Durant, was grateful for the support from the star forward, referring to him as a “living legend.”
“It’s an honor, man,” said Cunningham, who signed a max rookie scale extension in the offseason. “Every time. I tell (Durant) every time we play each other, it’s an honor to be able to compete with him. He’s such a basketball junkie. I’ve gotten the chance to work out with him, see what he’s like in the offseason and how he works. It’s an honor to be able to play against him, somebody that I’ve watched as a kid.”
We have more from the Central Division:
- The Bucks don’t expect Damian Lillard to miss much time. Lillard, who sat out Friday’s game against Cleveland due to a right calf strain, felt some discomfort before the NBA Cup final but still scored 23 points. “He could play as early as Chicago on Monday or right after that, so he’s close,” head coach Doc Rivers said told The Athletic’s Eric Nehm. “He worked out (Saturday) and felt pretty good.”
- Obi Toppin signed a four-year, $60MM contract during free agency to remain with the Pacers. He’s backing that up by posting some solid numbers. Over his last eight games, Toppin is averaging 15.1 points on 59.2% shooting (including 42.9% from three-point range), 6.6 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.4 steals per game. As the Indianapolis Star’s Dustin Dopirak points out, the forward is impressing head coach Rick Carlisle with more than just his offensive production. “In the last two-and-a-half, three weeks, Obi has taken his game to another level,” Carlisle said. “More physical. Defense and rebounding really, really tremendous. Offensively, he’s getting in a rhythm. He’s one of our important weapons. When he defends and rebounds the way he has been in recent games, it’s another really important factor for us.”
- After the Bulls selected him in the lottery, Matas Buzelis set two goals, according to the Chicago Tribune’s Julia Poe: 1. Win as many games as possible; 2. Win Rookie of the Year. Buzelis has been getting rotation minutes but has posted modest stats thus far. Buzelis discusses his rookie season at length with Poe.
Atlantic Notes: Drummond, Embiid, Whitehead, Quickley
With Joel Embiid missing a majority of the Sixers’ games so far, Andre Drummond has played an unheralded role in Philadelphia, not just on the court but also as a respected locker room voice, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Keith Pompey.
Drummond, who signed a two-year, $10MM with the Sixers during the summer, is averaging 7.1 points and 8.3 rebounds in 19.8 minutes per game across 23 outings (14 starts). That’s his highest MPG average and the most starts he has made since the 2021/22 season.
“I’m at a point now where I’ve done everything individually, accolade-wise,” Drummond said. “A lot of things that guys in this league haven’t done, I’ve done it already, individually. My goal now is to win. And whatever capacity that comes in, you know, I’m down to do for the team. Do I want to play more? Of course, who doesn’t want to play more? But that’s not best for the team right now.”
We have more from the Atlantic Division:
- Embiid’s latest injury was a right sinus fracture but he was able to rack up 34 points against Charlotte this week. The Sixers star said he’s stopping feeling sorry for himself when he gets injured, Pompey writes. “A lesson that I learned is stop feeling bad about myself, live day by day, enjoy the good people around, the positive and not focus on the negative,” he said.
- Dariq Whitehead has only appeared in three games with the Nets this season but the 2023 first-rounder isn’t upset. He’s actually glad to be spending time with the Long Island Nets, since being in the G League gives the forward an opportunity to play regular minutes. “I was very clear with my agent that I needed to continue to play,” he told Eric Slater of Clutch Points (hat tip to NetsDaily.com). “I knew we had some guys that were injured, some older guys, and I knew they were gonna come back and get back in the rotation. So I was very adamant with my agent that I needed to go back down to the G League and play. That was a big boost for me.”
- Immanuel Quickley is inching closer to a return after missing 17 games due to a left elbow injury. The Raptors guard, who also had an eight-game absence early in the season due to a pelvic injury, went through a light practice Saturday and was a full participant in all non-contact elements, according to Michael Grange of Sportsnet. He’ll know he’s ready to suit up again when he can throw all the one-handed passes a point guard needs with his left hand, Grange adds.