Lakers Sign Kobe Bufkin To 10-Day Contract
5:33pm: The signing is official, accordinig to a team press release.
1:29pm: The Lakers have agreed to a 10-day deal with guard Kobe Bufkin, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).
The 15th overall pick in the 2023 NBA draft, Bufkin spent his first two professional seasons with the Hawks before being traded to the Nets this offseason. He was subsequently waived by Brooklyn before the 2025/26 regular season tipped off.
Bufkin battled injuries during his first two NBA seasons in Atlanta and made just 27 total appearances for the Hawks. 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.
Bufkin has been healthier so far this season though, making 14 appearances for the South Bay Lakers, Los Angeles’ G League affiliate. The 6’4″ guard has put up big numbers at the NBAGL level, averaging 26.7 points, 4.9 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.3 blocks in 34.5 minutes per game, with an elite shooting line of .519/.409/.902.
Bufkin’s strong play in the G League earned him a 10-day contract from the Grizzlies in November, but he didn’t end up seeing any action in any of his five games with the team.
The 22-year-old’s 10-day contract will pay him $131,970, while the Lakers carry an identical cap hit. Los Angeles is right up against its first-apron hard cap and can’t currently sign a free agent to a rest-of-season contract.
Based on their cap situation, the Lakers were projected to be able to fit a rest-of-season signing under that hard cap as of January 18, but Bufkin’s 10-day deal will push that date back to Jan. 28.
Assuming the Lakers finalize their deal with Bufkin today, he’ll get an opportunity to suit up against his former team on his first day on the job — L.A. is hosting the Hawks on Tuesday night.
Pacific Notes: Hachimura, Luka, Harden, Suns, Warriors
Although he was available on Monday, Lakers forward Rui Hachimura sat out for a seventh straight game after head coach JJ Redick learned that Hachimura would be available for just one game in the team’s back-to-back set. As Dave McMenamin of ESPN writes, Redick decided to save the forward for Tuesday’s game against Atlanta.
The Lakers lost without Hachimura on Monday, falling to a Sacramento team that made 17-of-26 three-point tries. Luka Doncic racked up 42 points vs. the Kings, but was battling a groin issue that required treatment throughout the night, notes McMenamin.
“I was really uncertain (about playing),” Doncic admitted after the game. “Before the game, like warming up, I felt something. So we were just trying to get warm and get going.”
While Hachimura will make his return on Tuesday, it’s unclear whether Doncic (left groin soreness) or LeBron James (left foot joint arthritis and right sciatica) will play. They’re both listed as questionable, per Marc Stein (Twitter link), and could join Jaxson Hayes (left hamstring soreness) and Austin Reaves (left calf strain) on the sidelines.
“Obviously we’re dealing with a lot of injuries right now,” James said on Monday, according to McMenamin. “Not only guys that are not in uniform, but even guys that are in uniform. So, we’re just trying to weather the storm.”
We have more from around the Pacific:
- Clippers guard James Harden become the NBA’s ninth all-time leading scorer on Monday, passing Shaquille O’Neal‘s career total of 28,596 points. “Shaquille O’Neal, somebody that I literally grew up watching here in L.A.,” Harden said, per The Associated Press. “Him and Kobe (Bryant) doing their thing, winning multiple championships, the most dominant big man in the history of the game. It’s a true honor, it’s a testament to the work that I put in.”
- Asked if injured guards Jalen Green (right hamstring strain) and Jamaree Bouyea (concussion protocol) will be available at some point during the six-game road trip that begins on Tuesday, Suns head coach Jordan Ott replied, “That’s the plan” (Twitter link via Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic). Green has been out since November 8, while Bouyea has missed Phoenix’s past four games.
- Spencer Davies of R.org profiles second-year Suns big man Oso Ighodaro, who has earned praise from Ott for his versatility and his ability to be a “connector” in a variety of lineups. Phoenix has a +7.5 net rating during Ighodaro’s time on the court this season, compared to a -1.2 mark when he sits. “I think last year, when it was spot minutes, I was just giving everything I got,” Ighodaro said. “And now, (I’m) playing a little bit longer stretches, trying to maintain that same level of play just for my entire stretch I’m in the game. I’m definitely being asked to do a little bit more this year, so I’m trying to do all that while maintaining all the effort and intensity.”
- In the wake of Sunday’s loss to Atlanta, Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area refers to the Warriors‘ roster as “profoundly defective” due to the team’s lack of length and athleticism, while Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area questions whether head coach Steve Kerr should remain committed to a starting lineup featuring Moses Moody and Quinten Post alongside Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler, and Draymond Green. That five-man unit has started 13 of the Warriors’ past 14 games but has a net rating of -3.3 on the season.
And-Ones: Fields, OTE, NBA Europe, 2026 Draft, More
Former Hawks general manager Landry Fields has a new job, having been hired by Overtime Elite (OTE) as its president of league operations, writes Alex Schiffer of Front Office Sports.
The nine-team league, which launched in 2021 and is made up of prospects between the ages of 16 and 20, has several notable alumni, including recent NBA lottery picks like Alex Sarr, Amen Thompson, and Ausar Thompson. Fields will look for ways to continue growing OTE while overseeing all competitive, development, and operational aspects of the league, Schiffer writes.
“He’s got four unique parts of his career that touch everything we do,” Overtime CEO Dan Porter explained to Schiffer. “He was a player so he understands that ecosystem. And he’s a young guy. He knows what social media is. He deeply understands college. He played four years at Stanford. At the Spurs he really did player development and scouting and clearly our league is driven by talent. And at the Hawks, he dealt with all of the business side.
“None of (our other staff) have gone all the way up and down. We haven’t had someone who touches NBA, college, who was a player and touches all of those things.”
Here are several more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- The NBA is aiming for franchise valuations of up to $1 billion as it prepares to pitch investors on its new European league, according to Giles Turner and Jake Rudnitsky of Bloomberg (subscription required). With NBA commissioner Adam Silver overseas this week for games in Berlin and London, the league is expected to hold meetings this week with potential investors and teams for NBA Europe.
- The EuroLeague is seeking 10-year commitments from its A-license teams as it looks to avoid losing clubs to NBA Europe. According to Aris Barkas of Eurohoops, the EuroLeague has set this coming Friday as a deadline for those decisions and has threatened potential legal action against the NBA if it tries to recruit clubs that have committed to the EuroLeague.
- ESPN’s Jeremy Woo has updated his 2026 mock draft, which features Kansas star Darryn Peterson in the No. 1 spot on Houston point guard Kingston Flemings sneaking into the top five.
- Looking back at past transaction cycles, Zach Kram of ESPN analyzes 14 blockbuster trades completed since 2013 to determine what we can learn from them, while The Athletic’s NBA writers identify one trade that each of the NBA’s franchises would like to be able to undo.
- Michael Pina of The Ringer identifies his seven “least improved” players of the 2025/26 season so far, ranging from stars like Ja Morant and Evan Mobley to young role players like Rob Dillingham and Ochai Agbaji.
Mavericks Notes: Irving, Davis, Two-Ways, Flagg
The Mavericks are just 15-25 so far this season and are facing the prospect of being without star big man Anthony Davis for an extended period due to a hand injury. However, there have been no indications that the team is seriously considering the idea of shutting down point guard Kyrie Irving for the rest of the season, sources tell Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal.
Irving has spent most of the past year recovering from an ACL tear he sustained last March. While the Mavericks still haven’t provided any concrete updates on a potential timeline for the guard’s return to action, Afseth hears the “prevailing expectation” is that Irving is on track to play at some point after next month’s All-Star break.
According to Afseth, Irving looked “sharp, explosive, and efficient” while taking part in a full on-court workout with assistant coach Phil Handy during last week’s road trip. He showed no “visible hesitation” while taking part in those drills, which simulated game-like demands, Afseth adds.
Here’s more on the Mavericks:
- Head coach Jason Kidd didn’t have a concrete update on Monday when asked about Davis, who is reportedly seeking multiple medical opinions after sustaining ligament damage in his left hand. “I think that’s sometime this week that he’ll talk to the doctors,” Kidd said, per Eddie Sekfo of Mavs.com. “But there is no timetable when he’s going to make that announcement. The team is playing. We’ve been through this before, not just with AD. We’ve been hit with a lot of injuries the last two years. Next man up mentality.”
- Pointing out that Dallas is 5-15 when Davis doesn’t play this season, Christian Clark of The Athletic suggests the big man’s latest injury might actually be a blessing in disguise for the team, which could benefit from landing another high pick in the 2026 draft. After this year, the Mavs won’t control their own first-round selection again until 2031.
- Players on two-way contracts can be active for up to 50 regular season games, and Moussa Cisse (34) and Ryan Nembhard (33) are both on track to reach their limits in February. According to Kidd, Dallas is monitoring those figures very closely. “We’re good at that because we went through that last year,” Kidd said. “We all have dates for those guys if they play all the way out when they expire. We’ll be able to manage those from our experiences with last year’s two-ways.” The Mavs could eliminate that 50-game restriction by promoting Cisse and/or Nembhard to the 15-man roster, but they don’t currently have an open spot available and have limited cap flexibility below their second-apron hard cap.
- The last rookie to be named to the NBA’s All-Star Game was Blake Griffin in 2011. Could Cooper Flagg achieve the feat this year? Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News explores that subject, noting that Flagg is at least a lock to play in the Rising Stars event. “We hope that he does make the ‘big game’ and he gets voted in,” Kidd said. “He’s playing at a high level for a young player. He’s taking on the best defender. He’s trying to help his team win. He’s been very successful in late game. Hopefully he’s in the ‘big game,’ but he will participate in the ‘little game.'”
Trade Notes: Cavs, Nets, MPJ, Grizzlies, More
The Cavaliers acquired forward De’Andre Hunter in their only in-season trade in 2024/25, but Hunter’s disappointing performance so far in ’25/26 may necessitate another in-season move a year later, writes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (subscription required).
Sources tell Fedor that the Cavaliers haven’t engaged in any meaningful trade talks with teams inquiring on their players so far, including one club that made an offer for Hunter. Cleveland still believes in its current group despite an underwhelming 22-19 first half and wants to see what it looks like at full strength, if possible, Fedor adds.
However, with Max Strus expected to remain sidelined for at least a few more weeks, Dean Wade dealing with a nagging knee issue – he recently underwent a precautionary MRI that came back clean, per Fedor – and Hunter struggling to make an impact, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the Cavs explore their options on the trade market before the deadline.
After Hunter scored a season-low two points and committed three turnovers in 18 minutes of action in Monday’s home loss to Utah, head coach Kenny Atkinson acknowledged the forward’s struggles while expressing a belief that he can still turn things around.
“It’s not clicking. I think it’s a prolonged batting slump. It happens in every sport,” Atkinson said. “Trying to support him. Trying to get him some touches. Part of my job is to help him. He’ll snap out of it. He’s too good of a player to be playing like this. He’ll turn it around. We need him.”
Here are a few more trade-related notes and rumors from around the NBA:
- Noting that Nets general manager Sean Marks typically exercises patience on the trade market and doesn’t settle for deals that fall shy of his asking price, Brian Lewis of The New York Post (subscription required) writes that there’s a real chance Michael Porter Jr. remains with the team through the trade deadline. One assistant GM told Lewis that he wouldn’t be surprised if Brooklyn hangs onto Porter and then sits him frequently after the trade deadline in an effort to tank for a high draft pick.
- Kelly Iko of Yahoo Sports and Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports both check in on the Ja Morant situation, with Iko explaining why the Grizzlies appear prepared to move forward without the star point guard and O’Connor presenting some hypothetical trade scenarios involving the 26-year-old. Echoing recent reporting from ESPN, Iko says executives around the NBA are wondering if Memphis will also become open to dealing Jaren Jackson Jr., though the Grizzlies have insisted for now that’s not an option they’re considering.
- Dan Woike of The Athletic suggests six trade ideas for the Lakers, including potential deals that send Andrew Wiggins, Herbert Jones, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, or Justin Champagnie to Los Angeles. However, he also plays devil’s advocate by outlining reasons why his suggestions might not work, such as the Pelicans’ lack of interest in moving Jones and the Lakers’ reluctance to take on multiyear salary for a player like KCP.
- Sam Vecenie of The Athletic lays out a few trades he’d like to see happen, including one sending Bulls guard Coby White into the Pistons‘ trade exception for draft assets, a three-team deal sending Michael Porter Jr. to the Warriors and Jonathan Kuminga to the Kings, and a Daniel Gafford/Bennedict Mathurin swap between the Pacers and Mavericks.
Hawks Notes: McCollum, Kispert, Draft, Risacher, Porzingis
The Hawks traded Trae Young to Washington last Friday, roughly four weeks ahead of this season’s trade deadline. Speaking to reporters on Monday, general manager Onsi Saleh acknowledged that he could’ve waived until closer to February 5 to see what other opportunities materialized involving Young, but he explained that he liked the return from the Wizards enough that he didn’t feel the need to wait.
“If there are deals to be done, why wait, is my philosophy,” Saleh said, per John Hollinger of The Athletic. “If you like something that makes a lot of sense, we’re going to do that. We just do what’s best for our organization. And, you know, I’m not one to really wait on anything like that.
“Trae has been so huge in our community. Him and (his wife) Shelby, what they’ve done, we just wish them the best. They’ve been phenomenal for our organization. (We’re) talking about a guy that’s been the face of our franchise for quite a long time. I really wish him the best, and he’s going to do some cool stuff over there too.
“But we like the trade, and what we did was something we really thought would help us now and in the future. The players coming back, I think they’re excellent fits with us and make a lot of sense for us, and we get deep in our rotation too.”
Saleh cited increased cap flexibility as one reason why Atlanta pulled the trigger on the deal with Washington, though he repeatedly stressed during Monday’s media session that the Hawks value the players they acquired, CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert. The Hawks’ GM views the newcomers as players capable of complementing a core whose evolution this season is viewed as a major positive.
“Jalen (Johnson)‘s game has evolved so much, and he’s doing some amazing things on the court,” Saleh said. “Most importantly, I think he’s making his teammates better as well. And that’s how we kind of look at this as like as the group grows. It’s the group, it’s not simply just one player either, right? It’s Jalen, it’s Dyson (Daniels), it’s Onyeka (Okongwu), it’s Zacch (Risacher), it’s Nickeil (Alexander-Walker). We got two guys, Nickeil and Jalen, who have just made tremendous leaps, and when Dyson’s on the ball, we’ve seen that leap as well. So, again, it just comes down to what we’re seeing and how this fits the entire group rather than one person.”
Here’s more on the Hawks:
- Saleh declined to comment on whether the Hawks have pursued or will pursue a contract extension with McCollum, but referred to the veteran guard as “somebody that I think could fit here long term,” per Hollinger. McCollum is on an expiring contract, but at least one report indicated Atlanta has some interest in working out a new deal with the 34-year-old.
- The Hawks control three picks in the 2026 draft, including the most favorable of New Orleans’ and Milwaukee’s first-rounders, which could be a top-five selection. Saleh made no effort to downplay how important this year’s draft is for the organization, according to Lauren Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (subscription required). “The draft is, to me, our biggest transaction period. The draft is how you build organically,” the GM said. “It’s how you build internally. And I feel like this is a really good draft, the talent that’s available. So again, that will be our most important transaction period. We’ve got to nail the draft. That’s going to be really important for us as we build this thing out.”
- It didn’t take long for McCollum and Kispert to make a positive impact on their new team, as Williams writes for the AJC (subscription required). Although the duo shot a combined 5-of-18 from the floor on Sunday, McCollum was a team-high +19 in his 24 minutes off the bench in the victory over Golden State. “I think he settled us,” head coach Quin Snyder said of McCollum. “There’s a level of poise and confidence that he has that when you’re on the court, whether it’s your teammates or even your coach, you see him with the ball and you feel confident in what he’s going to do.”
- After missing the past two games due to what the Hawks referred to as left knee inflammation, Risacher has had his injury designation updated to a left knee bone contusion, tweets Brad Rowland of Locked on Hawks. Risacher is considered questionable to play on Tuesday vs. the Lakers, while big man Kristaps Porzingis will miss a third straight game due to left Achilles tendinitis.
2025/26 In-Season NBA Trades
As we did with 2025’s offseason trades and the in-season swaps from 2024/25, we’ll be keeping track of all the NBA trades completed this season, updating this article with each transaction. This post can be found anytime throughout the season on our desktop sidebar under “Hoops Rumors Features,” or in our mobile menu under “Features.”
Trades are listed here in reverse chronological order, with the latest on top. So, if a player has been dealt multiple times, the first team listed as having acquired him is the one that ended up with him. Trades listed in italics have been agreed upon but are not yet official. For our full story on each trade, click the date above it.
For more information on the specific conditions dictating if and when draft picks involved in these deals will actually change hands, be sure to check out RealGM.com’s breakdown of the details on traded picks.
Here’s the full list of the trades completed during the 2025/26 NBA season:
- Nets acquire Hunter Tyson and the Nuggets’ 2032 second-round pick.
- Nuggets acquire either the Clippers’ or Hawks’ 2026 second-round pick (whichever is least favorable).
- Note: The 2026 second-rounder being sent to Denver technically has more complicated most/least favorable terms, which can be found here.
- Hornets acquire Xavier Tillman Sr. and cash ($3.5MM).
- Celtics acquire the Hornets’ 2030 second-round pick (top-55 protected).
- Nets acquire Josh Minott.
- Celtics acquire cash ($110K).
- Bulls acquire Nick Richards.
- Bucks acquire Ousmane Dieng, Nigel Hayes-Davis, and cash ($4.5MM; from Suns).
- Suns acquire Cole Anthony and Amir Coffey.
- Knicks acquire Jose Alvarado and the draft rights to Latavious Williams.
- Pelicans acquire Dalen Terry, either the Magic’s, Bucks’, or Pistons’ 2026 second-round pick (whichever is least favorable), either the Pacers’, Heat’s, Rockets’, or Thunder’s 2027 second-round pick (whichever is second-most favorable), and cash ($389K).
- Raptors acquire Trayce Jackson-Davis.
- Warriors acquire the Lakers’ 2026 second-round pick.
- Timberwolves acquire Ayo Dosunmu and Julian Phillips.
- Bulls acquire Rob Dillingham, Leonard Miller, either the Nuggets’ or Warriors’ 2026 second-round pick (whichever is least favorable); the Cavaliers’ 2027 second-round pick; either the Timberwolves’ or Warriors’ 2031 pick (whichever is most favorable); and either the Suns’ or Rockets’ 2032 second-round pick (whichever is most favorable).
- Lakers acquire Luke Kennard.
- Hawks acquire Gabe Vincent and the Lakers’ 2032 second-round pick.
- Pacers acquire Ivica Zubac and Kobe Brown.
- Clippers acquire Bennedict Mathurin, Isaiah Jackson, the Pacers’ 2026 first-round pick (top-four protected; 10-30 protected), the Pacers’ 2029 first-round pick, and the Mavericks’ 2028 second-round pick.
- Note: If the Pacers’ 2026 first-round pick falls in its protected range, the Clippers will instead receive the Pacers’ 2031 first-round pick.
- Wizards acquire Anthony Davis, Jaden Hardy, D’Angelo Russell, and Dante Exum.
- Mavericks acquire Khris Middleton, AJ Johnson, Marvin Bagley III, Tyus Jones, either the Thunder’s, Rockets’ (top-four protected), or Clippers’ 2026 first-round pick (whichever is least favorable); the Warriors’ 2030 first-round pick (top-20 protected); the Suns’ 2026 second-round pick; the Bulls’ 2027 second-round pick; and the Rockets’ 2029 second-round pick.
- Hornets acquire Malaki Branham.
- Warriors acquire Kristaps Porzingis.
- Hawks acquire Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield.
- Grizzlies acquire Eric Gordon and the right to swap their 2032 second-round pick for the Sixers’ 2032 second-round pick.
- Sixers acquire the draft rights to Justinian Jessup.
- Jazz acquire Chris Boucher, the Nuggets’ 2027 second-round pick, and cash ($871K).
- Celtics acquire John Tonje (two-way).
- Bulls acquire Guerschon Yabusele and cash ($500K).
- Knicks acquire Dalen Terry.
- Celtics acquire Nikola Vucevic and the Nuggets’ 2027 second-round pick.
- Bulls acquire Anfernee Simons and either the Pelicans’, Trail Blazers’, Timberwolves’, or Knicks’ 2026 second-round pick (whichever is most favorable).
- Jazz acquire Lonzo Ball, the Cavaliers’ 2028 second-round pick, and the Cavaliers’ 2032 second-round pick.
- Cavaliers acquire cash ($110K).
- Raptors acquire Chris Paul.
- Nets acquire Ochai Agbaji, the Raptors’ 2032 second-round pick, and cash ($3.5MM; from Clippers).
- Clippers acquire the draft rights to Vanja Marinkovic.
- Hawks acquire Jock Landale.
- Jazz acquire cash ($3MM).
- Hornets acquire Tyus Jones, either the Magic’s or Celtics’ 2027 second-round pick (whichever is least favorable), and the Magic’s 2028 second-round pick.
- Magic acquire cash ($110K).
- Hornets acquire Coby White and Mike Conley.
- Bulls acquire Collin Sexton, Ousmane Dieng, the Nuggets’ 2031 second-round pick, and the Knicks’ 2031 second-round pick.
- Note: The Hornets also sent the Bulls either a “least favorable” Nuggets/Hornets 2029 second-round pick in the original version of this trade, but the two teams agreed to remove that second-rounder after White’s physical exam revealed a calf issue.
- Thunder acquire Jared McCain.
- Sixers acquire either the Thunder’s, Rockets’ (top-four protected), or Clippers’ 2026 first-round pick (whichever is second-most favorable); either the Thunder’s, Rockets’, Pacers’, or Heat’s 2027 second-round pick (whichever is most favorable); the Thunder’s 2028 second-round pick; and the Bucks’ 2028 second-round pick.
- Thunder acquire the draft rights to Balsa Koprivica.
- Jazz acquire cash ($750K).
- Cavaliers acquire James Harden.
- Clippers acquire Darius Garland and the Cavaliers’ 2026 second-round pick.
- Hornets acquire Ousmane Dieng and either the Hawks’ or Heat’s 2029 second-round pick (whichever is most favorable).
- Thunder acquire Mason Plumlee.
- Pistons acquire Kevin Huerter, Dario Saric, and the right to swap their 2026 first-round pick for the Timberwolves’ 2026 first-round pick (top-19 protected).
- Bulls acquire Jaden Ivey and Mike Conley.
- Timberwolves acquire cash ($1.1MM; from Pistons).
- Jazz acquire Jaren Jackson Jr., John Konchar, Vince Williams Jr., and Jock Landale.
- Grizzlies acquire Kyle Anderson, Georges Niang, Taylor Hendricks, Walter Clayton, the Lakers’ 2027 first-round pick (top-four protected); either the Cavaliers’, Timberwolves’, or Jazz’s 2027 first-round pick (whichever is most favorable); and the Suns’ 2031 first-round pick.
- Trail Blazers acquire Vit Krejci.
- Hawks acquire Duop Reath, the Hawks’ 2027 second-round pick, and the Knicks’ 2030 second-round pick.
- Note: The Hawks’ 2027 second-round pick was previously traded to the Trail Blazers.
- Cavaliers acquire Keon Ellis, Dennis Schröder, and Emanuel Miller (two-way).
- Kings acquire De’Andre Hunter.
- Bulls acquire Dario Saric, the Nuggets’ 2027 second-round pick (from Cavaliers), and either the Pistons’, Bucks’, or Knicks’ 2029 second-round pick (whichever is least favorable; from Kings).
- Wizards acquire Trae Young.
- Hawks acquire CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert.
Hoops Rumors Chat Transcript: 1/12/2026
Hoops Rumors hosted a live chat today at 2:00 pm Central time (3:00 pm Eastern).
Five Potential Sellers Who Could Shape The Trade Deadline
Several teams who currently sit well below .500 - including the Bucks, Clippers, and Pacers - are viewed as unlikely to sell off veterans at the February 5 trade deadline due either to a belief they can still make a run this season or a desire to preserve their core for next season.
Certain other teams projected to end up in the lottery - like the Jazz and Wizards - have few appealing veterans to sell off to begin with, since their rosters are heavy on young players and veteran cornerstones they're reportedly not looking to move, such as Lauri Markkanen in Utah and Trae Young in Washington.
With 20 playoff or play-in spots up for grabs and several of those bottom 10 teams not preparing to hold fire sales, the door could be open for a handful of would-be sellers to fill the void and conduct some favorable business in the coming weeks.
We're looking today at five teams well positioned to cash in on several trade chips -- if they choose to go that route.
Let's dive in...
Southeast Notes: Wagner Brothers, Trae, Ball, Weaver
The Magic have been typically cagey about the return timelines for Franz Wagner (left high ankle sprain) and Moritz Wagner (left ACL surgery recovery), but head coach Jamahl Mosley provided updates on both players on Friday, as Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel relays.
Franz, who last played on December 7, has been doing on-court work with “a little bit of contact stuff,” Mosley said, telling reporters that the forward has been working on his “cardio and conditioning.” As for Moritz, he has participated in some 2-on-2 and 3-on-3 scrimmages and is taking contact as well, according to Mosley.
Although it doesn’t sound like a return to action is far off for either player, Beede notes that there’s still no guarantee either will be available for next Thursday’s game vs. Memphis in their home country of Germany. As Mosley acknowledged, while the Wagner brothers would love to play in that game, the Magic certainly don’t want to rush them back without being 100% sure they’re ready.
“The challenge in that is, you think long term,” Mosley said. “You want them to be ready for that Berlin game. They want to be ready for that Berlin game, and that’s a big key. That’s the ideal world. But then the reality of what we’re facing is the fact that you want them to be ready for the long game as well. We have a long season ahead of us, and you want them to be prepared and as healthy as possible, walking into each one of those games from then on.”
We have more from across the Southeast:
- Trae Young hasn’t played since December 27 due to a right quad contusion, so it’s no surprise that the Wizards ruled him out for Friday’s game after officially acquiring him earlier in the day. However, it’s worth noting that the team’s designation for Young (Twitter link) includes both his quad contusion and a right MCL sprain, the injury that sidelined him earlier in the season. Amid speculation that the point guard may not play a ton during the second half for his new team, it appears that managing that knee issue will be one explanation the team cites for his absences going forward.
- After playing limited fourth-quarter minutes on Wednesday, LaMelo Ball didn’t start for the Hornets on Thursday in order to better position him to be available late in the game, writes Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer. It was the first time Ball had come off the bench since his rookie season. “Just trying to find a way to get more creative with how we manage Melo’s minutes in order to keep him in a good place health-wise,” head coach Charles Lee explained. “And also just coming off of that last game, wanted to find a way that maybe we can have him in at the end of games. It helps us regulate his minutes, and then I thought he was able to play more minutes in the fourth quarter.”
- Veteran NBA assistant Will Weaver, who joined the Hornets in August as a coaching advisor, is in advanced talks to become the next head coach of the Brisbane Bullets, reports Olgun Uluc of ESPN. Weaver has prior head coaching experience in Australia’s National Basketball League, having coached the Sydney Kings from 2019-20 in between NBA jobs.