Atlantic Notes: Celtics, Maxey, Embiid, Bona, Demin, Rajakovic
The Celtics held their own without injured star Jayson Tatum through the first month of the 2025/26 season and entered Friday’s game with an 8-7 record. However, hosting the lowly Nets, Boston experienced its most discouraging loss of the season, falling 113-105 to a Brooklyn club whose only two previous wins had come against Indiana and Washington.
As Jay King of The Athletic writes, star wing Jaylen Brown expressed frustration after the game with what he saw from his team, suggesting that Boston’s effort level wasn’t where it needed to be “for the majority of the game.”
“Come ready to play, or don’t play at all,” Brown said. “That’s my whole thing. We’ve gotta come ready to play. We just went through the motions today. Like, I don’t understand it. … Regardless if you’re making or missing shots, regardless of anything, we’ve just got to come out and play with great energy, great enthusiasm for the game. Like, want to win. It just didn’t seem like that was the case tonight.”
“… At the end of the day, we’ve all got a job to do,” Brown continued. “We’re all getting paid to do what we love to do. Come ready to play basketball, or you’re doing a disservice. So everybody’s got to come here and be ready to do their job and have great energy, enthusiasm and want to win. That’s what it’s about at the end of day: Celtic basketball.”
Besides losing Tatum to an Achilles tear that is expected to sideline him for most or all of the 2025/26 season, the Celtics traded away Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis over the summer, so there’s less talent on the roster than there has been during the past couple years. As a result, the team can’t afford to take any nights off, head coach Joe Mazzulla told King and other reporters.
“I think it’s true of any basketball team, but I think the margin for error is smaller for certain teams,” Mazzulla said. “And the margin for error is smaller for us. We have to be the best. We have to be sharp physically and mentally every night. We’ve understood that that’s a strength of ours when we’re at our best, and we have to try to play at our best.”
Here’s more from around the Atlantic:
- Just 24 hours after Paul George told Tony Jones of The Athletic that Tyrese Maxey is the “heart and soul” of the Sixers, the star guard submitted arguably the best performance of his career on Thursday in an overtime win over Milwaukee, with 54 points and nine assists, per Steve Megargee of The Associated Press. Maxey is now the league leader in minutes per game (40.7) and ranks second in scoring (33.4 PPG). “We’re asking him to do so much. We’re asking him to play a ton of minutes and he’s delivering,” George told Jones this week. “… This is similar to what Allen Iverson once did for the city. He’s our battery, and we’re witnessing one of them ones.”
- Joel Embiid still has some soreness in his right knee, but Sixers doctors have determined he’s making positive progress toward a return, tweets Jones. The 76ers also said that big man Adem Bona, who is out with a right ankle sprain, will miss at least two more games, Jones adds.
- Nets lottery pick Egor Demin was benched for the final 20 minutes of a loss to Boston on Tuesday, according to Dan Martin of The New York Post, who notes that the rookie guard was struggling defensively. However, Demin bounced back on Friday, hitting a big three-point shot in the fourth quarter to help Brooklyn secure an upset victory over the divisional rival Celtics, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. “He played so hard, and that’s why he earned the right to be out there. And he showed composure,” head coach Jordi Fernandez said after Friday’s win.
- Darko Rajakovic won just 25 and 30 games in his first two years as the Raptors‘ head coach, but he’s making an early case for Coach of the Year consideration this fall, contends Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca. While Brandon Ingram‘s arrival and a deeper bench have been difference-makers for the 11-5 Raptors, Rajakovic deserves kudos for integrating Ingram – one of the NBA’s premier isolation scorers – into his “free-flowing” system and getting the most out of that bench, Lewenberg says.
Ty Jerome’s Season Debut Still 6-9 Weeks Away
Grizzlies guard Ty Jerome is making good progress in his rehab from the high-grade right calf strain he suffered during the preseason, the team announced today in a press release (Twitter link).
However, Jerome’s regular season Grizzlies debut remains a ways off. According to the team, the 28-year-old is expected to return to play in approximately six-to-nine weeks. Further updates on his recovery will be shared as appropriate, the club adds in its statement.
A Sixth Man of the Year finalist in 2024/25, Jerome averaged 12.5 points, 3.4 assists, and 2.5 rebounds per game for the Cavaliers, posting an impressive .516/.439/.872 shooting line. His breakout contract year earned him a three-year, $27.7MM deal with the Grizzlies, who were able to poach him from a Cleveland team already operating above the second tax apron.
Memphis envisioned Jerome as a player who could back up and complement star point guard Ja Morant, but the former University of Virginia standout now appears unlikely to see any action for his new team until sometime in the new year.
Jerome is one of several players unavailable for the injury-plagued Grizzlies, who are especially shorthanded in the backcourt. Morant is currently on the shelf with a right calf strain; another point guard, Scotty Pippen Jr., hasn’t played at all this season after undergoing toe surgery in October; and two-way player Javon Small will be out until at least sometime in December due to a toe injury of his own.
Kawhi Leonard Expected To Return On Sunday
Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard is expected to return to action on Sunday vs. Cleveland, reports NBA insider Chris Haynes (Twitter link).
Leonard has been sidelined since November 3 while dealing with right ankle and foot sprains. He has missed nine games during that time and has been ruled out of a 10th on Saturday vs. Charlotte. Based on Haynes’ reporting, it sounds like the 34-year-old will suit up for the second game of the Clippers’ weekend back-to-back set, barring a setback.
Leonard got off to a strong start this season, averaging 24.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 2.5 steals per night on .505/.400/.963 shooting through six games. The Clippers, who were 3-3 in those games, have struggled mightily without Leonard, losing eight of nine contests since he went down.
As disappointing as L.A.’s start has been, the team certainly isn’t out of the playoff race in the Western Conference. The 5-10 Jazz currently hold the 10th spot in the standings, so it wouldn’t take much for the 4-11 Clippers to get back among the play-in teams.
Defensive ace Kris Dunn initially started in Leonard’s place. Following injuries to Bradley Beal and Derrick Jones Jr., the Clippers have also inserted John Collins and Kobe Sanders into their starting five, so one of them – likely Sanders – figures to move back to the bench when Leonard returns.
Chris Paul To Retire After Season
Veteran NBA point guard Chris Paul will retire at the end of the 2025/26 season, according to Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).
Heading into free agency this past summer, Paul said that he would likely only play for no more than one more year, and Charania stated when he reported CP3’s one-year contract agreement with the Clippers a few weeks later that it would likely be the 40-year-old’s final NBA season. However, that decision wasn’t confirmed until now.
As Charania notes (via Twitter), Paul revealed his plans in a roundabout way on Saturday morning, publishing an Instagram reel of several career highlights with the caption, “Back in NC!!! What a ride…Still so much left…GRATEFUL for this last one!!”
The Clippers are visiting the Hornets on Saturday for what will be their only game in Charlotte this season. Paul, who played his college ball at Wake Forest, was born and raised in North Carolina.
A 12-time All-Star, Paul entered the NBA as the fourth overall pick in the 2005 draft and is playing in the league for a 21st season. He has made 11 All-NBA teams and nine All-Defensive teams in addition to leading the league in steals six times and assists five times. He also won a Rookie of the Year award and claimed a spot on the NBA’s 75th anniversary team.
In recent years, the point guard’s production has declined and he has bounced around the league more than he did earlier in his career. Paul is playing for his fourth team in four years, having gone from Phoenix to Golden State to San Antonio to L.A., where he rejoined a Clippers club with whom he spent six seasons with from 2011-17.
Paul has played a very minor role for the Clippers so far this season and hasn’t been effective in his limited minutes. In 10 games off the bench, he has averaged 2.5 points and 3.3 assists on 27.3% shooting in 13.7 minutes per contest.
For his career, Paul holds averages of 16.9 points, 9.2 assists, 4.4 rebounds, and 2.0 steals in 33.5 minutes per game across 1,364 regular season outings. He has also put up 20.0 PPG, 8.3 APG, 4.9 RPG, and 1.9 SPG in 149 playoff games.
Special Trade Eligibility Dates For 2025/26
In a pair of previous articles, we took a closer look at the trade restrictions placed on two groups of players who signed free agent contracts this past offseason. The smaller of the two groups featured players who can’t be traded by their current teams until January 15, having re-signed on contracts that met a set of specific criteria. The other offseason signees we examined aren’t eligible to be traded until December 15.
In addition to those two groups, there are a few other subsets of players who face certain trade restrictions this season. They either can’t be traded until a certain date, can’t be traded in certain packages, or can’t be traded at all prior to February’s deadline.
Listed below are the players affected by these trade restrictions. This list, which we’ll continue to update throughout the season as needed, can be found on our desktop sidebar under “Hoops Rumors Features,” or in our mobile menu under “Features.”
Players who recently signed as free agents or had their two-way contracts converted:
A player who signs a free agent contract typically becomes trade-eligible either three months after he signs or on December 15, whichever comes later. That means a player who signs on September 10 would become trade-eligible on Dec. 15, but one who signs on Sept. 22 wouldn’t be eligible to be dealt until Dec. 22.
Similarly, players who have two-way pacts converted to standard contracts can’t be dealt for three months after that happens.
Here are the affected players, who signed free agent contracts or were converted from two-way deals after Sept. 15, along with the dates their trade restrictions lift:
December 25:
- Thomas Bryant (Cavaliers)
December 29:
- Gary Payton II (Warriors)
January 1:
- Al Horford (Warriors)
- De’Anthony Melton (Warriors)
January 16:
- Russell Westbrook (Kings)
January 18:
- Keaton Wallace (Hawks)
January 23:
- DeAndre Jordan (Pelicans)
February 4:
- Precious Achiuwa (Kings)
Players who sign free agent contracts or have their two-way deals converted to standard contracts after November 5 this season won’t become trade-eligible prior to the 2026 trade deadline, which falls on February 5. That restriction applies to the following players, listed in alphabetical order:
- Seth Curry (Warriors)
- Micah Potter (Pacers)
Players who recently signed veteran contract extensions:
A player who signs a veteran contract extension can’t be dealt for six months if his new deal exceeds the NBA’s extend-and-trade limits by meeting any of the following criteria:
- Includes a first-year raise greater than 20% (or greater than 20% of the estimated average salary, for players earning below that average).
- Includes a subsequent annual raise greater than 5%.
- Includes a renegotiation of the player’s current salary.
- Secures the player for more than four total seasons (including both his current deal and the extension).
A player can sign a veteran extension and remain trade-eligible as long as his new deal doesn’t meet any of those criteria. Mavericks big man Daniel Gafford, for instance, remained eligible to be traded after signing a three-year extension that featured a 20% raise for the first year and 5% raises in the second and third years.
Kevin Durant‘s two-year extension with the Rockets falls into this boat too, since he accepted a pay cut in year one and a 5% raise in year two.
Here are the players whose recent veteran extensions exceed the extend-and-trade limits, along with the dates their trade restrictions lift:
December 14:
- Steven Adams (Rockets)
December 29:
- Jaylin Williams (Thunder)
January 7:
- Jakob Poeltl (Raptors)
January 10:
- Devin Booker (Suns)
January 13:
- Jaren Jackson Jr. (Grizzlies)
January 14:
- Herbert Jones (Pelicans)
February 1:
- Mikal Bridges (Knicks)
February 2:
- Luka Doncic (Lakers)
February 4:
- De’Aaron Fox (Spurs)
Ineligible to be traded before this season’s February 5 deadline:
- Toumani Camara (Trail Blazers)
- A.J. Green (Bucks)
- Aaron Nesmith (Pacers)
- P.J. Washington (Mavericks)
Additionally, when a player signs a super-max contract extension, he becomes ineligible to be traded for one full year.
That means Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander won’t become trade-eligible prior to the 2026 deadline despite signing his extension in July. Gilgeous-Alexander is the only player who signed a super-max (designated veteran) contract this summer.
Players who were recently claimed off waivers:
A player who is claimed off waivers is ineligible to be traded for 30 days. When a waiver claim occurs during the offseason, the 30-day clock begins on the first day of the subsequent season.
As our tracker shows, two waiver claims have occurred so far during the 2025/26 league year, with one happening in July – the Suns claiming Jordan Goodwin – and one earlier this month, when the Pistons claimed Isaac Jones.
Goodwin became eligible to be dealt this week, as Thursday marked the 30-day point of the season. Jones, who was claimed by Detroit on November 6, will become trade-eligible on December 6.
Players who were recently traded:
Players who were recently traded can be flipped again immediately. However, unless they were acquired via cap room, they can’t be traded again immediately in a deal that aggregates their salary with another player’s for matching purposes. There’s a two-month restriction on making that sort of move.
However, as our offseason trade tracker shows, no deals have been completed since September 16, which was more than two months ago. So this aggregation restriction doesn’t currently apply to any players.
Any player who is traded after December 16 (without being acquired via cap room) won’t be eligible to be flipped before the trade deadline in a second deal that aggregates his salary with another player’s. A special exception allows a player acquired between Dec. 5 and Dec. 16 to be “re-aggregated” beginning on Feb. 4, a little ahead of the typical two-month waiting period.
Note: Only players on standard, full-season contracts are listed on this page. Players who sign 10-day contracts can’t be traded. Players who sign two-way deals can’t be traded for up to 30 days after signing.
Southeast Notes: Diabate, Johnson, Powell, Herro, Sarr, Bagley
While the Hornets are off to a disappointing start this season, having won just four of their first 15 games, their depth in the middle hasn’t been as big a problem as it looked like it might be entering training camp. After trading Mark Williams and Jusuf Nurkic over the summer, Charlotte has gotten impressive production from rookie Ryan Kalkbrenner, who has started 14 games and is leading the NBA with an 81.1% field goal percentage.
Former second-round pick Moussa Diabate, meanwhile, has been one of the league’s most effective backups, with 10.1 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks in 22.9 minutes per game. Despite his modest role, Diabate ranks third in the NBA with 62 offensive rebounds, behind only Donovan Clingan and Steven Adams. But the big man’s impact goes beyond those offensive boards, according to head coach Charles Lee.
“Offensively, he’s grown (from) being more than just an offensive rebounder,” Lee said, per Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer. “I think that his screening has gotten a lot better, understanding coverage solutions versus switching, versus center field. I also think that his adjustment off penetration — like working the dunker area — has gotten really good. He’s got good hands down there, so guys feel comfortable with some dump-offs.”
As Boone writes, Lee wore a shirt during a media session earlier this month that featured Diabate and the caption “Moose on the Loose.” The 23-year-old center responded with a smile when asked about that piece of apparel.
“It’s great,” Diabate said. “I’ve come far now. So, it’s just funny how quickly things can turn around, in the span of, what, a year and a half? I go from a two-way, not even thinking that I was going to play, thinking I’m being a G League the whole year. Literally just damn near got cut by the Clippers to now having a shirt (worn) by one of the NBA head coaches. So, it’s a great feeling. It’s a blessing, and I’m just happy to be able to keep it going.”
We have more from around the Southeast:
- Hawks forward Jalen Johnson spoke to Marc J. Spears of Andscape about how getting a “reality check” in the G League during his first NBA season helped change his mindset and his trajectory as a pro. Johnson, who played just 120 total minutes in 22 games as a rookie in 2021/22, is now a rising star in year five, with averages of 22.3 points, 9.6 rebounds, 6.6 assists, and 1.8 steals per game so far this season, plus a shooting line of .580/.400/.812.
- Heat swingman Norman Powell, who missed three games earlier in the season due to a right groin strain, exited Friday’s contest early with a left groin strain. However, he was able to return to action and finish the game, then downplayed the issue after a Miami victory. “I saw the doctors and they’re not worried about it,” Powell said (Twitter link via Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald). “They don’t think it can get any worse. So it’s all about pain tolerance. I have a high pain tolerance, so I’m not too worried about it.”
- With the Heat on a roll (six wins in eight games) and Tyler Herro about to make his season debut, should there be any concerns about the guard’s fit in the lineup? Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel (subscription required) doesn’t think so, arguing that the return of an All-Star player should only make a good team better, even if it creates some tough lineup decisions.
- The Wizards were shorthanded in the frontcourt on Friday, as second-year center Alex Sarr missed a second consecutive game due to left big toe soreness (Twitter link). Marvin Bagley III, who started in Sarr’s place on Wednesday and played nearly 31 minutes, was also unavailable on Friday due to a right hip contusion. With two of their top big men out, the Wizards were out-rebounded 48-29 in a 30-point blowout loss to Toronto.
Warriors Notes: Frontcourt, Horford, Kuminga, DeMarco
After opening the regular season with 12 of 17 games on the road, the Warriors returned to San Francisco for the start of a five-game home stand on Friday. Ahead of last night’s matchup with Portland, Monte Poole of NBC Bay Area suggested that these five games could be an early-season tipping point for a team looking to climb up the standings, adding that a home loss to the Trail Blazers, Jazz, or Pelicans during the home stand would represent a “troubling setback” for Golden State.
Sure enough, the Warriors dropped Friday’s game to the slumping and banged-up Blazers to open their home stand. They were outrebounded 52-32 by Portland and allowed the Blazers to rack up 127 points, led by 26 from two-way player Caleb Love. Head coach Steve Kerr suggested after the game that he needs to try something new to address his club’s rebounding problems, per Anthony Slater of ESPN (Twitter link).
“We may have to play two bigs more often,” Kerr said. “Al (Horford), QP (Quinten Post) or Trayce (Jackson-Davis) with Draymond (Green). We’ll have to look at that.”
Star wing Jimmy Butler, meanwhile, was critical of the Warriors’ defensive effort, telling Slater and other reporters (Twitter video link) that the team has to do “way better” on that end of the court.
“We’re just not guarding nobody, that’s all,” Butler said. “From what I can tell, I haven’t been here long, but that’s never been the formula here.”
Here’s more on the Warriors:
- After playing 18 minutes in the first three quarter of Friday’s loss, Horford wasn’t on the court at all in the fourth. The Warriors announced after the game that the veteran big man was dealing with right hamstring tightness and will be considered day-to-day going forward (Twitter link via Slater).
- Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga has now missed Golden State’s past five games due to bilateral knee tendonitis. According to Slater (Twitter link), Kerr said ahead of Friday’s game that the team hopes Kuminga can practice and scrimmage on Sunday, which would go a long way toward determining whether he can make his return on Monday vs. Utah.
- Longtime Warriors assistant Chris DeMarco, who has agreed to become the head coach of the WNBA’s New York Liberty, will remain on Golden State’s bench for now, according to Slater (Twitter link), who says DeMarco will leave for his new job at some point before the end of the NBA season.
Pacific Notes: Kuminga, Lakers, Gillespie, Clippers
With the Warriors off to an up-and-down start and sitting over .500 by a single game, there’s a growing expectation “in various corners of the league” that forward Jonathan Kuminga will be on the move prior to the February 5 trade deadline, Marc Stein writes for his Substack (subscription required).
While a veteran executive who spoke to Stein referred to Kuminga’s two-year, $46.8MM contract (which includes a second-year team option) as “one of the best trade chips in the league,” sources who talked to ESPN’s Tim Bontemps about Kuminga aren’t convinced that Golden State will be able to find a trade partner that covets the 23-year-old and is willing to send the Warriors the sort of value they’ll be seeking for the former No. 7 overall pick.
“Who is going to take him?” one Eastern Conference scout said. “And are they going to move him for stuff they don’t want, or just wait? It’s very hard to find a trade that makes sense for everyone.”
That same scout suggested that Kuminga, who is currently sidelined due to knee soreness, hasn’t done a whole lot so far this season to boost his trade value.
“He is who he is, even though he’s on the younger side,” the scout said. “He has looked better, and has been trying to fit in, but he still falls back into his old habits.”
We have more from around the Pacific Division:
- A pair of Los Angeles Dodgers executives – Farhan Zaidi and Andrew Friedman – are serving as advisors with the Lakers during the transition from the Buss family to new owner Mark Walter, sources tell Ramona Shelburne of ESPN. As Shelburne explains, Zaidi and Friedman are functioning as senior executives with TWG Sports, the entity Walter created to oversee his sports holdings. Zaidi has been Walter’s representative during the transition process, according to Shelburne, while Friedman has consulted with general manager Rob Pelinka.
- Back with the Suns after signing a one-year, minimum-salary contract over the summer, point guard Collin Gillespie is enjoying his expanded role in Phoenix. Gillespie, one of the team’s top reserves, is averaging 10.5 points and 5.1 assists in 24.3 minutes per game off the bench as he makes a case to stick with the Suns beyond this season. “I would like to be here long-term,” he said (Twitter video link via Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic). “It’s 15 games into the season. There’s a ton of time. I’m not even worried about that or focused on that right now. Just play the year out. Hopefully have a really good year. Win a lot of games and then focus on it after the season, but I would like to be here long-term.”
- Law Murray of The Athletic takes a look at some of the issues plaguing the 4-11 Clippers, including an inability to keep up with faster-paced offenses, poor point-of-attack defense, losing the rebounding and possession battles, and – in the words of head coach Tyronn Lue – a lack of “point-of-attack offensive guys that can create their own shots.”
Hornets’ Ball, Lee Address LaMelo Trade Rumors
After a report on Thursday indicated that LaMelo Ball would be open to a trade out of Charlotte, the Hornets point guard responded on social media by posting a clown emoji. During a media session on Friday, Ball expanded on his reaction, telling reporters that he “loves being here” and explaining why he felt the need to respond to the trade rumor, as Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer relays.
“It didn’t come from me,” Ball said. “The source wasn’t me, so it’s false info. Got to let them know. I really don’t like commenting on stuff, but it got too big. … It was (spreading) so much, they were making headlines. Bleacher Report and this and that. So I didn’t want it to keep going on.”
[RELATED: Fischer: Hornets ‘Not Actively Looking To Move’ LaMelo Ball]
Head coach Charles Lee was pleased to hear his star point guard publicly affirm his commitment to Charlotte.
“I’m glad to hear what he had to say because I would echo a lot of same things,” Lee said, per Boone. “Our relationship, our ability to have communication between myself, Melo and (president of basketball operations) Jeff (Peterson), it’s really hot. And I think that he’s always communicated to us. He wants to build this thing with us. He understands what it’s going to take to try to win and who we need in the building and stuff. So I think that he is just committed to Charlotte. He’s talked about how much he loves the city and the fans and that’s all I ever hear and that’s all.”
Since Ball arrived in Charlotte in 2020, the team hasn’t made the playoffs and has posted just one winning season (43-39 in 2021/22). The Hornets are coming off a 19-63 performance, their worst in two decades, and are off to a slow start this fall, with four wins in their first 15 games.
Ball’s injury history has played a part in Charlotte’s struggles. Plagued by ankle injuries, among other health issues, he has appeared in 36, 22, and 47 regular season games during the past three years and has missed six contests this month. However, he has played at an All-Star level when healthy, and the Hornets have actually been pretty solid when he’s on the court in 2025/26, with a +4.2 net rating in 282 minutes.
It’s enough for Ball to insist he still believes in the Hornets’ ability to turn things around.
“We are in some downs right now, but we are definitely going to go up,” he said on Friday. “I’m still confident in this whole group and everybody here.”
Chris DeMarco Leaving Warriors For WNBA’s Liberty
The New York Liberty of the WNBA are hiring Warriors assistant Chris DeMarco as their new head coach, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (story via Alexa Philippou of ESPN.com).
DeMarco, who is also the current coach of the Bahamian men’s national team, had been with the Warriors since 2012, prior to Steve Kerr‘s arrival in 2014. Initially a member of Mark Jackson‘s staff, DeMarco has had a variety of roles since being hired by Golden State, working in the video room, as a scout, in player development positions, and as an assistant coach.
As Anthony Slater of ESPN tweets, DeMarco was a front-of-bench assistant this season and had a major hand in the Warriors’ defensive game-planning. He worked closely with Klay Thompson and Jordan Poole during their time with the team, per Philippou.
DeMarco was one of two current NBA assistants in the running for the Liberty job, along with Jama Mahlalela of the Raptors. Former Nets assistant Will Weaver was also among the finalists for the position, as was current Phoenix Mercury associate head coach Kristi Toliver, who was previously an assistant coach with the Wizards and Mavericks.
It’s unclear whether DeMarco will leave the Warriors immediately, given that WNBA training camps don’t open until April.