Mavs’ Anthony Davis Suffers Left Hand Injury Thursday
Mavericks forward/center Anthony Davis suffered a left hand injury late in the fourth quarter of Thursday’s two-point loss at Utah. The injury appeared to occur when he was defending Lauri Markkanen on a drive (Twitter video link).
Despite clearly being bothered, Davis initially said he was OK to stay in the game, tweets Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News, before checking out with 2:08 remaining. The 32-year-old was “doubled over in pain” in the tunnel of the arena and did not return, according to Tim MacMahon of ESPN (Twitter link).
“He hurt his left hand. That’s all we had,” head coach Jason Kidd said after the game (Twitter link via Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal).
The five-time All-NBA big man finished with 21 points, 11 rebounds and four assists in 35 minutes as Dallas fell to 14-24.
Backup guard Brandon Williams was also forced to leave Thursday’s loss early due to an illness, the Mavs announced (via Twitter). The 26-year-old had scored in double figures in five consecutive games heading into Thursday, averaging 19.0 PPG, 4.4 RPG and 3.4 APG in 27.0 MPG over that span, but was limited to two points in just under nine minutes tonight.
Trade Rumors: Davis, Hawks, Raptors, Zion, Bulls
ESPN’s Shams Charania recently reported that the Hawks were considered likely to remain in pursuit of Mavericks big man Anthony Davis after clearing Trae Young‘s salary from their books for next season. However, a Davis deal between the two teams looks unlikely at this juncture, sources tell Grant Afseth of DallasHoopsJournal.com.
While Atlanta has a level of interest in Davis, the team has been unwilling to part with either Zaccharie Risacher or the prized 2026 first-round pick the team controls (better of Pelicans’ or Bucks’) in talks for the 10-time All-Star, Afseth writes. I’d be very surprised if that 2026 first-rounder is ever made available under any circumstances, let alone for an oft-injured star in his 30s like Davis, so a potential trade may hinge on whether the Hawks change their stance on Risacher.
Several reports have stated Davis is looking for a contract extension in the offseason, but the Mavs aren’t making any promises on that front, according to Afseth. The Athletic reported on Wednesday that Davis’ camp was skeptical about Dallas’ interest in an extension and wouldn’t mind trying to get him to a team more likely to pursue a new deal.
Here are some more trade rumors from around the NBA:
- Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca confirms the Raptors have conveyed “exploratory interest” in Davis, but he’s skeptical that a trade will be consummated (Twitter video link). As Lewenberg explains, Toronto’s outgoing salary in a two-team deal with Dallas for Davis would probably consist of RJ Barrett and Jakob Poeltl, and if that were the case, the Mavericks would likely want multiple first-round picks in the deal. The Raptors have shown a willingness to take buy-low swings on stars with lengthy injury histories in the past, Lewenberg adds, but giving up two or three first-rounders for Davis wouldn’t qualify as buying low.
- As for what moves look likely for the Raptors, getting below the luxury tax line is a priority, according to Lewenberg, who continues to hear Ochai Agbaji is a potential salary-dump candidate, though he acknowledges the team would likely have to attach a sweetener or two in such a deal. Lewenberg points to Daniel Gafford (Mavericks) and Goga Bitadze (Magic) as a couple of centers to keep an eye on, but says the Raptors have also been happy with the development of Collin Murray-Boyles and don’t want to impede the rookie big man’s progress. Overall, a significant Raptors trade looks more likely to occur in the offseason than before the February 5 deadline, Lewenberg adds.
- On the “Clutch Scoops” show (Twitter video link), Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints said the Bulls are a potential suitor for Pelicans forward Zion Williamson. “Keep a close eye on the [Bulls] maybe pursuing Zion Williamson. … I’ve heard that there’s been some smoke there about Chicago scouting New Orleans in recent weeks and Zion would be the ideal buy-low candidate for a team like the Bulls who have a lot of expiring contracts,” Siegel said.
Heat-Bulls Game Postponed Due To Court Conditions
8:55 pm: As expected, the game has been postponed after the court was deemed unplayable due to moisture, the NBA announced (via Twitter). The date for the rescheduled game is to be determined and will be announced in the future, per the league.
8:49 pm: The start of Thursday’s Heat–Bulls game in Chicago was delayed due to moisture on the court at the United Center, per The Associated Press.
Tip-off was originally scheduled for 7:00 pm CT, but the game was delayed after several players noticed slick spots on the court during warmups, writes Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel.
The NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks, which also compete at the United Center, played on Wednesday and the ice is below the court. It’s unseasonably warm (mid-50s Fahrenheit) in Chicago and raining heavily as well, which contributed to the excess moisture on the court.
According to Joel Lorenzi and Joe Vardon of The Athletic, the ice beneath the court is actually melting, with humidity inside the arena nearly double its typical percentage for a basketball game as of 7:30 pm CT.
Maintenance personnel at the United Center attempted to dry the court with towels and mops, but it seemed to have no effect. It has been nearly two hours and the game seems likely to be postponed.
Injury Notes: Morant, Holiday, Nance, H. Jones, Leonard
Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant will miss his fourth straight game on Friday vs. Oklahoma City due to a right calf contusion, the team announced (via Twitter). As Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal tweets, Morant had been listed as questionable before being downgraded to out over the three previous games.
Rookie wing Cedric Coward, who sprained his right ankle on Sunday vs. Los Angeles and has missed the past two-and-a-half games, is questionable to suit up against the Thunder. Fourth-year guard Vince Williams Jr., who has been sidelined for nine of Memphis’ last 10 games due to patellar tendinitis in his left knee, is also questionable.
Here are some more injury notes from around the NBA:
- Trail Blazers guard Jrue Holiday is unlikely to play against Houston on Friday after being listed as doubtful (Twitter link via Portland). However, that injury designation suggests the six-time All-Defensive member’s return may not be far off — it’s the first time Holiday has been listed as anything other than “out” for seven weeks, tweets Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report. The two-time champion has been on the shelf since November 14 due to a right calf strain.
- After missing nearly six weeks with a Grade 1 right soleus (calf) strain, Cavaliers big man Larry Nance Jr. was upgraded to available for Thursday’s contest vs. Minnesota, per Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. As Fedor writes, Nance has been ramping up his activity in recent weeks and received medical clearance to return on Thursday, but it’s unclear if he’ll immediately rejoin the team’s rotation.
- Pelicans forward Herbert Jones recently missed seven consecutive games with a right ankle sprain, returned to play 35 minutes on Tuesday vs. the Lakers, then sat out Wednesday’s back-to-back at Atlanta. Evidently Wednesday’s absence wasn’t just for precautionary reasons — New Orleans’ top defender is doubtful to suit up on Friday at Washington due to the same ankle injury, the Pelicans announced in a press release. Trey Murphy III, who has been battling lower back spasms, is questionable to suit up against the Wizards.
- Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard suffered a right ankle sprain in the third quarter of Wednesday’s loss at New York and has been listed as questionable for Friday’s contest in Brooklyn, according to Law Murray of The Athletic (Twitter links). The six-time All-Star missed 10 straight games in November due to right foot/ankle injuries, Murray notes. Leonard has made 26 appearances thus far in 2025/26.
Hawks Reportedly Interested In Extending CJ McCollum
The Hawks value veteran combo guard CJ McCollum as more than just an expiring contract, according to Grant Afseth of DallasHoopsJournal.com, who hears from sources that Atlanta has discussed the idea of offering the 34-year-old a one-year extension worth around $20MM.
McCollum, who is being traded to Atlanta along with Corey Kispert in the move that will send Trae Young to the Wizards, is earning $30.67MM in 2025/26, which is the final season of his current deal.
Although McCollum has been in the NBA since 2013, he has technically never been a free agent, agreeing to three different contract extensions over the span of his career. It’s unclear if he’d prefer to test free agency in 2026 or potentially sign a short-term deal at some point after he’s officially traded to the Hawks.
According to Afseth, Atlanta views McCollum as a complementary ball-handler and scorer alongside the team’s young core. The team also likes his ability to play both on and off the ball, Afseth writes.
McCollum started each of the Wizards’ first 35 contests, averaging 18.8 points, 3.6 assists and 3.5 rebounds on .454/.393/.804 shooting in 30.9 minutes per game. He was in his first season with Washington after being acquired in an offseason trade with New Orleans.
A potential one-year extension with McCollum would allow the Hawks to maintain long-term financial flexibility while theoretically improving their chances at staying competitive in the short term, Afseth notes.
Raptors’ Hepburn Undergoes Knee Surgery, Out At Least Six Weeks
Raptors guard Chucky Hepburn has undergone surgery to address a torn meniscus in his right knee and will be reevaluated in six weeks, per Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca (Twitter link).
Hepburn spent three years at Wisconsin prior to transferring to Louisville for his senior season in 2024/25. He went undrafted in June and quickly agreed to a two-way contract with the Raptors.
The 6’0″ point guard has only made two NBA appearances with Toronto for a total of 13 garbage-time minutes. Hepburn has been a productive player at the G League level with the Raptors 905 though, averaging 12.4 points, 8.6 assists, 2.3 steals and 2.1 rebounds on .415/.368/.871 shooting in 18 Tip-Off Tournament and regular season games (29.3 minutes per contest).
The 22-year-old’s absence won’t have much of an impact on the Raptors’ NBA rotation, given his modest role as a rookie. But obviously the Raptors 905 will miss having their top passer and play-maker for the next several weeks.
In other Raptors injury news, Jakob Poeltl (back) went through a light practice on Thursday in Boston, tweets Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca, but will miss his ninth consecutive game on Friday against the Celtics (Twitter link via Blake Murphy of Sports.net). Scottie Barnes (right knee sprain) and Brandon Ingram (right thumb sprain) are questionable to suit up tomorrow, Murphy adds.
Hornets Notes: Knueppel, LaMelo, Miller, Kalkbrenner, Williams
Hornets wing Kon Knueppel has been one of the top rookies in 2025/26, but he’s far from content. The 20-year-old tells Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer he’s always looking for ways to level up his game on both ends of the court.
“I think an area to grow is definitely being more disruptive defensively,” Knueppel said. “I tend to be where I’m supposed to be, tend to keep my guy in front of me. But can I maybe get a few more deflections? And I think that comes with a little bit more anticipation, being more aware of that. What play is going to happen before it happens and then those will come.
Knueppel, the fourth overall pick of last year’s draft, played 1189 minutes over 39 games in his lone season at Duke. He’s currently at 1186 minutes through 36 NBA games, and says his body is holding up well so far.
“I feel good,” Knueppel told Boone. “There’s a lot of nicks and bruises and things, but I luckily haven’t had anything major. Had the little chip fracture in the pinky early in the season, stuff like that. But yeah, the body’s holding up. Been really proactive with the recovery stuff and the training staff are doing a great job.”
Here’s more from Charlotte:
- The Hornets had a good chance to win their third straight game on Wednesday vs. Toronto, leading by as many as 13 points, but wound up losing by one after an Immanuel Quickley game-winning three. LaMelo Ball was limited to just five minutes in the fourth quarter, and head coach Charles Lee explained why that was the case after the game, according to Boone. “I liked how that group (with Collin Sexton and Sion James in the backcourt) was playing also,” Lee said. “Just trying to be a little bit mindful of where we are in a back-to-back and our allocation of minutes to put us all in the best position to be healthy. So, I thought that group did enough to kind of keep us in it, keep it close. And it’s helped us kind of extend some leads at times too, with their defensive aggressiveness and Collin’s ability to knock down the three. I thought he scored it at a pretty good clip tonight, too, and was able to get to the paint, which was something that we were lacking at times. So, just a tough decision that I have to make.”
- As Boone writes in the same story, Lee also provided injury updates on Brandon Miller (left knee contusion), Ryan Kalkbrenner (left elbow sprain) and Grant Williams following Wednesday’s game. Lee suggested the team was just being cautious with Miller’s knee on the front end of a back-to-back — the third-year wing is probable to suit up on Thursday vs. Indiana. Kalkbrenner, meanwhile, will miss his ninth straight game against the Pacers. “Yeah, Ryan is going to be OK,” Lee said. “He’s been making really good progress. … We’ll continue to evaluate him after every team activity he does and in on-court sessions, but I do think he’s trending in a good direction.”
- As for Williams, the veteran forward is 13-plus months removed from a torn ACL in his right knee and appears to be in the final stages of his rehab. “Grant’s obviously been out for an extended period of time with his injury now, has been able to be more involved in team activities and five-on-five play, and so far he’s responded really well,” Lee said, per Boone. “But when you’ve missed that much time from basketball, we want to make sure that we’re reintegrating him into game play at the appropriate time.”
Lakers Notes: Habits, LaRavia, Ayton, Hachimura, Vincent, Luka
The Lakers went 5-7 during the month of December. More disturbing than their record was the fact that they repeatedly displayed poor habits that frequently frustrated head coach JJ Redick, writes Dan Woike of The Athletic.
While most of Los Angeles’ issues show up on the defensive end, there have been several instances in which the team has simply lacked the “energy, effort and execution” necessary to win NBA games, according to Woike. That often manifests in a lack of focus and attention to detail — Redick said the Lakers failed to execute eight of their 12 designed plays after timeouts during Friday’s win over Memphis.
“In order to win, and at the highest level, you have to be able to do the simple things,” LeBron James said. “You have to be able to execute after timeouts, dead balls. You have to execute coming out of the locker room. You have to have a game plan, execute that. So you can’t execute the big things if you don’t execute the small things and play winning basketball from that standpoint.”
Jake LaRavia is one player whose defensive effort hasn’t waned this season, Woike adds. The fourth-year forward had another big game in Sunday’s victory over the Grizzlies, recording 26 points (on 9-of-16 shooting), five rebounds and four assists in 35 minutes.
“We knew that he was, by the metrics, a disruptive defender, something that we were really searching for, because we were bottom third in the league last year in blocks, steals and deflections,” Redick said in explaining reasons the Lakers targeted LaRavia in free agency. “He’s probably better defensively. Yeah, he is better defensively. He’s been one of our most consistent guys, if not our most consistent guy, on that end of the floor.
“But I think the thing that stands out with him is, you know, I was talking with a close friend of mine the other day about Jake, and I was just telling him, like, he’s one of the guys that his care factor is high all the time. Those are the guys that are really, really fun to coach.”
We have more from L.A.:
- After being benched for the fourth quarter on Friday, starting center Deandre Ayton responded with a much better performance in Sunday’s rematch with Memphis, per Dave McMenamin of ESPN. Redick said Ayton was “frustrated” by his lack of touches during Friday’s game and the team made a concerted effort to get him the ball on Sunday. “He was great throughout the game,” Redick said of Ayton, who finished with 15 points, eight rebounds and three blocks. “I think that was good for him to just touch the basketball and feel like he’s part of the offense. It’s a tale as old as time for a big guy. That’s the reality of being a big: Someone has to pass you the ball. You’re not initiating the offense.”
- While the team is optimistic his injury won’t be a long-term issue, forward Rui Hachimura will be out at least two more games, as he won’t travel for the back-to-back road trip at New Orleans and San Antonio, tweets veteran NBA reporter Mark Medina. Hachimura is dealing with a right calf ailment which the Lakers are now calling a strain.
- As McMenamin relays (via Twitter), guard Gabe Vincent has a chance to play Tuesday in New Orleans — he’s listed as questionable after missing the last eight games due to a lumbar back strain.
- Lakers Daily recently reported that Luka Doncic is dealing with “sharp” pain in both of his legs. According to Woike’s sources, that information is not accurate (Twitter link).
Knicks’ Dolan Talks Expectations, Thibodeau, Roster, More
Owner James Dolan publicly discussed the Knicks with a media member for the first time in nearly three years on Monday during an interview with WFAN’s Craig Carton, writes Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. The 70-year-old made it clear he has high expectations for the team.
“We want to get to the [NBA] Finals. And we should win the Finals,” Dolan said. “This is sports and anything can happen. But getting to the Finals, we absolutely got to do.”
New York made the Eastern Conference Finals last season for the first time in 25 years and promptly fired Tom Thibodeau. Dolan acknowledged the team’s former head coach played an important role in returning the Knicks to prominence, but stood by the decision.
“The team is really built on the shoulders of Tom Thibodeau. He built that core,” Dolan said. “We went as far as we did last year. So you really got to take your hat off to Tom. And the job that he did.
“But we did come to the conclusion that we had an idea how we wanted to organize the team. And that meant we needed to evolve. Actually beyond the old traditional coaching formulas. And we tried to work that with Tom. It really wasn’t his thing.”
According to Vincent Goodwill of ESPN, Dolan said he and president of basketball operations Leon Rose talked to Thibodeau multiple times about their desire to develop the team’s young players and bench unit so the starters weren’t worn down. Still, Dolan endorsed Thibodeau to coach another team.
“I won’t say you can’t win a title with Tom Thibodeau; I don’t know that’s true,” Dolan said. “But if you want to build a long-term, competitive, compete for the [title], you need someone who’s much more of a collaborator. But still, Tom was a great coach. He should coach in the NBA again.”
The 23-13 Knicks entered Monday’s game in Detroit having lost three straight games, a skid that extended to four when they were blown out by the top-seeded Pistons. But Dolan believes in the current roster and disputed an ESPN report that said the team discussed a trade involving Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo over the summer.
“We love our team right now. They have chemistry, they all like each other. I’ve never seen a locker room more copacetic,” Dolan said, per Bondy. “There’s a lot of energy there. Leon can always overrule me. But I don’t see us making a big change. Because we got to keep building up this group. This group can win a championship. I believe that.”
Dolan is optimistic the returns of Josh Hart and Landry Shamet will help lift the team out of its current slump, Goodwill notes. Both players are expected to be back in the next week or so.
“Look how far we got with our group last year and look at who was playing and who wasn’t,” Dolan said. “We’re going into the second half of the season, Josh is still out and Landry is coming back. We got depth. We stay healthy, we’ll go into the playoffs in much better condition than last year.”
The Knicks won the NBA Cup last month. Dolan was asked about the decision not to raise a banner for that title at Madison Square Garden, as Christian Arnold of The New York Post relays.
“We are going to raise the banner,” Dolan said. “We’re going to raise the NBA championship banner. That’s the banner we want to raise. We want an NBA championship, we don’t want some consolation prize.”
Trade Rumors: Young, LaVine, Brooks, Deadline, AD, More
Sam Amick and Josh Robbins of The Athletic have confirmed Shams Charania’s report that the Hawks are working with Trae Young and his representatives to find the 27-year-old point guard a new team.
As Amick reported last week, Atlanta has been increasingly willing to discuss Young trades for weeks or even months after the Hawks showed no interest in pursuing an extension, but the market for the four-time All-Star seems to be limited. According to Amick and Robbins, Young is searching for a new deal “commensurate with a star player.”
To illustrate the point about teams being wary of acquiring the diminutive point guard, Amick and Robbins cite a team source who says the Kings — long viewed as a potential landing spot for last season’s assists leader — have “no interest” in trading for Young. Zach LaVine, whose contract is very similar to Young’s, is “known” to have interest in joining the Hawks, the authors add.
Regarding Marc Stein’s report about the Hawks discussing a trade that would potentially send Young to Washington and CJ McCollum to Atlanta, Amick and Robbins note that Young doesn’t fit the archetype favored by the Wizards‘ top front office executives, and speculate that Washington might want either draft compensation or a young player to take on his contract, which includes a $49MM player option for next season.
Young missed his fifth straight game Monday due to a right quad contusion.
Here are a few more trade-related rumors and notes from around the NBA:
- Don’t expect Suns small forward Dillon Brooks to be on the move in the next month. Gerald Bourguet of Suns After Dark reported (via Twitter) on Monday that Phoenix isn’t interested in moving the veteran wing due to both his on- and off-court contributions. Suns owner Mat Ishbia essentially confirmed as much just a few minutes later. On FanDuel TV’s Run It Back show (Twitter video link), former NBA big man DeMarcus Cousins said he if were running the Lakers, he would trade Austin Reaves for Brooks “in a heartbeat.” Ishbia’s response? “Don’t bother calling… Suns aren’t interested. Dillon’s not going anywhere,” he wrote (Twitter link).
- Amick, Josh Robbins and John Hollinger of The Athletic discuss the biggest storylines and questions ahead of the February 5 trade deadline, noting that Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s situation with the Bucks is the one that holds the most intrigue around the league. All three think Antetokounmpo is more likely than not to stay put during the season, though that would depend on whether the two-time MVP requests a trade. Other topics include whether Anthony Davis will be traded by the Mavericks and role players who could appeal to contending teams. Hollinger lists Wizards forward Justin Champagnie as an example of a player on a team-friendly contract who could be a valuable in-season addition.
- Speaking of Davis, he and Kyrie Irving wanted to play together for years before it finally came to fruition last February, writes Christian Clark of The Athletic. However, the Mavericks duo only played two-and-a-half quarters together prior to Davis suffering a left adductor strain. Less than a month later, Irving tore his ACL, and there’s no timeline for his return. Whether they’ll be able to team up again before the season ends is an open question with Dallas expected to listen to offers for Davis, Clark adds.