Warriors Notes: Butler, Melton, Horford, Draymond, Spencer
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said prior to Thursday’s game in Philadelphia that Jimmy Butler underwent an MRI on his sore left knee, according Nick Friedell of The Athletic.
As Friedell writes, while the team doesn’t seem overly concerned about Butler’s knee, it remains to be seen when the 36-year-old forward will return to action — he missed the second half of Tuesday’s loss to Okalahoma City after experiencing the injury and was out Thursday as well.
Golden State has a road back-to-back this weekend, but then has four days off before its next game on December 12, which will likely be Stephen Curry‘s target return date.
Here’s more on the Warriors:
- De’Anthony Melton gave the Warriors a spark off the bench on Thurday in his season debut, recording 14 points, three assists, two steals and a block in 21 minutes of action. Kerr said before the game that Melton, who had been recovering from an ACL tear, would be on a restriction of approximately 20 minutes, per Friedell. “It’s been a long time since he’s played in an NBA game, so this is about getting his feet wet, finding a comfort zone out on the floor,” Kerr said. “You can scrimmage all you want, but it’s not like being in an NBA game. So I’m excited to get him back. He’s a hell of a player and he’s worked really hard in his rehab to get himself back to this point.”
- After missing the past four games with sciatica, Al Horford was active against his former team on Thursday and wound up making his first start of the season, tweets Anthony Slater of ESPN. While the 39-year-old big man struggled with his shot again, going 1-for-8 from the field (1-of-7 from long distance), he did chip in six rebounds, four assists, one steal and one block, and the team was plus-three in his 18 minutes.
- Forward/center Draymond Green injured his right foot late in the second quarter during Thursday’s one-point loss after Dominick Barlow fell on it (Twitter video link via NBC Sports Bay Area). The Warriors quickly ruled Green out at halftime, and while the former Defensive Player of the Year was in a walking boot in the locker room, he told Slater that he wants and expects to keep playing through the pain. Green sprained the same foot a couple weeks ago when Donovan Clingan landed on it, Slater notes.
- Golden State is now below .500 for the first time this season after dropping Thursday’s game, Slater adds. The Warriors, who are 11-12, mounted a furious comeback in the fourth quarter after trailing by as many as 26, only to see the bid fall short in the closing seconds of a chaotic and entertaining ending.
- One bright spot on Thursday was third-year guard Pat Spencer, who is on a two-way contract. He was instrumental in the comeback, recording 16 points (on 5-of-8 shooting), four rebounds and four assists, with the Warriors outscoring the 76ers by 16 points in his 24 minutes. After the game, Kerr said he’s hoping to see Spencer get promoted to a standard contract at some point — the 29-year-old has been active for all 23 games this season and can be available for up to 50 contests, as Slater relays (Twitter video link). “It would be great to find a way to get him on the (standard) roster,” Kerr said. Still, Kerr acknowledged it would be “tricky” to convert Spencer — the standard roster is now full after Golden State signed Seth Curry, and the team is operating only about $264K below its hard cap.
Knicks Notes: Giannis, Paul, Backup PG, Hart, More
Although the Knicks made a “real offer” for Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo in the offseason, an in-season trade looks unlikely at this juncture, reports Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter video link).
As Begley explains, Antetokounmpo would likely have to try and force his way to New York for a deal to happen, and even if that were to occur, Milwaukee would be under no obligation to fulfill his request. A league source also tells Begley the Knicks like their roster and believe they’re well-positioned in the wide-open Eastern Conference.
The Clippers announced on Wednesday morning that they’re “parting ways” with Chris Paul — what that means exactly is still to be determined, since he’s unlikely to be waived anytime soon and isn’t trade-eligible until December 15. A previous report indicated that the Knicks have discussed the possibility of making a deal for the 40-year-old point guard, but Begley hears a trade, at least as of now, is “highly unlikely” to occur.
Here’s more on the Knicks:
- Kristian Winfield of The New York Daily News and Mike Vaccaro of The New York Post (subscriber link) weigh the pros and cons of the Knicks making a run at Paul. Vaccaro believes the future Hall-of-Famer would be an upgrade over second-year guard Tyler Kolek and would probably be relatively easy to acquire. Winfield, meanwhile, says Paul would be an imperfect fit on the Knicks due to his declining production and worsening defense, but the team does need another play-maker off the bench, and the 12-time All-Star is one of the best in league history.
- As Stefan Bondy of The New York Post writes (subscription required), Kolek has been getting backup point guard minutes of late, but the team has struggled mightily in his time on the court, which is one reason why the need for a reserve play-maker behind Jalen Brunson persists. Bondy lists nine guards whom a pair of NBA executives think could be available before the February deadline, including Paul, Jose Alvarado (Pelicans), Tre Jones (Bulls), and his older brother Tyus Jones (Magic).
- Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter video link) expects Josh Hart to remain in the starting lineup going forward, which is noteworthy because OG Anunoby could return to action on Friday — he’s questionable against Utah after missing the past nine games with a strained left hamstring. Hart has been playing his best basketball of the season recently.
- While the Knicks have won five of their past six games, they’ve also blown double-digit leads in five of those six contests, according to Winfield. The latest incident occurred in Wednesday’s win over Charlotte. “Teams aren’t just going to lay down. We build a lead, you’ve got to anticipate they’re going to fight back, they’re not just going to give up,” Brunson said after the victory. “We’ve got to do a better job of slowing down their runs and limiting them. But we can’t let them get all the way back like we’ve been doing.”
Injury Notes: Sheppard, Dort, Caruso, Oubre, Hornets
Pacers guard Ben Sheppard has been diagnosed with a left calf strain and will be out for at least Friday’s game against Chicago, the team announced in a press release (Twitter link).
As Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star writes (subscriber link), the Pacers have been absolutely ravaged by injuries this season, particularly in the backcourt. Sheppard, a third-year guard out of Belmont, had been one the few exceptions to that — he was one of only four players on the roster — and the only guard — to play every game in 2025/26.
Sheppard had been playing some of his best basketball of the season recently, Dopirak notes. The 24-year-old primarily plays as a wing but had to man the point at times amid several injuries to teammates. In more of an off-ball role, he had 14 points (on 5-of-5 shooting), five rebounds, two assists and two steals in 18 minutes during Wednesday’s loss to Denver.
“He’s playing hard, he’s playing fast, he’s playing unselfish,” head coach Rick Carlisle said after Wednesday’s game. “He’s applying pressure full court. These are elements that we need. Him shooting the ball, 5-of-5 tonight is no surprise. He can shoot the ball. The key thing is that through all the challenges, he’s just remained true to who he is and stepped into the shots that are his shots. That’s his job to do and that’s everybody’s job to do.”
Here are a few more injury updates from around the NBA:
- Thunder wing Luguentz Dort will miss his second straight game on Friday due to a strained adductor, tweets Clemente Almanza of Thunder Wire. Oklahoma City faces Dallas tomorrow evening. Dort, a member of the All-Defensive First Team in 2024/25, missed five games earlier this season with an upper right trap strain. Thunder guard Alex Caruso will be out Friday as well — he’s dealing with a quad contusion which will cause him to miss his third straight contest.
- Veteran wing Kelly Oubre Jr., who is out with a sprained LCL in his left knee, will miss at least one more week, the Sixers announced today (Twitter link via Adam Aaronson of PhillyVoice.com). According to Philadelphia, Oubre is progressing well in his rebab. Oubre, who turns 30 next week, has missed the past eight games and will be out for at least three more.
- Collin Sexton was forced out of Wednesday’s game due to an injury, which has been diagnosed as a left quadriceps strain, per the Hornets (Twitter link). The 26-year-old guard has been ruled out of Friday’s game at Toronto. Three other Hornets — Tre Mann (right knee soreness), Brandon Miller (left shoulder) and Ryan Kalkbrenner (left ankle contusion) are questionable to play against the Raptors.
Magic’s Banchero, Knicks’ Anunoby Questionable Friday
A pair of key NBA players could return from their respective injuries on Friday.
Magic forward Paolo Banchero has been upgraded to questionable for Friday’s game vs. Miami, as first reported by Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel and subsequently confirmed by the team (Twitter links).
Banchero, the first overall pick in the 2022 draft, has missed the past 10 games with a left groin strain.
The injury designation for Banchero is somewhat surprising. As Beede writes, head coach Jamahl Mosley indicated after shootaround on Wednesday morning that the former Duke star was still limited to non-contact drills in practice. Perhaps that changed over the past 36 hours.
“At the end of the day, we always try to see how he’s responding to each day and how he recovers that next day after he’s gone through treatments and workouts,” Mosley said.
For what it’s worth, Banchero said on November 23 that he was “definitely feeling close” to returning from the injury. Orlando has compiled a 7-3 record without the 23-year-old and is currently 13-9.
Banchero was limited to 46 games last season after making 80 regular season appearances in year two. The 2024 All-Star signed a maximum-salary rookie scale extension this summer that includes Rose Rule language — he could earn a significant raise if he makes an All-NBA team this season, but he’d only be eligible if he appears in at least 65 games.
Veteran forward OG Anunoby also has a chance to return to action on Friday, having been listed as questionable for the Knicks‘ matchup with Utah, according to Steve Popper of Newsday (Twitter link). The former All-Defensive member has missed the past nine games with a strained left hamstring.
Anunoby was cleared for controlled contact work and 3-on-3 scrimmaging over the weekend, then head coach Mike Brown said on Wednesday that the 28-year-old had taken full contact, as James L. Edwards III of The Athletic relays (via Twitter).
“He’s progressing in the right direction,” Brown said.
Anunoby was off to an impressive start to the 2025/26 season before the hamstring strain, averaging 17.1 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 2.1 steals through 11 games (33.5 minutes per contest). His shooting line over that span was .483/.397/.760.
New York is currently 14-7. The team has gone 6-3 in Anunoby’s absence.
Mavs’ Dereck Lively Seeking Multiple Opinions For Foot Injury
Mavericks center Dereck Lively II is seeking multiple opinions on the next steps to take to treat his injured right foot, according to the team (Twitter link).
Lively was spotted in a walking boot during Wednesday’s shootaround, tweets Christian Clark of The Athletic.
The 12th overall pick in the 2023 draft, Lively last played on November 21 against New Orleans. He has been sidelined with swelling and discomfort in his right foot — the same foot which was surgically repaired over the summer.
Marc Stein reported last week that Dallas was concerned Lively could miss an extended period of time, with the team subsequently stating he would be out at least seven-to-10 days — this is the first update on his status since then.
Lively appeared in the first three games of the season before missing the next nine due to a right knee sprain. The third-year center suited up for four of Dallas’ next six contests, sitting twice during back-to-back sets, before the foot became an issue again.
Even when Lively has been available this season, he has been on a minutes limit. In seven outings (four starts), the 21-year-old has averaged 4.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1.6 blocks in 16.4 minutes per night.
The right foot is the same one that Lively injured at the beginning of the year. He was diagnosed in January with a small fracture in his foot/ankle area, which sidelined him until April and limited him to 36 total games in 2024/25. He averaged 8.7 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 2.4 APG, and 1.6 BPG in 23.1 MPG in those 36 appearances.
Cavaliers Fined $250K For Player Participation Violation
The Cavaliers have been fined $250K for violating the NBA’s player participation policy, the league announced today in a press release (Twitter link).
As we outline in a Hoops Rumors glossary entry, the NBA’s player participation policy – instituted in 2023 – is designed to reduce instances of teams resting healthy players during the regular season.
The player participation policy is focused almost exclusively on players considered “stars” and includes rules prohibiting those stars from sitting out NBA Cup games or nationally televised games without an approved reason (including a legitimate injury).
According to the NBA, the violation occurred when All-Star point guard Darius Garland could have suited up in a nationally televised game on Nov. 24 vs. Toronto, but the Cavaliers instead played him against the Clippers the day prior in a game that was not on national TV.
This is Cleveland’s second player participation violation of the season — the first occurred last month. A team found to have violated the player participation policy is subject to a fine. The amounts of those fines are as follows:
- First violation: $100K
- Second violation: $250K
- Subsequent violations: $1MM more than the previous penalty (ie. $1.25MM for the third violation, $2.25MM for the fourth violation, and so on)
The Cavaliers finished ’24/25 with the best record in the Eastern Conference at 64-18, but have gotten off to a somewhat sluggish start this season in part due to injuries. The team is currently 13-10, the No. 7 seed in the East.
Cory Joseph Signs With AS Monaco
December 4: Joseph has officially signed with AS Monaco, the team announced today (via Twitter).
December 1: Free agent point guard Cory Joseph has agreed to sign with AS Monaco, according to Christos Tsaltas of the Greek outlet Athletiko.
The Spurs selected Joseph with the 29th overall pick in the 2011 draft after he played one season of college ball with Texas. He has spent the past 14 years in the NBA, including winning a title as a role player with San Antonio in 2014.
Listed at 6’2″ and 200 pounds, Joseph developed a reputation as a steady ball-handler and play-maker who took good care of the ball off the bench, but made most of his impact on the defensive end. He has played for San Antonio, Toronto (his hometown team), Indiana, Sacramento, Detroit, Golden State, and most recently Orlando.
In 50 games last season with the Magic, the 34-year-old averaged 3.5 points, 1.5 rebounds and 1.4 assists while shooting 36.4% from three-point range (12.2 minutes per contest). Amid backcourt injuries, Joseph unexpectedly started all five games for Orlando during the team’s first-round playoff loss to Boston.
Joseph spoke fondly of his lone season with the Magic and expressed interest in a reunion, but the club wound up declining its option on Joseph for 2025/26, making him an unrestricted free agent. This is the first rumor we’ve seen linked to Joseph since, and if the contract is finalized, it will be the first overseas stint of his lengthy career.
The reason we use that somewhat cautious wording is because AS Monaco was recently given a transfer ban and fined €300,000 by the EuroLeague for financial and regulatory compliance violations, as Nikola Miloradovic outlines in a pair of stories for Eurohoops.net. Monaco, which finished runner-up in last season’s EuroLeague playoffs and competes in France’s top basketball division (the LNB Élite), will have to resolve that issue before completing the transaction.
Pacific Notes: Brooks, M. Williams, Hachimura, Sabonis
Suns forward Dillon Brooks relished beating the Lakers in Los Angeles on Monday as well as the opportunity to trash talk LeBron James, Tim MacMahon writes for ESPN.com.
As MacMahon notes, Brooks infamously got under James’ skin during the first round of the 2023 playoffs with Memphis, only to see the strategy backfire — he struggled for the rest of the series while James dominated, and the Grizzlies were eliminated in six games. Ever the antagonist, Brooks poured in 33 points on Monday — one off his season-high — and “relentlessly” mocked James and the crowd.
“I love playing in this arena,” Brooks said. “They show me a lot of love in here, and I reciprocate it back. I’m a competitor, man. I don’t really like the smiling and the giggling and all that, so just letting them know that I’m here. And I’m still rising.”
Phoenix cruised to an easy victory on Monday despite missing Devin Booker (right groin injury) for the majority of the contest. Brooks was the driving force behind the result.
“Sometimes, I’m trying to tell him to chill out, but I think he just blacks out,” said point guard Collin Gillespie, who scored a career-high 28 points on Monday and whom Brooks has nicknamed “Villain Jr.” due to his tenacity. “That’s Dillon Brooks. It fuels us. Obviously, we love when he gets going. He’s the tone-setter for us. Consistent energy, brings it every night. He’s fearless. Doesn’t back down from anybody, and he will go toe-to-toe with anybody.”
We have more from the Pacific:
- Now a member of the Suns, center Mark Williams admitted he’d have a “little extra” motivation facing the Lakers on Monday after L.A. traded for him in February — only to rescind the deal over to what the team said was a failed physical (story via Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic). Williams said he was never told exactly why the Lakers nixed the trade with Charlotte. “Not in real detail,” said Williams, who is averaging 12.9 points, 9.0 rebounds and 1.3 steals through 18 games (25.4 minutes per contest). “I’m kind of past it now. Just moved on from it.” The ex-Duke center will be a restricted free agent in 2026.
- Entering Monday, Lakers forward Rui Hachimura had scored in double figures in 14 of his 18 appearances. The 27-year-old had his worst outing of the season in Monday’s loss, going scoreless — he missed his lone shot attempt — and pulling down one rebound in 23 minutes. “I don’t remember when I had the ball this whole game,” Hachimura said, per Daniel Starkand of Lakers Nation (Twitter link). “I mean, that’s happened. Playing with these guys, I signed up for that. I understand it… But with this, I think the whole team, everyone knows and understands, that’s not how we’re gonna win. Those games that we’ve been winning, we’ve been passing to each other, we’ve been trusting each other and playing for each other to win those games. So it’s a tough one for me, but it is what it is. It’s one of those games where I gotta just [forget it] and move on to the next game.”
- Kings center Domantas Sabonis is likely at least a couple weeks away — if not more — from returning from a partially torn meniscus, but his injured left knee is progressing well and he’s traveling with the team on its three-game road trip, which will conclude next Tuesday at Indiana, as Sean Cunningham of NBC Sacramento relays (via Twitter). The Kings clarified that Sabonis is not yet practicing, which was expected given his initial return timeline. The Lithuanian big man has popped up in trade rumors this fall amid Sacramento’s poor start to the season.
Atlantic Notes: Towns, MPJ, Thomas, Quickley, Barrett
Big man Karl-Anthony Towns recently made it very clear he hopes to keep playing for the Knicks for the foreseeable future, according to Stefan Bondy of The New York Post.
“Hell yeah, hell yeah. I want to stay here,” Towns said. “Obviously get a chance to be home, see my family. It means more than the money, you know. So just to be able to be here with the fans, be with the family. It means a lot. I would like it to continue.”
As Bondy writes, Towns was eligible for a two-year extension before the season began, but there was “no traction” on a new deal. The five-time All-Star is under contract through at least 2026/27, with a $61MM player option for ’27/28, so there wasn’t much urgency to extend Towns from New York’s perspective.
That may change next summer, however, since Towns will again be extension-eligible and could be a free agent in 2027 if he declines that option. The 30-year-old forward/center says he has a strong relationship with the team’s front office, Bondy adds.
“Me, (team president Leon Rose) and (Senior VP of basketball operations Gersson Rosas) and everyone, we’re great,” Towns said. “I’ll go have lunch with them right now. We’re good.”
Here’s more from around the Atlantic Division:
- After missing two games with lower back tightness, Nets forward Michael Porter Jr. returned to action on Monday and produced one of his best games of the season, finishing with 35 points, seven rebounds, four assists and two steals in 36 minutes during the victory over Charlotte, notes C.J. Holmes of The New York Daily News. As Lucas Kaplan of NetDaily.com writes, Porter has thrived in head coach Jordi Fernandez‘s offensive system, putting up career-best statistics as Brooklyn’s top scoring option. “Well, I think Jordi — he’s a genius of a coach,” Porter said. “You know, we’re a young team, we’re going to keep growing, but he’s a genius in terms of the schemes that he puts out, especially offensively for me. The way teams are guarding me, really just face-guarding me and trying not to let me catch the ball, the different creative ways that Jordi has our team running plays to help me get touches and get looks off is really next level. He’s making it so easy for me to play my game. So I really have to thank just Jordi and the offensive coaching staff for how I’ve been able to produce.”
- Nets guard Cam Thomas, who is three-plus weeks removed from straining his left hamstring, will undergo an MRI in the next few days to determine how the injury is healing, as Brian Lewis of The New York Post relays. “He’s getting an MRI at the end of the week, and then when we get the reads [on it], then we’ll give you guys an update. We’ll let you know when that happens,” Fernandez said. Thomas was limited to just 25 games last season after straining the same hamstring multiple times.
- Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett have improved multiple aspects of their games since they were traded from the Knicks to the Raptors nearly two years ago, writes Kristian Winfield of The New York Daily News. Both players have gotten stronger and are in better shape, and Toronto head coach Darko Rajakovic also pointed to specific basketball improvements. “Immanuel improved his defense on the ball dramatically. He’s one of the best defensive players that we have now on the ball. Also very disruptive with his hands,” Rajakovic said. “RJ’s shot selection is a little bit different. He’s getting much more to the rim, he’s doing catch-and-shoot 3s, he’s scoring more off cuts. Those two guys — they’re investing a lot in their individual and personal development and that’s affecting our whole team.”
- Barrett, who is currently out with a knee sprain, still isn’t doing on-court work yet but his knee is getting better and the Raptors forward is considered day-to-day, tweets Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca.
Southwest Notes: Edey, Morant, Wembanyama, Castle, Zion
Second-year center Zach Edey has helped change the trajectory of the Grizzlies‘ season after returning to action in mid-November, writes Michael Wallace of Grind City Media. After a 4-11 start, Memphis has won five of its past six games, largely due to the two-way play of the former Purdue star.
“(Edey’s impact has meant) everything,” head coach Tuomas Iisalo said. “Great job overall by him and the whole team for realizing that’s where the advantage is.”
The 7’3″ big man from Toronto had the best game of his NBA career on Sunday in Sacramento, dominating the Kings en route to 32 points, 17 rebounds and five blocks in just 29 minutes. He shot 16-of-20 (80%) from the field and Memphis was plus-25 with the 23-year-old on the court in the eight-point win.
“I’ve just been really comfortable this year,” Edey said of a stretch that made him a finalist for NBA Western Conference Player of the Week honors. “I’ve been settling in, feeling like I’m back at Purdue a little bit – just comfortable. It feels like everybody’s been playing good basketball, executing the game plan and the vision. And that’s what we’ve been working for.”
Over the past three games — all victories — Edey has averaged 19.3 PPG, 17.0 RPG and 3.3 BPG while shooting 71.8% from the field in 32.0 MPG.
Here’s more from around the Southwest:
- While it’s too early to say how meaningful it is, Ja Morant was visibly engaged with and encouraging his teammates and coaches during the Grizzlies‘ win on Sunday, according to Sam Amick of The Athletic. As Amick observes, Morant has been the subject of trade chatter this fall amid a very poor start, disinterested body language, and a one-game suspension for conduct detrimental to the team. Memphis will continue to receive buy-low trade calls on Morant, Amick writes, with the Kings and Timberwolves among the clubs monitoring the situation. But for now, the injured point guard seems to be pleased with the team’s turnaround. “It’s a huge advantage for us,” Iisalo said of Morant’s engagement on the sidelines. “It’s during the games. He’s … asking stuff of me and giving some tips there for the guys. Overall, really good communication, really good leadership, both from him and also from Jaren (Jackson Jr.) and our veteran guys.”
- Injured Spurs Victor Wembanyama (left calf strain) and Stephon Castle (left hip flexor strain) are out again on Tuesday vs. Memphis, but they are making progress and have begun on-court work, relays Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News (via Twitter). According to Mike Finger of the Express-News (Twitter link), neither player will travel to Orlando for Wednesday’s back-to-back, and while there’s a chance they could eventually join the four-game road trip that runs through next Wednesday, that doesn’t necessarily either of the past two Rookie of the Year winners will play during that stretch.
- Two days before it was reported that he would miss extended time with a strained adductor, Pelicans star Zion Williamson expressed confidence that he had turned the corner on his injury woes, per Athlon Sports contributor Mark Medina. “I haven’t felt like this since college, high school,” Williamson said Sunday. “I walk in the gym, and I feel good.” While interim head coach James Borrego praised Williamson in other ways, he said at the time he’d like to see the former Duke forward improve as a leader, Medina adds. “That’s one area of growth for him that he and I consistently talk about: it’s how to lead,” Borrego said. “He’s obviously a talent. But the more he can lean into leadership and grow into his teammates, that’s where he wants to go. I just see a curious individual, trying to get better in all aspects of his game.”