Clippers Rumors: Sanders, Miller, Paul, Brown, Zubac, Collins, More
One of the Clippers‘ primary goals at the trade deadline will be to create the roster and cap flexibility necessary to promote Kobe Sanders and Jordan Miller from their two-way contracts to the standard roster, according to Tomer Azarly of ClutchPoints.
The Clippers are currently operating about $1.15MM below their first-apron hard cap, with 14 players on full-season standard contracts (Patrick Baldwin Jr. is on a 10-day deal). They’ll need to move off of at least one of those 14 players in order to create roster space for both Sanders and Miller, who are nearing their active-game limits.
Point guard Chris Paul and forward Kobe Brown are the top trade candidates to watch, Azarly writes. While waiving either player would open up a roster spot, it would leave that player’s full salary on the Clippers’ books. Moving off of Paul’s or Brown’s contract in a trade would be necessary to create enough breathing room below the hard cap to sign both Sanders and Miller to new deals sooner rather than later.
For what it’s worth, the Clippers have already used their full mid-level exception and don’t have a bi-annual exception this season after using it in 2024/25. That means that if they want to offer Sanders or Miller a salary worth more than the minimum, they would need to use their $2.68MM disabled player exception, which can only be used for a one-year contract. A minimum-salary offer would be capped at two years.
Here’s more on the Clippers:
- Azarly adds the Hornets to the list of teams that have inquired on Ivica Zubac but says the Clippers haven’t shown any real interest in moving their starting center. Sources tell ClutchPoints that one team put an unprotected first-round pick and a pick swap in an offer for Zubac, but didn’t get anywhere in negotiations.
- Although the Clippers had some talks earlier in the season about big man John Collins, they’re less interested in moving him at this point, Azarly writes. Collins has played well during the team’s recent hot streak, averaging 15.6 points in 28.1 minutes per game on .675/.635/.792 shooting in his past 14 outings.
- Azarly says the Clippers aren’t “actively shopping” veteran guard Bogdan Bogdanovic, though I’d be surprised if the team isn’t very much open to the idea of trading him. Bogdanovic has been limited to 16 games and hasn’t played since December 26 due to health issues, and is averaging career lows in several categories, including points per game (8.0) and field goal percentage (37.6%).
- Hornets guard Collin Sexton, Celtics guard Anfernee Simons, and Bulls guard Coby White have each been linked to the Clippers in recent days, per Azarly, who notes that the club could use another ball-handler and play-maker to help out James Harden and Kawhi Leonard on offense.
Eastern Notes: Thomas, Bulls, Tatum, Bucks
All signs point to Cam Thomas‘ days in Brooklyn being numbered, according to Brian Lewis of The New York Post (subscription required), who says most league observers he spoke to about the subject expect Thomas and the Nets to go their separate ways either at the trade deadline or in the offseason.
While a midseason trade remains possible, Thomas owns a de facto no-trade clause after accepting his one-year, $6MM qualifying offer as a restricted free agent in 2025, so he would have to sign off on any deal involving him. The 24-year-old’s value is also at a low point, Lewis notes, given that he has spent much of the past season-and-a-half battling hamstring issues and is shooting a career-worst 40.5% from the field this season.
Whether or not Thomas is traded by February 5, he’ll be an unrestricted free agent after the season, and he’ll have new representation at that time. After hiring agent Alex Saratsis of Octagon in 2024, Thomas has moved on from Saratsis and signed with Thad Foucher of Wasserman, Lewis confirms.
Here are a few more items of interest from around the Eastern Conference:
- Checking in on the Bulls‘ trade options ahead of the deadline, Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times confirms that the team has talked to the Pelicans about second-year center Yves Missi and says the Timberwolves have inquired on guards Ayo Dosunmu and Tre Jones in addition to Coby White. It could be tricky for the Bulls to make a deal for Missi since they’re not looking to part with draft assets, Cowley writes.
- The Celtics have defied expectations by remaining a legitimate contender this season even without All-NBA forward Jayson Tatum, writes Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe (subscription required). The team has a posted a 26-16 record so far, and while there’s still no formal timeline for Tatum’s return from an Achilles tear, he continues to shown signs of progress — on Monday, he went through a one-hour workout with media in attendance, per Jay King of The Athletic. Head coach Joe Mazzulla deferred to the Celtics’ medical and sports science staff on Tatum, but said it was “interesting” that the 27-year-old did Monday’s on-court drills in front of reporters after having done most of his rehab work behind closed doors.
- The Bucks snapped a three-game losing streak on Monday in Atlanta after head coach Doc Rivers replaced guard Kevin Porter Jr. with forward Kyle Kuzma in his starting five. The results were mixed – the new lineup was outscored by one point during its 20 minutes on the court – and Rivers admitted he’s not sure if he’ll stick with it, but he explained why he wanted to try a different look. “Just size. We thought putting size in the lineup would be great,” Rivers said, according to Eric Nehm of The Athletic. “And when you do that, you have to separate the guards. And I mean, our second unit was all plus tonight, so I thought it went really well for us. Pete Nance was phenomenal.”
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Bam Adebayo Named Players Of Week
Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Heat big man Bam Adebayo have been named the Western and Eastern Conference Players of the Week, respectively, the NBA announced today (Twitter links).
Oklahoma City had a 2-1 record during the week of January 12-18, with the reigning Most Valuable Player averaging 31.0 points, 4.0 assists, 3.7 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks per game. Gilgeous-Alexander posted a shooting line of .547/.400/.912 as the Thunder outscored opponents by 43 points during his 103 minutes on the court.
Gilgeous-Alexander becomes the first NBA player to be named the Player of the Week for the third time this season — he also earned the honor twice in November.
As for Adebayo, he posted averages of 27.0 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per night while shooting 65.5% from long range as the Heat won two of three games. This is the third time he has earned the award and first time since January 2024.
Donovan Clingan and Shaedon Sharpe (Trail Blazers), DeMar DeRozan (Kings), Luka Dončić (Lakers), James Harden (Clippers), Jamal Murray (Nuggets), Alperen Sengun (Rockets) and Victor Wembanyama (Spurs) were also nominated for the Western Conference Player of the Week award, per the NBA.
Brandon Miller (Hornets), Norman Powell (Heat), Pascal Siakam (Pacers), Anfernee Simons (Celtics), Jaylon Tyson (Cavaliers) and Nikola Vučević (Bulls) were the other Eastern Conference nominees.
Antetokounmpo, Curry Head List Of All-Star Starters
The NBA’s 2026 All-Star starters have been set, the league announced today (Twitter links). Here are the 10 players who earned those spots:
Eastern Conference
- Giannis Antetokounmpo (Bucks)
- Jaylen Brown (Celtics)
- Jalen Brunson (Knicks)
- Cade Cunningham (Pistons)
- Tyrese Maxey (Sixers)
Western Conference
- Stephen Curry (Warriors)
- Luka Doncic (Lakers)
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder)
- Nikola Jokic (Nuggets)
- Victor Wembanyama (Spurs)
This season’s All-Star Game will have a U.S. vs. World format. The round-robin event is scheduled to be played Sunday, Feb. 15 at 5 p.m. ET at the Clippers’ Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif. Two teams of U.S. players and one team of international players (the World team) will compete in a tournament featuring four 12-minute games. The three teams will each have a minimum of eight players.
How the teams will be divvied up is yet to be determined.
Two-time MVP Antetokounmpo has been selected as a starter for the 10th consecutive season. 2024 Finals MVP Brown will be making his fifth All-Star appearance, while Brunson will be making his third consecutive appearance.
This marks Cunningham’s second NBA All-Star selection and first as a starter. Cunningham is the first Pistons player to be named an Eastern Conference starter in the All-Star Game since Allen Iverson in 2009. It will also be Maxey’s second All-Star appearance and first as a starter.
This will be Curry’s 12th All-Star Game and 11th as a starter. Doncic will be making his sixth All-Star appearance.
This marks the fourth career All-Star appearance for reigning NBA MVP and Finals MVP Gilgeous-Alexander and his third consecutive season as an All-Star starter. Three-time MVP Jokic has been named an All-Star for the eighth consecutive year. Wembanyama is the first Spurs player to be named an All-Star starter since Kawhi Leonard in 2017.
Fans accounted for 50% of the vote to determine the starters, while players and media accounted for 25% each. Wembanyama won a tiebreaker with the Timberwolves’ Anthony Edwards for a starting spot. The full voting results can be found through this NBA.com link.
Sam Hauser Tied A Franchise Record By Making 11 Three-Pointers In A Game
- Sam Hauser fell just short on Saturday in his attempt to break the Celtics‘ record for most made three-pointers in a game, writes Jay King of The Athletic. There was plenty of time remaining when Hauser hit his 10th three, one away from Marcus Smart‘s record of 11, but he misfired on his final six attempts. “At that point, it was just like, let’s get them up. Let’s see what happens,” Hauser said. “And then I got dead tired. The last couple, they were on (target), they were just way short. So it is what it is.”
Atlantic Notes: Simons, Barrett, Bridges, McCain
Anfernee Simons had his best game of the season for the Celtics on Thursday night in a 119-114 win over the Heat, writes Jay King for The Athletic. Simons scored 18 points in the fourth quarter and finished the game with 39 points while hitting seven threes, all while coming off the bench.
“I think he definitely was in that mode tonight where, let’s get him the ball and get out of the way and let him be special,” teammate Sam Hauser said.
Jaylen Brown, who ceded the role of closer to Simons for the night, had similarly high praise.
“That boy can play,” Brown said. “He’s probably more talented than the role that he’s placed in. I think that’s kind of obvious, but I have hella respect for him to come out and play winning basketball and do what the team needs (him) to do on a night-in and night-out basis. He doesn’t complain. He just brings good energy and just contributes in a positive way.”
After he spent several seasons with a sub-.500 Blazers team, it was unclear whether Simons played a winning brand of basketball, King writes. According to Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal, there’s a feeling that, to an extent, those questions have been answered and that Simons has boosted his trade stock this season.
The Celtics have been rumored to be in the market for a big man, but Simons’ play could make the team more reluctant than expected to move him, unless a deal brings back a longer-term impact player.
We have more notes from around the Atlantic Division:
- RJ Barrett is missing a fifth straight game on Sunday due to a left ankle sprain, but the Raptors forward seems to be moving in the right direction. Michael Grange of Sportsnet reports (via Twitter) that Barrett has begun doing on-court work, adding that the 25-year-old wing was practicing with intensity and doesn’t appear to be favoring the ankle. Grange expects Barrett to return sometime during the Raptors’ five-game road trip, which runs through next Sunday (Twitter link).
- The Knicks‘ recent struggles can be traced to many different sources, but one key factor has been the play of Mikal Bridges in the fourth quarter, writes Stefan Bondy of the New York Post. According to Bondy, Bridges is averaging just 3.5 points on 42.4% shooting in fourth quarters despite playing the most minutes of any Knick, compared to 55.2% shooting during first halves. Bridges has also struggled to play with physicality — Bondy notes that there are 80 players in the league who play fewer minutes and average more free throws than the 6’6″ wing. The biggest issue, though, is how he’s struggled to step up when Jalen Brunson is unavailable to play. After being brought in to be a tertiary offensive creator, Bridges has averaged just 17.8 points in the five games without Brunson, in which time the Knicks hold a record of 1-4. There were similar concerns about Bridges’ play last season, Bondy notes, and he stepped up when needed in the playoffs.
- Jared McCain was assigned to the Sixers‘ G League affiliate on Saturday after struggling to retain a role in the rotation in his second season, writes Kyle Neubeck of PHLY. McCain hasn’t been able to find his offensive consistency, shooting just 35.4% from the field and 32.3% from three, both dramatic declines from his shortened rookie season, when he shot 46.0% overall and 38.3% from deep. As Neubeck relays, head coach Nick Nurse has maintained that the most important thing for the second-year player is getting minutes and getting comfortable. McCain’s struggles seemed to continue in the G League, however. Playing for the Delaware Blue Coats on Sunday, McCain scored 15 points on 5-of-18 shooting while hitting just 2-of-9 threes and committing six turnovers (to zero assists), per Adam Aaronson of the Philly Voice (Twitter link).
Celtics Notes: Porzingis, Simons, Gafford, JJJ, Tatum
The Celtics have their first meeting of the season with the Hawks tonight, but they won’t be facing former teammate Kristaps Porzingis, writes Brian Robb of MassLive. Porzingis, who was sent to Atlanta in a three-team trade last summer, is sidelined with left Achilles tendinitis and will miss his fourth straight game. He battled an illness earlier in the season and has only been available for 17 of the Hawks’ first 43 contests.
Porzingis has played well when he has been healthy, averaging 17.1 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in 24.3 minutes per night, but his absences have contributed to the Hawks’ slow start. They were expected to be among the top teams in the East after a flurry of offseason moves, but they’re currently stuck in play-in territory at 20-23.
Jaylen Brown, who developed a friendly relationship with Porzingis during their two years as teammates, talked at Saturday morning’s shootaround about seeing him again, per Souichi Terada of MassLive.
“He’s in my hometown,” said Brown, who hails from Atlanta. “I remember we did a segment when he was in Boston and we came to Atlanta. I took him to American Deli and he went up to my high school as well. So I feel like that was kind of me helping him get introduced to the city. Hopefully he’s enjoyed it. Atlanta has many things to offer historically, so hopefully he’s having a great time. I haven’t communicated with him as much, but it’ll be great to see him tonight if he’s here.”
There’s more on the Celtics:
- Anfernee Simons continues to make it tough for the team to think about trading him, Robb notes in a separate story. Simons seemed destined for a short stay in Boston when he was acquired from Portland last summer, but his scoring off the bench has become a major weapon, including a 39-point outing in Thursday’s win over Miami. The Celtics are believed to be in the market for another center, and Simons’ $27.8MM expiring contract could be useful in matching salaries. Robb states that team president Brad Stevens faces a difficult decision on whether to part with Simons, who has played an important role in the team’s rise to contention.
- With the Celtics rumored to be among the teams interested in trading for Daniel Gafford, Robb examines what a potential deal with the Mavericks might look like. In another piece, Robb expresses skepticism that Boston will make a serious bid for Grizzlies big man Jaren Jackson Jr. considering the size of his contract over the next four years and the team’s other financial commitments.
- A league source tells Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe (subscription required) that Jayson Tatum is still improving as he works his way back from the Achilles tear he suffered last May. There’s no official medical update, but Jordan Walsh offered an insider’s perspective, saying, “He looks better than he did when he started. So, he’s making progress. He’s in the gym all day, every day. He’s definitely making progress.”
Injury Notes: Garland, Merrill, Heat, Coulibaly, Pritchard
Cavaliers point guard Darius Garland has been ruled out of Friday’s game at Philadelphia due to right great toe soreness, tweets Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. As Fedor notes, Garland’s injury is not a recurrence of the toe ailment that required offseason surgery and has bothered him for several months — the injury is impacting a different toe on the opposite foot.
Cleveland will also be without sharpshooter Sam Merrill on Friday, per Fedor (Twitter link). Merrill is dealing with a right hand sprain, the same injury that caused him to miss 14 games earlier in the season. Both players were injured in Wednesday’s win in Philadelphia.
Here are a few more injury updates from around the NBA:
- The Heat will be down two key rotation members for Saturday’s game against Oklahoma City, according to Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald (Twitter links). Starting point guard Davion Mitchell will miss his second straight game with a left shoulder contusion, while sixth man Jaime Jaquez Jr. will be out for the second consecutive contest due to a left knee sprain. As Chiang writes for The Miami Herald, Jaquez underwent an MRI on Thursday which revealed irritation in his knee. Mitchell had not received an MRI as of Thursday. Guard Tyler Herro is questionable for tomorrow’s game due to contusions on his toe and rib.
- Forward Bilal Coulibaly, who exited Wednesday’s loss at the Clippers early due to a back injury, will miss the final two games of the Wizards‘ West Coast road trip with what the team is calling lower back stiffness, as Josh Robbins of The Athletic relays (via Twitter). Head coach Brian Keefe said the former lottery pick has returned to D.C. to receive treatment for his back.
- Celtics guard Payton Pritchard is doubtful to suit up for Saturday’s game at Atlanta due to left ankle soreness, per John Karalis of Sports Illustrated (Twitter link). Pritchard, the reigning Sixth Man of the Year, has appeared in all 40 of Boston’s games thus far in 2025/26. Forward Josh Minott will miss his seventh straight contest due to a left ankle sprain, Karalis adds.
Pistons, Celtics Among Teams To Express Interest In Jaren Jackson Jr.
While the Grizzlies have made point guard Ja Morant available, there’s no indication that stance has extended to big man Jaren Jackson Jr. In fact, multiple reports have indicated that Memphis wants to hang onto Jackson and build around him.
Still, that hasn’t stopped a certain agent-turned-podcast-host from speculating about a potential trade involving Jackson, and it hasn’t stopped teams from calling the Grizzlies to register interest in the former Defensive Player of the Year. According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, the Pistons and Celtics are among the teams to convey their interest.
Detroit has Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart in its frontcourt but has been in the market for a power forward or center who can stretch the floor — Jackson fits that bill, having made 37.3% of 5.0 three-pointers per game since the start of last season. As for Boston, the 2024 champions lost Al Horford and Luke Kornet in 2025 free agency while also trading away Kristaps Porzingis, so it makes sense that the Celtics would be seeking an impact big man.
As Scotto points out, if the Grizzlies traded both Morant and Jackson, it would create a path for the club to rebuild around a younger core led by Cedric Coward, Zach Edey, and Jaylen Wells. While Memphis still views Jackson – who is just 26 years old and is under contract through at least 2029 – as a part of that core, more teams figure to inquire about his availability if Morant is moved ahead of the February 5 deadline, Scotto writes.
Scotto also checks in on Morant’s market, citing league sources who say that the Heat, Bucks, Kings, Raptors, and Pelicans have expressed some interest. However, it sounds like most of those teams would only be interested in the two-time All-Star as a buy-low target.
According to Scotto, there have been whispers for months that Morant and his camp view Miami as a favorable landing spot. But rival executives who spoke to HoopsHype believe the Heat’s “dream scenario” would be landing Giannis Antetokounmpo if he becomes available in the summer, so the club will be reluctant to give up any assets that would compromise that possibility.
An ESPN report from earlier today classified league-wide interest in Morant as “tepid,” and Sam Amick of The Athletic has heard the same. According to Amick, Miami and Milwaukee are considered unlikely landing spots for the Grizzlies guard, while Sacramento doesn’t view him as a great fit for its timeline and would be unwilling to include any draft capital in an offer. Scotto adds that some rival executives wondered whether the Nets or Rockets might have interest in Morant, but neither club seems to.
Morant is currently sidelined with a right calf injury and didn’t play in the NBA’s first ever regular season game in Germany on Thursday. Amid rumors that Morant doesn’t want to play for Memphis at all anymore, commissioner Adam Silver said he’s hopeful the star guard will be able to suit up on Sunday in London.
“I know he has a tremendous following globally,” Silver said ahead of Thursday’s game in Berlin, per Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. “And I wish he were able to play tonight. I’m still holding out hope he’ll be able to play when we’re in London on Sunday. So, yes, I’m disappointed he’s not on the floor tonight, but I understand he’s injured.”
And-Ones: Caboclo, All-Star Teams, Rising Stars, More
Former NBA forward Bruno Caboclo has signed a rest-of-season contract with Dubai Basketball, the EuroLeague team announced in a press release.
The 20th overall pick in the 2014 draft, Caboclo spent seven years in the NBA, last suiting up for Houston in 2020/21. The 30-year-old spent last season in Israel with Hapoel Tel Aviv, won the FIBA AmeriCup tournament with his native Brazil over the summer, and was sidelined to open ’25/26 due to a back injury.
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- ESPN’s Tim Bontemps has made his picks for the 2026 All-Star teams, identifying nine locks from the Eastern Conference and 10 locks in the West, with five “bubble” candidates in each conference. Bontemps makes Pacers forward Pascal Siakam his final pick in the East over Desmond Bane and Michael Porter Jr., with Suns guard Devin Booker claiming his last spot in the West over Los Angeles stars Kawhi Leonard, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves.
- Carmelo Anthony, Vince Carter, Tracy McGrady, and Austin Rivers have been named honorary head coaches for the NBA’s 2026 Rising Stars event at All-Star weekend, the league announced (Twitter link). NBA rookies and sophomores will comprise three of the teams, with the fourth squad made up of G League standouts.
- Bobby Marks and Kevin Pelton of ESPN identify one trade candidate to watch on each NBA roster, ranging from big names like Ja Morant and Domantas Sabonis to under-the-radar trade candidates like Celtics big man Chris Boucher and Clippers forward Kobe Brown.
- In another story for ESPN, Marks takes a look at several of the most valuable traded draft picks for 2026, as well as outlining how certain teams could benefit from various convoluted swaps. Our breakdown of 2026’s traded first-round picks can be found right here.
Rory Maher contributed to this story.