Celtics Notes: Kornet, Hauser, Simons, Brown
The Celtics were hoping to re-sign center Luke Kornet last summer, but their desire to duck below the second apron limited what they could offer, writes Brian Robb of MassLive. Kornet, who accepted a four-year, $41MM c0ntract with the Spurs, returns to Boston tonight with his new team. At this morning’s shootaround, he talked to reporters about his decision to move on.
“It was ultimately between San Antonio and Boston,” Kornet said (YouTube link). “I had a lot of conversations with my wife, said a lot of prayers and had conversations about where we are in life. It was very, very difficult to leave and we had a lot of relationships (here). We were in a different part of life and kind of being open to wherever God kind of willed us and see where it took us. You sort of accept it and take that step forward and figure it out from there.”
The move has worked out well for Kornet, who has started 21 of the 29 games he has played this season and is averaging career highs of 8.4 points and 6.7 rebounds. He’s been a valuable addition for San Antonio with Victor Wembanyama battling injuries through the first half of the season.
Kornet’s former Celtics teammates are glad to see him doing well.
“Just a great teammate, honestly, is a great leader, and got tremendously better over his time here,” Payton Pritchard said.
There’s more from Boston:
- Sam Hauser has moved back into the starting lineup over the past four games and is making a strong case to stay there, Robb adds in a separate story. Hauser contributed 19 points while shooting 5-of-7 from three-point range in Friday’s win over Toronto, but coach Joe Mazzulla was most impressed with his defense on RJ Barrett, who was just 6-of-15 from the field. “I think everyone always sees Sam’s shooting,” Mazzulla said, “but his defense is top-notch, and he has the ability to focus on a guy and take tendencies, and I thought he was great defensively tonight.” Hauser will miss tonight’s game with hamstring tightness, per Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter link).
- Anfernee Simons‘ $27.7MM expiring contract has made him the subject of trade rumors for a team that may be looking to move out of luxury tax territory, but the Celtics also have reasons to keep him. Robb notes in another piece that Simons reached double figures in scoring for the seventh straight game Friday night. His role off the bench has been expanding, as he’s averaging 17.8 PPG in January while shooting 54% from the field and 60% from beyond the arc. Simons insists he’s not distracted by the trade speculation as the deadline nears. “That’s the NBA,” he said. “I’ve been in trade rumors since my third year, every other week it seemed like. So it’s just a part of the NBA and you’ve just got to be where your feet are.”
- Teams have been defending Jaylen Brown differently since his 50-point game last week, observes Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe (subscription required). They’re trying to limit his scoring opportunities and take advantage of his long-time weaknesses as a ball-handler and play-maker, but Brown says he prepared himself for those tactics. Knowing he was going to be the primary scorer for the first time in his career while Jayson Tatum is sidelined with an Achilles injury, Brown has been working to improve those aspects of his game. “Teams are not just gonna let me do what I want every single night, and I’m OK with that,” he said. “I just gotta be better at reading the game, trust my teammates, empower my teammates, and just play the game the right way, and everything will work itself out. So I remind myself, give myself grace. I’m still learning.”
Atlantic Notes: Raptors, Bamba, Knicks, Simons, Walker
The Pacers signed Tony Bradley to a 10-day deal on Thursday just three days after releasing him from his non-guaranteed contract, but it doesn’t sound as if the Raptors will go the same route with Mo Bamba.
Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca, who speculated after Toronto waived Bamba on Tuesday that he could return on a 10-day deal, says the Raptors considered that possibility but have decided against it for now. According to Grange, starting center Jakob Poeltl is close to returning after missing the team’s past eight games due to back issues, so re-signing Bamba – which would push the team further over the luxury tax line – isn’t considered necessary at this time.
With Poeltl nearly back and rookie Collin Murray-Boyles playing well, the Raptors will be selective about how and when they complete 10-day deals between now and the trade deadline, Grange explains, adding that Bradley is actually another potential frontcourt target to watch if Indiana doesn’t make a rest-of-season commitment to him.
We have more from around the Atlantic:
- James L. Edwards III of The Athletic considers whether or not the Knicks should make a trade to try to improve their defense, identifying Jose Alvarado, Keon Ellis, and Ochai Agbaji as a few targets who might make sense. While Agbaji probably has the least trade value of those three players, his $6.4MM salary would be the most challenging for New York to accommodate, Edwards notes. Alvarado is earning $4.5MM, while Ellis’ cap hit is just $2.3MM.
- Anfernee Simons was considered a candidate to be traded again from the moment the Celtics acquired him over the summer, but he keeps showing he deserves to stick with the team, opines Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe (subscription required). Simons has averaged 17.3 points in 24.8 minutes per game on .486/.531/.889 shooting in his past six outings and earned praise from head coach Joe Mazzulla for his “great attitude.” Moving his $27.7MM in a cost-cutting move may no longer be a priority for a Boston team that has been more competitive than projected.
- Sixers two-way player Jabari Walker has been active for every one of the team’s games so far this season, but his eligibility is rapidly running out — as long as Philadelphia continues to carry an open spot on its 15-man roster, the team can only use up to 90 total games for two-way players — or up to 50 for Walker, specifically. Those counts are currently at 72 and 35, respectively. “Every now and then, it will pop up in my mind, but just putting my energy toward what I can control right now,” Walker said when asked about his dwindling eligibility, per Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer (subscription required). “And just whatever happens, just knowing that I left an impact on my teammates and left an impact in the game, I think that’s the biggest truth.”
Scotto’s Latest: Trae, Risacher, AD, Zubac, Pacers, Celtics, Cavs
The Bucks, Timberwolves, and Clippers are among the teams that are monitoring Trae Young‘s situation along with Washington, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.
While Dallas doesn’t appear to have any interest in the Hawks‘ point guard, the Mavericks are among the clubs that have called to inquire about former No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher, league sources tell Scotto. However, the Hawks have been opposed to including either Risacher or their top 2026 first-rounder (the most favorable of the Bucks/Pelicans picks) in any trade discussions involving big man Anthony Davis.
If Atlanta and Dallas do pursue a deal involving Davis, the Mavericks would likely be seeking expiring contracts like those belonging to Kristaps Porzingis ($30.7MM) and Luke Kennard ($11MM), according to Scotto, who notes that Hawks senior VP of basketball operations Bryson Graham is close with Davis dating back to their time together in New Orleans.
Here’s more from Scotto’s latest rumor round-up:
- Although Ivica Zubac has drawn significant interest from potential suitors, the Clippers don’t appear inclined to become deadline sellers, especially after their recent run of seven wins in eight games. Earlier in the season, there was a sense that it would take at least two first-round picks for L.A. to consider parting with Zubac, Scotto writes, adding that the Pacers and Celtics both expressed interest in the big man. Those two clubs were previously linked to the Clippers center.
- In addition to Zubac, the Pacers have checked in on Nic Claxton of the Nets, Yves Missi of the Pelicans, Daniel Gafford of the Mavericks, and Walker Kessler of the Jazz as they seek out a long-term answer at center, league sources tell Scotto.
- The Celtics, meanwhile, have been unwilling to attach a first-round pick to Anfernee Simons to move off his contract, Scotto writes. Presumably, the Celtics would be more open to that idea in a deal that nets them a quality player, but not in a pure salary-dump trade for luxury tax purposes. Scotto goes on to say that Boston isn’t looking to take back multiyear salary in any Simons trade, so if the team were exploring a deal with a trade partner like the Nets, Day’Ron Sharpe ($6.25MM team option for 2026/27) and Ziaire Williams (ditto) would hold far more appeal than Terance Mann, who is owed $31.5MM over the two seasons after this one.
- The Cavaliers have rebuffed inquiries on their core players, but teams around the NBA – cognizant of Cleveland’s unfavorable cap/tax situation – are continuing to monitor the situation to see if that stance changes. According to Scotto, the belief among executives is that if the Cavs do decide to move someone like Darius Garland or Jarrett Allen, it’s more likely to happen during the offseason than in the next month.
Deni Avdija, Tyrese Maxey Named Players Of Week
Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija and Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey have been named the Western and Eastern Conference Players of the Week, respectively, according to the NBA (Twitter links).
Avdija averaged 26.8 points, 9.8 assists and 8.3 rebounds per game while leading to Portland to a 3-1 record during the week of December 29 to January 4. This is the first time Avdija has earned Player of the Week honors. He’s the first Portland player to get the nod since Damian Lillard on Feb. 6, 2023.
Maxey averaged 34.7 points and 8.7 assists per game while shooting 61.2% from the field as the Sixers went 3-0. It’s the third time Maxey has earned Player of the Week honors, including the second time this season — he joins Knicks guard Jalen Brunson and Celtics wing Jaylen Brown as the Eastern Conference’s two-time winners so far in 2025/26.
Devin Booker (Suns), Stephen Curry (Warriors), Kevin Durant (Rockets), Anthony Edwards (Timberwolves), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder) and Kawhi Leonard (Clippers) were the other nominees in the West.
Giannis Antetokounmpo (Bucks), Paolo Banchero and Anthony Black (Magic), Brown (Celtics) and Cade Cunningham (Pistons) were also nominated in the East.
Celtics Notes: Brown, Walsh, Mazzulla, Stevens
Jaylen Brown‘s already impressive season reached a new level during Saturday night’s victory over the Clippers, writes Jay King for The Athletic.
The Celtics wing scored 50 points and dished out six assists while requesting to take the Kawhi Leonard matchup defensively. King writes that the term “two-way player” means a lot to Brown, as it highlights what he believes the game to really be about.
“Y’all focus on the wrong stuff in the media,” Brown said. “Y’all focus on offense and tough shot-making. I just think that’s not basketball. I think basketball is rebounding. Basketball is defense, defensive versatility, making plays. I know it’s entertainment and that’s what we want to push, but if it comes down to this basketball s–t, I just feel like I’m one of the best.”
Brown is currently second league-wide in opponent field goal percentage, holding players to 39.4% from the field, ESPN’s Bobby Marks notes (via Twitter). That puts him just behind Cason Wallace and just ahead of Victor Wembanyama.
Brown’s coaches and teammates were impressed by the performance, but they weren’t surprised.
“When I saw that Player of the Month (decision), with the stats (Brown posted in December), I knew what was coming,” Luka Garza said. “I’m not like LeBron, I’m not saying I knew he would have 50. I’m just saying I knew he would come out and try to prove a point.”
We have more from the Celtics:
- After having some big games earlier in the season as a starter, Jordan Walsh came off the bench for the first time since November 11 on Saturday after being benched in the second half of Thursday’s win over the Kings, writes King. “I feel like the other team has to feel me. The other staff has to feel me,” Walsh said in response to the move. “The other organization has to feel me. Every time I’m on the court, I’ve got to constantly make it hard for everybody else to kind of survive on the other team. I feel like I hadn’t been doing that. So, I’ve gotta make sure that I am doing that.” The third-year wing responded by scoring 13 points with 13 rebounds in just under 30 minutes off the bench in the win over the Clippers. “I’m no stranger to this, you know what I’m saying?” said Walsh. “I started where I had to always stay ready for my next opportunity. And if that’s the situation I’m in again now, that’s what I got to be ready for.”
- Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla believes that the recent stretch of play has allowed his team to find itself and understand what makes it special, Chris Mannix writes for Sports Illustrated. “We’ve developed our identity over the last month, month and a half,” Mazzulla said. “We know what it looks like and we have to be able to do it every night.” Mannix writes that what was meant to be a gap year is turning into the league’s feel-good story. “I think we’re just hungry,” said Derrick White, who scored 29 points against the Clippers. “Everybody kind of doubted [us]. We got a lot of guys that have that chip on their shoulder. Guys that have been waived haven’t really had the opportunity in the NBA and now they’re getting that chance … it’s been a lot of fun.”
- It was unclear coming into the season – and even throughout most of the fall – whether team president Brad Stevens would consider the Celtics a buyer or a seller, but this recent road trip has answered some of those questions, writes Brian Robb of MassLive. Robb suggests that the Celtics have proven Stevens should be in acquisition mode rather than seeking a cost-cutting move, given the openness of the Eastern Conference. Boston is currently just a half-game out of second place.
Celtics Notes: Brown, Bench, Walsh, Roster Opening
Jaylen Brown reacted in disbelief to the NBA’s announcement that Knicks guard Jalen Brunson was selected as Eastern Conference Player of the Month for December, Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe relays in a subscriber-only piece. The Celtics star responded to the Twitter post with “Smh,” which is online shorthand for “shaking my head.”
Himmelsbach points out that Brown had better numbers during the month than Brunson, and the teams finished with similar records as Boston went 9-3 and New York was 10-4. However, the Knicks captured the NBA Cup, which may have tilted the race in Brunson’s favor.
Brown also lamented that so much of the discourse surrounding the game, especially in the media, is focused on offense. He argues that his overall value should be considered in awards balloting.
“On any given night I can pick up guys full court,” he said. “I guard a (power forward), I can guard a (small forward), I can guard a (shooting guard). And I’ve guarded (point guards), so being able to be versatile on offense but also versatile on defense. There’s not a lot of guys who are the top of our league who can do that, who is capable of even doing that. And night to night, it’s difficult.
“Any given night I can take over a game, defensively, and take over a game, offensively. We don’t measure the game like that. It’s however many points you score, how many threes you hit. I guess that’s how good you are. I think a real impact on the game of basketball is if you can dominate on both offense and defense and, any given night, I think I can do both.”
There’s more on the Celtics:
- Improved bench play may change the team’s outlook heading into the trade deadline, suggests Brian Robb of MassLive. Coach Joe Mazzulla relied heavily on his starters early in the season, but lately he’s been getting production throughout the lineup. Robb points out that Luka Garza, Sam Hauser and Anfernee Simons all scored in double figures off the bench in Thursday’s win at Sacramento, while fellow reserve Hugo Gonzalez led the team with a +20 net rating.
- The bench production resulted in a five-minute night for Jordan Walsh, who started the game but didn’t return after being subbed out, notes Souichi Terada of MassLive. Walsh has played well since assuming a starting role, and Mazzulla emphasized that he didn’t do anything wrong. “It’s just we can go to so many different things,” Mazzulla said. “I think you saw what Sam was able to do in the first half. Coming out of halftime and making a change I think can throw a team off to start a game. … It’s really just taking any advantage we can with the entire roster that we have, and just trying to win segments of the game and kind of go runs and catch opponents off-guard with different matchups and different opportunities there.”
- In a mailbag column, Robb speculates that the Celtics won’t fill their open roster spot until very late in the regular season. He adds that the move will be determined by injuries or need. If they’re short on big men, Robb sees two-way player Amari Williams as the favorite if the team decides to promote from within. Otherwise, it could be Ron Harper Jr., who already has three years of NBA experience.
Spurs’ Johnson, Celtics’ Mazzulla Named Coaches Of The Month
Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson is December’s Coach of the Month in the Western Conference, while Joe Mazzulla of the Celtics is the Eastern Conference recipient of the award, the NBA announced today (Twitter link).
Johnson guided the Spurs to an 11-3 record in December, not including the NBA Cup final, which doesn’t count toward the regular season standings. San Antonio’s big month, which included three separate victories over the defending champion Thunder, occurred despite Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle each missing multiple games due to injuries.
In addition to posting the NBA’s best record for the month, the Spurs also had the fifth-best offensive rating (118.9) and sixth-ranked defensive rating (112.0), which helped earn Johnson Coach of the Month recognition over fellow nominees David Adelman (Nuggets), Mark Daigneault (Thunder), and Chris Finch (Timberwolves), per the league (Twitter link).
As for Mazzulla’s Celtics, they ranked eighth in the East entering December, but finished the month as the No. 3 seed in the conference after going 9-3.
Even without perennial All-NBA forward Jayson Tatum, Boston had the NBA’s best offensive rating (124.3) and second-best net rating (+11.0) in December en route to wins over the Knicks, Lakers, and Raptors (twice), among others.
J.B. Bickerstaff of the Pistons, Mike Brown of the Knicks, and Jordi Fernandez of the Nets were also nominated for the award.
Daigneault and Bickerstaff earned the monthly honor for games played in October and November.
Jalen Brunson, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Win Player Of The Month Awards
A pair of star point guards and MVP candidates have been named the NBA’s Players of the Month for December, with Jalen Brunson of the Knicks winning the award in the East and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Thunder claiming it in the West, per the league (Twitter link).
Brunson was named Player of the Week twice in December and led the Knicks to an NBA Cup championship. He averaged 30.6 points, 7.1 assists, and 3.2 rebounds per contest in 13 December outings, posting a strong shooting line of .475/.405/.826 and leading his team to a 10-3 record in the games he played.
Those stats don’t include the NBA Cup final, which doesn’t count toward the regular season, but he was excellent in that game too, racking up 25 points and eight assists as the Knicks toppled the Spurs.
Gilgeous-Alexander, meanwhile, continued to strengthen his case for a second consecutive Most Valuable Player award in 12 December appearances, with averages of 31.4 points, 6.1 assists, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.7 steals per game, and a scorching-hot .594/.436/.882 shooting line.
Gilgeous-Alexander now ranks second in the NBA in scoring (32.1 PPG), while his Thunder – following a 9-4 December – hold the league’s best record at 29-5.
It’s the third time Brunson has won a Player of the Month award and the fifth time Gilgeous-Alexander has earned the honor. Pistons guard Cade Cunningham and Nuggets center Nikola Jokic were the NBA’s first Players of the Month this season, for games played in October and November.
Cunningham was also nominated for the Eastern Conference award in December, along with Celtics wing Jaylen Brown, Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey, Raptors forward Brandon Ingram, Hawks forward, Jalen Johnson, Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell, Nets forward Michael Porter Jr., and Brunson’s teammate Karl-Anthony Towns, according to the NBA (Twitter link).
The other Western Conference nominees were Jokic, Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard, Warriors guard Stephen Curry, Rockets forward Kevin Durant, Spurs guard De’Aaron Fox, Jazz guard Keyonte George, Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg, Trail Blazers teammates Deni Avdija and Shaedon Sharpe, Timberwolves teammates Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle, and Lakers teammates Luka Doncic, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves.
Holmgren, Stewart Named Defensive Players Of The Month
A Thunder player has been named the Western Conference’s Defensive Player of the Month for a second consecutive time. After guard Cason Wallace won the award for October/November, big man Chet Holmgren has earned the honor for December, the NBA announced today (via Twitter).
The Thunder, who entered December with a 20-1 record, have looked more mortal in recent weeks, winning nine of 13 games over the course of the month. However, they still posted the conference’s top defensive rating (106.2) in December, with Holmgren acting as the team’s anchor and rim protector.
Holmgren’s 2.0 blocks per game in December ranked second in the conference, while his 8.5 contested shots per game placed him seventh among Western players. Oklahoma City’s defense this past month was nearly six points per 100 possessions better when Holmgren was on the court (101.7) than when he wasn’t (107.6).
Clippers guard Kris Dunn and a trio of former Defensive Players of the Year – Rudy Gobert (Timberwolves), Draymond Green (Warriors), and Jaren Jackson Jr. (Grizzlies) – were also nominated in the Western Conference, per the league (Twitter link).
An unlikely winner claimed the Eastern Conference’s Defensive Player of the Month award for December, with Pistons big man Isaiah Stewart taking it home despite coming off the bench in 12 of his 13 games and averaging just 23.0 minutes per night during the past month.
Despite his limited role, Stewart ranked second in the East in blocks (2.2) and contested shots (9.4) per game, helping lead Detroit to a 9-4 record and the league’s third-best defensive rating (109.8) in December. The Pistons’ defensive rating with Stewart on the floor was 104.5, compared to 112.2 when he sat.
Knicks teammates OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges, Raptors forward Scottie Barnes, Cavaliers big man Evan Mobley, and Celtics guard Derrick White were the other nominees in the East. Notably, the Nets didn’t have a nominee despite posting the NBA’s best defensive rating (105.4) in December.
Kawhi Leonard, Jaylen Brown Named Players Of Week
Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard and Celtics forward Jaylen Brown have been named the Western and Eastern Conference Players of the Week, respectively, according to the NBA (Twitter links).
Leonard led the Clippers to three wins during the week of December 22-28 while posting averages of 41.3 points, 9.0 rebounds and 2.7 steals per contest. The star forward erupted for a career-high 55 points against the Pistons on Sunday.
It’s Leonard’s fourth Player of the Week award as a Clipper and the 10th of his NBA career, but it’s the first time he has earned the honor since the 2023/24 season.
Kevin Durant (Rockets), Keyonte George (Jazz), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder) and Nikola Jokic (Nuggets) were the other Western Conference nominees.
The Celtics, meanwhile, went 2-1 last week with Brown averaging 32.7 points on 55.9 percent shooting from the field while also grabbing 6.3 rebounds per game.
Boston’s star wing has scored at least 30 points in all nine games he has played this month and has now been named the East’s Player of the Week twice in December — he also claimed the award on Dec. 8. Brown and Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson have traded the award back and forth in recent weeks, with no other Eastern Conference player winning it since Nov. 24.
LaMelo Ball (Hornets), Scottie Barnes (Raptors), Cade Cunningham (Pistons), Josh Giddey (Bulls), Michael Porter Jr. (Nets) and Karl-Anthony Towns (Knicks) were all nominated in the East.