Hornets Notes: Bridges, Miller, Hot Streak, Schedule
Several teams reportedly have interest in Hornets forward Miles Bridges, but he said after Saturday’s win over Washington that his preference is to remain with Charlotte, writes Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer (subscription required). Boone points out that Bridges is often the subject of trade speculation at this time of year, so he’s not affected by it.
“Just focus on winning, focus on controlling what I can control,” Bridges said. “If I get traded, if I don’t get traded. … I would rather be here. But I know if I do get traded, I know (president of basketball operations) Jeff Peterson and those guys, they’ll talk to me first. So, I don’t try to worry about that. I just worry about the games.”
Bridges, who is earning $25MM this season, has one year left on his contract at $22.8MM, which is viewed around the league as a team-friendly deal. He has spent his entire career with the Hornets after being drafted in 2018 and has been through a lot of losing, but he’s excited about the direction the team is headed with a talented young nucleus.
“Yeah, I for sure want to be a part of it,” Bridges said. “I feel like everybody else wants everybody to stay together. But you’ve just got to control what you can control, continue to stack games.”
There’s more from Charlotte:
- Brandon Miller‘s progress was slowed by injuries after an outstanding rookie season, but he’s proven that he can still be a reliable scoring threat since returning to action in mid-November, Boone states in the same piece. Miller, who’s considered to be one of the team’s few untouchables on the trade market, has reached at least 20 points in the last six games. He also expressed a desire to keep the current roster together. “That’s the goal,” Miller said, “to have everybody stay here. But unfortunately, it’s the game. We only can control what we can control. So, I think just controlling the controllables would be great.”
- The Hornets improved to 18-28 and are showing signs that they may be able to challenge for a play-in spot. Boone notes that they have the NBA’s highest net rating over the past 10 games, ranking second in offensive rating at 121.4 and sixth in defensive rating at 109.5. In addition, the combination of Miller, Bridges, LaMelo Ball, Kon Knueppel and Moussa Diabate boasts the league’s best plus-minus rating at +29.1.
- Today’s game was moved to a noon ET tip-off because of a severe storm expected to arrive in the Charlotte area. There are concerns that the weather might affect Monday’s home game against Philadelphia, but the current plan is to play it as scheduled, according to Boone, who states that the Sixers are flying into Charlotte shortly after today’s game against New York.
Hornets Notes: D. Curry, LaMelo, Bridges, Road Trip
The Hornets will retire Dell Curry‘s No. 30 jersey on March 19, the team announced in a press release. The former NBA shooting guard spent 10 years with the Hornets as a player (from the late 1980s to the late ’90s) and is in his 17th season as the team’s television analyst. He joins Bobby Phils (No. 13) as just the second player in franchise history to have his jersey retired.
“As owners, we are committed to celebrating our Hornets legacy and recognizing those who helped build the foundation of this franchise,” said Hornets co-chairmen Rick Schnall and Gabe Plotkin. “Dell Curry has been a cornerstone of the Charlotte Hornets for more than 25 years – both on and off the court. He exemplifies what it means to be a Hornet through his professionalism, work ethic and commitment to excellence.
“Dell’s impact on our organization, our fans and our community is undeniable, and he is truly deserving of this honor. We look forward to celebrating this special moment with Hornets fans and raising No. 30 to the rafters of Spectrum Center forever.”
The team staged an elaborate interview with Curry to reveal the jersey retirement (YouTube link). The entire video is enjoyable, but Curry’s reaction is around 10 minutes in.
Here’s more on the Hornets:
- Head coach Charles Lee referred to point guard LaMelo Ball as the Hornets’ “emotional leader” following last Thursday’s victory over the Lakers, per Thuc Nhi Nguyen of The Los Angeles Times. “We’ve always marveled at his shot-making, but the thing that I think continues to just impress me, the thing that continues to help our team get better and better is that he’s trusting the pass,” said Lee. “I think that he’s really maximizing everyone around him. He’s making them better. … And then he just does what Melo does: He’s a shot-maker.”
- Forward Miles Bridges recently moved into third place on the team’s all-time scoring list, writes Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer. Bridges passed Larry Johnson and Gerald Wallace, and now only trails Curry and Kemba Walker, Charlotte’s all-time leading scorer. “That means a lot at the same time because those guys put in hard work, and they actually made the playoffs here,” Bridges said. “So, that just shows my loyalty to this team and their loyalty to me. That’s big for me. I just want to continue to keep climbing up the ranks, but at the same time, I want to help us win.”
- While Charlotte remains inconsistent, Lee believes the team’s recent road trip, which concluded with a win in Denver on Sunday, showed the Hornets are capable of beating anyone on a given night, Boone adds in the same story. “I think that they all have a level of humble confidence and understanding that we are a good team and when we play the way that we need to play on both ends of the floor, we can beat any team in the NBA,” Lee said. “But we also have to have that humility that when we don’t play as hard as we need to, or we don’t play as together as we need to, or we don’t lock in on the things that are important for winning games, then we can be beat. I think that this group just has a great sense of what that looks like.”
Timberwolves Notes: Deadline, Hyland, Beringer, Edwards
The Timberwolves had an uneven start to the season, but they hold the NBA’s best record (17-6) since Thanksgiving and they made an emphatic case for the front office to have a quiet trade deadline in Tuesday’s blowout victory in Milwaukee, per Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic.
Playing without Rudy Gobert (suspension) and Anthony Edwards (foot), the Wolves annihilated the Bucks, cruising to a 33-point victory that “felt like a statement” to the world — and president of basketball operations Tim Connelly — that the current roster may not need any upgrades ahead of February 5, Krawczynski writes.
“We don’t need anything,” one player told The Athletic after the game. “We’re a really, really good team.”
According to Krawczynski, Minnesota’s front office has been evaluating trade options for “weeks.” Team sources tell The Athletic the Wolves are unlikely to pursue high-priced point guards like Ja Morant or LaMelo Ball because they want to stay under the second tax apron and don’t want to gut their depth.
Krawczynski suggests a more likely move may be to add a reserve wing or guard who can help alleviate some of the pressure Edwards faces at the end of games.
Here’s more on the Wolves:
- Two players who made a significant impact on Tuesday were fifth-year guard Bones Hyland and center Joan Beringer, Krawcznski notes. Hyland, who finished with 23 points, five assists and a remarkable plus-41 in 21 minutes, has emerged as reliable bench option over the past several weeks, while rookie Beringer was playing his first meaningful minutes of the season — he had 12 points, five rebounds and was plus-30 in 30 minutes. Head coach Chris Finch suggested it’s possible Beringer could have a rotation role going forward. “We can. People are going to have to sacrifice minutes, but if he plays like this, then we should be benefiting from everybody,” Finch said. “We will step-by-step this. Since draft night, we’ve long believed in this kid. This is just the beginning.”
- In an interview with Spencer Davis of R.org, former first-round pick Hyland says he has matured since he was drafted 26th overall by Denver in 2021. “I would say the biggest thing is maturity, understanding the business side of basketball, and just understanding the patience of basketball, too,” Hyland said. “I feel like some guys get carried away with losing their mind, losing their mental battle with basketball. I feel like once you beat that, everything comes to be much easier for you on the court. I feel like I beat that, and now, it’s just taking care of the basketball part and just trying to go out there and be the best basketball player I can be for Minnesota.”
- Edwards will miss his second straight game on Friday at Houston due to right foot injury management, the Wolves announced (via Twitter). According to Krawczynski (Twitter links), Finch referred to the star guard as day-to-day on Thursday morning. Krawczynski hears there are no long-term concerns with Edwards’ injury.
LaMelo Ball, Lauri Markkanen Reportedly Not Expected To Be Traded
A pair of former All-Stars are not expected to be traded ahead of the February 5 deadline, league sources tell Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints. According to Siegel, LaMelo Ball of the Hornets and Lauri Markkanen of the Jazz are considered likely to stay put with their respective teams through the remainder of the regular season.
Siegel says Charlotte will have discussions about Ball’s future with the organization in the offseason, and points out that there are several promising guards in the 2026 draft who could potentially be his long-term replacement if the Hornets choose to go that route.
Ball, 24, is on a maximum-salary contract that runs through 2028/29. He’s averaging 19.9 points, 7.8 assists, 5.0 rebounds and 1.2 steals on .413/.374/.878 shooting through 29 games this season (27.8 minutes per contest).
According to Siegel, Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel are the only untouchable Hornets, with the front office open to listening to offers on anyone else on the roster. Siegel hears veteran guard Collin Sexton, who is on an expiring $19MM contract, has drawn interest from several teams.
As for Markkanen, the Jazz view him as part of their core and they want to be more competitive in 2026/27, Siegel writes. While injured center Walker Kessler has generated “plenty” of trade interest, he’s also viewed as an important part of the team and is not expected to be moved in the next few weeks, Siegel confirms.
Through 32 games, Markkanen is averaging 27.9 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.0 steals on .483/.365/.892 shooting. He’s also on a lucrative long-term deal that runs through ’28/29.
Latest On Ja Morant
ESPN’s Shams Charania reported on Friday that the Grizzlies are listening to trade offers for Ja Morant, but also said the team is open to keeping him on the roster past the February 5 deadline. John Hollinger of The Athletic, a former high-ranking Grizzlies executive, confirms the team is fielding offers for Morant but is dubious Memphis will retain the 26-year-old beyond Feb. 5.
As Hollinger observes, it’s rare for a team to publicly advertise it’s open to moving one of its top players unless the club already intends to move him. Just a few days after the Hawks were said to be working on a trade with Trae Young, they ended up sending him to Washington. It’s quite possible Memphis already has a deal lined up for Morant and is waiting to see if anyone will top it, according to Hollinger.
Hollinger confirms the Kings and Timberwolves are unlikely to pursue Morant, describing their interest as “lukewarm at best.” While he admits it’s informed speculation, Hollinger points to the Raptors (Immanuel Quickley and other assets) as a team that might be a fit, and calls the Nets a potential “deep dark horse” suitor.
A league source tells The Athletic that Michael Porter Jr. is a “lock” to be traded by Brooklyn ahead of the deadline, with Hollinger suggesting three-team frameworks that send Porter to either the Raptors, Heat or Bucks, Morant to the Nets, and various assets to the Grizzlies.
Here are several more rumors related to Morant:
- There’s a sense around the league that the Grizzlies might be able to get more value for Morant than the Hawks did for Young, according to Sam Vecenie of The Athletic. That could require Memphis to take on long-term money in return, but the team seems more willing to go that route than Atlanta was.
- Still, Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link) hears the Grizzlies don’t have unrealistic expectations about a potential return package. Fischer confirms they’re looking for young players and draft assets, but says Memphis isn’t expecting anything close to what it received for Desmond Bane over the offseason.
- According to Fischer, while Morant may have never formally requested a trade, it seems both sides were in agreement about seeking a change of scenery. Fischer also hears the Grizzlies want to build around Jaren Jackson Jr., but says that won’t stop opposing teams from calling about his availability and trying to determine through back channels whether the former Defensive Player of the Year is open to a possible exit. Hollinger has heard similar rumblings about Jackson, with Fischer wondering if the Raptors or Hawks might pivot to a pursuit of the 26-year-old big man in the wake of Anthony Davis‘ hand injury.
- Although there were some suggestions early in the season about a potential Morant-LaMelo Ball trade between the Grizzlies and Hornets, that scenario appears unlikely now, Fischer writes.
- The Raptors offered Quickley and unspecified draft compensation to the Hawks for Young prior to last year’s deadline, sources tell Fischer, and maintained a level of interest in the four-time All-Star in 2025/26. The Hawks weren’t interested in taking on Quickley’s contract, as they were instead focused on financial flexibility, but perhaps Memphis would feel differently.
- The Heat have had internal discussions about pursuing Morant, Fischer reports. Morant didn’t like playing under the Noah LaRoche‘s offensive system last season with Memphis, Fischer notes, but Miami has a history of expressing interest in star players regardless of their injury or off-court histories.
- Both Hollinger and Vecenie are skeptical about the Bucks pursuing Morant, but the possibility can’t be ruled out entirely. “They’ve thought about everyone,” one rival executive told Fischer.
Southeast Notes: Wagner Brothers, Trae, Ball, Weaver
The Magic have been typically cagey about the return timelines for Franz Wagner (left high ankle sprain) and Moritz Wagner (left ACL surgery recovery), but head coach Jamahl Mosley provided updates on both players on Friday, as Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel relays.
Franz, who last played on December 7, has been doing on-court work with “a little bit of contact stuff,” Mosley said, telling reporters that the forward has been working on his “cardio and conditioning.” As for Moritz, he has participated in some 2-on-2 and 3-on-3 scrimmages and is taking contact as well, according to Mosley.
Although it doesn’t sound like a return to action is far off for either player, Beede notes that there’s still no guarantee either will be available for next Thursday’s game vs. Memphis in their home country of Germany. As Mosley acknowledged, while the Wagner brothers would love to play in that game, the Magic certainly don’t want to rush them back without being 100% sure they’re ready.
“The challenge in that is, you think long term,” Mosley said. “You want them to be ready for that Berlin game. They want to be ready for that Berlin game, and that’s a big key. That’s the ideal world. But then the reality of what we’re facing is the fact that you want them to be ready for the long game as well. We have a long season ahead of us, and you want them to be prepared and as healthy as possible, walking into each one of those games from then on.”
We have more from across the Southeast:
- Trae Young hasn’t played since December 27 due to a right quad contusion, so it’s no surprise that the Wizards ruled him out for Friday’s game after officially acquiring him earlier in the day. However, it’s worth noting that the team’s designation for Young (Twitter link) includes both his quad contusion and a right MCL sprain, the injury that sidelined him earlier in the season. Amid speculation that the point guard may not play a ton during the second half for his new team, it appears that managing that knee issue will be one explanation the team cites for his absences going forward.
- After playing limited fourth-quarter minutes on Wednesday, LaMelo Ball didn’t start for the Hornets on Thursday in order to better position him to be available late in the game, writes Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer. It was the first time Ball had come off the bench since his rookie season. “Just trying to find a way to get more creative with how we manage Melo’s minutes in order to keep him in a good place health-wise,” head coach Charles Lee explained. “And also just coming off of that last game, wanted to find a way that maybe we can have him in at the end of games. It helps us regulate his minutes, and then I thought he was able to play more minutes in the fourth quarter.”
- Veteran NBA assistant Will Weaver, who joined the Hornets in August as a coaching advisor, is in advanced talks to become the next head coach of the Brisbane Bullets, reports Olgun Uluc of ESPN. Weaver has prior head coaching experience in Australia’s National Basketball League, having coached the Sydney Kings from 2019-20 in between NBA jobs.
Trade Rumors: Morant, Ball, Bucks, Kings, Kuminga
The Hawks‘ return for a four-time All-Star like Trae Young may look awfully modest, but a scout who spoke to Sam Amick of The Athletic suggests it may be equally difficult for other teams with defensively limited point guards to extract real value for them. That group includes the Grizzlies with Ja Morant and the Hornets with LaMelo Ball.
“Ja, Trae and LaMelo don’t have that much value because the game has changed around them,” that scout said.
According to Tim Bontemps and Brian Windhorst of ESPN, rival executives have conveyed a similar sentiment, pointing to Young’s maximum-salary contract and the league-wide depth at the point guard spot as reasons why they think Atlanta made out reasonably well in the deal. Conversely, some of those execs questioned the Wizards‘ decision to trade for Young.
“I know from a value proposition why you look at it,” an Eastern Conference scout said. “But if I’m the Wizards, just keep being bad, and stuff will figure itself out. I’m not sure why they felt the need to do this.”
“Offense is so easy now,” a Western Conference executive added. “One of the worst teams in the league can still easily put up 115 points in a game. … It’s hard for these small point guards to have real value with how the game is played now.”
We have more trade notes and rumors from around the NBA:
- While the Bucks have been connected to multiple Kings players, including Zach LaVine and Malik Monk, there were no active discussions between the two teams as of earlier this week, league sources tell Amick. Amick also confirms that the Bucks are among many teams believed to have interest in Nets forward Michael Porter Jr. and that they’ve conveyed interest in Anthony Davis, though they don’t appear to have a realistic path to a deal for the Mavericks big man.
- Checking in on the Jonathan Kuminga situation, Amick writes that the Kings are still widely viewed as the frontrunner to acquire the Warriors forward, but are no longer willing to offer the protected 2030 first-round pick that was on the table during the offseason, echoing a similar report from ESPN. Additionally, since Golden State has registered no real interest in Sacramento’s veterans, a third team may be necessary to make a deal that gets Kuminga to the Kings, Amick adds.
- ESPN’s Kevin Pelton and Zach Kram suggest six hypothetical trades they think make sense for all involved parties, with cap expert Bobby Marks analyzing each proposal. Their ideas range from bigger moves like the Bucks getting Porter or the Warriors landing Trey Murphy III to more minor deals like the Raptors acquiring Brook Lopez.
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 1,189 minutes over 39 games in his lone season at Duke. He’s currently at 1,186 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,” 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.”
Latest On Anthony Davis, Trae Young
Atlanta is viewed as a “real-deal suitor” for Mavericks big man Anthony Davis, Marc Stein reports in his latest Substack post. Chris Haynes reported on Saturday morning that the Hawks remain “very intrigued” by the possibility of acquiring Davis, whom the team has been linked to for multiple weeks.
However, there are several complicating factors that could prevent a potential trade from coming together.
While Haynes reported that Trae Young would not be included in an outgoing package for Davis, Stein suggests the four-time All-Star point guard might have to be sent elsewhere to make a deal work for financial reasons. The Hawks are not known for being big spenders, Stein observes, and having Young ($48.97MM player option) and Davis ($58.46MM) under contract at the same time in 2026/27 would make the roster prohibitively expensive.
Like many other reporters, Stein hears Davis is expected to seek a lucrative long-term extension once he becomes eligible to sign one in August, whether he stays with Dallas or is moved to another team.
According to Stein, there’s a “growing belief” around the NBA that the Hawks are open to moving Young, but whether they’d actually be able to find a suitable deal for him remains to be seen. As Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reported a couple weeks ago, rival executives think Young may end up having to exercise that player option, which doesn’t exactly point to a robust free agent or trade market.
Stein isn’t the only reporter to hear Atlanta could be looking to trade Young. ESPN’s Tim MacMahon said something similar on Monday’s Hoop Collective podcast (hat tip to Doric Sam of Bleacher Report).
“The Hawks certainly are indicating that they’re looking for the exit ramp with Trae Young,” MacMahon said. “They did not make any attempt to get him signed to an extension. When that’s the case with your face of the franchise, that’s a pretty clear message that the end could be near.”
MacMahon pointed to Ja Morant (Grizzlies) and LaMelo Ball (Hornets) as two other maximum-salaried point guards who are in similar situations as the Hawks and Young.
“If there is an attempt to trade these guys, it’s not going to be easy,” MacMahon said. “There’s not going to be some wide array of teams raising their hand and trying to get in on the bidding, and I’m not sure if you’re even gonna be able to make a trade that’s going to bring value in return.”
The Mavericks also already have Kyrie Irving in the backcourt, and while he’s still recovering from a torn ACL, it would make zero sense to pair him with a small, ball-dominant, defense-deficient guard like Young.
As for who the Hawks could send out for Davis, Stein says the team appears to be willing to part with 2024 No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher under the right circumstances, and points to the expiring contracts of Kristaps Porzingis and Luke Kennard as salary-matching pieces. But it’s unclear if Atlanta would be willing to offer draft compensation — or if Dallas would be interested in that proposal.
According to Stein, Hawks forward Jalen Johnson and the 2026 first-round pick Atlanta controls (the more favorable of the Pelicans’ and Bucks’ selections) are viewed as off-limits in any trade talks.
It’s also unclear how willing the Mavericks are to make an in-season deal involving Davis, as Stein hears governor Patrick Dumont is among a group of key executives who would like to see Irving, Davis and Cooper Flagg play together before making another major trade. Waiting until the offseason could be the prudent choice, depending on the types of offers the Mavs receive, Stein writes.
Haynes reported that the Warriors are considering making a run at Davis. According to Stein, while Golden State has a “longstanding fondness” for the 10-time All-Star, the team has reservations about his contract and lengthy injury history and doesn’t appear to be actively pursuing him.
As Stein notes, Jimmy Butler or Draymond Green would have to be included in a possible Davis deal for matching purposes, which is one reason why a trade looks unlikely at this time.
Stein continues to hear the Warriors are looking for the “best possible” deal centered around Jonathan Kuminga‘s $22.5MM contract once the fifth-year forward becomes trade-eligible on January 15.
The Hawks have gone 0-6 since Young returned to action earlier this month (he appeared in five of those games). He will miss Monday’s contest at Oklahoma City due to a right quad contusion, tweets Brad Rowland of Locked On Hawks. Johnson is also out with an illness.
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.