Pacific Notes: Booker, Brooks, Hayes, Miller
Suns guard Devin Booker isn’t getting any love from the fans in terms of All-Star voting. The latest returns have Booker ranked 17th among vote-getters in the Western Conference.
Booker isn’t particularly surprised, even though he’s having a strong season. He’s averaging 25.3 points and 6.4 assists per game.
“There are some super big market teams,” he told Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic. “There are guys from different countries that have a whole country behind them. I kind of understand the process, but am I playing better than a lot of guys? For sure, but that’s not the setup.”
Teammate Grayson Allen feels Booker is being slighted by the voting public.
“He is the engine for our team,” Allen said. “Everyone knows he can score the ball, but this year, his play-making has been great. Assists, hockey assists, everything, he is the head of the snake for our team. We’ve surprised a lot of people this year and being the best player on this team, we’re not successful without him. Maybe the team success will help him out. I don’t know. I feel like he’s done enough individually to make it every year.”
Booker has made the All-Star team four times in his career.
Here’s more from the Pacific Division:
- Suns wing Dillon Brooks is two technical fouls away from a league-imposed one game suspension. Brooks picked up his 14th technical foul against Miami on Tuesday. Brooks’ latest infraction came when he shoved Heat forward Norman Powell (YouTube video link). An automatic suspension is issued when a player reaches 16 technicals and he receives an additional suspension for every two technicals he receives after reaching that threshold. No other NBA player has more than nine techs at this point.
- Jaxson Hayes underwent an MRI on his left hamstring on Tuesday, according to Lakers coach JJ Redick. Hayes told ESPN’s Dave McMenamin (Twitter link) on his way into the arena that he has experienced tightness in the hamstring for more than a week. Hayes, who played 19 minutes against Sacramento on Monday, hopes to be back in the lineup as soon as next game if the MRI comes back clean.
- Clippers two-way player Jordan Miller is doing his best to earn a standard contract. His minutes have spiked in the last five games and he’s averaged 11.8 points and 3.4 rebounds per game during that stretch, including a 21-point outing against Brooklyn and a 14-point performance against Charlotte. “I know what I’m capable of,” Miller told Janis Carr of the Orange County Register. “I played Summer League twice, got first-team honors, so it’s just like going out there and showing everybody like, ‘I belong here now.’ That’s really the theme of the year this year. It’s just like, show everybody you belong.”
Lakers Sign Kobe Bufkin To 10-Day Contract
5:33pm: The signing is official, accordinig to a team press release.
1:29pm: The Lakers have agreed to a 10-day deal with guard Kobe Bufkin, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).
The 15th overall pick in the 2023 NBA draft, Bufkin spent his first two professional seasons with the Hawks before being traded to the Nets this offseason. He was subsequently waived by Brooklyn before the 2025/26 regular season tipped off.
Bufkin battled injuries during his first two NBA seasons in Atlanta and made just 27 total appearances for the Hawks. He missed a significant chunk of his rookie year due to a fractured left thumb and a sprained toe, then underwent season-ending shoulder surgery in December 2024, less than two months into his second year.
Bufkin has been healthier so far this season though, making 14 appearances for the South Bay Lakers, Los Angeles’ G League affiliate. The 6’4″ guard has put up big numbers at the NBAGL level, averaging 26.7 points, 4.9 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.3 blocks in 34.5 minutes per game, with an elite shooting line of .519/.409/.902.
Bufkin’s strong play in the G League earned him a 10-day contract from the Grizzlies in November, but he didn’t end up seeing any action in any of his five games with the team.
The 22-year-old’s 10-day contract will pay him $131,970, while the Lakers carry an identical cap hit. Los Angeles is right up against its first-apron hard cap and can’t currently sign a free agent to a rest-of-season contract.
Based on their cap situation, the Lakers were projected to be able to fit a rest-of-season signing under that hard cap as of January 18, but Bufkin’s 10-day deal will push that date back to Jan. 28.
Assuming the Lakers finalize their deal with Bufkin today, he’ll get an opportunity to suit up against his former team on his first day on the job — L.A. is hosting the Hawks on Tuesday night.
Pacific Notes: Hachimura, Luka, Harden, Suns, Warriors
Although he was available on Monday, Lakers forward Rui Hachimura sat out for a seventh straight game after head coach JJ Redick learned that Hachimura would be available for just one game in the team’s back-to-back set. As Dave McMenamin of ESPN writes, Redick decided to save the forward for Tuesday’s game against Atlanta.
The Lakers lost without Hachimura on Monday, falling to a Sacramento team that made 17-of-26 three-point tries. Luka Doncic racked up 42 points vs. the Kings, but was battling a groin issue that required treatment throughout the night, notes McMenamin.
“I was really uncertain (about playing),” Doncic admitted after the game. “Before the game, like warming up, I felt something. So we were just trying to get warm and get going.”
While Hachimura will make his return on Tuesday, it’s unclear whether Doncic (left groin soreness) or LeBron James (left foot joint arthritis and right sciatica) will play. They’re both listed as questionable, per Marc Stein (Twitter link), and could join Jaxson Hayes (left hamstring soreness) and Austin Reaves (left calf strain) on the sidelines.
“Obviously we’re dealing with a lot of injuries right now,” James said on Monday, according to McMenamin. “Not only guys that are not in uniform, but even guys that are in uniform. So, we’re just trying to weather the storm.”
We have more from around the Pacific:
- Clippers guard James Harden become the NBA’s ninth all-time leading scorer on Monday, passing Shaquille O’Neal‘s career total of 28,596 points. “Shaquille O’Neal, somebody that I literally grew up watching here in L.A.,” Harden said, per The Associated Press. “Him and Kobe (Bryant) doing their thing, winning multiple championships, the most dominant big man in the history of the game. It’s a true honor, it’s a testament to the work that I put in.”
- Asked if injured guards Jalen Green (right hamstring strain) and Jamaree Bouyea (concussion protocol) will be available at some point during the six-game road trip that begins on Tuesday, Suns head coach Jordan Ott replied, “That’s the plan” (Twitter link via Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic). Green has been out since November 8, while Bouyea has missed Phoenix’s past four games.
- Spencer Davies of R.org profiles second-year Suns big man Oso Ighodaro, who has earned praise from Ott for his versatility and his ability to be a “connector” in a variety of lineups. Phoenix has a +7.5 net rating during Ighodaro’s time on the court this season, compared to a -1.2 mark when he sits. “I think last year, when it was spot minutes, I was just giving everything I got,” Ighodaro said. “And now, (I’m) playing a little bit longer stretches, trying to maintain that same level of play just for my entire stretch I’m in the game. I’m definitely being asked to do a little bit more this year, so I’m trying to do all that while maintaining all the effort and intensity.”
- In the wake of Sunday’s loss to Atlanta, Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area refers to the Warriors‘ roster as “profoundly defective” due to the team’s lack of length and athleticism, while Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area questions whether head coach Steve Kerr should remain committed to a starting lineup featuring Moses Moody and Quinten Post alongside Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler, and Draymond Green. That five-man unit has started 13 of the Warriors’ past 14 games but has a net rating of -3.3 on the season.
Trade Notes: Cavs, Nets, MPJ, Grizzlies, More
The Cavaliers acquired forward De’Andre Hunter in their only in-season trade in 2024/25, but Hunter’s disappointing performance so far in ’25/26 may necessitate another in-season move a year later, writes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (subscription required).
Sources tell Fedor that the Cavaliers haven’t engaged in any meaningful trade talks with teams inquiring on their players so far, including one club that made an offer for Hunter. Cleveland still believes in its current group despite an underwhelming 22-19 first half and wants to see what it looks like at full strength, if possible, Fedor adds.
However, with Max Strus expected to remain sidelined for at least a few more weeks, Dean Wade dealing with a nagging knee issue – he recently underwent a precautionary MRI that came back clean, per Fedor – and Hunter struggling to make an impact, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the Cavs explore their options on the trade market before the deadline.
After Hunter scored a season-low two points and committed three turnovers in 18 minutes of action in Monday’s home loss to Utah, head coach Kenny Atkinson acknowledged the forward’s struggles while expressing a belief that he can still turn things around.
“It’s not clicking. I think it’s a prolonged batting slump. It happens in every sport,” Atkinson said. “Trying to support him. Trying to get him some touches. Part of my job is to help him. He’ll snap out of it. He’s too good of a player to be playing like this. He’ll turn it around. We need him.”
Here are a few more trade-related notes and rumors from around the NBA:
- Noting that Nets general manager Sean Marks typically exercises patience on the trade market and doesn’t settle for deals that fall shy of his asking price, Brian Lewis of The New York Post (subscription required) writes that there’s a real chance Michael Porter Jr. remains with the team through the trade deadline. One assistant GM told Lewis that he wouldn’t be surprised if Brooklyn hangs onto Porter and then sits him frequently after the trade deadline in an effort to tank for a high draft pick.
- Kelly Iko of Yahoo Sports and Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports both check in on the Ja Morant situation, with Iko explaining why the Grizzlies appear prepared to move forward without the star point guard and O’Connor presenting some hypothetical trade scenarios involving the 26-year-old. Echoing recent reporting from ESPN, Iko says executives around the NBA are wondering if Memphis will also become open to dealing Jaren Jackson Jr., though the Grizzlies have insisted for now that’s not an option they’re considering.
- Dan Woike of The Athletic suggests six trade ideas for the Lakers, including potential deals that send Andrew Wiggins, Herbert Jones, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, or Justin Champagnie to Los Angeles. However, he also plays devil’s advocate by outlining reasons why his suggestions might not work, such as the Pelicans’ lack of interest in moving Jones and the Lakers’ reluctance to take on multiyear salary for a player like KCP.
- Sam Vecenie of The Athletic lays out a few trades he’d like to see happen, including one sending Bulls guard Coby White into the Pistons‘ trade exception for draft assets, a three-team deal sending Michael Porter Jr. to the Warriors and Jonathan Kuminga to the Kings, and a Daniel Gafford/Bennedict Mathurin swap between the Pacers and Mavericks.
Kings, Bulls, Lakers Interested In Jonathan Kuminga
While it’s widely expected that Jonathan Kuminga will be on the move by the February 5 deadline, the Warriors don’t feel any urgency to deal him when he becomes trade-eligible on January 15, according to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link).
As Fischer writes, the market for Kuminga has shrunk since he was a restricted free agent over the summer, and it doesn’t help matters that he couldn’t crack Golden State’s rotation even before he reportedly started being held out due to trade talks. Fischer points to the Suns as a team that was interested in Kuminga over the offseason but has since moved on.
While the Mavericks reportedly initiated trade talks with the Warriors and expressed some interest in Kuminga, those conversations were centered around Anthony Davis. With the star big man injured and thus not expected to be moved, Dallas seems unlikely to circle back to Kuminga now, Fischer explains.
According to Fischer, the Wizards were once viewed as a possible landing spot for the former No. 7 overall pick, but that was when they still had Corey Kispert on the roster, a player the Warriors have liked for years. Kispert was traded to Atlanta in the Trae Young deal.
Confirming recent reporting from ESPN and The Athletic, Fischer hears the Kings remain high on Kuminga and “would welcome” the opportunity to acquire him prior to Feb. 5, but they know a two-team deal is unlikely and that may be true of multi-team constructs as well if general manager Scott Perry maintains his stance of being unwilling to include a first-round pick.
The Bulls are another team that has expressed previous interest in Kuminga, Fischer writes, and a source tells Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times that they’re still evaluating whether to make a run at him. Cowley hears there has been increased recent chatter about Coby White being on the market, and Fischer refers to the impending free agent as being “oft-discussed,” though the Warriors don’t appear to have interest in the 25-year-old guard.
Cowley also confirms the Bulls have long been intrigued by Zion Williamson, but he may not be available.
Lastly, while the Lakers are known to be looking for a three-and-D wing and Kuminga doesn’t really fit that bill, they did inquire about his availability in the offseason and have continued to keep an eye on his situation, Fischer reports.
Lakers Notes: James, Doncic, Hachimura, Season
Although he has performed better as of late, LeBron James‘ numbers for the Lakers this season are some of the lowest since his rookie year. That’s OK with James, who knows what his role is for a team that’s now led by Luka Doncic, writes Dave McMenamin for ESPN.
“Luka don’t need to bend his game [for me],” James said. “Luka is our [26-year-old] franchise for this ballclub. He don’t need to bend his game… It’s up to us to bend our game around him and figure it out. We just try to be dynamic and work off of him. We know he is an unbelievable pick-and-roll player, unbelievable shot-maker. He commands the defense. He has four eyes, sometimes six eyes on him. So, it’s up to us to put ourselves in the right position.”
The Lakers have played well this season while players cycle in and out of the rotation, but in a tightly-packed Western Conference, James recognizes there’s room for improvement.
“We’re just trying to weather the storm with the guys that we have,” James said. “But, it is going to start with me and Luka, for sure. Every time we hit the floor. He has the ball in his hands. I’m going to have the ball in my hands. We have to make sure we are putting our guys in position offensively, and then defensively.”
James also provided an update on what fans should expect in regard to his availability moving forward.
“Every back-to-back, for the rest of the season, is TBD,” James said. “I am 41. I got the most minutes in NBA history. Bank [that answer] right now.”
We have more from the Lakers:
- Doncic has noticed the effort from the all-time great and doesn’t take it for granted. “He’s been absolutely amazing,” Doncic said of James. “Just helping me out, helping others out, being super efficient on the field goals. … He can do anything. Just really appreciate him. … We are playing better with each other, game by game. And this is just going to be improving more.”
- That process of improvement hit a snag this week as the Lakers lost two straight games to the Spurs and Bucks. Against Milwaukee, the Lakers’ stars came up short, writes Broderick Turner for the L.A. Times. James went scoreless over the last three minutes and had the game-clinching turnover, while Doncic fouled out with 16.2 seconds left in a tie game. Doncic was frustrated with the call after committing that shooting foul on Kevin Porter Jr., telling reporters after the game, “I don’t think he shoots like that. The referee said it was a foul. So, I guess it’s a foul.” Coach JJ Redick acknowledged it wasn’t Doncic’s best effort, but wasn’t overly concerned. “He missed some free throws, and I think he’s been such a dynamic driver and paint-toucher for us that those plays can kinda mess with your mind a little bit,” Redick said. “But he’s won of so many games and he’s not gonna, every, whatever game it is, you’re naturally gonna have not your best stuff. And he’s didn’t have his best stuff tonight.”
- Rui Hachimura, out since December 28 with a calf injury, was a full participant in practice on Sunday, Redick said, and he’ll likely play on Monday, per Daniel Starkand of Lakers Nation (Twitter link). Redick said that Hachimura will come off the bench, given that he’s on a minutes restriction. Once that restriction is lifted, Redick says he will decide whether or not Hachimura will rejoin the starting lineup.
- While the Lakers’ desire to add a two-way wing player to their roster is a poorly-kept secret, some around the league point to them as an example of why it might be a quieter trade deadline than expected, according to Tim Bontemps and Brian Windhorst of ESPN. The general sense is that L.A.’s limited assets will make it difficult to make an impact addition during the season. “They just need to fast forward to the offseason,” an anonymous league executive said. “They can’t realistically add to the roster. They don’t have a solve. They’re focused on keeping cap space and trying to do moves on the margins, and it’s hard to find a lot that makes sense.”
Dennis Schröder Suspended For Three Games
The NBA has announced a three-game suspension for Kings guard Dennis Schröder for “confronting and attempting to strike another player.”
The incident, which involved Lakers star Luka Doncic, occurred 40 minutes after their December 28 game, according to the league, as Schröder “sought out” Doncic in an arena hallway and “initiated the confrontation.”
Schröder’s suspension will begin with Sunday’s game against Houston. He will also miss Monday’s rematch with the Lakers and Wednesday’s meeting with New York. He will be docked three games’ worth of salary amounting to $291,807, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link).
Tensions between Schröder and Doncic began with an exchange of words early in the game (YouTube link) and continued throughout the night. Doncic’s comments to Schröder included, “You should’ve signed that contract, baby” (TikTok link), a reference to a reported four-year, $84MM extension offer that Schröder turned down when he was with the Lakers in 2021.
According to ESPN’s Anthony Slater, Lakers center Deandre Ayton attempted to pull Schröder away from Doncic as security intervened.
The rivalry between the two guards began in Europe and dates back several years, according to Marca. It picked up intensity last fall when Schröder’s German team defeated Doncic’s Slovenia in the EuroBasket quarterfinals. The website states that Schröder has expressed respect for Doncic in the past and suggests that the latest incident may stem from the frustrations of playing for a losing team in Sacramento.
Schröder has been mentioned as a potential trade candidate if the Kings try to unload some of their veterans ahead of the February 5 deadline.
LeBron James To Miss Wednesday’s Game, Reaches Limit To Qualify For Awards
Lakers star LeBron James has achieved All-NBA honors for the past 21 seasons, but the league’s 65-game rule may bring that streak to an end.
James has been downgraded to out for Wednesday’s game at San Antonio due to left foot joint arthritis and right sciatica, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin (Twitter link). L.A. is on the second night of a back-to-back, and James logged 33 minutes in Tuesday’s win at New Orleans.
Tonight will mark the 17th missed game of the season for the 41-year-old James, who has been experiencing physical issues in his 23rd NBA season. He didn’t make his debut until November 18 after sitting out the first 14 games while recovering from sciatica. This will be just the third time he hasn’t been in the lineup since returning, but he’s already in a position where he would have to play every game for the rest of the season to reach 65.
That’s extremely unlikely considering James’ age and his importance to the Lakers in the playoffs, and it doesn’t appear that he’s concerned about it. James acknowledged Tuesday night that back-to-backs will be an iffy proposition moving forward.
“Every back-to-back for the rest of the season is TBD,” he said (Twitter video link from McMenamin). “I am 41, I got the most minutes in NBA history … bank it right now.”
Coach JJ Redick said he hopes James will be able to suit up in both nights of back-to-backs at some point, McMenamin tweets, but he was feeling pain in his left foot following Tuesday’s contest.
James was a second-team All-NBA selection last season and finished sixth in MVP voting as he appeared in 70 games and averaged 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 8.2 assists in 34.9 minutes per night. His production has fallen to 21.7 PPG, 5.4 RPG and 6.8 APG so far this season.
He has experienced injury issues before, playing in just 45 games in 2020/21, 56 games in 2021/22 and 55 games in 2022/23. However, the NBA hadn’t instituted its 65-game minimum at the time, and his performance was strong enough to convince voters that he was worthy of All-NBA honors.
Spurs star Victor Wembanyama, who had been listed as questionable with a left knee bone bruise, has been cleared to play, according to Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News (Twitter link).
Siegel’s Latest: Sabonis, Raptors, Bucks, Warriors, Nets, White, Lakers
After buying low on Brandon Ingram at last season’s trade deadline, could the Raptors seek out a similar move this February? According to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints, Kings center Domantas Sabonis is one name that has been continually linked to Toronto. The Raptors’ interest in Sabonis was first reported in December by Jake Fischer and has since been corroborated by several other outlets.
Malik Monk is another player who has intrigued Toronto in the past, Siegel writes, noting that Kings general manager Scott Perry drafted current Raptors veterans RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley when he was in New York’s front office. While there’s no indication that the two teams have seriously discussed such a deal involving those four players, Siegel suggests that sort of framework could be worth keeping an eye on.
If Toronto does end up moving Barrett in that sort of bigger move, he’d likely draw interest from several teams besides Sacramento, Siegel writes, given the lack of high-level wing talent on the trade market. The Bucks, for example, expressed interest in Barrett last season, per Siegel.
Here’s more from Siegel’s latest NBA rumor round-up:
- The Warriors have internally discussed many possible center trade targets, including Myles Turner and Bobby Portis of the Bucks, per Siegel. A number of teams around the NBA are curious about Milwaukee’s plans for Portis, Siegel continues, with the Hornets and Suns also considered possible suitors, perhaps in multi-team scenarios.
- Suns guard Jalen Green is among the players the Bucks have inquired on, but Phoenix isn’t interested in moving him at this point, says Siegel. Given that Green has only played two games this season due to hamstring issues, the Suns view him as a sort of trade-deadline addition themselves, Siegel explains.
- Although the Nets are fielding inquiries on players like Michael Porter Jr. and Nic Claxton, they aren’t actively looking to move them. In order for Brooklyn to consider a deal involving either player, the starting point for a package would have to be a “true” unprotected first-round pick, Siegel writes.
- The Mavericks and the Clippers are among the teams with interest in Bulls guard Coby White, sources tell Siegel, who reiterates that the Timberwolves also remain interested and notes that some league insiders have speculated that the Hawks could be a destination for White in the event of a Trae Young trade.
- With higher-level options like Herbert Jones potentially out of reach, players like Bulls forward Isaac Okoro, Kings guard Keon Ellis, and Nets wing Haywood Highsmith are considered more realistic possibilities for a Lakers team seeking defensive help, according to Siegel. Mavericks forward Naji Marshall is another possible trade candidate to add to that group if Dallas commits to becoming a seller.
Injury Notes: Oubre, Watford, Vincent, LeBron, Wemby, Harden, More
The Sixers are expected to get a pair of forwards back from injuries on Wednesday vs. Washington, having upgraded Kelly Oubre Jr. and Trendon Watford to probable after they participated in today’s shootaround, tweets Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Oubre has been out since November 14 due to a left knee sprain, while Watford – who has been recovering from a left adductor strain – last played on November 25.
Both Sixers vets had been playing some of the best basketball of their careers before going down with injuries. Oubre started all 12 games he played in the fall and scored 16.8 points per game with a career-high 49.7% field goal percentage. Watford averaged 8.9 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 3.6 assists in 20.4 minutes per game with a .534/.389/.800 shooting line in 14 appearances (four starts).
Here are more injury updates from across the NBA:
- Lakers guard Gabe Vincent (lumbar back strain) is no longer on the injury report and appears on track to play on Wednesday vs. San Antonio after missing the past nine games, per Dan Woike of The Athletic (Twitter link). Vincent last suited up on December 14.
- Lakers forward LeBron James (left foot joint arthritis and right sciatica) and Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama (left knee bone bruise) are both listed as questionable to play on Wednesday. Wembanyama returned from a two-game absence on Tuesday vs. Memphis and seemed fine after the game, according to Michael C. Wright of ESPN, who says (via Twitter) that the plan is to have Wembanyama play vs. Los Angeles if he feels up to it.
- Clippers guard James Harden, who sat out on Monday due to shoulder stiffness, is probable to return on Wednesday vs. the Knicks, who will still be without Josh Hart (right ankle sprain), tweets James L. Edwards III of The Athletic. Hart has missed New York’s past six games, four of which were losses.
- Magic guard Jalen Suggs, who has been out for two games with a right knee MCL contusion, hasn’t progressed to contact or on-court work yet, head coach Jamahl Mosley said on Tuesday (Twitter link via Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel). “Just slowly seeing how he responds to the treatment that he does day-to-day,” Mosley said.
- While there’s still no word on a potential timeline or target date for his return, Kyrie Irving traveled with the Mavericks to Sacramento this week and completed a workout with assistant coach Phil Handy following the team’s shootaround on Tuesday, writes Grant Afseth of The Dallas Hoops Journal. Irving’s presence on the three-game road trip is a sign of progress, according to Afseth, who adds that forward P.J. Washington is considered day-to-day after sitting out Saturday’s game with a right ankle sprain.