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.
Windhorst/Bontemps’ Latest: Giannis, Trade Deadline, LeBron, More
A number of league insiders who spoke to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst and Tim Bontemps about what will happen in the NBA in 2026 believe that this will be the year the Giannis Antetokounmpo saga in Milwaukee reaches an inflection point, according to Bontemps.
“The rubber is going to finally hit the road, one way or the other,” one Western Conference executive said.
However, several of those sources believe the situation will carry over into the offseason, with one Eastern Conference scout suggesting that the Bucks star would have “maximum leverage” if he waits until the summer to request a trade.
“They aren’t trading him in-season,” a Western scout predicted.
In fact, many of the executives surveyed by Bontemps are anticipating a relatively quiet trade deadline, with resolutions on players like Antetokounmpo, Anthony Davis, Zach LaVine, and Trae Young potentially not coming until June or July (or later). One Eastern Conference exec suggested that a “crazy summer” could be on tap if February’s deadline ends up being somewhat uneventful.
“All these guys are going to be stuck where they are (at the trade deadline),” another Western Conference exec said. “I don’t think it will be as busy as people think, and I don’t think the available players will be that good.”
Here’s more from Windhorst and Bontemps:
- According to Windhorst, league executives believe there will be three paths available to LeBron James after this season: Re-sign with the Lakers at a reduced salary, join another team in free agency, or retire. In other words, they don’t expect Los Angeles to continue paying the four-time MVP maximum or near-max money. While James is no longer performing at his peak level, he would continue to be a coveted player if he decides not to retire, one head coach said: “LeBron is still averaging 20 points and shooting 50%. You just have to find the right situation.”
- The NBA is reportedly weighing rule changes to further disincentivize tanking, and ESPN’s sources expect the outcry for changes to grow as the season progresses, Windhorst writes. “This is only going to get louder,” an Eastern Conference executive said. “By the spring, I think one out of every three games we’re going to play is going to be against a team that’s tanking.”
- While commissioner Adam Silver has said the NBA will make a decision on expansion in 2026, stakeholders who have been working with the league on possible domestic expansion and a new European league are skeptical that the NBA would be able to move forward on both endeavors simultaneously, says Windhorst. The NBA reportedly hopes to launch its European league in the fall of 2027, so perhaps the NBA would aim to expand a year or two after that.
Lakers’ Adou Thiero To Be Reevaluated In Four Weeks For MCL Sprain
The Lakers announced that Adou Thiero has suffered an MCL sprain in his right knee and will be reevaluated in approximately four weeks, Khobi Price of the Orange County Register writes in a subscriber-only story.
Price notes that it’s not clear when Thiero suffered the injury. He played in the team’s last six games and 15 of the past 18. He was on the court for four minutes in the fourth quarter of Tuesday’s loss to Detroit.
The 21-year-old rookie forward had surgery on his left knee while he was still in college. That caused him to fall to the second round of the draft and forced him to miss the Summer League and preseason.
The recovery process caused Thiero’s NBA debut to be delayed until November 15. He has seen limited action in 15 games, averaging 1.3 points and 1.2 rebounds in 5.8 minutes per night and shooting 38.9% from the field.
The injury comes at an unfortunate time for Thiero, who may have been able to increase his role with the shorthanded Lakers. Austin Reaves is sidelined for at least three more weeks with a calf strain, Gabe Vincent has missed the last six games with lower back pain, and Rui Hachimura is dealing with right calf soreness.
Lakers Notes: Hachimura, LeBron, Identity, TPEs
After missing two games last week due to right groin soreness, Lakers forward Rui Hachimura sat out on Tuesday vs. Detroit as a result of right calf soreness. The team is optimistic that it won’t be a long-term issue, writes Khobi Price of The Orange County Register.
“He’ll miss a couple games,” head coach JJ Redick said. “Then we’ll get him ramped up and, hopefully, he’s playing again in the next week.”
According to Dave McMenamin of ESPN (Twitter link), the expectation is that Hachimura will miss games on Friday and Sunday vs. Memphis. The Lakers will play a back-to-back set in New Orleans and San Antonio next Tuesday and Wednesday, so presumably the hope is that Hachimura will return for one or both of those games.
We have more on the Lakers:
- While LeBron James‘ performance on or around his birthdays have often served as reminders of his unprecedented longevity as an NBA star, he looked mortal in a loss to the Pistons on Tuesday, writes Dan Woike of The Athletic. Celebrating his 41st birthday, James made just 6-of-17 shots from the floor for 17 points and committed five turnovers, while the Lakers were outscored by 16 points during his 32 minutes.
- Mark Medina of RG.org spoke to an NBA assistant coach and a pair of scouts about what the Lakers can expect from a 41-year-old version of James, as well as his fit alongside standout guards Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. “When all three of them are out there, it’s hard to watch LeBron,” the assistant said. “He’s not completely uninvolved. But it’s just weird not to see him touch the ball so much. It’s odd watching him out there. When it’s just him and one of them, (head coach) JJ (Redick) is able to find a way to keep LeBron involved and run ATOs for him and utilize his passing out of the post through different actions. But when it’s all three of them, it doesn’t seem like there is enough of a pie to split up.”
- Although the Lakers have a 20-11 record, they’ve allowed more points than they’ve scored this season, and they had the NBA’s No. 29 defense in December. They’re still searching for an identity, writes Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times.
- James cited injuries as one reason for the Lakers’ recent struggles, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “We haven’t had a full team all year,” James said. “We got some very important guys out right now. And obviously I started the year being out. And having our All-Star two guard (Reaves) out, and Rui is now out. And Gabe (Vincent has) been out for a minute. Jaxson (Hayes) just came back. There’s been a lot of in and out. So that’s very hard to get a rhythm of chemistry on the floor with guys that you know you’re going to play with every night. … But still no excuse. We still got to go out and execute.”
- A pair of Lakers trade exceptions expired earlier this week following the one-year anniversary of the deal that sent Maxwell Lewis and D’Angelo Russell to Brooklyn. Neither exception was significant though — the larger of the two was worth just $1.9MM.
NBA Dates, Deadlines To Watch In January
At the start of the 2025/26 campaign, we looked ahead and identified several dates and deadlines to watch on the NBA calendar this season. While that list covered the general highlights, it’s worth taking a closer look at some of those key dates to keep an eye out for in January, which should be a busy month.
Non-guaranteed contracts become guaranteed
January 10 is the date that all non-guaranteed NBA contracts for 2025/26 will officially become guaranteed, but January 7 is really the day to watch.
If a team wants to avoid having a salary become guaranteed, the player must clear waivers before January 10, which means he needs to be cut by January 7 — at the latest.
There are currently 32 players around the NBA who are on non-guaranteed deals. Many of those players without fully guaranteed salaries aren’t in danger of being waived by next Wednesday, but some teams will take the opportunity to save a little money and open up a roster spot.
Players on two-way deals (which are non-guaranteed) are subject to that January 7 waiver deadline as well, and will have their salaries become fully guaranteed if they’re still under contract as of January 8.
Prior to the 2023/24 season, the annual salary guarantee date for players on two-way contracts was January 20, but that changed in the NBA’s latest Collective Bargaining Agreement.
Teams can begin signing players to 10-day contracts
As of January 5, clubs will be able to sign players to standard 10-day contracts, which count against team salary for cap and tax purposes and require an opening on the 15-man roster to complete.
Prior to Jan. 5, teams were able to sign players to 10-day contracts only if they qualified for a hardship exception. Two banged-up teams – Indiana and Memphis – have taken advantage of hardship exceptions so far this season, with the Pacers signing five players to a total of seven hardship 10-day deals, while the Grizzlies signed three players to one apiece.
Rebuilding teams generally use 10-day contracts to audition G League standouts or other prospects to see if they might be worth investing in beyond this season. Contending clubs are more inclined to use 10-day contracts to bring in veterans who can step in right away to address a need or provide depth at a position hit hard by injuries.
Currently, 13 teams have an open spot on their 15-man rosters, making them candidates to sign a player to a 10-day deal. That number will likely increase after next week’s salary guarantee deadline.
More players become trade-eligible
A significant portion of the NBA’s offseason signees became eligible to be traded on December 15, but there are still many players who can’t be dealt. By the end of January, that list of players ineligible to be traded will shrink further, since there are 20 players currently on track to have those restrictions lift between now and January 31.
January 15 is the key date, with 11 players becoming trade-eligible as of that Thursday. That 11-player group includes some standouts who almost certainly aren’t going anywhere, such as Bulls guard Josh Giddey.
However, a handful of players on the list figure to be involved in trade rumors in 2026. Some – including, most notably, Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga – have already been the subjects of speculation.
Nine other offseason signees have unique trade-eligible dates in January, since they either signed as a free agent in October or inked a veteran extension in July.
That list features names both big (like Devin Booker) and small (such as Keaton Wallace). Of the nine players in that group, Pelicans forward Herbert Jones is perhaps the most intriguing in-season trade candidate, though New Orleans has reportedly set a very high asking price for the defensive ace.
Last day to apply for a disabled player exception
January 15 is the last day that teams can apply for a disabled player exception to replace an injured player who is deemed unlikely to return this season. If a player suffers a season-ending injury on January 16, his team would be ineligible to apply for a DPE.
A disabled player exception gives a club some extra cap flexibility, but not an extra roster spot, so they often go unused. So far this season, the Bulls, Rockets, Pacers, Clippers, and Thunder have reportedly been granted a DPE, while the Bucks and Mavericks have applied for them.
Several teams can fit free agents under their hard caps
As we outlined last month, there are a number teams around the NBA who are currently operating so close to first- or second-apron hard caps that they can’t presently sign a free agent to a minimum-salary contract. That will change for many of those teams at some point in the coming weeks, when the cap hit for a prorated veteran’s minimum deal will get low enough to fit below those clubs’ respective hard caps.
Here are the dates on which the teams right up against hard caps can legally sign a free agent:
- January 6: Dallas Mavericks
- January 7: Los Angeles Clippers
- January 8: Houston Rockets
- January 9: Orlando Magic
- January 18: Los Angeles Lakers
Those clubs are unlikely to sign a free agent to a rest-of-season contract as soon as they’re eligible to do so, since taking that route would leave them would essentially no cap flexibility for the rest of the season unless they make a separate cost-cutting move.
Two more teams right up against hard caps, the Warriors and Knicks, will have to wait until much later in the season to squeeze a free agent addition onto their rosters. That will happen on March 24 for Golden State and on April 2 for New York, though those dates would be subject to change if either team reduces its salary in a trade.
It’s also worth noting that January 26 is the first day that the Thunder can sign a free agent to a prorated minimum-salary deal without surpassing the luxury tax line.
Doncic, Antetokounmpo Lead Early Fan Voting For All-Star Game
Lakers guard Luka Doncic and Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo lead the Western and Eastern Conferences, respectively, in the first returns of fan voting for the All-Star Game, according to the NBA (Twitter link).
Doncic leads all players with 1,249,518 votes. The top five vote-getters from the Western Conference also include Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, Warriors guard Stephen Curry, Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama.
Joining Antetokounmpo among the top five in the Eastern Conference are Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey, Knicks guard Jalen Brunson, Pistons guard Cade Cunningham and Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell.
Fans voting represents 50% of the vote to determine the five players from each conference to be named as starters for the All-Star Game, with current NBA players and a media panel accounting for 25% each. This year, All-Stars are being selected without regard to position.
A newly-created, round-robin tournament featuring a USA vs. World format will be held Sunday, Feb. 15 at the Intuit Dome, the new home of the Clippers.
Pacific Notes: LeBron, Doncic, N. Smith, Leonard, M. Williams
LeBron James and Luka Doncic took over as the Lakers ended a three-game slide by routing Sacramento on Sunday night, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN. Coach JJ Redick blasted his players twice over the past week, questioning their defensive effort and professionalism. Neither of those was a concern on Sunday as L.A. turned in a dominant performance led by James, who made 11 of his 13 shots from the field and finished with 24 points.
“I don’t want to create the narrative of (just) me and Luka,” James said. “It’s five guys on the floor and seven guys that come off the bench. It needs to be all of us. (But) it’s important that we set the tone.”
Doncic expressed a similar sentiment, saying it’s up to the leaders to carry the team through hard times, especially with Austin Reaves expected to miss the next month with a calf strain. Doncic had a team-high 34 points, including 15 in the second quarter as the Lakers built a comfortable lead.
“I think it definitely starts with us,” Doncic said. “And when AR is back, it’s going to be all three of us. But now, it starts with us. We need to show what we can do and if we are going to do it, we both are going to do it. The group is going to follow.”
There’s more from the Pacific Division:
- The Lakers also got a scoring boost from two-way guard Nick Smith Jr., who made his first seven shots from the field and finished with 21 points in 24 minutes, McMenamin adds. L.A. is carrying a roster opening, so it’s possible that Smith could be converted to a standard deal later in the season. “In this league, you got to have confidence. If you don’t, they’ll go out there and see it right away,” he said. “I feel like I can hoop with the best of them.”
- Kawhi Leonard scored a career-high 55 points as the Clippers topped Detroit for their fourth straight win. He wound up tied for the franchise record as he only played six minutes in the fourth quarter, notes Doug Padilla of The Associated Press. “Like I told (Lue), I would rather play another game than go out there and risk it,” Leonard said. “Hopefully we can get another win and be in the same situation. It is what it is.”
- Suns coach Jordan Ott said after Saturday’s game that a more physical atmosphere led to the fight that resulted in suspensions for Mark Williams and Jose Alvarado, per Dana Scott of The Arizona Republic (subscription required). Williams and Alvarado exchanged punches in the third quarter on Saturday as the Suns and Pelicans faced one another for the second time in two nights. “Last night (Dec. 26), there was a lot of free throws,” Ott said. “Tonight, there wasn’t as much. They let us play tonight, which is something that we enjoyed to do, and they got tangled up.”
Pacific Notes: Redick, Ellis, Westbrook, Lopez
The “uncomfortable” practice that Lakers coach JJ Redick promised after a Christmas Day loss to Houston wound up being a constructive exchange of ideas, Dan Arritt of The Orange County Register writes in a subscriber-only story. Instead of chastising his players for defensive mistakes during the current three-game losing streak, Redick cited the need for “recalibration” and “reconnection” as he met with reporters on Saturday.
“For myself, I’m always gonna look in the mirror first,” Redick said. “It’s easy as a player or coach to say, ‘Well, it’s this guy’s fault,’ or ‘We’re not doing this because of X, Y and Z.’ We had a great meeting as a staff this morning, came in super early and met with the players. It was very positive, and it was also listening. For our staff and myself to listen to the players and what they need.”
Defensive issues have stood out during the recent slide, but Redick said the offense has also been at fault by being disorganized and ending too many possessions with poor shot selection. Injuries have played a role in that, as LeBron James, Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves haven’t been available as often as Redick was expecting.
“We’re not pointing at each other,” Rui Hachimura said. “We talked about everybody, players, coaches. We’ve just got to tighten up. We had a good stretch at the beginning (of the season) and now we kind of, I don’t know, we relaxed and got tired of winning, but we stopped doing what we were supposed to do.”
There’s more from the Pacific Division:
- Kings guard Keon Ellis credited a strong defensive effort for Saturday’s victory over Dallas as he made his third start of the season, according to Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee (subscription required). Coach Doug Christie used a revamped starting lineup to help his team win for the second time in three games. “Just the effort on the defensive end, helping for one another,” Ellis said. “I always go back to that energy again because there’s been times when teams are going on runs, and we’ve let go of the rope a little bit, so tonight I think we did a good job of not doing that.”
- Russell Westbrook reached another milestone in the victory, passing Magic Johnson to move into seventh place on the career assists list. At age 37, the Kings guard gave no indication that he’s thinking about retirement, telling reporters, “I’ll keep going until I’ve had enough” (Twitter video link from James Ham of The Kings Beat).
- Brook Lopez, who stepped into the starting lineup after an injury to Ivica Zubac, drilled nine three-pointers on Friday to help the Clippers rally past Portland and extend their winning streak to three games, per Janis Carr of The Orange County Register (subscription required). Lopez made a limited impact during the first two months of the season, but showed against the Blazers why L.A. targeted him over the summer. “He can post smaller guys and when he’s on the perimeter, he can make shots,” coach Tyronn Lue said. “If we get the right matchups, we can take advantage of that.”
Fischer’s Latest: CP3, Harden, Gillespie, Cavs, Knicks
There had been some speculation that Chris Paul could be moved by the Clippers on December 15, the day he became trade-eligible, but that did not occur. While Paul is no longer around the team after Los Angeles announced that it was “parting ways” with the franchise icon, the Clippers are working with his representatives to find Paul a new club that he finds desirable, writes Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link).
Paul’s minimum-salary contract would theoretically be simple to trade from a mechanics standpoint, but a deal doesn’t appear imminent. Sources tell Fischer that it’s possible Paul might be included as part of a larger trade around the February 5 deadline. In that scenario, Paul could be waived by the team that acquires him, Fischer continues, which would allow the 40-year-old to pick a new destination as a free agent.
While the Lakers have been linked to Paul for years, Fischer has been “strongly advised” they aren’t expected to pursue the 11-time All-NBA point guard, who is in his 21st and final season. Houston could theoretically use backcourt depth, but Fischer hears the Rockets are content with their roster right now and likely won’t consider changes until late January due their proximity to the first apron, at which they’re hard-capped.
Here’s more from Fischer’s latest rumor round-up, which is centered on point guards:
- The Clippers continue to signal to rival teams that they aren’t willing to discuss trading James Harden, according to Fischer. As he points out, Harden has an implicit no-trade clause for 2025/26 and a $42.3MM player option for 2026/27 that’s partially guaranteed for $13.3MM. In order to approve a potential trade, Harden would likely want to know if the team interested in acquiring him planned to keep him past his July 11 salary guarantee date or if it would be open to re-signing him to a new deal, Fischer writes.
- Collin Gillespie, who is having a breakout season for the Suns, will be an unrestricted free agent in 2026. Rival teams are projecting the 26-year-old to receive a contract similar to the three-year, $27MM deal Ty Jerome signed with Memphis this past summer, per Fischer.
- While rival clubs are reportedly monitoring both players, the Cavaliers have shown no interest to this point in making an in-season deal involving Darius Garland or Jarrett Allen, Fischer confirms, echoing reporting from Brett Siegel.
- As Fischer writes, Tyler Kolek‘s impressive recent play with the Knicks has opposing teams wondering if New York will target frontcourt help ahead of the deadline instead of a veteran point guard. It’s unclear which position the Knicks will ultimately look to fortify.
Lakers’ Reaves Out At Least Four Weeks With Grade 2 Calf Strain
Lakers guard Austin Reaves has been diagnosed with a grade 2 left gastrocnemius strain and will miss at least four weeks, which is the next time he’ll be reevaluated, the team announced on Friday (Twitter link via Dan Woike of The Athletic).
The gastrocnemius is the largest and most powerful muscle in the calf.
Reaves suffered a mild left calf strain on December 8 and returned to action on December 23. He experienced soreness in his calf in yesterday’s game against Houston, forcing him to leave the eventual loss at halftime. An MRI confirmed the strain.
While the grade 2 gastrocnemius strain seems likely to be connected to the initial injury Reaves suffered earlier this month, it’s technically a different part of his calf, team and league sources tell Woike. The calf is comprised of the gastrocnemius, soleus and plantaris muscles, per the Cleveland Clinic.
Reaves told fellow guard Luka Doncic on Thursday that he wasn’t sure how severe the injury was, according to Woike.
“Just hoping. I just say, ‘If you need something to help with, I know how it is to go to a calf injury.’ It’s not fun at all,” said Doncic, who suffered a calf strain last Christmas in his final game with Dallas. “Just be there to support him. Take your time. Calves are dangerous.”
It’s a tough blow for Reaves, who is playing for his next contract. He’ll almost certainly turn down his $14.9MM player option for 2026/27 and sign a new deal as an unrestricted free agent next summer.
The 27-year-old was in the midst of a breakout fifth season for Los Angeles, averaging 26.6 points, 6.3 assists, 5.2 rebounds and 1.0 steal on .502/.365/.873 shooting in 23 games (35.3 minutes per contest). He was a strong candidate to make his first All-Star appearance this season and likely would have been in the Most Improved Player conversation as well, but his latest injury will make him ineligible for the award, as he has already missed six games and will be out at least 14 more.
It’s also rough timing for the Lakers, who started out 15-4 but have lost six of their past 10 games, including three straight. Head coach JJ Redick was highly critical of the team’s professionalism and commitment to winning following Thursday’s loss, as we relayed this morning.