And-Ones: Fears, 2025 Draft, 2026 Draft, Graham, Young, Wells
Oklahoma guard Jeremiah Fears has improved his draft stock with his early season performances, according to Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report. In Wasserman’s view, Fears now projects to go anywhere from No. 3 to No. 10 next June after leading the Sooners to a 12-0 start, including a 30-point outing against Michigan.
Saint Joseph’s forward Rasheer Fleming and Illinois guard Kasparas Jakucionis have also been impressive during the first two months of the college season. Fleming is now receiving first-round consideration, while Jakucionis is solidifying his projected lottery status.
We have more from around the basketball world:
- While the 2025 draft class has received plenty of hype, the top of the 2026 draft could be even more impressive, according to Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic. Wing AJ Dybantsa is the top player in his class, while Cameron Boozer and Darryn Peterson have also generated some buzz regarding their futures. One NBA executive suggested to Vorkunov that teams might start positioning themselves for the 2026 draft ahead of this year’s trade deadline.
- Unsigned NBA veteran guard Devonte’ Graham may have earned at least a 10-day deal with his outing in the G League Showcase, according to John Hollinger of The Athletic. Graham had a 24-point game for the South Bay Lakers. Graham spent training camp and the preseason on a non-guaranteed contract with the Trail Blazers before being waived. A few other unaffiliated players stood out, Hollinger adds, with Grand Rapids Gold guard Jahmir Young heading that group. He had 50 points in two games. He was waived by the Nuggets during training camp.
- The race for the Rookie of the Year award is wide open, The Athletic’s Fred Katz notes. With the Sixers‘ Jared McCain sidelined, Grizzlies‘ second-rounder Jaylen Wells currently tops Katz’s ballot. He lists Pelicans big man Yves Missi second and Spurs wing Stephon Castle third but any number of players could emerge from the pack in the coming months and challenge for top honors.
Davis Says He's Playing Saturday; Reaves Discusses Big Game
- Anthony Davis tells Dave McMenamin of ESPN he’s confident the left ankle sprain he experienced on Wednesday won’t keep him out for the Lakers‘ next matchup (Twitter link). “I’ll be OK. I am playing against SAC on Saturday,” Davis said. The star big man missed most of yesterday’s game with the injury.
- Austin Reaves says he’s “not really an emotional person” but he nearly teared up after notching a 26-point triple-double and making a game-winning layup in the Lakers‘ Christmas victory over Golden State, writes Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times. “I know all my people back home are locked in and sitting around with family watching the game and that means a lot to me. I say it all the time, I’m not necessarily supposed to be in this position,” said Reaves, who went undrafted in 2021 and wasn’t heavily recruited coming out of high school. “I got lucky, got my foot in the door and took advantage of an opportunity. And now I’m sitting here … on Christmas with a game-winner and a triple-double, and really the win that matters the most to me.”
Anthony Davis Day-To-Day With Left Ankle Sprain
Lakers star Anthony Davis sprained his left ankle in the first quarter of Wednesday’s game in Golden State. After initially being deemed questionable to return, he was later ruled out, the team announced (Twitter links via Dave McMenamin of ESPN).
Davis, who has a history of foot injuries and has been dealing with plantar fasciitis in his left foot for several weeks, per Jovan Buha of The Athletic, simply took an awkward step and had his ankle roll (YouTube link). There was no contact on the play.
While it’s never a great sign when a player is unable to return after suffering an injury, this one doesn’t sound very serious. Davis was able to walk without additional support following the ankle sprain and is considered day-to-day going forward, according to ESPN’s McMenamin, who reports (via Twitter) that the nine-time All-Star will be reevaluated prior to Saturday’s game vs. Sacramento.
Davis, who was initially listed as questionable due to a left shoulder contusion before suiting up, has often been derided for missing games throughout his career. However, he has been pretty durable the past two seasons, appearing in 76 games in 2023/24 and only missing one full game to this point in ’24/25.
Guard D’Angelo Russell, who is dealing with a sprained left thumb, wound up missing the game. He was also questionable before being ruled out.
With Davis out and multiple other frontcourt members (Jarred Vanderbilt, Christian Wood, Jaxson Hayes) sidelined with their own respective injuries, head coach JJ Redick opted to go small, with LeBron James shifting up to center. Christian Koloko, who is on a two-way deal, also played nine minutes in the middle.
Community Shootaround: Christmas Day Games
Merry Christmas from the Hoops Rumors staff!
As usual, the NBA has a five-game slate on tap for Christmas Day, with many of the league’s top teams and biggest stars in action on December 25. Here’s today’s schedule:
- 11:00 am CT: San Antonio Spurs (15-14) at New York Knicks (19-10)
- 1:30 pm CT: Minnesota Timberwolves (14-14) at Dallas Mavericks (19-10)
- 4:00 pm CT: Philadelphia 76ers (10-17) at Boston Celtics (22-7)
- 7:00 pm CT: Los Angeles Lakers (16-13) at Golden State Warriors (15-13)
- 9:30 pm CT: Denver Nuggets (16-11) at Phoenix Suns (14-14)
While the goal on Christmas Day is generally to showcase some of the day’s biggest stars and best teams, this year’s schedule is a little lacking in the latter.
Despite featuring seven teams from the Western Conference, today’s slate of games doesn’t include any of the West’s top three seeds, the Thunder, Rockets, and Grizzlies. While Houston and Memphis weren’t necessarily expected to be this good, Oklahoma City’s absence is conspicuous, given that the Thunder were the No. 1 seed in the West last season.
Over in the East, we’ve got the No. 2 and 3 seeds in action today, but the NBA’s best team, the 26-4 Cavaliers, won’t be part of the Christmas Day slate. Instead, the third Eastern club is the 12th-seeded Sixers, who have been plagued by injuries but at least will have their big three available on Wednesday — Tyrese Maxey and Paul George aren’t on the injury report, and Joel Embiid is listed as available.
Despite the absence of so many top teams, each matchup still has something going for it, with plenty of star power on display.
The afternoon will feature rising phenom Victor Wembanyama visiting Madison Square Garden and the streaking Knicks, who have won four games in a row; a rematch of last year’s Western Conference Finals between the Timberwolves and Mavericks, who should have star guards Kyrie Irving (available) and Luka Doncic (probable) active today; and those aforementioned three Sixers stars going up against the defending champions in Boston.
The first evening contest between the Lakers and Warriors pits the No. 7 seed in the West against No. 8, but it also could be one of the last few times that NBA legends LeBron James and Stephen Curry face one another. James is considered questionable due to left foot injury management, but I’d be shocked if he didn’t play. A couple more would-be Western contenders who have had up-and-down starts will wrap up the day when the Nuggets visit Phoenix in a game that will feature a pair of former MVPs in Nikola Jokic and Kevin Durant.
We want to know what you think. Are there any teams you wish were or weren’t part of today’s schedule? Which of these five games are you most looking forward to? Which five teams are you picking to win this year’s Christmas Day matchups?
Head to the comment section below to weigh in, and feel free to use it as an open thread to discuss today’s games.
Injury Notes: Booker, Allen, Tatum, Lakers, Wizards
The Suns will be missing guards Devin Booker and Grayson Allen on Christmas Day. Both players were deemed unavailable for Wednesday’s game vs. Denver after sitting out the team’s practice on Tuesday, writes Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic.
Booker was originally ruled out for two games after injuring his groin last Thursday, with the Suns referring to the ailment as groin soreness. On its latest injury report, the team is now listing the star as out due to a groin “strain.” Wednesday will be Booker’s third consecutive absence.
Allen, meanwhile, has been in the concussion protocol since taking an elbow to the head in Saturday’s loss to Detroit. This will be the second game he has missed.
Here are a few more injury updates from around the NBA:
- Celtics star Jayson Tatum was a surprise late scratch for Monday’s game vs. Orlando due to a non-COVID illness, as Brian Robb of MassLive.com details. Tatum has been listed as questionable to play in Wednesday’s Christmas Day game vs. Philadelphia as a result of that illness.
- Lakers stars Anthony Davis (left shoulder contusion) and LeBron James (left foot injury management) are both listed as questionable for the team’s Christmas Day game against Golden State (Twitter link via Dave McMenamin of ESPN). However, I’d be surprised if either player missed the game — they were listed as questionable due to the same ailments on Monday before being upgraded to available. Point guard D’Angelo Russell is also considered questionable to play due to a sprained left thumb.
- The Wizards were missing starters Bilal Coulibaly (right groin soreness) and Alex Sarr (low back soreness) on Monday, prompting the club to deploy a small starting lineup featuring guards Jordan Poole, Malcolm Brogdon, and Carlton Carrington (Twitter link). While neither of those injuries sounds serious, we’re still waiting for an update on big man Marvin Bagley III, who had to be helped off the court midway through the fourth quarter on Monday after suffering a painful-looking knee injury (Twitter video link).
Pacific Notes: Kuminga, Gillespie, Suns, Lakers
Prior to Monday’s game against Indiana, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr told reporters that Jonathan Kuminga‘s recent shot selection and decision-making had been “poor” and that he had spoken to both Kuminga and Brandin Podziemski about making better decisions, as Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN relays.
Kuminga responded with one of his best games of the season off the bench. In just under 30 minutes of action, he racked up 26 points, eight rebounds, and four assists while only turning the ball over once.
“This is the JK we want,” Kerr said after the game, per Youngmisuk. “Spent a lot of time in the paint, took care of the ball. Had a couple really nice passes. Found Buddy (Hield) for three on a beautiful play and really attacked. So this is a great example of how JK needs to play. I’m really proud of him for coming out, playing that way. … He’s getting better, and it’s fun to watch his development.”
Kuminga started six straight games earlier this month, but has come off the bench for the past three. Kerr has suggested the change isn’t necessarily permanent, but noted last week that the club sets a better defensive tone with Draymond Green starting alongside a center. Kuminga, whose role has fluctuated frequently since he entered the league in 2021, said he’s gotten used to the unpredictability and isn’t letting it faze him.
“From where I come from, you always got to be mentally tough,” Kuminga said. “A lot of people that are playing … if they were in my shoes, they’ll quit basketball. They’ll need a therapist. They’ll go through a lot of mental situations. But that thing don’t affect me. As long as I go out here every day and just play, be with my teammates, (they) keep encouraging me to be who I am every day.”
We have more from around the Pacific:
- Suns two-way guard Collin Gillespie, who was diagnosed last month with a right ankle fracture, is hoping he’ll be able to return to action shortly after the G League’s regular season begins next week, according to Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. “I haven’t really talked to the coaches about it, but I’m sure that’ll be the plan of making sure I check off all the boxes here, individual workouts,” Gillespie said. “Play 2-on-2, 3-on-3 and just build it up until I’m ready to go 5-on-5. Then I’m sure once they get back from break (between the Winter Showcase and regular season), they’ll have some home games that I’ll be able to play. Hopefully get some reps there.” The Valley Suns, Phoenix’s NBAGL affiliate, will play their first regular season game next Monday.
- A year ago at this time, the Suns had a 14-14 record. This year, despite an 8-1 start, they’re 14-14 again. Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports explores why the team is being plagued by the same issues as last season and considers whether those issues are fixable.
- The Lakers‘ offense ranks 29th in the NBA over the past four weeks and head coach J.J. Redick believes the team’s shot selection is a big part of the reason why, as Khobi Price of The Southern California News Group writes. “Over the last 13 (games), we’re taking five more non-paint twos – we’re shooting 39% on those,” Redick said. “… Those five extra non-paint twos, if we shot them at the same rate as Phoenix – who shoots 49% on non-paint twos – our offense would go from 29th to 27th. … If we took those five middies and we shot league average on threes, our offense would go from 27th to 12th. In some ways, we need to shoot more threes and we need to make more threes. That doesn’t mean we come down and just, no pass, one dribble shot. We’ve got to generate the right ones and we’ve got to do it with the right process.”
Celtics Notes: Tatum, Mazzulla, Porzingis, Trade Priority
Celtics star Jayson Tatum grew up as a huge admirer of Kobe Bryant, so he was excited about the chance to join the Lakers in the 2017 draft, writes Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. However, Tatum never got a tryout with L.A., which held the second overall pick, even though he was one considered one of the draft’s top prospects following a stellar freshman season at Duke.
Lakers legend Magic Johnson, who served as team president at the time, explained this week that they were already set at forward with Julius Randle, Brandon Ingram and Larry Nance Jr. on the roster and were focused on finding backcourt help.
“Yeah, I think I was upset at the time that there wasn’t genuine interest,” Tatum said. “From my perspective, I grew up the biggest Kobe fan and wanted to play for the Lakers. And Magic explained it. They had too many forwards and that was their thought process at the time. It wasn’t like I got any animosity toward Magic or the Lakers. It was just as a kid, I was close to accomplishing a life-long dream, the way I thought it would be.”
The draft played out perfectly for Boston, which landed Tatum with the No. 3 pick after trading down from No. 1. Tatum is already a five-time All-Star and four-time All-NBA selection, while Markelle Fultz, who went to Philadelphia with the top pick, is currently out of the league, and Lonzo Ball, whom the Lakers took at No. 2, recently resumed playing in Chicago after missing more than two full years with a knee issue.
“Obviously it worked out best-case scenario,” Tatum added. “But I love Magic Johnson. I love what he means to the game. I have no hard feelings toward him. Every time I see him, it’s always love. It’s just something that happened and it’s probably a million stories throughout the NBA that guys should have went or thought they were going somewhere. Everything happened for a reason.”
There’s more from Boston:
- Coach Joe Mazzulla, who was fined $35K for “aggressively pursuing” an official following Thursday’s loss to Chicago, talked to his players before this morning’s shootaround about the importance of staying in control and not overreacting to bad calls, Washburn adds in the same piece. “It’s a long year, so whatever the keys are not only to games but to how you want to go about the season,” Mazzulla said. “It’s just small reminders, always good to refresh those.”
- Kristaps Porzingis has been removed from the injury report for tonight’s rematch with the Bulls, according to Souichi Terada of MassLive. Porzingis was originally listed as questionable with a right heel contusion he suffered Sunday at Washington.
- Assuming the big-man rotation stays healthy, finding veteran wing depth should be the Celtics’ priority in any trade before the deadline, Brian Robb of MassLive states in a mailbag column. He notes that Jordan Walsh, Baylor Scheierman and Jaden Springer haven’t inspired confidence that they can be reliable during the playoffs.
Lakers Notes: Bronny, G League Showcase, Defense, Davis, LeBron
The past year-and-a-half would have been remarkable for Bronny James even if he weren’t the son of an NBA legend. A high-profile recruit at USC, he suffered cardiac arrest during a Trojans practice during the summer of 2023 and underwent a medical procedure to fix a congenital heart defect. That was followed by the Lakers‘ controversial decision to take him with a second-round pick so he could make history by teaming up with his father. After making a few appearances at the NBA level, James has been honing his skills with South Bay and is playing this week at the G League Showcase in Orlando.
“I’ve become resilient over these past couple of years fighting through injuries, mental illness, stuff like that,” James told Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. “Just, you know, coming in and working every day and staying the course.”
The level of scrutiny has been intense for a 20-year-old rookie, but James said the public perception “flies in one ear and out the other.” He has the security of a four-year, $7.9MM contract, and he’s working to improve his game to ensure that he has a long NBA future. He also doesn’t lose sight of the fact that he’s fortunate to still be playing after his medical emergency.
“My family, my parents, they are extremely thankful that I’m not only able to play basketball but also just walk around and speak to other people,” James said. “It’s a blessing to be able to play this sport that I love. There’s a chance I wasn’t going to be able to. So I wake up and I’m thankful for that every day.”
There’s more on the Lakers:
- James is the most famous name in the G League Showcase, but anyone expecting him to dominate has come away disappointed, according to John Hollinger of The Athletic. He had 16 points and five assists on Thursday, but followed up that performance with six points, seven assists and six turnovers on Saturday. Carelessness with the ball has been an issue since James was sent down to the G League, Hollinger adds, and he’s shooting just 24-of-76 from the field with South Bay.
- Better teamwork is being credited for the Lakers’ improvements on defense, per Khobi Price of The Orange County Register. The team’s three best statistical defensive outings have come in the past two weeks, and Anthony Davis said it’s because players are committed to working together as a unit. “We’re just covering for each other,” he said. “We [weren’t] having a lot of that. A guy gets beat, it wasn’t a guy there to protect him. We’ve got some practice time to kind of take care of that. And it’s shown and translated onto the court.”
- Davis, who is dealing with a contusion on his left elbow, and LeBron James, who is still managing an injured left foot, were both upgraded to available for today’s game against Sacramento, tweets Jovan Buha of The Athletic.
And-Ones: MVP Race, Redick, Birch, Obst
Nikola Jokic has a commanding lead in ESPN’s first straw poll of the season on the MVP race, writes Tim Bontemps of ESPN. The Nuggets center captured 57 first-place votes among the 100 ballots, giving him 827 total points.
Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander came in second with 24 first-place votes and 678 points, followed by Bucks big man Giannis Antetokounmpo, who topped 19 ballots and has 643 points. Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (267 points) and Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (123) round out the top five.
A win by Jokic would give him four MVP trophies in five years and would put him in very select company, Bontemps notes. Only LeBron James and Bill Russell have collected the award four times in five seasons, while Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain are the other players to be named MVP at least four times.
Bontemps adds that Antetokoumpo had a significant surge in the poll after his dominant performance in the NBA Cup final. Twenty-nine voters changed their ballots after Tuesday’s game, giving him more than twice as many first-place votes and moving him much closer to Gilgeous-Alexander.
There’s more from around the basketball world:
- J.J. Redick, who was a rising media star before being hired to coach the Lakers, weighed in on the NBA’s declining television ratings after Thursday’s game, according to Sam Amick and Jovan Buha of The Athletic. Redick doesn’t believe the league is being presented well by its national TV outlets. “We don’t have anybody that’s willing to step up to the fact that this is an awesome game and we should talk about it and celebrate it in a positive way,” he said. “That doesn’t mean we don’t critique it. We should critique it, but we should celebrate it. Nobody’s doing that, and the people that are have a small niche following on Twitter. And frankly, I would argue as well, that everyone in our ecosystem pays too much attention to what is said on Twitter. And part of this whole ratings discussion is because people on Twitter are talking about it.”
- Khem Birch will remain with Fenerbahce for the rest of the season, relays Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews. In September, Birch signed a one-year contract with an exit clause that would have allowed the Turkish team to terminate the deal in January. Urbonas states that other EuroLeague teams had interest if the 32-year-old center had become a free agent again.
- German sharpshooter Andreas Obst spoke about a potential three-point shootout with Stephen Curry and his interest in an NBA future in a BasketNews Film Session Episode. Obst says he heard that NBA executives were talking about him after he starred in the 2023 World Cup, but he never got a formal offer. “At some point, yeah, I could see myself in the NBA,” he said. “I can fill a role as a shooter. I know how to use my gravity to space the floor, spot up, and play off the ball. That’s something I think any NBA team could use.”
Fischer: Valanicunas Among Several Centers On Trade Block
Jonas Valanciunas of the Wizards may be the most “attainable” and desirable trade candidate among centers this season, but he’s certainly not the only big man who could be on the move prior to the February 6 deadline, league sources tell Jake Fischer (Substack link via The Stein Line).
According to Fischer, several teams are looking for help in the middle, including the Lakers, Clippers, Bucks and Pelicans. The Clips and Bucks are interested in reserve centers to complement their starters (Ivica Zubac and Brook Lopez, respectively), with Lopez also drawing trade interest since last summer.
The Warriors are another team contemplating a trade involving big men, with Kevon Looney garnering “plenty of interest” from rival clubs, Fischer writes. Like Lopez, who earns $23MM in 2024/25, Looney is on an expiring contract ($8MM).
Confirming a recent report from Stefan Bondy, Fischer says Knicks center Jericho Sims is viewed as a potential trade candidate due to his inconsistent playing time as a backup this season. Fischer also notes that New York gauged injured center Mitchell Robinson‘s trade value around this time last year.
Despite his lengthy injury history, Trail Blazers center Robert Williams may be the “most coveted” big man on the market outside of Valanciunas, but it’s no lock that Portland will end up moving him, according to Fischer’s sources. If the Blazers do trade a member of their frontcourt, expect it to come closer to the deadline, Fischer adds.
Here’s more from Fischer:
- Like Clint Capela, whom we highlighted in another story, Nikola Vucevic is a starting center who could be on the move, but it’s unclear if the Bulls will be successful in their attempts to trade the two-time All-Star, in part due to his contract ($20MM in ’24/25, $21.5MM in ’25/26).
- Valanicunas, Williams and Walker Kessler are among the big men on the Lakers‘ trade wish list, sources tell Fischer. However, the Jazz have declined multiple offers for Kessler, so it’s difficult to decipher if Utah is actually willing to trade him or is simply gauging what he might bring in return.
- Chris Boucher (Raptors), Day’Ron Sharpe (Nets), Trey Lyles (Kings), Daniel Theis (Pelicans) and Nick Richards (Hornets) are also “known to be on the market,” according to Fischer.