- After missing more than two months with a strained hamstring, Zion Williamson believes he has sufficiently recovered to play both ends of back-to-backs, per Will Guillory of The Athletic (Twitter link). However, the Pelicans are still being cautious, holding him out last Friday at Memphis before using him Saturday at Charlotte. “Let me make this clear to everybody out there,” Williamson said. “If I could play in the back-to-backs, I would. Physically? Yes, I can. But I work for the Pelicans. They have decided that, based off the numbers, it’s not smart to do that right now. If that’s what they feel, I’m rocking with them on that.”
Rival teams are watching the Hawks ahead of next week’s trade deadline to see which players they’re willing to part with in the wake of a season-ending injury to Jalen Johnson, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. League sources tell Scotto there’s a “growing sense” that Bogdan Bogdanovic could be on the market, echoing a report from Marc Stein earlier this week.
Scotto hears that the Suns, Heat and others could have interest in working out a deal for Bogdanovic. Phoenix is reportedly hoping to combine one of its newly acquired first-round picks with Jusuf Nurkic to acquire either a starter or a “high-level” rotation player, and Scotto’s sources say the team considers Bogdanovic to fit that description. He adds that a deal involving Bogdanovic for Nurkic and a pick has been discussed as part of a “larger potential construct.”
Injuries have limited Bogdanovic to 24 games this season, and he is currently away from the team for personal reasons. At 32, he’s not a good fit with Atlanta’s young core, especially if the Hawks are focused on the future rather than a postseason appearance following Johnson’s injury.
Bogdanovic is having an uncharacteristically bad shooting season, connecting at just 37.1% from the field and 30.1% from three-point range, but Scotto states that several teams believe a change of scenery could help. He’s a career 38% shooter from long distance and is under contract for one more season at $16MM, with a $16MM player option for 2026/27.
Scotto offers a few more trade rumors:
- Several teams have reached out to the Hawks about veteran center Clint Capela, sources tell Scotto. However, many of those offers involve players whose contracts extend beyond this season, while Capela’s deal is expiring. Atlanta has also received interest in De’Andre Hunter, Scotto adds.
- Keldon Johnson could be part of the package if the Spurs work out a multi-team deal to acquire De’Aaron Fox from the Kings, according to Scotto’s sources. Johnson, who averaged 22 PPG two years ago, is appealing because his $19MM salary declines to $17.5MM in each of the next two seasons. Scotto adds that San Antonio checked on the price of Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram earlier this season, but it was nothing more than “exploratory interest.”
- The Pistons are willing to use their $14MM in cap space to help facilitate trades, but they want a first-round pick in return, Scotto notes, adding that several teams looking to unload salaries to escape the luxury tax or the second apron have made calls to Detroit.
Within a look at the clubs who could potentially get involved in a multi-team Jimmy Butler trade, Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel adds the Sixers to the list of possible facilitators.
Given the contracts on their books, it’s hard to see how the 76ers could realistically get involved unless Paul George is an outgoing piece, since Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey aren’t going anywhere, no one else on the roster makes more than $8.2MM, and the club isn’t well positioned to absorb salary.
For what it’s worth, Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports (Twitter video link) recently broached the possibility of Philadelphia reacquiring Butler in a deal that sends out George, noting that Embiid had interest in the idea of reuniting with Butler before the Sixers signed George.
However, Goodwill added that the Sixers told George they wouldn’t trade him in the first year of the four-year contract he signed in July. Even if they were willing to do so, I think George’s value has probably taken a significant hit since the summer based on how the first half of the season played out, so I’m skeptical about how much interest the Heat or another team would have in taking on his long-term max deal.
Here are a few more trade rumors and notes from around the NBA:
- On the heels of Anthony Davis declaring publicly that he thinks the Lakers need to add another big man, the team has made acquiring a center an even greater priority, team and league sources tell Jovan Buha of The Athletic. With that in mind, Buha runs through a number of targets who might make sense for Los Angeles, starting with Jazz center Walker Kessler. Buha views Kessler as an ideal fit in L.A. and advocates for the Lakers to aggressively pursue him, noting that the cost would likely be two first-round picks or an unprotected first-rounder and rookie Dalton Knecht.
- Within the same Athletic article, Buha writes that the Lakers have “long coveted” Pacers big man Myles Turner and explains that some people view Turner as “sneakily gettable” because it’s unclear whether Indiana is prepared to pay him $30MM per year in free agency. Still, even if he’s available, acquiring Turner would be challenging, given that other teams would have interest and the postseason-bound Pacers would likely want a starting-caliber center in return, Buha adds.
- Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star (subscription required) takes a closer look at the Turner dilemma facing the Pacers, breaking down the case for keeping and re-signing him and the case for trading him.
- Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca (Twitter link) suggests not reading too much into the report linking the Raptors to Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram. As Lewenberg explains, Toronto always does its due diligence when a star player becomes available and is likely doing the same with Kings guard De’Aaron Fox, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the team is serious about acquiring either player.
The NBA has officially revealed the 10 rookies, 11 sophomores, and seven G League players who have been selected to take part in the 2025 Rising Stars event at All-Star weekend in San Francisco next month.
The following players made the cut, as voted on by NBA assistant coaches (rookies and sophomores) and selected by the league office (G Leaguers):
Rookies
- Carlton Carrington (Wizards)
- Stephon Castle (Spurs)
- Tristan Da Silva (Magic)
- Zach Edey (Grizzlies)
- Dalton Knecht (Lakers)
- Jared McCain (Sixers)
- Yves Missi (Pelicans)
- Zaccharie Risacher (Hawks)
- Alex Sarr (Wizards)
- Jaylen Wells (Grizzlies)
Sophomores
- Bilal Coulibaly (Wizards)
- Gradey Dick (Raptors)
- Keyonte George (Jazz)
- Scoot Henderson (Trail Blazers)
- Trayce Jackson-Davis (Warriors)
- Jaime Jaquez (Heat)
- Dereck Lively II (Mavericks)
- Brandon Miller (Hornets)
- Amen Thompson (Rockets)
- Cason Wallace (Thunder)
- Victor Wembanyama (Spurs)
G League Players
- JD Davison (Maine Celtics) *
- Mac McClung (Osceola Magic) *
- Bryce McGowens (Rip City Remix) *
- Leonard Miller (Iowa Wolves) *
- Dink Pate (Mexico City Capitanes)
- Reed Sheppard (Rio Grande Valley Vipers) *
- Pat Spencer (Santa Cruz Warriors) *
* Note: Players marked with asterisks are on standard or two-way contracts with NBA teams.
As usual, the Rising Stars event will consist of four teams and three games. The seven G League players will comprise one team, while the other 21 players will be drafted to three squads on February 4.
The four teams will be split into two first-round matchups and the winners of those two games will face one another for the Rising Stars championship. The two semifinals will be played to a target score of 40 points, while the final will be played to a target score of 25 points.
All three contests will take place on Friday, February 14 as part of All-Star weekend’s opening night. The winning team will compete on Sunday in a similar four-team tournament, with the three other rosters made up of NBA All-Stars.
A handful of injury replacements will be necessary, with McCain, Lively, and Brandon Miller among the players who won’t be available to suit up. Additionally, since players selected as All-Stars won’t play in the Rising Stars event, Wembanyama will almost certainly need to be replaced.
The Raptors have emerged as a team to watch as a potential suitor for Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram, according to Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Substack link).
Stein’s report doesn’t indicate that the two sides have gained any momentum toward a deal, but he writes that “the mere suggestion of potential Raptors interest” is the most noteworthy development on the Ingram front for several weeks.
Bruce Brown, Chris Boucher, and Davion Mitchell, all of whom are on expiring contracts, have frequently been mentioned as Raptors trade candidates leading up to next Thursday’s deadline, as has big man Kelly Olynyk, who has one more guaranteed year left on his own deal.
As Stein observes, most recent Raptors-related rumors have connected Toronto to a potential multi-team Jimmy Butler blockbuster as a facilitator. But Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca cited a front office source last week who said the Raptors are also believed to be on the lookout for a “significant piece” to pair with All-Star forward Scottie Barnes.
While it remains to be seen if Toronto’s front office views Ingram as that “significant piece,” the 27-year-old forward is a former All-Star who is very much available via trade as he plays out his $36MM expiring contract. He and the Pelicans have been unable to agree to terms on an extension, creating uncertainty about his future in New Orleans beyond this season.
Unfortunately, Ingram hasn’t had much of an opportunity to boost his stock this season as he nears unrestricted free agency. Injuries, including a badly sprained left ankle that has sidelined him since December 7, have limited him to 18 outings for the 12-35 Pelicans, who have endured a nightmare season so far.
In those 18 contests, Ingram has averaged 22.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game with a shooting line of .465/.374/.855.
The NBA has announced a series of changes to its game schedule, issuing a press release on Tuesday (via Twitter) stating that two postponed games have been rescheduled and seven others have been moved around as a result of the changes.
The two postponed games are the Spurs/Lakers contest from Saturday, January 11 that wasn’t played due to the Los Angeles wildfires and a Jan. 22 matchup between the Bucks and Pelicans that was postponed due to severe winter weather in New Orleans. According to the league, the new dates for those games are as follows:
- San Antonio Spurs at Los Angeles Lakers: Monday, March 17.
- Milwaukee Bucks at New Orleans Pelicans: Sunday, April 6.
The NBA also announced the following seven schedule changes to accommodate the rescheduled games:
- Chicago Bulls at Orlando Magic: Moved from March 12 to March 6.
- Orlando Magic at San Antonio Spurs: Moved from March 17 to April 1.
- Milwaukee Bucks at Los Angeles Lakers; Moved from March 18 to March 20.
- Toronto Raptors at Golden State Warriors: Moved from March 19 to March 20.
- Milwaukee Bucks at Golden State Warriors: Moved from March 20 to March 18.
- Orlando Magic at New Orleans Pelicans: Moved from April 6 to March 13.
- New Orleans Pelicans at Milwaukee Bucks: Moved from April 9 to April 10.
In addition to the four teams affected by the original postponements, the Bulls, Magic, Raptors, and Warriors also had games affected as a result of today’s announcement.
It’s the second time this month that the league has made a series of changes to its schedule to accommodate postponed games — the NBA announced on January 15 that nine games had been rescheduled.
There are no more postponed games still requiring new dates, so if no additional postponements take place for the rest of this season, this should be the last schedule adjustment the league needs to make.
- Pelicans guard Dejounte Murray will undergo X-rays on his right hand after missing tonight’s game with a sprained index finger, tweets Andrew Lopez of Pelicans.com.
Pelicans forward Zion Williamson made his debut with the Pelicans five years ago as of Wednesday, and there have been plenty of highs and lows during that five-year stretch, write Christian Clark and William Guillory of The Athletic. Specifically, Williamson’s missed 230 of a potential 424 regular season games since he entered the league, calling into question just how high New Orleans’ ceiling can be with him.
Clark and Guillory opine that the Pelicans have done well to surround Williamson with talent, but health and availability have always hindered the team even when its star player has been healthy. Williamson seems to be taking a step forward this season, especially defensively, and he’s averaging 21.9 points, 8.2 rebounds and 5.4 assists per contest.
Clark and Guillory agree that the Pelicans need to make decisions on the Brandon Ingram situation and the coaching staff before they seriously weigh Williamson’s future in New Orleans.
We have more from the Southwest Division:
- CJ McCollum is shouldering the scoring load for the Pelicans during their four-game win streak, Rod Walker of NOLA.com writes. McCollum recorded 45 points in an overtime win against the Jazz on Monday after scoring 26 in a victory over Utah last Friday.
- Rockets center Alperen Sengun remains on a strong career trajectory, helping lead Houston to a 29-14 record this season. After winning 42 combined games in Sengun’s first two years in the NBA, the Rockets went 41-41 last season and are now on a 55-win pace in 2024/25, continuing their ascent. In an in-depth interview with The Athletic’s Sam Amick, Sengun opened up about his past and what he thinks has changed for Houston. “Opportunity, and (head coach) Ime (Udoka) believing in me,” Sengun said of his impressive development. “That was the biggest reason. He’s shown me that multiple times — last year, this year. He always trusted me. And that’s one of the things in life. You want to find someone that has trust in you.“
- The Spurs paved the way for Victor Wembanyama‘s success with their history of investing in their players and their track record of international player development, Michael C. Wright of ESPN writes. “The organization has proven over and over they’re willing and they’re doing the right things,” Wembanyama said. “The most important thing is trust and also communication. It’s a balance and the will [between both parties] to keep that balance over the years. This is what’s going to pay off.”
- Zach Edey‘s offensive numbers are down and it’s because the Grizzlies are hoping to expand his game beyond being a traditional back-to-the-basket guy, Damichael Cole of Memphis’s Commercial Appeal writes. “Everybody’s got a different role to do,” Edey said. “My role has changed through the year. Just trying to buy into that role. Buy into being an elite rebounder, buying into being an elite rim protector, buying into being a spacer and cutter more than I’ve ever been used to. If it helps the team win, that’s what I’m going to do.”
The game scheduled to be played between the Bucks and Pelicans on Wednesday at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans has been postponed due to “extreme weather conditions” in New Orleans, the NBA announced today (via Twitter).
The league intends to announce a new date for the game at a later time.
New Orleans has received a rare winter storm this week, with snow blanketing the city and icy conditions affecting travel in the area.
Chris Haynes, who first reported (via Twitter) that the game between the Bucks and Pelicans would be postponed, notes that there’s concern about whether the Bucks will be able to depart New Orleans in time to get home to host the Heat on Thursday (Twitter link). The Pelicans’ next game is scheduled for Friday in Memphis.
The NBA had to postpone a handful of games earlier this month due to the wildfires in Los Angeles and extreme weather in Atlanta. Most of the new dates for those contests were announced last Wednesday, but the league has yet to confirm a rescheduled date for a Spurs/Lakers game that was postponed.
That game and this Bucks/Pelicans matchup will likely be among the next set of rescheduled contests announced by the NBA.
Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama will play two games in his native France this week against the Pacers. It’s an opportunity he doesn’t take lightly, The Athletic’s Joe Vardon writes.
“There are a lot of emotions, seeing familiar people, whether from the club or even from the city,” Wembanyama said. “It’s a bit like two worlds meeting. It’s special, you don’t expect that in a career. It’s a bit my way of making people happy who will never have the opportunity to go to the United States. It’s very important to me.”
The Spurs already had a connection to France with Tony Parker playing most of his career in San Antonio, and Boris Diaw playing four-and-a-half seasons there, The Associated Press’ Tim Reynolds notes.
“We have a long history with France for obvious reasons in many ways. So, it’s just another milestone or opportunity, I think, to probably strengthen that bond or connection,” Spurs interim coach Mitch Johnson said. “Very cool for Vic. Obviously, he just got done in the Olympics as well.”
The games will be played on Thursday and Saturday.
We have more from the Southwest Division:
- The Pelicans staged their biggest comeback in franchise history, rallying from a 25-point deficit to upend Utah in overtime on Monday night. CJ McCollum led the way with 45 points, including 24 during the fourth quarter and overtime. “Coach (Willie Green) just challenged us to be more disciplined, to be more engaged, to be more aggressive and assertive,” McCollum told Rod Walker of NOLA.com.
- Pelicans wing Javonte Green is playing on a one-year, minimum-salary contract and he’s reportedly drawing some interest around the league. Green is averaging 6.0 points in 21.8 minutes per game in 39 appearances, including 15 starts. The veteran swingman doesn’t take a lot of shots, instead he focuses on the underrated aspects of the game. “I’m just trying to go out there and try to win, make winning plays, play as hard as I can, and just be a professional. I want to do the things that got me here,” Green told Grant Afseth of RG.org. “I have to continue doing that.”
- The Mavericks offered a lengthy injury report heading into their game against Minnesota on Wednesday, ESPN’s Tim MacMahon tweets. Klay Thompson (left ankle sprain), Dereck Lively (right ankle sprain), Naji Marshall (illness) and Quentin Grimes (back spasms) are listed as questionable. Four other players are listed as out.