Bucks Keeping Eye On Zach LaVine
The Bucks have conducted “background due diligence” on Kings guard Zach LaVine, among other potential trade targets, sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.
Even after winning their past two games, the Kings are just 5-13 so far this season, so the expectation is that they’ll seriously consider the possibility of moving some of their veterans – most notably LaVine and DeMar DeRozan, but possibly Domantas Sabonis too – before February’s trade deadline.
The Bucks, meanwhile, are well positioned to take on some salary in a trade after dipping below the cap over the summer to sign Myles Turner. They’re currently operating about $11.5MM below the luxury tax line after having been a taxpayer for several years in a row.
Still, Scotto’s wording suggests LaVine is one of many possible trade targets the Bucks have considered, rather than a player they’re specifically targeting. LaVine’s $47.5MM salary would make it difficult for Milwaukee to accommodate him, given the team’s relative lack of expendable mid-sized contracts.
Kyle Kuzma ($22.4MM) is the Bucks’ most obvious trade chip in any deal for an impact player, and Scotto notes that the veteran forward has been a Kings target in the past, though it’s unclear if Sacramento’s new front office is as fond of him as Monte McNair‘s group was. Kuzma and Kings owner Vivek Ranadive are also both among the investors in Major League Volleyball, a new women’s professional sports venture, Scotto notes.
The Bucks would almost certainly have to give up at least two additional players along with Kuzma, including one more valuable role player – likely Bobby Portis ($13.4MM) – in order to match LaVine’s salary. That may not appeal to Milwaukee’s front office, which could end up focusing on trade targets who have slightly more manageable cap hits.
According to Scotto, the Bucks also monitored Boston guard Anfernee Simons during the offseason, as the Celtics and the Nets discussed multiple trade scenarios involving Simons that ultimately didn’t gain serious traction. Simons’ $27.7MM cap hit is a little more team-friendly, and he’s on an expiring contract, whereas LaVine holds a $49MM player option for next season, though Simons’ career scoring and shooting numbers have lagged behind LaVine’s.
So far this season, LaVine is averaging 20.5 points per game with a .498/.386/.893 shooting line through 16 starts (33.5 MPG), while Simons is scoring 14.4 PPG on .448/.411/.862 shooting in 17 outings off the bench (24.9 MPG). Neither player is considered a strong defender.
As Scotto reports, while the Celtics are prepared to pay a luxury tax bill this season if necessary, they wouldn’t mind trying to get out of tax territory if the right deal emerges. Given that Boston is still over the tax line by about $12MM, a deal involving Simons could be the most logical path to ducking the tax, but the club hasn’t shown any willingness to attach a first-round pick to move off of him, league sources tell HoopsHype.
Mavs Fear Extended Absence For Dereck Lively
12:33 pm: Lively is being evaluated after experiencing swelling and discomfort in his right foot, according to the Mavericks (Twitter link). The team states that he’ll miss the upcoming three-game road trip, with an update on his timeline provided in about seven-to-10 days.
12:14 pm: There’s concern in Dallas that the Mavericks may be without big man Dereck Lively II for an extended period, reports Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Twitter link).
Lively, who underwent surgery on his right foot in July, appeared in the first three games of the season before missing the next nine due to a right knee sprain. The third-year center suited up for four of Dallas’ next six contests, sitting twice during back-to-back sets due to what the team called “right knee injury management.”
However, Lively missed a second consecutive game on Monday in Miami, with his injury designation changing to “right foot injury management.”
Stein doesn’t specify exactly which ailment is of greatest concern for the Mavericks, but whether it’s the foot or the knee, Lively’s right leg doesn’t appear to be back to 100%.
Even when Lively has been available this season, he has been on a minutes limit. In seven outings (four starts), the 21-year-old has averaged 4.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1.6 blocks in 16.4 minutes per night.
Injuries have been a recurring problem for Lively, who has made 98 total regular season appearances since joining the Mavs as the 12th overall pick in the 2023 draft. He has been an effective role player when healthy, having played a regular rotation role as a rookie for the Dallas team that made the NBA Finals in 2024.
An extended absence for Lively would be the latest blow to a Mavericks team that has dealt with injuries to several of its most important players this season. On a positive note, big man Anthony Davis, who has missed 14 consecutive games due to a calf strain, appears to be trending toward a return, with the club hoping he can practice on Wednesday.
Lakers Sign Drew Timme, Waive Christian Koloko
November 25: The Lakers have officially signed Timme to a two-way contract and waived Koloko, the team announced today in a press release.
As our tracker shows, Timme will be eligible to appear in up to 40 regular season games for Los Angeles.
November 24: Confirming the Lakers’ plan to sign Timme to a two-way contract, Shams Charania of ESPN reports (via Twitter) that the team is waiving Koloko to create an opening for the newcomer.
November 21: The Lakers plan to sign free agent big man Drew Timme to a two-way contract, according to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints (Twitter link).
Los Angeles’ three two-way spots are currently occupied by Nick Smith Jr., Christian Koloko and Chris Manon. Siegel hears Smith won’t be the odd man out, so either Koloko or Manon will be released to make roster space for Timme.
Timme, who had a decorated college career at Gonzaga, went undrafted in 2023 and spent most of his first two post-college seasons in the G League. The Nets signed him to a two-year standard contract in late March after a strong 2024/25 regular season with Brooklyn’s affiliate team in Long Island.
The Nets picked up their $1,955,377 option on Timme in late June, but his salary was fully non-guaranteed, and they wound up waiving him during the preseason. The 25-year-old forward/center averaged 12.1 points, 7.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists in nine appearances (28.2 minutes per game) with Brooklyn down the stretch last season. His shooting line was .441/.257/.625.
Timme, who put up big numbers for the Nets in Summer League (25.3 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 2.7 APG and 1.0 SPG in three games), has been playing for the NBAGL’s South Bay Lakers to open 2025/26. In four Tip-Off Tournament games (34.1 MPG) this fall, he has averaged 28.3 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 4.5 APG and 1.5 SPG on .481/.240/.762 shooting.
Manon, an undrafted rookie out of Vanderbilt, has made two garbage-time appearances with the Lakers this fall. The 23-year-old wing has been highly productive in four games (33.4 MPG) with South Bay, averaging 18.8 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 2.5 APG on .458/.500/.789 shooting. He currently leads the G League in steals per game (3.5) and is tied for fourth in blocks per game (2.8).
Koloko, a third-year center, has also made a pair of garbage-time appearances with L.A. this season after getting into 37 games in 2024/25. He averaged 2.4 PPG and 2.5 RPG in 9.2 MPG last season for Los Angeles.
LeBron James Remains Undecided On Playing Beyond This Season
Chris Paul confirmed over the weekend that the 2025/26 season will be his final year in the NBA, but his longtime friend LeBron James hasn’t made that same determination. Sources close to the Lakers star insist to Dave McMenamin of ESPN that James remains undecided on whether or not he’ll continue his career beyond this season.
McMenamin’s report comes within a larger story about James’ incredible streak of 21 consecutive All-NBA nods. If LeBron hopes to extend that record-setting streak to 22 seasons, he would have to appear in 63 of the Lakers’ remaining 66 games.
[RELATED: Hoops Rumors Glossary: 65-Game Rule]
As McMenamin points out, if James knew this were his final season, he may feel obligated not to take any games off – especially on the road – as long as he’s healthy. But if he thinks he’ll be back in 2026/27, a “farewell tour” wouldn’t be a consideration.
The Lakers have 11 back-to-backs between now and the end of the season, McMenamin notes, and while James has made a strong effort in recent years to suit up for both ends of those back-to-back sets, head coach J.J. Redick and the Lakers may take a more cautious approach this season, given that LeBron will turn 41 in December and has missed time with sciatica this fall.
“I don’t think an All-NBA appearance this year is going to make or break his résumé,” Redick said, adding that he hasn’t spoken to James about trying to extend that All-NBA streak.
Like Redick, agent Rich Paul said he hasn’t talked to his longtime client about the streak, but he doesn’t necessarily view an All-NBA spot in 2026 as a top priority either.
“Look, at 41 years of age, I hope he is not playing back-to-backs,” Paul told McMenamin.
As McMenamin writes, the most important thing that James could do this season for his legacy would be to win a fifth championship, and the Lakers may decide that managing his playing time over the course of the season gives them the best chance to have him healthy and at his best during the postseason.
Of course, besides reaching the 65-game mark, James would also have to continue playing at an All-NBA level in order to earn serious consideration for a 22nd berth. If he is playing at that level, regardless of whether or not he appears in 65 games, it would likely make him more inclined to put off retirement for another year.
James will earn about $52.6MM this season in the final year of his contract with the Lakers and isn’t eligible to sign a contract extension before next July. That means if he does decide he wants to continue playing in 2026/27, he’ll have to wait until he becomes an unrestricted free agent to sign his next deal, either with Los Angeles or another team.
Suns Minority Owners Accuse Ishbia Of Using Team As ‘Personal Piggy Bank’
In a legal filing in Delaware State Court, Suns minority owners Andy Kohlberg and Scott Seldin allege that majority owner Mat Ishbia is using the team as his “personal piggy bank” and is hiding details about his spending, according to reports from Doug Haller and Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic and Baxter Holmes of ESPN.
It’s the latest development in a legal battle between the various Suns shareholders. Kohlberg and Seldin sued the Suns and Ishbia in August, with Ishbia filing a countersuit against the pair of minority owners in October. This legal filing is a response to Ishbia’s countersuit.
“Ishbia does not own the Suns to make money for the company but he does operate it as a personal fiefdom for his own personal gain and for the benefit of his other businesses, including his mortgage company United Wholesale Mortgage,” the latest filing states. “The reality is that Ishbia is using the Suns as his personal piggy bank, including through a lengthy list of conflicted transactions — only some of which the minority owners are aware of.”
As The Athletic and ESPN relay, the allegations Kohlberg and Seldin make against Ishbia in the filing include:
- Extending a loan to the Suns at an interest rate that was far above the going market rate.
- Selling naming rights to the Suns’ arena to his own mortgage company without disclosing the details.
- Leasing the Phoenix Mercury’s practice facility from himself without disclosing the details.
- Establishing an entity called the “Player 15 Group” that allegedly holds assets which should rightfully belong to the Suns.
- Turning the Suns and Mercury into money-losing teams while profiting through United Wholesale Mortgage.
Kohlberg and Seldin also specifically cite a pair of capital calls that took place in June and July of 2025, contending that Ishbia set up those capital calls in the hopes of diluting their shares in the team, which could have happened if they didn’t pay within a 10-day window. The two minority owners contributed the necessary capital in each case, but they say Ishbia didn’t pay his own shares by the deadline and attempted to hide it by using a debt-to-equity conversion to make up the difference.
According to Kohlberg and Seldin, they should have been given the opportunity to buy the shares Ishbia didn’t fund himself, which would have allowed them to take control of a larger stake in the franchise.
“In other words,” the filing states, “Ishbia blundered into the very trap he set for the minority owners and faced a devastating dilution of his ownership interest if his failure was discovered — a failure that would wipe off his net worth and put his continued status as an NBA team owner and governor in jeopardy.”
Ishbia, who has bought out the rest of the Suns’ minority owners since assuming majority control of the team in 2023, denied the allegations through a spokesperson.
“This isn’t a lawsuit; it’s a shameless shakedown dressed up as legal process,” Ishbia’s spokesperson said in a statement. “From day one, Mat Ishbia was transparent that he was going to do things differently. Contrary to how the team was previously managed, Mat made it very clear he would invest significantly into the Suns and Mercury. He told all the investors that they could step up with him or sell their stake and step aside. Kohlberg and Seldin stayed in and now they’re trying to freeload off the value Mat created.
“Kohlberg and Seldin want to drag the organization backward, and they openly admit in this filing that investing in the team and its fans ‘makes no business sense.’ They are advocating neglect. They are free to sell their shares in the open market and if they don’t, they should be prepared to lose this lawsuit and participate in Mat’s continued investments in the teams and community.”
Ishbia and his representatives have previously argued that his investments in the team have helped bump the value of the Suns from $4 billion to $6 billion since he took over as the majority owner. Ishbia said in the latest episode of The Draymond Green Show that Kohlberg and Seldin “can sell if they want” and should appreciate the fact that the franchise valuation is on the rise.
“I told them, ‘Instead of suing me, why don’t you just write me a letter and say thank you? Your investment is worth more,'” Ishbia said (Twitter video link).
Gilgeous-Alexander, Mitchell Named Players Of The Week
Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell have been named the NBA’s Players of the Week for the Western and Eastern Conference, respectively, the league announced today (Twitter links).
Gilgeous-Alexander led the defending champions to four wins during the week of November 17-23 while averaging 31.0 points and 6.5 assists per contest and shooting 60% from the field and 64.3% from beyond the arc. Oklahoma City was +82 in SGA’s 125 minutes on the court last week.
Gilgeous-Alexander also earned Player of the Week honors three weeks ago and is the second repeat winner of the award this season, joining Nuggets center Nikola Jokic.
Mitchell posted averages of 31.8 points, 6.3 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game as the Cavaliers went 3-1 this past week. He opened and closed the week with matching 37-point performances against the Bucks and Clippers, going 14-of-22 from the field in each of those two outings.
Santi Aldama (Grizzlies), Luka Doncic (Lakers), De’Aaron Fox (Spurs), James Harden (Clippers) and Jokic (Nuggets) were the other Western Conference nominees for Player of the Week.
Jalen Duren (Pistons), Josh Giddey (Bulls), Brandon Ingram (Raptors), Kon Knueppel (Hornets), Tyrese Maxey (Sixers), Norman Powell and Kel’el Ware (Heat), Ryan Rollins (Bucks) and Franz Wagner (Magic) were also nominated in the East.
Wizards Rookie Tre Johnson Out Multiple Weeks Due To Hip Injury
Wizards guard Tre Johnson, the sixth pick in the June draft, will miss multiple weeks due to a strained left hip flexor, Varun Shankar of the Washington Post reports.
Head coach Brian Keefe made the announcement after practice on Monday but didn’t reveal a specific timetable beyond saying that Johnson will be reevaluated in two weeks.
It’s an injury that Johnson dealt with during his lone college season with Texas. He re-aggravated it on Friday against the Raptors and didn’t play against the Bulls on Saturday. The team’s PR departments confirms the injury in a tweet.
Johnson, 19, is averaging 11.5 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 24.3 minutes per game. He started in four of the team’s first 15 contests and is shooting 44.5% from the field, including 39.5% on three-point tries. He has played fewer than 20 minutes in his last three appearances.
Johnson has often been seen wearing a pad on his hip while on the bench, according to Shankar.
“It shows how tough a kid this guy is,” Keefe said. “He’s been playing through some pain but he’s continuing to push through. But after [the Toronto] game, we decided to hold him out.”
Kyshawn George, Corey Kispert and Cam Whitmore could all see an uptick in minutes with Johnson out.
Chauncey Billups Pleads Not Guilty, Released On $5MM Bond
Trail Blazers coach and Hall of Famer Chauncey Billups pleaded not guilty Monday to federal charges that he participated in and profited from rigged poker games, Philip Marcelo of The Associated Press reports. Billups was released on a $5MM bond secured by his family’s Colorado home.
Per his bond agreement, Billups must refrain from gambling and can have no contact with other defendants or alleged victims. He has surrendered his passport and can only travel to seven states, including Oregon and New York. Billups and his co-defendants, including ex-NBA player and assistant coach Damon Jones, appeared for a status conference on Monday and are due back in court on March 4.
The judge told all the attorneys at today’s proceedings that his intention is to expedite the process and start the trial by September of 2026, Ramona Shelburne of ESPN tweets.
Billups was placed on unpaid leave by the NBA after his arrest in late October, shortly after the team’s opening game. His arrest and the timeline of the case essentially assures that he won’t return to coaching for at least the remainder of this season. Tiago Splitter has been serving as the team’s interim coach in Billups’ absence.
Prosecutors said Monday that plea negotiations have begun with some defendants, according to Marcelo. Billups’ lawyer, Marc Mukasey, entered his client’s not guilty plea. They declined to comment to the media afterward.
According to prosecutors, the poker games in which Billups was allegedly involved with defrauded victims of an estimated $7MM.
The arrests of Billups, Jones and Heat guard Terry Rozier, who was charged by the federal goverment with illegal activities regarding prop bets, shook up the league and the sports world just after the season began. The NBA, in response, is seeking to tighten controls regarding wagering on its games.
Grizzlies Sign Kobe Bufkin To 10-Day Contract
Nov. 24: The signing is official, the Grizzlies’ PR department tweets.
Nov. 23: The Grizzlies have been granted a hardship exception and will use it to sign free agent guard Kobe Bufkin to a 10-day contract, according to Shams Charania of ESPN.
Hardship exceptions allow a team to temporarily exceed the usual 15-man limit. The NBA awards a hardship exception to a club if it has at least four injured players who have missed three consecutive games and are projected to miss at least two more weeks.
Bufkin will provide backcourt depth for Memphis, which has been hit hard by injuries once again in 2025/26. Four point guards — Scotty Pippen Jr. (toe surgery), Ty Jerome (calf strain), Ja Morant (calf strain) and Javon Small (turf toe) — are currently sidelined, and veteran forward/center Brandon Clarke is still recovering from offseason knee surgery.
The 15th overall pick in the 2023 draft, Bufkin battled injuries during his first two NBA seasons in Atlanta. 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.
In total, the 6’4″ guard made just 27 appearances for the Hawks, averaging 5.0 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 1.6 assists in 11.9 minutes per night, with a .374/.220/.654 shooting line. The 22-year-old was traded from Atlanta to Brooklyn during the offseason and it seemed like he might get a chance at a fresh start with the Nets. Instead, he was the victim of a roster crunch last month and was waived to help Brooklyn get down to 15 players for the start of the regular season.
After being cut by the Nets, Bufkin entered the NBA G League player pool and his rights were acquired by the South Bay Lakers following a trade. In two Tip-Off Tournament games (28.7 MPG) with L.A.’s affiliate team this fall, Bufkin has averaged 22.0 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 4.0 RPG and 1.0 SPG on .444/.500/.800 shooting.
According to Grant Afseth (Twitter link), Bufkin was among the guards on Memphis’ radar just before the season began amid the wave of injuries.
Jalen Williams Now Ineligible For Postseason Awards
Jalen Williams‘ absence from the lineup has barely slowed down the Thunder, who routed Portland on Sunday to improve to 17-1. However, it has financial implications for the fourth-year wing, who has missed all 18 games so far, according to Alex Schiffer of Front Office Sports.
With only 64 games remaining in the season, Williams is no longer able to reach the 65-game threshold to make his eligible for postseason awards. The five-year rookie scale extension he signed in July includes contract escalators for achieving All-NBA honors and being named MVP or Defensive Player of the Year.
Williams is making $6.6MM this season on the final year of his rookie contract. That will jump to a projected $41.5MM in 2026/27, and reaching all the escalators could have pushed his salary close to $50MM.
While Williams was unlikely to be named MVP even without the injury, the other two benchmarks were more realistic. He was a third team All-NBA selection and a second team All-Defensive choice last season, as well as an All-Star for the first time in his career. Being named first team All-NBA also would have been difficult, but Schiffer notes that second- or third-team honors would have raised his future salary by one or two percent — between $1.5MM and $3MM in year one.
Selected with the 12th pick in the 2022 draft, Williams’ emergence into stardom is among the reasons Oklahoma City has been able to assemble a dominant roster that’s still cost effective. He averaged 21.6 points, 5.3 rebounds and 5.1 assists in 69 games last season and was one of the Thunder’s most consistent playoff performers during their run to the title, including a 40-point outburst in Game 5 of the NBA Finals.
Williams underwent surgery at the start of July to repair a torn scapholunate ligament in his right wrist that bothered him throughout the postseason. He required a second procedure in late October to remove a screw that was causing irritation. There’s still no timeline for him to return to action.
Schiffer notes that while OKC will benefit from not having to pay more for Williams next season, the savings are more of a luxury than a necessity. The Thunder currently aren’t a taxpaying team, and although their projected $246MM salary for 2026/27 puts them in the second apron, they have roughly $54MM in non-guaranteed salaries or team options that provide financial flexibility. That figure includes $28.5MM for Isaiah Hartenstein, $18.2MM for Luguentz Dort and $7.2MM for Kenrich Williams.