Dorian Finney-Smith Set To Make Rockets Debut
2:56 pm: Finney-Smith will make his season debut on Thursday, sources tell ESPN’s Shams Charania and Dave McMenamin (Twitter link). The veteran forward will be on a “strict” minutes restriction, Charania adds.
8:55 am: Veteran forward Dorian Finney-Smith could make his Rockets debut on Thursday when Houston faces the Lakers. He’s listed as questionable to play in the Christmas Day matchup, according to Ben DuBose of RocketsWire.
Finney-Smith would be playing against his most recent team if he does suit up. He left the Lakers as a free agent over the summer, signing a four-year, $53MM contract with the Rockets.
Noted for his defensive versatility, Finney-Smith was traded from Brooklyn to Los Angeles last December and appeared in 43 games for the Lakers in 2024/25, making 20 starts. He averaged 7.9 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in 28.8 minutes per game, posting a shooting line of .442/.398/.714.
Finney-Smith underwent left ankle surgery in June, weeks before signing his new deal. At that time, he was expected to be ready for training camp, but that timeline proved optimistic. The 32-year-old missed a total of 20 games last season related to issues with the ankle, including eight with Los Angeles.
Starting power forward Jabari Smith Jr. is averaging a career-high 34.5 minutes per game. Finney-Smith’s availability will likely cut into Smith’s playing time.
Cameron Johnson Out At Least 4-6 Weeks With Knee Injury
December 25: Although Johnson’s knee injury wasn’t as significant as initially feared, he’ll still be out of action for the foreseeable future. According to Charania (Twitter link), Johnson will be reevaluated in four-to-six weeks.
December 24: The Nuggets got good news on forward Cameron Johnson following his right knee injury on Tuesday. According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link), an MRI on Johnson’s knee showed a bone bruise, but no structural damage.
As Shams Charania of ESPN tweets, Johnson is still expected to miss some time, but it’s a best-case scenario for him and the Nuggets, since there was concern he sustained a more serious injury.
The injury occurred in the fourth quarter when Johnson went up for a defensive rebound (Twitter video link via Grant Afseth). He landed awkwardly and fell to the floor, grabbing his right knee, then exited the game shortly thereafter.
There still appears to be some uncertainty regarding Johnson’s recovery timeline, according to Vinny Benedetto of The Denver Gazette (Twitter link), who says there should be more information by Thursday. However, it sounds safe to assume that the Nuggets forward will miss the team’s Christmas Day divisional showdown with the Timberwolves.
Johnson, acquired from Brooklyn in an offseason trade that sent Michael Porter Jr. to the Nets, got off to an extremely slow start in Denver this fall, averaging 7.2 points with a .372/.211/.813 shooting line in his first 11 games. He has looked more like his normal self in recent weeks, with 14.6 PPG on .503/.523/.810 shooting in his past 17 outings.
The Nuggets are already missing a pair of starters, with Christian Braun (ankle) and Aaron Gordon (hamstring) still recovering from their own injuries. Peyton Watson and Spencer Jones have been starting alongside Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, and Johnson in place of Braun and Gordon. Bruce Brown and Tim Hardaway Jr. are the top candidates to be promoted to the starting five with Johnson out too.
Steve Kerr Says Situation With Draymond Green Is Resolved
It appears that Warriors coach Steve Kerr and Draymond Green have resolved the issues that led to Monday night’s heated sidelines confrontation, writes Taylor Wirth of NBC Sports Bay Area. Kerr told reporters on Wednesday that he and Green have spoken about the incident and have settled their differences. Kerr also accepted full blame, saying he overreacted to a tense situation.
“Frankly … Monday night was not my finest hour. That was a time I needed to be calm in the huddle,” Kerr said. “So I regret my actions in that exchange. I apologized to Dray, he apologized to me, we both apologized to the team. These things, they happen. Especially when you get two incredibly competitive people like Dray and me. Over the 12 years we’ve been together, this has happened occasionally. I’m not proud of it. We had a great chat.
“I care so much about Draymond. And the relationship we have is like family. And like family, you go through ups and downs. My number one goal, honestly, is for him to finish his career as a Warrior, with us, fighting — metaphorically, not literally — and competing together. Until we’re both done. And I believe that’s going to happen. Because I believe in Draymond and I believe in myself, and I believe in everything we’ve built for the last 12 years.”
Kerr and Green engaged in an intense argument during a time out in the third quarter of Monday’s win over Orlando. Green left the bench area and went to the locker room to “cool off.” He eventually returned, but Kerr didn’t put him back in the game.
The incident renewed trade speculation regarding Green, who hasn’t been playing up to his normal standards this season. He’s shooting just 40.9% from the field and 32.7% from three-point range and his scoring average has dropped to 8.1 PPG, nearly a full point lower than last year. The biggest concern is the decline in his play-making, as he’s putting up 5.1 assists and a startling 3.1 turnovers per night.
Kerr reiterated that he doesn’t want to see his long partnership with Green end. He pointed to Green’s role in helping to win four NBA titles during their time together and said they’ve had similar confrontations in the past, but have always been able to work through them.
“One of the things I love about Draymond is his loyalty,” Kerr added. “… He’s loyal to the Warriors. Loyal to me. Loyal to (Stephen Curry). He wants to be here his whole career. I want nothing more than that. I love Draymond, love everything he’s meant to me, to the organization, to the Bay. He’s a complicated guy. He’d be the first to admit that. He’s very complex. But he’s undyingly loyal and passionate and I will go to bat for him as long as I’m coaching him here. Honestly, I’d go to bat for him 20 years from now when we haven’t been together. That’s how strongly I feel about him. And that’s how I want this thing to end with us, whenever that is.”
It’s been a challenging season for the Warriors, who Kerr admits are “a fading dynasty.” They’re one of the league’s oldest teams, led by Green, Curry and Jimmy Butler, and their age has shown during the first two months of the season. At 15-15, they face a difficult path to move into the top six in the West and avoid another trip to the play-in tournament.
Kerr is confident that the blow-up with Green won’t be a distraction moving forward and that he’ll be fully focused for the Christmas Day matchup with Dallas.
“I think there’s always going to be dynamics within a team, any team, that exist all season long,” Kerr said. “And it’s the coach’s job and the leaders of the team’s job to help guys through those circumstances. We have issues just like every other team has issues. But we have to work through them. I believe this was a major step in that happening. I feel really good about where our team is on the floor, about where we’re heading. I see the potential to do exactly what we did last year. To really go on a run and give ourselves a chance.”
Pascal Siakam: Constant Losing ‘Not Fun To Be Around’
The frustrations of losing are starting to boil over for the Pacers, writes Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star. T.J. McConnell questioned the team’s effort following Saturday’s loss to New Orleans, and Pascal Siakam delivered a more intense version of that message after Tuesday’s 17-point defeat against Milwaukee. Siakam spoke for nine minutes about the various shortcomings that led to a sixth straight loss and a 6-24 record.
“We just didn’t play with any pace, any determination,” he said. “It looked out there like we were just jacking shots sometimes. We played with no force. We just didn’t have it. It’s hard to evaluate our offense because it just looked like we didn’t try hard enough. … It doesn’t look like we have any pace or any pep to anything that we’re doing. We just look slow. There’s no energy. It’s not fun to be around.”
It’s only been six months since the Pacers came within a game of winning their first NBA title, and their sudden nosedive is likely temporary. It began when star guard Tyrese Haliburton suffered an Achilles tear in Game 7 of the Finals and has continued amid a long string of injuries dating back to the start of the season. Indiana has struggled to field a competitive roster, signing Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, Garrison Mathews, Gabe McGlothan and James Wiseman to hardship contracts over the past six weeks.
Haliburton is expected to make a full recovery by the start of next season, most of last year’s playoff roster is still in place, and the Pacers seem headed for a top pick in the draft. The team is well-positioned to return to contention quickly, but that provides little solace for Siakam right now.
“I really care about it and I hate, I hate, I hate losing, so it’s not fun,” he said. “It’s hard. I don’t think I’ve been the happiest. Maybe I have to fix it. I don’t look good out there most of the time, just because I can’t stand it. It drives me crazy. I’m trying to find solutions. I’m trying to get better. I’m trying to take it out, but it dictates my attitude and the way I am.”
Dopirak points out that the idea of tanking for one season isn’t as simple as fans tend to believe. The constant losing takes a toll on the players, and their natural competitiveness begins to wane. Siakam referenced that on Tuesday, saying he’s seeing less urgency from the roster to turn the season around. A play-in spot already seems out of reach, and it’s better for the Pacers in the long run to finish as close to the bottom as possible to maximize their lottery chances.
Siakam added that he still does intensive film study and constantly thinks about how he can improve. He declined to say whether his teammates are showing that same level of commitment, adding that the record speaks for itself.
“I don’t know,” he said. “The product isn’t good. We’re losing games. We have to figure it out. We all have to ask ourselves, ‘What can we do?’ Everyone has to come in wanting to make a change.”
Knicks Prospect James Nnaji Enrolls At Baylor
Two years after being selected with the 31st overall pick in the NBA draft, center James Nnaji has enrolled at Baylor and will be immediately eligible to play college basketball this season, his agents at Gersh Sports tell Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress (Twitter link).
It’s a development that’s unprecedented in recent NCAA history, further blurring the line between college and professional basketball. Nnaji, who was originally drafted by the Hornets in 2023, had his rights traded to the Knicks in last year’s three-team Karl-Anthony Towns blockbuster, but has yet to sign his first NBA contract, having continued to play overseas since being drafted.
It has become increasingly common for international prospects to come stateside and join NCAA programs after playing for professional teams in Europe. However, up until this point, that was happening before the player was selected in the NBA draft, not after.
The NCAA has granted Nnaji four years of college eligibility, according to Joe Tipton of On3. The decision could open the door for other draft-and-stash prospects to take a similar path going forward.
Nnaji, 21, was under contract with FC Barcelona in Spain for several seasons before parting ways with the team this past summer. The big man also spent time with Merkezefendi Basket in Turkey and Girona, another Spanish team, while on loan from Barcelona.
In 2024/25, Nnaji appeared in 14 Spanish League (Liga ACB) games for Girona, averaging 5.3 points and 4.1 rebounds in 16.2 minutes per contest. He also suited up for the Knicks’ Summer League team in July, averaging 3.2 PPG and 3.6 RPG across five outings in Las Vegas. It was his second appearance at Vegas Summer League, as he also played for the Hornets’ team in 2023.
As Tipton observes, Baylor’s frontcourt has been hit hard by injuries this season, so Nnaji – a rim-running, defensive-minded center – has a path to a significant role for the Bears in the second half of 2025/26. The Knicks, who continue to hold his NBA rights, figure to be closely monitoring his progress and will no longer have to travel overseas to scout him in person.
Free Agent Ben Simmons Working Toward NBA Comeback
Free agent Ben Simmons is looking to return to the NBA sometime this season, he told Marc J. Spears of Andscape.
“Yeah. It depends on what I want to give them, though,” he said of coming back this season. “It’s one of those things where I can go out and play and probably do really well and do important things for a team. But I want to get my body to the best it’s been. That’s the best of focus. I don’t want to have any setbacks or anything like that. That’s my major focus because I don’t think it’s good for anybody if I’m out there and I’m not 100 percent. So, for me, it’s getting to my peak physicality right now and then we’ll see what happens.”
A report surfaced in September suggesting that Simmons was weighing the possibility of retirement, but his comments to Spears indicate he’s focused on getting back to the league.
Simmons split last season with the Nets and Clippers, averaging 5.0 points, 4.7 rebounds and 5.6 assists in 51 games. It was the most appearances he has made in a season since 2020/21, which was his last All-Star year.
Simmons was expected to be a perennial All-Star early in his career but his career was derailed by injuries, along with his offensive limitations and issues with management. His main physical issue has been back injuries — he’s had two surgical procedures done on his back.
He’s working on getting that issue resolved.
“The original time we were just approaching a lot of my rehab wrong. And I don’t think it was on the therapist. I just think we had to get a new set of eyes on it,” he said. “And a lot of it was my mobility and that nerve running through your back, through my leg. I could barely jump off it or really move around. So, where I’m at now, I’m back on court in the gym [six days per week]. It’s two-a-days right now and then on court, too. It’s exhausting, but this is the best I’ve felt in terms of the work I’ve been putting in. And so, when you see that and you’re getting rewarded for it, it keeps you in there. You want to see more. So, I feel really good. I feel like physically, mentally, I’m in a great place and I’m very blessed.”
Simmons said he was limited physically last season, even when he did play.
“I felt like I could barely really move how I wanted to. It was tough to really do what I wanted to do given where I was,” he said. “And at the same time, some people are happy with maybe you can give me a few minutes doing this and that. For me, I want to be able to do as much as I can. I don’t want to go out there knowing I’m going to play a certain amount of minutes when I know I can give more.”
As Spears details, Simmons has been doing basketball, strength, and rehabilitation workouts twice a day, six days a week, and believes it won’t be much longer before he’s ready to go.
“I’m looking maybe halfway through this year, if not next season,” he said. “Yeah, it just depends how far I can come along in that next month or so. But I’m feeling great. I haven’t had any setbacks.”
Simmons made a major change in representation, re-signing with super-agent Rich Paul and Klutch Sports while parting ways with Bernie Lee. Paul represented Simmons earlier in his career.
“I had to make a hard decision. The first thing was letting go of my original agent last summer,” he said. “I just told him right now it’s not a fit. And it was nothing personal against him at all. It was just for me, I wanted to take that time to get my body right, get my mind right, and just make that the sole focus.”
Simmons is relying on Paul to help him find another opportunity.
“I don’t think there’s any real pressure or worry. I think it’s just they felt the same way as I felt. I said, ‘I need just time to get ready and just focus on my body.’ There’s no point in going out there and not being physically able and everyone’s on the same page, so it’s just working until you’re right,” he said. “I never had any bad blood with [Klutch Sports]. It was just one of those things where it’s like, we’re men. We’re not boys. It is what it is. S–t happened. Let’s figure it out. Let’s talk. That’s how relationships figure themselves out, and you talk them through. But there’s no bad blood. It is what it is. It’s family. I fight with my family all the time and things happen.”
Attorneys For Terry Rozier Seek Dismissal Of Federal Charges
Attorneys for Heat guard Terry Rozier are seeking a dismissal of federal charges against their client, ESPN’s David Purdum reports.
Rozier pleaded not guilty to two federal charges related to illegal sports betting in Brooklyn federal court earlier this month. Rozier, who was arraigned alongside friend and alleged co-conspirator Deniro Laster, was released on $3MM bond secured using his Florida home.
Rozier was placed on leave by the league after he was arrested on October 23 on charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
His attorneys say the government overstepped when it accused his client of wire fraud. If the wire fraud charge were to be dismissed, the money laundering charge would be moot for lack of a predicate crime.
In a legal document made public Tuesday, Rozier’s attorney Jim Trusty argues that the federal government failed to clearly state Rozier’s offense in the indictment and is trying to “enforce its view of integrity in sports wagering.”
“The government has billed this case as involving ‘insider betting’ and ‘rigging’ professional basketball games,” Trusty wrote. “But the indictment alleges something less headline-worthy: that some bettors broke certain sportsbooks’ terms of use.”
In his motion to dismiss, Trusty cited a 2023 United States Supreme Court ruling on the requirements for a wire fraud charge. Paul Tuchmann, a former U.S. assistant attorney in the Eastern District of New York, said in a wire fraud case, prosecutors must prove that the purpose of the alleged scheme was to deprive the victim of money or property.
The government’s response is due by Feb. 2.
Wizards’ Cam Whitmore Has Blood Clot, Out Indefinitely
Wizards forward Cam Whitmore has been ruled out indefinitely after being diagnosed with upper-extremity deep vein thrombosis (a form of blood clot) in his right shoulder, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).
The Wizards have formally confirmed Charania’s report, announcing (via Twitter) that Whitmore’s progress and recovery will be monitored and that his status will be updated as appropriate.
Whitmore hasn’t played since December 4, having sat out of Washington’s past six games. He was a DNP-CD in the first four of those contests before being added to the injury report with right shoulder soreness for the last two. Further testing on that sore shoulder revealed the blood clot, according to Charania (Twitter link).
A one-and-done prospect at Villanova in 2022/23, Whitmore was viewed as a potential top-five pick in the 2023 draft, but ultimately fell to No. 20, where he was selected by the Rockets. In two seasons with Houston, he played a limited role off the bench but showed some promise as a scorer, averaging 10.8 points in 17.4 minutes per contest with a shooting line of .449/.357/.707.
Recognizing that Whitmore wasn’t part of their long-term plans, the Rockets traded him to the Wizards during the 2025 offseason in exchange for a pair of second-round picks. Through his first 21 games in D.C., he averaged 9.2 PPG on .456/.286/.742 shooting.
After Whitmore’s first DNP-CD on December 6, head coach Brian Keefe suggested in his comments to reporters that the 21-year-old was held out for failing to meet “certain standards,” and a subsequent report suggested that Whitmore’s poor practice habits were a factor in his benching. However, Keefe later walked back his initial remarks and said Whitmore’s removal from the rotation was about giving other players an opportunity.
Charania’s report echoes that messaging, suggesting that Whitmore had begun “working closely” with Keefe in recent weeks as “part of his development plan.”
While that development plan will be on hold for now, there’s no indication at this point that blood clotting issues will threaten Whitmore’s career. Victor Wembanyama, Brandon Ingram, and Ausar Thompson are among the current NBA players who have fully recovered and return to action after facing similar diagnoses.
Hawks’ N’Faly Dante Out For Season With Torn ACL
Hawks center N’Faly Dante has been diagnosed with a torn ACL in his right knee, the team announced today in a press release. According to the Hawks, Dante will undergo surgery in January and will miss the rest of the 2025/26 season.
Dante suffered the injury while playing for the College Park Skyhawks at the G League’s Winter Showcase last Friday. The 24-year-old fell to the floor after awkwardly twisting his right knee following a rebound and was clearly in significant pain. He reportedly had to be carried off the court.
Dante, who finished the 2024/25 season on a two-way contract with the Rockets, was the NBA’s only restricted free agent to sign an offer sheet during the 2025 offseason. He received a two-way qualifying offer from Houston, then signed a two-year, minimum-salary deal with Atlanta that the Rockets elected not to match.
While Dante’s contract with the Hawks was only partially guaranteed for $85,300, he’ll now be assured of receiving his full salary for the 2025/26 season as a result of this injury. Even if Atlanta waives him prior to the January 7 league-wide salary guarantee deadline, the team will be obligated to pay his salary until he gets healthy or until the end of the season, whichever comes first — based on the Dante’s recovery timeline, the season will wrap up before he’s ready to suit up again.
Dante appeared in just four games for Atlanta and four for College Park this season. Prior to tearing his ACL, he was sidelined for over two weeks while going through the concussion protocol due to a head injury that he sustained while playing for the Skyhawks. Friday’s game was his first one back from that injury.
While the Hawks will have the ability to apply for a disabled player exception for Dante, that exception would be worth just $1,024,247, half of his minimum salary ($2,048,494), so it would be of limited use.
Dante is the third player at the back of Atlanta’s roster to sustain a season-ending injury this month. Two-way forward Jacob Toppin underwent season-ending right shoulder surgery earlier in December and was subsequently waived. Another two-way player, Eli Ndiaye, will also require shoulder surgery in early January. Ndiaye remains under contract with the Hawks for now.
Kings’ Malik Monk On Trade Block
The Kings have made guard Malik Monk available via trade, according to NBA insider Chris Haynes (Twitter video link).
Sacramento recently removed Monk from its regular rotation and is said to be open to inquiries on practically anyone on its roster outside of fourth-year forward Keegan Murray and rookie guard Nique Clifford, so Haynes’ report comes as no real surprise. However, it’s confirmation that Monk is among the Kings players who are strong candidates to be on the move ahead of this season’s trade deadline.
Monk, who will turn 28 in February, has been in Sacramento since 2022 and has been a reliable source of scoring and play-making for the team, averaging 15.0 points, 4.6 assists, and 3.0 rebounds in 26.1 minutes per game across 238 total outings as a King. He has posted a .443/.350/.859 shooting line during that time and finished second in Sixth Man of the Year voting in 2024.
However, with the Kings off to a 7-22 start this season, head coach Doug Christie has made some changes in a crowded backcourt rotation, resulting in Monk receiving two DNP-CDs and playing just five total minutes in the team’s past three games.
Guards Russell Westbrook, Dennis Schröder, Keon Ellis, and Clifford have been playing regular minutes for the Kings as of late, with DeMar DeRozan also functioning as a two guard in a bigger starting lineup that features big men Maxime Raynaud and Precious Achiuwa up front.
[RELATED: Malik Monk ‘One Thousand Percent’ Confused About Benching]
Monk, who is earning roughly $18.8MM this season, has two more years left on his contract after this one. He’s owed a guaranteed $20.2MM salary in 2026/27 and holds a $21.6MM player option for ’27/28.
While Haynes doesn’t specify exactly what sort of return the Kings would be seeking in a trade for Monk, he says the club is looking to get younger and more athletic. DeRozan and Zach LaVine are also viewed as prime trade candidates in Sacramento, though LaVine’s maximum-salary contract is considered difficult to move.