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LeBron James, Donovan Mitchell Named Players Of The Month

March 4th, 2025 at 1:47pm CST by Luke Adams

Lakers forward LeBron James has been named the Western Conference’s Player of the Month for games played in February, the NBA announced today (via Twitter). While it’s the 41st time in his decorated 22-year NBA career that James has earned the honor, it’s the first time he has done so since 2020.

James’ Lakers went 10-2 in February, with the four-time MVP averaging 29.3 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 6.9 assists in 35.1 minutes per game to lead the way. The 40-year-old posted an impressive shooting line of .555/.443/.738 in his 11 games over the course of the month.

James’ teammate Austin Reaves was among the other players nominated for the award in the West, along with Stephen Curry, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jaren Jackson Jr., Nikola Jokic, and Anfernee Simons, according to the league (Twitter link).

Meanwhile, in the Eastern Conference, Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell has earned February’s Player of the Month award. He was selected over fellow nominees Cade Cunningham, Damian Lillard, Jayson Tatum, Pascal Siakam, Tyrese Haliburton, and teammate Evan Mobley.

Mitchell, who appears well on his way to an All-NBA berth, averaged 25.8 points, 5.3 assists, and 4.2 rebounds in 30.5 minutes per game with a .487/.381/.786 shooting line in 10 games in February. His Cavaliers continued to extend their lead atop the Eastern Conference standings during the month, with a 10-1 record.

It’s the third time in Mitchell’s career that he has won a Player of the Month award, including his second time as a Cav.

Jalen Suggs Undergoes Left Knee Surgery, Out For Season

March 4th, 2025 at 10:32am CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

March 4: Suggs has undergone arthroscopic surgery to remove a cartilage fragment in his left knee, according to the Magic, who say the procedure also involved a “mosaicplasty to repair the trochlear joint surface” (Twitter link).

The team has formally ruled out Suggs for the rest of the season.

March 2: All-Defensive Team Magic guard Jalen Suggs will have a cartilage fragment removed from his left knee via arthroscopic surgery, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).

Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel reports that Suggs will undergo surgery this week, and the Magic anticipate that he will fully recover.

Earlier this week, Suggs had been sidelined indefinitely after being diagnosed with a trochlea injury in his left knee. The team had reportedly considered a litany of non-surgical interventions, including physical therapy, anti-inflammatory medication and rest, but ultimately determined that surgery was the best route.

The 23-year-old had already been shelved for Orlando’s last 14 games with what was originally called a left quad contusion. All told, the young guard has been out for 24 of Orlando’s last 25 contests, having also dealt with a low back strain in January.

Suggs had been building toward a return to action in recent weeks, but soon felt some lingering discomfort in his left knee. Further imaging revealed the trochlea injury.

The former No. 5 pick out of Gonzaga has averaged 16.2 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game this season for Orlando. Suggs is widely seen as one of the league’s elite perimeter defenders, and he has clearly been missed on both ends of the floor.

Orlando has gone 20-15 across Suggs’ 35 healthy bouts this year, and an underwhelming 9-17 when he has sat. The Magic had been a top-four seed for much of the season prior to his injuries but is now 29-32 and the East’s No. 8 seed.

As Charania notes (via Twitter), Suggs has played sparingly this season with Orlando’s other top rising talents, All-Star forward Paolo Banchero and fellow starting forward Franz Wagner. Collectively, that triumvirate has only shared the hardwood for 97 total minutes in 2024/25.

In October, Orlando inked Suggs to a five-season, $150.5MM rookie scale extension. That fully-guaranteed deal will kick in when the 2025/26 league year begins. He is clearly considered a major part of the club’s long-term future, but it’s unclear when he’ll be able to contribute again.

Kyrie Irving Diagnosed With Season-Ending ACL Tear

March 4th, 2025 at 9:55am CST by Luke Adams

Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving‘s left knee injury has been diagnosed as a torn ACL, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link). The injury will end Irving’s season.

Irving was injured during the first quarter of Monday’s loss to Sacramento as he drove to the basket and attempted to split Kings defenders DeMar DeRozan and Jonas Valanciunas (Twitter video link). He lost his balance and came down awkwardly on his left leg, which appeared to hyperextend, before he fell to the court in pain and grabbed at his left knee.

After remaining on the floor for several minutes, Irving was helped to his feet and was able to shoot two free throws as fans in Dallas regaled him with “MVP” chants (Twitter video link). The star guard made both free throws before being assisted to the locker room.

It’s an absolutely brutal blow to a Dallas team that had already been afflicted by the injury bug in a major way in recent weeks, with big men Anthony Davis, Dereck Lively, and Daniel Gafford among the regulars who have missed significant time.

Following the trade of Luka Doncic last month, Irving has been a steadying force in Dallas, assuming the brunt of the ball-handling and play-making duties in the backcourt and helping to guide the team through a tumultuous period.

For the season, he averaged 24.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 1.3 steals in 36.1 minutes per game across 50 appearances, with a shooting line of .473/.401/.916. Entering Monday, he had put up 28.1 PPG in 39.3 MPG in 10 outings since Doncic was traded.

With Irving out for the rest of the season, the Mavericks figure to turn to players like Spencer Dinwiddie, Dante Exum, Jaden Hardy, and Brandon Williams to handle point guard responsibilities. Hardy also exited Monday’s game due to an injury of his own, however, having sprained his right ankle in the third quarter.

Dallas has an open spot on its 15-man roster, but can’t add a free agent until April 10 due to its proximity to a first-apron hard cap. That means, barring a last-minute change to its two-way players, the team will have to make do with its current group as it attempts to hold onto a play-in spot.

The Mavericks currently have a 32-30 record, good for 10th in the Western Conference. They lead the 11th-place Suns by 3.5 games and the No. 12 Trail Blazers by four games.

While Dallas’ potential for a deep playoff run this spring has obviously taken a major hit as a result of Irving’s torn ACL, the injury figures to have an impact on the club beyond the current season. Many NBA players who have sustained ACL tears have required upwards of one year to come back from the injury and longer than that to get back to full strength.

A quicker recovery timeline is certainly a possibility, but the Mavericks probably shouldn’t count on having Irving back when the 2025/26 season gets underway next fall and shouldn’t necessarily assume he’ll be back to 100% before next spring or even until ’26/27.

It also remains to be seen how the injury will affect Irving’s contract situation. The nine-time All-Star holds a player option worth just shy of $43MM for next season, but was widely expected to turn it down in search of a lucrative new multiyear deal. It’s unclear if Irving will still decide to opt out — presumably, he would only do so if the Mavericks are still comfortable making a significant long-term investment in the 32-year-old while he recovers from a major injury.

As Bobby Marks of ESPN notes (via Twitter), besides now being ineligible for end-of-season awards (including All-NBA) this spring as a result of falling short of the required minimum of 65 games, Irving will also miss out on a pair of $1MM bonuses in his contract.

Kai Jones Signs Two-Way Contract With Mavericks

March 3rd, 2025 at 5:07pm CST by Arthur Hill

March 3: The Mavericks have officially confirmed (via Twitter) that they’ve waived Kelley and signed Jones to a two-way contract.

March 2: Dallas will waive Kylor Kelley to make room for Jones, sources tell NBA insider Marc Stein (Twitter link).

March 1: Kai Jones, who was released earlier today by the Clippers, expects to sign a two-way deal with the Mavericks once he clears waivers, sources tell NBA insider Chris Haynes (Twitter link).

The 24-year-old center saw limited action in 28 games with L.A. this season, averaging 2.2 points and 1.6 rebounds in 7.4 minutes per night. He was getting consistent playing time earlier in the season, but was only used once during February and hasn’t played more than three minutes in a game since January 15.

At 6’11”, Jones can provide valuable size for a Dallas team that is trying to survive while its top three big men recover from injuries. Anthony Davis is set to be reevaluated March 6 for the adductor strain he suffered in his Mavericks debut. Daniel Gafford, who has a grade 3 MCL sprain, and Dereck Lively, who’s dealing with a fractured ankle, will have their conditions checked on that same date, although they aren’t expected to return for a while.

Moses Brown has been the Mavs’ starting center for the past two games, but he will become a free agent when his 10-day contract expires tonight. Hard cap restrictions will prevent Dallas from offering Brown another contract until April 10.

That could create an opportunity for Jones to make an immediate impact. Even though his NBA career has been disappointing so far, he was regarded highly enough to be the 19th pick in the 2021 draft.

Dallas’ two-way slots are currently filled by Brandon Williams, Kessler Edwards and Kylor Kelley, so a move will have to be made in time for Jones to be added by the March 4 deadline to sign two-way players.

Mavs’ Washington, Gafford Expected To Discuss Extensions In Offseason

March 3rd, 2025 at 4:01pm CST by Luke Adams

Representatives for Mavericks forward P.J. Washington and center Daniel Gafford are expected to engage the Mavericks‘ front office in discussions this offseason about potential contract extensions for their clients, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

Washington and Gafford will be entering contract years in 2025/26, with Washington set to earn $14,152,174 in the final season of his contract while Gafford earns $14,386,320 in the last year of his deal. Both players were acquired at the 2024 trade deadline and helped the Mavs make a late-season run and a playoff push that culminated in an NBA Finals appearance last spring.

Veteran contract extensions can typically start at up to 140% of the player’s previous salary and cover no more than five total years, including the years remaining on the player’s previous deal. That means Washington’s maximum extension this offseason would be worth approximately $88.76MM over four years, while Gafford’s would be worth about $90.23MM over four years.

Those projections may end up slightly higher depending on where the league’s “estimated average salary” comes in for 2025/26 — players are allowed to sign extensions that start at up to 140% of the estimated average salary if that figure exceeds their own salary.

I’m skeptical that the Mavericks would go as high as $90MM over four years – or would need to – to lock up Gafford, who was backing up Dereck Lively at the five earlier this season and could now be vying for frontcourt minutes with Anthony Davis as well (though the Mavs are expected to deploy plenty of two-big lineups). If Gafford signs an extension, it likely wouldn’t be for that maximum offer.

Washington has emerged as an extremely valuable role player though — he’s averaging a career-high 8.1 rebounds per game, making 37.4% of his three-point shoots, and providing solid, versatile defense. He’s more likely to warrant the max offer Dallas could put on the table prior to free agency.

Interestingly, Scotto reports that Washington and Gafford both briefly came up in trade talks earlier this season when the Mavericks registered interest in Jimmy Butler. Those exploratory discussions with the Heat didn’t really go anywhere though, according to Scotto, as Dallas pivoted away from Butler and moved forward with their controversial Luka Doncic/Davis blockbuster. The Mavs also expressed interest in forward Kyle Kuzma before trading Doncic, Scotto adds.

Jalen Brunson, Zach LaVine Named Players Of The Week

March 3rd, 2025 at 2:44pm CST by Luke Adams

Knicks guard Jalen Brunson has been named the NBA’s Player of the Week for the Eastern Conference, while Kings guard Zach LaVine has won the award for the Western Conference, the league announced today (via Twitter).

It has been a few weeks since the NBA handed out Player of the Week honors due to the All-Star break, which resulted in multiple shortened weeks. Brunson and LaVine won for games played between February 24 and March 2.

Brunson and the Knicks went 3-0 during that stretch, with victories over Philadelphia, Memphis, and Miami. The star point guard led the way by averaging 29.3 points, 6.3 assists, 5.0 rebounds, and 2.0 steals in 38.4 minutes per game, with a shooting line of .477/.364/.857.

It’s the second time this season that Brunson has been named the East’s Player of the Week — he also won the award on December 2. This time around, he beat out a group of nominees that consisted of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Tyrese Haliburton, Pascal Siakam, and De’Andre Hunter, per the league (Twitter link).

LaVine, meanwhile, hit his stride last week after an up-and-down start with his new team in Sacramento. The former Bull helped lead the Kings to a 3-0 week that included wins over Charlotte, Utah, and Houston. He posted a scorching-hot .623/.636/.667 shooting line, averaging 28.0 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game. Sacramento outscored opponents by a total of 67 points during his 106 minutes on the floor.

Stephen Curry, Luka Doncic, LeBron James, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, and Shaedon Sharpe were also nominated in the West, according to the NBA.

Scotto: Trae Young, LaMelo Ball Among Players To Monitor In Offseason

March 3rd, 2025 at 2:07pm CST by Luke Adams

Hawks guard Trae Young has just one guaranteed year left on his contract after this season, with a player option for 2026/27. As he nears potential free agency, executives around the NBA are wondering whether Atlanta will be looking to extend Young this offseason or whether he might emerge as a trade candidate, writes Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

As Scotto notes, Young has spoken about wanting to win a championship in Atlanta with head coach Quin Snyder, and the Hawks have an intriguing collection of young talent around him, including forward Jalen Johnson, defensive ace Dyson Daniels, and 2024’s No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher.

However, the Hawks have been a middle-of-the-pack team since making the Eastern Conference Finals in 2021, compiling between 36 and 43 wins and failing to get out of the first round of the playoffs in each of the three years since then — this season, they’re on pace for 37 wins and another play-in spot. They also don’t control their own first-round picks in any of the next three drafts.

Additionally, Scotto writes, Hawks ownership will be looking to avoid surpassing the luxury tax threshold in 2025/26, which could affect their ability to re-sign free agents such as Clint Capela, Caris LeVert, and/or Larry Nance Jr. — or to bring in additional talent.

Atlanta did have talks with the Pelicans prior to this year’s trade deadline about forward Brandon Ingram, with Capela, Onyeka Okongwu, De’Andre Hunter, and Bogdan Bogdanovic among the names that came up in those multi-team discussions, Scotto reports. Ingram was ultimately sent to Toronto, with the Hawks sending Hunter to Cleveland and Bogdanovic to the Clippers.

Shortly after the trade deadline passed last month, NBA insider Chris Haynes (Twitter link) referred to Young’s future in Atlanta as “murky,” while Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link) wondered if the 26-year-old might request a trade this summer. Scotto doesn’t quite go that far, but says Young’s situation in Atlanta is one that executives around the league will be monitoring in the coming months.

Here’s more from Scotto on players to watch entering the 2025 offseason:

Rival executives are curious about whether point guard LaMelo Ball is still at the forefront of the Hornets‘ long-term plans and will be keeping an eye on him this offseason, Scotto reports. Veteran forward Miles Bridges is another name to watch in Charlotte, since his contract has a declining salary structure that was meant to make it more trade-friendly, Scotto adds. It also remains to be seen whether the Hornets will put center Mark Williams back on the trade block after a deadline deal with the Lakers fell through due to medical concerns.
RJ Barrett‘s name came up in the Ingram trade talks between the Raptors and Pelicans, but New Orleans didn’t view the forward as an ideal fit on their roster, according to Scotto, who suggests that Barrett could emerge as a trade candidate this summer with Toronto prioritizing Ingram, Scottie Barnes, and Gradey Dick. The former No. 3 overall pick is under contract for $57MM+ across two more years after this season.
NBA executives widely expect Wizards forward Khris Middleton to pick up his $33.35MM player option for 2025/26, Scotto reports. If he does, he and guard Marcus Smart – who will have an expiring $21.59MM deal, will be trade candidates to monitor in Washington. The same goes for Richaun Holmes, though his expiring $13.28MM contract only features a small partial guarantee ($250K), so he’s probably more likely to be waived than traded.

Spurs Sign Bismack Biyombo For Rest Of Season

March 3rd, 2025 at 11:36am CST by Arthur Hill

March 3: As expected, Biyombo has officially been signed for the remainder of the 2024/25 season, the Spurs announced today in a press release.

February 28: The Spurs plan to sign Bismack Biyombo for the remainder of the season once his second 10-day contract expires, sources tell NBA insider Chris Haynes (Twitter link).

The 32-year-old center has appeared in six games since signing the first deal with San Antonio on February 9. He’s averaging 5.7 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.0 blocks in 16 minutes per night and posted a pair of double-doubles this week with 10 points and 10 rebounds on Sunday against New Orleans and 10 points and 12 rebounds on Tuesday in a rematch with the Pelicans.

Biyombo has moved into the starting lineup for the past five games following the loss of Victor Wembanyama due to a blood clot in his right shoulder. His second 10-day deal took effect last Friday and will run through this Sunday.

Biyombo will give San Antonio a steady presence in the middle for the rest of the season and he offers plenty of playoff experience if the Spurs can reach the play-in tournament. That’s increasingly becoming a long shot, however — at 24-33, they’re currently five and a half games behind 10th-place Sacramento.

Biyombo’s performance could also help his chances of landing a spot on the roster for next season. He has become a journeyman recently, as San Antonio is his fifth team in the last five years.

Grizzlies Sign Lamar Stevens To Second 10-Day Contract

March 3rd, 2025 at 10:04am CST by Rory Maher

Lamar Stevens‘ first 10-day contract with Memphis expired overnight, but he won’t hit the open market — the Grizzlies have officially brought him back for another 10-day deal, announcing the news in a press release (via Twitter).

A Philadelphia native who went undrafted out of Penn State in 2020, Stevens spent his first three seasons with Cleveland prior to being traded to San Antonio in the 2023 offseason. He was later waived by the Spurs, but signed a training camp deal with the Celtics and wound up making their regular season roster.

Stevens was traded to Memphis ahead of last season’s deadline, finishing out the 2023/24 campaign with the Grizzlies. He caught on with the Pistons for training camp this past fall, but was released before ’24/25 began.

The 27-year-old forward had spent the entire season in the G League with the Motor City Cruise prior to receiving his call-up from the Grizzlies. He made his ’24/25 season debut on Saturday vs. San Antonio, recording six points and four rebounds in 16 minutes off the bench.

In 29 combined games for Detroit’s NBAGL affiliate in ’24/25, Stevens averaged 17.8 points, 7.7 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.4 blocks in 34.0 minutes per game, with a shooting slash line of .438/.328/.744. He’s known for his energy, athleticism, toughness and defense.

Stevens will be eligible to play in six games over the course of his second 10-day contract, which will expire overnight on March 12. At that point, the Grizzlies will have to decide if they want to retain him for the rest of the season, as players can only sign up to two 10-day contracts with the same team.

As our tracker shows, Stevens will fill the 15th and final spot on Memphis’ standard roster. The Grizzlies are also at the limit of three players on two-way contracts.

KD: Suns “Embarrassed Ourselves” In Latest Loss

March 3rd, 2025 at 9:05am CST by Rory Maher

The 2024/25 season is starting to slip away from the Suns. After leading by two at halftime against Minnesota on Sunday, Phoenix was routed in the second half, ultimately losing by 18 points.

“We didn’t play up to our standards at all,” All-Star forward Kevin Durant said (story via David Brandt of The Associated Press). “We embarrassed the fans and we embarrassed ourselves the way we played. I want us to be better.”

As Brandt writes, the Phoenix is just 3-11 in its past 14 games and is now 28-33 on the season, four games behind Dallas for the final play-in spot in the Western Conference. The Suns are closer in the standings to the teams directly beneath them — Portland (27-34) and San Antonio (25-34) — than they are to the Mavs (32-29).

“We’ve got to go on a run, but it’s got to start,” head coach Mike Budenholzer said. “There’s no doubt that the standings, the circumstances that we’re in, there’s an awareness and we’ve got to do something to change it.”

The Suns made the playoffs outright last season, avoiding the play-in by finishing with a 49-33 record, good for the No. 6 seed in the West. However, they were swept by the Wolves in the first round, leading to the dismissal of former head coach Frank Vogel. Sunday marked Phoenix’s seventh straight loss to Minnesota, notes Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic.

Phoenix failed to match Minnesota’s “physicality” in the second half, according to Devin Booker, with giveaways also being a major issue — the Suns tied a season high with 22 turnovers, leading to 40 points for the Wolves. Durant, Booker and Bradley Beal combined for 14 of the team’s 22 turnovers.

“That’s why we lost,” Durant said, per Brandt. “Forty points off turnovers, tough to overcome that. They didn’t overpower us on the glass, we just gave them the ball.”

NBA insider Chris Haynes recently reported that Budenholzer told Booker to “tone it down vocally” during games, which surprised the star guard. Booker subsequently suggested that the team could use more vocal leadership.

However, prior to Sunday’s game, Booker downplayed any rift with his coach, Rankin relays in another story.

“We’ve had multiple conversations. I can’t seem to find one that sticks out more than the others,” Booker said. “It’s a player/coach relationship. When things start going bad, everybody tries to point fingers to find out what’s wrong. People are going to come up with stuff. The relationship is great. We’re on the same page, we’re trying to win and that’s that.”