Jrue Holiday Will Return Sunday For Trail Blazers
3:35 pm: Both Holiday and Williams will be active for Sunday’s game, according to Highkin (Twitter link). Holiday will be on a minutes restriction in his first game in two months.
12:51 pm: Trail Blazers guard Jrue Holiday has been upgraded from questionable to probable for Sunday’s matchup against New York, tweets Joe Freeman of The Oregonian.
The two-time champion was off to a solid start in his first season with Portland, averaging 16.7 points, 8.3 assists, 5.3 rebounds and 1.6 steals on .446/.365/.840 shooting in 12 games (33.4 minutes per contest). However, he sustained a right calf strain on November 14 and has missed the past 27 games due to the injury.
Holiday’s return appearing imminent is obviously welcome news for Portland, which has been hit hard by injuries in 2025/26. Despite missing several key members of the rotation for multiple weeks, the Trail Blazers have been resilient, winning five straight games — and seven of their past eight — to improve to 19-20 on the season.
Backup center Robert Williams III, who exited Friday’s win over Houston with knee soreness, has also been upgraded from questionable to probable, notes Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report (via Twitter).
The 28-year-old big man is viewed as a trade candidate in part because he’s playing on a $13.3MM expiring contract. A former All-Defensive member, Williams has averaged 5.5 PPG, 6.0 RPG and 1.2 BPG in 26 appearances this season (15.7 MPG).
Spurs Notes: Wemby, Champagnie, K. Johnson, Sochan, Bryant
Victor Wembanyama helped lead the Spurs to a victory on Saturday in Boston, writes Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News. The star big man scored 16 of his 21 points in the second half and hit a couple of key jump shots late in the game to seal the victory.
“My mindset was just we have to close out that game,” Wembanyama said. “I think too often, I mean it’s easier said than done, but too often we do lots of efforts and let it go to waste one way or the other. So, I felt like not letting that happen.”
Wembanyama has come off the bench for the past three games since a knee injury caused him to miss two consecutive contests. The 22-year-old center indicated that he’s close to returning to the starting lineup, Orsborn notes.
“The goal is to start soon and to keep it that way for the rest of the season,” Wembanyama said.
Here’s more on the Spurs:
- Wembanyama praised Julian Champagnie following Saturday’s victory, Orsborn adds. Champagnie has been starting in place of Devin Vassell, who is out with a left adductor strain. The 24-year-old wing delivered his fifth double-double (12 points, 13 rebounds) on Saturday and blocked a Derrick White three-point attempt in the closing seconds. “We trust him,” Wembanyama said of Champagnie. “The front office, the coaching staff, everybody believes in him and he’s just capitalizing on that. It’s like we can’t do without him now. He’s part of this. He’s indispensable.”
- Keldon Johnson has become one of the top bench players in the NBA, but it’s a role he was initially reluctant to accept after once being a full-time starter, per Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News. “If I was to say it’s easy, I would be lying,” Johnson said. “As a young player, you have some success early on, you score a lot of points in the NBA, it takes a lot to sit back and take your ego away from it and say, ‘OK what do I need to do to be able to contribute to this team now?’” Johnson, who had 18 points and 10 rebounds on Saturday, is having the most efficient offensive season of his career. “It would be hard for him not to at least be in the (Sixth Man of the Year) conversation,” head coach Mitch Johnson said. “He’s been phenomenal and he’s been consistent. He’s been a mainstay. It’s every night with that guy.”
- Fourth-year forward Jeremy Sochan downplayed a post-game incident on Wednesday in which Lakers forward Jarred Vanderbilt poked him in the face, as Michael C. Wright of ESPN.com relays. “I must’ve said something to him during the game, and maybe it wasn’t very nice,” Sochan said. “He must have taken it in the wrong way and told me to see him after the game. So, I did. And we just had a polite exchange. I was, I think, intact and very joyful and the other person wasn’t. Yeah, he just wasn’t emotionally stable in that moment. So, it’s something he has to work on. It’s just life.”
- Late lottery pick Carter Bryant was assigned to the G League on Friday and played 28 minutes with the Austin Spurs, recording 15 points, five rebounds and two blocks in 28 minutes, prior to being recalled on Saturday. According to Orsborn, coach Johnson said the rookie forward won’t be sent down on a regular basis. “That was the most minutes I have played since my senior year at high school, so it was a great opportunity for me to get some live reps, to see the ball go through basket a little bit,” said Bryant. “That’s the biggest thing in the game of basketball. If your confidence is lacking, it’s going to be hard for you to play no matter how good you are.”
Trail Blazers’ Kris Murray (Back) Out Indefinitely
Shortly after upgrading Jrue Holiday to probable for Sunday’s game vs. New York, the Trail Blazers announced (via Twitter) that third-year wing Kris Murray has been diagnosed with a lumbar strain in his lower back.
No return timeline was provided for Murray’s injury, with the Trail Blazers simply saying that additional updates will be provided “as appropriate.” In other words, Murray is out indefinitely.
Murray sustained the injury in Monday’s game vs. Utah. He was evaluated after the win it was determined that he has a lumbar strain, per the team.
Murray, the No. 23 pick in the 2023 draft, has been a rotation regular for Portland in 2025/26, averaging 6.0 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.2 steals in 34 games, including 11 starts (25.7 minutes per contest). His shooting slash line is .446/.256/.738.
A 6’8″ small forward, Murray has missed the past two games with the back injury and will miss his third consecutive contest on Sunday. The 25-year-old is earning $3.1MM in the third year of his rookie scale contract and will make $5.3MM next season.
Sidy Cissoko, Caleb Love and Rayan Rupert are among the Blazers who could receive more playing time with Murray out.
Five Potential Sellers Who Could Shape The Trade Deadline
Several teams who currently sit well below .500 - including the Bucks, Clippers, and Pacers - are viewed as unlikely to sell off veterans at the February 5 trade deadline due either to a belief they can still make a run this season or a desire to preserve their core for next season.
Certain other teams projected to end up in the lottery - like the Jazz and Wizards - have few appealing veterans to sell off to begin with, since their rosters are heavy on young players and veteran cornerstones they're reportedly not looking to move, such as Lauri Markkanen in Utah and Trae Young in Washington.
With 20 playoff or play-in spots up for grabs and several of those bottom 10 teams not preparing to hold fire sales, the door could be open for a handful of would-be sellers to fill the void and conduct some favorable business in the coming weeks.
We're looking today at five teams well positioned to cash in on several trade chips -- if they choose to go that route.
Let's dive in...
Atlantic Notes: Poeltl, Raptors, Agbaji, Brown, MPJ, Thomas
Starting Raptors center Jakob Poeltl has made one brief appearance since mid-December due to a lower back strain and will miss his 10th straight game on Sunday. While the Austrian big man has been cleared for contact work and has been ramping up his activity, he’s still experiencing discomfort during workouts, sources tell Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca.
In another story for Sportsnet, Grange reports that Poeltl’s recovery progress has “stalled.” The 30-year-old told Grange his workout in Boston on Thursday was “so-so” and Grange hears Friday’s session wasn’t much better.
Poeltl’s ongoing back issue is partly why the Raptors are actively looking for help in the middle, Grange writes. Goga Bitadze is one player Toronto is monitoring, according to Grange, who points out that Moritz Wagner‘s return and Orlando’s future cap situation could make the Magic center expendable.
We have more from the Atlantic Division:
- Raptors guard/forward Ochai Agbaji received a DNP-CD on Friday at Boston even though the team was playing without Scottie Barnes and Brandon Ingram. Agbaji has been involved in trade rumors due to his $6.4MM expiring contract and declining play, and he acknowledges several young wings on the roster have struggled to find consistency this season. “It’s obviously been tough. Some guys are trying to fall into that role and find their rhythm too,” Agbaji told Grange. “… We kind of see that and everyone in the room sees that too, and how valuable we are to the team and what we can bring to the team, so it’s just a matter of knowing your role and trying to be the best at it. (But) I feel like our bench – our total team – yes, we play our good basketball, but I feel like there’s so much more to us, individually and as a team collectively, that we just haven’t shown in one game or over a span of, like, a week, or anything like that.”
- Celtics star Jaylen Brown ripped the officials, including calling out crew chief Curtis Blair by name, following Saturday’s loss to San Antonio, writes Tim Bontemps of ESPN. The Spurs attempted 20 free throws, compared to four for the Celtics. “If we can’t get to the free throw line and teams are allowed to be physical and bump us off our spots, etc., then it’s hard to win games like that,” Brown said. “We shot four free throws tonight and lost the game by four. Not to say that’s the whole game, the whole story. We got to be better in spots. I got to be better in spots. But goddamn. I’m driving to the basket. I’m physical. I don’t flop. I don’t shy away from contact. I go up strong. I’m athletic. And nothing. Zero free throws tonight. The inconsistency is f—ing crazy. Give me the fine.”
- Nets forward Michael Porter Jr., who is being held out of Sunday’s game at Memphis for rest purposes, is having a career year for Brooklyn and his head coach believes he deserves to be recognized for his strong play, according to C.J. Holmes of The New York Daily News. “I mean, he’s an All-Star,” Jordi Fernandez said. “He’s played like an All-Star, you just got to watch him play, and how much better he’s gotten.”
- Cam Thomas has been coming off the bench for the Nets since he returned from a hamstring strain and Fernandez has been pleased with the fifth-year guard’s recent performances, as Andrew Crane of The New York Post relays. “I’m very happy with the second group,” Fernandez said after the Nets lost 121-105 to the Clippers on Friday. “They’re trying to play the right way. I’m happy and trying to focus more on [Thomas] because that’s the superpower that he has, and defenses have to focus on him. And then he’ll figure it out when he scores and takes the shot, when he passes the ball.”
Eastern Notes: Dosunmu, Collins, Penda, Snyder
Fifth-year guard Ayo Dosunmu is one of 11 Bulls who could be a free agent this summer. Dosunmu, who turns 26 years old on Saturday, is earning $7.5MM this season and is eligible for a veteran extension through June 30.
The former second-round pick (38th overall in 2021) is boosting his value in a contract year, averaging 14.5 points, 3.5 assists and 2.7 rebounds on .515/.450/.867 shooting in 32 games (26.2 minutes per contest). Dosunmu tells Kyle Williams of The Chicago Sun-Times he’s well aware of the impending trade deadline, but his preference would be to stay with his hometown team.
“For sure,” Dosunmu said of wanting to remain in Chicago. “They took a chance on me. I definitely know I love it here. But then you know, free agency’s coming up, and the business side of it, you always understand everything that comes with it. But besides that, these are the guys who helped me become a better player, the staff that helped me become a better player. I take one game at a time. But of course, I love Chicago.”
Here are a few more notes from around the Eastern Conference:
- Bulls big man Zach Collins continues to experience discomfort in his sprained right big toe and remains out indefinitely, writes Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune. According to head coach Billy Donovan, Collins’ injury is similar to turf toe, which often results in a lengthy absence. The 28-year-old center will meet with a doctor on Wednesday and the goal is to establish a recovery plan and return timeline at that point, Poe adds.
- Rookie Noah Penda received his first career start in Friday’s loss to Philadelphia amid multiple Magic injuries, per Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel. Known as a strong defender, the French forward is averaging 9.3 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 2.0 SPG and 1.7 BPG over his last three appearances (29.3 MPG).
- Appearing on 92.9 FM The Game with Chris Thomas (Twitter link), Lauren L. Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution said she hasn’t heard any rumblings about head coach Quin Snyder potentially being on the hot seat with the Hawks off to a relatively disappointing start to the season. Atlanta is currently 19-21, the No. 9 seed in the East.
Knicks Notes: Hart, Trade Deadline, Shamet, Towns
The Knicks capably withstood injury absences to other players this season, but Josh Hart showed how valuable he was to the team when it was forced to play without him over the past eight games, writes Stefan Bondy of The New York Post.
Hart, who is questionable to return to action on Sunday at Portland, has been recovering from a right ankle sprain he sustained on December 25. In addition to Hart’s defense, rebounding, pace of play and secondary ball-handling, the Knicks have also missed the 30-year-old wing’s ability to get into the paint and make plays.
“He’s the heart and soul of the team from an energy perspective,” Miles McBride said. “I bring a lot of energy, we got a lot of guys that do. But he’s been doing it for so long and we’ve all been able to use him as the nucleus.”
Here’s more from New York:
- Will Hart’s imminent return be enough to switch the team’s downward momentum? Steve Popper of Newsday (subscriber link) explores that question, writing that the Knicks have certainly missed Hart’s physicality in dropping five of their past six games. One way or another, they’ll have to improve their toughness for the playoffs, according to Popper, and they have less than four weeks to decide what moves to make ahead of the February 5 trade deadline.
- Veteran wing Landry Shamet, who is on the mend from a right shoulder injury, has been cleared for contact work and has already been taking controlled contact, head coach Mike Brown said on Saturday (Twitter link via Bondy). Shamet will be out again Sunday, but the update is a positive sign that his return isn’t far off.
- Big man Karl-Anthony Towns continues to produce inconsistent offensive results in his first season playing in Brown’s system, notes Kristian Winfield of The New York Daily News. The five-time All-Star only attempted 11 shots in Friday’s loss in Phoenix two games after putting up just four shots in a blowout loss at Detroit. Towns’ numbers are down across the board and the Knicks need more from their highest-paid player, says Winfield.
Bucks Reportedly Interested In Ja Morant
The Bucks are among the teams with interest in Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant, multiple league sources tell Jim Owczarski of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (subscription required).
Morant, a two-time All-Star who has been plagued by injury and off-court woes in recent years, will miss his fifth straight game on Sunday vs. Brooklyn due to a right calf contusion, per the NBA’s official injury report.
This is the first report we’ve seen definitively linking Milwaukee to Morant, who is on the trading block.
In order to match salaries with Morant, who is earning approximately $39.5MM this season and is under contract through 2027/28, an outgoing Bucks package would likely start with Kyle Kuzma ($22.4MM). There are multiple ways to make the money work from there with additional players included.
While Morant makes some sense as a buy-low candidate for the Bucks, who are trying to get back into contention in the Eastern Conference around two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, his on-court fit seems shaky. For starters, Morant has never been a great shooter, and Milwaukee’s two best players this season outside of Antetokounmpo have been point guards Ryan Rollins and Kevin Porter Jr.
The Bucks also continue to be intrigued by Kings shooting guard Zach LaVine, Owczarski reports. Milwaukee has been connected to multiple players on Sacramento’s roster, though the two teams reportedly weren’t engaged in active trade conversations as of last week.
Warriors Notes: Butler, Green, MPJ, Melton, Horford
Jimmy Butler‘s work with the second unit has sparked the Warriors to an 8-3 record over their last 11 games, Sam Gordon of The San Francisco Chronicle writes in a subscriber-only story. Coach Steve Kerr reworked his rotation to give Butler more time with the reserves, and that group has been consistently winning its minutes while Stephen Curry and Draymond Green are off the court. The latest example came Friday night as Butler teamed with four bench players for a 13-0 run in the third quarter that broke open a tied game with Sacramento.
“The way he controls the game is elite,” De’Anthony Melton said of Butler. “I’m reading when to cut, spacing, when to move, certain spots he likes (the ball). Sometimes he has a certain matchup where he doesn’t want (an action). … He can either get a bucket or a foul usually more times than not. Sometimes, it’s not being in his way and giving him an outlet, too, when two people collapse and you’ve got to be ready to shoot.”
Kerr said Butler is more aggressive in those situations, adding that he often “defers” to Curry when they’re playing together. Butler called it getting “the ball where it’s supposed to go,” but regardless, his offensive skills are more on display when he’s the alpha on the court.
“It’s like a drastic change in style but it’s still a beautiful game when he’s getting everybody organized,” Curry said. “You saw him getting downhill, kicking out to shooters, knocking down big shots. He puts so much pressure on the defense even if he’s not the one shooting.”
There’s more on the Warriors:
- Kerr recently talked to Green about his high turnover rate, which has been an issue during the first half of the season, Gordon adds in a separate story. Kerr still trusts the veteran big man to run the offense, but wants him to do it more judiciously. “The league has changed,” Green said. “Teams feast off those turnovers. So you try to take less chances than I was taking. I heard it. Took it to heart.”
- Green made an unusual comment about high-scoring Nets forward Michael Porter Jr. on his podcast, per Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints (Twitter link). After praising Porter’s performance this season, Green said it will be interesting to see what Brooklyn does with him over the “next nine days.”
- Stability in the rotation has also contributed to Golden State’s recent success, observes Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area. In particular, the Warriors are benefiting from the health of Melton and Al Horford, who are both playing regularly after missing time earlier in the season. “We’re in a good groove with our rotation, and helps to have the same lineups out there,” Kerr said. “To have Melt and Al both healthy and playing well, it feels like the version of the team that we expected when we signed those guys over the summer. The depth (is great) and we’re just getting into a good groove.”
Northwest Notes: Gordon, Trail Blazers, Holiday, Bailey
The Nuggets have been using Aaron Gordon off the bench since he returned from a hamstring strain to maximize the value of his limited minutes, writes Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. Coach David Adelman wants Gordon to be available to help close out games, so he’s playing him strategically the rest of the time.
“When you have a minute restriction, if you start somebody, they sit for so long before you put them back in. So this allows me to kind of play with the minutes,” Adelman said after Friday’s loss to Atlanta. He pointed out that a starting lineup with Hunter Tyson and DaRon Holmes was able to keep the game close until Gordon checked in.
Gordon logged 24 minutes on Friday, the most he has played in any of the three games since his return after a six-week absence, and finished with 14 points, nine rebounds and five assists. He said the hamstring feels “fine” now, but he’s still adjusting to the unfamiliar role.
“I’m just trying to figure out the flow of my minutes, you know? It’s a longer halftime for me right now, for going in at halftime, then coming off the bench out of halftime,” Gordon said. “It’s a little bit longer for me. So I’m just trying to figure out how I can continue to get my body back and contribute more in the second half. And help my team win. I feel like if I was better in the second half, we would have won that game. At least in the fourth quarter. So I take this one on me.”
There’s more from the Northwest Division:
- The Trail Blazers are on a five-game winning streak, triggering memories of last season’s second-half surge, Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report states in a subscriber-only story. Injury issues created opportunities for two-way players Sidy Cissoko and Caleb Love, who have become trusted parts of the rotation. “It’s just the confidence that these guys are getting,” interim coach Tiago Splitter said. “True minutes, meaningful minutes. Knowing that we have a system and a way to play, and we just follow it.”
- Trail Blazers guard Jrue Holiday is close to returning after missing the past 27 games with a right calf strain, according to Joe Freeman of the Oregonian. He has been upgraded to questionable for Sunday’s game against New York and could be back on the court for the first time since November 14. Freeman notes that Holiday was originally expected to be reevaluated in one to two weeks, but the injury continued to linger. In 12 games, Holiday is averaging 16.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 8.3 assists in 33.4 minutes per night.
- Jazz rookie Ace Bailey was only able to play 10 minutes on Wednesday against Oklahoma City as he tried to return from a strained hip flexor. It’s the only time he’s been on the court since suffering the injury on December 26. “Yeah, it’s still day to day,” coach Will Hardy told reporters, per Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune (Twitter link). “You know, he felt like he could go in OKC, and then after his first two shifts, we didn’t love how he looked moving, he didn’t love how he felt, and so we don’t want to put him in a position that hurts him. So we’re taking it day by day. He’s working really hard. He was on the court today. Still got a long way to go.”