Western Notes: Sabonis, Kuminga, Gobert, Pelicans
Domantas Sabonis made a solid return to action on Friday, as the Kings big man posted 13 points, six rebounds and five assists while coming off the bench in a win over Washington. Sabonis missed 27 games due to a partially torn meniscus in his left knee.
“His energy was good,” Kings coach Doug Christie said, per Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee. “He ran the floor well. He looked really good. I thought he got a little gassed in my opinion at one point, but fantastic.”
Sabonis was relieved to get back in action.
“I’m just happy I was able to play,” Sabonis said. “You really miss it when you’re gone for so long.”
We have more from the Western Conference:
- Warriors coach Steve Kerr admits the Jonathan Kuminga trade demand is a difficult situation for all parties involved, Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area writes. “There’s not a whole lot I can say about the other stuff,” Kerr said. “It is what it is. Difficult situation for everybody. Part of this league, part of this job. We just keep moving forward. But it’s a tough situation and I don’t really have much to add.” Kuminga was in attendance for a rare home shootaround at Chase Center before the Warriors played the Knicks. Once reporters were allowed in, Kuminga sprinted off the court without comment.
- Rudy Gobert had a nightmarish outing on Friday and he took the blame for the Timberwolves‘ loss to the Rockets. The veteran center made just two of 10 free throws, committed two crucial turnovers and made some uncharacteristic defensive mistakes in the late going, Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic notes. “Just a lot of plays, man. Mistakes. Free throws. A lot of things that I can control,” Gobert said. “I definitely cost us the game. I take responsibility for that. I’ve got to be better.”
- The Pelicans lost the battle of conference cellar-dwellers on Friday, falling to Indiana. The Pacers racked up 127 points, their third-highest total this season. “The biggest thing is they had 20 more shots on goal,” Pelicans interim coach James Borrego said, per Rod Walker of NOLA.com. “We did enough offensively, even though I don’t think the second half was great offensively. But we just didn’t get enough stops.”
Heat Notes: Ware, Haslem, Midway Point, Grades, Powell, Wiggins
Heat second-year big man Kel’el Ware continues to frustrate the coaching staff with his inconsistency. Ware was benched during the second half of the team’s loss to Boston on Thursday and coach Erik Spoelstra called him out afterward, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald writes.
“It was a tough matchup for him in Boston with all the coverages, and the same thing (Thursday),” Spoelstra said. “He just has to stay ready. Look, with Kel’el, I know that’s a lightning-rod topic. He needs to get back to where he was eight weeks ago, seven weeks ago, where I felt and everybody in the building felt, he was stacking days, good days. He’s stacking days in the wrong direction now. He’s just got to get back to that. Stack days, build those habits, make sure you’re ready and play the minutes that you’re playing to a point where it makes me want to play you more.”
Former Heat player Udonis Haslem said during a Prime Video appearance that Ware needs to make the coaches believe he’s deserving of more playing time.
“Put them in a position to earn their money,” Haslem said. “Put them in a position to say, ‘He is one of our top seven or right guys, he should be playing. Let me figure out ways to get him more minutes because he deserves those minutes.’ I understand your minutes are going to fluctuate based on the situation with coaches. There is nothing you can do about it. But what you can do is every time you step out on the basketball court, make sure your minutes are impactful, make sure your minutes are positive.”
Bam Adebayo made similar comments to the media.
Here’s more on the Heat:
- With a 21-20 record at the midway point of the season, Miami hasn’t played to its potential, in Spoelstra’s view. “We feel like we’re better than where we are, but we are what our record is right now. That’s the bottom line,” the Heat coach said, per Chiang. “If you play games on paper, I think right now we would have a better record. But that’s not the case right now.” Adebayo believes the players need to be more focused and mentally tougher. “We are better than what our record says,” he said. “But until all of us commit to doing role-player things, we’ll keep being in the middle of the pack, mediocre. Until guys get sick of that middle ground of being seventh, eighth and not want to really make a push to be fourth or third in the East, we’re going to stay right here.”
- The Sun Sentinel’s Ira Winderman hands out midseason grades and gives Norman Powell an A and Jaime Jaquez Jr. an A-. Disappointing offseason acquisition Simone Fontecchio was awarded a D-.
- In the same story, Winderman opines that the front office might be better off trading Powell and Andrew Wiggins, noting the team is wallowing in mediocrity and could help its long-term outlook by acquiring draft capital. Powell will be an unrestricted free agent after the season while Wiggins holds a player option worth over $30.1MM for next season.
Atlantic Notes: Shead, Nets Streak, Traore, Shamet
The Raptors‘ Jamal Shead has emerged as one of the top backup point guards in the league and he could be deserving of even more playing time, Michael Grange of Sportsnet writes. Shead finished with 15 points and a career-best 13 assists in a loss to the Clippers on Friday.
“He’s amazing, he wants everyone to succeed,” fellow guard Gradey Dick said. “And he has our backs. He has my back and I have his. And I feel like when you have a point guard like that, it’s super motivational … and I feel like what people don’t talk about enough is just the selflessness. He wants everyone to win. I had just missed a shot right there and he’s one of the first guys to come up and say, ‘Stay right there. The way they’re playing their defense, you’re going to be open for another one,’ and that was one of the next plays.”
Shead is also a bargain. The club holds a $2,296,271 option on his contract for next season, which will undoubtedly be exercised.
Here’s more on the Atlantic Division:
- The Nets snapped a five-game losing streak on Friday but it didn’t come easy. They blew a 20-point, fourth-quarter lead before a late Michael Porter Jr. basket put away the Bulls. “The lesson is that there’s no safe lead in the NBA. Teams will always punch back,” coach Jordi Fernandez said, per Brian Lewis of the New York Post. “Give them credit. But at the end of the day, responding is important because when things go against you and then the other team takes the lead, it may seem like a big mountain in front of you. And the guys kept composure, scored when we needed to. Mike with a big bucket and then the stop.”
- Fernandez made an interesting personnel decision on Friday, riding Nolan Traore instead of lottery pick Egor Demin at the point during crunch time, Lewis notes. Traore finished with seven assists. “I’m very happy with both. I’m very happy with how they play, how selfless they play, their intentions,” Fernandez said. “That’s how you learn and get better. I know (Demin’s) not happy if I take him out of the game. That’s what I hope. And then from there, I know he can bring that level of physicality to guard, to switch, to guard bigger guys, to get into the paint. And then everything else that his superpowers are shooting the ball and finding the 3-point line. I know that that’s there.”
- Landry Shamet returned from a 25-game absence and scored six points in 16 minutes for the Knicks in their loss to the Warriors on Thursday night. Shamet, who is on a one-year, minimum salary contract, was sidelined with a shoulder injury. “He worked his tail off. Landry, he’s a worker, man,” Knicks coach Mike Brown told Stefan Bondy of the New York Post. “He was getting after it. It means a lot for him to play. He was in a great rhythm before he (got hurt). He’s been out a while. It’s going to take some time for him to get back. But it’s exciting for him to be back and we’re going to be patient with him while he’s fighting to get back to where he was.”
Ja Morant Expected To Return To Action On Sunday
Trade talks involving Ja Morant could get more serious once he gets back in action. That is expected to happen on Sunday, when the Grizzlies face the Magic in Berlin.
Morant hasn’t suited up since suffering a right calf injury on Jan. 2.
“There’s a good chance he plays. He went through the full practice today and now we’ve just got to see how his body responds in the morning,” head coach Tuomas Iisalo said on Saturday, per The Associated Press. “There’s obviously no guarantees and he’s got to feel comfortable with how the calf feels.”
Morant has been limited to 18 games this season due to a variety of injuries and a one-game suspension in early November for conduct detrimental to the team. He’s averaging 19.0 points and 7.6 assists in 28.3 minutes per game while shooting a career-low 40.1% from the field and 20.8% on three-point attempts.
Iisalo claims he and Morant are on the same page.
“We have a very good working relationship and every day here we both look to get better,” the Grizzlies’ coach said.
However, there has been daily speculation regarding Morant’s future ever since reports surfaced last week that Memphis was entertaining trade offers for their point guard.
The Timberwolves, Kings, Heat, Bucks, Raptors, Nets and Mavericks have been mentioned as potential suitors for Morant. However, there have been no indications that any trade discussions have reached the serious level. Morant has two years remaining after this season on his five-year, $197.2MM contract and his value has dipped the past few seasons due to declining production, health problems, and off-the-court issues.
Pacific Notes: Luka, Lakers, Achiuwa, Kawhi, Santos
The Lakers are coming off a disappointing home loss to Charlotte and will be without the NBA’s leading scorer for Saturday’s matchup in Portland, as Dave McMenamin of ESPN relays. Star guard Luka Doncic will miss Saturday’s game due to left groin soreness, while centers Jaxson Hayes (left hamstring tendinopathy) and Deandre Ayton (left knee soreness) are questionable to play.
Veteran guard Marcus Smart was critical of the Lakers’ defensive effort on Thursday after the Hornets shot 53.5% from the field and 46.5% from three-point range en route to 137 points, per Janis Carr of The Orange County Register.
“It doesn’t matter who it is. The team or the player doesn’t matter. When they play [against] us, everything goes through the roof,” Smart said. “If they were shooting 20%, they shoot 50% [against us]. It’s unfortunate, but that’s part of the game. It’s tough. We have to figure it out.
“We must play [with] a little bit more urgency on that end, especially, and kind of impose our will. Teams are doing a really good job of picking straight matchups and picking certain plays that they want.”
We have more from around the Pacific:
- Precious Achiuwa is embracing the opportunity to log most of his minutes at power forward with the Kings, he tells Stefan Bondy of The New York Post (subscriber link). “This is how I’ve always played. All throughout high school, college. First couple years in the league in Toronto, that’s how I played. Mainly playing the four position, which is my natural position,” Achiuwa said. “And that’s how I had a lot of success my first year in New York. Just the ball is able to move around a lot better. Guys are able to play the game with a sense of freedom better. Well, for me at least, I would say a better sense of freedom. Instead of just being pigeonholed.”
- In addition to a right ankle sprain, star forward Kawhi Leonard is also battling a left knee contusion he suffered last weekend, according to the Clippers (Twitter link via Law Murray of The Athletic). Leonard, who missed Friday’s overtime win in Toronto, is considered day-to-day.
- Warriors forward Gui Santos will be sidelined for Saturday’s game against Charlotte after spraining his left ankle in the first quarter of Thursday’s win over New York, writes Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area. It’s possible Santos, who has been a rotation regular of late, could miss additional time as well. “It’s a big loss,” head coach Steve Kerr said after Friday’s practice. “The energy, the offensive rebounding but also the size. When we go to him and Gary [Payton II] we’re generally playing him at the four next to Draymond [Green] at the five. He’s a rebounder, especially on the offensive side, and a great screener. But the size that he brings will be missed.”
Suns Notes: Brooks, Booker, Green, Bouyea
In a feature story for ESPN.com, Tim MacMahon details how veteran small forward Dillon Brooks helped reshape the cultures — and drive winning — in Houston and Phoenix after his unceremonious departure from Memphis in the 2023 offseason.
“I felt like a lot of people counted me out, thinking I was just going to wash away with the rest of NBA players that had their shine and then were not able to figure out how to evolve and be able to stay in this league,” Brooks said. “I didn’t want to fall off. I didn’t want to call it where I got to go either overseas or chill at home or change my whole career point. I love this game, and I play it because I really love it. I knew that I had to put in the work to be better every single day.”
Known for his relentless work ethic and fiery competitiveness, Brooks has had a positive two-way impact on the surprising Suns, who are currently 24-17 after finishing last season with a disappointing 36-46 record.
“He’s in the gym more than anybody that I know,” guard Collin Gillespie said. “You see how hard he works, how competitive he is, and you want to not let your teammate down when you see that. He makes you want to work harder. He challenges you to be in the gym with him, challenges you to play harder.
“You might not like it sometimes if he’s getting on you, but it makes you a better player for sure.”
Suns owner Mat Ishbia has been thrilled with Brooks’ toughness and intangibles on top of his play, according to MacMahon.
“He’s exactly the type of player [who fits] what we talk about here in Phoenix, what we want to be, the identity of the Suns,” Ishbia told ESPN. “He gets up more shots than everybody else before practice. He cares about winning. He plays defense, he plays offense, he’s a leader. He’s tough. He’s doing everything.
“We wanted Dillon. I envisioned him from a cultural perspective, a leadership perspective and an impact perspective at a really high level. He’s been even better than expected.”
Here’s more from Phoenix:
- Star guard Devin Booker is questionable for Saturday’s contest in New York due to the left ankle sprain that caused him to miss Thursday’s loss at Detroit, tweets Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Fellow guards Jalen Green (right hamstring strain) and Jamaree Bouyea (concussion) remain out.
- Although Green will be out again tomorrow, he’s inching closer to a return from the hamstring injury that has sidelined him for all but two games this season, Rankin writes in a full story. “He’s looking more and more confident,” center Mark Williams said. “He’s looking more and more comfortable. Whenever that time is for him, we’ll be excited.” Green’s return might force Gillespie, who has been starting, back to the bench, Rankin notes.
- Brooks says Green will provide a “big spark” for the Suns, according to Rankin, though he’s expected to be on a minutes restriction after a long layoff — he last played on November 8. Head coach Jordan Ott says the team will be cautious with Green, but the club is looking forward to having him back. “Full of talent, full of youthful energy we need,” Ott said. “His speed. His ability to attack off the dribble. We need him, but we need him healthy.”
Trade Rumors: MPJ, Kuminga, Raptors, Rockets, Clippers
Recent reporting from ESPN and The Athletic indicated that the Warriors haven’t engaged in any substantive talks with the Nets about Michael Porter Jr. Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area also hears Golden State has been “hesitant” to pursue Porter and suggests the team’s interest in the veteran forward has been overstated.
According to Johnson, if the Warriors do make a run at Porter, it would likely require a third team, as the Nets aren’t interested in Jonathan Kuminga.
However, Grant Afseth of DallasHoopsJournal.com has heard differently, citing sources who say the Warriors are not only interested in Porter but have “something brewing” in regard to the 27-year-old ahead of the February 5 trade deadline. As Afseth writes, Porter is having a career year in Brooklyn and scouts think he could help just about any team.
Here are a few more trade rumors from around the NBA:
- Both Johnson and Afseth confirm the Lakers are a team to watch for Kuminga, who demanded a trade on Thursday, the first day he was eligible to be moved. President of basketball operations Rob Pelinka likes Kuminga’s game, sources tell Johnson, and the Lakers think the 23-year-old would provide athleticism on the wing alongside Luka Doncic. Still, it’s unclear if the two Pacific Division rivals would make an in-season trade, Johnson notes.
- Although the Raptors have been described as a buyer heading into the deadline, Afseth’s sources refer to Toronto’s approach as being “opportunistic” in search of potential buy-low opportunities. That may be why the team has been linked to stars like Anthony Davis, Domantas Sabonis and Ja Morant, all of whom have dealt with significant health issues this season.
- Houston’s front office isn’t overreacting to the Rockets‘ recent struggles, writes Kelly Iko of Yahoo Sports. Team sources tell Iko the Rockets have discussed trade concepts with approximately half the teams in the league, but no deals are imminent and they aren’t aggressively searching for upgrades. Opposing teams have checked in on the availability of Tari Eason, Clint Capela and Dorian Finney-Smith, Iko adds.
- There was speculation that the Clippers might be a seller after a miserable start to the season, but now they’re considered a possible buyer after reeling off 11 wins in their past 13 games, per Afseth, with John Collins and Bogdan Bogdanovic viewed as potential trade candidates. Collins is on an expiring $26.6MM contract, while Bogdanovic earns $16MM this season with an identical team option for 2026/27.
Mavericks Rumors: Davis, Marshall, Gafford, Klay, Russell
ESPN’s Shams Charania reported a few days ago that Anthony Davis is still a trade candidate despite dealing with a hand injury that will keep him sidelined for at least six weeks. A subsequent report from his ESPN colleague Tim MacMahon stated that Davis’ agent Rich Paul hopes the 10-time All-Star is traded by the Mavericks prior to the February 5 deadline, but the team doesn’t feel any pressure to deal Davis just to move off his contract.
The Hawks and Raptors have been frequently linked to Davis, but neither team is close to trading for the 32-year-old big man, sources tell Grant Afseth of DallasHoopsJournal.com. Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reported earlier on Thursday that Atlanta isn’t operating with any urgency in the wake of Davis’ latest injury.
“The Mavericks’ leverage is materially worse after the hand injury,” one Western Conference executive told Afseth. “I don’t think [Davis] has much of a market.”
Here’s more from Afseth on the Mavericks:
- Forward Naji Marshall is having a career year with Dallas and has popped up in some trade rumors this winter. Confirming recent reporting from Marc Stein, Afseth says there’s a sense that Dallas prefers to hang on to Marshall rather than move him in the coming weeks. The 28-year-old wing is earning $9MM in 2025/26 and will make $9.4MM in ’26/27 before potentially becoming a free agent.
- Although Daniel Gafford has been repeatedly mentioned as one of the team’s top trade chips, his value seems to be diminishing because of health concerns, Afseth reports. The 27-year-old big man has missed 13 games this season due to a right ankle sprain he initially suffered on the first day of training camp and is doubtful for Saturday’s rematch with Utah, tweets Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News. “If Gafford is healthy, he can help a team. I don’t think he’s been healthy all season,” one Eastern Conference scout told Dallas Hoops Journal. “That ankle has been a problem for months. It looks like he’s frequently playing through something. He doesn’t pop when you watch the Mavericks like he did last season.” No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg is also doubtful for tomorrow’s game with a left ankle sprain, Curtis adds.
- Veterans Klay Thompson and D’Angelo Russell are two other trade candidates for the Mavs, but neither player seems to have much of a market, sources tell Afseth. While one Eastern executive told Afseth he thinks Thompson can still contribute on a contending team, his contract — he’s earning $16.7MM this season and $17.5MM in 2026/27 — isn’t viewed positively. Russell, meanwhile, is shooting a career-low 29.5% from three-point range, has been out of the rotation for most of the past month, and holds a $6MM player option for ’26/27.
Pacers Notes: Missi, Mathurin, I. Jackson, Guy
The Pacers and Bulls are among the teams with interest in Pelicans center Yves Missi, sources tell Grant Afseth of DallasHoopsJournal.com. Multiple reports have indicated that Indiana has inquired about the second-year big man.
According to Afseth, the Pacers are believed to have some traction in trade talks for Missi, with Bennedict Mathurin potentially heading to New Orleans. Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints reported something similar on Thursday.
Here’s more on the Pacers:
- Speaking of Mathurin, head coach Rick Carlisle provided an update on the injured wing on Friday, writes Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star (subscriber link). Carlisle said he went through a workout with Mathurin on Thursday and would do so again prior to Friday’s game against New Orleans. While the fourth-year guard/forward was out again Friday as he recovers from a right thumb sprain, Carlisle said Mathurin is “making a lot of progress” and there’s a chance he could return during the team’s five-game road trip, which begins Saturday in Detroit.
- Carlisle also gave an update on big man Isaiah Jackson, who has been sidelined since December 23 due to a concussion, Dopirak adds. Jackson has recovered from the head injury and is ramping up his conditioning after missing three-plus weeks. “He’s closer,” Carlisle said. “He’ll be on the trip. He’s doing well.”
- As Scott Agness reports in a pair of stories for Fieldhouse Files (Substack links), former NBA guard Kyle Guy has agreed to a buyout with the Pacers’ G League affiliate, the Noblesville Boom, after reaching a contract agreement to play in China. “We try to put our players in the best position possible,” Boom GM Chris Taylor told Agness. “Hopefully it’s an NBA call-up to compete at the highest level, but this is a heck of an opportunity — and 100% checks that box of helping him get to a better situation.” A former second-round pick, Guy briefly retired as a player in order to pursue coaching opportunities. The 28-year-old was leading Noblesville in points and assists per game, averaging 21.1 PPG, 7.6 APG, 4.1 RPG and 1.7 SPG on .450/.372/.714 shooting in 20 appearances (40.0 MPG).
Injury Notes: Garland, Merrill, Heat, Coulibaly, Pritchard
Cavaliers point guard Darius Garland has been ruled out of Friday’s game at Philadelphia due to right great toe soreness, tweets Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. As Fedor notes, Garland’s injury is not a recurrence of the toe ailment that required offseason surgery and has bothered him for several months — the injury is impacting a different toe on the opposite foot.
Cleveland will also be without sharpshooter Sam Merrill on Friday, per Fedor (Twitter link). Merrill is dealing with a right hand sprain, the same injury that caused him to miss 14 games earlier in the season. Both players were injured in Wednesday’s win in Philadelphia.
Here are a few more injury updates from around the NBA:
- The Heat will be down two key rotation members for Saturday’s game against Oklahoma City, according to Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald (Twitter links). Starting point guard Davion Mitchell will miss his second straight game with a left shoulder contusion, while sixth man Jaime Jaquez Jr. will be out for the second consecutive contest due to a left knee sprain. As Chiang writes for The Miami Herald, Jaquez underwent an MRI on Thursday which revealed irritation in his knee. Mitchell had not received an MRI as of Thursday. Guard Tyler Herro is questionable for tomorrow’s game due to contusions on his toe and rib.
- Forward Bilal Coulibaly, who exited Wednesday’s loss at the Clippers early due to a back injury, will miss the final two games of the Wizards‘ West Coast road trip with what the team is calling lower back stiffness, as Josh Robbins of The Athletic relays (via Twitter). Head coach Brian Keefe said the former lottery pick has returned to D.C. to receive treatment for his back.
- Celtics guard Payton Pritchard is doubtful to suit up for Saturday’s game at Atlanta due to left ankle soreness, per John Karalis of Sports Illustrated (Twitter link). Pritchard, the reigning Sixth Man of the Year, has appeared in all 40 of Boston’s games thus far in 2025/26. Forward Josh Minott will miss his seventh straight contest due to a left ankle sprain, Karalis adds.